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)
AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)
IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)
ISAIAH 34:10
10 It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30 The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
31 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32 And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)
COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AMERICA)
REVELATION 18:3-6,19-21
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,(U.S.A) and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,(U.S.A) and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,(AMERICA) my people,(CHRISTIANS,JEWS) that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her (AMERICA-NEW YORK) even as she rewarded you,(WITH FALSE FLAG TERRORISM) and double unto her double according to her works:(DOUBLE-EMP 1ST,THEN RUSSIA NUKE ATTACKS U.S.A) in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.(PROBABLY A RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACK WILL SET THE WHOLE SITUATION UP AS RUSSIA HACKS THE USA ARMY COMPUTERS.THEN THE EMP,THEN THE NUKE ATTACK)
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Despite Russia rhetoric, Tories rejected permanent bases for troops in Europe-By Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - Despite its relentless rhetoric against Russia, the former Conservative government quietly set clear, consistent limits on its support for NATO as the alliance sought to reassure jittery eastern European countries after the annexation of Crimea, newly released documents reveal.A May 27, 2014 directive authorizing the military to conduct a wide range of operations in Europe explicitly ruled out a return to Cold War-style permanent bases and instead committed the country to establishing a presence through the rotation of troops, jets and warships on a six month basis.Now in Opposition, the Conservatives have been quick to criticize the Liberals for setting limits and re-orienting the country's combat mission against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, defence experts say.The restraints for Operation Reassurance in eastern Europe were laid out in the 26-page directive, obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information legislation. They paint in the clearest terms yet how disconnected the Harper government's "soaring rhetoric" was from the reality of what it was prepared to do in concert with allies, the analysts say.During his last year in office, Stephen Harper faced criticism for talking tough on the threats posed by Vladimir Putin's regime in Ukraine as well as the Islamic State, while at the same time cutting defence spending.There are several lessons for Justin Trudeau's new government, says Dave Perry, of the Global Affairs Institute.The constant beating of the drum by the Conservative government created out-sized expectations among allies and friends, such as Ukraine — relationships that will need mending and tending in the coming year, he said."If the new government can more closely align its descriptions of what it thinks should happen in the world with the actual resources, it will be doing our international policy a good service," said Perry.The army was ordered to create a "persistent presence in Europe" by making available a single company of soldiers — roughly 150 people — who would rotate in and out the region for exercises, said the directive signed by now-retired general Tom Lawson, the former chief of defence staff.It also allotted six CF-18 fighter-bombers on a regular basis and unspecified number of "naval platforms."Canada has kept a frigate on duty with NATO's standing task force and fighters have participated in an air-policing mission over the Baltic States.At the height of the Afghan war, Canada was deploying up to 3,000 troops, aircrew and headquarters personnel for six-to-nine-month rotations and Perry says the Conservatives could have easily committed a bigger force to NATO, had they chosen to do so."I don't think there is anyone who would expect Canada to single-handedly solve all of the world's problems, but the mismatch between what we were saying and the actual contributions wasn't helpful," said Perry. "Ultimately, we were not as effective an actor on the international stage as we could have been."Trudeau's government faced criticism in the House of Commons this week for planning to withdraw CF-18 warplanes from the fight against the Islamic State at the same time other allies are ramping up their contributions to the air campaign against extremists.George Petrolekas, of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, says it's pretty hard — at this point — to criticize the Liberals when they haven't presented a plan as to what the new mission will look like.
Officials from around the Gulf arrive in Saudi Arabia to begin regional security meeting-By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Royalty and officials from around the Gulf have arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet on regional security issues.The two-day summit began Wednesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi state television showed dignitaries from around the Gulf meeting with Saudi King Salman after arriving at the capital's international airport.Also on hand to meet the Gulf leaders was the king's son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as the kingdom's defence minister. Interior Minister and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the king's nephew, also was there.The meeting comes as a Saudi-led coalition battles a Shiite rebel group in Yemen and amid concerns about the deal between Iran and world powers over the Islamic Republic's contested nuclear program.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
China military paying 'close attention' to U.S. plane deployment-Reuters – DEC 9,15-YAHOO NEWS
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military is paying "close attention" to an agreement between the United States and Singapore to deploy the U.S. P8 Poseidon spy plane to the city state and hopes the move does not harm regional stability, the Defence Ministry said."We are paying close attention to how the relevant situation develops, and hope bilateral defense cooperation between the relevant countries is beneficial to regional peace and stability and not the opposite," the ministry said in a brief statement late on Tuesday.The foreign ministry of China, which is at odds with Washington over the South China Sea, said on Tuesday the move was aimed at militarizing the region.In a joint statement after a meeting in Washington on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen welcomed the deployment of the aircraft in Singapore from Dec. 7 to 14.A U.S. defense official said further deployments in Singapore could be expected.Ng told a seminar in Washington on Wednesday that Singapore had agreed the P8 deployment would be "rotational" and said it added further "substance" to Washington's assurances that it would continue to act as a stabilizing force in Asia.China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.The United States already operates P8s from Japan and the Philippines, and has conducted surveillance flights from Singapore's neighbor, Malaysia. Washington has criticized China's building of artificial islands in the South China Sea's disputed Spratly archipelago, and has conducted sea and air patrols near them.Last month, U.S. B-52 bombers flew near some of China's artificial islands and at the end of October a U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of them.In May, the Chinese navy issued eight warnings to the crew of a U.S. P8 that flew near the islands, according to CNN, which had reporters on the aircraft.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; editing by Stephen Coates and Grant McCool)
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
AMOS 1:5
5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden:(IRAQ) and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir,(JORDAN) saith the LORD.(I belive ISIS-DAMASCUS GET NUKED BY ISRAEL)
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN DAMASCUS)
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they (MUSLIMS) have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, PALESTINIANS,JORDAN) and the Hagarenes;(EGYPT)
7 Gebal,(HEZZBALLOH,LEBANON) and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA,ARABS,SINAI) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
JEREMIAH 47:1-7
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines,(PALESTINIAN/ARABS) before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north,(NORTHERN TSUNAMI POSSIBLY) and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses,(ISRAELS ARMY) at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;(ISRAEL POSSIBLY NUKES GAZA)
4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines,(PALESTINIAN FAKE ARABS) and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.
5 Baldness is come upon Gaza;(NUKED POSSIBLY) Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?
6 O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
7 How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? (MEDITTERANEAN SEA) there hath he appointed it.
Canadian politicians condemn Donald Trump for plan to stop Muslims from entering U.S.CBC – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
Canadian politicians have given a thumbs down to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his pitch to ban Muslims from travelling to the U.S.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said someone in his position should not comment on the domestic politics of another country, especially when an election race is underway. But he said Canadians know exactly where he stands on these issues."I talked about it repeatedly in the election campaign, and Canadians soundly rejected the politics of fear and division," he said.Trump, a billionaire businessman who has emerged as the front-runner in the Republican presidential nomination race, called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."The incendiary remark sparked outrage around the world, especially among Muslims, and in Toronto and Vancouver there were calls to remove Trump's name from office towers.Trump's remarks 'ridiculous'-Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose dismissed the comments as "ridiculous.""It's up to the people of the United States to choose who their leader is or up to people in his party, but I'm sure by and large even people in his party think his comments are ridiculous," she said.Trump has frequently been condemned for his comments about women and religious and ethnic minorities throughout his campaign, and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair suggested it might be time to turn the table."I say we should limit access to Canada for people who are spouting hatred, and we should make sure Donald Trump stays out of Canada," he said.Maryam Monsef, the minister of democratic institutions, said Trump's comments make her even more proud and grateful to live in a country like Canada."As a Muslim, as a woman, as a Canadian, as a young person, every time someone makes a comment that is exclusionary and prejudiced, it is disappointing and somewhat unnerving," she said.
Under truce deal, Syrian rebels start pullout from last opposition-held district in Homs city-By Albert Aji, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
HOMS, Syria - Hundreds of Syrian civilians and rebels began pulling out of the last opposition-held neighbourhood of the city of Homs on Wednesday as part of a local deal with government forces that would return the entire central city to government control.A few thousand insurgents have been holed up in Waer district, which government forces had blockaded for nearly three years, only sporadically allowing in food.The governor of Homs, Talal Barazzi, told The Associated Press on the outskirts of Waer that 272 gunmen and 447 civilians left the district on Wednesday in an evacuation process that was presided over by the United Nations.Once the evacuation is completed, the city of Homs, once dubbed as "the capital of the revolution," will fully return to government control.The deal is similar to one struck in May 2014 in Homs' Old City. There, the government assumed control of the quarter after about 2,000 rebels were granted safe passage to opposition areas north of Homs. The area was destroyed and thousands of civilians were killed or forced to flee, and rebels surrendered only after they were starved and outgunned.Still, officials hope that such local deals can be replicated across Syria to create pockets of peace and a climate conducive to peace talks. The international community is making its most serious push yet for a cease-fire and negotiations to end the Syrian conflict that began in 2011.In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Syrian opposition groups and rebel factions opened a meeting on Wednesday with the aim of forming a unified front ahead of the proposed peace talks with representatives of Assad's government.A peace plan agreed to last month by 20 nations meeting in Vienna set a Jan. 1 deadline for the start of negotiations between Assad's government and opposition groups.U.N. and Red Crescent officials were on hand on the outskirts of Waer Wednesday to oversee implementation of the deal, which saw the gunmen and some of their families transported to areas further north in Hama and Idlib province. The insurgents included members of the al-Qaida branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, and an array of extremist and more moderate rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.Also, several wounded civilians were loaded into ambulances waiting just outside the district. Journalists were not allowed to approach the civilians and gunmen as they left Waer. An AP crew saw gunmen getting into buses, their faces covered with scarves to avoid identification. The bus windows were covered with curtains, but several of the gunmen, some of them with light beards, could be seen peeking from behind them. Several gave the thumbs-up sign.In one of the blue civilian buses, a man grinned and waved from his window seat, while a little girl in the seat behind waved. At least one person with a missing leg was seen walking on crutches and assisted by paramedics into a waiting bus.The convoy of at least 10 white buses carrying civilians and seven green buses carrying gunmen then left Waer. A U.N. vehicle and Syrian army pickup truck mounted with a machinegun drove in between each bus carrying civilians, while U.N. and Red Crescent vehicles bracketed each bus carrying rebel fighters."With this agreement, Homs will now be a safe place free of weapons and gunmen," said Barazzi, the Homs governor.The truce deal also stipulates that the government in Damascus release an unspecified number of prisoners from Syrian jails, in addition to the release of some civilians and militants who were kidnapped by the gunmen in Waer.Meanwhile, Turkey's prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Russia of attempting "ethnic cleansing" through its air campaign in northern Syria.He told a group of foreign reporters in Istanbul on Wednesday that Russia's operations have targeted Turkmen and Sunni communities around the Latakia region.Davutoglu also renewed a call for the creation of a safe zone in Syria "so that new waves (of refugees) will not come." Turkish-Russian tensions have escalated since Turkey downed a Russian warplane near the Syrian border last month. Turkey says the fighter jet violated its airspace ignoring repeated warnings. Russia denies the claim.___Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
British government official says no plans to ban Trump over Muslim remarks-By Jill Lawless, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
LONDON - Britain has no plans to ban Donald Trump over his comments about Muslims despite a growing number of calls for his exclusion, the country's Treasury chief said Wednesday.British politicians have condemned Trump's proposal for all Muslims to be barred from entering the U.S. in the wake of violence by Islamic extremists, and official bodies in Britain distanced themselves from the Republican presidential nomination hopeful.A university revoked his honorary degree Wednesday, and the Scottish government dumped Trump as an unpaid business ambassador.Some Britons say the remarks amount to hate speech and have called for Trump to be barred from the U.K., where he owns a Scottish golf course. An online petition has surpassed the 100,000-signature threshold that means a committee of lawmakers must consider it for debate in Parliament.Finance minister George Osborne told lawmakers that Trump's "nonsense" views "fly in the face of the founding principles of the United States." But he said it would be wrong to "ban presidential candidates."Answering questions in the House of Commons, Osborne said "the best way to confront the views of someone like Donald Trump is to engage in a robust democratic argument with him about why he is profoundly wrong."The government has the power to bar people considered a threat to public safety or national security, or those with criminal convictions. In the past the U.K. has denied entry to figures as diverse as boxer Mike Tyson, rapper Tyler the Creator, radical Muslim preachers and the late Christian fundamentalist Fred Phelps. Sr.Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland, said Wednesday it was withdrawing an honorary doctorate in business administration it awarded Trump in 2010. It said his recent statements "are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university."The Scottish government also revoked Trump's status as a business ambassador with the GlobalScot network, a group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland.The entrepreneur-turned-politician's mother was born in Scotland, and Trump has spoken of his affection for the country.
Israel applies lethal response to wave of Palestinian attacks-Reuters By Luke Baker-DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - By now, the news alerts are all too familiar: "Stabbing near Old City: Israeli wounded, attacker shot dead", read a recent bulletin. Another came by text message on Wednesday: "Stabbing attack: 2 wounded, one light, terrorist shot dead."Over the past 2-1/2 months, since a wave of violence by Palestinians targeting Israelis began on Oct. 1, 19 Israelis and a U.S. citizen have been killed in shootings, stabbings and car-rammings across Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank.It is the worst surge in violence many Israelis have experienced since the second Palestinian uprising, or intifada, ended a decade ago. This time, as security makes access to firearms difficult, attackers rely on knives and other blades. More than 200 Israelis have been wounded, many of them seriously, according to the Israeli Security Agency.Over the same period, 106 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, police or civilians either in the aftermath of attacks, on suspicion that they were about to carry out an attack or in related violence, according to a Reuters count and figures from the Palestinian Monitoring Group.The disparity in the number killed on each side - and the fact more than 13,500 Palestinians have been injured, including many in demonstrations, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry - has led to accusations by rights groups and others that Israel is using excessive force to quell the unrest.The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have all expressed concern, saying that while they recognize Israel's right to self-defense, restraint is necessary to ensure the violence does not escalate further.On Oct. 21, shortly after Jerusalem's mayor had urged Israelis with gun licenses to carry their weapons, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned about vigilantism."We urge everybody to exercise restraint and restrain from any kind of self-help in terms of the violence," he said.Kerry was vilified in Israel for his remarks, with commentators suggesting he was being soft on terrorism.But since then Sweden has gone further, with Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom referring to "extrajudicial executions".While her office said her comments to the Swedish parliament last week were misunderstood and "blown out of reasonable proportion", Wallstrom cited the discrepancy she saw between the number of Israelis and Palestinians killed."This is what I say in other situations where the response is such that it results in extrajudicial executions or is disproportionate in that the number of people killed on that side exceeds the original number of deaths many times over," she said, according to a transcript released to Reuters.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately called his Swedish counterpart to complain, accusing Wallstrom of applying a double standard since she had not said the same thing about the response to attacks in Paris or San Bernadino."This is the second time she refers to Israel and says things that are unacceptable to us and are not true," he said.-HIGH DEATH TOLL-In Israel, a country that has fought repeated wars and uprisings over its 67-year history, where most do military service and it is common to see people carrying weapons, any suggestion of excessive use of force is hotly rejected.Comparisons with London, where a man stabbed three people at a station last week and was subdued by police using a Taser gun, are dismissed out of hand, with defenders of Israel's response pointing out that it has faced months of daily stabbings and the political and security context is acutely different.Comparisons with other places gripped by unrest are difficult, but the numbers show a high percentage of people who carry out attacks are killed rather than detained.Data compiled by Israeli researcher Nehemia Gershuni-Aylho, using information from news reports, emergency responders, the police and others, shows that 74 of 123 Palestinian attackers have been shot dead since Oct. 1 - exactly 60 percent.The Israeli Foreign Ministry, using different sources and methodology, compiled data from the police, army and security services and broke the attacks down into two categories: short-range (stabbings, shootings and car-rammings) and longer-range (stone-throwing, fire bombings).It told Reuters that out of 127 close-range attacks, 61 assailants had been killed - 48 percent of the total. For longer-range violence, one in three assailants were killed."Claims of extrajudicial killings are totally wrong and mistaken and the figures demonstrate it," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, adding that Palestinian assailants are often treated in Israeli hospitals and brought to justice.From the Palestinian perspective, there is no question that Israel, which has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967 and limits Palestinians' movement throughout areas they want for a state, is carrying out extrajudicial killings."The majority of Palestinians are being shot and killed on the spot, whether they represent a threat or not," said Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi, adding that she believed the number of assailants killed was well above 60 percent."These killings are in most cases carried out by fully armed military or police," she told Reuters. "They are carrying out on-the-spot executions. They are extrajudicial and a crime."(Writing by Luke Baker; editing by Giles Elgood)
Furor in Israel as Trump to be hosted by Netanyahu after remarks on Muslims-By Ori Lewis and Dan Williams | Reuters – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli politicians of all persuasions called on Wednesday for a planned visit by U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump to be blocked over his call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, which has raised an international outcry.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement later saying he rejected the remarks but added that the visit, set two weeks ago, would go ahead as planned and did not indicate support for Trump.A government official said Netanyahu and Trump would meet on Dec. 28."The prime minister rejects the recent comments by Donald Trump with regard to Muslims. Israel respects all religions and diligently guards the rights of all its citizens," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.It added that the Israeli leader had determined a uniform policy towards meeting all U.S. presidential candidates from both parties who visit Israel."This policy does not reflect support for the candidates or for their platforms, rather, it expresses the importance that the prime minister ascribes to the strong alliance between Israel and the United States," the statement added.At least 37 mainly Israeli opposition legislators who make up almost a third of the 120-seat Knesset signed a letter to Netanyahu calling on him to cancel the meeting unless Trump withdraws his comments.Michal Rosin of the left-wing Meretz party, who initiated the letter, said that none of Netanyahu's Likud party had agreed to sign although some had disagreed strongly with Trump's words.Foreign notables generally get the red-carpet treatment in Israel. For those running for high office, this can mean more votes at home. With Israel and the United States being close allies, and Netanyahu widely seen as supportive of the Republicans against Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, Trump may hope his visit will bolster his foreign policy credentials ahead of the U.S. election in November 2016.Playing to U.S. fears about radical Islam after the California gun rampage, Trump has shrugged off outrage at home and abroad over his remarks, made after last week's mass shooting in California by two Muslims who police said had been radicalised.Trump said on Twitter that he was "very much looking forward" to visiting Israel by year's end.In the statement, Netanyahu repeated the need to fight militant Islam, saying that while guarding the rights of all its citizens "Israel is combating militant Islam, which attacks Muslims, Christians and Jews and threatens the entire world."Left- and right-wing Israeli politicians alike, as well as Israeli Arab lawmakers, condemned Trump's remarks and said he should be barred from visiting. Ahmad Tibi, a member of parliament from Israel's 20 percent Arab minority, said he had asked for the "neo-Nazi" not to be admitted to the Knesset.That call was echoed by Omer Bar-Lev of the main centre-left opposition party, the Zionist Union. "It is inappropriate for any Israeli official to meet (Trump) when he comes to visit," Bar-Lev said.-STRONG CRITICISM FROM NETANYAHU'S PARTY-The censure was joined by Likud officials. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a senior Likud lawmaker and Netanyahu confidant, described Trump's rhetoric on Muslims as harmful from an Israeli and U.S. standpoint."I recommend fighting terrorist and extremist Islam, but I would not declare a boycott of, ostracism against or war on Muslims in general," Steinitz told Israel's Army Radio."We in the state of Israel have many Muslim citizens who are loyal. On the contrary, the extremists and the terrorists should be distinguished from the loyal citizens, and in the United States, too, there are loyal Muslim citizens."Marc Zell, vice-president of Republicans Overseas and a party representative in Israel, also had harsh words for Trump."He is a demagogue. And we as Jews, and also as Israelis, know what a demagogue is, historically," Zell told Army Radio in a separate interview, saying he was voicing his own opinion rather than a formal Republican position."The Republican party has a long list of candidates worthy of the presidency, and we have to change the leadership in the White House, which has caused a lot of damage, but Donald Trump is not the answer," Zell said.There was no word whether Trump would also meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who was visiting Washington and scheduled to meet Obama on Wednesday.White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump's comments disqualified him from being president and said other Republican candidates should disavow him "right now".The prime ministers of France and Britain, Canada's foreign minister, the United Nations and Muslims in Asian countries have also denounced Trump's comments.Over 150,000 Britons have signed an online petition to ban Trump from Britain, but finance minister George Osborne opposed this, saying it would better to engage Trump in democratic debate "about why he is profoundly wrong about the contribution of American Muslims and indeed British Muslims".(Additional reporting by William James and Kate Holton in London, Emily Stephenson and Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Syrian opposition seeks to close ranks as army gains on ground-By Angus McDowall | Reuters – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
RIYADH (Reuters) - Syria's fragmented opposition and rebel groups sought common ground on Wednesday ahead of planned negotiations to end a conflict which has devastated the country and drawn forces from Cold War and Middle East rivals into ever deeper combat operations.The talks in Saudi Arabia mark the most ambitious attempt yet to unify President Bashar al-Assad's enemies around a joint political platform - seen as a crucial first step to finding a peaceful end to four years of war and battling Islamic State.The powerful Kurdish YPG is among several groups excluded from the talks and those there are deeply divided over central issues like how to manage a transition from Assad and the role Islam should play in Syria.But two delegates found solace in what they described as a lack of any major rupture so far among those present."It went well. Very positive. We discussed many things. Tomorrow we will discuss a document of general principles," said one opposition member. The groups hoped to complete the talks on Thursday, but they may continue into Friday, he said.A member of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition said there had been broad agreement: "We discussed the main problems relating to the dialogue, the transition and all modalities related to the political process. Most of them agreed."More than 100 delegates were invited to the Riyadh meeting, including from the Islamist insurgent group Ahrar al-Sham, founded by militants with al Qaeda links, as well as opposition figures who have been based in government-controlled Damascus.While most agree on a call for Assad to go, despite signs that some Western backers have softened their demands after recognizing that military force has failed to topple the president, rifts in opposition ranks are still clear.Before the talks opened on Wednesday, Ahrar al-Sham complained that some delegates were "closer to ... the regime" than the opposition. One activist in exile declined to attend alongside those who "support an Islamic emirate" in Syria.International efforts to resolve the conflict which has killed 250,000 people and displaced 12 million have been lent added urgency by a wave of deadly attacks across the world claimed by the Iraq- and Syria-based Islamic State and by an escalating refugee flow which has caused a crisis in Europe.Major powers agreed in Vienna last month to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war, calling for peace talks to start by January 1.That prompted Saudi Arabia, which projects itself as a leader of the Middle East's Sunni Muslims, to summon the mainly Sunni opposition and rebel groups. The move angered rival Shi'ite Iran which said the initiative threatened to harm the Vienna process.The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, whose country is also a major supporter of the Syrian rebels, said the Riyadh meeting represented a "golden opportunity (for the Syrian opposition) to unify their ranks and coordinate their steps beyond setting up a negotiating team".-ARMY ADVANCES-Intensified diplomacy has been accompanied by greater military intervention by foreign powers.Russia has carried out 10 weeks of air strikes, halting rebel gains, and Iran has also given Assad military support and said ousting Assad would be a "red line" for Tehran.Western powers have stepped up attacks on Islamic State while Saudi Arabia, which backs the rebels, says an expanded military option remains open.Last month NATO member Turkey shot down a Russian plane it said flew into its air space, highlighting the danger that Syria's multi-faceted war could spark yet wider conflict.Russia's air campaign has helped the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah fighters and the Iranian military, to halt a rebel advance over the summer which had threatened Assad's control over the main population centers in western Syria.Russian air strikes, while containing rebel advances, have not decisively tipped the war in Assad's favor.On Wednesday, scores of people left the last area held by insurgents in the city of Homs, a center of the uprising against Assad which broke out in March 2011. About 750 people are expected to leave the Waer district under a local truce between the government and rebels.Further north, Syrian government troops backed by Iranian forces have edged closer to a major rebel-controlled highway near Aleppo. They appeared to be trying to cut the main Aleppo-Damascus highway that fighters use to transport supplies from rebel-held Idlib province to the north.For Saudi Arabia, which has been fighting since March in neighboring Yemen, Syria has been a secondary battlefield in its regional struggle for influence with Iran. But the kingdom still views the Syrian civil war as central to that rivalry.Ahrar al-Sham said the Riyadh meeting, which opened at a luxury hotel amid high security, must stand by demands including "the complete cleansing of the Russian-Iranian occupation of Syrian land, and the sectarian militias which support it".-" OVERTHROW OF ASSAD"-It called for the "overthrow of the Assad regime with all its pillars and symbols" and putting its members on trial.Syrian security and military institutions must also be dissolved it said, putting it at odds with world powers which agreed in Vienna last month that state institutions be kept intact in any transition of power.Other rebel factions at the Saudi talks include the powerful Islamist force Islam Army, and a dozen groups which describe themselves as elements of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).The head of one FSA armed group said the first day of talks was focused on discussing opposition demands and drafting a concluding statement. "The principles are the unity of Syrian land, the civilian nature of the state, and the unity of the Syrian people," he said. Ahrar al-Sham said Syria's "Islamic identity" should be maintained.Hadi al-Bahra, a senior member of the opposition National Coalition, said there was a positive atmosphere and "no differences among the delegates" so far. "Everyone senses the importance and sensitivity of this stage", he tweeted.Although scores of people were asked to attend, the Kurdish administration that runs swathes of north Syria was not invited.Rebels in western Syria do not trust the main Kurdish militia, the YPG, because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it.Delegates said there was some Kurdish representation, but a Western diplomat who follows Syria said this week the meeting had not brought together as many Syrian factions as hoped."It is not all-encompassing. It is not the consolidated, overall opposition platform," the diplomat said.(Additional reporting by Tom Perry and Sylvia Westall in Beirut; Writing by Dominic Evans, editing by Sami Aboudi, Peter Millership and Philippa Fletcher)
Greece moves stranded migrants to Athens from tense border-By Alexandros Avramidis | Reuters – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
IDOMENI, Greece (Reuters) - Greek police rounded up some 2,300 migrants who had been stranded for three weeks at the border with Macedonia and transported them to Athens on Wednesday, dashing their hopes of seeking asylum in northern Europe.Scuffles broke out but not on the scale of recent clashes between police and the migrants, who are mostly from Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria and Somalia. They have been encamped in squalid, freezing conditions near the town of Idomeni after Macedonia began filtering migrants by nationality on Nov. 19.Some 350 police were involved in transferring them, out of sight of media cameras, on 45 buses to an indoor sports stadium in Athens used for taekwondo during the 2004 Olympic Games and to disused premises at the former Athens airport of Hellinikon.A police official said the migrants had been given 30 days to leave the country but were not in detention. If they are caught in Greece after the deadline expires, they will be arrested and deported.However several of their home states do not have readmission agreements with Greece. Last week Pakistan refused to take back some migrants flown home from Athens by the EU border agency Frontex.At Idomeni, some 30 men initially resisted being herded onto the buses and were taken to a police station near the border but were later put on Athens-bound buses as well.At least three foreign journalists and photographers were briefly detained to prevent them watching the police operation, a Reuters photographer said.Police said in a statement the journalists had been kept away "to protect them from any possible violence, tension or threatening and aggressive behaviour".At the other end of the country, 12 migrants drowned when their boat sank off the small Greek island of Farmakonisi, close to Turkey, in the early hours of Wednesday, a coastguard official said, while 26 were rescued and 12 more were missing.The U.N. refugee agency said those rescued included a seven-year-old child whose parents were both missing. Six other children were among those who drowned.-PERILOUS CROSSING-Migrants continue to attempt the perilous crossing despite the onset of winter weather, mounting obstacles in Europe and increased efforts by Turkey to crack down on people smugglers.Hundreds of thousands of people have streamed into Europe this year, mostly through Greece. Balkan states began blocking passage last month to all but Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, who are considered as refugees because they are fleeing war zones.Some of those stranded near Idomeni began hunger strikes and a handful sewed their lips shut to dramatise their demands. A Moroccan was electrocuted to death last week on a railway line which migrants had been blocking. Another was seriously burned when he climbed on top of a train to try to cross the border.Macedonia has erected a metal fence to keep unwanted migrants out and plans to extend it to cover more than 40 km (25 miles) of the border.More than 600,000 people have arrived in Greece this year, making the short but perilous journey by boat or rubber dinghy from Turkey to outlying islands. Thousands more have drowned.Turkey has vowed to do more to stop the flow after signing a deal with the European Union on Nov. 29 under which it will receive 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in aid to improve conditions for the 2.2 million Syrians Ankara has been hosting.(Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Writing by Paul Taylor and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The Latest: UN: Nearly 770,000 people reach Greek islands this year, over 200 drown en route-By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
ATHENS, Greece - The Latest in the influx of people into Europe. All times local:-7:20 p.m.The U.N. refugee agency says nearly 770,000 asylum-seekers have entered Greece so far this year on their long trek toward a better life in wealthier European Union countries and said more than 200 have drowned en route.UNHCR data released Wednesday said 58 per cent of the 768,916 people arriving in Greece were men, 26 per cent children and 16 per cent women. Some 60 per cent said they were Syrians.Nearly all arrived on Greece's eastern Aegean sea islands after paying smuggling gangs in Turkey for a berth in flimsy, overcrowded boats. An average of 3,800 people a day have been making landfall this month, compared to 4,560 in November.The UNHCR listed the total number of Greek Aegean drowning deaths by Tuesday at 217, with another 126 people listed as missing. Another 12 people drowned Wednesday in the Aegean as a smuggling boat sank, and 12 other passengers on it are missing.___1:45 p.m.The German government plans to issue a new identity document to migrants arriving in the country amid efforts to improve management of the influx.Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Wednesday presented the paper photo ID, which authorities plan to issue to newcomers from February. Migrants will need the "arrival ID" to claim asylum-seeker benefits and conduct asylum proceedings.De Maiziere said the ID will enable authorities to keep better tabs on where asylum-seekers are and where services are needed.The government says some 965,000 people were registered as asylum-seekers in Germany between January and the end of November, though the process has been chaotic at times.___11:55 a.m.Greek riot police have removed hundreds of protesting migrants from a border crossing to Macedonia, which is denying them entry, deeming them to be economic migrants and not refugees.The protest had severed a key Greek freight train link with northern Europe for three weeks, and also periodically prevented refugees that Macedonia will accept from crossing the border. The services are now expected to restart soon.Buses carrying about 650 people, including many from Iran and Morocco, are heading south from the Idomeni border crossing, which police sealed off earlier to remove the migrants. Escorted by police motorcyclists and patrol cars, the buses were expected later Wednesday in Athens, where authorities have set up shelters and will encourage the migrants to make asylum applications in Greece.Police said 10 migrants were detained for resisting their transfer to the buses. Journalists and photographers were also briefly detained, despite obeying police instructions to keep away from certain areas.Macedonia only allows migrants from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq through in their long trek north to wealthier European countries. Protesters from other countries say they, too, merit refugee status as they face persecution at home.___11:30 a.m.Greece's coast guards say they have recovered one more body, that of a child, from the eastern Aegean, bringing the death toll from the sinking of a boat carrying dozens of migrants from Turkey to Greece to at least 12. Another 12 people are missing, while 26 have been rescued.The wooden boat was believed to have been carrying about 50 people when it began taking on water near the Greek islet of Farmakonissi early Wednesday. Coast guard and navy vessels, a helicopter and a vessel from the European border agency Frontex were searching the area for the missing. Greece is the main entry point for refugees and economic migrants seeking to enter the European Union. More than 700,000 people have entered the country so far this year, the vast majority then heading through the Balkans to the more prosperous European north.___9:40 a.m.Police in northern Greece have closed a border crossing with Macedonia and are stopping people from getting within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of it following a standoff with hundreds of people who have been denied entry.Authorities early Wednesday closed the area and briefly detained journalists and photographers at the perimeter. More than 200 riot police have been deployed to the border area at Idomeni following the standoff that has halted freight rail services from Greece to other European countries.The migrants have been stranded at the border for three weeks after authorities in Macedonia restricted access to citizens from countries normally granted political asylum, such as Syria and Iraq.Police said the migrants will be moved to Athens in buses.___9:10 a.m.Greek authorities say at least 11 people have died and 13 are missing after a boat carrying about 50 migrants sank in the eastern Aegean Sea.The coast guard said 26 people have been rescued alive. It said the accident occurred early Wednesday when a wooden boat carrying the migrants from Turkey sank near the islet of Farmakonissi.The dead were five children, four men and two women. Their nationalities were not immediately known.Greece is the main entry point for refugees and economic migrants seeking a better life in the European Union.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH IN NOAHS DAY(BECAUSE OF SIN,VIOLENCE AND GODLESS PEOPLE)
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.
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
DEUTORONOMY 28:22-24
22 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Chicago mayor says 'I'm sorry' for police problems-By Mary Wisniewski | Reuters – DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Mayor Rahm Emanuel, under heavy criticism for his handling of a police shooting that resulted in the death of a black teen, gave an emotional apology on Wednesday hours before angry street crowds demanded his resignation.In a special address to the City Council, the mayor said "I'm sorry" and promised "complete and total reform of the system."Emanuel's speech was met with applause from the City Council, but protesters said the city's actions do not go far enough.High-profile killings of black men by mainly white police officers in U.S. cities have prompted a national debate and protests about the use of excessive force by police.With his voice occasionally breaking, the mayor of the nation's third-largest city reiterated reform steps he has already promised. These include setting up a task force to review police accountability, the appointment of a new head of the agency that investigates police misconduct and searching for a new police superintendent.Among the systemic problems with police, Emanuel aimed particular criticism at the "code of silence" that keeps police officers from reporting misconduct by fellow officers. He also has criticized the agency that investigates police misconduct for finding almost all police shootings justified."We have a trust problem," Emanuel said.His speech comes after two weeks of protests in Chicago following the release of a 2014 police squad car dashboard video showing police officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times. Van Dyke, who is white, was charged with first-degree murder late last month.Protesters outside City Hall on Wednesday chanted "16 shots and a cover- up," and called for the resignation of Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who has been criticized for taking more than a year to charge Van Dyke. One activist was arrested.Said protester Rosemary Vega: "Today, we're here because we want to see Rahm resign."Another recently released video shows a man in custody being tasered by police.The U.S. Justice Department said on Monday it will launch a civil rights investigation into the city's police department, examining its use of force, including deadly force, among other issues.Also on Wednesday, a federal judge said he would rule by Jan. 14, 2016, on whether to release video in the shooting death of another black teen. The mother of Cedrick Chatman, 17, has sued the city over Chatman's death on Jan. 7, 2013. The city has opposed release of video in the case.(Additional reporting by Renita Young and Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
The Latest: Chicago protesters block main downtown avenue-Associated Press By The Associated Press-DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
CHICAGO (AP) — The latest developments in the city of Chicago's efforts to deal with fatal police shootings and police accountability (all times local):-2:40 p.m.A predominantly peaceful group of protesters has blocked Michigan Avenue hours after Mayor Rahm Emanuel's speech to the City Council on the Chicago Police Department.There was a small bit of pushing and shoving with officers on Wednesday afternoon as the protesters tried to get to one of downtown's main streets, but eventually police let them through. The protesters then formed a circle in the middle of the road, blocking traffic.Protesters also appeared to be headed for a bridge near the Magnificent Mile, which was the site of a Black Friday protest.Wednesday's march is the latest in several weeks of protests following the release of video showing a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times in October 2014.The video also led to the forced resignation of the city's police chief and multiple investigations, including a pending civil rights inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department.___12:30 p.m.Two alderman support Mayor Rahm Emanuel's address to the City Council, saying that the Laquan McDonald video was key to sparking calls for police reform.Alderman Anthony Beale said Wednesday he was sorry about what happened to McDonald, a black teenager who was shot 16 times and killed by a white police officer. He added that the video was a "game-changer" in the community and helped people understand "the frustration of what we are dealing with."Beale represents a large portion of Chicago's South Side.Alderman Leslie Hairston, whose ward also encompasses parts of the South Side, including the University of Chicago, backed Emanuel's comments about people being treated differently because of their skin color.She said she was "denied access" to the council's chamber Wednesday until she produced ID "even though my picture was on the wall." She said her white colleagues walked in without having to show ID.___11:45 a.m.Lawyers in a 2013 Chicago police shooting case say the city keeps fighting the release of video despite pledges of greater transparency.The comments followed a Wednesday hearing in a civil case brought by Cedrick Chatman's family. He was a suspect in a car theft when an officer fatally shot him.A judge will rule Jan. 14 on whether to order its release. City lawyers say its release will make a fair trial difficult.The quasi-independent review authority found the officer did nothing wrong.Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave a speech Wednesday on the crisis facing police following the release of a video of Laquan McDonald's 2014 shooting. The city fought its release for months before making it public on Nov. 24.Chatman family lawyer Brian Coffman says Emanuel's new refrain is transparency. If that's true, he says Emanuel should order the video's release.City lawyers didn't comment.___10 a.m.Mayor Rahm Emanuel says "no citizen is a second-class citizen in the city of Chicago."The mayor delivered a powerful, emotional address Wednesday to the City Council on the crisis of trust in policing as the city grapples with fallout from a video showing a white officer shooting a black teenager 16 times.Emanuel said that in addition to better community policing, Chicago must confront "underlying challenges of family, of poverty, of joblessness, or hopelessness."The mayor was near tears when he recalled a question from a young man who had had run-ins with the law. The mayor said he asked him, "Do you think the police would ever treat you the way they treat me?"The mayor said Chicago's police must patiently build relationships, sit with parents, sit with youths, listen and be mentors.___9:30 a.m.Mayor Rahm Emanuel says it's an unacceptable that there are parents in Chicago who feel they must warn their children to be wary of police officers.The embattled mayor addressed the City Council on Wednesday regarding the policing crisis that has led to a U.S. Department of Justice civil rights investigation.He said gun violence has become "normalized" as the city grapples with gang violence and how to reform a police force with a decades-old reputation for brutality.Emanuel says there is a "trust problem" between people and the police.He says the city and the police, in particular, "have a responsibility to win back the trust."___9:20 a.m.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has apologized for the 2014 killing of a black teenager who was shot 16 times by a white police officer.In a speech before the City Council, Emanuel said Wednesday that the police force needs "complete and total reform."Emanuel has been engulfed in a media firestorm since a video was released two weeks ago showing the 2014 death of Laquan McDonald. Officer Jason Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder.Emanuel also said that the reforms must go beyond the police department and that Chicago needs to "reset our values."___7:45 a.m.At least four different groups are planning protests throughout the day in and around Chicago's City Hall to draw attention to cases of alleged abuse by police officers. At least one group says it is demanding Mayor Rahm Emanuel's resignation.Emanuel will deliver an address Wednesday morning about the police department to a special City Council session.The release last month of a video showing the 2014 killing of a black teenager by a white police officer has set off weeks of largely peaceful protests and led to the dismissal of the city's police chief.The first of Wednesday's protests, by a group called the Coalition for a New Chicago, is planned for 8 a.m. inside City Hall.Less than an hour later, a group of Christian clergy plans to gather at an entrance to the building. Two other demonstrations are planned, at City Hall and in a nearby plaza.On Thursday, a 5 p.m. rally is planned by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression.___This story has been corrected to show that the 5 p.m. rally is planned for Thursday, not Wednesday.___1:00 a.m.Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called a special City Council meeting to give an address about Chicago's police department — the center of the biggest crisis of his administration.Wednesday morning's speech will come two days after U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced a Justice Department civil rights investigation to determine if there are patterns of racial disparity in the police department's use of force.Emanuel has been engulfed in a media firestorm since a video was released two weeks ago showing the killing of a black teenager by a white police officer who shot him 16 times. Since then, Emanuel has forced the police superintendent to resign, brought in a new head of an agency that investigates police shootings and fended off calls for his own resignation.Several groups have planned for protests Wednesday at City Hall and a nearby plaza.
Officer testifies in his own defense at Freddie Gray trial-Associated Press By JULIET LINDERMAN and DAVID DISHNEAU-DEC 9,15-YAHOONEWS
BALTIMORE (AP) — Officer William Porter was poised and calm as he testified in his own defense Wednesday, telling jurors that he didn't call an ambulance for Freddie Gray because the man was alert, appeared uninjured and didn't complain of any pain or wounds in the back of a police van.Instead, Gray only said "yes" when Porter offered to get him medical aid, the officer testified.Porter said he did tell his colleague, the van driver, to take Gray to the hospital after he said he needed medical attention during the van's fourth of six stops. The fourth stop is crucial in Porter's case because prosecutors say Gray was already injured by the time he arrived there, and Porter's failure to call a medic to the scene contributed the Gray's death. Prosecutors also say by not buckling Gray into a seat belt during that stop, Porter was criminally negligent. Defense attorneys say Gray suffered his injury later and that the officer did what any officer would do.As Porter spoke, jurors listened intently, some leaning forward and scribbling notes as he spoke.Porter, the first of six officers to go on trial, said he only realized Gray was hurt when the van reached the police station. Porter said Gray was unresponsive "with mucus around his nose and mouth." Porter said he called Gray's name — as he'd done at previous stops, which elicited responses — but this time Gray was silent. Porter told jurors the experience was "a very traumatic thing for me."Porter faces manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges. If convicted on all of the charges, the maximum penalty he faces is about 25 years.Prosecutors have argued that Porter should be held partially responsible for Gray's death because he didn't call for a medic and didn't buckle the man into a seat belt, which is department policy.Defense attorneys have suggested that the van driver was responsible for Gray's safety and indicated the officer may have thought Gray was faking an injury to avoid going to jail.Porter said during the fourth stop, Gray made eye contact with him and spoke "in a regular tone of voice.""He never made a complaint of pain or an injury," Porter said. "In order to call for an ambo I need age, sex, location and complaint of injury. He wouldn't give me a complaint of injury."Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died a week after suffering a spinal injury while riding, handcuffed and shackled, in the back of the van. His death set off protests and a riot in the city, and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.Porter, who is also black, told jurors that when Gray was arrested, he overheard him screaming and mentioning something about needing an inhaler. When asked if Gray said he couldn't breathe at the van's fourth stop, Porter said, "absolutely not."One of the prosecution's witnesses, an internal affairs investigator, said Porter told her that Gray said during the van's journey that he couldn't breathe. But Porter explained Wednesday that the investigator was mistaken, and he only heard Gray say that when he was arrested, not when he was in the van.As for why he didn't buckle Gray into a seat belt, Porter told the jury that the wagon is "pretty tight" and said that of his 200 arrests involving the transport van, he has never belted in a prisoner.Porter added that he left the scene after lifting Gray from the floor of the wagon to the bench, and it was Caesar Goodson, the driver, who closed the wagon's doors.It would have been his responsibility, Porter said, to buckle Gray into a seatbelt and he didn't know if he did.Goodson faces the most serious charge stemming from Gray's death: second-degree "depraved-heart" murder. His trial is next month.___This story has corrected the day of the week to Wednesday, not Tuesday.
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-Recently arrived Syrian refugee family in their temporary home in
Vaughan. Father and mother are - Rakan and Houda. Kids (from left) are -
Najeeb, 19, Eaman, 17, Nourhan, 13 (behind), Ebraheem, 9 and Talha, 10.
(Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun)--