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)
DEAD ANIMALS
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land,(EARTH) because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Red tuna crabs carpet Southern California beaches again-Reuters-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Masses of tiny red crustaceans known as tuna crabs have washed up for a second straight year along stretches of the Southern California coast in a phenomenon marine scientists say is linked to a rise in ocean temperatures.Waves of the dead or dying tuna crabs have been found carpeting the shoreline at various Orange County spots, including Huntington Beach and Newport Beach south of Los Angeles, since the middle of last week.The crabs normally inhabit waters off the Baja Peninsula, in the Gulf of California and the California Current, but warming ocean currents periodically carry the crustaceans farther north and closer to shore, according to scientists.The latest event and a similar mass stranding of tuna crabs last June along beaches from San Diego to Orange County coincided with the El Nino effect that has increased ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific.Also known as pelagic red crabs, the bright salmon-colored creatures resemble small lobsters or crayfish, measuring 1 to 3 inches (2.5-7.6 cm) in length.Unlike most crabs, they largely spend their lives grazing on phytoplankton as they swim freely in open water rather than crawling along the sea floor, though larger adults will make excursions to the bottom, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Because they live in the water column, the crabs drift with the winds, tides and currents.Scientists advise the crabs are not safe for human consumption because they may have ingested toxin-producing phytoplankton.(Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Prince's death: Key players in investigation and aftermath-[The Canadian Press]-Kevin Burbach, The Associated Press-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
MINNEAPOLIS - Since Prince's sudden death at age 57 on April 21, a host of figures have emerged as key players in the investigation of how he died and in the ultimate division of his estate, which is worth millions. A brief look at those figures:-DR. HOWARD KORNFELD-A northern California doctor who specializes in addiction treatment and pain management, Howard Kornfeld has championed the use of buprenorphine, a drug similar to methadone that is often used to treat opiate addiction. His attorney says Prince's representatives reached out to Kornfeld on April 20, the day before Prince was found dead in his studio compound in suburban Minneapolis. Unable to immediately fly to Minnesota, Kornfeld sent his son Andrew in an effort to convince the musician to seek long-term care at his Recovery Without Walls centre in Mill City, California. William Mauzy, the Kornfelds' attorney, said Howard Kornfeld sent with his son a small dose of buprenorphine, which is used to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.-ANDREW KORNFELD-The younger Kornfeld, a 26-year-old pre-med student, was one of the three people who found Prince at his Paisley Park studio on April 21. Sent on behalf of his father, Andrew Kornfeld was carrying a small dose of the drug buprenorphine. Advocates of the drug say the opiate can help addicted patients by offering pain relief with reduced possibility of overdose and addiction. Andrew Kornfeld is listed as a consultant with his father's clinic and is a pre-med student, according to his attorney William Mauzy. Mauzy said the mission Andrew Kornfeld was sent on was consistent with the work he has done for his father's clinic for years.-DR. MICHAEL TODD SCHULENBERG-In the weeks before Prince's April 21 death, the musician met twice with Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a 46-year-old family care physician who worked at a Minnetonka clinic a few miles from Prince's Paisley Park studio and home, according to search warrant documents. Schulenberg is no longer working for the health care system connected to the clinic, but the health care system won't say why and his attorney isn't commenting. Investigators interviewed Schulenberg the day Prince died and searched the health care system's flagship hospital for Prince's medical records. The warrant documents say Schulenberg prescribed Prince medications in recent weeks, but what they were and whether Prince took them is unknown.-KIRK JOHNSON-A longtime friend of Prince, Kirk Johnson was a drummer and the estate manager at Paisley Park. Johnson, 51, hasn't spoken publicly since Prince's death. He also hasn't returned to a local gym where he teaches classes, according to his fellow personal trainers. According to search warrant documents, investigators interviewed Johnson sometime after Prince's death. He told them that Prince had gone to a local medical centre for an illness in 2014 or 2015. The Star Tribune, citing a source with knowledge of the investigation, reported that Schulenberg was Johnson's doctor and that Johnson recommended him to Prince. Johnson's attorney, F. Clayton Tyler, has declined to comment.-TYKA NELSON-Tyka Nelson, 55, is Prince's only full sibling, and she has taken the lead in the initial work to settle her older brother's estate. Both are children of John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw, who divorced when Prince and Tyka were young and who later died. Tyka Nelson lives in a north Minneapolis home and has shied away from the press, but she appeared in court with four of Prince's five half siblings earlier this month for the first hearing to start sorting out Prince's estate. Nelson said Prince left no known will. Under Minnesota law, those siblings would share Prince's estate equally unless a will emerges or an unknown child of Prince comes forward and is confirmed through paternity tests.-OTHERS MAKING CLAIMS TO ESTATE-Given the current value of Prince's estate and its vast earning potential even after his death, claims have been rolling in. A Colorado inmate, Carlin Q. Williams of Kansas City, Missouri, has claimed to be Prince's biological son. Another Kansas City resident, Darcell Gresham Johnston, has claimed to be a half sister. A district judge has set up a process to handle paternity claims with DNA testing. Meanwhile, the work of settling Prince's estate is being carried out behind closed doors by lawyers who aren't discussing it. Bremer Trust, which was named special administrator of Prince's estate last month, will tally the assets Prince left behind — financial accounts, real estate, recording catalogue and the unreleased recordings in his vault at Paisley Park. Trust workers will also tackle the complicated job of trying to assign a value to them. No hearings are scheduled, but within the next six months, someone is likely to petition the court to appoint a personal representative, who would have authority to make the big decisions regarding the estate.-AUTHORITIES-The Carver County Sheriff's Department is the local agency responsible for investigating Prince's sudden, unwitnessed death. The U.S. Attorney's Office and Drug Enforcement Administration have also said they would be assisting. The day after Prince was found dead, Sheriff Jim Olson said investigators would "leave no stone unturned" while looking for answers. Authorities returned to Paisley Park on last Tuesday, 2 1/2 weeks after first searching the property the day of Prince's death, but declined to say why.-MEDICAL EXAMINER STROBL-Dr. A. Quinn Strobl, the chief medical examiner at the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office since late 2009, performed the autopsy on Prince. Her office is the official coroner for 19 counties in Minnesota, including Carver County, where he was found dead. Strobl has been a practicing forensic pathologist since she finished her fellowship in 2005 and is board-certified in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology. In a 2009 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Strobl spoke about how she works with families. "Hopefully, I deliver answers," she said.___Follow Kevin Burbach on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KevinBurbach.
Venezuela says better oil loans deal reached with China-[Reuters]-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela has reached a deal with its main financier China to improve the conditions of an oil-for-loans deal, giving the OPEC member's crisis-hit economy "oxygen" ahead of heavy debt payments, Venezuela's top economic official said on Monday.Economy Vice-President Miguel Perez told Reuters "all" conditions, including loan time frames, investment amounts and non-financial aspects, had been improved.China has lent some $50 billion to Venezuela under the arrangement, and investors are watching closely to see if Beijing will help President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government as it struggles with recession, shortages and reduced oil revenue.(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer and Corina Pons; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Paul Simao)
Trump says he expects poor relationship with UK leader-[The Canadian Press]-Danica Kirka, The Associated Press-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
LONDON - Presidential candidate Donald Trump says he may have a poor relationship with Prime Minister David Cameron in light of the British leader's criticism of Trump's call for all Muslims to be temporarily banned from entering the United States.Trump's comments, broadcast Monday on ITV's "Good Morning Britain" made headlines in Britain, which claims a "special relationship" with America. Trump's suggestion of a temporary Muslim ban led to a petition signed by half a million people demanding that Parliament hold a debate on whether he should be banned from the country. Lawmakers held the debate, but rejected a ban."It looks like we are not going to have a very good relationship," Trump said in the interview conducted in New York. "Who knows, I hope to have a good relationship with him (Cameron) but he's not willing to address the problem either."Cameron has refused to retract comments Trump's proposed Muslim ban as "divisive, stupid and wrong." But Cameron's spokesman, Dan York-Smith, told reporters that the prime minister was "committed to maintaining the special relationship" whoever wins the presidential election."He has been clear that he will work with whoever is president of the United States," York-Smith said.In the interview conducted Saturday, Trump also describes London's new mayor, Sadiq Khan, as "rude" for calling him ignorant. The real estate tycoon said he would "remember" the mayor's hostile reaction to the idea that Khan, a Muslim, would be given an exception to the temporary ban."He doesn't know me, hasn't met me, doesn't know what I'm all about. I think they were very rude statements and, frankly, tell him I will remember those statements," Trump said. "They are very nasty statements."Trump denied he was "at war" with Khan."I just think it's very rude of him. In fact it's the opposite," he said. "I wished him well when I heard he won, he's a Muslim, I think it's ignorant for him to say that."Khan's office said American voters would reject Trump's views."Sadiq has spent his whole life fighting extremism, but Trump's remarks make that fight much harder for us all — it plays straight into the extremists' hands and makes both our countries less safe," his office said in a statement.When reminded Khan has described Trump as ignorant, Trump shook his head and said: "Let's do an IQ test."The mayor's office hotly rejected the idea, saying "ignorance is not the same thing as lack of intelligence."
Ministerial veto could trump information czar's planned new powers-[The Canadian Press]-Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press-May 15, 2016-yahoonews
OTTAWA - The Liberal government is floating the idea of a ministerial veto over planned new powers for the information commissioner — a move that would give cabinet the power to block release of documents.During the election campaign, the Liberals promised reforms to Canada's Access to Information regime, including new authority for the information commissioner to issue "binding orders" for disclosure of documents.The Access to Information Act allows requesters who pay $5 to seek a range of federal files — from correspondence and briefing notes to expense reports and studies. But often information is blacked out, prompting complaints to the commissioner.Currently the commissioner, an ombudsman for users of the access law, can investigate complaints and recommend that records be released. But she cannot force a government agency to do so, and must head to court to pursue the matter further.Provincial commissioners in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island have the power to order the release of government information. Many openness advocates have called for the federal commissioner to have similar authority.The Liberals recently included the proposal in a basket of changes to be introduced in legislation later this year or early next.As part of an online consultation on the proposals, the government notes some jurisdictions have combined order-making powers for the commissioner with the principle of ministerial responsibility."They do this by providing for a ministerial or cabinet override of a commissioner's order to release government information. In other models, the government can ask for review by a court if it disagrees with a commissioner's order to release government information."The notion the Liberals would even raise the possibility of a ministerial override alarmed the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association."We think this is a bad idea," the association's executive director, Vincent Gogolek, recently told a House of Commons committee studying the access law."We look forward to seeing the commissioner being given full order-making powers. We're not in favour of half-measures."Gogolek says the ministerial override model has led to a number of abuses in Britain, including the so-called Black Spider Memos controversy involving Prince Charles.In that case, England's attorney general vetoed the release of letters and memos to the Guardian newspaper that the Prince of Wales had written to various ministers over the years, a decision that was eventually overturned in the courts.Duff Conacher, a founder of the group Democracy Watch, told the Commons committee that information may reasonably be off-limits to requesters when it deals with sensitive areas such as the defence of Canada, law enforcement, national security or personal matters.But the information commissioner should have the right to decide whether an exemption applies "in every single case," Conacher said. If the government disagrees, it could appeal to the courts, he added."That's the way the system would work most effectively, and ensure openness by default."The final shape of the government's proposal on the information commissioner's powers could depend on recommendations from the committee.In outlining the federal proposals for access reform, Treasury Board President Scott Brison said that while the government had made certain commitments, he was open to hearing what MPs had to say."We will be taking seriously all the recommendations of this committee."Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
New Democrats set to name Tom Mulcair's replacement in fall 2017-[The Canadian Press]-Kristy Kirkup, The Canadian Press-May 15, 2016-yahoonews
OTTAWA - The federal NDP has opted for an extended leadership race to replace Tom Mulcair, as it looks to name a new leader between September and October of 2017.The decision comes after around 100 New Democrats from across Canada gathered at an Ottawa hotel Sunday to carve out the terms for the race — a process launched after Mulcair was flatly rejected as the leader at a convention in Edmonton last month.New Democrat national director, Karl Belanger, said members of the party's governing body agreed on Sunday that more time is needed to assess where the NDP is at and to allow for potential candidates to organize and set up campaigns."Councillors felt that by providing that longer window it would provide better opportunities for outreach and fundraising and for the party in general," Belanger said.In order to run, hopefuls will be required to provide a registration fee of $30,000 while the spending cap has been set at $1.5 million.The nomination period will begin in July."Council has given potential candidates a time frame that will allow for a fair and competitive race, while giving enough time for the new leader to prepare for the general election," said NDP president Marit Stiles.The party brass did not set a precise date for a leadership vote within the fall 2017 time frame.There are many challenges for the NDP as it looks to replace Mulcair, including the current debt load of around $5 million — a legacy of the marathon federal election that punted the party back to third party status in the Commons.For his part, Mulcair has said it is unlikely he will run again in the 2019 federal election. He has yet to weigh in on the timeline announced by the federal council.As the NDP eyes its future and a lengthy leadership race, fundraising is sure to be a concern.A letter from the party's president, vice-presidents and treasurer distributed ahead of Sunday's meeting noted council should consider the financial impact of the race and its effect on national and provincial fundraising efforts.Belanger said these concerns were addressed by council, adding administrative fees have been increased to 25 per cent — up from 15 per cent in the 2012 race — meaning 25 cents will go to the party for every dollar a campaign pulls in.Recent figures released by Elections Canada showed the party struggled in its first quarter and only collected $1.3 million.McMaster political science professor Peter Graefe said the timing of the leadership race will have "significant impacts" on the party's money-making ability."Mulcair is going out the door and you're mostly raising money on the ... back of your leader so it is going to be a bit complicated from that point of view," Graefe said.The NDP can't begin raising significant amounts of money until two years out from the next election, he added."I don't think they are likely to go bankrupt if you like but ... they'll still be paying off these debts by the time a new leader is chosen so that's going to make it difficult for them to be in a competitive position going into the next federal election."Graefe said the New Democrats were likely influenced by the timing of the Conservative leadership race, set to be held in May 2017."They want the Conservatives to choose their leader so that they can make their choice ... in the context of who the other two leaders are going to be," he said.In addition to weakened fundraising efforts following October's disappointing election result, the NDP is also using resources to foot a legal bill over its satellite office saga now playing out in Federal Court.The party launched this fight after the Commons board of internal economy ordered 68 NDP MPs — many of whom went down to defeat last October — to repay $2.7 million in parliamentary funds that went towards office operations in Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City.The NDP has long denied that it used parliamentary funds for non-parliamentary purposes.Mulcair remains personally on the hook for a bill of more than $400,000.—Follow @kkirkup on Twitter
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)
Islamist militants exploit chaos as combatants pursue peace in Yemen-[Reuters]-By Mohammed Ghobari and Noah Browning-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
CAIRO/DUBAI (Reuters) - Islamic State efforts to exploit chaos may have brought Saudi-backed forces and Iran-allied Houthis tentatively closer at peace talks in Yemen's civil war, but a deal seems unlikely in time to avert collapse into armed, feuding statelets.Ferocious conflict along Yemen's northern border between Saudi Arabia and Iran-allied Ansurallah, a Shi'ite Muslim revival movement also called the Houthis, defied two previous attempts to seal a peace. But a truce this year and prisoner exchanges mean hopes for a third round of talks are higher.The threat from an emerging common enemy may be galvanizing their efforts. Islamic State appears to be behind a dizzying uptick in suicide attacks and al Qaeda fighters continue to hold sway over broad swathes of the country that abuts Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter.Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Thursday the kingdom sought to prioritize fighting militants in Yemen over its desultory arm-wrestle with entrenched Houthi insurgents."Whether we agree or disagree with them, the Houthis are part of the social fabric of Yemen ... The Houthis are our neighbors. Al Qaeda and Daesh are terrorist entities that must be confronted in Yemen and everywhere else," Jubeir tweeted, using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.Now largely stalemated, the conflict has killed at least 6,200 people - half of them civilians - and sent nearly three million people fleeing for safety.Despite the relative lull during talks, hostility continues. Saudi Arabia has pounded its enemies with dozens of air strikes. Houthis have responded with two ballistic missile launches.If the parties seize the opportunity, an unlikely new status quo may reign by which Houthis and Saudis depend on each other for peace."This could mean a massive re-ordering of Yemen's political structure, and the conflict so far has already produced some strange bedfellows," said Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.The Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government in 2014 in what it hailed as a revolution but which Sunni Gulf Arab countries decried as a coup benefiting Shi'ite rival Iran.Pounding the Houthis and their allies in Yemen's army with air strikes beginning on March of 2015, a Saudi-led alliance soon deployed ground troops and rolled back their enemies toward Sanaa, held by the Houthis.A near-blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition and frontlines which ebb and flow across villages and towns have deprived nearly 20 of 25 million people of access to clean water and put yet more in need of some form of humanitarian aid.-"SURRENDER"-Of the countries where pro-democracy "Arab Spring" uprisings in 2011 ultimately led to outright combat, Yemen's United Nations-sponsored peace process arguably shows the most promise.Unlike with Libya and Syria, representatives of Yemen's warring sides meet daily in Kuwait and argue over how to implement U.N. Security Council resolutions and share power.But while keeping Yemen's parties talking for this long was an accomplishment, getting them to live together in Sanaa and share power remains a distant dream.Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi accused the Houthis of resisting a U.N. Security Council Resolution from last April to disarm and vacate main cities."There is a wide gap in the debate, we are discussing the return of the state ... they are thinking only of power and demanding a consensual government," he told Reuters.Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said on his facebook page: "The solution in Yemen must be consensual political dialogue and not imposing diktats or presenting terms of surrender, this is unthinkable."But a diplomatic source in Kuwait said that through the fog of rhetoric, a general outline of a resolution has been reached."There is an agreement on the withdrawal from the cities and the (Houthi) handover of weapons, forming a government of all parties and preparing for new elections. The dispute now only centers around where to begin," the source said.-FEUDING STATELETS-All parties will be aware the danger of a collapse into feuding statelets is growing. The Houthis are deepening control over what remains of the shattered state it seized with the capital in 2014.Footage of the graduation ceremony of an elite police unit last week showed recruits with right arms upraised in an erect salute, barking allegiance not just to Yemen but to Imam Ali and the slain founder of the Houthi movement - a move critics say proves their partisan agenda for the country.Meanwhile the Houthis' enemies in the restive, once independent South agitate ever more confidently for self-rule.Militiamen in Aden last week expelled on the back of trucks more than 800 northerners they said lacked proper IDs and posed a security risk.The tranquility amid the gardens and burbling fountains of the Kuwaiti emir's palace hosting the talks have not impressed residents of Yemen's bombed-out cities, who despair whether armed groups can ever be reined in."All the military movements on the ground suggest the war will resume and that both parties are continuing to mobilize their fighters on the front lines," said Fuad al-Ramada, a 50-year old bureaucrat in the capital Sanaa.(This version of the story removes repeated word in paragraph 1)(Writing By Noah Browning; editing by Ralph Boulton)
Afghan capital locked down for large minority Hazara rally-[The Canadian Press]-Karim Sharifi, The Associated Press-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
KABUL - Tens of thousands of Afghanistan's ethnic Hazaras marched on Monday through downtown Kabul, demanding the government reroute a planned power line through their poverty-stricken province so they can get more access to electricity. The massive protest reflected widespread dismay with the administration of President Ashraf Ghani.Concerns that the protest could turn violent prompted the police to block off roads leading into the city's central commercial district. Stacked shipping containers prevented the marchers from reaching the presidential palace. A November rally by Hazaras protesting the beheadings of members of their minority by militants had turned violent.Most of Kabul's shops were shuttered as armed police fanned out and authorities restricted the protest organizers to a specific route that would bypass the palace.The rally passed without major incidents but the protest underscored the political crisis facing Afghanistan as Ghani becomes increasingly isolated amid a stalled economy, rising unemployment, and an escalating Taliban insurgency, now in its 15th year.Since taking office in 2014, Ghani has made little progress in keeping promises to bring peace and prosperity to the country. Instead, his administration seems to lurch from one crisis to another.Though the power issue is specific to Hazaras, Ghani has also been criticized for not getting Afghanistan's ethnic, sectarian, and geographically diverse groups on the same page — even as he casts himself as a leader of a "national unity government."Daud Naji, a protest leader, said the Hazaras were demanding access to a planned multimillion-dollar regional electricity line.The so-called TUTAP line is backed by the Asian Development Bank with the involvement of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The original plan routed the line through Bamiyan province, in the central highlands, where most of the country's Hazaras live. But that route was changed in 2013 by the previous Afghan government.Leaders of Monday's rally say the rerouting is evidence of bias against the Hazara minority, which accounts for up to 15 per cent of Afghanistan's estimated 30 million-strong population. They are considered the poorest of the country's ethnic groups, and often complain of discrimination.Bamiyan is poverty stricken, though it is largely peaceful and has potential as a tourist destination. Hazaras, most of whom are Shiite Muslims, were especially persecuted during the extremist Sunni Taliban 1996-2001 regime.Afghanistan is desperately short of power, with less than 40 per cent of the population connected to the national grid, according to the World Bank. Almost 75 per cent of electricity is imported.Ghani was heckled on the issue of the TUTAP power line during a speech at a think-tank in London last week. His Cabinet members have largely failed to address the issue publicly, allowing it to fester and forcing Ghani to deal with a full-blown crisis when he returned on Saturday.As some of Afghanistan's other ethnic groups — including Tajiks — seem to be backing the Hazara demands, political commentator Haroun Mir said that what started as an isolated grievance from one minority is gaining momentum as an umbrella issue for the many opponents of Ghani's unpopular government."This is a mobilization and I know many Tajiks are supporting Hazaras, not because absolutely they want this thing to go through Bamiyan but because they hate this government and this is an opportunity for them to further weaken it," he said.Abdul Malik, a 53-year-old ethnic Pashtun from southern Kandahar province, said he joined Monday's protest "to show unity.""In the past 15 years very little has been done for Hazaras, and people need electricity in their homes," he said.Karim Khalili, a Hazara leader and a former Afghan vice-president, spoke to the protesters from the back of a truck, saying the "people will never keep quiet when facing injustice."He called on Ghani and chief executive Abdullah Abdullah to change the decision on the power line.In a live television address late afternoon, as protesters disbursed and the shipping containers were being removed, Ghani said he wanted to ensure development benefited everyone in the country equally.In an effort to assure Hazaras they were not being discriminated against in plans for infrastructure development, he said: "This is a year of active development and I will work to ensure that all citizens benefit from balanced development."Officials of the defence and interior ministries said the road blocks had been necessary following threats of possible attacks.The U.S. Embassy closed its consular section and warned Americans to limit their movement within Kabul, cautioning in an emergency message that "even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence." Other embassies, the U.N. compounds and non-government organizations were also locked down.___Associated Press writers Lynne O'Donnell, Rahim Faiez and Mirwais Khan contributed to this report.
Police commissioner demands inquiry into Man Utd fake bomb "fiasco"-[Reuters]-May 16, 2016-yahoonews
LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester's police commissioner demanded an inquiry into the "fiasco" of a fake bomb left behind from a training exercise at Old Trafford that forced the abandonment on Sunday of a Premier League soccer match.His call came as the head of the training company involved admitted full responsibility for the incident.The device led to the evacuation of Manchester United's stadium shortly before the scheduled 1400 GMT kickoff of their final league game of the season against Bournemouth."This fiasco caused massive inconvenience to supporters who had come from far and wide to watch the match," Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester Tony Lloyd said.It also "wasted the time of huge numbers of police officers and the army's bomb squad, and unnecessarily put people in danger", he said in a statement.Lloyd added: "A full inquiry is required to urgently find out how this happened, why it happened and who will be held accountable."Police said the realistic-looking device, which was destroyed in a controlled explosion, had been accidentally left in a toilet by a private contractor that was conducting a training exercise.Manchester Utd said in a statement that the contractor had signed off for the device as having been recovered, along with 13 other devices, at the end of the exercise."That device could not have been detected by sniffer dogs on the routine match day search ... as it contained no explosives and was used in an exercise training handlers, not dogs," the club's Executive Vice Chairman, Ed Woodward, added in the statement."Once a live situation was identified, the Club and police had no option but to treat the matter as a potential terror threat; we could not have assumed it was a training exercise error," he said."Presented with the same situation in the future, we would take the same action."The club was conducting a detailed evaluation with the help of police and would share its findings across the rest of the sport.Chris Reid, a former policeman and now managing director of the contractor involved, Security Search Management & Solutions, later told reporters: “This mistake is entirely mine and I have to take full responsibility."I am absolutely devastated that a lapse in my working protocols has resulted in many people being disappointed, frightened and inconvenienced.”Two of the Old Trafford stands were evacuated about 20 minutes before kickoff.The entire 75,000-seat stadium was cleared and the match was called off soon afterwards, the first time in 24 years that a Premier League match had been abandoned on security grounds.Lloyd, who oversees Manchester police but has no operational role, is also the city's interim mayor.The club said refunds would be given to those who bought tickets, with free entry to the rearranged match on Tuesday. Media said this would cost the club about 3 million pounds.United are almost certain to miss out on qualification for next season's Champions League after local rivals Manchester City drew at Swansea City on Sunday, putting City three points ahead in fourth place but with a much higher goal difference.United are due to play Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.(Reporting by Michael Holden, additional reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by John Stonestreet)
