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)
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)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Trump tweets video of himself slamming and punching ‘CNN’-Dylan Stableford-Senior Editor-Yahoo News-July 2, 2017
President Trump shared a video Sunday on Twitter of himself slamming WWE President Vince McMahon to the ground and punching him, with the CNN logo superimposed over McMahon’s head, escalating his recent attacks aimed at the news media.The footage, taken from “WrestleMania 23” in 2007, shows Trump approaching McMahon outside of the ring, using a clothesline move to knock him down and punching him in the head before turning to walk away. The altered clip mocking CNN recently appeared on a Reddit.com message board.The president’s tweet included a pair of disparaging hashtags: “#FraudNewsCNN” and “#FNN.” The video was also shared by the official @POTUS account.#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017-“It is a sad day when the president of the United States encourages violence against reporters,” the network said in a statement. “Clearly, [White House press secretary] Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the president had never done so.”The network added: “Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.”Trump’s latest Twitter assault comes three days after his controversial tweets attacking MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski’s appearance.On Thursday, the president lashed out at Brzezinski with an unusually harsh personal attack aimed at both her and her co-host, Joe Scarborough.“I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore),” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!”I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017-...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017-The tweets sparked widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle, with Republican lawmakers urging Trump to tone down the rhetoric and others openly questioning the president’s mental stability. The White House defended Trump’s attack, saying it was an acceptable response to the “Morning Joe” pair’s criticism of the president.“When he gets attacked, he’s going to hit back,” Sanders told reporters. “I think the American people elected somebody who’s tough, who’s smart, and who’s a fighter. And that’s Donald Trump. And I don’t think that it’s a surprise to anybody that he fights fire with fire.”Sanders also dismissed the notion that Trump encourages violent behavior.“The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence,” Sanders said.Aides told the Washington Post they were worried that Trump’s feud with “Morning Joe” was distracting from his feud with CNN, which they thought was more winnable.Late last month, CNN retracted a story that suggested a questionable link between an ally of Trump and a Russian investment fund. The network announced the resignations of the reporters who wrote it and issued an apology.At a Republican fundraiser at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., last week, the president told donors it would be “fun” to sue CNN.“These are really dishonest people. Should I sue them? I mean, they’re phonies,” Trump said, according to audio of the closed-door event published by the Intercept.“It’s a shame what they’ve done to the name CNN, that I can tell you,” Trump added. “But as far as I’m concerned, I love it. If anybody’s a lawyer in the house and thinks I have a good lawsuit — I feel like we do. Wouldn’t that be fun?”The president continued his anti-media tirade Saturday.My use of social media is not Presidential – it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017-“The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them,” Trump said during an event honoring veterans at the Kennedy Center in Washington. “The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, but I’m president and they’re not.On ABC’s “This Week,” Thomas Bossert, White House adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism, dismissed the idea that Trump’s latest tweet-slam is condoning violence against the media.“I think that no one would perceive that as a threat,” Bossert said. “I hope they don’t. I do think that he’s beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to.”Ana Navarro, a conservative commentator who was highly critical of Trump’s attack on Brzezinski, called the anti-CNN tweet “an incitement to violence.”“He is going to get somebody killed in the media,” Navarro said on ABC. “Maybe that will stop him.”“Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected,” House minority leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted. “This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy.”Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected. This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) July 2, 2017-On CNN, conservative commentator Ben Ferguson said that he thought the tweet was funny and those who saw it as a threat were overreacting.Famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein disagreed. “There’s nothing lighthearted about it whatsoever,” he said on CNN. “It is an incitement.”Bernstein noted that Trump applauded CNN and other media organizations during the 2016 campaign for coverage of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.“It’s great news when it suits him; it’s fake news when it doesn’t,” Bernstein said. “The nexus of fake news in America is the Trump White House.”
U.S. warship in operation near disputed island in South China Sea-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sunday in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a U.S. Defense Department official said.The U.S.S. Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official said.The operation was first reported by Fox News on Sunday.It was the second "freedom-of-navigation operation," or "fonop," conducted during the presidency of Donald Trump, following a drill in late May in which a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.Twelve nautical miles marks the territorial limits recognized internationally. Sailing within those 12 miles is meant to show that the United States does not recognize territorial claims there."Unlike in the Spratlys, where China has created new artificial territory in the last several years, it has effectively controlled the Paracels since 1974," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert at the Center for a New American Security. "It claims illegal straight baselines around the Paracels, and the fonop may have been contesting these."Trump has heaped praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping, but his administration has also stepped up pressure on Beijing as he has become frustrated that China has not done more to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.On Thursday, the administration imposed sanctions on two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and accused a Chinese bank of laundering money for Pyongyang.The Trump administration has also approved an arms package for Taiwan worth about $1.4 billion, the State Department said last week. China deems Taiwan its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.Trump is due to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, ahead of meetings that he will hold with both leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, next Friday and Saturday.(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Leslie Adler)
EU ready to help Italy in NGO dispute By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 30. Jun, 14:52-The European Commission said it is willing to help draft disembarkation guidance rules following threats from Italy to prevent NGOs offloading rescued migrants at its ports.Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday (29 June), EU commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud said that it understood Italy's concerns and "supports their call for a change in the situation."But Bertaud added that any change in policy has to be discussed first with other member states and communicated to the NGOs.A gathering of member state interior and justice ministers is scheduled for next week on Thursday and Friday in Estonia, where the issue is a priority."From our side, the commission is ready to help inform the discussions at the justice and home affairs [meetings] and to draft guidance on disembarkation, if that is needed," she said.Italy's interior minister, Marco Minniti, who had skipped the last two ministerial meetings, is set to make an appeal among his counterparts for more solidarity.On Thursday, Rome had threatened to impose the blockade on non-Italian NGOs following an upsurge in migrant and asylum hopeful arrivals from the north African coast since the beginning of the year. Thousands were rescued this week alone.The Italian government wants other EU member states, such as Malta, France, or Spain, to open up their ports as a sign of solidarity.-Politics and law-But the measure is also part of a broader political wrangle at the EU level, after failed attempts to agree on key EU asylum laws and rules under the leadership of the outgoing Maltese Council of the EU presidency."The Italians are trying to offload the burden on unblocking the stalemate at EU level," said Giulia Lagana, a senior analyst at the Open Society European Policy Institute in Brussels.Italian internal politics is also likely at play given the possible upcoming general elections.Italy's prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, is leading a centre-left government that is facing an increasingly acrimonious debate on migration from a broad right-wing opposition.Local elections earlier this week saw the thrashing of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) by the centre-right coalition, which includes the populist Five Star Movement and the virulent anti-EU Lega Nord party.Former PM Matteo Renzi, who leads the PD and is hoping to take back his seat as prime minister, had downplayed the results.But Renzi is facing opposition from within his own ranks, with calls for him to resign. He now also appears to be stepping up the rhetoric against migrants.However, any Italian plan to force NGOs to take rescued migrants elsewhere would likely violate international law.The law requires a boat to take those rescued to the nearest safe port, now concentrated around Calabria and Sicily.The host country must also be able to guarantee human rights, meaning they can't be offloaded in places such as Egypt or Tunisia.The only other option would be Malta, given that Spain and France are too far away.Earlier this month, Italy's interior under-secretary, Domenico Manzione, told MEPs that the Mediterranean has become the largest grave yard in Europe.In this year alone, over 2,000 people have died so far in efforts to cross the Central Mediterranean.
Pope shakes up Vatican by replacing conservative doctrinal chief-[Reuters]-By Philip Pullella-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - In a major shake up of the Vatican's administration on Saturday, Pope Francis replaced Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church.A brief Vatican statement said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller's five-year mandate as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a key department charged with defending Catholic doctrine, would not be renewed.Mueller, 69, who was appointed by former Pope Benedict in 2012, will be succeeded by the department's number two, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.Ladaria, a 73-year-old Spaniard who, like the Argentine pope is a member of the Jesuit order, is said by those who know him to be a soft-spoken person who shuns the limelight. Mueller, by contrast, often appears in the media."They speak the same language and Ladaria is someone who is meek. He does not agitate the pope and does not threaten him," said a priest who works in the Vatican and knows both Mueller and Ladaria, asking not to be named.Since his election in 2013, Francis has given hope to progressives who want him to forge ahead with his vision for a more welcoming Church that concentrates on mercy rather than the strict enforcement of rigid rules they see as antiquated.Mueller is one of several cardinals in the Vatican who have publicly sparred with the pope.In 2015 he was among 13 cardinals who signed a secret letter to the pope complaining that a meeting of bishops discussing family issues was stacked in favor of liberals. The letter was leaked, embarrassing the signatories."Clearly, the pope and Cardinal Mueller have not been on the same page for five years," the priest said.Mueller has criticized parts of a 2016 papal treatise called "Amoris Laetitia" (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis' attempt to make the 1.2 billion-member Church more inclusive and less condemning.In it, Francis called for a Church that is less strict and more compassionate towards any "imperfect" members, such as those who divorced and remarried, saying "no one can be condemned forever".Conservatives have concentrated their criticism on the document's opening to Catholics who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies, without getting Church annulments.Under Church law they cannot receive communion unless they abstain from sex with their new partner, because their first marriage is still valid in the eyes of the Church and therefore they are seen to be living in an adulterous state of sin.In the document the pope sided with progressives who had proposed an "internal forum" in which a priest or bishop decide jointly with the individual on a case-by-case basis if he or she can be fully re-integrated and receive communion.After the document was published Catholic bishops in some countries, including Germany, enacted guidelines on how priests could allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments.But Mueller has said there should be no exceptions, making him a hero to conservatives who have made the issue a rallying point for their opposition to Francis.(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Helen Popper)
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
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
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)
Snipers, bombs, mortars - Philippine troops battle against Islamists-[Reuters]-By Kanupriya Kapoor-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Sprawled on the boarded-up balcony of a two-storey house, the barrel of his rifle poked into a hole cut in the wood, the Philippine army sniper calls for quiet before taking his shot."Firing," he says evenly, before the .50 caliber shot rings out, sending tremors through the house. He was firing at a home less than a kilometer (a half mile) away, believed to be a stronghold of Islamist militants who have been holed up in Marawi City for over five weeks.A spotter sat next to him, with his scope set into another hole. The two spoke quietly to each other as the sniper took three more shots across the Agus river into the militant-held commercial district of Marawi, now a battleground strewn with debris from ruined buildings. Scores of bodies are rotting in the area, and the stench mixes with the smell of gunpowder.Thousands of soldiers are battling to retake the southern Philippine city, where militants loyal to Islamic State launched a lightning strike on May 23.The southern Philippines has been marred for decades by insurgency and banditry. But the intensity of the battle in Marawi and the presence of foreign fighters from Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen and Chechnya fighting alongside local militants has raised concerns that the region may be becoming a Southeast Asian hub for Islamic State as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria.As troops poured in to contain the siege, few were expecting a slow, difficult and unfamiliar urban war."We are used to insurgencies... but a deployment of this magnitude, this kind of conflict is a challenge for our troops," said Lt Col Christopher Tampus, one of the officers commanding ground operations in Marawi.He said progress in clearing the city has been hindered by militant fire and booby traps like gas tanks rigged with grenades.-REDUCED TO RUBBLE-After weeks of military airstrikes and shelling, Marawi, a lakeside city of around 200,000 is now a ghost town, the center of which has been reduced to charred rubble and hollow structures. Buildings in the military-controlled areas of the city are still standing but deserted after residents fled.Authorities estimate around 100 to 120 fighters, some of them as young as 16 years, remain holed up in the commercial district of the city, down from around 500 at the beginning of the siege.The fighters are holding around 100 hostages, according to the military, who have been forced to act as human shields, take up arms or become sex slaves.Military aircraft drop bombs on the militant zone almost every day. From the outskirts of the city, mortar teams take aim at what they call "ground zero", the heart of the conflict."Mortars are designed to target people and smaller areas than the airstrikes." said mortar specialist Sgt. Jeffery Baybayan, as he jotted down coordinates that come crackling over a radio from an observer closer to the conflict area."Hitting targets accurately can be difficult and we're expending rounds without hitting targets. We are concerned about our own troops that are very close to the enemy area," he added, as the mortars exploded in the city, sending up plumes of thick black smoke.-"SURRENDER NOW OR DIE"-During the day's battle, Tampus received reports that three civilians, trapped for weeks near the fighting, were trying to escape. Several soldiers responded to help rescue them - moving to the area in two lines along the sides of streets to avoid sniper fire.Three civilians - two men and a woman using a walking stick - came out and sat by the side of the street once they were in the military zone."The bombs were so frequent coming from both sides," said Jose Locanas, a 53-year-old Christian man trapped with his wife and friend in his house. "We were caught in the middle."Troops said they received word from their relatives that the three were trapped and managed to escort them out.More than 400 people, including over 300 militants, 82 security forces and 44 civilians are known to have died in Marawi.Some of the bodies of civilians were found decapitated and the military has warned the number of residents killed by rebel "atrocities" could rise sharply as troops retake more ground.Every day, troops make announcements through loudspeakers for the militants to "surrender now or die". To the trapped civilians, they offer help to get out of the conflict area.Authorities say they believe the militants are running out of supplies and ammunition, but they say there is no deadline to retake the city.Tampus, the officer, said when troops reinforcements come into Marawi, they are initially apprehensive because of the high death toll."But once they are here, the discipline kicks in and they are focused," he said.(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
THE FRAUD EX PRESIDENT ISLAMIC-QURANIC SUNNI-ARAB-MUSLIM OBAMA IS BACK ON THE MOUTH PIECE CIRCUIT.
Obama pushes tolerance, respect in childhood home Jakarta-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Following another week of dust-ups between the media and President Donald Trump, his predecessor shared a bit of wisdom Saturday from the other side of the world about tolerance and taking the daily news cycle in stride."I wasn't worried about what was in the newspapers today," former President Barack Obama said during a nostalgic visit to Indonesia's capital, his childhood home. "What I was worried about was, 'What are they going to write about me 20 years from now when I look back?'"Obama was greeted by a crowd of thousands, including leaders, students and businesspeople, in Jakarta, where he opened the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora. He is wildly popular in Indonesia, where many view him as an adopted son. A statue of the boy still remembered as "Barry" stands outside his old elementary school.He reminisced about moving to Jakarta in 1967 when he was just 6 years old, shouting, "Indonesia bagian dari diri!" — or "Indonesia is part of me!" He said he had been gorging on the local food since arriving."If the rainy season came, the floods were coming and we had to clean out the floors in our house and then chase the chickens because they had gone someplace else," he said to roaring laughter. "Today, Jakarta is a thriving centre of commerce marked by highways and high-rises. So much has changed, so much progress has been made."Obama lived in the country with his mother, an anthropologist, and his Indonesian stepfather. The couple split up after having his half-sister, and Obama moved back to Hawaii when he was 10 to live with his grandparents. But he said he has never forgotten the years he spent in Indonesia."My time here made me cherish respect for people's differences," he said, noting how he and his family had just visited two of the most treasured ancient temples — Borobudur, a Buddhist complex, and the Hindu compound of Prambanan — in the world's most populous Muslim country.The speech came on the final leg of Obama's 10-day vacation in Indonesia. In addition to visiting the temples in the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, he and his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, also went rafting and toured the resort island of Bali. On Friday, he met Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the grand Bogor Palace in West Java, just outside Jakarta.Obama largely stayed away from U.S. politics and the Trump administration, but he did tout one of his accomplishments while in office."In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history about climate change, an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership, can still give our children a fighting chance" he said.Trump shocked many countries last month by announcing he was pulling out of the accord. He has also had a difficult relationship with members of the press and was recently condemned by Democrats and Republicans for a tweet that attacked a female MSNBC host.Obama stressed the importance of stepping away from news sites where only like-minded views are shared, and warned about social media giving rise to resentment of minorities and bad treatment of people.The Indonesian visit marked Obama's first trip to Asia since leaving office. He urged the country to be a light of democracy and to never stop embracing differences. It has faced a rise in Islamic radicalism, anti-gay attacks and was recently condemned by rights groups for jailing Jakarta's former governor, an ethnic Chinese Christian, for blasphemy."The spirit of this country has to be one of tolerance. It's enshrined in Indonesia's constitution, it's symbolized by mosques and temples and churches beside each other," Obama said. "That spirit is one of the defining things about Indonesia. It is one of the most important characteristics to set as an example for other Muslim countries around the world."Margie Mason, The Associated Press.
Three car bombs target Damascus, 20 killed-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
BEIRUT/DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 20 people in Damascus on Sunday and wounded dozens more, the Syrian foreign ministry said, the first such bombing in the Syrian capital since a series of jihadist suicide attacks in March.The authorities said it was one of three car bombs that were meant to be blown up in crowded areas of the capital on Sunday, the first day back to work from the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Security forces pursued and destroyed the other two.Officials said the bombers had been prevented from reaching their intended targets, otherwise the casualty toll would have been higher.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Damascus was hit by two separate, multiple suicide bomb attacks in March, one of them claimed by Islamic State and the other by the Islamist insurgent alliance Tahrir al-Sham.In a letter to the U.N. secretary general and the head of the security council, the foreign ministry said the blast that killed 20 people in the Bab Touma area near the Old City had also wounded dozens of women and children.State media said the bomber had been spotted and pursued by the security forces and set off the bomb after he had been encircled in the area.Damascus has enjoyed relative security in recent years even as the six-year-long civil war has raged on in nearby areas.Footage broadcast by state TV from the blast that caused the fatalities near the Old City showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.Footage from another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.On March 15, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.On March 11, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.A rebel group accused the army of using chlorine gas in the fighting on Saturday. The army denied the claim as fabrications.(Reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Firas Makdesi and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)
Syrian President Bashar Assad will be face of new bank note-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
BEIRUT — A new 2,000 Syrian Lira ($3.9) bank note with the face of President Bashar Assad will go into circulation Sunday, the Syrian Central Bank announced.The notes are the first time Syria will depict President Bashar Assad on its currency since he took office 17 years ago.Assad's face appears on the new banknotes at a time when his government is boasting military successes against the armed rebellion across the country. The currency previously only carried images of historic icons or pictures of his father, Hafez Assad.Central Bank Governor Duraid Durgham said the new bank notes will go into circulation starting Sunday "due to the wear and tear" affecting currency currently in circulation.Syria's currency has crashed as the country's seven-year-long war rages on. Trading at 47 liras to the dollar in 2011, it's currently going for 517 liras to the dollar.Inflation has also soared, reaching an all-time high in 2013, at over 120 per cent . Estimates in 2016 put the inflation rate at 50 per cent .Sarah El Deeb, The Associated Press.
Iraqis prepare to celebrate Mosul victory blocks away from raging battles-[Reuters]-By Khaled al-Ramahi and Stephen Kalin-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
MOSUL/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqis prepared on Sunday to celebrate an expected victory over Islamic State in Mosul, just blocks away from battles raging in the last few districts where the militants are dug in.Troops tied white banners and Iraqi flags to lamp posts and damaged buildings including the Hadba minaret, which the jihadists blew up in June along with the adjoining Grand al-Nuri Mosque, as air strikes and mortars rained down nearby.It was from al-Nuri's pulpit that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate three years ago.Authorities are planning a week of nationwide celebrations, according to a government statement, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is expected to visit Mosul to formally declare victory.Mosul's fall would mark the effective end of the Iraqi half of the caliphate which Islamic State declared three years ago in parts of Iraq and Syria. The group still controls territory west and south of Mosul, where tens of thousands of civilians live.Soldiers from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) retook the Makawi district of Mosul's Old City on Sunday, a military statement said, a few blocks from the western banks of the Tigris. Reaching the river will give Iraqi forces control over the entire city and is expected by the end of this week.A U.S.-led international coalition is providing air and ground support to the offensive, which Iraq's army and militarized police are also fighting in a multi-pronged attack.Federal police chief Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat said his forces had completed their mission in southern parts of the Old City on Saturday and those areas still needed to be cleared of explosives and corpses from two weeks of fighting."Unfortunately until now there are families besieged and there are many discarded enemy corpses, and unfortunately many civilians have been martyred, so we must remove them," he told Reuters in western Mosul."The areas must be cleared of bombs. We must make the areas safe so that civilians can return."Nearly nine months of grinding urban warfare have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city's pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organizations.Thousands of residents are believed to be trapped in the Old City with little food, water, medicine and no access to health services, according to those who managed to flee.After CTS units captured the al-Nuri mosque complex on Thursday, Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's caliphate, which he called "a state of falsehood".Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and is believed to be hiding on the Iraq-Syrian border, according to U.S. and Iraqi military sources.The group has moved its remaining command and control structures to Mayadin, in eastern Syria, U.S. intelligence sources said last month, without indicating if Baghdadi was also hiding in the same area.Baghdadi has often been reported killed or wounded. Russia said on June 17 its forces might have killed him in an air strike in Syria. But Washington says it has no information to corroborate such reports and Iraqi officials are also skeptical.(Additional reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Britain says 181 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests after London fire-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
LONDON (Reuters) - Some 181 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests carried out after a fire that killed at least 80 people in London last month, the British government said on Sunday.Officials are conducting tests on some 600 high-rise buildings across England after fire ravaged the Grenfell tower block in west London on June 14.The Department for Communities said in a statement that the cladding from 181 high-rise buildings in 51 local authority areas had failed tests.(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Officials go through final preparations for Canada Day event in Ottawa-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 30, 2017
OTTAWA — Jessica Mellor was doing her best Friday to catch her son, Lincoln, running — as toddlers often do — towards a security gate around the main Canada Day stage on Parliament Hill.It was a tranquil moment as the family braced for the hoopla of Saturday, when half a million people are expected to gather in the shadow of the Centre Block to mark Canada's 150th anniversary — an unprecedented crowd, with logistical planning and security to match."We've been meaning to come up for Canada Day our whole lives, basically, and never really got around to it," said Lincoln's father, Kyle, whose son is named for Lincoln Alexander, Canada's first black member of Parliament and former Ontario lieutenant-governor."This year, 150, it's a bit of a pilgrimage to come up and just pay homage to everything that the nation has done for us."Officials have been working for months to prepare for this weekend's events, which the government has billed as the largest in the nation's history, between the hundreds of thousands who are expected to be in downtown Ottawa to the countless others massing in more than 2,000 communities across the country.On Friday, workers were putting the finishing touches on the towering main stage, where last-minute rehearsals were underway. Temporary fencing, barricades and bollards created security bottlenecks where visitors normally enjoy unfettered access to the grounds. Much of downtown Ottawa was closed to vehicles.At one point, officers were seen peering into and under the decorative planters lining the street; a security official was heard chiding staff for letting a group walk past without being checked — a group that turned out to be Environment Minister Catherine McKenna her staff."The hoops you have to go through, it's like a cattle shed here," Ottawa resident George Neville said of security."It seems extreme for a country like Canada."Kyle Mellor, meanwhile, described it as a comfort, one he was willing to put up with."It's always in the back of your mind, terrible things (that could happen), but you don't want that to stop you from doing your thing, then they win. It's reassuring to see the level of security that's down here."Tourists dressed in red or showcasing swag adorned with the Maple Leaf snapped pictures and laughed as heavily armed police manned security checkpoints nearby.Saturday's itinerary includes appearances by the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U2 band members Bono and The Edge. And while Heritage Minister Melanie Joly called the preparations hectic, she said officials are more than ready."We want people to be able to celebrate and have fun and we want to showcase the best of Canada," she said. "That's exactly what we've been working for two years and now this is our big moment."The weather, however, may have other ideas.Environment Canada's forecast for Saturday includes rain in the morning and the risk of thunderstorms later in the day and into the evening, which could put a damper on plans for what has been billed as a spectacular 20-minute fireworks extravaganza.Only lightning or severe rain would push pause on the Parliament Hill show, Joly said; officials will adapt Saturday's festivities according to the weather.Not far from the main stage Friday, visitors to Parliament Hill gathered around a teepee set up by a group of indigenous activists to highlight some of the darker chapters in the country's history.The Bawaating Water Protectors from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., arrived Wednesday night, but were stopped by police. Nine people were arrested but later released, and the structure was moved closer to the main stage — an exercise "reoccupation" to draw attention to the history of indigenous people.The Bawaating Water Protectors are just one of many indigenous groups planning demonstrations this weekend to draw attention to the fact that, for them, there is nothing to celebrate.Trudeau visited with the demonstrators Friday, later tweeting about the meeting to say the government would be a partner in the ongoing process to break free from colonial structures and give Indigenous Peoples a space to be heard in Ottawa.U.S. President Trump issued a statement Friday wishing Canada his best on its 150th birthday."The United States cherishes our relationship with Canada. Throughout the years, no two countries have formed a bond as unique as ours," the statement said."Canada and the United States have stood together steadfastly in times of peace and war, through prosperity and hardship. We are united by the world’s longest border, but —above all—by the shared values we together hold so highly."Jordan Press and Terry Pedwell, The Canadian Press.
Soggy grounds and sticky heat don't stop revellers at Canada 150 bash-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
OTTAWA — Paper Maple Leaf flags soaked by an early morning downpour quickly turned into makeshift fans to ward off sticky afternoon warmth Saturday as thousands of people squelched and squished their way around Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.The crowds for this year's Canada Day celebration may have been the biggest ever, and due to the especially tight security thousands of people had to wait in lines — often for hours — as they funnelled through security checkpoints to get to the party on the Hill.It prompted plenty of grumbling as would be revellers took to social media to vent their frustrations."I used to think standing quietly in orderly lines was what made this country great. I don’t know what to believe in anymore," tweeted Benjamin. Woo.Kim D. complained in a tweet that "Disorganized security lines caused 8 hr+ backlog," while some others said the ridiculously long wait had caused them to miss the show they'd come to see.About 25,000 people — a waterlogged rainbow coalition of rain slickers, ponchos and umbrellas — were on hand as the midday show wrapped up, but the downtown core teemed with celebrants throughout the day as the sun came out and crowds amassed anew in anticipation of the evening show.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was to return to host the second instalment, was on hand earlier Saturday alongside his family, as well as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, for a series of performances that began with Buffy Sainte-Marie's rousing version of "Carry On."A single CF-18 streaked over the Centre Block, drowning out the final notes of O Canada, before the prime minister delivered a rousing, forceful and enthusiastic celebration of the unique power and resilience of the Canadian character."We don't aspire to be a melting pot," Trudeau told the cheering crowd."We know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity. Ours is a land of original peoples and of newcomers, and our greatest pride is that you can come here from anywhere in the world, build a good life and be part of our community."The week's celebrations have been tinged with the resentment and frustration of indigenous people chafing over the country's oppressive, colonial past — a sentiment symbolized by the teepee erected not far from the stage, and expressed overtly by protesters in Montreal.There, a small group marched through the city's Old Port to denounce what they called colonialist and racist policies, throwing coloured leaflets and chanting slogans as they made their way through a crowded tourist area, monitored by dozens of uniformed police officers."Our past is far from perfect," Trudeau acknowledged in Ottawa. "For centuries, Indigenous Peoples have been victims of oppression, from the time when the first explorers celebrated their discovery of the new world."He urged the crowd to acknowledge the country's history and to confront its reality."We must educate ourselves and dedicate our efforts to progress," he said. "It is a choice we make not because of what we did, or who we were, but because of who we are."The speech also included one monumental gaffe: as he recited the names of the provinces and territories, he seemed to overlook Alberta. Twitter and host Sandra Oh were among those who quickly called him out on the mistake.Realizing the error, Trudeau jumped on the front of the stage, called out, "I love you, Alberta," and blew a kiss, before sitting down and shaking his head. He apologized again later, citing the excitement of the occasion.U2 frontman Bono and guitarist the Edge took the stage after Trudeau, acknowledging the country's reputation for tolerance and consensus-building."This is your home, and we are grateful guests in it," said Bono, whose brief remarks alluded to the protectionist and confrontational policies of U.S. President Donald Trump."When others build walls, you open doors," he said before a stripped-down version of U2's 1991 hit, "One.""Where you lead, others follow, and that's the real reason the Edge and I are here today."Canada's decision to open its doors to her family is why Lorana Rios, 41, decided to come to Ottawa to celebrate Saturday. She arrived here from Mexico more than a decade ago, and the opportunities she's had make her grateful, she said."I want to celebrate living in Canada — it is a safe country," she said.The teepee on Parliament Hill had been a source of some tension earlier in the week, and while activists chanted and waved signs during Trudeau's speech, their encounters with the crowd at large were calm.At evening Canada Day festivities indigenous protesters booed Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as they appeared again on stage.But as the protesters chanted "shame, shame," they were drowned out by even louder cheers from the boisterous crowd.Regina resident Rhoderic Sia, 40, a red, flag-bedecked colander on his head, acknowledged their cause, as did several of the day's main speakers."Everybody has their own opinion," said Sia, who hails originally from the Philippines."I respect it, but we still have to respect what Canada is now. Coming from another country, being here is all about your freedom. You can have everything if you work hard."Sia had been planning his trip to Ottawa for two years, but was beaten to the celebratory punch Saturday by celebrations in Newfoundland and Labrador, where a boatload of 75 early risers set out on the North Atlantic to be among the first to welcome Canada Day.Kellie Loder of St. John's sang O Canada as the vessel pulled in front of Cape Spear. There was a moment of silence afterward to remember those who have fought and died in battle over the last 150 years.Prince Charles expressed his gratitude for Canada setting an example. "We should be clear and proud that we are celebrating a country that others look to as an example — an example of fairness and inclusion, of always striving to be better," he said. "Around the world, Canada is recognized as a champion of human rights, as a peacekeeper, as a responsible steward of the environment and natural resources, and as a consistent example of diversity and the power of inclusion."Even Donald Trump himself got into the spirit of the occasion, tweeting his congratulations on the occasion of Canada's birthday and acknowledging the prime minister by name, whom he described as his "newfound friend."Others marked the day by becoming newfound Canadians at dozens of citizenship ceremonies across the country, including one in Halifax where 53 people from more than 20 different countries celebrated Canada's 150th birthday by taking the oath of citizenship in Halifax.Back on Parliament Hill a cavalcade of musicians and other performers kept the massive crowd entertained until around midnight.Gordon Lightfoot received huge applause when he took the stage, and Prime Minister Trudeau, in his salute to the Canadian music icon, noted that Lightfoot had also performed 50 years earlier at Canada Day festivities in 1967 when the country was celebrating its 100th birthday.And when the entertainers finally left the stage, it was then time for the main act, as the skies above the Peace Tower exploded in a jaw dropping fireworks display that stamped the official exclamation mark on Canada's sesquicentennial celebration. Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press.
I'm a little embarrassed': Justin Trudeau forgets Alberta in Canada Day speech-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
Save the best for last? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a shoutout to every province and territory during Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill Saturday, except for one of them: Alberta."We may be of every colour and creed, from every corner of the world," Trudeau said."We may live in British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador. But we embrace that diversity while knowing in our hearts that we are all Canadians."Alberta was included in his prepared text, but didn't make the delivery in front of thousands of spectators at the Canada 150 celebration in Ottawa.Canadian actress Sandra Oh, who co-hosted the event, made note of the mistake after Trudeau left the stage.A short time later, before introducing Canada's two new astronauts, Trudeau tried to make right with the province that slipped his mind."Let me just start by saying I'm a little embarrassed, I got excited somewhere over the Rockies," he said."Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day."He followed up with an apologetic tweet later in the afternoon.Some, like Alberta Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, weren't quick to let the prime minister live down the lapse.Trudeau's speech celebrated Canada's diversity and values, but also acknowledged its failures — particularly in its oppression of Indigenous people.He acknowledged Canada's history spans much longer than 150 years, and said reconciliation is a journey that will demand dedication and hard work from Canadians."As a society, we must therefore recognize past mistakes, accept our responsibilities and take action to ensure that each and every Canadian has a bright future," he said."It is a choice we make, not because of what we did, or what we were, but because of who we are."
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)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Trump tweets video of himself slamming and punching ‘CNN’-Dylan Stableford-Senior Editor-Yahoo News-July 2, 2017
President Trump shared a video Sunday on Twitter of himself slamming WWE President Vince McMahon to the ground and punching him, with the CNN logo superimposed over McMahon’s head, escalating his recent attacks aimed at the news media.The footage, taken from “WrestleMania 23” in 2007, shows Trump approaching McMahon outside of the ring, using a clothesline move to knock him down and punching him in the head before turning to walk away. The altered clip mocking CNN recently appeared on a Reddit.com message board.The president’s tweet included a pair of disparaging hashtags: “#FraudNewsCNN” and “#FNN.” The video was also shared by the official @POTUS account.#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017-“It is a sad day when the president of the United States encourages violence against reporters,” the network said in a statement. “Clearly, [White House press secretary] Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the president had never done so.”The network added: “Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.”Trump’s latest Twitter assault comes three days after his controversial tweets attacking MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski’s appearance.On Thursday, the president lashed out at Brzezinski with an unusually harsh personal attack aimed at both her and her co-host, Joe Scarborough.“I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore),” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!”I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017-...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017-The tweets sparked widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle, with Republican lawmakers urging Trump to tone down the rhetoric and others openly questioning the president’s mental stability. The White House defended Trump’s attack, saying it was an acceptable response to the “Morning Joe” pair’s criticism of the president.“When he gets attacked, he’s going to hit back,” Sanders told reporters. “I think the American people elected somebody who’s tough, who’s smart, and who’s a fighter. And that’s Donald Trump. And I don’t think that it’s a surprise to anybody that he fights fire with fire.”Sanders also dismissed the notion that Trump encourages violent behavior.“The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence,” Sanders said.Aides told the Washington Post they were worried that Trump’s feud with “Morning Joe” was distracting from his feud with CNN, which they thought was more winnable.Late last month, CNN retracted a story that suggested a questionable link between an ally of Trump and a Russian investment fund. The network announced the resignations of the reporters who wrote it and issued an apology.At a Republican fundraiser at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., last week, the president told donors it would be “fun” to sue CNN.“These are really dishonest people. Should I sue them? I mean, they’re phonies,” Trump said, according to audio of the closed-door event published by the Intercept.“It’s a shame what they’ve done to the name CNN, that I can tell you,” Trump added. “But as far as I’m concerned, I love it. If anybody’s a lawyer in the house and thinks I have a good lawsuit — I feel like we do. Wouldn’t that be fun?”The president continued his anti-media tirade Saturday.My use of social media is not Presidential – it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017-“The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them,” Trump said during an event honoring veterans at the Kennedy Center in Washington. “The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, but I’m president and they’re not.On ABC’s “This Week,” Thomas Bossert, White House adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism, dismissed the idea that Trump’s latest tweet-slam is condoning violence against the media.“I think that no one would perceive that as a threat,” Bossert said. “I hope they don’t. I do think that he’s beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to.”Ana Navarro, a conservative commentator who was highly critical of Trump’s attack on Brzezinski, called the anti-CNN tweet “an incitement to violence.”“He is going to get somebody killed in the media,” Navarro said on ABC. “Maybe that will stop him.”“Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected,” House minority leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted. “This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy.”Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected. This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) July 2, 2017-On CNN, conservative commentator Ben Ferguson said that he thought the tweet was funny and those who saw it as a threat were overreacting.Famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein disagreed. “There’s nothing lighthearted about it whatsoever,” he said on CNN. “It is an incitement.”Bernstein noted that Trump applauded CNN and other media organizations during the 2016 campaign for coverage of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.“It’s great news when it suits him; it’s fake news when it doesn’t,” Bernstein said. “The nexus of fake news in America is the Trump White House.”
U.S. warship in operation near disputed island in South China Sea-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sunday in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a U.S. Defense Department official said.The U.S.S. Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official said.The operation was first reported by Fox News on Sunday.It was the second "freedom-of-navigation operation," or "fonop," conducted during the presidency of Donald Trump, following a drill in late May in which a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.Twelve nautical miles marks the territorial limits recognized internationally. Sailing within those 12 miles is meant to show that the United States does not recognize territorial claims there."Unlike in the Spratlys, where China has created new artificial territory in the last several years, it has effectively controlled the Paracels since 1974," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert at the Center for a New American Security. "It claims illegal straight baselines around the Paracels, and the fonop may have been contesting these."Trump has heaped praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping, but his administration has also stepped up pressure on Beijing as he has become frustrated that China has not done more to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.On Thursday, the administration imposed sanctions on two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and accused a Chinese bank of laundering money for Pyongyang.The Trump administration has also approved an arms package for Taiwan worth about $1.4 billion, the State Department said last week. China deems Taiwan its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.Trump is due to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, ahead of meetings that he will hold with both leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, next Friday and Saturday.(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Leslie Adler)
EU ready to help Italy in NGO dispute By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 30. Jun, 14:52-The European Commission said it is willing to help draft disembarkation guidance rules following threats from Italy to prevent NGOs offloading rescued migrants at its ports.Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday (29 June), EU commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud said that it understood Italy's concerns and "supports their call for a change in the situation."But Bertaud added that any change in policy has to be discussed first with other member states and communicated to the NGOs.A gathering of member state interior and justice ministers is scheduled for next week on Thursday and Friday in Estonia, where the issue is a priority."From our side, the commission is ready to help inform the discussions at the justice and home affairs [meetings] and to draft guidance on disembarkation, if that is needed," she said.Italy's interior minister, Marco Minniti, who had skipped the last two ministerial meetings, is set to make an appeal among his counterparts for more solidarity.On Thursday, Rome had threatened to impose the blockade on non-Italian NGOs following an upsurge in migrant and asylum hopeful arrivals from the north African coast since the beginning of the year. Thousands were rescued this week alone.The Italian government wants other EU member states, such as Malta, France, or Spain, to open up their ports as a sign of solidarity.-Politics and law-But the measure is also part of a broader political wrangle at the EU level, after failed attempts to agree on key EU asylum laws and rules under the leadership of the outgoing Maltese Council of the EU presidency."The Italians are trying to offload the burden on unblocking the stalemate at EU level," said Giulia Lagana, a senior analyst at the Open Society European Policy Institute in Brussels.Italian internal politics is also likely at play given the possible upcoming general elections.Italy's prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, is leading a centre-left government that is facing an increasingly acrimonious debate on migration from a broad right-wing opposition.Local elections earlier this week saw the thrashing of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) by the centre-right coalition, which includes the populist Five Star Movement and the virulent anti-EU Lega Nord party.Former PM Matteo Renzi, who leads the PD and is hoping to take back his seat as prime minister, had downplayed the results.But Renzi is facing opposition from within his own ranks, with calls for him to resign. He now also appears to be stepping up the rhetoric against migrants.However, any Italian plan to force NGOs to take rescued migrants elsewhere would likely violate international law.The law requires a boat to take those rescued to the nearest safe port, now concentrated around Calabria and Sicily.The host country must also be able to guarantee human rights, meaning they can't be offloaded in places such as Egypt or Tunisia.The only other option would be Malta, given that Spain and France are too far away.Earlier this month, Italy's interior under-secretary, Domenico Manzione, told MEPs that the Mediterranean has become the largest grave yard in Europe.In this year alone, over 2,000 people have died so far in efforts to cross the Central Mediterranean.
Pope shakes up Vatican by replacing conservative doctrinal chief-[Reuters]-By Philip Pullella-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - In a major shake up of the Vatican's administration on Saturday, Pope Francis replaced Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church.A brief Vatican statement said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller's five-year mandate as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a key department charged with defending Catholic doctrine, would not be renewed.Mueller, 69, who was appointed by former Pope Benedict in 2012, will be succeeded by the department's number two, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.Ladaria, a 73-year-old Spaniard who, like the Argentine pope is a member of the Jesuit order, is said by those who know him to be a soft-spoken person who shuns the limelight. Mueller, by contrast, often appears in the media."They speak the same language and Ladaria is someone who is meek. He does not agitate the pope and does not threaten him," said a priest who works in the Vatican and knows both Mueller and Ladaria, asking not to be named.Since his election in 2013, Francis has given hope to progressives who want him to forge ahead with his vision for a more welcoming Church that concentrates on mercy rather than the strict enforcement of rigid rules they see as antiquated.Mueller is one of several cardinals in the Vatican who have publicly sparred with the pope.In 2015 he was among 13 cardinals who signed a secret letter to the pope complaining that a meeting of bishops discussing family issues was stacked in favor of liberals. The letter was leaked, embarrassing the signatories."Clearly, the pope and Cardinal Mueller have not been on the same page for five years," the priest said.Mueller has criticized parts of a 2016 papal treatise called "Amoris Laetitia" (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis' attempt to make the 1.2 billion-member Church more inclusive and less condemning.In it, Francis called for a Church that is less strict and more compassionate towards any "imperfect" members, such as those who divorced and remarried, saying "no one can be condemned forever".Conservatives have concentrated their criticism on the document's opening to Catholics who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies, without getting Church annulments.Under Church law they cannot receive communion unless they abstain from sex with their new partner, because their first marriage is still valid in the eyes of the Church and therefore they are seen to be living in an adulterous state of sin.In the document the pope sided with progressives who had proposed an "internal forum" in which a priest or bishop decide jointly with the individual on a case-by-case basis if he or she can be fully re-integrated and receive communion.After the document was published Catholic bishops in some countries, including Germany, enacted guidelines on how priests could allow some divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments.But Mueller has said there should be no exceptions, making him a hero to conservatives who have made the issue a rallying point for their opposition to Francis.(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Helen Popper)
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
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
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)
Snipers, bombs, mortars - Philippine troops battle against Islamists-[Reuters]-By Kanupriya Kapoor-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Sprawled on the boarded-up balcony of a two-storey house, the barrel of his rifle poked into a hole cut in the wood, the Philippine army sniper calls for quiet before taking his shot."Firing," he says evenly, before the .50 caliber shot rings out, sending tremors through the house. He was firing at a home less than a kilometer (a half mile) away, believed to be a stronghold of Islamist militants who have been holed up in Marawi City for over five weeks.A spotter sat next to him, with his scope set into another hole. The two spoke quietly to each other as the sniper took three more shots across the Agus river into the militant-held commercial district of Marawi, now a battleground strewn with debris from ruined buildings. Scores of bodies are rotting in the area, and the stench mixes with the smell of gunpowder.Thousands of soldiers are battling to retake the southern Philippine city, where militants loyal to Islamic State launched a lightning strike on May 23.The southern Philippines has been marred for decades by insurgency and banditry. But the intensity of the battle in Marawi and the presence of foreign fighters from Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen and Chechnya fighting alongside local militants has raised concerns that the region may be becoming a Southeast Asian hub for Islamic State as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria.As troops poured in to contain the siege, few were expecting a slow, difficult and unfamiliar urban war."We are used to insurgencies... but a deployment of this magnitude, this kind of conflict is a challenge for our troops," said Lt Col Christopher Tampus, one of the officers commanding ground operations in Marawi.He said progress in clearing the city has been hindered by militant fire and booby traps like gas tanks rigged with grenades.-REDUCED TO RUBBLE-After weeks of military airstrikes and shelling, Marawi, a lakeside city of around 200,000 is now a ghost town, the center of which has been reduced to charred rubble and hollow structures. Buildings in the military-controlled areas of the city are still standing but deserted after residents fled.Authorities estimate around 100 to 120 fighters, some of them as young as 16 years, remain holed up in the commercial district of the city, down from around 500 at the beginning of the siege.The fighters are holding around 100 hostages, according to the military, who have been forced to act as human shields, take up arms or become sex slaves.Military aircraft drop bombs on the militant zone almost every day. From the outskirts of the city, mortar teams take aim at what they call "ground zero", the heart of the conflict."Mortars are designed to target people and smaller areas than the airstrikes." said mortar specialist Sgt. Jeffery Baybayan, as he jotted down coordinates that come crackling over a radio from an observer closer to the conflict area."Hitting targets accurately can be difficult and we're expending rounds without hitting targets. We are concerned about our own troops that are very close to the enemy area," he added, as the mortars exploded in the city, sending up plumes of thick black smoke.-"SURRENDER NOW OR DIE"-During the day's battle, Tampus received reports that three civilians, trapped for weeks near the fighting, were trying to escape. Several soldiers responded to help rescue them - moving to the area in two lines along the sides of streets to avoid sniper fire.Three civilians - two men and a woman using a walking stick - came out and sat by the side of the street once they were in the military zone."The bombs were so frequent coming from both sides," said Jose Locanas, a 53-year-old Christian man trapped with his wife and friend in his house. "We were caught in the middle."Troops said they received word from their relatives that the three were trapped and managed to escort them out.More than 400 people, including over 300 militants, 82 security forces and 44 civilians are known to have died in Marawi.Some of the bodies of civilians were found decapitated and the military has warned the number of residents killed by rebel "atrocities" could rise sharply as troops retake more ground.Every day, troops make announcements through loudspeakers for the militants to "surrender now or die". To the trapped civilians, they offer help to get out of the conflict area.Authorities say they believe the militants are running out of supplies and ammunition, but they say there is no deadline to retake the city.Tampus, the officer, said when troops reinforcements come into Marawi, they are initially apprehensive because of the high death toll."But once they are here, the discipline kicks in and they are focused," he said.(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
THE FRAUD EX PRESIDENT ISLAMIC-QURANIC SUNNI-ARAB-MUSLIM OBAMA IS BACK ON THE MOUTH PIECE CIRCUIT.
Obama pushes tolerance, respect in childhood home Jakarta-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Following another week of dust-ups between the media and President Donald Trump, his predecessor shared a bit of wisdom Saturday from the other side of the world about tolerance and taking the daily news cycle in stride."I wasn't worried about what was in the newspapers today," former President Barack Obama said during a nostalgic visit to Indonesia's capital, his childhood home. "What I was worried about was, 'What are they going to write about me 20 years from now when I look back?'"Obama was greeted by a crowd of thousands, including leaders, students and businesspeople, in Jakarta, where he opened the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora. He is wildly popular in Indonesia, where many view him as an adopted son. A statue of the boy still remembered as "Barry" stands outside his old elementary school.He reminisced about moving to Jakarta in 1967 when he was just 6 years old, shouting, "Indonesia bagian dari diri!" — or "Indonesia is part of me!" He said he had been gorging on the local food since arriving."If the rainy season came, the floods were coming and we had to clean out the floors in our house and then chase the chickens because they had gone someplace else," he said to roaring laughter. "Today, Jakarta is a thriving centre of commerce marked by highways and high-rises. So much has changed, so much progress has been made."Obama lived in the country with his mother, an anthropologist, and his Indonesian stepfather. The couple split up after having his half-sister, and Obama moved back to Hawaii when he was 10 to live with his grandparents. But he said he has never forgotten the years he spent in Indonesia."My time here made me cherish respect for people's differences," he said, noting how he and his family had just visited two of the most treasured ancient temples — Borobudur, a Buddhist complex, and the Hindu compound of Prambanan — in the world's most populous Muslim country.The speech came on the final leg of Obama's 10-day vacation in Indonesia. In addition to visiting the temples in the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, he and his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Sasha and Malia, also went rafting and toured the resort island of Bali. On Friday, he met Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the grand Bogor Palace in West Java, just outside Jakarta.Obama largely stayed away from U.S. politics and the Trump administration, but he did tout one of his accomplishments while in office."In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history about climate change, an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership, can still give our children a fighting chance" he said.Trump shocked many countries last month by announcing he was pulling out of the accord. He has also had a difficult relationship with members of the press and was recently condemned by Democrats and Republicans for a tweet that attacked a female MSNBC host.Obama stressed the importance of stepping away from news sites where only like-minded views are shared, and warned about social media giving rise to resentment of minorities and bad treatment of people.The Indonesian visit marked Obama's first trip to Asia since leaving office. He urged the country to be a light of democracy and to never stop embracing differences. It has faced a rise in Islamic radicalism, anti-gay attacks and was recently condemned by rights groups for jailing Jakarta's former governor, an ethnic Chinese Christian, for blasphemy."The spirit of this country has to be one of tolerance. It's enshrined in Indonesia's constitution, it's symbolized by mosques and temples and churches beside each other," Obama said. "That spirit is one of the defining things about Indonesia. It is one of the most important characteristics to set as an example for other Muslim countries around the world."Margie Mason, The Associated Press.
Three car bombs target Damascus, 20 killed-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
BEIRUT/DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 20 people in Damascus on Sunday and wounded dozens more, the Syrian foreign ministry said, the first such bombing in the Syrian capital since a series of jihadist suicide attacks in March.The authorities said it was one of three car bombs that were meant to be blown up in crowded areas of the capital on Sunday, the first day back to work from the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Security forces pursued and destroyed the other two.Officials said the bombers had been prevented from reaching their intended targets, otherwise the casualty toll would have been higher.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Damascus was hit by two separate, multiple suicide bomb attacks in March, one of them claimed by Islamic State and the other by the Islamist insurgent alliance Tahrir al-Sham.In a letter to the U.N. secretary general and the head of the security council, the foreign ministry said the blast that killed 20 people in the Bab Touma area near the Old City had also wounded dozens of women and children.State media said the bomber had been spotted and pursued by the security forces and set off the bomb after he had been encircled in the area.Damascus has enjoyed relative security in recent years even as the six-year-long civil war has raged on in nearby areas.Footage broadcast by state TV from the blast that caused the fatalities near the Old City showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.Footage from another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.On March 15, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.On March 11, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.A rebel group accused the army of using chlorine gas in the fighting on Saturday. The army denied the claim as fabrications.(Reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Firas Makdesi and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)
Syrian President Bashar Assad will be face of new bank note-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
BEIRUT — A new 2,000 Syrian Lira ($3.9) bank note with the face of President Bashar Assad will go into circulation Sunday, the Syrian Central Bank announced.The notes are the first time Syria will depict President Bashar Assad on its currency since he took office 17 years ago.Assad's face appears on the new banknotes at a time when his government is boasting military successes against the armed rebellion across the country. The currency previously only carried images of historic icons or pictures of his father, Hafez Assad.Central Bank Governor Duraid Durgham said the new bank notes will go into circulation starting Sunday "due to the wear and tear" affecting currency currently in circulation.Syria's currency has crashed as the country's seven-year-long war rages on. Trading at 47 liras to the dollar in 2011, it's currently going for 517 liras to the dollar.Inflation has also soared, reaching an all-time high in 2013, at over 120 per cent . Estimates in 2016 put the inflation rate at 50 per cent .Sarah El Deeb, The Associated Press.
Iraqis prepare to celebrate Mosul victory blocks away from raging battles-[Reuters]-By Khaled al-Ramahi and Stephen Kalin-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
MOSUL/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqis prepared on Sunday to celebrate an expected victory over Islamic State in Mosul, just blocks away from battles raging in the last few districts where the militants are dug in.Troops tied white banners and Iraqi flags to lamp posts and damaged buildings including the Hadba minaret, which the jihadists blew up in June along with the adjoining Grand al-Nuri Mosque, as air strikes and mortars rained down nearby.It was from al-Nuri's pulpit that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate three years ago.Authorities are planning a week of nationwide celebrations, according to a government statement, and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is expected to visit Mosul to formally declare victory.Mosul's fall would mark the effective end of the Iraqi half of the caliphate which Islamic State declared three years ago in parts of Iraq and Syria. The group still controls territory west and south of Mosul, where tens of thousands of civilians live.Soldiers from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) retook the Makawi district of Mosul's Old City on Sunday, a military statement said, a few blocks from the western banks of the Tigris. Reaching the river will give Iraqi forces control over the entire city and is expected by the end of this week.A U.S.-led international coalition is providing air and ground support to the offensive, which Iraq's army and militarized police are also fighting in a multi-pronged attack.Federal police chief Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat said his forces had completed their mission in southern parts of the Old City on Saturday and those areas still needed to be cleared of explosives and corpses from two weeks of fighting."Unfortunately until now there are families besieged and there are many discarded enemy corpses, and unfortunately many civilians have been martyred, so we must remove them," he told Reuters in western Mosul."The areas must be cleared of bombs. We must make the areas safe so that civilians can return."Nearly nine months of grinding urban warfare have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city's pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organizations.Thousands of residents are believed to be trapped in the Old City with little food, water, medicine and no access to health services, according to those who managed to flee.After CTS units captured the al-Nuri mosque complex on Thursday, Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's caliphate, which he called "a state of falsehood".Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and is believed to be hiding on the Iraq-Syrian border, according to U.S. and Iraqi military sources.The group has moved its remaining command and control structures to Mayadin, in eastern Syria, U.S. intelligence sources said last month, without indicating if Baghdadi was also hiding in the same area.Baghdadi has often been reported killed or wounded. Russia said on June 17 its forces might have killed him in an air strike in Syria. But Washington says it has no information to corroborate such reports and Iraqi officials are also skeptical.(Additional reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Britain says 181 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests after London fire-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
LONDON (Reuters) - Some 181 high-rise buildings have failed safety tests carried out after a fire that killed at least 80 people in London last month, the British government said on Sunday.Officials are conducting tests on some 600 high-rise buildings across England after fire ravaged the Grenfell tower block in west London on June 14.The Department for Communities said in a statement that the cladding from 181 high-rise buildings in 51 local authority areas had failed tests.(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Officials go through final preparations for Canada Day event in Ottawa-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 30, 2017
OTTAWA — Jessica Mellor was doing her best Friday to catch her son, Lincoln, running — as toddlers often do — towards a security gate around the main Canada Day stage on Parliament Hill.It was a tranquil moment as the family braced for the hoopla of Saturday, when half a million people are expected to gather in the shadow of the Centre Block to mark Canada's 150th anniversary — an unprecedented crowd, with logistical planning and security to match."We've been meaning to come up for Canada Day our whole lives, basically, and never really got around to it," said Lincoln's father, Kyle, whose son is named for Lincoln Alexander, Canada's first black member of Parliament and former Ontario lieutenant-governor."This year, 150, it's a bit of a pilgrimage to come up and just pay homage to everything that the nation has done for us."Officials have been working for months to prepare for this weekend's events, which the government has billed as the largest in the nation's history, between the hundreds of thousands who are expected to be in downtown Ottawa to the countless others massing in more than 2,000 communities across the country.On Friday, workers were putting the finishing touches on the towering main stage, where last-minute rehearsals were underway. Temporary fencing, barricades and bollards created security bottlenecks where visitors normally enjoy unfettered access to the grounds. Much of downtown Ottawa was closed to vehicles.At one point, officers were seen peering into and under the decorative planters lining the street; a security official was heard chiding staff for letting a group walk past without being checked — a group that turned out to be Environment Minister Catherine McKenna her staff."The hoops you have to go through, it's like a cattle shed here," Ottawa resident George Neville said of security."It seems extreme for a country like Canada."Kyle Mellor, meanwhile, described it as a comfort, one he was willing to put up with."It's always in the back of your mind, terrible things (that could happen), but you don't want that to stop you from doing your thing, then they win. It's reassuring to see the level of security that's down here."Tourists dressed in red or showcasing swag adorned with the Maple Leaf snapped pictures and laughed as heavily armed police manned security checkpoints nearby.Saturday's itinerary includes appearances by the Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U2 band members Bono and The Edge. And while Heritage Minister Melanie Joly called the preparations hectic, she said officials are more than ready."We want people to be able to celebrate and have fun and we want to showcase the best of Canada," she said. "That's exactly what we've been working for two years and now this is our big moment."The weather, however, may have other ideas.Environment Canada's forecast for Saturday includes rain in the morning and the risk of thunderstorms later in the day and into the evening, which could put a damper on plans for what has been billed as a spectacular 20-minute fireworks extravaganza.Only lightning or severe rain would push pause on the Parliament Hill show, Joly said; officials will adapt Saturday's festivities according to the weather.Not far from the main stage Friday, visitors to Parliament Hill gathered around a teepee set up by a group of indigenous activists to highlight some of the darker chapters in the country's history.The Bawaating Water Protectors from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., arrived Wednesday night, but were stopped by police. Nine people were arrested but later released, and the structure was moved closer to the main stage — an exercise "reoccupation" to draw attention to the history of indigenous people.The Bawaating Water Protectors are just one of many indigenous groups planning demonstrations this weekend to draw attention to the fact that, for them, there is nothing to celebrate.Trudeau visited with the demonstrators Friday, later tweeting about the meeting to say the government would be a partner in the ongoing process to break free from colonial structures and give Indigenous Peoples a space to be heard in Ottawa.U.S. President Trump issued a statement Friday wishing Canada his best on its 150th birthday."The United States cherishes our relationship with Canada. Throughout the years, no two countries have formed a bond as unique as ours," the statement said."Canada and the United States have stood together steadfastly in times of peace and war, through prosperity and hardship. We are united by the world’s longest border, but —above all—by the shared values we together hold so highly."Jordan Press and Terry Pedwell, The Canadian Press.
Soggy grounds and sticky heat don't stop revellers at Canada 150 bash-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 2, 2017
OTTAWA — Paper Maple Leaf flags soaked by an early morning downpour quickly turned into makeshift fans to ward off sticky afternoon warmth Saturday as thousands of people squelched and squished their way around Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.The crowds for this year's Canada Day celebration may have been the biggest ever, and due to the especially tight security thousands of people had to wait in lines — often for hours — as they funnelled through security checkpoints to get to the party on the Hill.It prompted plenty of grumbling as would be revellers took to social media to vent their frustrations."I used to think standing quietly in orderly lines was what made this country great. I don’t know what to believe in anymore," tweeted Benjamin. Woo.Kim D. complained in a tweet that "Disorganized security lines caused 8 hr+ backlog," while some others said the ridiculously long wait had caused them to miss the show they'd come to see.About 25,000 people — a waterlogged rainbow coalition of rain slickers, ponchos and umbrellas — were on hand as the midday show wrapped up, but the downtown core teemed with celebrants throughout the day as the sun came out and crowds amassed anew in anticipation of the evening show.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was to return to host the second instalment, was on hand earlier Saturday alongside his family, as well as Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, for a series of performances that began with Buffy Sainte-Marie's rousing version of "Carry On."A single CF-18 streaked over the Centre Block, drowning out the final notes of O Canada, before the prime minister delivered a rousing, forceful and enthusiastic celebration of the unique power and resilience of the Canadian character."We don't aspire to be a melting pot," Trudeau told the cheering crowd."We know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity. Ours is a land of original peoples and of newcomers, and our greatest pride is that you can come here from anywhere in the world, build a good life and be part of our community."The week's celebrations have been tinged with the resentment and frustration of indigenous people chafing over the country's oppressive, colonial past — a sentiment symbolized by the teepee erected not far from the stage, and expressed overtly by protesters in Montreal.There, a small group marched through the city's Old Port to denounce what they called colonialist and racist policies, throwing coloured leaflets and chanting slogans as they made their way through a crowded tourist area, monitored by dozens of uniformed police officers."Our past is far from perfect," Trudeau acknowledged in Ottawa. "For centuries, Indigenous Peoples have been victims of oppression, from the time when the first explorers celebrated their discovery of the new world."He urged the crowd to acknowledge the country's history and to confront its reality."We must educate ourselves and dedicate our efforts to progress," he said. "It is a choice we make not because of what we did, or who we were, but because of who we are."The speech also included one monumental gaffe: as he recited the names of the provinces and territories, he seemed to overlook Alberta. Twitter and host Sandra Oh were among those who quickly called him out on the mistake.Realizing the error, Trudeau jumped on the front of the stage, called out, "I love you, Alberta," and blew a kiss, before sitting down and shaking his head. He apologized again later, citing the excitement of the occasion.U2 frontman Bono and guitarist the Edge took the stage after Trudeau, acknowledging the country's reputation for tolerance and consensus-building."This is your home, and we are grateful guests in it," said Bono, whose brief remarks alluded to the protectionist and confrontational policies of U.S. President Donald Trump."When others build walls, you open doors," he said before a stripped-down version of U2's 1991 hit, "One.""Where you lead, others follow, and that's the real reason the Edge and I are here today."Canada's decision to open its doors to her family is why Lorana Rios, 41, decided to come to Ottawa to celebrate Saturday. She arrived here from Mexico more than a decade ago, and the opportunities she's had make her grateful, she said."I want to celebrate living in Canada — it is a safe country," she said.The teepee on Parliament Hill had been a source of some tension earlier in the week, and while activists chanted and waved signs during Trudeau's speech, their encounters with the crowd at large were calm.At evening Canada Day festivities indigenous protesters booed Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as they appeared again on stage.But as the protesters chanted "shame, shame," they were drowned out by even louder cheers from the boisterous crowd.Regina resident Rhoderic Sia, 40, a red, flag-bedecked colander on his head, acknowledged their cause, as did several of the day's main speakers."Everybody has their own opinion," said Sia, who hails originally from the Philippines."I respect it, but we still have to respect what Canada is now. Coming from another country, being here is all about your freedom. You can have everything if you work hard."Sia had been planning his trip to Ottawa for two years, but was beaten to the celebratory punch Saturday by celebrations in Newfoundland and Labrador, where a boatload of 75 early risers set out on the North Atlantic to be among the first to welcome Canada Day.Kellie Loder of St. John's sang O Canada as the vessel pulled in front of Cape Spear. There was a moment of silence afterward to remember those who have fought and died in battle over the last 150 years.Prince Charles expressed his gratitude for Canada setting an example. "We should be clear and proud that we are celebrating a country that others look to as an example — an example of fairness and inclusion, of always striving to be better," he said. "Around the world, Canada is recognized as a champion of human rights, as a peacekeeper, as a responsible steward of the environment and natural resources, and as a consistent example of diversity and the power of inclusion."Even Donald Trump himself got into the spirit of the occasion, tweeting his congratulations on the occasion of Canada's birthday and acknowledging the prime minister by name, whom he described as his "newfound friend."Others marked the day by becoming newfound Canadians at dozens of citizenship ceremonies across the country, including one in Halifax where 53 people from more than 20 different countries celebrated Canada's 150th birthday by taking the oath of citizenship in Halifax.Back on Parliament Hill a cavalcade of musicians and other performers kept the massive crowd entertained until around midnight.Gordon Lightfoot received huge applause when he took the stage, and Prime Minister Trudeau, in his salute to the Canadian music icon, noted that Lightfoot had also performed 50 years earlier at Canada Day festivities in 1967 when the country was celebrating its 100th birthday.And when the entertainers finally left the stage, it was then time for the main act, as the skies above the Peace Tower exploded in a jaw dropping fireworks display that stamped the official exclamation mark on Canada's sesquicentennial celebration. Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press.
I'm a little embarrassed': Justin Trudeau forgets Alberta in Canada Day speech-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-July 1, 2017
Save the best for last? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a shoutout to every province and territory during Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill Saturday, except for one of them: Alberta."We may be of every colour and creed, from every corner of the world," Trudeau said."We may live in British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador. But we embrace that diversity while knowing in our hearts that we are all Canadians."Alberta was included in his prepared text, but didn't make the delivery in front of thousands of spectators at the Canada 150 celebration in Ottawa.Canadian actress Sandra Oh, who co-hosted the event, made note of the mistake after Trudeau left the stage.A short time later, before introducing Canada's two new astronauts, Trudeau tried to make right with the province that slipped his mind."Let me just start by saying I'm a little embarrassed, I got excited somewhere over the Rockies," he said."Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day."He followed up with an apologetic tweet later in the afternoon.Some, like Alberta Wildrose Leader Brian Jean, weren't quick to let the prime minister live down the lapse.Trudeau's speech celebrated Canada's diversity and values, but also acknowledged its failures — particularly in its oppression of Indigenous people.He acknowledged Canada's history spans much longer than 150 years, and said reconciliation is a journey that will demand dedication and hard work from Canadians."As a society, we must therefore recognize past mistakes, accept our responsibilities and take action to ensure that each and every Canadian has a bright future," he said."It is a choice we make, not because of what we did, or what we were, but because of who we are."
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