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)
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-29
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
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.
German minister calls for new arms control agreement with Russia-[Reuters]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister has called for a new arms control deal with Moscow to avoid an escalation of tensions in Europe, where intensified military exercises by Russia and NATO have raised concerns that a war could inadvertently be triggered.In an apparent reference to Russia's annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Russia had violated basic, non-negotiable principles of peace, breaking delicate bonds of trust built up over decades."At the same time, we must all be united in the desire to avoid a further twist in the escalating spiral," he said in an advanced release of an opinion piece to run in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's Friday edition.He said a new arms control process would offer a "proven means for transparency, risk avoidance and trust building"."In addition, we want a structured dialogue, with all partners who carry responsibility for the security of our continent," he wrote, noting that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) could be a forum for talks.On Wednesday, a group of former foreign and defence ministers said Russia and NATO must agree common rules to handle unexpected military encounters to reduce the risk of inadvertently triggering a war between Moscow and the West.Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, drew the criticism from NATO officials in June after warning their decision to stage military manoeuvres in eastern Europe amounted to "sabre-rattling and shrill war cries" that could worsen tensions with Russia.His Social Democrats (SPD) generally back a more conciliatory stance towards Russia than Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc.(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Biden warns Europe against Russian energy reliance-[Associated Press]-MATTI HUUHTANEN-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
HELSINKI (AP) — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has cautioned Europe against a new natural gas pipeline planned to stretch from Russia to Germany, saying it "looks like a fairly bad deal" for Europe because it further increases its energy dependency on Moscow.Biden said Thursday that to lock Europe "into greater reliance on Russia at this moment ... will fundamentally destabilize Ukraine," but stressed that European Union leaders must make their own decisions on the issue.Russian energy giant Gazprom and the EU, which imports a third of its natural gas from Russia, agreed last year on the new pipeline to run parallel to an existing twin pipeline Nord Stream 1, that runs under the Baltic Sea.After talks with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Stockholm, Biden told reporters that Russian gas "can and should be" part of the European market. "But that market needs to be open and needs to be competitive. Everyone has to play by the rules."The new Nord Stream pipeline bypasses both Ukraine and Slovakia, traditional transit countries for supplies pumped by Gazprom, depriving them of substantial transit fees, and price wars between Russia and Ukraine have interrupted supplies to the EU in the past.In an apparent reference to Russia, Biden said: "No country should be able to use energy as a weapon ... to coerce policies from other nations."Biden's trip to Sweden came at the end of a three-day tour when he also visited Latvia and Turkey.___This story has been corrected to show the accurate spelling of the prime minister's first name is Stefan, not Stephan.
Iranian vessels' intentions in approaching U.S. warship unclear: White House-[Reuters]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The intention of four Iranian vessels that approached a U.S. warship in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz this week were not clear, but such actions can escalate tensions, the White House said on Thursday."At this point, it's not clear what the intentions of the Iranian ships were, but the behavior is not acceptable, given that this U.S. ship was in international waters," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing. "These types of actions and incidents are concerning and they have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions."(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)
IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)
ISAIAH 34:10
10 It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
31 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32 And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)
COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AMERICA)
REVELATION 18:3-6,19-21
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,(U.S.A) and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,(U.S.A) and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,(AMERICA) my people,(CHRISTIANS,JEWS) that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her (AMERICA-NEW YORK) even as she rewarded you,(WITH FALSE FLAG TERRORISM) and double unto her double according to her works:(DOUBLE-EMP 1ST,THEN RUSSIA NUKE ATTACKS U.S.A) in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.(PROBABLY A RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACK WILL SET THE WHOLE SITUATION UP AS RUSSIA HACKS THE USA ARMY COMPUTERS.THEN THE EMP,THEN THE NUKE ATTACK)
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Russia to work with U.S. on response to Syria gas attacks report-[By Michelle Nichols]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it is prepared to work with the United States at the United Nations on how to respond to a report that blamed Syrian government forces for two chlorine gas attacks and Islamic State militants for using sulfur mustard gas.The year-long U.N. and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry, authorized by the Security Council, said Syrian Arab Air Force helicopters dropped toxic substances in Talmenes on April 21, 2014, and Sarmin on March 16, 2015. Both cases involved the use of chlorine.It also determined there was sufficient information to conclude that Islamic State militants were the "only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulfur mustard gas in Marea on 21 August, 2015.""We have a joint interest in discouraging such things from happening, in preventing such things from happening, even in the fog of war," Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. "It's a very complicated report which needs to be studied by experts."Churkin said he spoke with U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and they would "see what can be done on the basis of this report" by the U.N./OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).The report's results set the stage for a Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France over whether sanctions should be imposed."I saw ... some in the media, predicting confrontation between Russia and the United States over it. It doesn't have to be the case, let me tell you, because JIM is the creation of the U.S. and Russian delegations working together," Churkin told reporters.French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday the Security Council had to respond firmly.British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement that Britain "will work hard to secure a U.N. resolution to condemn those in Syria for using chemical weapons, to reinforce our commitment to punish those responsible and to prevent any further use."Russia - an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - and China have previously protected the Syrian government from action by blocking several resolutions, including a bid to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.Churkin said it was important the report concluded that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas "because all talk we heard about any use of chemical weapons was an effort to ascribe things to the Syrian government."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Russia downplays conflict with US over Syria weapons report-[Associated Press]-EDITH M. LEDERER-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia's U.N. ambassador said Thursday there doesn't have to be a confrontation with the United States over a report that blames the Syrian government and Islamic State militants for carrying out chemical attacks in the conflict-torn country.Vitaly Churkin, whose country is a strong supporter of the Syrian government, responded to predictions of confrontation by stressing that the U.S. and Russia created the investigative body to determine those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria."It doesn't have to be the case," he told reporters, downplaying the predictions. "We have a joint interest in discouraging such things from happening, in preventing such things from happening."Churkin called the 95-page document produced by the international team from the U.N. and the chemical weapons watchdog "a very complicated report which needs to be studied by experts."He said it was "very important" that the team said definitively that Islamic State extremists were responsible for an attack using mustard gas "because usually all talk we heard about any use of chemical weapons was an effort to ascribe things to the Syrian government."But Churkin repeatedly sidestepped questions about the team's conclusion that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in two attacks, reiterating that the report is "very technical," ''quite complicated" and needs study.By contrast the United States, which backs Syria's moderate opposition, made clear after the report was circulated among Security Council members Wednesday that the Syrian government has now been found responsible of using a chemical weapon in violation of a Security Council resolution and its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention."It is now impossible to deny that the Syrian regime has repeatedly used industrial chlorine as a weapon against its own people," U.S. National Security Adviser Ned Price said in a statement.Calling the use of chemical weapons "a barbaric tool, repugnant to the conscience of mankind," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power urged the Security Council to take "strong and swift action" against the perpetrators.Churkin said he spoke to Power after the report's release and they will meet when she returns from vacation "and see what can be done on the basis of this report."The Security Council is scheduled to discuss the report on Aug. 30.Churkin was asked about the September 2013 resolution that orders the Security Council "to impose measures" under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter for "any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic." Those measures usually mean sanctions, and Chapter 7 can be militarily enforced."Well, we need to see what can be done on the basis of what is said in the report," the Russian ambassador replied.The report was written by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism, known as the JIM, which was established by the Security Council a year ago.The JIM investigated nine cases in seven towns where an OPCW fact-finding mission found that chemical weapons had likely been used. It determined responsibility in three cases, said three attacks pointed toward government responsibility but weren't conclusive, and described three others as inconclusive.According to the report, obtained by The Associated Press, the JIM found the Syrian government responsible for two chlorine attacks in Idlib governorate, one in Talmenes on April 21, 2014 and one in Sarmin on March 16, 2015.It also said the Islamic State group was "the only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulfur mustard" gas in Marea in Aleppo governorate near the Turkish border on Aug. 21, 2015. At the time, Islamic State fighters were attacking rebels.
N. Korea missile test adds to 'Military First' celebration-[Associated Press]-ERIC TALMADGE-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea marked its "Military First" holiday on Thursday with mass dancing, outdoor concerts and boasts of a successful — and potentially game-changing — submarine-launched ballistic missile test it hopes will serve as a warning to Washington and Seoul to stop holding joint military exercises Pyongyang sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion.Television news broadcasts and the front pages of morning newspapers Thursday showed images of the launch, conducted in the early hours the day before. The test, which brought immediate condemnation from the United States and North Korea's neighbors, sent a "Pukguksong" missile soaring from a submerged position off the North's port city of Sinpo. It flew an estimated 500 kilometers (310 miles) toward the seas around Japan, the longest distance North Korea has yet achieved in a submarine launch.Kim was shown smiling and hugging officials after watching the test from an observation deck. He was quoted by state media as calling it the "success of all successes."Launching long-range ballistic missiles from submarines is stealthier than land launching. Having that capability could significantly strengthen North Korea's ability to conduct strikes on U.S. positions in South Korea, and possibly on U.S. bases in Japan as well.The North has attempted two such launches before, but neither was seen as successful by outside experts.As the news of the missile test was broadcast on a large screen outside Pyongyang's main train station Thursday, dozens of people stood in the rain to watch."This shows that our national defense strength has reached a new level," said Choe Kum Chol, a 42-year-old factory worker. "We are a nuclear power and everything is ready, so we have nothing to fear."The test came as the U.S. and South Korea are conducting their annual, 12-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises south of the Demilitarized Zone.Though North Korea has protested such exercises for decades, prompting regular spikes in tensions on the divided peninsula, it has been particularly alarmed by reports that the maneuvers have recently started to include training for an invasion of the North and precision strikes, or "beheading operations," against its top leaders.North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons development programs have brought heavy international sanctions down on its head, but it says they are justified because of the threat posed by the U.S. and South Korea."They are not military exercises, but war preparations to invade our country," said Kim Kyong Ik, a 44-year-old Pyongyang resident. "Our country is getting more prosperous and they don't like that, so they are stepping up their moves to stifle us."He said South Korea should "wake up and kick the Americans out."The United Nations Security Council agreed at an emergency meeting late Wednesday requested by the United States and Japan to consider issuing a statement on the missile launch.State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said in a statement that the U.S. strongly condemned the launch and called on North Korea to "refrain from actions and rhetoric that further raise tensions in the region." She said the missile launch marked the latest in an "accelerating campaign" of missile tests that violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.South Korea's military condemned the launch but acknowledged it was an improvement over previous tests of similar missiles.Washington and Seoul say the military exercises North Korea opposes are defensive in nature.Thursday marks the anniversary of the "Military First" policy initiated by Kim Jong Un's father, the late Kim Jong Il, and the priority position the military continues to enjoy in North Korea was on full display.Mass dancing demonstrations — a holiday staple in North Korea — were to be held on Kim Il Sung Square and other places around the country. Though the atmosphere in Pyongyang was more festive than tense, convoys carrying troops to various gatherings have been speeding through the broad avenues of the capital all week.Television air time has been dominated by military footage even more than usual, with soldiers seen advancing through chest-deep mud, braving ice-covered lakes and staging fight scenes featuring taekwondo moves atop a moving train.North Korea is one of the most militarized countries in the world, with a million-man army in a nation of only 25 million people.Military service is mandatory — along with being long and arduous — and maintaining such a large number of troops is a major draw on the North's very limited economic resources. Its nuclear program is also costly, especially given the sanctions that result.North Korean strategists believe that developing nuclear weapons and a reliable arsenal of long-range missiles is necessary and, in the end, a more cost-effective means of keeping Washington at bay and the ruling regime secure than maintaining a large conventional army.Despite the price they pay in sanctions, officials sometimes cite the example of Libya, and the killing of strongman Moammar Gadhafi, as what happens to leaders who cave in to international pressure to give up their nuclear ambitions.North Koreans are also quick to point out that, although their country has received military assistance in the past from the Soviet Union and China, which helped it stave off the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korean War, it no longer has any foreign troops based on its soil.There are about 28,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea, and tens of thousands more in Japan, including the U.S. 7th Fleet and two major fighter bases that could be used as staging areas for attacks on the North if hostilities broke out.
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)
Deutsche Boerse and LSE request EU merger approval-By EUOBSERVER-AUG 25,16
Today, 16:22-Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange Group have submitted their €25.6 billion merger deal to EU competition regulators ahead of a 28 September deadline for a preliminary review, Reuters reported Thursday. The deal would create the world's biggest exchange by revenue, but is facing tough scrutiny because of their large presence in derivatives clearing. Regulators might ask the exchanges to sell overlapping businesses after the 5-month inquiry.
EU to Turkey: Do you really want to join? By Andrew Rettman-AUG 25,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:25-The EU has urged Turkey to clarify if it still wants to join the bloc, as relations between Ankara and Western allies deteriorate.The EU’s enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, spoke out in Austrian newspaper Die Presse on Wednesday (24 August), saying EU concern was "justified" that Turkey had violated rule of law in its purge after the failed putsch in July."If you want to join [the EU] you have to fulfil the criteria. The rules are not negotiable," he said."Turkey should soon make clear, whether it can and wants to accept those conditions. This open question puts a strain on relations".Hahn said he was in favour of continuing accession talks, but warned that if Turkey reinstated the death penalty then it would have “crossed the rubicon” and the EU “would need to respond”.He also criticised Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for claiming the EU had failed to pay the €3 billion in aid that it had promised under a migration deal and for threatening to let refugees resume mass-scale transit to Europe.He said the EU had paid €200 million to aid agencies in Turkey and earmarked over €2 billion for future payments, but that the money was not a gift to Ankara.“Maybe there was a presumption on the Turkish side that we just transfer money and don’t ask questions”, he said.“Neighbours and partners should not threaten you”, the Austrian politician added.-Relations fray-Relations between Turkey and Austria hit a low after Vienna said EU talks should be stopped and after Austrian authorities allowed Kurds to hold a rally in support of the separatist PKK group.Relations with Germany and the US have also frayed.Problems with Germany began in June, before the coup, when the Bundestag recognised the Ottoman killing of Armenians in 1915 as genocide.US ties have suffered amid Turkish accusations that Washington is sheltering Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic teacher who lives in the US and whom Erdogan has accused of organising the putsch.German newspaper Der Spiegel reported on Thursday that Germany is thinking of moving six warplanes from Turkey’s Incirlik base to Cyprus or Jordan.The potential move, sources said, comes because Turkey refused to let German MPs visit the base in protest at the Armenia vote."The German government must immediately find other bases," Rainer Arnold, a spokesman for the SPD party in Germany’s ruling coalition, said.The strain in US ties was on show on Wednesday when US vice-president Joe Biden visited Ankara.-Biden snubbed-Erdogan sent a lowly deputy mayor to meet him at the airport and later said the US must arrest Gulen to stop him from giving press interviews.Biden called the coup plotters “terrorists” and urged Kurdish forces in Syria to move away from Turkey’s borders, but he said the US must follow due process on Gulen.“The constitution and our laws require for someone to be extradited that a court of the United States has to conclude there’s probable cause to extradite," he said."Thus far ... there has been no evidence presented about the coup."The rift between Western powers and their Nato ally in the Middle East has prompted speculation that Turkey might forge a new alliance with Russia.Erodgan met Russian leader Vladimir Putin earlier this month, while Russian propaganda has switched to highlighting irritants in EU-Turkey and US-Turkey relations.-Bulgaria attacks EU-The shifting ground in the region has also prompted some EU states to question allegiances.Bulgarian prime minister Boiko Borisov said on Thursday that he needed his own deal with Turkey because the EU had mishandled the migration crisis.“I don't see a perspective on a solution to the migrant crisis in Europe. All I see is every country trying to save itself in panic and looking for a clause in their EU membership contract that would allow it to act separately," he told press.“Our only option is to look for a partnership with Turkey”.Bulgaria last year cancelled a gas project with Russia, the South Stream pipeline, to comply with EU energy laws.But Borisov has also begun cultivating ties with Moscow and complained that EU membership has brought his country few benefits.“By following thousands and thousands of restrictions, as administered by the EU, Bulgaria is spending thousands on a daily basis, on monitoring the borders, food and shelter, statute interviews for each and every registered migrant,” he said.
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)
Norway to build Arctic border fence-By EUOBSERVER-AUG 25,16
Today, 09:17-Norway is building a fence at a remote Arctic border post with Russia where 5,500 migrants, mainly from Syria, crossed last year. The fence will be 200m long and 3.5m high and will be set up in the coming weeks. Rights groups and opposition politicians pointed out that no-one has sought asylum via the northern border this year.
Switzerland sees increase in migrants from Italy-By EUOBSERVER-AUG 25,16
Today, 09:42-Large numbers of migrants have showed up in the border region between Italy and Switzerland, the Swiss finance minister, who is also in charge of the border guard corps, Ueli Maurer, has said. The Lugano region registered 9,900 illegal crossings in the summer and 4,208 people were returned to Italy. Maurer said he is more concerned about migration routes from Italy, than from Germany and Austria.
HERES HOW THE MEDIA TRYS TO SUCK UP TO SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULTIST ISLAMIC MALES. BY SAYING 20 OUT OF EVERY 100 WOMEN ARE EXTREMISTS THAT GO TO ISIS. BUT I SAY THAT LEAVES 80 OUT OF EVERY 100 MALE TERRORISTS TRAVEL TO ISIS. SEE HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP FOR RADICAL MALES. BY TRYING TO SAY 1 IN 5 FEMALES GO TO ISIS. I SAY ALL WESTERN COUNTRIES BAN EVERY ISLAMIC MALE 12 YEARS OLD OR OLDER FROM COMING TO OUR COUNTRIES. TELL THEM LIBERAL-DEMOCRATIC-PROGRESSIVES THAT IMMEDIATELY.
One in five Canadian extremist travellers is a woman, federal report says-[The Canadian Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA — A federal report says women account for about one-fifth of extremists from Canada who head overseas.The government's latest public report on the terrorist threat to Canada says in some cases women have taken their children to conflict zones.The report issued today says the participation of women in terrorist organizations is not new.However, there has been an increase in the number of women who have travelled or attempted to travel abroad to join Daesh, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.The report says it is often unclear what roles are performed by women who travel to join extremist groups.It notes the most common assumption is women travel abroad to marry terrorists, but some may occupy secondary roles within extremist groups, while in other cases appear to be training and taking part in combat. — Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter-The Canadian Press.
French government tries to defuse burkini row By Eric Maurice-AUG 25,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has warned against the "stigmatisation" of Muslims and called for a "proportionate" implementation of anti-burkini municipal decrees.Cazeneuve spoke on Wednesday (24 August) after pictures were shared worldwide of policemen in Nice imposing a fine to a woman on a beach for wearing a scarf and leggings.The woman was not wearing a burkini, a swimming outfit covering all the body which has been banned in 26 French seaside towns in recent weeks.The pictures, which suggested she was also forced to undress, prompted outrage."How many armed policemen do you need to oblige a woman to undress in public," asked Andrew Stroehlein, European media director for the human right organisation Human Rights Watch.Tunisian political activist Amira Yahyaoui talked of a "new fascism" and said that the French government was "worse than Trump".After meeting the head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Cazeneuve said the French concept of secularism must be implemented, but that care should be taken not to stigmatise or antagonise anyone.He said the decrees should be "rigorously proportionate [to] stop or prevent breaches of public order".CFCM president Anouar Kbibech said he was "reassured" by Cazeneuve's word but that he was "deeply moved and concerned" by the current controversies over how Muslims dress.He said that "Muslims reaffirm all the time their attachment to the values of the republic, to equality between men and women".Nice was the first town to ban the burkini on beaches on 28 July. The decree was taken two weeks after a man drove a lorry in a crowd and killed 85 people, in an attack that was claimed by the Islamic State militant group.The attack and earlier ones in France and Europe sparked a new debate about security but also about the integration of Muslims in France.The debate is likely to grow ahead of the presidential and legislative elections next year, where the far-right National Front is expected to score high.Nice local authorities said some people could feel that the burkini was "an act of defiance or a provocation exacerbating tensions felt by the population".-'Dangerous drift'-Former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who said this week he would stand in next year's election, said on Wednesday that the burkini was a "provocation in the service of political Islam"."If we don't stop it, the risk is that in 10 years, young Muslim women who won't wear the veil or the burkini will be finger-pointed and under daily pressure from people around them," he said.Earlier this month, prime minister Manuel Valls said he "understood" mayors who banned burkinis because they "look for solutions to avoid breaches to public order".But the left is divided. While interior minister Cazeneuve did not criticise the Nice policemen, his Socialist Party said what happened in Nice was a "particularly dangerous drift".The Socialists said that the reasons why the woman was fined "cannot not be compatible with the principles of our law".
Burkini must be banned, France's Sarkozy says as he launches election campaign-[By Ingrid Melander]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
CHATEAURENARD, France (Reuters) - Burkinis must be banned throughout France, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy said at his first campaign rally for the 2017 presidential election.Hundreds of supporters waving French flags chanted his name and applauded as Sarkozy, who led France from 2007-2012 before losing an election to Socialist Francois Hollande, promised to protect the French people."I will be the president that re-establishes the authority of the state," Sarkozy told supporters packing a sports hall in Chateaurenard, a Provence town where Sarkozy's Les Republicains just beat the far-right FN in regional elections last year.Several French coastal towns, including on the Riviera, have banned the full-body swimwear worn by some Muslim women on the grounds that it breaks French laws on secularism.The bans play into fears over public security following attacks by Islamist militants in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in the past 20 months."I refuse to let the burkini impose itself in French beaches and swimming pools...there must be a law to ban it throughout the Republic's territory," he said.Security and immigration are now central to the presidential election campaign and Sarkozy is tapping into the worries of voters on the right with a hardline platform of law and order."In my speech there is no fear, there is no hatred, there is just common sense," Sarkozy said, accusing critics of closing their eyes to ordinary voters' woes. "The French people are not fascist because they consider there are security problems"."I want the French to feel they are protected," he said.Sarkozy announced on Monday he would run in next year's presidential election. He is banking on a tougher image than that of the more centrist, mild-mannered Alain Juppe, his main rival in the November primaries that will choose a conservative candidate for the election.He won wide applause from the crowd of 2,000 when he said that France's identity was threatened.While some in the hall said they came out of curiosity, staunch supporters said they had voted twice for him already and would do so again in the late April and early May 2017 election."We came here to support him, we'll vote for him because he is dynamic and he has proven during the (U.S.) subprime crisis that he is serious and up to the job," said 77-year-old pensioner Georges Petit, who came to the rally with his wife.For months, Sarkozy had been behind Juppe in the polls. His popularity started improving with party sympathisers in June as Juppe's campaign was losing steam. His ratings went up further after the attacks on Nice on Bastille Day and on a priest in Normandy.(Additional reporting by Jean-Francois Rosnoblet; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Iraq, Syria discuss securing border as Islamic State retreats-[Reuters]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi held talks on Thursday with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem about securing their common border, an official Iraqi statement said, after a partial retreat by Islamic State militants.This year the jihadist group has lost about half the land it seized in 2014 and 2015 in Iraq but it remains in control of territory on both sides of the northwestern border with Syria.Abadi is hoping to take back Mosul, the largest Iraqi city under Islamic State's control, effectively defeating the group in Iraq. [nL8N1B63MY]-"Securing the common border was discussed as our heroic forces get close to the border with Syria," said a statement by the Iraqi government published after the talks in Baghdad.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Iraqi defence minister sacked as Mosul battle looms-[By Saif Hameed and Stephen Kalin]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament impeached Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi on Thursday over corruption allegations, removing him from office as the army gears up for an assault on Islamic State's de facto capital, Mosul.Two lawmakers said parliament voted 142-102 to withdraw confidence from Obeidi after questioning him this month about weapons contracts. He had denied the corruption allegations and in turn accused Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and five other MPs of wrongdoing.Obeidi, a Sunni Muslim ally of Shi'ite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, had spearheaded the military campaign to retake territory that the ultra-hardline Sunni Islamic State group seized in 2014 and said he had cut down on graft including ghost soldiers -- members of the military who do not exist but whose salaries are collected."Those who brought Iraq to where it is now have triumphed," Obeidi said in a Facebook post following parliament's vote. "I tried with everything to fight corruption but it appears that its masters are stronger, their voices louder and their actions more enduring."Lawmakers have accused the Defence Ministry of wasting billions of dollars and weakening the armed forces to the point where they collapsed in 2014 in the face of the Islamic State onslaught under the previous government led by Nuri al-Maliki, who was also acting defence minister.Thirteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and led to sectarian violence, OPEC oil producer Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International's corruption index.The military is slowly being rebuilt with the support of a U.S.-led coalition, which has been bombing Islamic State militants in Iraq and neighbouring Syria. The army and Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias have retaken many areas from the militants, but the biggest test will be the battle for Mosul.It was not immediately clear how Obeidi's departure would affect that offensive, which Iraqi officials have said could start as soon as next month, a timeline some coalition officials consider too ambitious."It will not negatively influence counter-terrorism efforts against Daesh, nor will it hinder the Mosul operation," said senior Shi'ite MP and former national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the anti-IS coalition, said this month that the row between Obeidi and Jabouri would not derail the Mosul offensive.A Baghdad-based spokesman on Thursday said the coalition remained committed to supporting Iraqi security forces, declining to speculate on the possibility of fallout on the battlefield from Obeidi's departure, which he called "a matter for the government of Iraq".Critics of the vote condemned Obeidi's questioning as political. Sunni lawmaker Khalid al-Mifraji described the impeachment as "a crack in our war against Daesh".(Additional reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Writing by Stephen Kalin, Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Angus MacSwan)
University responds to criticism over "#StopWhitePeople2K16"-[The Canadian Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
A public university in New York says the #StopWhitePeople2K16 used as the title of a recent training session was chosen for its irony and the session — about diversity — wasn't anti-white.A Binghamton University administrator issued an explanation Wednesday as the title and criticism of it made the rounds on social media. The optional, one-time session this month was organized by three student resident advisers as part of a training program for other RAs."The premise of this session is to help others take the next step in understanding diversity, privilege, and the society we function within," the program listing said. "Learning about these topics is a good first step, but when encountered with 'good' arguments from uneducated people, how do you respond?"Student Affairs Vice-President Brian Rose said its purpose was to facilitate a discussion around issues of diversity, an effort he supports, and that the organizers borrowed the session's title from a familiar Twitter hashtag.Much of the criticism implied that the university, part of the State University of New York system, was teaching a racist course."We verified that the actual program content was not 'anti-white,'" said Rose, who said his office reviewed the session in response to concerns "by some off-campus groups and individuals.""Topically, the discussion in the program was far-ranging, student-driven and explored reverse racism, the relationship of communities of colour with police, whiteness, crime and segregation in an open conversation format," Rose said.Of the 40 to 50 people who attended, a few reported a mixed reaction and were later contacted by professional staff, he said.Two of the session's organizers did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Contact information for the third was unavailable.About 55 per cent of the university's 13,372 degree-seeking undergraduate students are white, 14 per cent are Asian, 10 per cent are Hispanic and 5 per cent are black, according to university records.Carolyn Thompson, The Associated Press
PM urges Liberals to focus on goals of climate change, growing middle-class-[The Canadian Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SAGUENAY, Que. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned his Liberal MPs on Thursday to resist resting on their laurels now that they have formed government, and to avoid becoming too distracted by the daily ups and downs of life in politics."We should be proud of what we've accomplished, but never satisfied," Trudeau told the national Liberal caucus, which gathered in Saguenay, Que., to hammer out the legislative and political agenda before returning to Parliament Hill next month."I know that it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, but let's never forget why we are all here in this room — to help the middle class and those working hard to join it."The prime minister said that vision applies not just for the rest of the year, nor even the rest of the majority Liberal mandate before the 2019 election."As a government, we need to look 40 years down the road, not just four. To the next generation, not just to the next election. Because when a government takes that long view, it can deliver extraordinary results for Canadians," he said.The fight against climate change is one particularly "daunting challenge" that lies ahead, Trudeau noted.The message served as the more uplifting side of the main theme out of the cabinet retreat that took place earlier this week in Sudbury, Ont.There, Sir Michael Barber, a British guru on "deliverology" — the art of ensuring governments deliver on their promises — warned Trudeau and his ministers that the second year of government will involve tough choices and coming to terms with the fact that they can't please everyone all of the time.Thursday's long-game reminder from Trudeau also comes after a rough few days of negative attention over expensive mistakes by some rookie ministers, such as the thousands Health Minister Jane Philpott spent to be chauffeured around in a luxury vehicle owned by a Liberal volunteer.The caucus retreat is a way for Liberal MPs to reconnect after the summer away from Ottawa, but also to get updates from cabinet ministers on their legislative plans for the fall.Electoral reform, national security and the plans for a price on carbon are all expected to be discussed during the closed-door meetings.So are discussions with newly appointed government House leader Bardish Chagger about proceeding with an ambitious legislative agenda without things once again devolving into the bitter partisanship that tainted the spring session.Choosing Chagger, a young woman and a rookie MP, to replace Dominic LeBlanc as House leader was a deliberate signal the Liberals are willing to change tactics and bring down the temperature without giving up control of the House.Backbench MPs, who did not get to take part in the bonding experience of sharing dormitory rooms at Laurentian University at the cabinet retreat in Sudbury, are also getting face time with ministers to air any grievances and make their pitches for pet projects and policies.The Quebec caucus, for example, was looking for an update on what to do about Bombardier — Liberal MPs from the province are keen to see the federal government step up with a requested $1-billion bailout."Jobs, jobs, jobs — that's a key priority," said Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, although he would not characterize it as a sticking point.In last year's federal election, Liberal MP Denis Lemieux took the riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord from New Democrat incumbent candidate Dany Morin, who had in turn defeated the Bloc Quebecois in 2011.A Liberal has not represented the area since 2000, and Trudeau said holding the summer caucus retreat in the region 210 kilometres north of Quebec City was meant to demonstrate that the party has grown nationwide."(The) Liberal party is learning and growing right across the country (and) bringing people from every corner of the country here to understand just how wonderful it is," Trudeau said on his way into the meeting.Not everyone was greeting the Liberal MPs warmly.Dairy farmers showed up with their tractors outside the hotel Thursday morning to protest the Liberal government not stopping imports of U.S. diafiltered milk proteins."We don't want any subsidies," said Simon Boily, who said he was speaking on behalf of the dairy producers north of Lac Saint-Jean, Que."We just want the rules to be applied."— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter-Joanna Smith, The Canadian Press
Power outage briefly halts flights to Miami, nearby airports - FAA-[Reuters]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted flights at Miami International and nearby airports around noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Thursday following a power outage at Miami's Terminal Radar Approach Control, a spokeswoman said.All systems have resumed functioning with the help of generator power, spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in a statement. Air traffic control is allowing flights to land with spacing of 30 miles (48 km) between them, compared with normal spacing of between three and five miles, she said.The issue affected a facility overseeing flights from central Florida to the Caribbean. During the outage, 14 flights diverted to nearby airports, Bergen said.Planes in Miami, as well as those across the United States bound for the area, briefly could not depart, while those in the air were told to fly in a holding pattern until it was safe to land in South Florida.Earlier, the agency said in an online advisory that pilots in the air could expect delays of up to 30 minutes. As of 1:25 p.m. EDT (1725 GMT), flight tracking website FlightAware.com showed 14 planes in Miami International and seven destined for the airport were delayed.Bergen said the FAA was investigating the cause of the outage.(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann in Washington and Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler and Alan Crosby)
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)
Rising level of North Saskatchewan River to put hold on oil-spill cleanup-[The Canadian Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
REGINA — A government spokesman says cleanup of an oil spill along the North Saskatchewan River will be put on hold due to an anticipated rise in water levels.Wes Kotyk with the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry says heavy rainfall in Alberta means water flows are expected to rise up to two metres starting this weekend.But Kotyk says there's enough time to complete the shore cleanup before the water starts to freeze in October.The government says that there have been 144 confirmed wildlife deaths, including 51 aquatic species, since a Husky Energy (TSX:HSE) pipeline leaked last month near Maidstone, Sask.Meanwhile, the province's Water Security Agency says one sample out of 120 taken from the river did not meet drinking water guidelines.That sample was taken five centimetres below the surface of the river at North Battleford.The agency says 16 samples showed amounts of chemicals that exceed guidelines for the protection of aquatic life.It also took sediment samples and found hydrocarbons at some sites.The city of Prince Albert lifted water restrictions on Wednesday. Officials said they are confident there is ample supply from two temporary water lines. A leak found in one of the hoses is not expected to change the situation for now, agency spokesman Sam Ferris said Thursday.The Canadian Press.
Several tornadoes likely hit Indiana, Ohio; no bad injuries-[The Canadian Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
KOKOMO, Ind. — In a central Indiana city where trees were sheared off at their stumps by one of several tornadoes in the region, residents began the hard work Thursday of cleaning up destroyed or damaged homes and businesses.The EF3 tornado packing winds of up to 165 mph that swept through the south side of Kokomo, Indiana, on Wednesday afternoon toppled a Starbucks coffee shop and tore apart numerous homes. One of them belonged to 45-year-old Mark Martinez, who was out picking up his daughter from school and returned to find everything but the bedrooms on one side of his house destroyed.Indiana Gov. Mike Pence hugged and chatted with residents in a neighbourhood where the damage seemed to skip some homes altogether. Pence credited quick thinking and early warnings of the approaching storm for the lack of serious injuries; Howard County Sheriff Steve Rogers said only 10 to 15 residents in the city 40 miles north of Indianapolis had minor injuries."It's a miracle and it's a testament to good common sense," Pence said.The Kokomo tornado was one of several that swept through central and northern Indiana and northwest Ohio on Wednesday.In Ohio, damage was reported in four counties, including Van Wert County, where officials said at least two tornadoes touched down about 2 miles apart, tearing roofs off homes and flattening barns. A tornado warning also briefly stopped KISS from shouting out loud during a show at Toledo, Ohio, though there was no touchdown.Weather service crews were still assessing the scope of the storms in Indiana. While the state's Department of Homeland Security initially said 12 tornadoes were confirmed, it lowered that count to eight late Thursday morning.The National Weather Service confirmed the EF3 in Kokomo, an EF2 in Montgomery County and two EF1s in Howard County, meteorologist Joseph Nield said, adding that it's likely several other tornadoes touched down. The service's findings aren't expected until Thursday afternoon at the earliest.About 220 people stayed overnight in a temporary shelter in Kokomo, Mayor Greg Goodnight said Thursday. Police were restricting access to storm-damaged neighbourhoods , saying residents must show identification to gain access."The areas that have been hit the hardest, we're asking people to stay away unless they absolutely have to be in those areas," Goodnight said at a news conference, adding that he's relieved no one was killed or seriously injured.Heidi Otiker lives on a block that was hit Wednesday, as well as by a tornado in November 2013."It could have been far worse. God has a master plan. I believe this all happens for a reason. It sucks at the moment, our houses and our material things can be replaced," she said. "But this time, no fatalities, no injuries and we are all still here."Utility companies reported about 25,000 homes and businesses in the Kokomo area lost electricity from the storm, though power was restored to more than half by midday Thursday.At the Park Place Apartments in Kokomo, maintenance technician Mitchell Carlson described the post-storm scene as "a madhouse." He said the complex has 16 buildings and "probably eight of them don't have a roof." Falling tree limbs and air conditioners damaged 20 to 30 cars, he said.___Associated Press writers Ken Kusmer, Rick Callahan and Tom Davies in Indianapolis contributed to this report.Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press.
Reentry date announced for Fort McMurray neighbourhoods Abasand and Beacon Hill-[CBC]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
People who live in the Fort McMurray neighbourhoods hardest hit by last May's wildfire will finally be allowed to return home next week, city officials announced Thursday.Reentry to 439 homes in Abasand and Beacon Hill will start Aug. 31. Not everyone can go home. There are 174 homes in Abasand and 61 in Beacon Hill that are still off-limits. Residents of Waterways are still being kept away. Officials say they are still working on a reentry date. "I just want to make sure that the rest of the residents, including Waterways, know you're not lost on us and I believe we have another two stages in the reentry plan that will be announced within the weeks," said Coun Keith McGrath."Please don't think you're forgotten, you're on the radar."Residents in other parts of the city were allowed to go back in early June. Mayor Mellissa Blake said she is "delighted to welcome home more residents of our municipality.""Inevitably, the message is bittersweet. We have many who will not be able yet to find their path to recovery."'We are here for you'-In early May, a wildfire ripped through Fort McMurray destroying thousands of homes, damaging many areas and forcing more than 90,000 from their homes. The fire is the most costly disaster in Canadian history. Officials said that this reentry will look exactly like the previous reentry processes earlier in the summer. Information centres will be set up in both neighbourhoods and fire trucks will be at the entrances welcoming the residents home.The announcement comes after Alberta's chief medical officer of health gave the green light to the municipality, after the office was satisfied the city has enough safety measures in place to protect returning residents."We needed to make sure we had the proper safety and mitigation measures in place to return these people," said Erin O'Neill, chief of planning, Wood Buffalo Recovery Task Force."Including fencing, tackifier, the testing results. We need to make sure all those mitigation measures were in place."Details of which houses will be allowed to return will be made availablehere. "With this hurdle behind us, we recognize there is much more work to be done for Abasand and Beacon Hill residents and all across the region on the road to recovery," Jeanette Bancarz, chair of the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee, said in a release."We look forward to answering your questions and listening to your concerns and priorities at our next community engagement session. We are here for you."
Italy quake toll hits 250 as rescuers search flattened towns-[By Steve Scherer and Gabriele Pileri]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
AMATRICE, Italy (Reuters) - The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy climbed to at least 250 on Thursday and could rise further with rescue teams working for a second day to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns.The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome early on Wednesday as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes.Dozens of emergency workers with sniffer dogs clambered over piles of debris trying to find anyone still buried beneath, while cranes removed huge slabs of fallen masonry and trucks full of rubble left the area every few minutes."People like myself have lost everything, but at the same time the fact that we have survived means we have to move forward one minute at a time," said Alessandra Cioni, 45, who managed to crawl out of her crumpled house after the quake."We have been saved, not like half the people in this place who have lost their lives," she said, breaking down in tears.A violent aftershock on Thursday afternoon sent rescuers fleeing as stones fell from the already severely damaged bell tower of the 15th century church of St. Augustine in Amatrice.The jolt, which struck fear and panic in survivors, detached the church's facade, leaving it leaning dangerously over the main street where the emergency services were working under blue skies and hot summer sun.The original earthquake was powerful enough to be felt in Bologna to the north and Naples to the south, both more than 220 km (135 miles) from the epicentre.Almost 200 of the victims died in Amatrice, which is famed for a local pasta dish and was full of holidaymakers ahead of its 50th annual food festival, set for this weekend. Up to 15 tourists were believed to have been buried when the town's Hotel Roma imploded.It was unclear how many seasonal visitors were in the area on Wednesday, making it hard to track the number of deaths."We need to know firstly the exact number of people who are missing before we can say what work is waiting for us," fire department spokesperson, Luca Cari, said."We will obviously move forward without interruption until we are sure there is no one left."One Spaniard, five Romanians, and a number of other foreigners, some of them care-givers for the elderly, were believed to be among the dead, officials said.-NEGLIGENCE-Aerial video taken by drones showed swathes of Amatrice, last year voted one of Italy's most beautiful historic towns, completely flattened.The nearby towns of Pescara del Tronto, Arquata del Tronto and Accumoli fared little better, leaving thousands of people homeless. The Civil Protection Department has sent up tents for some of the survivors and there was no official comment on how long reconstruction work might take.Italy has a poor record of rebuilding after quakes. Some 8,300 people who were forced to leave their houses after a deadly earthquake in L'Aquila in 2009 are still living in temporary accommodation, waiting for their homes to be restored.About 365 people injured in Wednesday's quake were hospitalised, the Civil Protection said, noting that about 5,000 people, including police, firefighters, soldiers and volunteers, were involved in post-quake operations.Rescuers working through the night and illuminated by banks of lights saved a 10-year-old girl, pulling her alive from the rubble where she had lain for about 15 hours.Many other children were not so lucky. A family of four, including two boys aged eight months and nine years, were buried when a church bell tower toppled into their house in nearby Accumoli. Magistrates opened an investigation into whether there had been any negligence in the recent restoration of the tower.Another investigation was opened into why Amatrice's school had collapsed, despite the fact it had only opened in 2012 and was meant to have been earthquake-proof.Most of the buildings in the area were built hundreds of years ago, helping to explain the widespread destruction. Cultural Minister Dario Franceschini said all 293 culturally important sites, many of them churches, had either collapsed or have been seriously damaged.Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's cabinet was due to meet on Thursday to decide emergency measures to help the affected communities. "Today is a day for tears, tomorrow we can talk of reconstruction," he told reporters late on Wednesday.The head of the Civil Protection Department said he feared the death toll might surpass that in L'Aquila, which killed more than 300 people.While hopes of finding more people alive diminished by the hour, firefighters' spokesman Luca Cari recalled that survivors were found in L'Aquila up to 72 hours after that quake.Most of the damage was in the Lazio and Marche regions, with Lazio bearing the brunt of the devastation and the biggest toll. Neighbouring Umbria was also affected. All three regions are dotted with centuries-old buildings susceptible to earthquakes.Italy sits on two fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe.The country's most deadly earthquake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when an earthquake followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily.(Additional reporting by Antonella Cinelli, Giulia Segreti and Roberto Mignucci; Writing by Philip Pullella and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Rain from storm causes rivers to surge in Dominican Republic-[Associated Press]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MIAMI (AP) — Rivers surged across a large section of the Dominican Republic on Thursday as a broad area of low pressure headed east to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, officials said.The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the system's strongest winds were below tropical storm strength but that it could strengthen as it approaches Florida and the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend.Nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell in the Dominican Republic and 19 of its 32 provinces were on alert as rivers rose rapidly and flooding was expected, said Francisco Olguin, a spokesman for the Dominican meteorological office.Residents of areas at a high risk for flooding were advised to begin evacuations because of possible flooding, said Juan Manuel Mendez, coordinator of the Emergency Operations Center.Authorities in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bahamas said heavy wind and rain was expected in parts of both island chains through Thursday night and small boats were advised to stay in port.Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gaston, which weakened from a hurricane earlier Thursday, was out over the Atlantic, about 1,160 miles (1,865 kilometers) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph).In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Lester was strengthening far off Mexico's coast. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph (85 kph). Lester was expected to become a hurricane on Friday.Lester was centered early Thursday about 465 miles (750 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and was moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph).
Hurricane Gaston weakens to tropical storm-[AFP]-August 25, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Washington (AFP) - Hurricane Gaston weakened to a tropical storm Thursday, just hours after becoming the third hurricane of the Atlantic season, the US-based National Hurricane Center said.Swirling over the central Atlantic Ocean about 1,160 miles (1,865 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands, Gaston's maximum sustained winds were at 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour, the NHC said in a statement.Earlier in the day, winds reached nearly 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, earning Gaston its brief moment as a hurricane.The weakest hurricane strength, a Category 1 storm, has sustained winds of 74 to 95 miles (119 to 152 kilometers) per hour.Gaston continued to travel in a northwesterly direction at 17 miles per hour."Some re-strengthening is expected to begin Friday night, and Gaston could become a hurricane again on Saturday," the NHC said.Although the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, this year's first hurricane -- Alex -- formed in January during an unusual weather event.The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initially estimated the Atlantic would see between 10 and 16 storms this year, but recently updated its prediction to 17.Earl became this season's second hurricane earlier this month, leaving 45 dead in Mexico.Last year's number of storms was below average, with 11 tropical storms in the Atlantic, six of which became hurricanes, including two major ones.
