Sunday, December 27, 2015

ISLAM IS GETTING A TASTE OF THEIR OWN VIOLENT MEDICINE.WHAT GOES AROUND-COMES AROUND.

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)

OTHER STORIES
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/12/mideast-christians-face-apocalypse-at.html

IS leader urges uprising in Saudi, attacks in Israel: recording-AFP-dec 26,15-yahoonews

Beirut (AFP) - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the secretive leader of the Islamic State group, called for an uprising in Saudi Arabia and pledged to attack Israel, in an audio recording released Saturday and attributed to him.The 24-minute recording would be Baghdadi's first in seven months, during which IS has been dealt several blows in Iraq and Syria.There was no way for AFP to authenticate that it was Baghdadi speaking, but the voice appeared to match previous recordings of him.And it was not clear when the recording was made, but it referred to a 34-nation anti-IS coalition announced by Saudi Arabia on December 15."They announced lately a coalition... falsely called 'Islamic,' and announced its goal is to fight the caliphate," said the speaker in the recording circulating among pro-IS Twitter users."If this coalition were Islamic, it would have announced victory and aid to the people of Syria," he said.He called on Saudi citizens to "rise up against the apostate tyrants, and avenge your people in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen".Baghdadi regularly attacks the Saudi kingdom in his recordings.In his last message, he accused Saudi rulers of launching an air campaign against Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen only to please the West.Baghdadi also pledged to attack Israel, saying IS has "not forgotten Palestine for a single moment"."And soon, soon with God's permission, you will hear the footsteps of the mujahedeen... We are getting closer to you day by day," he said.The recording did not appear to be accompanied by multilingual transcripts, which has been in the case with other Baghdadi audio messages.Baghdadi made his first and last public appearances in the summer of 2014 in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which IS holds.

WE SEE ISLAMIC MUSLIM VIOLENCE IS PRODUCING REVENGE AGAINST THEM.

Muslim prayer hall in France damaged as violence continues-Associated Press-DEC 26,15- YAHOO NEWS

PARIS (AP) — A crowd vandalized a Muslim prayer room in Corsica a day after an ambush injured two firefighters responding to an emergency in a housing project, the state prefect on the French island said Saturday.Prefect Christophe Mirmand said police reinforcements were being called into the Corsican capital of Ajaccio from mainland France, and prayer rooms and mosques were being guarded.Two separate investigations were opened, one into the attack on firefighters Thursday and the other into the damage to the prayer room Friday, he said on iTele TV station.Tensions were high on the Mediterranean island, widely known in France as the Isle of Beauty.The violence began Thursday night, when firefighters responding to an emergency call were ambushed in a housing project in the hills of Ajaccio. It was not clear what prompted that violence.On Friday, a gathering of about 600 people that started as a show of support for the injured emergency officials led to more violence when several dozen people broke away, headed to the prayer room. There, they threw objects and tried to burn Qurans and prayer books, officials said. They also vandalized a kebab shop."All these events are linked," Mirmand said.Video showed some in the group shouting "this is our home" before the prayer room was damaged.France's prime minister, Manuel Valls, called Friday for respect for French law after "the intolerable aggression toward firefighters and unacceptable profanation of a Muslim place of prayer."France's interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, condemned those responsible for going after firefighters. He also said the "intolerable exactions" against the place of worship carried the "odor of racism and xenophobia" and would not go unpunished.

Christmas Day fire at Houston mosque appears suspicious: report-Reuters-DEC 26,15-YAHOO NEWS

(Reuters) - A Christmas Day fire at a Houston mosque appears suspicious and started in several places, CNN reported on Saturday, citing a federal official.The Islamic Center of Houston caught fire after Friday prayers when it was mostly empty and no injuries were reported, CNN said. The mosque was part of a strip mall.Special Agent Nicole Strong of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was too soon to determine the fire's cause, CNN said. The blaze drew 80 firefighters, the report said.Strong was not immediately available for comment.Anti-Muslim sentiment has been on the rise in the U.S., stoked by recent Islamic State-related attacks in France and California and anti-Muslim statements by Republican presidential hopefuls.The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which tracks such incidents, said the scale of vandalism, damage and intimidation at American mosques this year is the worst in the six years it has kept records.(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Stephen Powell)

US authorities probe 'suspicious' fire at Texas mosque-AFP-DEC 26,15-YAHOONEWS

Washington (AFP) - US authorities on Saturday were investigating a suspicious fire at a mosque in Texas, weeks after a mass shooting in California by a Muslim couple that sparked fears of a backlash against members of their faith.No one was hurt in the blaze at the Masjid mosque in Houston that broke out Friday afternoon and destroyed the interior of the small house of worship located in a shopping mall, local media reported.The fire had "multiple points of origin" and "appears suspicious," a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told local media.The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged authorities to probe possible foul play."Because of the recent spike in hate incidents targeting mosques nationwide, we urge law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this fire," the executive director of the group's Houston chapter, Mustafaa Carroll, said in a statement."Officials are checking surveillance video and say the cause of the fire is 'suspicious,'" the statement said.The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the incident, according to local news reports.Earlier this month, authorities investigated a suspected case of arson at a mosque in Palm Springs, California.On December 2, a Muslim couple killed 14 people and injured 22 others in an assault in the California city of San Bernardino that is being investigated by the FBI as a terror attack.The rampage has raised fears of a backlash against the Muslim community in the United States, especially in the wake of anti-Muslim rhetoric by Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump.

Body found inside truck linked with California shooting suspect-Reuters By Curtis Skinner-DEC 26,15-YAHOONEWS

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A dead body was found inside a U-Haul truck that was being pushed by a man who fired on transit police in the San Francisco-area city of Hayward, officials said on Saturday.The incident began around 11:15 a.m. on Christmas morning when police with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system noticed 27-year-old Charles Goetting acting suspiciously in the Hayward BART station parking lot, the agency said.BART spokeswoman Denisse Gonzalez said officers saw Goetting pushing the U-Haul truck and when they attempted to search him, he pulled out a gun and shot one officer in the arm.The two officers returned fire and wounded Goetting. Both Goetting and the officer, who was not identified, were taken to the hospital.The officer had been treated and released by Friday night while Goetting underwent surgery and was in stable condition, police said.Later, investigators discovered the remains of an unidentified adult male inside the U-Haul truck.The San Francisco Chronicle said Goetting was on probation for burglary, firearm possession and dealing drugs. The newspaper said authorities found a backpack with a ski mask and burglary tools inside the U-Haul, which had a switched license plate, and that the gun Goetting used had been stolen.(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Belgian police quiz Brussels school on Paris attacker, media say-AFP-dec 26,15-yahoonews

Brussels (AFP) - The Belgian authorities are questioning staff at a Brussels school attended by one of the Paris attackers whose warnings that he had become worryingly radicalised were missed, press reports said Saturday.The reports, based on Flemish language dailies De Morgen and Het Laaste Nieuws, said Bilal Hadfi had been a student at the Annessens-Funck school before going to Syria in February.Hadfi blew himself up outside the French national stadium in northern Paris during the November 13 attacks which left 130 people dead.The Belga news agency said documents cited in the reports showed that Hadfi's teachers had become concerned at his increasingly radical views, especially his comments over the January attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.The reports said the school informed the education authorities in April that he had gone to Syria but that this information was not then passed on to the police.While Hadfi's name appeared on a list of suspects compiled by Belgium's anti-terror watchdog, the school's warning only came to light after the attacks, the reports said.The police are now trying to establish how that happened as they the search for suspects, included the most wanted, Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam who fled back to the Belgian capital after the attacks.On Thursday, the authorities charged a ninth person in connection with the attacks.

 Woman arraigned in deadly Vegas Strip crash; no plea entered-Lakeisha Nicole Holloway-Associated Press-DEC 23,15-LATIMES

A woman accused of intentionally plowing a car carrying her child through crowds of pedestrians on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk spent less than two minutes Wednesday getting arraigned on murder, hit-and-run and child abuse charges.Lakeisha Nicole Holloway, 24, pursed her lips and blinked as she was led in shackles into a courtroom. She was not asked to enter a plea but nodded to acknowledge that she understood she'll remain in jail through the holidays while both sides investigate Sunday's crash that killed one and injured dozens.Defense lawyer Joseph Abood later characterized Holloway as "distraught" and overwhelmed. She plans to plead not guilty, he said."This is sad and tragic for everybody involved," he said. "Just because she's charged, doesn't mean she's guilty."A judge set a Jan. 20 date for a preliminary hearing of evidence that police say they're still collecting.Clark County Dist. Atty. Steve Wolfson said outside court that the evidence he has seen is clear, and that additional charges are likely, depending on the results of drug and alcohol tests and police findings. Those charges could include multiple counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon. Wolfson characterized the quality of surveillance video that captured the crash as "superb." He said he believes it clearly shows Holloway intended to kill and injure people in front of the Planet Hollywood and Paris Las Vegas resorts."If you intentionally try and run somebody over, that certainly qualifies as an attempted murder charge, and that's one we are strongly considering," Wolfson said.Left unanswered was what could have led a former award-winning high school graduate to mow down tourists and put her 3-year-old daughter in danger, according to authorities."We have heard nothing but good things about her in the past," Abood said. "This is a surprise to everyone. We have a lot of investigating and a lot of work to do."The crash killed Jessica Valenzuela of Arizona and injured at least 35 others from several states, Mexico and Canada. Three people were still in critical condition, and five others remained hospitalized.Abood, who represented another driver in a similar crash on the Strip in September 2005, said he and co-counsel Scott Coffee will need to see police reports, witness accounts and video before deciding on Holloway's defense. Holloway is on suicide watch in jail, where she is being held without bail. Abood said Holloway's mental health could become an issue but that she had not had a psychological evaluation.Casino and street surveillance video shows a 1996 Oldsmobile moving down a sidewalk and hitting tourists, while the driver avoids street signs, light poles and other vehicles, authorities say. The car swerved back onto Las Vegas Boulevard and then onto the sidewalk again, authorities say. The video may not be made public until a later court hearing.The felony charge of child abuse and neglect accuses Holloway of endangering her daughter, who was riding in the backseat. The girl wasn't hurt in the crash, and child welfare officials are caring for her.Holloway is from Oregon, where she changed her name in October to Paris Paradise Morton. She won honors for overcoming a rough childhood and homelessness to graduate from an alternative high school in Portland.She was featured in a 2012 video produced by the nonprofit Portland Opportunities Industrial ization Center, which helps at-risk youths with education and job training. She said she was going to college and entering the workforce."Today I'm not the same scared girl I used to be," Holloway said in the video. "I'm a mature young woman."The U.S. Forest Service hired her to do administrative work in its Portland office. Holloway joined the agency in 2009 and resigned in 2012, spokesman Glen Sachet said. She took a four-month break in late 2010.Holloway had been in Las Vegas for about a week, police said. After her arrest Sunday, she told investigators she was broke, homeless and tired of being shooed away from casino parking garages, where she and her daughter would sleep in the car.She might have been on her way to Texas to find the girl's estranged father, authorities said.Abood and Coffee didn't answer a question about whether they have spoken with the father.During the incident, people jumped on the car and banged on its windows, but Holloway kept driving, authorities say. She went about a mile with a broken windshield and a flattened tire before pulling into an off-Strip hotel and telling a valet to call 911.A police drug-recognition expert said she wasn't drunk but may have been under the influence of a stimulant.

Chicago 'Black Christmas' protesters march against police violence-Reuters By Justin Madden-December 24, 2015 4:18 PM-YAHOONEWS

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Several hundred protesters against police killings of black men marched on Thursday along Chicago's Michigan Avenue, calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down and aiming to disrupt Christmas Eve shopping in a glittering, upscale commercial area.The demonstration was peaceful, but after the main march concluded, police scuffled with a few dozen protesters who were trying to block the entrance to an H&M store and to obstruct traffic both ways on Michigan Avenue, a major thoroughfare. During the march, demonstrators chanted "Sixteen shots and a cover-up," protesting the year-long delay in bringing murder charges against police officer Jason Van Dyke, who shot and killed Laquan McDonald in October 2014 as the black teenager walked away from police, according to footage of the incident."Rahm is arrogant enough to not resign. So we're going to continue to put pressure on the business community and allow them to force him to resign," said protester Brother Hall, 64, of the Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville.Police killings, especially of black people, have sparked protests in some U.S. cities over the last year and a half. Black Lives Matter, a loosely organized movement involved in many protests over race and policing issues, is calling holiday demonstrations "Black Christmas."On Wednesday, protesters were arrested in Black Lives Matter demonstrations blocking roadways and highways near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.Also, on Thursday dozens of protesters marched into San Francisco's City Hall over the police killing of a black man earlier this month, demanding the firing of the city's police chief.Chicago has seen a steady stream of protests since late November, when the city released the video of Van Dyke, who is white, shooting McDonald, aged 17.Van Dyke, 37, has been charged with murder and is out on bail pending formal arraignment Dec. 29.Shoppers and tourists mostly took in their stride Thursday's protest, which was not as big as a 2,000-person march on "Black Friday" Nov. 27, which blocked traffic into several Michigan Avenue stores."I think it's a good reminder, especially on Christmas Eve, that it's not all about gifts and the commercialization of Christmas," said Barbara Hutchinson, 64, from St. Louis.More than 70 percent of the 375 people shot by police in Chicago from 2007-2014 were black. The city's population is about one-third African American.Emanuel, on holiday in Cuba, has said he will not step down, but he did bow to protesters and fired police chief Garry McCarthy and agreed to a review of police practices by the U.S. Department of Justice.(Writing by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Alistair Bell)

Chicago police officer shoots, kills man and woman-Reuters By Mary Wisniewski and Justin Madden-dec 26,15-yahoonews

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a city already troubled by allegations of police misuse of force, a Chicago police officer shot and killed a male college student and a mother of five, both black, on Saturday morning following a report of a domestic disturbance.The police department of the nation's third-largest city is under a federal civil rights investigation for its use of deadly force and officer discipline.A recently released video of the shooting death of a black teenager by a white officer in 2014 has led to multiple protests, with activists calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's resignation.The latest shooting happened early on Saturday on the city's west side."Upon arrival, officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer's weapon, fatally wounding two individuals," police said in a statement.The Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified the dead as Bettie Jones, 55, and Quintonio Legrier, 19. The Chicago Tribune rendered the name as 'LeGrier' but officials could not immediately confirm that spelling.Family members of Jones said that Legrier, a sophomore at Northern Illinois University, was home for Christmas and visiting his father, landlord of the two-story wooden frame building where the shooting occurred.Family members said police were called after Legrier threatened his father with a metal baseball bat. Jones, who lived in the first-floor apartment, was shot through the door, according to her cousin, Evelyn Glover.There was a single bullet hole in the wooden door. Blood stained the walls and carpet of the tidy apartment, which was decorated for Christmas. Relatives, including children of Bettie Jones, who was a grandmother of 10, were at the building crying and embracing each other."This is a wrongful death. How are you just going to fire through the door?," asked Glover, who added that Jones was recovering from ovarian cancer.Melvin Jones, Jones' older brother, said his sister was a hard-working single mother who had recently started a new job.Janet Cooksey, Legrier's mother, told local news channel CLTV her son had recently been suffering from mental illness."You call for help and you lose someone," she said. "That has to stop."The Independent Police Review Authority, which reviews police conduct, is investigating the shooting. Emanuel recently replaced the authority's chief official in response to complaints about the agency's effectiveness.Use of force by police has sparked national debate after high-profile killings of black men by mainly white officers in several U.S. cities.A prayer vigil for the shootings is planned for Sunday afternoon.(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski and Justin Madden; Additional reporting by Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Ruth Pitchford and Bill Rigby)

Donald Trump: Relying on, trying to control free coverage-Donald Trump: a candidate obsessed with his portrayal by the news media he depends on-Associated Press By Jill Colvin, Associated Press-dec 26,15-yahoonews

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Nobody understands the power of the media on public perception quite like Donald Trump. The former reality television star and tabloid king, who has relied on free news coverage and social media to power his presidential campaign, is uniquely obsessed with how the news media portray his events.Trump routinely orders news camera operators to pan the crowds at his rallies to show how large the gatherings are — and then chastises them, with disgust, when they fail to obey. His team has experimented with event setups, often placing groups of supporters on risers behind the candidate so that cameras can't miss the carefully curated faces.He's fumed over television reporters doing live shots from empty auditoriums once his supporters have left. And on Twitter, Trump is one of the most prolific media critics, offering his live commentary of cable news reporters and analysts, lashing out at news outlets he feels have treated him unfairly.The approach is yet another aspect of Trump's unorthodox campaign. As other candidates and their affiliated super PACs have spent millions of dollars on expensive television ads, Trump's campaign has reported spending just $300,000 on a sprinkling of radio ads. Instead, Trump has logged a whopping 22 hours and 46 minutes of free airtime from May 1 to December 15 on Fox News alone, according to a tally by Media Matters for America, a liberal nonprofit group. That's more than twice as much as any other candidate and more than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio combined.While other candidates spend their time at small-scale retail events interacting one-on-one with voters, Trump's campaign centerpiece is the large-scale rally, where he is greeted like a rock star by thousands of adoring — and increasingly boisterous — fans. The events are often held in arenas and convention centers, with crowd sizes that dwarf his rivals — a fact he is never shy to point out."Nobody gets audiences like I get," Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Monday. "We broke the record. And I don't have a guitar, no guitar. Elton John said, 'You get the biggest crowds in the world for a guy without a guitar.'" Despite Trump's off-the-cuff, tangent-filled speeches, the events are meticulously staged. Reporters receive laminated press credentials that include the date and city. At one rally earlier this month, held in a private airplane hangar, Trump staged a dramatic entrance, pulling up to the open venue in his custom 757 as the theme music from the movie "Air Force One" blared on loudspeakers. Entertainment has included live bands and DJs. Kids are sometimes offered free helicopter rides.The spectacle has created a legion of Trump fans who attend one event after the next to hear the candidate speak."This is better than a concert in the '70s," said Trump supporter Bill Kullander, ahead of a recent rally in Des Moines, Iowa — the fourth the 62-year-old had attended so far this year.In Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Monday, staunch supporters mixed with curious onlookers eager to see the Trump show in action."I just want to hear what he has to say," said Jim Rhodes of Belmont, Michigan. "Am I going to vote for him? Probably not. I like to refer to this as the second comedy show I've been to in my lifetime. The first one was Tim Allen. "Trump loathes the suggestion that his crowd sizes have anything to do with his celebrity status."Look, everywhere I go, I have crowds like this. Everywhere. Everywhere. We have the biggest crowds by far. Because there's a movement going on, folks," he said at a post-debate rally in Mesa, Arizona, earlier this month. "This isn't just like let's go and have a good time.""We have a message, we have a message and the message is we don't want to let other people take advantage of us," Trump said.Trump's events have also become popular venues for protesters, who have grown increasing adept at causing maximum disruption. Their strategies have vexed Trump, who frequently complains about the attention they receive in news reports."Do you ever notice how few it is?" he complained last week. "We've got 9,000 or 10,000 people in here. They'll talk about one guy or two guys. Headline: Trump had pickets. They had like three people, there was nobody outside."The charged atmosphere has also led to frequent violent clashes, with Trump supporters physically assaulting protesters at multiple events. At a recent rally just outside Las Vegas, Ender Austin III said he was assaulted. Trump supporters, he said, called for him to be set on fire. Another shouted, "Heil Trump.""I've never felt so much rage," he said of the crowd.Trump has grappled with how to handle the disruption."I'm trying to be really neutral. To one guy, I said, 'Get him out of here now! .... And they said the next day: It was horrible, horrible the way Trump talked to him."At another event, he said, he'd tried to be nice, urging his fans not to hurt the protesters. "So the next day," he claimed the news media had reported, "Trump was off his game, he was very, very weak.""So you can't win with these people," he complained.This week, Trump tried a different approach, trying to shame his protesters with insults."Look at these people. Boy, what a bunch of losers," he said. "You are a loser, you really are a loser ... Get 'em out."___Associated Press writer Tom Coyne in Grand Rapids, Michigan, contributed to this report.

WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)

EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men

LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror(ISM), consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

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)

ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

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)

IS leader says 'caliphate' well, mocks Saudi-led alliance-Associated Press By ZEINA KARAM- DEC 26,15-YAHOONEWS

BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group on Saturday released a new message purportedly from its reclusive leader, claiming that his self-styled "caliphate" is doing well despite an unprecedented alliance against it and criticizing the recently announced Saudi-led Islamic military coalition against terrorism.In the 24-minute audio, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said airstrikes by the international coalition only increase his group's determination and resolve. The message was al-Baghdadi's first since May, and comes amid battlefield setbacks that IS has recently faced.Meanwhile, a U.S.-backed coalition of rebels in Syria — including Syrian Kurdish, Arab and Christian groups — captured a major dam on the Euphrates River from the Islamic State group as part of the coalition's march on IS-held areas in northern Syria.The coalition, known as Syria Democratic Forces, announced earlier this week a new offensive aimed at cutting supply lines between IS strongholds in the country's north. The SDF said it seized the Tishrin Dam, which supplies much off northern Syria with electricity, on Saturday.An SDF spokesman told AP earlier this week that his forces are also trying to cut the supply lines between the Islamic State's de-facto capital of Raqqa and the group's stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria.The SDF, dominated by the main Kurdish militia in Syria known as YPG, or People's Protection Units, has become a main force in fighting IS.The Islamic State group has come under pressure in Syria and Iraq, where it has declared its self-styled Islamic caliphate on territory that the militant group controls. It lost the town Sinjar in Iraq last month, and areas across the border in Syria at the same time. Iraqi government troops are also advancing in the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi, the provincial capital of the sprawling Anbar province, Iraq's Sunni heartland.Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and Russia in Syria have also destroyed Syrian oil facilities and killed several IS leaders in recent weeks."It is unprecedented in the history of our Ummah (Islamic nation) that all the world came against it in one battle, as it is happening today. It is the battle of all the disbelievers against all the Muslims," al-Baghdadi said.He said the U.S.-led alliance does "not scare us... nor do they scatter our resolve because we are the victors in any event."Al-Baghdadi also taunted the United States for not putting boots on the ground. "They do not dare to come, because their hearts are full of fear from the mujahideen,"or holy warriors, he said."America and its allies dream of destroying the caliphate through their proxies and henchmen, and whenever an alliance of theirs fails or a tail is cut, they hasten to establish another, until they recently declared the Salouli (Saudi) alliance that was falsely called Islamic," al-Baghdadi added.If the Saudi-led alliance was truly Islamic, then it would fight the Syrian army and its Russian "masters," as well as Shiites and Jews, al-Baghdadi said.In mid-December, Saudi Arabia announced the new, 34-member alliance against terrorism, to be based in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh. But Shiite powerhouse Iran is not part of the new coalition; neither are Iraq and Syria, whose forces are battling to regain ground from the Islamic State group and whose governments are allied with Tehran.In the audio, al-Baghdadi also warned nations taking part in the war against IS by saying: "We promise you, God permitting, that whoever participates in the war against the Islamic State will pay the price dearly."He threatened Israel by saying, "we haven't forgotten you" and "we are getting closer to you" every day. To Israeli Jews, he said that they "will hide behind trees and stones" from the IS.He also urged Muslims world over to join the IS fight, saying it is their Islamic duty to rise up everywhere.The authenticity of the audio could not be independently confirmed but it was posted on IS-affiliated websites and Twitter as past IS messages. Also, it was produced by the al-Furqan Media Foundation, IS media arm.

Czech leader calls migrant wave in Europe an 'organised invasion'-AFP-dec 26,15-yahoonews

Prague (AFP) - Czech President Milos Zeman, known for his anti-migrant comments, on Saturday called the current wave of refugees to Europe "an organised invasion", and that young men from Syria and Iraq should instead "take up arms" against the Islamic State (IS) group."I am profoundly convinced that we are facing an organised invasion and not a spontaneous movement of refugees," said Zeman in his Christmas message to the Czech Republic released Saturday.He went on to say that compassion was "possible" for refugees who are old or sick and for children, but not for young men who in his view should be back home fighting against jihadists."A large majority of the illegal migrants are young men in good health, and single. I wonder why these men are not taking up arms to go fight for the freedom of their countries against the Islamic State," said Zeman, who was elected Czech president in early 2013.He added that their fleeing their war-torn countries only serves to strengthen the IS group.The 71-year-old evoked a comparison to the situation of Czechs who left their country when it was under Nazi occupation (1939-1945) in order to "fight to liberate the country and not to receive social benefits in Great Britain."It's not the first time Zeman has taken a controversial stance on Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.In November, the left-winger attended an anti-Islam rally in Prague in the company of far-right politicians and a paramilitary unit.The country's Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who has previously criticised the head of state's comments, said Zeman's Christmas message was based "on prejudices and his habitual simplification of things."A recent survey showed that nearly 70 percent of Czechs oppose the arrival of migrants and refugees in their country.

Belgium restarts ageing Tihange 1 nuclear reactor-AFP-DEC 26,15-YAHOONEWS

Brussels (AFP) - Belgian power utility Electrabel said Saturday it had restarted a nuclear reactor at its ageing Tihange plant, just days after being forced to shut it down following a fire in the electricity supply system.An Electrabel spokesman said the Tihange 1 reactor was put back on line as scheduled and would be running at full power in due course.Last week's shutdown of the reactor was "normal procedure" after such a fire, the company said previously.Tihange 1 is the oldest of three reactors at the plant, about an hour's drive southwest of Brussels, and began service in 1975.It was meant to be closed completely in 2015 but the government decided in 2012 to keep it running until 2025 to help ensure electricity supplies while other energy sources are developed.Environmentalists, especially in neighbouring Germany which is phasing out nuclear power, have criticised extending the life of Belgium's reactors, which they say are too old to be considered safe.Belgium has suffered a series of nuclear mishaps in recent years, with three of the country's seven reactors closed at one point, in two cases due to the discovery of micro-cracks in the reactor vessels.Overnight Thursday, Electrabel was forced to halt another reactor at its Doel plant near the northern city of Antwerp, only days after it was restarted following a 21-month shutdown.The company said at the time it expected to resume operation of the Doel 3 reactor "within a few days."An Electrabel spokeswoman said Saturday that the Doel 1 reactor, halted since early this year and which was supposed to have been restarted on Sunday, will now come on line on Thursday instead.Such slippage in estimated dates was "normal," she added.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

STORMS KILL 15 IN AMERICA-AUSTRALIA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES.ISRAEL KILLS ANOTHER ARAB TERRORIST.

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)

Israeli officers shoot dead a knife-wielding Palestinian: police-[Reuters]-December 26, 2015- YAHOONEWS

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli policemen shot dead a Palestinian who tried to stab an officer near Jerusalem's walled Old City on Saturday, a police spokeswoman said, as almost three months of heightened violence shows no sign of abating.In the past 12 weeks Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 126 Palestinians, 77 of whom authorities described as assailants. Most others have been killed in clashes with security forces.Palestinians have killed 20 Israelis and a U.S. citizen in the same period, raising fears of a wider escalation, a decade after the last Palestinian uprising subsided.Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said that on Saturday, officers had approached a man they viewed as suspicious. "The terrorist whipped out a knife and tried to stab a police officer. He was swiftly shot and neutralized," she said.The surge in violence since October has been fueled by Palestinians' frustration over Israel's 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state and the expansion of settlements in those territories which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.Palestinian leaders say a young generation sees no hope for the future living under Israeli security restrictions and with a stifled economy.The latest round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in April 2014.Violence has also been triggered by Muslim anger over stepped-up Israeli visits to Jerusalem's al Aqsa mosque complex. The site, Islam's holiest outside Saudi Arabia, is also revered by many Jews as a vestige of their biblical temples.Israeli leaders says Islamist groups who call for the destruction of Israel have played a major role in inciting the recent violence.(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Louise Ireland)

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

More than 100 homes lost in Australia's Christmas Day bushfires-[Reuters]-By Christopher McCall-Reuters-December 26, 2015-YAHOONEWS

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - More than 100 homes burned down in a leading Australian tourist area in bushfires on Christmas Day and the situation remained dangerous on Saturday, as officials predicted more blazes to come later in the hot southern summer.While around 500 firefighters and 13 firefighting aircraft battled the flames along parts of Victoria state's picturesque Great Ocean Road, teams moved in to assess damage from fires that had lit up the night sky along the coast on Christmas.A spokesman for the state's emergency services said 98 homes had been confirmed burned in the community of Wye River and another 18 in nearby Separation Creek, for a total of 116 in the two townships, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) southwest of Melbourne.Top emergency officials warned that dry conditions posed a threat of more fires for the Great Ocean Road area and the rest of Victoria."This fire doesn't go away," Craig Lapsley, the state's emergency services commissioner, told a news conference."We will be back into hot, windy weather in January without a doubt. Everything's available to burn."The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's biggest tourist draws with its spectacular scenery and unusual offshore rock formations. It remained mostly closed to traffic on Saturday during what is typically one of its busiest times of the year.Although an evacuation alert was lifted for the popular tourist town of Lorne and rain overnight had helped the firefighting operation, officials said the situation remained potentially dangerous with many hotspots. Images from the scene showed hillsides charred to the ground all the way down to the coast.State Premier Daniel Andrews surveyed the area from the air and commended emergency services, noting that there had so far been no loss of life, but he warned that the number of homes destroyed could rise.Meetings were held on Saturday for hundreds of victims urgently moved out of affected towns on Friday, many spending Christmas night in hurriedly organised shelters.Andrews said financial grants had already been issued to help those who had lost their homes.The fires started with a lightning strike on Dec. 19 and, fanned by winds, have burned more than 2,000 hectares.Walking tracks in the nearby Great Otway National Park have been closed to the public as some of the fires are within the park itself.The disaster is the latest of a string of bushfires to hit Victoria and other states in recent weeks.In 2009, Victoria witnessed Australia's worst ever bushfire disaster, since dubbed "Black Saturday".(Reporting by Chris McCall; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT FIRE INFO.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/
http://calfire.ca.gov/general/firemaps

Southern California Brush Fire Threatens 30 Homes-By MATTHEW FOSTER-DAVID CHIU-Dec 26, 2015, 5:08 AM ET-ABCNEWS

A brush fire in Ventura County, California, late Friday night burned 900 acres and was threatening 30 homes.The fire was burning along U.S. 101 near Solimar Beach and forced the closure of a portion of the highway, reported ABC affiliate KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara.A mandatory evacuations was in place for the Solimar Beach community while a voluntary evacuation was in effect for the Faria Beach community.# solimarfire #venturafire #hwy101 #cstreet #ventura #Carpinteria #Dec26 #californiastreet #NEWS CHANNELS pic.twitter.com/IyHGepgT9N-— Amanda Macias (@AmandaMMacias) December 26, 2015

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

RARE FULL MOON OVER B.C
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/rare-full-moon-seen-skies-175821412.html?nhp=1

Death Toll Reaches 15 After Severe Storms in South-By PAUL H.B. SHIN-DAVID CHIU-Dec 26, 2015, 6:01 AM ET-ABCNEWS

The death toll from Wednesday’s severe storms in the South has risen to at least 15.The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) said on Friday it received reports of another death and another missing person due to the severe weather system that was still affecting the state. That pushed the total number of deaths linked to the weather to eight with two others missing.Six people in Tennessee and one person in Arkansas also died in the storms.Residents Trapped Under Debris After Tornado Hits Near Birmingham, Alabama-At Least 14 Killed in Storms and Tornadoes Across the South and Midwest-Boy Among 7 Dead, 40 Injured in Tornado and Severe Storm Outbreak-Among the dead was a 7-year-old boy in Holly Springs, Mississippi, according to Mayor Kelvin Buck.The MEMA also said there were 60 storm-related injuries in Mississippi, adding that several counties reported flash flooding on Friday due to a stalled front over the state. There were 10 water rescues in Monroe County as a result of floodwaters.The storms caused damage to over 100 homes, mobile homes, and businesses, said the MEMA.Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant issued a declaration of disaster. He said Mississippi was in the recovery stage Thursday as authorities determined how much damage was caused and what federal assistance the state may qualify for.The latest number of weather-related deaths in the South came as the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down near Birmingham, Alabama on Friday. There were reportedly people trapped in damaged homes, according to Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards.Birmingham Mayor William Bell said there were no fatalities that officials knew of. There was one reported injury.Widespread flooding has also been reported in the Birmingham area with over 7 inches of rain in northwestern Alabama and up to 6 inches in northeastern Alabama.The heavy rainfall prompted Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley to declare a state of emergency for counties in the state.Meanwhile, some spots of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas could receive almost a foot of rain this weekend. Several rivers were expected to rapidly rise in the area and across the region.Daniel Manzo, Ben Stein, Tom Liddy, Kelly Stevenson, Emily Shapiro, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tornado causes damage, injures three in Birmingham, Alabama-Reuters-dec 26,15-yahoonews

(Reuters) - A tornado struck Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday, damaging houses, uprooting trees and injuring at least three people in the state's largest city, law enforcement and weather officials said.National Weather Service meteorologist Jody Aaron said the twister was confirmed to have touched down in the southwestern portion of town at about 5 p.m. Central time, (2300 GMT), adding, "There does appear to be some significant damage."Birmingham Police Lieutenant Sean Edwards said at least three people were taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.Edwards said several houses were damaged, trees were toppled and power was knocked out in the area, but he could provide no further information.Images published online by local media outlets showed lawns scattered with debris from what appeared to be homes and some collapsed structures.Alabama has been hit with storms and heavy rain since Wednesday, and the Weather Service issued flash flood warnings around the region for Friday.(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Steve Gorman and Dan Grebler)

Eastern U.S. sees warm Christmas, winter storm looms for Plains-Reuters By Ian Simpson and Steve Gorman-dec 26,15-yahoonews

(Reuters) - Much of the U.S. East Coast basked in unseasonable warmth on Christmas Day with record high temperatures set or tied in several cities, including New York, even as a tornado hit Alabama and a major winter storm loomed for the southern Rockies and Great Plains.The twister in Birmingham, Alabama, late on Friday afternoon damaged several homes, uprooted trees and caused a handful of minor injuries, police and weather officials reported.National Weather Service meteorologist Jody Aaron said the tornado damage appeared limited to the southwestern end of the city, the state's largest in a region of the South that has been hit hard by three days by thunderstorms and torrential rain.The most noteworthy weather phenomenon for most of Eastern Seaboard, meanwhile, was a continuing pattern of temperatures about 20 degrees above normal.The temperature in Manhattan's Central Park climbed to 66 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest Christmas Day mark in at least 146 years, while Philadelphia topped out at a record-tying 68 degrees F, according to the National Weather Service.Temperatures around Washington, D.C., reached the upper 60s and low-70s F, just a few degrees shy of record highs despite cloudy, damp weather. Both New York and Washington posted record warmth on Thursday, as well.Above-average temperatures were expected to linger along the Eastern seaboard through the holiday weekend, with heavy rains falling across much of the South and mid-Atlantic region raising the possibility of flash floods.Parts of Alabama were deluged by more than a foot of rain Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon, while Georgia also was soaked with nearly 5 inches of precipitation measured at Atlanta's airport, according to the Weather Service.But even as soggy conditions in the South begin to abate, a powerful winter storm was forming across the southern Rockies and Plains, threatening blizzard conditions for parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma on Saturday, forecasters said.As much as 2 feet (61 cm) of snow was possible in areas of New Mexico and northern Texas, they said.Snow already was falling on Friday in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota, a region bisected by heavily traveled Interstate 90."This is coming at a bad time for travel," said Richard Baan, a meteorologist for the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.Heavy rain, and possible flooding, was expected from the same system on Saturday in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, north-central Texas and Louisiana, Baan said.A separate winter storm in California's Sierra Nevada brought more welcome relief to ski resorts struggling through a four-year drought that has left the mountain snowpack badly depleted. The two largest ski destinations near Lake Tahoe - the Heavenly Mountain Resort and Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows - reported receiving 2 feet and 19 inches of snow, respectively, on Thursday and Friday.Facing delays stemming in part from severe weather this week, package delivery company FedEx Corp said it was manning customer counters with volunteers on Christmas Day.A storm system on Wednesday set off tornadoes that killed at least 15 people in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said on Friday that two people were still missing.(Reporting and writing by Ian Simpson in Washington and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bill Trott and Dan Grebler)

Dozens feared dead after another landslide in a Myanmar jade mine-[Reuters]-By Aung Hla Tun-Reuters-December 26, 2015-YAHOONEWS

YANGON (Reuters) - Dozens of people were feared dead in Myanmar after a landslide hit a jade mining region, workers at a local mining firm said, the second such incident in just over a month.The landslide took place on Friday in Hpakant in the country's northern Kachin State, a rugged region sandwiched between China and India and the heart of Myanmar's multi-billion dollar jade industry controlled by its powerful military."We heard about 50 people were buried in the collapsed dump and four or five bodies were found this morning," Sai Lon, who works at a jade mining company in the area, told Reuters on Saturday.Police in Hpakant, in Mohnyin district, said the landslide took place on Friday afternoon but that they could not confirm casualties."We haven't heard anything from the rescue team yet," said a duty officer at Hpakant Township Police Station who declined to be named.On Nov. 22, a massive landslide in the same mountainous area in Kachin State killed 114 people. The area produces some of the world's highest-quality jade.Deaths in Myanmar's jade mines, where small time prospectors and massive firms vie for the precious stone, underscore the sector's lax safety rules and lack of accountability.Much of the jade mined in Hpakant is believed to be smuggled to neighbouring China, where the green stone is highly prized and is widely believed to bring wealth and longevity.About 800 jade mining firms operate around the town, but activity is dominated by about 10 firms, mostly Chinese-led ventures, according to the Ministry of Mines.Miners have been tearing into Myanmar's northern hills in recent months, in a rush to excavate more jade from the world's richest deposits of the gemstone before a new government, which has promised clean governance, takes office next year.The rush has led to thousands of ethnic villagers being forced off their land.The newly elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party said last month it plans to tighten control over jade mines.A U.S. ban on Myanmar jade remains in place over concerns that jade mining benefits military figures and fuels corruption and rights abuses, despite Washington easing most of its ban on imports from the country after a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011 following five decades of military dictatorship.(Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

China landslide disaster caused by safety breaches - cabinet website-[Reuters]-December 26, 2015-YAHOONEWS

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A landslide in southern China that killed two people and left more than 70 people missing was caused by breaches of construction safety rules and was not a natural disaster, a government website quoted local authorities as saying.An investigation by a team in Shenzhen directed by China's cabinet found the Dec. 20 disaster stemmed from waste construction material in a landfill site rather than a natural geological movement, a statement posted late Friday on the cabinet's website said."Those held accountable will be seriously punished in accordance with the law," the statement said.The man-made disaster, which buried 33 buildings in an industrial park, has raised questions about China's industrial safety standards and lack of oversight that has led to fatal accidents, a by-product of the country's rapid growth.At the Shenzhen industrial park, there is still some risk of more landslides at three separate places and professionals have been brought in to deal with the issue, Xinhua news agency on Friday quoted a Shenzhen official as saying."There are also dangerous chemical items that need to be identified and treated," Yang Shengjun, head of the Shenzhen Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, was quoted as saying.Yang said no air or water contamination has been detected yet, according to Xinhua.The company managing the dump site, Shenzhen Yixianglong, was urged to stop work four days before the disaster, an executive with a government-appointed monitoring agency said on Thursday.Xinhua earlier reported that the dump was being used 10 months after it was supposed to have stopped taking waste, earning Yixianglong some 7.5 million yuan ($1.16 million) in fees.(Reporting by Engen Tham in Shanghai; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Toxic smog brings nightmare 'white Christmas' to Beijing-[Agence France-Presse]-December 25, 2015-YAHOONEWS

Beijing (AFP) - Beijing residents woke up to a white Christmas Friday morning but with the sky obscured by thick toxic smog rather than snow after more than 100 million people across China had been warned to stay indoors.The capital and surrounding parts of northern China are regularly blanketed in deadly pollution associated with heavy industry and an increase in coal consumption during the winter months.Counts of PM2.5 -- harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs -- in Beijing peaked at 620 micrograms per cubic metre as of early Friday, according to data from the US embassy.The World Health Organization's recommended maximum exposure is 25 micrograms over a 24-hour period."If this only happened a few days a year, I'd put up with it, but it's paralysing for it to be like this every day!" said one angry social media user on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform. "Is this the new normal?"The city posted contradictory alerts for Christmas day, with the Beijing Meteorological Service issuing an orange alert - requiring factories to limit expelled pollutants and schools to cease outdoor activities -- while the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau issued only a yellow alert, the second lowest in a four-tiered, colour-coded warning system.The smog is expected to last until Saturday afternoon.Photos on social media showed empty freeways shrouded in a white-out of haze as authorities shut down highways in the region and grounded flights out of the capital.More than 500 international and domestic arrivals and departures at Beijing's main airport were cancelled due to "heavy fog and low visibility", its website said."In this kind of weather, can Santa even find Beijing?" a user wrote on Sina Weibo.In the neighbouring city of Tianjin, no fewer than 19 freeways were closed early Friday morning, according to the Tianjin Freeway Management Office's official microblog, with CCTV television reporting visibility of less than five metres (15 feet)."Santa can't even get to Tianjin! I was wondering why my stocking had no gifts in it! Smog you better get out of here!" said another Weibo commentor.Beijing issued its first-ever red alert on December 7, declaring emergency pollution measures following scathing public criticism of the city's weak response to choking smog that settled on the capital earlier in the month.Its second and latest red alert, which lasted four days, concluded Tuesday night.

AP Interview: Climate deal caps a long quest for UN chief-AP Interview: UN chief relishes Paris deal after arduous, personal campaign for climate action-Associated Press By Edith m. Lederer, Associated Press-dec 26,15-yahoonews

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- When international negotiators reached a first-of-its kind climate change agreement in Paris this month, the United Nations' normally low-key leader, Ban Ki-moon, celebrated onstage, arms raised in victory and more exuberant than many had ever seen him before.Nearly nine years had passed since, in his first days as secretary-general, Ban surprised world leaders by making global warming a top item on his agenda. Now, on the eve of his final year in office, the cheers in Paris marked the culmination of his nonstop campaign, pressed at summit after summit, with every world leader and from melting glaciers to islands at risk of disappearing.It was an emotional moment, and looking back at the road to Paris in an interview with The Associated Press, Ban paid tribute to many people, including the leaders of the United States, China, India and France. He also spoke proudly of his own role.No other leader in the world "has been raising, without fail, all the time, climate change," Ban said. "I have spent real passion ... and most of my time and energy on this issue."It was quite a shift for the former South Korean foreign minister, whose main focus before becoming the eighth U.N. secretary-general in 2007 was his country's standoff with North Korea.Ban traced his interest in climate change to his yearlong campaign to lead the United Nations, which took him to many countries and broadened his vision of global issues.Two weeks before he was sworn in as secretary-general, Ban told Tim Wirth, then president of the United Nations Foundation, that one of his two highest priorities would be climate change, along with empowering women."You could have blown me away," Wirth said of Ban's choice of tackling global warming. "He had a deep commitment then, and he has stayed with it, and stayed with it, and stayed with it."At the time, climate change was not a popular topic.The 1997 Kyoto treaty, which required only rich countries to limit emissions blamed for global warming, was set to expire in 2012. Negotiations on a new agreement had almost collapsed, Ban said."I thought that I needed to revive this one," he said.His first high-level meeting as U.N. chief was with then- President George W. Bush.The original agenda for their January 2007 meeting didn't include climate change, Ban said, and Bush "seemed to be a little bit surprised" when he raised it.Undeterred, Ban decided to hold the first-ever climate change summit at the United Nations in July 2007.He invited Bush and told him that the success of the summit would depend his participation. Bush came, though he didn't address the summit.That connection paid off at a U.N. conference in Bali in December 2007.The United States, the lone major industrial nation to reject Kyoto, was opposing India's proposal to strengthen requirements for richer nations to help poorer countries with technology to limit emissions. In one of the most memorable moments in climate change diplomacy, tiny Papua New Guinea implored America to lead or get out of the way.An isolated United States capitulated, and the first roadmap for addressing climate change was adopted." Miraculously, I was able to save this one, but I didn't know why," Ban said.In early 2009, he finally found out.Ban and his wife were invited to dinner at the White House in last of the last days of the Bush presidency. Bush told the U.N. chief that when the Bali meeting reached a difficult moment, he got a call from the head of the U.S. delegation asking for instructions.Ban said Bush told him: "Suddenly, you came to my mind. Then I told the delegation head, 'Do what the secretary-general of the U.N. wants to do,'."The secretary-general said he still feels "very much grateful" to Bush."That was the beginning of our success," Ban said.But then came the disappointment of the 2009 Copenhagen climate change negotiations.In Copenhagen, a newly elected President Barack Obama showed "great commitment," even working on proposed global text from his laptop, Ban said. But there were too many differences and negotiations ended with no agreement."From the failure of Copenhagen, we learned a great lesson," Ban said.One was to have every country provide its own national action plan to combat climate change. Another was to get countries to agree to have a universal climate change agreement by 2015.Meanwhile, Ban was traveling the world to spotlight the impacts of climate change. His visits to Antarctica and the Arctic showcased melting ice, and his visits to the Aral Sea in central Asia and Lake Chad in west Africa warned of their disappearance. He visited the low-lying Pacific island nation of Kiribati, where he found a life jacket in his room in case of inundation.He also asked to attend annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund — a first for a U.N. secretary-general — to talk to finance ministers on the need to mobilize $100 billion in climate financing annually by 2020.As the summit in Paris approached, Ban participated in monthly strategy videoconferences with the leaders of France and Peru and later, Germany. One key decision was to reverse the usual negotiations process and have country leaders attend the start of the summit to give impetus and clear direction to negotiators.The Paris opening was the largest-ever gathering of country leaders, with 150 assembled, the secretary-general said.But there were about half a dozen "spoilers," countries ready to block consensus on an agreement. Nicaragua refused to submit its national plan, arguing that rich nations should be compelled to make deeper emission cuts.Ban recalled the moment the Nicaraguan delegation said "we will not block" a deal. The French foreign minister immediately gaveled approval of the agreement, which was later adopted unanimously.The Paris agreement, adopted by nearly 200 nations, calls on both poor and rich countries to cut greenhouse gas pollution. It aims to keep global temperatures from rising another degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between now and 2100.Ban's perseverance and leadership were essential, said former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who headed a U.N.-appointed commission that published a groundbreaking report in 1987 outlining the dangers of climate change."This is not a one- man show, but the one man is important," Brundtland said.Without him, "we cannot take for granted that we would be here."Ban's priority for the rest of his term has not changed. With the climate deal imposing no sanctions for non-compliant countries, the secretary-general said he will focus on establishing a framework to ensure U.N. member states follow through on the climate change promises he worked so hard to get.

Japan says armed Chinese vessel enters Japan waters-Reuters-dec 26,15-yahoonews

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Chinese coastguard vessel with what appeared to be gun turrets entered territorial waters claimed by Japan in the East China Sea, Japan's coastguard said on Saturday, adding that it was the first such incursion by an armed Chinese vessel in the disputed area.The vessel was one of three that appeared in the waters off the disputed Senkaku Islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, shortly after 9:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and left Japanese-claimed waters about 70 minutes later, a Japan coastguard spokes woman said.The vessel had first been sighted in the area on Tuesday afternoon and was sailing 29 km (18 miles) off one of the contested islands as of 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Wednesday, according to Japan's coastguard.At that time, China said its vessels were carrying standard equipment and doing nothing wrong in Chinese waters.Chinese coastguard vessels sail regularly near the islets but the Japanese coastguard spokeswoman said none had ever been seen equipped with arms.The dispute over the Japan-controlled islands has been a major sticking point in the two countries' often contentious relations in recent years.(Reporting by Ayai Tomisawa; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

MIDEAST CHRISTIANS FACE APOCALYPSE AT THE HANDS OF ISIS.

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)

MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.(ISRAEL)

JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;(WILLINGLY-THEY CHOSE THE IMPLANT) and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Mideast Christians face ‘apocalypse’ at hands of Islamic State, top UK cleric says-‘Elimination’ looms, warns archbishop of Canterbury; Pope denounces ‘monstrous evil’ inflicted upon Syria and Libya-By AFP and AP December 25, 2015, 7:33 pm-the times of israel

Anglican leader Justin Welby on Friday said Christians faced “elimination” in the Middle East by Islamic State jihadists, labeling the group a modern-day version of the tyrannical biblical king Herod.IS has attacked Christians, Yazidis, Shiites and other minorities across the region, killing thousands and uprooting ancient communities from ancestral lands.“They hate difference, whether it is Muslims who think differently, Yazidis or Christians, and because of them the Christians face elimination in the very region in which Christian faith began,” the archbishop of Canterbury said in his Christmas Day sermon.“This apocalypse is defined by themselves and heralded only by the angel of death.”He likened IS to Herod, who according to historical accounts killed several members of his own family and in the Bible massacred Bethlehem’s male infants to prevent the prophesied rise of Jesus.“To all who have been or are being dehumanized by the tyranny and cruelty of a Herod or an ISIS, a Herod of today, God’s judgement…-promises justice,” Welby said, using another acronym for IS.The group strictly enforces an austere and bloody form of what it calls Islamic law, tolerating no minority sects or even opposing points of view from their Sunni Muslim co-religionists.The Middle East is home to ancient Christian and other minority communities, but their numbers have diminished rapidly in recent years amid war and mounting religious intolerance.Pope Francis, meanwhile, issued a Christmas Day prayer that recent UN-backed peace processes for Syria and Libya will quickly end the suffering of their people. He denounced the “monstrous evil” and atrocities they have endured and praised the countries that have taken in their refugees.Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis issued a plenary indulgence for Catholics in hopes of spreading the church’s message of mercy in a world torn by war, poverty and extremist attacks. The sun-soaked St. Peter’s Square was under heavy security, as it has been since the Nov. 13 Paris attacks by Islamic extremists that left 130 dead.An indulgence is an ancient church tradition related to the forgiveness of sins. Francis announced it after delivering his annual “Urbi et Orbi” (To the city and the world) speech listing global hotspots and his prayers for an end to human suffering.Francis referred to the “brutal acts of terrorism” that struck the French capital this year as well as attacks in Egypt’s airspace and in Beirut, Mali and Tunisia. He denounced the ongoing conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine and issued words of consolation to Christians being persecuted for their faith in many parts of the world.“They are our martyrs of today,” he said.In an indirect reference to the Islamic State group, he urged the international community to direct its attention to Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and sub- Saharan Africa, where atrocities “even now reap numerous victims, cause immense suffering and do not even spare the historical and cultural patrimony of entire peoples.”Francis said he hoped the plenary indulgence he issued for this, his Holy Year of Mercy, would encourage the faithful “to welcome God’s mercy in our lives, and be merciful with our brothers to make peace grow.”“Only God’s mercy can free humanity from the many forms of evil, at times monstrous evil, which selfishness spawns in our midst,” he said.

ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

GENESIS 12:1-3
1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will shew thee:
2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3  And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY) him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

ISAIAH 41:11
11  Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY DESTROYED)

ISRAELS TROUBLE

JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.

DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)

Top Syrian rebel killed in airstrike near Damascus-Jaish al-Islam chief Zahran Allouch reportedly killed by Russian airstrike during a meeting to reconcile feuding groups-By Agencies December 25, 2015, 7:52 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Opposition activists say an airstrike near the capital Damascus has killed top rebel commander Zahran Allouch.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an airstrike hit an Islam Army meeting near the Damascus suburb of Otaya on Friday killing several officials including Allouch.The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV said Allouch was killed during a meeting to reconcile two feuding militant factions near Damascus. The station said 13 airstrikes hit eastern Damascus on Friday.Saudi-backed Allouch, head of the powerful Jaish al-Islam Syrian rebel group, was one of the most powerful rebel commanders and his group controls large parts of the Damascus suburbs.His death comes a month before peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition are to begin in Geneva.Allouch’s death was confirmed on Twitter by the head of Syria’s opposition National Coalition.

Palestinian driver tries to crash into IDF troops, is killed-Attacker, a 40-year-old mother of four, is shot by soldiers in incident near Ramallah; Palestinian said killed in clash on Gaza border-By Times of Israel staff December 25, 2015, 4:59 pm

A Palestinian driver attempted to crash her car into a group of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank Friday afternoon. The woman was shot and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.No troops were injured in the incident near the Palestinian village of Silwad, north of Ramallah.The woman was identified in Arabic media as Mahdia Mohammad Hamad, 40, a mother of four.In a separate incident Friday, a Palestinian man was reportedly killed in clashes with the IDF east of Gaza City along the border with Israel. Palestinian news outlet Al Watan Voice identified the man as 22-year-old Hani Rafiq Wahdan.At least nine others were injured in the clashes, a Gaza Health Ministry spokesman said.Later on Friday evening, Palestinians threw stones at IDF soldiers near the village of Bayt Furik, south of Nablus, and the troops responded with sniper fire. There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to Ynet.The incidents came after three terror attacks on Thursday, in an ongoing wave of Palestinian attacks since September.One person was lightly injured Thursday morning in a suspected car-ramming in the West Bank north of Jerusalem, the third attack in as many hours Thursday morning.The army said a car tried to hit soldiers and Border Police at the Adam junction next to the Rama army base. The driver was shot and killed at the scene, an IDF statement said. Earlier Thursday, a Palestinian stabbed and injured two security guards at an industrial park outside the West Bank settlement of Ariel. Guards at the site shot and killed the attacker during the incident, police said.One victim, 24, was listed in serious condition after suffering several stab wounds to his upper body. A female guard, also 24, was listed in moderate condition with a stab wounds to her upper body, according to police and the Magen David Adom rescue organization.Less than an hour later, a Palestinian man attempting to stab soldiers with a screwdriver was shot and killed near the West Bank city of Hebron. The army said the assailant, “armed with a screwdriver, approached a checkpoint near Hebron and attempted to the stab security forces.” The soldiers opened fire on the man, killing him, the IDF said.On Wednesday, two Palestinians stabbed three Israelis outside the Old City of Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate. Both were shot dead by Border Police at the scene. Two of the Israeli victims died, one from errant gunfire.

LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)

JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.
12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE

2 Palestinians arrested in West Bank for Christmas tree arson-Suspects set fire to the tree in Zababdeh, a Christian-majority village near Jenin; are being investigated for ties to terror groups-By AP December 25, 2015, 11:06 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Palestinian security forces said they arrested two suspected Islamic radicals in the burning of a Christmas tree in the northern West Bank.A Palestinian security officer said Friday the suspects set fire Wednesday to the tree in Zababdeh, a Christian-majority village near Jenin. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to reporters.He said both suspects are under investigation for possible ties to extremist Islamist groups. He also said Palestinian security forces arrested about a dozen radical Islamists on Wednesday in Bethlehem.Christians make up about 2 percent of the West Bank population.Palestinian assailants attacked Israelis in three West Bank incidents Thursday as visitors flocked to Bethlehem for a subdued Christmas Eve. The attackers were shot and killed by Israeli security forces.

Israel slams CNN, CBS coverage of Jaffa Gate terror attack-Government Press Office lodges complaint with US media outlets for lumping together attackers, victims in fatal stabbing-By Times of Israel staff December 25, 2015, 10:53 am

Israel’s Government Press Office on Thursday sent letters to CNN and CBS censuring their media coverage of the Jaffa Gate stabbing on Wednesday and demanding explanations.Two Palestinian men stabbed two Israelis outside Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday, before security forces opened fire and killed them. Rabbi Reuben Birmajer later died of wounds sustained in the stabbing. Also killed in the attack was Ofer Ben Ari, 46, who died after being mistakenly shot by police amid the chaos of the attack. Another Israeli was badly wounded in the terror attack.In covering the attack, after the two Israelis succumbed to their injuries, CNN’s headline read: “Four die in violent stabbing at Jaffa Gate.” CBS, meanwhile, initially wrote: “2 Palestinians killed after stabbing attack in Jerusalem.” The headline was later changed to “2 Israelis dead after stabbing attack in Jerusalem; 2 Palestinian assailants killed.”In a letter to CNN, GPO chief Nitzan Chen said he was “deeply concerned” by the headline.CNN: "four die in violent stabbing" outrageous headline number 3. pic.twitter.com/9TzS52Psvk-— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) December 24, 2015-“We believe that combining the two murderers with the two victims into ‘four dead’ is not only dishonest and unethical journalism, but also borders on incitement, since the viewer can easily misinterpret it,” he wrote, according to the Ynet news website.“Reporting ‘four dead’ only leads us to conclude that the person who wrote this headline had a clear political agenda. We strongly condemn such journalism,” continued Chen. Earlier CNN reports of the attack distinguished between the wounded Israelis and the Palestinian attackers. In his letter to CBS, Chen said he was “stunned” by the headline, and maintained: “We cannot think of a worse example of anti-Israel bias than the unfortunate headline that appeared on your website yesterday, even if it was only for a short time.“The first headline is clearly turning the murderers into victims in the most inflammatory way possible,” he wrote. “There can be no justification for this. Beyond the immediate risk it poses to Israelis against possible Arab revenge attacks, it is simply dishonest and unethical journalism.”Also fiercely criticized on social media was the initial New York Times headline, which read: “2 Palestinian attackers killed, 2 Israelis die in Jerusalem.” The headline was revised several hours later to: “Palestinian stabbers kill Israeli, assailants shot dead.”"2 Palestinian attackers killed, 2 Israelis die in Jerusalem." What the actual hell. pic.twitter.com/4gJoqcS7WR — Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) December 23, 2015

IDF preps home demolitions for Jaffa Gate stabbers, car-rammer-Army arrests five Palestinians in overnight sweeps, including a Hamas member-By Times of Israel staff and Judah Ari Gross December 25, 2015, 9:41 am

Israeli forces overnight Thursday-Friday made preparations for the demolition of the homes of the two Palestinian terrorists who carried out a fatal attack outside Jerusalem’s Old City earlier this week.Israeli soldiers also mapped out the Qalandiya house of a Palestinian who rammed his car into Israelis north of Jerusalem on Thursday, injuring one person, and arrested five Palestinians in several different raids.Attackers Anan Abu Habsah and Issa Assaf, both 21, from the Qalandiya refugee camp outside Jerusalem, stabbed two Israelis near Jaffa Gate on Wednesday. Rabbi Reuben Birmajer later died of his wounds. Also killed in the attack was Ofer Ben Ari, 46, who died after being mistakenly shot by police amid the chaos of the attack.Another Israeli was badly wounded in the stabbing. Both attackers were killed on the spot by police.In Thursday’s attack, a Palestinian lightly injured an Israeli after ramming his vehicle into him at a West Bank junction. The attacker, later named as Wissam Abu Ghawilah, was shot and killed at the scene by security forces.Apart from measuring the homes prior to demolition, the army arrested five Palestinians in overnight raids. Two of the Palestinians were suspected of participating in violent protests against the army. In Nablus, a Hamas member was detained by Israeli forces.The practice of demolishing the family homes of terrorists has been criticized by nongovernmental groups, but officials have defended its use as a deterrent against future attacks.Critics claim that, in addition to being a form of collective punishment, house demolitions could motivate family members of terrorists to launch attacks themselves.

The dance of death-Op-ed: Every society has its fringe groups, but the youths seen at a Jerusalem wedding celebrating murder have the potential to bring ruin down upon us all-By David Horovitz December 24, 2015, 2:33 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

The sight is nauseating, unthinkable. And, it turns out, not entirely new.On its nightly news Wednesday, Channel 10 broadcast footage of dozens of young, ostensibly Orthodox Israeli Jews dancing at a wedding. Rather than celebrating the union of two young people as they set out to build a life together, this clip shows a frenzied celebration of death: the killings of the Dawabsha family — 18-month-old Ali, and his parents Riham and Saad — who were murdered when assailants firebombed their home in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31.The Israeli far right has sought to deny the investigating authorities’ contention that the Dawabsha killings were an act of Jewish terrorism. The lawyers for several Jewish suspects in the case have sought to blacken the name of the Shin Bet security agency for allegedly torturing them. Several Knesset members have lent a degree of support to this campaign. Hundreds have demonstrated on the suspects’ behalf.But the scenes from this wedding this month in Jerusalem tell an awful, unmistakable story. For here, gathered together in wild revelry, are dozens of young Israeli Jews delighting in the deaths of the Dawabsha family. Described variously in reports Wednesday and Thursday as members of the extreme far-right and the “Hilltop Youth,” with one or both of the happy couple reportedly “known” to the security authorities, they chant a song that hails “revenge” against the Palestinians. One celebrant holds a Molotov cocktail in homage to the killers’ means of murder. Others wave machine guns and knives. At the height of the festivities, a photograph of baby Ali Dawabsha is “stabbed.”Condemnation of the youths has rolled in over the past few hours from pretty much the entire political spectrum. There have been innumerable professions of horror and shock.And yet the owner of the venue told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily that there are “dozens of weddings like this every month,” and that the Israeli authorities are well aware of them. He said that after the older folks have gone home, the youths dance like this, and sometimes some of them get arrested.Another interviewee, in the same newspaper, spoke of going to such weddings “for years,” adding, however, that the brandishing of weapons and the “stabbing” of a photograph of the murdered baby “really mark the crossing of a red line.”Now, perhaps, we better understand why President Reuven Rivlin, on the morning after the Duma killings, lamented that “we have been lax in our treatment of the manifestations of Jewish terrorism. Perhaps we did not internalize that we are faced with a determined and dangerous ideological group,” he said, “which aims to destroy the fragile bridges which we work so tirelessly to build.” And why, at a rally the next day, Rivlin elaborated: The flames of hatred, violence and “false, distorted and twisted beliefs are spreading through the land… These flames, which are consuming all of us, cannot be extinguished with weak condemnations [by politicians],” Rivlin said. “From the educational system, to those who enforce the law, through to the leadership of the people and the country: We must put out the flames, the incitement, before they destroy us all.”Now, perhaps, we better understand the description, given to this reporter by security officials a month after the Duma murders, of a Jewish extremist fringe that has become so radical as to lie beyond the influence of even the most hawkish rabbinical leadership. Its members heed no authority, I was told. Some are prepared to kill, to go to jail for life, and to be killed if necessary, in support of a coldly deranged championing of land and perceived religious imperative over life.It is not too late for the State of Israel to reassert its insistence on upholding the core Jewish values that these young people have lost — and chiefly, of course, the fundamental respect for the divine gift of human life-Now, perhaps, we better understand the warnings, including from Education Minister Naftali Bennett, that these shameful Jewish youths threaten the very existence of the State of Israel. “There are a few dozen people whose goal is not murder; murder is just their means to undermine the foundations of the state,” said Bennett this week.Rabbi Eli Sadan, founder of the pre-army yeshiva academy at Eli in the West Bank, said sadly on Army Radio Thursday that all societies have their fringe youth, their violent dropouts. That they do. But in our ultra-combustible reality, a fringe like this, as the Duma killings and their violent aftermath underline, has the potential to set the entire enterprise aflame.Bennett, who heads the Orthodox-nationalist Jewish Home — the Knesset party most clearly identified with the settlement movement — said Thursday that he has tried in the past to reason with the so-called “Hilltop Youth” extremists, from whose ranks perpetrators of dozens of church-burnings, tire-slashings and other hate crimes are alleged to have sprung, and from whose ranks the Duma killers, too, are said to have emerged. But they paid no heed to him, he said, and called him a “traitor.” Where the suspects in the Duma case are concerned, he observed, it was now too late for education.But it is not too late for education where the dozens who participated in that inhumane wedding dance of death are concerned. It is not too late for political leaders and rabbis and parents and siblings and friends to pull these deranged youths back from the brink. It is not too late for the State of Israel to reassert its insistence on upholding the core Jewish values that these young people have lost — and chiefly, of course, the fundamental respect for the divine gift of human life.Otherwise, these dancing youths, derangedly and delightedly celebrating the death of innocents, will bring down ruin upon us all.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

Survivors of Southern storms thankful to see Christmas-Associated Press By BILL BARROW- DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

Tony Goodwin ducked into a storm shelter with seven others as a storm pounded Tennessee and other states in the southeastern U.S. He emerged to find his house in Linden had been knocked off its foundation and hurled down a hill by high winds.Goodwin's neighbors weren't so fortunate. Two people in one home were killed."It makes you thankful to be alive with your family," he said.Unseasonably warm weather on Wednesday helped spawn torrential rain and deadly tornadoes that left at least 14 people and left dozens of families homeless by Christmas Eve.Parts of Mississippi remained under a flood warning Friday. Weather forecasters from the National Weather Service warned that a strong storm crossing the central part of the state could produce hail and winds of more than 40 mph. The storm was bringing with it the risk of falling trees, downed power lines and flash flooding, officials said.But that didn't stop some from spending their Christmas giving rather than receiving.Nicholas Garbacz, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross of North Mississippi, said members of the Marine Corps brought donated toys to a center in Holly Springs for children whose families were hit hard by the storms. Two of the seven people killed in Mississippi were from the Holly Springs area.Dozens of children and their families showed up Friday morning to pick up a toy or other items they might need to recover from the storm, Garbacz said.More severe weather was also in store for parts of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee that were again being pounded with rain. Residents were warned to brace for flash flooding and possible tornadoes.Among the dead were seven people from Mississippi, including a 7-year-old boy who perished while riding in a car that was swept up and tossed by storm winds.Six people were killed in Tennessee, including three who were found in a car submerged in a creek, according to the Columbia Police Department. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said the victims were a 19-year-old female and two 22-year-old males.One person died in Arkansas, and dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed.As the rain continued to fall, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday issued an emergency declaration that covers any part of the state experiencing flash flooding. Officials in southeast Alabama are particularly concerned, as Pea River is approaching record-levels near the town of Elba, which has a history of severe flooding.Dozens of people were injured in earlier storms, some seriously, said Greg Flynn, spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.Search teams combed damaged homes and businesses for people still missing, a hunt made complicated because so many had left for the holidays."Until they know for sure where those folks are, they're going to keep looking, because we've had in some cases houses leveled, and they're just not there anymore," Flynn said.In Benton County, Mississippi, relatives helped Daisy and Charles Johnson clean up after the storm flattened their house. They carried some of the couple's belongings past a Santa Clause figure on a table.Daisy Johnson, 68, said she and her husband rushed along with other relatives to their storm shelter across the street after they heard a tornado was headed their way."We looked straight west of us, and there it was. It was yellow and it was roaring, lightning just continually, and it was making a terrible noise," she said. "I never want to hear that again for as long as I live."Mona Ables, 43, was driving home when the storm hit. She abandoned her car, ran to a house and banged on a window, seeking shelter.The startled man inside couldn't open the door, Ables said. She huddled next to the house as another stranger pulled up, also looking for shelter."He and I just huddled together and saw trees fly past us, and a shipping container flip over," Ables said. "And as the debris started hitting us, he just covered me, and within a minute it was all over and there was destruction all around us and we were fine."Peak tornado season in the South is in the spring, but such storms can happen at any time. Exactly a year ago, tornadoes hit Mississippi, killing five people and injuring dozens.Barbara Perkins was told Thursday by an insurance agent that her storm-damaged home in Falkner, Mississippi, was a complete loss. But Perkins — who survived the storm hunkered down inside a closet with her husband — said she was happy just to be alive. Two neighbors had died in the storm that swept across the southeastern U.S. earlier this week."You kind of stop and realize what Christmas is all about," Perkins said.___AP writers contributing to this report were Erik Schelzig from Linden, Tennessee; Phillip Lucas from Falkner, Mississippi; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Lucas Johnson in Nashville; and Chevel Johnson in New Orleans.

Presents pile up for 'miracle baby' who made national news-Associated Press-DEC 25,15-YAHOO NEWS

TAVARES, Fla. (AP) — A Florida couple say presents have piled up for their year-old son, whose Christmas card with Santa captivated readers nationwide.Jaxon Buell first had a small following of family and well-wishers on the Facebook page his parents set up shortly after he was born Aug. 27, 2014, with a rare condition that prevented much of his brain from forming and left half his skull flat.Tens of thousands of people have liked the "Jaxon Strong" page now, after the baby made national news while being treated at a Boston hospital."Now if we go two days without posting something we get messages, 'Where's my blue-eyed angel?' or 'Is he OK?'" his mother, Brittany Buell, told the Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1PnHlXS). "It's amazing and surreal the connection people have with Jaxon. He has followers on every continent besides Antarctica."A Christmas card showing Jaxon leaning into Santa's ear garnered more gifts and donations for the boy and his parents. Six or seven presents have been arriving daily at the family's Tavares home, the boy's mother said."We feel so humbled with the amount of support and love Jaxon has received from his followers online, but even greater has been how his story has been able to help others going through similar situations," said Brandon Buell, Jaxon's father. "His story is going to benefit the medical world and help benefit other families that will walk in a similar path as us in the future."Jaxon was born with microhydranencephaly and doctors initially said he wouldn't develop motor skills such as smiling, speaking or playing with toys. Over a year later, Jaxon can smile, roll over, say "momma" and "dadda," and he tries to crawl. However, he also has a feeding tube and medications he needs four times a day.More than $162,000 has been donated to the family. The Buells say they're giving the cash to hospitals researching similar conditions and various medical facilities that have helped them."The vast majority of children who have had microhydranencephaly either were aborted or died shortly after birth, so there isn't a lot of similar cases to compare Jaxon to," said Dr. Carl Barr with Florida Child Neurology in Orlando, one of the doctors treating Jaxon. "He's definitely writing his own book. We're all just along for the ride."___Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/

Pope contrasts Jesus' birth, excess in Christmas Eve homily-Associated Press By FRANCES D'EMILIO-DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

VATICAN CITY (AP) — In his Christmas Eve homily Thursday, Pope Francis noted the simplicity of Jesus' birth as he rebuked what he called societies' intoxication with consumerism, pleasure, abundance and wealth.Christians around the world joyfully prepared to recall the birth of Jesus. But in his only public Christmas Mass, in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, the pope counter-weighted his joy with a lament for people's excesses and what he described as a "culture of indifference, which not infrequently turns ruthless." Francis said Jesus "calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential."Referring to Jesus' birth in a Bethlehem stable, the pope said the child was "born into the poverty of this world; there was no room in the inn for him and his family."Francis also sounded a cry to right injustices. "In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice," he said.Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has tried to shape the church into one marked more by loving mercy than rigid judgment. He insists that the needs of the poor and others, including refugees and migrants, be paramount.Youngsters from countries that Francis has visited as pontiff, including Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the United States and most recently, three African nations, left floral bouquets around a baby Jesus statue near the central altar after Francis unveiled and gently kissed the statue.A child from Mexico, which the pope visits in February, was also among the bouquet bearers.On Friday, tens of thousands of people are expected to crowd into St. Peter's Square to hear the traditional Christmas day speech, which in the past has been used to denounce wars, other violence and injustice across the globe.

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN

ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Russia warming '2.5 times quicker' than global average: ministry-AFP-DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

Moscow (AFP) - Russia is warming more than twice as fast as the average for the rest of the world, the environment ministry said Friday, sounding an alarm on the rise in floods and wildfires nationwide.A government report on environmental protection said temperatures in Russia had warmed by 0.42 degrees Celsius per decade since 1976, or 2.5 times quicker than the global warming trend of 0.17 degrees."Climate change leads to growth of dangerous meteorological phenomena," the ministry said in a comment to the report published Friday.There were 569 such phenomena in Russia in 2014, "the most since monitoring began," the ministry said, specifically mentioning last year's ravaging floods and this year's "water deficit" east of Lake Baikal, which led to a "catastrophic rise in fires."Fires around Lake Baikal, including the nearby Irkutsk and Buryatia regions, tore through hundreds of square miles in the pristine area, with locals and campers forced to dig ditches as state media at one point offered the theory that fires were fuelled by "self-igniting air" caused by ozone anomalies.Climate change has contributed to unprecedented loss of water in the Baikal itself, dropping to minimal water levels allowed by the government several times this year, including this week."The level of Baikal has dropped to 456.1 metres (above sea level)," despite minimal water use by hydropower stations downstream on the Angara river, environment ministry spokesman Nikolai Gudkov told RIA-Novosti agency Friday.- 'Earthquakes, landslides, flash floods' -President Vladimir Putin rarely voices concerns about climate change, having famously said in the past that a little warming would not hurt the country and seeing it as a boon for Arctic development.Experts however have cautioned that warming could hurt energy infrastructure on permafrost in Siberia and increase other risks.The report states that while Russia is warming on the whole, some areas in the Far East and southern Siberia are experiencing harsh winters. Out-of-control fires and deadly floods have hit Russia nearly every year this decade, and the emergency situations ministry in October conceded it has to come up with a new strategy."There are new threats in face of climate change," emergencies minister Vladimir Puchkov said at a conference in October, adding they require "new measures to protect infrastructure.""Permafrost is receding, there are earthquakes where there weren't before, there are landslides, flash floods, blow-outs of gas condensate and so on," he said.World nations earlier this month reached a climate accord in Paris which sets the goal of limiting global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, though experts warn that emissions-curbing pledges may be too little too late.While the total emission of greenhouse gases in Russia has not grown over the past five years, car emissions are increasing.Half of Russia's auto transport still consists of inefficient vehicles with polluting engines over a decade old, the report said.Weather in Moscow and surrounding regions has been abnormally warm in recent days, with historic temperature records broken every day of the past week, the latest on Thursday with 8.5 degrees Celsius (47 degrees Fahrenheit) in Moscow.The warmth led city hall to close the capital's ice rinks, while bees left their beehives and snowdrops suddenly bloomed in Moscow's parks.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Late-night earthquake rattles Pakistani capital, Afghanistan-Associated Press By MUNIR AHMED-DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A strong earthquake shook parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan, rattling buildings and forcing sleeping residents out of their homes.More than 30 people were injured as houses or walls collapsed in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar, said emergency rescue service spokesman Bilal Ahmed Faizi. A total of 41 people were taken to hospitals in the city, according to doctors and rescue officials.Pakistani official Ghulam Rasool told The Associated Press that the magnitude-6.9 quake was centered in Tajikistan near the Afghan border, beginning after midnight Saturday and lasting for 59 seconds.However, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake measured at magnitude 6.2 and was centered in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Twitter users in the Afghan capital, Kabul, reported feeling the tremors.Hamid Nawaz, the head of Pakistan's disaster management authority, said they were still assessing damage. He confirmed that some old homes and walls collapsed in Peshawar, but he refused to share further details.The quake was also felt in the Kashmir region. In Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, some residents remained outside their homes despite the chilly winter weather, fearful of aftershocks.Sahiba Khan, an 18-year-old student, said she was reading when the earthquake jolted her home. All of her family members emerged, reciting verses from Quran.___Associated Press writer Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan contributed.

A Liberal Says: Teach the Friggin' Bible in Schools-Ozy News By Sanjena Sathian-DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

I was one of a handful of leftist non-Christians at a private Christian high school in the Deep South where, at graduation, everyone received a Bible embossed with their names in gold lettering. Which made me an oddity at college, in the bastion of liberal values that is the American Northeast: Reflecting on high school with my classmates, I mentioned one of my favorite classes was a course on the New Testament. And I thought that everyone should study it in school. Private or public. Please, put down your fiery stakes. My classmates weren’t into it, either.I called up a few of my old teachers from my alma mater, the Westminster Schools, including its former president Bill Clarkson — a Ph.D., and a graduate of Duke and seminary who calls himself a “priest-academic.” Fresh from a conference about interfaith studies, Clarkson told me he believes strongly in teaching religious texts in a “non-proselytizing” way. He’d rather have students read the stuff than “parrot what they hear their parents say,” he explained. And, he adds that the world needs “younger people who will need to lead in making peace in the world, not war.”But a 2013 poll showed only one in five Americans regularly study their Bibles — i.e. crack the spine a few times a week. Me? I’ve read it. In English, and Spanish. I called up another former teacher — who also holds a Ph.D. in classical languages — named Tom Curtis, now retired. He’d ditched academia to teach at a high school where he lectured 17-year-olds on the Bible as a literary text and graded papers in German, Spanish, French and Latin. My favorite exercise in his class (yes, I was that kid) was called an exegesis, in which students close-read a single phrase or sentence in a text, complete with historical context and etymology. Few of my classmates at Yale had done anything so rigorous in high school. Too bad for them: It helped me learn to write great papers fast — and made me a smart skeptic and a better citizen, too. Of course, there are good reasons not to stick religion into public schools. For pluralism’s sake, educators would need to teach not just the Bible, but also the Quran, the Torah, the Gita and more — and religious scholars are in short supply. Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, points out it’d be “ludicrous” to introduce religious texts into schools when so many are chopping arts, phys ed and even civics classes. And how would you choose, he asked? Would you have to include, say, Scientology? Plus, he worries about the First Amendment implications (so do people on the other side, for that matter): Would Christians censor an attempt to teach the Bible objectively? -Religion in Schools: a Selected Legal History-Thomas Jefferson writes to the Danbury Baptists (1802): “Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God,” introducing the phrase “a wall of separation between Church and State.”-Engel v. Vitale (1962): SCOTUS rules against prayer in schools.Abington Township v. Schempp (1963): SCOTUS distinguishes — objective teaching about religion is fine, since it’s not the same thing as school-sponsored prayer (not okay).BUT: voluntary prayer is considered permissible, and same with walking around with a Bible tucked under your arm. Just read it on your own time, the court’s said.Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971): Unanimously, the court rules that school districts can fund private school teachers who teach religion.Lee v. Weisman (1992): SCOTUS says freedom of religion means “freedom from coercion” — in other words, no religion allowed at mandatory school events, like graduation ceremonies.Points taken. Except, I can’t help thinking of how we teach “European History” next to the impossible amalgam of “World” History. Educators are already making millions of choices about what histories our kids learn. Mightn’t we add a few extra tidbits to those curricula? Lynn, for his part, figures teachers can add Biblical context when it “comes up” in reading, say, Shakespeare or Faulkner — and Muslim context when it comes up in class debates over … terrorism.

Iraqi forces to retake Mosul from Islamic State after Ramadi secured: PM-Reuters-DEC 25,15-YAHOONEWS

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's armed forces will move to retake the major northern city of Mosul from Islamic State once they capture the western city of Ramadi, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday.Capturing Mosul would deprive the militant group of its biggest population center in both Iraq and Syria, effectively abolishing the state structure of IS in Iraq, depriving it of a major source of funding and dealing a blow to its influence.The capture of Ramadi would give the army a major psychological boost in its move toward Mosul.The cities are about 420 km (260 miles) apart by road. Iraqi forces started an attack on Tuesday to dislodge Islamic State militants from the center of Ramadi, the last district under their control in the city they had captured in May. Islamic State seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in 2014, in an offensive that forced government forces to abandon a third of Iraqi territory.The group declared a caliphate over the Iraqi and adjacent Syrian Sunni populated territory it controls."The liberation of dear Mosul will be achieved with the cooperation and unity of all Iraqis after the victory in Ramadi," Abadi said in a statement on the state media website on Friday.Army commanders said on Wednesday that the battle for Ramadi would take several days.(Reporting by Saif Hameed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

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