JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
Trump and the religious right: why it's mostly with him, even after The Tape-[The Canadian Press]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Anyone wondering why evangelical voters have stuck by Donald Trump will find answers here, amid the clasped hands and murmured prayers of a religious rally in Maryland.They can be summed up in five words: Abortion. Nationalism. Redemption. Hillary Clinton. One participant shakes her head when asked if she's heard the infamous audio of Trump singing the praises of adultery and unsolicited sexual touching.Susan Priest believes he's sought salvation.Trump, who last year said he never asked God for forgiveness, couldn't cite a favoured Bible verse, routinely gloats about his material wealth and skates around scriptural admonishments regarding sexual immodesty.He found faith last year, Priest says — she heard it on a conference call this week with fellow churchgoers. That's why she won't bother watching the video."He's born-again now. He's a Christian," said the Maryland resident. "We consider the things he did in his past now forgiven — like our sins are forgiven."He's not the same person."-Evangelical Christians mostly support Trump. Yet the cultural cleavages of this election appear among Christians, too. Trump is dominant among white evangelicals — a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute had him leading Clinton by 50 percentage points. Among non-white Christians, Clinton led by 56 percentage points.That culture clash permeated this week's event in downtown Annapolis, where Franklin Graham, the son of legendary preacher Billy Graham, held his latest prayer rally during a 50-state election tour.Graham took the stage to the strains of "In America" — a country song that describes an eagle flying slow, the Stars and Stripes flying low, and the scourge of ISIL — and urged the faithful to defend their traditions.That means leaving the Ten Commandments up on school walls, even if it offends people: "Good. Let it offend them," he said. And it means reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. It involves blunt comparisons with Islam and Buddhism: "Muhammad didn't die for your sins. Buddha didn't die for your sins. Only one — and that is Jesus Christ."There were only a few Trump signs at the rally. Graham wouldn't tell people who to vote for. He simply invited them to pray for the politicians — and send text messages to receive his ministry's analysis of the party platforms.That analysis tilts decidedly toward Trump.It warns about the need to defend the Supreme Court from liberal same-sex marriage "zealots" and pro-abortion judges. It mentions military strength, terrorism, immigration, Internet decency and Israel. There's a section on poverty and charity, too.Not all Christians view the election the same way.The magazine founded by Graham's own father, "Christianity Today," excoriated Trump this week. A piece by its editorial director said no public figure exhibits his idolatry, greed, sexual immorality, and pride."He is, in short, the very embodiment of what the Bible calls a fool," said the piece by Andy Crouch.''Enthusiasm for a candidate like Trump gives our neighbours ample reason to doubt that we believe Jesus is Lord. They see that some of us are so self-interested, and so self-protective, that we will ally ourselves with someone who violates all that is sacred to us."Another writer at the magazine called this the religious right's long-overdue death-spasm.This is the culmination of a movement that started in the 1970s, said another analyst of religion in U.S. politics. Faith leaders conducted a cultural counter-revolution against changes of the 1960s and over time, said Franklin Lambert of Purdue University, the religious right became less "religious," more ''right'': ''So, pardon the pun, politics 'trumps' religion.''So Trump wins votes even from the wary.At Tuesday's rally, Sharon McCall says she used to change the channel when Trump was on TV — she disliked him that much. She supported Ben Carson. But she believes Trump will keep his promise to appoint conservative Supreme Court judges.She doesn't fret over that old video. ''That's just a hit job,'' she says.Priest is also fixated on the court. She's spent years awaiting justices who will stop abortion. Two decades ago, she was arrested for a sit-in outside a clinic.Trump has vowed to appoint conservative judges. If conservatives doubted his sincerity, he moved to mollify their skepticism by releasing a list of his possible court picks. A few months later, he released a second list.That's better than his liberal opponent, Priest said.''Hillary is absolutely unacceptable. She's willing to see any child murdered." She illustrated her point by citing a relative: ''(He says), I'm voting for Trump even if he shoots somebody. Because he's not Hillary.''Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
Putin rejects accusations of meddling in U.S. election-[Reuters]-By James Oliphant and Katya Golubkova-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Even as WikiLeaks released another trove of internal documents from Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted his country was not involved in an effort to influence the U.S. presidential election.Last week, the U.S. government formally accused Russia of launching a hacking campaign to “interfere with the U.S. election process.”Clinton’s campaign, which has charged the Kremlin is trying to help Republican Donald Trump win the White House on Nov. 8, took its allegations a step further on Tuesday when John Podesta, chairman of the Democratic nominee’s campaign, accused the Trump campaign of colluding with Russia.In Moscow, Putin said nothing in the hacking scandal is in Russia’s interests and accused all sides in the U.S. presidential campaign of misusing rhetoric about Russia for their own purposes.“They started this hysteria, saying this (hacking) is in Russia’s interests, but this has nothing to do with Russia’s interests,” Putin told a business forum.Putin said his government would work with whoever won the U.S. election, "if, of course, the new U.S. leader wishes to work with our country."WikiLeaks, the organization started by Julian Assange that publishes leaked information on the internet, this week released thousands of emails from Podesta’s email account and has not said how it obtained them. Last week, it posted excerpts from Clinton’s private speeches to banking and financial firms.The Clinton campaign has not confirmed the authenticity of the messages.The leaks, coming as the election campaign reaches the final stretch, have the potential to embarrass the Clinton camp. In recent days, however, Trump's own campaign has been in deeper trouble over the emergence of a 2005 video in which Trump bragged about groping women. Many Republican elected officials have turned their back on him and Clinton's lead in national opinion polls has increased.Clinton, who was secretary of state from 2009-2013, has repeatedly accused Trump of having overly friendly ties with Putin and Russia.She has noted that Trump’s foreign policies have tended to align with Russian’s interests, whether it has been questioning NATO’s role in defending Eastern Europe, failing to recognise Russia’s intrusion into Ukraine, and supporting Russia’s actions in Syria.Trump, a New York businessman who has never previously run for office, has shifted his policies on a wide range of issues, from taxes to the minimum wage to immigration during his White House campaign but his statements on Russia have been consistent. His friendly stance toward Moscow departs from the views of many prominent Republicans.During a presidential debate on Sunday, Trump publicly disagreed with his own vice presidential choice, Mike Pence, who had called for a more hawkish approach toward Russia.-"I DON'T KNOW PUTIN"-At that debate, Trump questioned whether Russia was behind the hacks, as the U.S. government has asserted. And on Wednesday, during a rally in Ocala, Fla., Trump echoed those remarks.“Have you ever noticed, anything that goes wrong they blame Russia?" Trump told the crowd. "They always blame Russia and then they says Donald Trump is friends . . . I don’t know Putin, folks. What the hell do I have to do with Putin?”Trump has said that as president he would seek warmer relations with Russia and that it would be in the United States' best interests to seek Russia's help to defeat Islamic State.“Trump is the most pro-Russian presidential candidate ever,” said Max Boot, a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council of Foreign Relations. “Putin no doubt sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reorient U.S. foreign policy in his direction by electing Trump.”A Russian ultra-nationalist ally of Putin who is known for his fiery rhetoric said Trump was the only person able to de-escalate dangerous tensions between Moscow and Washington, and predicted nuclear war if Clinton were elected."Relations between Russia and the United States can't get any worse. The only way they can get worse is if a war starts," Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a flamboyant veteran lawmaker, told Reuters.Clinton campaign chairman Podesta said on Tuesday the FBI was investigating a “criminal hack” of his emails, and he tied the Trump campaign to the leaks by suggesting that a former Trump adviser, Roger Stone, had advance warning of the hacks.The Trump campaign has not responded to the allegation about Stone, but Trump has denied any coordination with the Russian government to embarrass Clinton.He has, however, made clear he supports WikiLeaks’ efforts. “I love WikiLeaks,” he said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.The United States has an ongoing criminal investigation into Assange’s publishing of classified material. Clinton has been a fierce critic of Assange, who remains at the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he sought refuge in 2012 to avoid possible extradition to Sweden.Last week, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Department of Homeland Security said the government was confident the hacks of Democratic political groups and campaign officials originated from high levels of the Russian government.The White House on Tuesday promised a “proportional” response to Russia over the hacks.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told CNN the United States has offered no proof of his government’s involvement, and suggested Moscow was unconcerned about possible reprisals.“If they decided to do something, let them do it,” Lavrov said.(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Amanda Becker, Ginger Gibson, Mark Hosenball, Luciana Lopez and Alexander Winning; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Frances Kerry and Alistair Bell)
U.S. Navy destroyer again targeted by missiles from Yemen - U.S. officials-[Reuters]-By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy destroyer was targeted on Wednesday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the second such incident in the past four days, U.S. officials told Reuters.The USS Mason, which was accompanied by the USS Ponce - an amphibious transport dock - fired defensive salvos in response to the missiles, neither of which hit the ship or caused any damage as it operated north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.The renewed attempt to target the U.S. Navy destroyer will add pressure on the U.S. military to retaliate, a move that would represent the first direct U.S. military action against Houthis in Yemen's conflict. The Pentagon hinted about possible retaliatory strikes on Tuesday.The incidents, along with an Oct. 1 strike on a vessel from the United Arab Emirates, add to questions about safety of passage for military ships around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.The Houthis, who are battling the internationally-recognised government of Yemen President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi, denied any involvement in the previous attempt to strike the USS Mason or the nearby USS Ponce on Sunday.But U.S. officials have told Reuters there is growing indications that Houthi rebels, despite those denials, were responsible for Sunday's incident.The rebels appeared to use small skiffs as spotters to help direct the missile attack on the warship. The United States is also investigating the possibility that a radar station under Houthi control in Yemen might have also "painted" the USS Mason, something that would have helped the Houthi fighters pass along coordinates for a strike, the officials have said.The Houthis, who are allied to Hadi's predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, have the support of many army units and control most of the north including the capital Sanaa.Reuters has learnt that the coastal defence cruise missiles used against the USS Mason on Sunday had considerable range, adding to concerns about the kind of heavy weaponry that the Houthis appear willing to employ and some of which U.S. officials believe is supplied by Iran.(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by G Crosse and Alistair Bell)
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
Drownings push hurricane death toll to 19 in flooded North Carolina-[Reuters]-By Nicole Craine-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
KINSTON, N.C. (Reuters) - Officials in North Carolina said they would go door to door on Wednesday urging people to leave low-lying areas as rivers swollen by rainfall from Hurricane Matthew continue to rise, threatening homes and resulting in more drownings.Floodwaters have swamped areas across the central and eastern part of the state, forcing more than 3,800 residents to flee to shelters, closing down stretches of major interstate highways and shuttering 34 school systems, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said.McCrory said the death toll in the state had risen to 19, mostly due to drowning. That figure represents more than half of the deaths in the U.S. Southeast linked to the fierce Atlantic storm, which killed some 1,000 people in Haiti and displaced hundreds of thousands more as it tore through the Caribbean last week."Do not get near the water," McCrory said at a news conference in Raleigh. "It will kill you."Matthew's aftermath drew comparisons to Hurricane Floyd, which triggered devastating floods in North Carolina in 1999 and caused more than $3 billion in damages in the state.In Kinston, where the Neuse River is expected to peak on Saturday just shy of the Floyd record, Mayor B.J. Murphy warned residents on Wednesday not to be fooled by the beautiful fall weather and clear skies."We want you out, and we want you out now," he said in an interview on WITN television news. "This is a very dangerous situation."Kinston resident Toby Hatch, 60, who lived through Floyd and Hurricane Irene, which destroyed his home in 2011, heeded the city's evacuation order this week and headed to a shelter."I didn’t really want to leave, but I was already looking at enough water that I was trapped," he said.Evacuations also continued in Greenville, where the Tar River was 10 feet above flood stage and forecast to crest even higher by Friday. Flooding has forced the city's airport to close and classes were canceled for the week for East Carolina University's 28,000 students.(Additional reporting by Gene Cherry; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Bill Trott)
Factbox: Nearly 242,000 still without power in U.S. Southeast after hurricane-[Reuters]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - The number of homes and businesses without power in the U.S. Southeast after Hurricane Matthew pummeled the region's Atlantic coast over the weekend was down to about 241,900 at midday on Wednesday, according to electric companies.That compared with 263,000 earlier in the day and a high of around 2.2 million on Sunday morning when the storm was still battering the North and South Carolina coasts.Matthew, the fiercest Atlantic storm since 2007, lashed the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia with heavy rain and wind after killing about 1,000 people in Haiti and at least 30 in the United States.The hardest hit utility was Duke Energy Corp in North and South Carolina, which reported more than 1.3 million customers affected by the storm. Duke has restored service to over 1.2 million homes and businesses.Duke has said it could take all week to restore power to customers in the hardest hit areas.(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Tom Brown)
Storm-hit Haiti gets first major food aid-[AFP]-Marc Burleigh-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Port-Salut (Haiti) (AFP) - The first major handout of food aid took place along Haiti's storm-wrecked southwest coast on Wednesday -- but supplies were still far short of what was needed by the thousands of starving people.Two trucks loaded with rice from the UN's World Food Programme stocks and two others from private charities went by convoy to two hard-hit towns on Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula: Port Salut and Roche a Bateau."It is very important to reach the most vulnerable communities and provide them with life-saving food assistance," a WFP spokesman, Alexis Masciarelli, told AFP by telephone."These people have lost their homes and livelihood and sometimes have nothing else to eat than the coconuts and papayas from the fallen trees."In Port Salut, some in a crowd of people waiting in the frying sun for the food to be handed out confirmed that meager diet since Hurricane Matthew ravaged their crops, livestock and fruit trees on October 4."We need to eat, and also water and tin for our roofs," one 18-year-old, Gedeon Rigab, said."I've eaten nothing but coconuts for five days," said another, Djymi Forestal, 25.Nuns at a Christian school in Port Salut, Saint Dominique's College, supervised the unloading of the WFP truck.They had been expecting four trucks to turn up, but had to make do with one. Most of the sacks of rice meant to feed a family of four for a month were emptied into smaller bags that would last just three days, so there was enough to hand out to everyone."We don't have enough for everybody, so we have to divide it to give to more people," the sister in charge, Marie-Nadia Noel, explained.She said she feared the crowd could turn violent if only some people walked away with food.To prevent fights and jostling that marred previous smaller handouts by US charity groups, just a handful of people at a time were let through the school's metal gate to pick up their bags. The process, watched over by three Haitian policemen, went smoothly.A Haitian health ministry official overseeing the distribution, Margareth Mallet, said the initial plan had been to give 250 families in Port Salut -- around 1,200 people or a quarter of the town's estimated population -- enough to eat for weeks."We are trying to help the most vulnerable first, and over the coming days we will be accelerating distribution," she said.A WFP employee not authorized to speak to the media said that it was up to the local communities to work out how best to hand out the food."We simply can't reach everybody in one go," the employee said.
U.S. suspends deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew-[Reuters]-October 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday said it has temporarily suspended deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew ravaged the Caribbean nation last week, killing at least a thousand people and leaving 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance."We will have to deal with that situation, address it, be sympathetic to the plight of the people of Haiti as a result of the hurricane," U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said at an event in Mexico City."But after that condition has been addressed, we intend to resume the policy change," he said, without specifying a time frame.The policy change Johnson referred to took place last month when the United States announced that in response to a surge in Haitian immigration across the Mexican border, it would end special protections put in place after a 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti.Thousands of Haitians are currently massed in Tijuana and other Mexican border towns, and Mexico says 300 more arrive in the country every day.(Reporting by Frank Jack Daniel, Lizbeth Diaz, and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Nova Scotia premier taken aback by storm damage: 'I couldn't believe my eyes'-[The Canadian Press]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SYDNEY, N.S. — Nova Scotia's premier says he could not believe his eyes when he saw the damage from the powerful storm that pummelled much of Atlantic Canada over the long weekend."When you see what's happening, trees being uprooted and taking roads with them, roads being washed out completely, the actual force of that water must be phenomenal," Stephen McNeil said Wednesday during a visit to Sydney, the largest community in Cape Breton.Both McNeil and Newfoundland Premier Dwight Ball arranged tours of the areas in their provinces worst hit by the weekend storm, which was associated with the remnants of Hurricane Matthew.The provinces face a costly and lengthy cleanup, as power crews worked to restore electricity and schools remained closed in some areas. Both premiers have spoken to the prime minister about disaster relief.Cecil Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said in an interview it is the worst rain-related disaster to hit his community in his lifetime.It has severely damaged dozens of roads, taken out municipal bridges, destroyed parks and caused extensive damage to flooded homes in several communities in the municipality, he said.The water supply has remained intact, but there has been damage to waste water and a major water main break, the mayor said. Three centres have been set up by the Red Cross to provide shelter and food for residents whose homes are badly damaged.Clarke said the municipality will be applying for disaster relief assistance, and he is confident it has easily reached the minimum $3 million threshold in damage that would qualify it for the relief.He urged citizens to keep receipts and document the damage in order to apply to insurers and disaster relief agencies for assistance in restoring their homes.He said many homeowners don't have insurance and will be waiting to hear what kind of disaster relief they can receive from the province."We do not want to have mildew and mould issues going forward. We're going to undertake a major cleanup to get things out of peoples' homes as quickly as possible," he said."We're mindful there are people without resources, and winter is coming."The Cape Breton-Victoria School Board announced Wednesday that students from Brookland Elementary school in Sydney are being temporarily relocated to another school due to water damage to the building, after the community received more than 200 millimetres of rain.In Newfoundland and Labrador, crews worked to reopen the Trans-Canada Highway in Terra Nova National Park, where a section of the highway had washed away, cutting off southeastern Newfoundland from the rest of the island.Clarke said the weather is a reminder that climate change is contributing to more intense storms on the East Coast."The intensity of weather ... is definitely changing. We're feeling that as an island in the North Atlantic. The intensity of weather, whether it's winter or rain events, it impacts our public works infrastructure heavily," he said.He said the heavy rain caught people off guard, as most people were expecting that after weeks of dry weather the rainfall would be absorbed without difficulty.Nova Scotia Power was reporting 20,000 outages in eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton areas.It predicted the majority of customers would get their power restored by 11 a.m. Thursday.The utility said it had 122 power line crews and 27 tree trimming crews working on the eastern mainland and in Cape Breton.— By Michael Tutton in Halifax.The Canadian Press-Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version stated that the premier of Newfoundland's first name is Randy.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
WHO sending 1 million cholera vaccine doses to Haiti-[Reuters]-By Stephanie Nebehay-October 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending 1 million doses of cholera vaccine to Haiti, where more than 200 cases of the killer disease have been reported since Hurricane Matthew.The campaign is aimed at quashing new outbreaks before the peak transmission of cholera in the Caribbean country which is from November to January, during the rainy season."The top priority clearly for those people affected by the hurricane is to give them access to safe water. That's the only way we can control cholera," Dominique Legros, WHO cholera expert, told a news briefing on Tuesday before traveling to Port-au-Prince.Those already infected with cholera need treatment, but a quarter of the health centers in Haiti's hard-hit southern area have been destroyed or seriously damaged, he said.The powerful hurricane slammed into Haiti last week, killing at least 1,000 people according to a tally of numbers from local officials.Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can kill within hours if untreated. It is spread through contaminated water and has a short incubation period, which leads to rapid outbreaks.Some 150 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Grande'Anse department and 50 in South department since the hurricane struck, Legros said, calling it a "sharp increase compared to usual figures".He had no death figures.A further 28 cholera cases have been reported in Artibonite and six cases in North West, the WHO said.Cholera was introduced to Haiti accidentally by U.N. peacekeepers who dumped sewage into a river after the 2010 earthquake. The outbreak has since infected hundreds of thousands of people - including an annual average of about 800 since 2014 - and killed more than 9,000.WHO, which has deployed 80 staff to Haiti, was considering giving people a single dose of the vaccine rather than the classic double dose, to cover more people, albeit it with a shorter protection period, Legros said."So far we have one experience of a large-scale campaign with a single dose, it was done in Bangladesh two years ago. It proved effective for six months," Legros said."After six months, you still have about 60 to 70 percent efficacy (of the vaccine) for severe cases of cholera, those are the ones we're interested in."(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
EU-Canada trade deal faces final hurdles By Eszter Zalan-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:17-Officials in Brussels are holding their breath over the fate of the Canada-EU trade agreement (Ceta), which diplomats say will decide the EU's future trade policy.On Thursday (13 October) Germany's consitutional court is expected to rule on the legality of the agreement after three German NGOs presented a lawsuit in August signed by 125,000 people.They said the deal would undermine workers' rights and worsen consumer standards.German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel, who last month secured the support of his restive Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the deal, warned on Wednesday that if the court rules in favour of the petitioners, "it would be a disaster for Europe."An unexpected obstacle could also come from Belgium.On Friday (14 October), the parliament of the Wallonia region will decide its stance on Ceta. Although the Belgian federal government has the final say on the deal, it needs the accord of its regions."We are in touch with our Belgian counterparts ... I don’t even try to understand fully what is going in all the parliaments in Belgium," said a senior EU diplomat.According to EU rules, if member states disagree, then Ceta could be put to a vote by qualified majority in the EU Council.Belgium could then be outvoted, but several officials told this website that because of the sensitivity of the issue, a unanimous decision would be needed.-VIsa constraints-Another issue that could upset the Ceta deal is Canada's visa requirements for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens.Bulgaria and Canada have reached a political agreement on the issue, with a gradual lifting of visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens.According to Bulgarian government sources quoted by Reuters, Canada will introduce a visa waiver for some Bulgarians, for example, for businessmen, for prior visitors to Canada, or for holders of a US visa as of May 2017 and will work to allow visa-free travel for all by the end of next year.The timeline for the full visa liberalisation could be extended to May 2018, Bulgarian officials told Reuters.It means Bulgaria would most likely give up its reluctance to back the Ceta agreement.Talks with Romania are still ongoing. According to sources in Brussels, Bucharest would like to see visa-free travel for all its citizens without time limits."Canada remains committed to working collaboratively with Romania, Bulgaria, and the EU towards our mutual goal of visa-free travel between the EU member states and Canada," a statement by the Canadian representation to the EU said, "It would be premature to comment on next steps at this time," it added.Canada also pointed out that "Ceta remains a top priority", but recalled that "visa policy is not part of any of Canada’ s free trade agreements, and decisions on whether or not visas are necessary do not relate to trade."-Overcoming hurdles-EU officials hope all obstacles will be cleared in time for an EU-Canada summit to be held on 27 October, when prime minister Justin Trudeau travels to Brussels.Ceta has become a crucial issue as the EU, after Brexit, wants to retain its position as a credible, global partner.-The EU is ready to go.Trade ministers are planned to have an extraordinary meeting next Tuesday (18 October), where member states could sign off the agreement, which would then need to be ratified at national level."The negotiation work in Brussels is completed, we need a political green light from capitals," said the senior EU diplomat."It is a high a priority file for us, it is modern, important, a good agreement for the EU. By signing it, we can also show there is life in the EU trade policy," the diplomat said.EU ambassadors on Wednesday "stabilised" all the texts needed for ratification. For the first time in trade deals, they agreed on a "joint interpretative declaration" clarifying the text of the agreement.They also agreed on the details of its provisional application. That means, for example, that a controversial investment settlement court would not be created until member states had completed their national ratification process.The European Parliament is ready to ratify it in its January 2017 plenary session at the latest.The parliament's political groups agreed on Wednesday that the trade committe would vote on it on 5 December."It's not ideal, but in many way, it's the best and I would say very close to perfection," said the Ceta rapporteur, Artis Pabriks, a Latvian member of the centre-right EPP group.
Analysis-Deutsche Bank crisis tests EU regulation By Jean Comte-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:05-EU finance ministers have tried to alleviate concerns about Deutsche Bank, whose fragility is putting to test the mechanisms put in place by the EU to avoid banks collapsing.Slovakia's Peter Kazimir, who chaired a ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday (11 October), said that the situation was not discussed."There is no particular threat, neither on this bank, nor on other European banks," French minister Michel Sapin told journalists before the meeting.The largest German bank has lost almost half of its value since the start of the year, and is now borrowing at a higher rate than other European banks.It is facing a record $14 billion fine in the US, announced in September for misselling mortgage bonds.Last week, CEO John Cryan failed to reach a deal with US authorities to reduce the amount, prompting a 3 percent fall in its share price on Monday.Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem said last week that the fine was too high. He said on Monday that it was causing "uneasy unrest" on the markets, but that it was "up to the US authorities and Deutsche Bank to solve the problem"."Deutsche Bank is in a much better situation than Lehman Brothers in 2008," an EU source said, referring to the US bank whose collapse trigger a global financial crisis.The source added that the EU and markets should not be so worried."I am quite amazed by the market reaction," an EU source said. "There might be a need to reduce the size of some activities [of Deutsche Bank], but there is nothing to worry about."Since 2008, the whole European banking system is better equipped to deal with risk, pointed out economist Nicolas Veron from the Bruegel think-tank.EU banks are now closely regulated and under supervision by the European Central Bank (ECB).In particular, each bank has to apply mandatory capital requirements. In the EU, they amount in average to 14 percent of their risk-weighted assets."Deutsche Bank's crisis actually shows how important these capital requirements are to absorb financial shocks and preserve stability," Veron said.But EU countries do not want to go further.At their meeting on Tuesday, finance ministers discussed the so-called Basel III international requirements on capital ratio standard. They said they would oppose any "significant increase" in the capital requirements, arguing that it would hamper EU banks' ability to lend money, and therefore harm growth.-Stress tests-The situation at Deutsche Bank also sheds light on the so-called stress tests intended to identify specific weaknesses in EU banks.In July, Deutsche Bank performed only moderately in the tests, which simulate different crisis scenarios.But on Monday, the Financial Times revealed that the bank received special treatment. It was allowed to include the sale of its assets in China's Hua Xia bank, though the transaction was not completed until after the test. It could thus include almost €4 billion on it balance sheet to improve the its performance to the test.But for Karel Lannoo, from the Centre on European Policy Studies, the point of stress tests is not only to disclose numbers, but also to allow the supervisor to know in advance the banks' internal weaknesses."After the stress test, the regulator may ask each bank to perform some structural reforms, but this is not public," he told EUobserver."Therefore, we don't know whether Deutsche Bank was required to implement some specific measures. It's a pity, because investors would be reassured if they hear that the supervisor took action."Deutsche Bank "is huge and narrowly connected to other systemic financial institutions," pointed out Christophe Nijdam, secretary general of Finance Watch, an NGO calling for more regulation.The bank's total assets amount to €1.6 trillion compared with Lehman Brothers' $690 billion (€624.25 billion).Deutsche Bank "is literally too big too fail", Nijdam said.-Separation of activities-He added that markets' febrility over the solidity of the bank suggests that the system put in place since 2008 may not be enough.He called for a separation of the banks' deposit and trading activities as a way to reduce their size, and to limit some of the risks.The European Commission proposed legislation to do that in 2014, but the proposal has been stuck for more than a year in the European Parliament, where left-wing and right-wing groups are divided on how automatic the separation should be.Nijdam is also in favour of additional measures – for example a better liquidity ratio, to assure that the bank has enough cash to meet its short-terms obligations.EU rules now say that banks should be "bailed-in" first, meaning that shareholders would take the first losses. The system, which has not been tried, could prove insufficient.The German government has said it would not bail out Deutsche Bank if it were fail.Nijdam said he doubted whether the government would be able to hold that position, given the importance of the bank for the German and European economy."We're having problems to apply this principle to small Italian banks, how can we apply it to a financial giant such as Deutsche Bank?" he said.
Focus-Future Cities: Shaping Europe from the bottom up By Lisbeth Kirk-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 10. Oct, 10:16-By 2050, over 80 percent of Europeans are projected to live in towns or cities. If I live long enough, I'll be one of them, and most likely you will be too.But what will those cities look like in the future? Who will get it right, and who will lag behind?EUobserver’s 2016 Regions and Cities Magazine explores visions for future cities and learns lessons from the past.EU capitals such as London, Paris, Prague, and Rome host millions of foreign tourists each year and shape Europe’s international identity.The EU is grappling with difficult problems - Brexit, migration, and the economy to name a few - but despite the gloomy pall over EU affairs, lots of European cities are investing and reinventing themselves.Many of them are old or even ancient. They can be drastically different from each other and fiercely independent. Some aren’t doing so well. They compete, but they also inspire each other.They are mini-states, where people get more involved in politics than at national, let alone at EU level. Residents protest against ugly new buildings, or about garbage collection. They share cars, create new businesses, and plan utopias.As EU leaders focus on strategic issues, the other Europe, of city-states, is evolving in its own way.It's a good story that should be told.The fifth edition of EUobserver's Regions and Cities Magazine can be downloaded here.Lisbeth Kirk is the founder of EUobserver.-
British MPs get chance to shape Brexit strategy-By Andrew Rettman-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:12-British prime minister Theresa May continued to talk tough on Brexit in a parliament debate on Wednesday (12 October), but left room for MPs to prevent a future trade war with the EU.Responding to questions by the opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, she said she would seek “maximum possible access to the European market for firms to trade with and operate within”.But she added: “I’m also very clear that the vote of the British people said that we should control the movement of people from the EU into the UK, and unlike the right honourable gentleman [Corbyn] we believe we should deliver on what the British people want.”She also indicated that she would seek a unique deal for the EU instead of trying to retain membership of the single market or the EU customs union.“We are not asking ourselves what bits of our membership we want to retain,” she said.May ruled out giving MPs a vote on whether to approve her future Brexit strategy before she triggered the negotiating process by invoking article 50 of the EU treaty.But she conceded to hold a parliamentary discussion on the strategy prior to the invocation."The idea that parliament somehow wasn't going to be able to discuss, debate, question was frankly completely wrong," she said, noting that MPs would have “every opportunity to debate” her government’s ideas.The future debate will give pro-EU MPs an opportunity to create political pressure to avoid a rupture in EU trade relations.The discussion was also enshrined in a Labour party motion, passed Wednesday, saying that parliament must have “a full and transparent debate” to “properly scrutinise” the government’s plans before the article 50 move.But May’s ruling Tory party added an amendment to the text, saying: “The process should be undertaken in such a way that respects the decision of the people of the UK when they voted to leave the EU” and that it should "not undermine the negotiating position of the government”.-'Shambolic Tory Brexit'-Wednesday’s talks had earlier seen Corbyn grill May on whether continued single market access was “a red line for the government or not”.He attacked the prime minister for trying to please Tory eurosceptics instead of protecting the national interest and for delays in drafting a detailed Brexit plan.“Is the prime minister really willing to risk a shambolic Tory Brexit, just to appease the people behind her?”, he said.“This is a government that drew up no plans for Brexit, that now has no strategy for negotiating Brexit, and offers no clarity, no transparency”, he added.“The jobs and incomes of millions of people are at stake, the pound is plummeting, businesses are worrying and the government has no answers”.Two Labour shadow ministers, Emily Thornberry and Keir Starmer, also tabled a list of 170 questions - one for every day before the end of March, when May said he would trigger article 50 - for May to answer.The questions also focused on single market access and on immigration controls.-Pound at lowest-Financial markets have reacted nervously to the prospect of the UK crashing out of EU trade structures by forcing down the value of the pound to historic lows.The pound rallied slightly when news of May’s agreement to the parliament Brexit debate came out.But other indicators backed up Corbyn’s analysis of the damage done by continued uncertainty over future EU-UK relations.The pound’s “effective exchange rate”, a way of measuring its value by comparing it to a basket of currencies used by its main trading partners, fell to its lowest level in 168 years this week.The news came after leaked government figures said Brexit could cost the UK as much as £66 billion (€73bn) a year.A government Brexit adviser, Raoul Ruparel, has also said that leaving the EU customs union would incur a “permanent” cost of £25 billion a year, or up to 1.2 percent of British GDP.
Wall says Clinton's climate plan a better approach, Trudeau should take note-[The Canadian Press]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is looking south of the border in his push against a carbon tax in Canada.Wall says he backs the climate change plan released this week by U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that supports carbon capture, but does not include a carbon tax.The premier says Clinton's plan indicates that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's carbon pricing scheme puts Canada's economy and jobs at a competitive disadvantage with its biggest trading partner.Trudeau's plan calls for a $10 per tonne tax on carbon starting in 2018, increasing to $50 per tonne by 2022.The prime minister has warned that carbon pricing will be imposed on provinces that don't implement the tax or bring in a cap-and-trade system.Wall says focus should be on innovation and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that Saskatchewan's plan, to be unveiled next week, will be similar to Clinton's.The Canadian Press
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
African nations must halt migration, says Merkel By Aleksandra Eriksson-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has called on African leaders to stop migration to Europe and fight back against Islamic extremism.She vowed to help with development aid and military equipment to ensure peace and prosperity in Africa.Germany will also make Africa a priority of Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017.Merkel visited Mali, Niger and Ethiopia during a three-day tour. She promised to build a military base in Niger to support the UN peace mission in Mali, where jihadis have used a civil war to make themselves a base in the north of the country, and offered to help Ethiopia, which recently introduced a state of emergency over protests from ethnic groups, with training in peaceful conflict resolution.Rights groups estimate some 500 protesters have been killed by government forces in the recent days.Leading opposition figures asked the German chancellor to push Ethiopia’s government into releasing political prisoners.Merkel stressed the importance of a ”vibrant civic society”.Prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Ethiopia already hosts one of largest refugee populations in the world.He asked for investments to support the 780,000 people that have sought refuge in his country.Some EU leaders, including Merkel, have indicated they would like to strike Turkey-style deals with African nations, whereby they would agree to take back migrants in exchange for money and other favours, such as visa-free travel.Migration is poised to become a key issue in Germany’s federal elections next year, where the chancellor is expected to seek a fourth term.In the coming days, Merkel will also host leaders from Chad and Nigeria back home in Germany.
Kerry and Lavrov to resume talks on Syria despite war crimes row-[Reuters]-By Vladimir Soldatkin and Tom Perry-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Russian counterpart in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss Syria, officials said on Wednesday, as a devastating bombing campaign of the city of Aleppo intensified.The Syrian government launched an assault to capture rebel-held areas of Aleppo last month with Russian air support and Iranian-backed militias, a week into a ceasefire agreed by Washington and Moscow.Kerry broke off talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week over the offensive, which has included air strikes on hospitals that the United States and France said amounted to war crimes for which Syria and Russia were responsible.The Syrian and Russian governments blamed their foes for breaking the ceasefire and said they target only militants in the city, the last major urban stronghold of the Western-backed rebels, where more than 250,000 people are trapped under siege.The resumption of talks, despite the offensive, was a sign of the lack of options facing Western nations over the Syria conflict, where they worry scaled-up arms supplies for the rebels could end up in the hands of jihadist groups.Russia's Foreign Ministry said Kerry and Lavrov would meet in the Swiss city of Lausanne to consider steps toward settling the conflict. The meeting will include foreign ministers from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran. A senior State Department official confirmed Kerry would attend.White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Washington remained committed to a "deep multilateral engagement" to reduce the violence in Syria which would "necessarily" involve Russia too."But it is no longer in the context of trying to broker this agreement that would ... hold out the prospect of U.S. military cooperation with Russia. That's something that Russia has lost... the credibility to be able to try to agree to," he said.On Wednesday, 25 people were killed by heavy air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the Civil Defence, a rescue service working in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter, adding that 15 of them were killed at a market place in the Fardous district.The Syrian army has denied targeting civilians.-AIR STRIKES-A Syrian military source said warplanes had struck several locations to the south and southwest of Aleppo but Syrian and Russian officials could not immediately be reached to comment on the market place attack.It was the second day of heavy air strikes after a lull of several days which the Syrian army said was designed to allow civilians to leave.Rebels said the intensity of the air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday had returned to the level seen at the start of the Russian-backed campaign to capture Aleppo.Moscow's intervention, which began just over a year ago, has tipped the scales back toward President Bashar al-Assad.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organization that reports on the war, said it had documented the deaths of 55 people killed in escalating bombardment of eastern Aleppo in the last 48 hours.The Observatory also reported that four people were killed in government-held areas by insurgent shelling.Clashes between pro-government and rebel forces were also reported in a rebel-held area in southern Aleppo.The war has killed more than 300,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, allowed for the rise of Islamic State and drawn in regional and major powers.Assad aims to take back all of Aleppo, which was Syria's biggest city before the outbreak of war in 2011.The city has been divided between government and rebel control for years and food, water and medical supplies in rebel areas are now running low.Last Saturday Russia vetoed a French-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that would have demanded an immediate end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo.On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused France of deliberately luring Moscow into vetoing the resolution and suggested it was doing the bidding of the United States."What for? To exacerbate the situation and to whip up anti-Russian hysteria in media under their control, and to deceive their own citizens," Putin said, accusing France of serving U.S. domestic political interests.-"OBSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE"-Putin later told France's TF1 television channel that the West, especially the United States, was responsible for Syria's plight and he dismissed the Western accusations of Russian and Syrian war crimes as "political rhetoric".French Prime Minister Manuel Valls faced criticism from opposition lawmakers over his government's handling of relations with Russia over Syria."Russia has chosen an obstructive attitude and from our point of view this stance is unjustifiable," Valls said after being asked by a parliamentarian why Paris was adopting a tough position on Russia.Despite the war of words, the Kremlin said Putin spoke to French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday and said he hoped Saturday's talks would be "fruitful".France and Britain back a proposal for a dilution of big powers' United Nations vetoes in cases of serious war crimes, the top U.N. human rights official said in Geneva, but he gave little support to Syrian opposition hopes of strong-arming Russia over eastern Aleppo.Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last week that Security Council veto powers should be curbed to help resolve the situation and bring Syria under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.The dispute over Aleppo has unfolded against a backdrop of separate campaigns being waged against Islamic State by a U.S.-led alliance and the Russian-backed Syrian army.As part of the fight against IS, Syrian rebels backed by Turkey are currently waging a campaign in northern Syria near the Turkish border.A rebel commander told Reuters the Turkey-backed forces had advanced closer to an Islamic State-held village that is of great symbolic significance to the group on Wednesday.The rebels captured the village of Duweibiq, which is some 2 km from Dabiq - the site of an apocalyptic prophecy central to the militant group's ideology. "The clashes were not very fierce but there is resistance," the commander said.(Additional reporting by Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova in MOSCOW, Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA and Lesley Wroughton in WASHINGTON, writing by Philippa Fletcher, editing by Gareth Jones)
Putin accuses France of playing tricks with Syria resolution-[Reuters]-By Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused France of deliberately luring Moscow into vetoing a United Nations resolution on Syria and suggested Paris was doing the bidding of the United States.Russia last week imposed its veto on a French-backed resolution condemning the violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo, saying the document failed to take into account Russian proposals.Western governments said the veto showed Moscow had no interest in halting the violence.But Putin, who earlier this week called off a planned trip to Paris after his French counterpart Francois Hollande criticized Russia's actions in Syria, launched a stinging attack on France's handling of the resolution."It's not our partners who should be offended by our veto, it's us who should be offended," Putin said, when asked about France during a question and answer session at a business forum in Moscow.He said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had raised the issue of the resolution when he visited Moscow last week. Ayrault was told the document put too much of the blame for the Aleppo violence on Syrian government forces, but that Moscow would not use its veto if France made some amendments."We expected joint, constructive work with France and with other permanent members of the Security Council. But what happened?," Putin said."The French foreign minister flew from Moscow to Washington, the next day he came out with (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, accused Russia of all the deadly sins, no one spoke to us or discussed anything with us, and tossed the resolution into the Security Council obviously expecting our veto."What for? Knowing our position, and not discussing it with us, they didn't chuck in the resolution so it would pass. But to get the veto. What for? To exacerbate the situation and to whip up anti-Russian hysteria in media under their control, and to deceive their own citizens," Putin said."I don't know if that corresponds to the interests of European countries or not. But to just service like this the foreign policy interests, or maybe even the domestic political interests, of their allies, in this case the United States? "I don't know. Is that really the role of such serious countries which aspire to conduct independent policies and be called major powers. I don't know," Putin told the forum.-CONVOY ATTACK-Speaking to reporters in Rome, Ayrault rejected Putin's accusations, saying he had negotiated in good faith with Moscow and had accepted some Russian proposals, but that he had failed to convince them of the need to halt bombing of Aleppo."We couldn't accept a resolution that did not address such an essential issue," he said, adding that there would be an enquiry into allegations of war crimes in the Syrian city."The massacre in Aleppo is continuing. I am appealing for an end to this massacre and to save the people of Aleppo. It is never too late to make peace," he said.Western governments have accused Russia of being responsible for an attack on an aid convoy in Aleppo region on Sept. 19.In his speech on Wednesday, Putin said "terrorists" had struck the convoy, without giving details on who they were.He said the United States knew who was to blame for the attack but that Washington preferred instead to make what he called baseless accusations about Russian involvement.(Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
France's Hollande sees a 'problem with Islam', according to new book-[Reuters]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande told the authors of a book just published that "France has a problem with Islam", comments that risk dividing his party before next year's presidential election.Hollande made the remarks to the two authors of "A President Shouldn't Say That...." in December 2015, a month after Islamist militant gunmen and bombers attacked Paris, killing 130 people. Their book was published on Wednesday."It's true that there's a problem with Islam. No one doubts it," Hollande is quoted as saying."It's not that Islam poses a problem in the sense that it is a dangerous religion, but in as far as it wants to affirm itself as a religion of the Republic."The comments echo similar statements by conservative politicians following a fresh wave of militant attacks this summer, though Hollande did not suggest the hard-line responses advocated by some right-wing opponents.Among other proposals, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seeking a return to the Elysee palace, has promised a nationwide ban on burkinis and said France should detain or tag all individuals on an intelligence watchlist.Since the late 1980s, successive Paris governments have tried but failed to nurture a liberal "Islam of France" that would help integrate the faith into secular society. In August, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the state must re-invent its relationship with the "Islam of France".Asked about Hollande's comments, government spokesman Stephan Le Foll said: "There's a problem with Islam today because Islam is politicized by some. There is a problem and at the same time we need to be able to overcome this problem."The book was written by two respected journalists, Gerard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme, who met with Hollande 61 times. Opposition politicians said on Wednesday that Hollande, France's most unpopular president in six decades, should spend less time talking to journalists and more time governing.The release of the book eclipsed any media boost for Hollande from a wide-ranging interview with L'Obs magazine also published on Wednesday, which people close to him said was supposed to take him a step closer to formally launching a bid for re-election.Late on Wednesday, Hollande invited two of France's highest ranking judges to see him to patch up relations after the book also quoted him disparaging judges, according to a tweet on the top appeals court's Twitter account.Hollande sits atop a deeply divided ruling Socialist Party and has not yet declared if he will run for re-election. Should he chose to, he will face several challengers for the party's nomination.(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Additional reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Writing by Richard Lough, Editing by Leigh Thomas, Larry King)
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Anyone wondering why evangelical voters have stuck by Donald Trump will find answers here, amid the clasped hands and murmured prayers of a religious rally in Maryland.They can be summed up in five words: Abortion. Nationalism. Redemption. Hillary Clinton. One participant shakes her head when asked if she's heard the infamous audio of Trump singing the praises of adultery and unsolicited sexual touching.Susan Priest believes he's sought salvation.Trump, who last year said he never asked God for forgiveness, couldn't cite a favoured Bible verse, routinely gloats about his material wealth and skates around scriptural admonishments regarding sexual immodesty.He found faith last year, Priest says — she heard it on a conference call this week with fellow churchgoers. That's why she won't bother watching the video."He's born-again now. He's a Christian," said the Maryland resident. "We consider the things he did in his past now forgiven — like our sins are forgiven."He's not the same person."-Evangelical Christians mostly support Trump. Yet the cultural cleavages of this election appear among Christians, too. Trump is dominant among white evangelicals — a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute had him leading Clinton by 50 percentage points. Among non-white Christians, Clinton led by 56 percentage points.That culture clash permeated this week's event in downtown Annapolis, where Franklin Graham, the son of legendary preacher Billy Graham, held his latest prayer rally during a 50-state election tour.Graham took the stage to the strains of "In America" — a country song that describes an eagle flying slow, the Stars and Stripes flying low, and the scourge of ISIL — and urged the faithful to defend their traditions.That means leaving the Ten Commandments up on school walls, even if it offends people: "Good. Let it offend them," he said. And it means reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. It involves blunt comparisons with Islam and Buddhism: "Muhammad didn't die for your sins. Buddha didn't die for your sins. Only one — and that is Jesus Christ."There were only a few Trump signs at the rally. Graham wouldn't tell people who to vote for. He simply invited them to pray for the politicians — and send text messages to receive his ministry's analysis of the party platforms.That analysis tilts decidedly toward Trump.It warns about the need to defend the Supreme Court from liberal same-sex marriage "zealots" and pro-abortion judges. It mentions military strength, terrorism, immigration, Internet decency and Israel. There's a section on poverty and charity, too.Not all Christians view the election the same way.The magazine founded by Graham's own father, "Christianity Today," excoriated Trump this week. A piece by its editorial director said no public figure exhibits his idolatry, greed, sexual immorality, and pride."He is, in short, the very embodiment of what the Bible calls a fool," said the piece by Andy Crouch.''Enthusiasm for a candidate like Trump gives our neighbours ample reason to doubt that we believe Jesus is Lord. They see that some of us are so self-interested, and so self-protective, that we will ally ourselves with someone who violates all that is sacred to us."Another writer at the magazine called this the religious right's long-overdue death-spasm.This is the culmination of a movement that started in the 1970s, said another analyst of religion in U.S. politics. Faith leaders conducted a cultural counter-revolution against changes of the 1960s and over time, said Franklin Lambert of Purdue University, the religious right became less "religious," more ''right'': ''So, pardon the pun, politics 'trumps' religion.''So Trump wins votes even from the wary.At Tuesday's rally, Sharon McCall says she used to change the channel when Trump was on TV — she disliked him that much. She supported Ben Carson. But she believes Trump will keep his promise to appoint conservative Supreme Court judges.She doesn't fret over that old video. ''That's just a hit job,'' she says.Priest is also fixated on the court. She's spent years awaiting justices who will stop abortion. Two decades ago, she was arrested for a sit-in outside a clinic.Trump has vowed to appoint conservative judges. If conservatives doubted his sincerity, he moved to mollify their skepticism by releasing a list of his possible court picks. A few months later, he released a second list.That's better than his liberal opponent, Priest said.''Hillary is absolutely unacceptable. She's willing to see any child murdered." She illustrated her point by citing a relative: ''(He says), I'm voting for Trump even if he shoots somebody. Because he's not Hillary.''Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
Putin rejects accusations of meddling in U.S. election-[Reuters]-By James Oliphant and Katya Golubkova-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Even as WikiLeaks released another trove of internal documents from Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted his country was not involved in an effort to influence the U.S. presidential election.Last week, the U.S. government formally accused Russia of launching a hacking campaign to “interfere with the U.S. election process.”Clinton’s campaign, which has charged the Kremlin is trying to help Republican Donald Trump win the White House on Nov. 8, took its allegations a step further on Tuesday when John Podesta, chairman of the Democratic nominee’s campaign, accused the Trump campaign of colluding with Russia.In Moscow, Putin said nothing in the hacking scandal is in Russia’s interests and accused all sides in the U.S. presidential campaign of misusing rhetoric about Russia for their own purposes.“They started this hysteria, saying this (hacking) is in Russia’s interests, but this has nothing to do with Russia’s interests,” Putin told a business forum.Putin said his government would work with whoever won the U.S. election, "if, of course, the new U.S. leader wishes to work with our country."WikiLeaks, the organization started by Julian Assange that publishes leaked information on the internet, this week released thousands of emails from Podesta’s email account and has not said how it obtained them. Last week, it posted excerpts from Clinton’s private speeches to banking and financial firms.The Clinton campaign has not confirmed the authenticity of the messages.The leaks, coming as the election campaign reaches the final stretch, have the potential to embarrass the Clinton camp. In recent days, however, Trump's own campaign has been in deeper trouble over the emergence of a 2005 video in which Trump bragged about groping women. Many Republican elected officials have turned their back on him and Clinton's lead in national opinion polls has increased.Clinton, who was secretary of state from 2009-2013, has repeatedly accused Trump of having overly friendly ties with Putin and Russia.She has noted that Trump’s foreign policies have tended to align with Russian’s interests, whether it has been questioning NATO’s role in defending Eastern Europe, failing to recognise Russia’s intrusion into Ukraine, and supporting Russia’s actions in Syria.Trump, a New York businessman who has never previously run for office, has shifted his policies on a wide range of issues, from taxes to the minimum wage to immigration during his White House campaign but his statements on Russia have been consistent. His friendly stance toward Moscow departs from the views of many prominent Republicans.During a presidential debate on Sunday, Trump publicly disagreed with his own vice presidential choice, Mike Pence, who had called for a more hawkish approach toward Russia.-"I DON'T KNOW PUTIN"-At that debate, Trump questioned whether Russia was behind the hacks, as the U.S. government has asserted. And on Wednesday, during a rally in Ocala, Fla., Trump echoed those remarks.“Have you ever noticed, anything that goes wrong they blame Russia?" Trump told the crowd. "They always blame Russia and then they says Donald Trump is friends . . . I don’t know Putin, folks. What the hell do I have to do with Putin?”Trump has said that as president he would seek warmer relations with Russia and that it would be in the United States' best interests to seek Russia's help to defeat Islamic State.“Trump is the most pro-Russian presidential candidate ever,” said Max Boot, a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council of Foreign Relations. “Putin no doubt sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reorient U.S. foreign policy in his direction by electing Trump.”A Russian ultra-nationalist ally of Putin who is known for his fiery rhetoric said Trump was the only person able to de-escalate dangerous tensions between Moscow and Washington, and predicted nuclear war if Clinton were elected."Relations between Russia and the United States can't get any worse. The only way they can get worse is if a war starts," Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a flamboyant veteran lawmaker, told Reuters.Clinton campaign chairman Podesta said on Tuesday the FBI was investigating a “criminal hack” of his emails, and he tied the Trump campaign to the leaks by suggesting that a former Trump adviser, Roger Stone, had advance warning of the hacks.The Trump campaign has not responded to the allegation about Stone, but Trump has denied any coordination with the Russian government to embarrass Clinton.He has, however, made clear he supports WikiLeaks’ efforts. “I love WikiLeaks,” he said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.The United States has an ongoing criminal investigation into Assange’s publishing of classified material. Clinton has been a fierce critic of Assange, who remains at the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he sought refuge in 2012 to avoid possible extradition to Sweden.Last week, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Department of Homeland Security said the government was confident the hacks of Democratic political groups and campaign officials originated from high levels of the Russian government.The White House on Tuesday promised a “proportional” response to Russia over the hacks.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told CNN the United States has offered no proof of his government’s involvement, and suggested Moscow was unconcerned about possible reprisals.“If they decided to do something, let them do it,” Lavrov said.(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Amanda Becker, Ginger Gibson, Mark Hosenball, Luciana Lopez and Alexander Winning; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Frances Kerry and Alistair Bell)
U.S. Navy destroyer again targeted by missiles from Yemen - U.S. officials-[Reuters]-By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy destroyer was targeted on Wednesday in a failed missile attack from territory in Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the second such incident in the past four days, U.S. officials told Reuters.The USS Mason, which was accompanied by the USS Ponce - an amphibious transport dock - fired defensive salvos in response to the missiles, neither of which hit the ship or caused any damage as it operated north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.The renewed attempt to target the U.S. Navy destroyer will add pressure on the U.S. military to retaliate, a move that would represent the first direct U.S. military action against Houthis in Yemen's conflict. The Pentagon hinted about possible retaliatory strikes on Tuesday.The incidents, along with an Oct. 1 strike on a vessel from the United Arab Emirates, add to questions about safety of passage for military ships around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.The Houthis, who are battling the internationally-recognised government of Yemen President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi, denied any involvement in the previous attempt to strike the USS Mason or the nearby USS Ponce on Sunday.But U.S. officials have told Reuters there is growing indications that Houthi rebels, despite those denials, were responsible for Sunday's incident.The rebels appeared to use small skiffs as spotters to help direct the missile attack on the warship. The United States is also investigating the possibility that a radar station under Houthi control in Yemen might have also "painted" the USS Mason, something that would have helped the Houthi fighters pass along coordinates for a strike, the officials have said.The Houthis, who are allied to Hadi's predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, have the support of many army units and control most of the north including the capital Sanaa.Reuters has learnt that the coastal defence cruise missiles used against the USS Mason on Sunday had considerable range, adding to concerns about the kind of heavy weaponry that the Houthis appear willing to employ and some of which U.S. officials believe is supplied by Iran.(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by G Crosse and Alistair Bell)
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
Drownings push hurricane death toll to 19 in flooded North Carolina-[Reuters]-By Nicole Craine-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
KINSTON, N.C. (Reuters) - Officials in North Carolina said they would go door to door on Wednesday urging people to leave low-lying areas as rivers swollen by rainfall from Hurricane Matthew continue to rise, threatening homes and resulting in more drownings.Floodwaters have swamped areas across the central and eastern part of the state, forcing more than 3,800 residents to flee to shelters, closing down stretches of major interstate highways and shuttering 34 school systems, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said.McCrory said the death toll in the state had risen to 19, mostly due to drowning. That figure represents more than half of the deaths in the U.S. Southeast linked to the fierce Atlantic storm, which killed some 1,000 people in Haiti and displaced hundreds of thousands more as it tore through the Caribbean last week."Do not get near the water," McCrory said at a news conference in Raleigh. "It will kill you."Matthew's aftermath drew comparisons to Hurricane Floyd, which triggered devastating floods in North Carolina in 1999 and caused more than $3 billion in damages in the state.In Kinston, where the Neuse River is expected to peak on Saturday just shy of the Floyd record, Mayor B.J. Murphy warned residents on Wednesday not to be fooled by the beautiful fall weather and clear skies."We want you out, and we want you out now," he said in an interview on WITN television news. "This is a very dangerous situation."Kinston resident Toby Hatch, 60, who lived through Floyd and Hurricane Irene, which destroyed his home in 2011, heeded the city's evacuation order this week and headed to a shelter."I didn’t really want to leave, but I was already looking at enough water that I was trapped," he said.Evacuations also continued in Greenville, where the Tar River was 10 feet above flood stage and forecast to crest even higher by Friday. Flooding has forced the city's airport to close and classes were canceled for the week for East Carolina University's 28,000 students.(Additional reporting by Gene Cherry; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Bill Trott)
Factbox: Nearly 242,000 still without power in U.S. Southeast after hurricane-[Reuters]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - The number of homes and businesses without power in the U.S. Southeast after Hurricane Matthew pummeled the region's Atlantic coast over the weekend was down to about 241,900 at midday on Wednesday, according to electric companies.That compared with 263,000 earlier in the day and a high of around 2.2 million on Sunday morning when the storm was still battering the North and South Carolina coasts.Matthew, the fiercest Atlantic storm since 2007, lashed the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia with heavy rain and wind after killing about 1,000 people in Haiti and at least 30 in the United States.The hardest hit utility was Duke Energy Corp in North and South Carolina, which reported more than 1.3 million customers affected by the storm. Duke has restored service to over 1.2 million homes and businesses.Duke has said it could take all week to restore power to customers in the hardest hit areas.(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Tom Brown)
Storm-hit Haiti gets first major food aid-[AFP]-Marc Burleigh-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Port-Salut (Haiti) (AFP) - The first major handout of food aid took place along Haiti's storm-wrecked southwest coast on Wednesday -- but supplies were still far short of what was needed by the thousands of starving people.Two trucks loaded with rice from the UN's World Food Programme stocks and two others from private charities went by convoy to two hard-hit towns on Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula: Port Salut and Roche a Bateau."It is very important to reach the most vulnerable communities and provide them with life-saving food assistance," a WFP spokesman, Alexis Masciarelli, told AFP by telephone."These people have lost their homes and livelihood and sometimes have nothing else to eat than the coconuts and papayas from the fallen trees."In Port Salut, some in a crowd of people waiting in the frying sun for the food to be handed out confirmed that meager diet since Hurricane Matthew ravaged their crops, livestock and fruit trees on October 4."We need to eat, and also water and tin for our roofs," one 18-year-old, Gedeon Rigab, said."I've eaten nothing but coconuts for five days," said another, Djymi Forestal, 25.Nuns at a Christian school in Port Salut, Saint Dominique's College, supervised the unloading of the WFP truck.They had been expecting four trucks to turn up, but had to make do with one. Most of the sacks of rice meant to feed a family of four for a month were emptied into smaller bags that would last just three days, so there was enough to hand out to everyone."We don't have enough for everybody, so we have to divide it to give to more people," the sister in charge, Marie-Nadia Noel, explained.She said she feared the crowd could turn violent if only some people walked away with food.To prevent fights and jostling that marred previous smaller handouts by US charity groups, just a handful of people at a time were let through the school's metal gate to pick up their bags. The process, watched over by three Haitian policemen, went smoothly.A Haitian health ministry official overseeing the distribution, Margareth Mallet, said the initial plan had been to give 250 families in Port Salut -- around 1,200 people or a quarter of the town's estimated population -- enough to eat for weeks."We are trying to help the most vulnerable first, and over the coming days we will be accelerating distribution," she said.A WFP employee not authorized to speak to the media said that it was up to the local communities to work out how best to hand out the food."We simply can't reach everybody in one go," the employee said.
U.S. suspends deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew-[Reuters]-October 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday said it has temporarily suspended deportations of Haitians after Hurricane Matthew ravaged the Caribbean nation last week, killing at least a thousand people and leaving 1.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance."We will have to deal with that situation, address it, be sympathetic to the plight of the people of Haiti as a result of the hurricane," U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said at an event in Mexico City."But after that condition has been addressed, we intend to resume the policy change," he said, without specifying a time frame.The policy change Johnson referred to took place last month when the United States announced that in response to a surge in Haitian immigration across the Mexican border, it would end special protections put in place after a 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti.Thousands of Haitians are currently massed in Tijuana and other Mexican border towns, and Mexico says 300 more arrive in the country every day.(Reporting by Frank Jack Daniel, Lizbeth Diaz, and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Nova Scotia premier taken aback by storm damage: 'I couldn't believe my eyes'-[The Canadian Press]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SYDNEY, N.S. — Nova Scotia's premier says he could not believe his eyes when he saw the damage from the powerful storm that pummelled much of Atlantic Canada over the long weekend."When you see what's happening, trees being uprooted and taking roads with them, roads being washed out completely, the actual force of that water must be phenomenal," Stephen McNeil said Wednesday during a visit to Sydney, the largest community in Cape Breton.Both McNeil and Newfoundland Premier Dwight Ball arranged tours of the areas in their provinces worst hit by the weekend storm, which was associated with the remnants of Hurricane Matthew.The provinces face a costly and lengthy cleanup, as power crews worked to restore electricity and schools remained closed in some areas. Both premiers have spoken to the prime minister about disaster relief.Cecil Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said in an interview it is the worst rain-related disaster to hit his community in his lifetime.It has severely damaged dozens of roads, taken out municipal bridges, destroyed parks and caused extensive damage to flooded homes in several communities in the municipality, he said.The water supply has remained intact, but there has been damage to waste water and a major water main break, the mayor said. Three centres have been set up by the Red Cross to provide shelter and food for residents whose homes are badly damaged.Clarke said the municipality will be applying for disaster relief assistance, and he is confident it has easily reached the minimum $3 million threshold in damage that would qualify it for the relief.He urged citizens to keep receipts and document the damage in order to apply to insurers and disaster relief agencies for assistance in restoring their homes.He said many homeowners don't have insurance and will be waiting to hear what kind of disaster relief they can receive from the province."We do not want to have mildew and mould issues going forward. We're going to undertake a major cleanup to get things out of peoples' homes as quickly as possible," he said."We're mindful there are people without resources, and winter is coming."The Cape Breton-Victoria School Board announced Wednesday that students from Brookland Elementary school in Sydney are being temporarily relocated to another school due to water damage to the building, after the community received more than 200 millimetres of rain.In Newfoundland and Labrador, crews worked to reopen the Trans-Canada Highway in Terra Nova National Park, where a section of the highway had washed away, cutting off southeastern Newfoundland from the rest of the island.Clarke said the weather is a reminder that climate change is contributing to more intense storms on the East Coast."The intensity of weather ... is definitely changing. We're feeling that as an island in the North Atlantic. The intensity of weather, whether it's winter or rain events, it impacts our public works infrastructure heavily," he said.He said the heavy rain caught people off guard, as most people were expecting that after weeks of dry weather the rainfall would be absorbed without difficulty.Nova Scotia Power was reporting 20,000 outages in eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton areas.It predicted the majority of customers would get their power restored by 11 a.m. Thursday.The utility said it had 122 power line crews and 27 tree trimming crews working on the eastern mainland and in Cape Breton.— By Michael Tutton in Halifax.The Canadian Press-Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version stated that the premier of Newfoundland's first name is Randy.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
WHO sending 1 million cholera vaccine doses to Haiti-[Reuters]-By Stephanie Nebehay-October 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) is sending 1 million doses of cholera vaccine to Haiti, where more than 200 cases of the killer disease have been reported since Hurricane Matthew.The campaign is aimed at quashing new outbreaks before the peak transmission of cholera in the Caribbean country which is from November to January, during the rainy season."The top priority clearly for those people affected by the hurricane is to give them access to safe water. That's the only way we can control cholera," Dominique Legros, WHO cholera expert, told a news briefing on Tuesday before traveling to Port-au-Prince.Those already infected with cholera need treatment, but a quarter of the health centers in Haiti's hard-hit southern area have been destroyed or seriously damaged, he said.The powerful hurricane slammed into Haiti last week, killing at least 1,000 people according to a tally of numbers from local officials.Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can kill within hours if untreated. It is spread through contaminated water and has a short incubation period, which leads to rapid outbreaks.Some 150 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Grande'Anse department and 50 in South department since the hurricane struck, Legros said, calling it a "sharp increase compared to usual figures".He had no death figures.A further 28 cholera cases have been reported in Artibonite and six cases in North West, the WHO said.Cholera was introduced to Haiti accidentally by U.N. peacekeepers who dumped sewage into a river after the 2010 earthquake. The outbreak has since infected hundreds of thousands of people - including an annual average of about 800 since 2014 - and killed more than 9,000.WHO, which has deployed 80 staff to Haiti, was considering giving people a single dose of the vaccine rather than the classic double dose, to cover more people, albeit it with a shorter protection period, Legros said."So far we have one experience of a large-scale campaign with a single dose, it was done in Bangladesh two years ago. It proved effective for six months," Legros said."After six months, you still have about 60 to 70 percent efficacy (of the vaccine) for severe cases of cholera, those are the ones we're interested in."(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
EU-Canada trade deal faces final hurdles By Eszter Zalan-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:17-Officials in Brussels are holding their breath over the fate of the Canada-EU trade agreement (Ceta), which diplomats say will decide the EU's future trade policy.On Thursday (13 October) Germany's consitutional court is expected to rule on the legality of the agreement after three German NGOs presented a lawsuit in August signed by 125,000 people.They said the deal would undermine workers' rights and worsen consumer standards.German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel, who last month secured the support of his restive Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the deal, warned on Wednesday that if the court rules in favour of the petitioners, "it would be a disaster for Europe."An unexpected obstacle could also come from Belgium.On Friday (14 October), the parliament of the Wallonia region will decide its stance on Ceta. Although the Belgian federal government has the final say on the deal, it needs the accord of its regions."We are in touch with our Belgian counterparts ... I don’t even try to understand fully what is going in all the parliaments in Belgium," said a senior EU diplomat.According to EU rules, if member states disagree, then Ceta could be put to a vote by qualified majority in the EU Council.Belgium could then be outvoted, but several officials told this website that because of the sensitivity of the issue, a unanimous decision would be needed.-VIsa constraints-Another issue that could upset the Ceta deal is Canada's visa requirements for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens.Bulgaria and Canada have reached a political agreement on the issue, with a gradual lifting of visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens.According to Bulgarian government sources quoted by Reuters, Canada will introduce a visa waiver for some Bulgarians, for example, for businessmen, for prior visitors to Canada, or for holders of a US visa as of May 2017 and will work to allow visa-free travel for all by the end of next year.The timeline for the full visa liberalisation could be extended to May 2018, Bulgarian officials told Reuters.It means Bulgaria would most likely give up its reluctance to back the Ceta agreement.Talks with Romania are still ongoing. According to sources in Brussels, Bucharest would like to see visa-free travel for all its citizens without time limits."Canada remains committed to working collaboratively with Romania, Bulgaria, and the EU towards our mutual goal of visa-free travel between the EU member states and Canada," a statement by the Canadian representation to the EU said, "It would be premature to comment on next steps at this time," it added.Canada also pointed out that "Ceta remains a top priority", but recalled that "visa policy is not part of any of Canada’ s free trade agreements, and decisions on whether or not visas are necessary do not relate to trade."-Overcoming hurdles-EU officials hope all obstacles will be cleared in time for an EU-Canada summit to be held on 27 October, when prime minister Justin Trudeau travels to Brussels.Ceta has become a crucial issue as the EU, after Brexit, wants to retain its position as a credible, global partner.-The EU is ready to go.Trade ministers are planned to have an extraordinary meeting next Tuesday (18 October), where member states could sign off the agreement, which would then need to be ratified at national level."The negotiation work in Brussels is completed, we need a political green light from capitals," said the senior EU diplomat."It is a high a priority file for us, it is modern, important, a good agreement for the EU. By signing it, we can also show there is life in the EU trade policy," the diplomat said.EU ambassadors on Wednesday "stabilised" all the texts needed for ratification. For the first time in trade deals, they agreed on a "joint interpretative declaration" clarifying the text of the agreement.They also agreed on the details of its provisional application. That means, for example, that a controversial investment settlement court would not be created until member states had completed their national ratification process.The European Parliament is ready to ratify it in its January 2017 plenary session at the latest.The parliament's political groups agreed on Wednesday that the trade committe would vote on it on 5 December."It's not ideal, but in many way, it's the best and I would say very close to perfection," said the Ceta rapporteur, Artis Pabriks, a Latvian member of the centre-right EPP group.
Analysis-Deutsche Bank crisis tests EU regulation By Jean Comte-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:05-EU finance ministers have tried to alleviate concerns about Deutsche Bank, whose fragility is putting to test the mechanisms put in place by the EU to avoid banks collapsing.Slovakia's Peter Kazimir, who chaired a ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday (11 October), said that the situation was not discussed."There is no particular threat, neither on this bank, nor on other European banks," French minister Michel Sapin told journalists before the meeting.The largest German bank has lost almost half of its value since the start of the year, and is now borrowing at a higher rate than other European banks.It is facing a record $14 billion fine in the US, announced in September for misselling mortgage bonds.Last week, CEO John Cryan failed to reach a deal with US authorities to reduce the amount, prompting a 3 percent fall in its share price on Monday.Dutch finance minister and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem said last week that the fine was too high. He said on Monday that it was causing "uneasy unrest" on the markets, but that it was "up to the US authorities and Deutsche Bank to solve the problem"."Deutsche Bank is in a much better situation than Lehman Brothers in 2008," an EU source said, referring to the US bank whose collapse trigger a global financial crisis.The source added that the EU and markets should not be so worried."I am quite amazed by the market reaction," an EU source said. "There might be a need to reduce the size of some activities [of Deutsche Bank], but there is nothing to worry about."Since 2008, the whole European banking system is better equipped to deal with risk, pointed out economist Nicolas Veron from the Bruegel think-tank.EU banks are now closely regulated and under supervision by the European Central Bank (ECB).In particular, each bank has to apply mandatory capital requirements. In the EU, they amount in average to 14 percent of their risk-weighted assets."Deutsche Bank's crisis actually shows how important these capital requirements are to absorb financial shocks and preserve stability," Veron said.But EU countries do not want to go further.At their meeting on Tuesday, finance ministers discussed the so-called Basel III international requirements on capital ratio standard. They said they would oppose any "significant increase" in the capital requirements, arguing that it would hamper EU banks' ability to lend money, and therefore harm growth.-Stress tests-The situation at Deutsche Bank also sheds light on the so-called stress tests intended to identify specific weaknesses in EU banks.In July, Deutsche Bank performed only moderately in the tests, which simulate different crisis scenarios.But on Monday, the Financial Times revealed that the bank received special treatment. It was allowed to include the sale of its assets in China's Hua Xia bank, though the transaction was not completed until after the test. It could thus include almost €4 billion on it balance sheet to improve the its performance to the test.But for Karel Lannoo, from the Centre on European Policy Studies, the point of stress tests is not only to disclose numbers, but also to allow the supervisor to know in advance the banks' internal weaknesses."After the stress test, the regulator may ask each bank to perform some structural reforms, but this is not public," he told EUobserver."Therefore, we don't know whether Deutsche Bank was required to implement some specific measures. It's a pity, because investors would be reassured if they hear that the supervisor took action."Deutsche Bank "is huge and narrowly connected to other systemic financial institutions," pointed out Christophe Nijdam, secretary general of Finance Watch, an NGO calling for more regulation.The bank's total assets amount to €1.6 trillion compared with Lehman Brothers' $690 billion (€624.25 billion).Deutsche Bank "is literally too big too fail", Nijdam said.-Separation of activities-He added that markets' febrility over the solidity of the bank suggests that the system put in place since 2008 may not be enough.He called for a separation of the banks' deposit and trading activities as a way to reduce their size, and to limit some of the risks.The European Commission proposed legislation to do that in 2014, but the proposal has been stuck for more than a year in the European Parliament, where left-wing and right-wing groups are divided on how automatic the separation should be.Nijdam is also in favour of additional measures – for example a better liquidity ratio, to assure that the bank has enough cash to meet its short-terms obligations.EU rules now say that banks should be "bailed-in" first, meaning that shareholders would take the first losses. The system, which has not been tried, could prove insufficient.The German government has said it would not bail out Deutsche Bank if it were fail.Nijdam said he doubted whether the government would be able to hold that position, given the importance of the bank for the German and European economy."We're having problems to apply this principle to small Italian banks, how can we apply it to a financial giant such as Deutsche Bank?" he said.
Focus-Future Cities: Shaping Europe from the bottom up By Lisbeth Kirk-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 10. Oct, 10:16-By 2050, over 80 percent of Europeans are projected to live in towns or cities. If I live long enough, I'll be one of them, and most likely you will be too.But what will those cities look like in the future? Who will get it right, and who will lag behind?EUobserver’s 2016 Regions and Cities Magazine explores visions for future cities and learns lessons from the past.EU capitals such as London, Paris, Prague, and Rome host millions of foreign tourists each year and shape Europe’s international identity.The EU is grappling with difficult problems - Brexit, migration, and the economy to name a few - but despite the gloomy pall over EU affairs, lots of European cities are investing and reinventing themselves.Many of them are old or even ancient. They can be drastically different from each other and fiercely independent. Some aren’t doing so well. They compete, but they also inspire each other.They are mini-states, where people get more involved in politics than at national, let alone at EU level. Residents protest against ugly new buildings, or about garbage collection. They share cars, create new businesses, and plan utopias.As EU leaders focus on strategic issues, the other Europe, of city-states, is evolving in its own way.It's a good story that should be told.The fifth edition of EUobserver's Regions and Cities Magazine can be downloaded here.Lisbeth Kirk is the founder of EUobserver.-
British MPs get chance to shape Brexit strategy-By Andrew Rettman-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:12-British prime minister Theresa May continued to talk tough on Brexit in a parliament debate on Wednesday (12 October), but left room for MPs to prevent a future trade war with the EU.Responding to questions by the opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, she said she would seek “maximum possible access to the European market for firms to trade with and operate within”.But she added: “I’m also very clear that the vote of the British people said that we should control the movement of people from the EU into the UK, and unlike the right honourable gentleman [Corbyn] we believe we should deliver on what the British people want.”She also indicated that she would seek a unique deal for the EU instead of trying to retain membership of the single market or the EU customs union.“We are not asking ourselves what bits of our membership we want to retain,” she said.May ruled out giving MPs a vote on whether to approve her future Brexit strategy before she triggered the negotiating process by invoking article 50 of the EU treaty.But she conceded to hold a parliamentary discussion on the strategy prior to the invocation."The idea that parliament somehow wasn't going to be able to discuss, debate, question was frankly completely wrong," she said, noting that MPs would have “every opportunity to debate” her government’s ideas.The future debate will give pro-EU MPs an opportunity to create political pressure to avoid a rupture in EU trade relations.The discussion was also enshrined in a Labour party motion, passed Wednesday, saying that parliament must have “a full and transparent debate” to “properly scrutinise” the government’s plans before the article 50 move.But May’s ruling Tory party added an amendment to the text, saying: “The process should be undertaken in such a way that respects the decision of the people of the UK when they voted to leave the EU” and that it should "not undermine the negotiating position of the government”.-'Shambolic Tory Brexit'-Wednesday’s talks had earlier seen Corbyn grill May on whether continued single market access was “a red line for the government or not”.He attacked the prime minister for trying to please Tory eurosceptics instead of protecting the national interest and for delays in drafting a detailed Brexit plan.“Is the prime minister really willing to risk a shambolic Tory Brexit, just to appease the people behind her?”, he said.“This is a government that drew up no plans for Brexit, that now has no strategy for negotiating Brexit, and offers no clarity, no transparency”, he added.“The jobs and incomes of millions of people are at stake, the pound is plummeting, businesses are worrying and the government has no answers”.Two Labour shadow ministers, Emily Thornberry and Keir Starmer, also tabled a list of 170 questions - one for every day before the end of March, when May said he would trigger article 50 - for May to answer.The questions also focused on single market access and on immigration controls.-Pound at lowest-Financial markets have reacted nervously to the prospect of the UK crashing out of EU trade structures by forcing down the value of the pound to historic lows.The pound rallied slightly when news of May’s agreement to the parliament Brexit debate came out.But other indicators backed up Corbyn’s analysis of the damage done by continued uncertainty over future EU-UK relations.The pound’s “effective exchange rate”, a way of measuring its value by comparing it to a basket of currencies used by its main trading partners, fell to its lowest level in 168 years this week.The news came after leaked government figures said Brexit could cost the UK as much as £66 billion (€73bn) a year.A government Brexit adviser, Raoul Ruparel, has also said that leaving the EU customs union would incur a “permanent” cost of £25 billion a year, or up to 1.2 percent of British GDP.
Wall says Clinton's climate plan a better approach, Trudeau should take note-[The Canadian Press]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is looking south of the border in his push against a carbon tax in Canada.Wall says he backs the climate change plan released this week by U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that supports carbon capture, but does not include a carbon tax.The premier says Clinton's plan indicates that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's carbon pricing scheme puts Canada's economy and jobs at a competitive disadvantage with its biggest trading partner.Trudeau's plan calls for a $10 per tonne tax on carbon starting in 2018, increasing to $50 per tonne by 2022.The prime minister has warned that carbon pricing will be imposed on provinces that don't implement the tax or bring in a cap-and-trade system.Wall says focus should be on innovation and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that Saskatchewan's plan, to be unveiled next week, will be similar to Clinton's.The Canadian Press
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
African nations must halt migration, says Merkel By Aleksandra Eriksson-OCT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has called on African leaders to stop migration to Europe and fight back against Islamic extremism.She vowed to help with development aid and military equipment to ensure peace and prosperity in Africa.Germany will also make Africa a priority of Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017.Merkel visited Mali, Niger and Ethiopia during a three-day tour. She promised to build a military base in Niger to support the UN peace mission in Mali, where jihadis have used a civil war to make themselves a base in the north of the country, and offered to help Ethiopia, which recently introduced a state of emergency over protests from ethnic groups, with training in peaceful conflict resolution.Rights groups estimate some 500 protesters have been killed by government forces in the recent days.Leading opposition figures asked the German chancellor to push Ethiopia’s government into releasing political prisoners.Merkel stressed the importance of a ”vibrant civic society”.Prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Ethiopia already hosts one of largest refugee populations in the world.He asked for investments to support the 780,000 people that have sought refuge in his country.Some EU leaders, including Merkel, have indicated they would like to strike Turkey-style deals with African nations, whereby they would agree to take back migrants in exchange for money and other favours, such as visa-free travel.Migration is poised to become a key issue in Germany’s federal elections next year, where the chancellor is expected to seek a fourth term.In the coming days, Merkel will also host leaders from Chad and Nigeria back home in Germany.
Kerry and Lavrov to resume talks on Syria despite war crimes row-[Reuters]-By Vladimir Soldatkin and Tom Perry-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Russian counterpart in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss Syria, officials said on Wednesday, as a devastating bombing campaign of the city of Aleppo intensified.The Syrian government launched an assault to capture rebel-held areas of Aleppo last month with Russian air support and Iranian-backed militias, a week into a ceasefire agreed by Washington and Moscow.Kerry broke off talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week over the offensive, which has included air strikes on hospitals that the United States and France said amounted to war crimes for which Syria and Russia were responsible.The Syrian and Russian governments blamed their foes for breaking the ceasefire and said they target only militants in the city, the last major urban stronghold of the Western-backed rebels, where more than 250,000 people are trapped under siege.The resumption of talks, despite the offensive, was a sign of the lack of options facing Western nations over the Syria conflict, where they worry scaled-up arms supplies for the rebels could end up in the hands of jihadist groups.Russia's Foreign Ministry said Kerry and Lavrov would meet in the Swiss city of Lausanne to consider steps toward settling the conflict. The meeting will include foreign ministers from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran. A senior State Department official confirmed Kerry would attend.White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Washington remained committed to a "deep multilateral engagement" to reduce the violence in Syria which would "necessarily" involve Russia too."But it is no longer in the context of trying to broker this agreement that would ... hold out the prospect of U.S. military cooperation with Russia. That's something that Russia has lost... the credibility to be able to try to agree to," he said.On Wednesday, 25 people were killed by heavy air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the Civil Defence, a rescue service working in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter, adding that 15 of them were killed at a market place in the Fardous district.The Syrian army has denied targeting civilians.-AIR STRIKES-A Syrian military source said warplanes had struck several locations to the south and southwest of Aleppo but Syrian and Russian officials could not immediately be reached to comment on the market place attack.It was the second day of heavy air strikes after a lull of several days which the Syrian army said was designed to allow civilians to leave.Rebels said the intensity of the air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday had returned to the level seen at the start of the Russian-backed campaign to capture Aleppo.Moscow's intervention, which began just over a year ago, has tipped the scales back toward President Bashar al-Assad.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organization that reports on the war, said it had documented the deaths of 55 people killed in escalating bombardment of eastern Aleppo in the last 48 hours.The Observatory also reported that four people were killed in government-held areas by insurgent shelling.Clashes between pro-government and rebel forces were also reported in a rebel-held area in southern Aleppo.The war has killed more than 300,000 people, created the world's worst refugee crisis, allowed for the rise of Islamic State and drawn in regional and major powers.Assad aims to take back all of Aleppo, which was Syria's biggest city before the outbreak of war in 2011.The city has been divided between government and rebel control for years and food, water and medical supplies in rebel areas are now running low.Last Saturday Russia vetoed a French-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that would have demanded an immediate end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo.On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused France of deliberately luring Moscow into vetoing the resolution and suggested it was doing the bidding of the United States."What for? To exacerbate the situation and to whip up anti-Russian hysteria in media under their control, and to deceive their own citizens," Putin said, accusing France of serving U.S. domestic political interests.-"OBSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE"-Putin later told France's TF1 television channel that the West, especially the United States, was responsible for Syria's plight and he dismissed the Western accusations of Russian and Syrian war crimes as "political rhetoric".French Prime Minister Manuel Valls faced criticism from opposition lawmakers over his government's handling of relations with Russia over Syria."Russia has chosen an obstructive attitude and from our point of view this stance is unjustifiable," Valls said after being asked by a parliamentarian why Paris was adopting a tough position on Russia.Despite the war of words, the Kremlin said Putin spoke to French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday and said he hoped Saturday's talks would be "fruitful".France and Britain back a proposal for a dilution of big powers' United Nations vetoes in cases of serious war crimes, the top U.N. human rights official said in Geneva, but he gave little support to Syrian opposition hopes of strong-arming Russia over eastern Aleppo.Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last week that Security Council veto powers should be curbed to help resolve the situation and bring Syria under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.The dispute over Aleppo has unfolded against a backdrop of separate campaigns being waged against Islamic State by a U.S.-led alliance and the Russian-backed Syrian army.As part of the fight against IS, Syrian rebels backed by Turkey are currently waging a campaign in northern Syria near the Turkish border.A rebel commander told Reuters the Turkey-backed forces had advanced closer to an Islamic State-held village that is of great symbolic significance to the group on Wednesday.The rebels captured the village of Duweibiq, which is some 2 km from Dabiq - the site of an apocalyptic prophecy central to the militant group's ideology. "The clashes were not very fierce but there is resistance," the commander said.(Additional reporting by Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova in MOSCOW, Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA and Lesley Wroughton in WASHINGTON, writing by Philippa Fletcher, editing by Gareth Jones)
Putin accuses France of playing tricks with Syria resolution-[Reuters]-By Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused France of deliberately luring Moscow into vetoing a United Nations resolution on Syria and suggested Paris was doing the bidding of the United States.Russia last week imposed its veto on a French-backed resolution condemning the violence in the Syrian city of Aleppo, saying the document failed to take into account Russian proposals.Western governments said the veto showed Moscow had no interest in halting the violence.But Putin, who earlier this week called off a planned trip to Paris after his French counterpart Francois Hollande criticized Russia's actions in Syria, launched a stinging attack on France's handling of the resolution."It's not our partners who should be offended by our veto, it's us who should be offended," Putin said, when asked about France during a question and answer session at a business forum in Moscow.He said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had raised the issue of the resolution when he visited Moscow last week. Ayrault was told the document put too much of the blame for the Aleppo violence on Syrian government forces, but that Moscow would not use its veto if France made some amendments."We expected joint, constructive work with France and with other permanent members of the Security Council. But what happened?," Putin said."The French foreign minister flew from Moscow to Washington, the next day he came out with (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, accused Russia of all the deadly sins, no one spoke to us or discussed anything with us, and tossed the resolution into the Security Council obviously expecting our veto."What for? Knowing our position, and not discussing it with us, they didn't chuck in the resolution so it would pass. But to get the veto. What for? To exacerbate the situation and to whip up anti-Russian hysteria in media under their control, and to deceive their own citizens," Putin said."I don't know if that corresponds to the interests of European countries or not. But to just service like this the foreign policy interests, or maybe even the domestic political interests, of their allies, in this case the United States? "I don't know. Is that really the role of such serious countries which aspire to conduct independent policies and be called major powers. I don't know," Putin told the forum.-CONVOY ATTACK-Speaking to reporters in Rome, Ayrault rejected Putin's accusations, saying he had negotiated in good faith with Moscow and had accepted some Russian proposals, but that he had failed to convince them of the need to halt bombing of Aleppo."We couldn't accept a resolution that did not address such an essential issue," he said, adding that there would be an enquiry into allegations of war crimes in the Syrian city."The massacre in Aleppo is continuing. I am appealing for an end to this massacre and to save the people of Aleppo. It is never too late to make peace," he said.Western governments have accused Russia of being responsible for an attack on an aid convoy in Aleppo region on Sept. 19.In his speech on Wednesday, Putin said "terrorists" had struck the convoy, without giving details on who they were.He said the United States knew who was to blame for the attack but that Washington preferred instead to make what he called baseless accusations about Russian involvement.(Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
France's Hollande sees a 'problem with Islam', according to new book-[Reuters]-October 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande told the authors of a book just published that "France has a problem with Islam", comments that risk dividing his party before next year's presidential election.Hollande made the remarks to the two authors of "A President Shouldn't Say That...." in December 2015, a month after Islamist militant gunmen and bombers attacked Paris, killing 130 people. Their book was published on Wednesday."It's true that there's a problem with Islam. No one doubts it," Hollande is quoted as saying."It's not that Islam poses a problem in the sense that it is a dangerous religion, but in as far as it wants to affirm itself as a religion of the Republic."The comments echo similar statements by conservative politicians following a fresh wave of militant attacks this summer, though Hollande did not suggest the hard-line responses advocated by some right-wing opponents.Among other proposals, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is seeking a return to the Elysee palace, has promised a nationwide ban on burkinis and said France should detain or tag all individuals on an intelligence watchlist.Since the late 1980s, successive Paris governments have tried but failed to nurture a liberal "Islam of France" that would help integrate the faith into secular society. In August, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the state must re-invent its relationship with the "Islam of France".Asked about Hollande's comments, government spokesman Stephan Le Foll said: "There's a problem with Islam today because Islam is politicized by some. There is a problem and at the same time we need to be able to overcome this problem."The book was written by two respected journalists, Gerard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme, who met with Hollande 61 times. Opposition politicians said on Wednesday that Hollande, France's most unpopular president in six decades, should spend less time talking to journalists and more time governing.The release of the book eclipsed any media boost for Hollande from a wide-ranging interview with L'Obs magazine also published on Wednesday, which people close to him said was supposed to take him a step closer to formally launching a bid for re-election.Late on Wednesday, Hollande invited two of France's highest ranking judges to see him to patch up relations after the book also quoted him disparaging judges, according to a tweet on the top appeals court's Twitter account.Hollande sits atop a deeply divided ruling Socialist Party and has not yet declared if he will run for re-election. Should he chose to, he will face several challengers for the party's nomination.(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Additional reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Writing by Richard Lough, Editing by Leigh Thomas, Larry King)
