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)
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Baltic states urge strong U.S. defense commitment to region-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
TALLINN (Reuters) - The defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia renewed their call on Wednesday for a strong U.S. engagement in the Baltic region amid concerns over the attitude of the incoming Trump administration.Donald Trump said during the U.S. presidential campaign that he would consider a country's contribution to the NATO alliance before coming to its defense, rattling many in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia who fear a more assertive Russia.Estonia meets NATO's defense spending target of two percent of national output, while Latvia and Lithuania say they aim to reach that level in the next few years.In a statement issued after regular talks on defense cooperation, the defense ministers "expressed the utmost importance of the United States' robust commitment to Baltic states' security".Latvia's Raimonds Bergmanis, Lithuania's Raimundas Karoblis and Estonia's Margus Tsahkna also urged Washington to ensure "credible deterrence by continuing persistent presence of the United States' forces and pre-positioning in the Baltic states".In 2015, the United States agreed to pre-position tanks, artillery and other military equipment in eastern and central Europe to speed up an eventual deployment of forces at times of crisis.In their statement, the three defense ministers said they wanted a long-term allied air and maritime presence in the Baltic Sea region, including the continuation of the enhanced NATO air-policing mission.The tiny Baltic states, which were ruled by Moscow in communist times, were alarmed by Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014 and its support for armed pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine-(Reporting by David Mardiste; Editing by Simon Johnson and Gareth Jones)
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Russia blocks U.N. council bid to thank Ban Ki-moon for gay rights work-[Reuters]-By Michelle Nichols-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia prevented the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday from thanking outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon specifically for promoting gay rights during his decade in office, diplomats said.The 15-member council met to pay tribute to Ban, who will step down later this month. Being gay is a crime in at least 73 countries, the U.N. has said, and the issue of gay rights consistently sparks heated debate at the United Nations.The United States and other members had wanted a council statement to read: "It is thanks to you, Mr. Secretary-General, that women, young people, and the LGBT community have been heard and assisted, and today their voices sound louder and stronger in this headquarters and around the world."However, Russia objected, diplomats said. The 15-member council instead agreed to a statement that said because of Ban's human rights promotion "the most vulnerable or marginalized have been increasingly heard and assisted by the United Nations."Ban has long advocated for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality but faced opposition from African, Arab and Muslim states as well as Russia and China.In 2014, Ban said the U.N. would recognize all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive its benefits. Russia, with the support of 43 states including Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria, unsuccessfully tried to overturn the move last year.In February, the 54-member African Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the 25-member Group of Friends of the Family led by Belarus, Egypt and Qatar protested six new U.N. stamps promoting LGBT equality.(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Tom Brown)
Iran congratulates Assad on Aleppo victory, Syrian presidency says-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has congratulated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on a victory in "liberated Aleppo", Syria's presidency said on Wednesday.Rouhani said this was an important step toward "wiping out terrorism in Syria", the presidency's Twitter account and state media reported.Iran is a key military ally of Damascus.(Reporting by John Davison and Ali Abdelaty in Cairo; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Dirty Russian money buying influence in EU, MEPs warn By Andrew Rettman-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 13. Dec, 18:39-MEPs from the main groups in the European Parliament have raised the alarm over illicit Russian money in Europe and its use to influence European politics.They said in a letter to EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini that “over $200 million [€189mn] of illicit proceeds” from a Russian tax fraud “was laundered through Europe” and that “there is information that shows that the money has been used to influence European politics, media, and civil society to prevent consequences for Russian human rights violators”.They also said the $200 million was “just the tip of the iceberg” and that the same group behind that fraud “is linked to similar crimes worth over $1 billion”.The tax fraud was first uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian auditor who later died in prison in 2009.The larger, $1 billion scam, which involved fraudulent VAT refunds by the same group of Russian tax officials and mafia enforcers, was documented by Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper, and by the OCCRP, a club of investigative reporters in eastern Europe.Bill Browder, a British hedge fund manager who was Magnitsky’s former employer, amassed evidence showing that the funds were laundered in several EU banks.His campaign has prompted ongoing investigations by authorities in the US, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Lithuania, and Poland-The subsequent so-called Panama Papers leak also showed that at least $800,000 of the stolen Russian taxpayers’ money was funnelled to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s friend, a cellist named Sergei Roldugin.The MEPs’ letter to Mogherini on “the laundering of proceeds of Russian organised crime in Europe” said she should propose that EU states impose visa bans and asset freezes on 32 Russians implicated in the Magnitsky affair.The letter, dated 5 December, was made public on Tuesday (13 December).Mogherini’s office told EUobserver that “we got the letter and a response will be sent in due course”.The MEPs’ warning comes ahead of elections next year in France and Germany, where anti-EU parties, such as the National Front in France and the AfD in Germany, both of which stand accused of secretly receiving Russian funds, aim to run for power.British and German spy chiefs have warned that Russia was trying to sway the outcome of EU votes the same way that it did the US elections.The EU parliament, in a recent report, also warned that Russia’s anti-EU propaganda campaign was a threat to EU democracy.-'Destructive steps'-Mogherini’s foreign service, which has resisted previous calls to go after the Magnitsky affair group, declined to say whether it shared those concerns when asked by EUobserver on Tuesday.The MEPs’ letter accused the EU of having done little to improve the human rights situation in Russia.It said Mogherini’s former pledges to put pressure on Moscow over rights abuses had “failed” and that further inaction “shows a weakness of Europe and encourages Vladimir Putin to take more provocative and destructive steps”.It was signed by 51 MEPs from the centre-right EPP group, the centre-left S&D group, the liberal Alde group, the Greens, and the right-wing ECR group.Signatories included the Green group’s German co-leader Rebecca Harms and the ECR’s Anna Fotyga, a former Polish foreign minister who wrote the parliament’s Russian propaganda report.Browder’s campaign has led the US to blacklist corrupt Russian officials and prompted Estonia, last week, to also adopt a US-type law on bans for corrupt foreigners.-Sanctions talks-“It is time for the European Union to do its part by enacting the will of its members to stop criminals with blood on their hands from reaping the benefits of Europe”, Browder said.The EU has imposed a separate set of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.French president Francois Hollande recently said in Berlin that he agreed with German chancellor Angela Merkel that the duration of economic sanctions should be extended for a further six months in January.Italy had been critical of the measures.Russia’s air support for the Syrian regime’s massacre of civilians in Aleppo showed signs of having alienated its friends in Rome, however.Paolo Gentiloni, the incoming Italian prime minister, said on Tuesday that the Syria crisis was coming to “define relations between the EU and Russia” and that EU leaders would discuss the situation at their summit later this week.
Gas prices going up about 4 cents a litre in Ontario, minister reminds drivers-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 13, 2016
Ontario Environment Minister Glen Murray says not much will change in the province due to a new national climate change deal signed last week, but reminds residents they'll be paying about four cents a litre more for gas and about $5 more monthly in natural gas bills starting in January."It's not a lot," Murray told Metro Morning on Tuesday.Murray said the price increases are examples of the costs associated with Ontario's cap-and-trade program. Both increases will take effect Jan. 1, 2017.Murray said the provincial government is very aware that residents are trying to keep living costs down."What I would say is the government has been listening very carefully to that. The focus is so much on reducing the cost of living," he said.But Murray said provinces are taking the lead on fighting climate change and Ontario is part of a "global market" that is trying to reduce emissions through carbon pricing."We've been very clear there are costs associated with this. You have to put a price on carbon. The fuels that cause the problem are being priced around the world," said Murray.As for the national climate change framework signed Friday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all but two of the provincial premiers, Murray said the Wynne government has not committed itself to anything new.The new deal puts in place a carbon pricing plan and aims to meet Canada's 2030 emissions reduction targets. Murray said Ontario, along with Quebec and California, already has a cap-and-trade system in place that he described as a "cost-effective" mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.In that system, the province limits the amount of pollution allowed every year and companies trade to stay under their individual caps."That system is validated by this process, as long as it meets the outcomes that we have committed to as a province, as long we meet our targets. It doesn't have much effect," Murray said."It really starts to affect the other provinces that didn't really have any carbon pricing system in place."Revenue from Ontario's cap-and-trade program will be used to subsidize environmental projects and programs in the province, he said.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
EU countries agree to reinforce trade defence By Eszter Zalan-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 13. Dec, 18:34-EU states agreed to reinforce the bloc’s trade defence instruments on Tuesday (13 December) in a move hailed as a “major breakthrough”.Reforming trade defence instruments has become a key priority for the EU recently, as steel overcapacity from China squeezes European businesses and as trade policy has become a key concern for voters feeling left out of the benefits of globalisation.The European Commission proposed modernising trade defence instruments in 2013, but the file was stuck in the EU Council, where member states with different trade traditions disagreed over allowing higher tariffs to be imposed for dumping.EU diplomats agreed to a compromise proposed by Slovakia, the rotating presidency of the EU. It was the sixth proposal put forward by the Slovak diplomats.There has been a real political push to act, as EU leaders in October agreed on the need to reach an agreement before the end of the year.One of the key stumbling blocks had been the so-called "lesser duty rule," by which tariffs are imposed at the lowest level possible.The Slovak compromise suggested keeping the lesser duty rule but suspending it in “some justified cases”, for instance in cases of “state-induced” distortions in raw material and energy.The compromise sets out that "higher duties can be imposed where there are raw material distortions and these raw materials, including energy, account for more than 27 percent of the cost of production in total and more than 7 percent taken individually, per piece."The commission will have to prove the "justified cases", where the rule can be suspended.The Slovak EU presidency argues that the reformed rules can respond better to unfair trade practices, and shield European producers from damage caused by unfair competition.The commission has also argued that in the case of Chinese steel dumping for instance, the rule has limited EU tariffs to 21 percent, while the US, that has no lesser duty rule, could impose tariffs of 266 percent.Some countries, like Britain and the Nordic countries, had opposed modifying the lesser duty rule, on the ground that it provided adequate protection for industries.In a nod to these more liberal trading countries, the agreement extends the predisclosure time to four weeks from two weeks on upcoming measure and duties, giving more time to importers to adjust to the changes.Peter Ziga, the Slovak minister in charge of trade said the agreement was a “major breakthrough”."Our trade defence instruments have remained largely the same for over 15 years but the situation on world markets has changed dramatically. Europe cannot be naive and has to defend its interests, especially in case of dumping. This is a crucial step towards a solid solution that would help EU producers cope with unfair competition and practices,” he said in a statement.Other measures include shorter dumping investigation periods, which could be launched without an official request by an industry.The commission welcomed the agreement. Talks between the council and the European Parliament will start “soon”, according to an official, under the Maltese EU presidency to agree on the actual legislation.
EU rejects calls for 'freeze' in Turkey talks By Nikolaj Nielsen-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 13. Dec, 18:20-The European Parliament and Austria's demands to suspend negotiations with Turkey in its bid to join the EU were roundly opposed by EU member states.EU ministers on Tuesday (13 December) said Ankara's membership "accession process is open-ended" even though no new negotiating chapters will be launched in the foreseeable future.Although talks have stalled since the last negotiation chapter was opened in June, the push for a formal freeze was meant to send a political signal against Turkey's widespread crackdown on so-called state saboteurs.Slovakia's foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak, who chaired the meeting on behalf of his country's EU presidency, said that "one country was unable to accept a compromise, which all remaining 27 member states found acceptable."-Austria opposition-Austria refused to budge on its demand to insert the word "freeze" in the meeting's formal conclusions. The position of the other ministers was published in a statement released by the Slovak presidency.Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz, in the lead up to Tuesday's meeting, had demanded to stop Turkey's membership process."In Turkey, dissenters are intimidated, journalists and opposition politicians are imprisoned. The death penalty is to be introduced. We as the European Union must react to this," he told Deutsche Welle news outlet earlier this week.Turkey now ranks as the world's top jailer of journalists with some 81 behind bars. China trails in second with 38 imprisoned reporters.The EU wants to maintain already strained diplomatic ties with Ankara over broader fears that the country may scrap a migrant swap deal that was signed off in March."The EU remains committed to maintaining an open dialogue and working together with a democratic, inclusive and stable Turkey," said the ministers in a press statement, while highlighting Turkey's backsliding on the judiciary and freedom of expression."It's business as usual," said one EU official of Turkey's membership path.Broader issues of Turkey's membership bid won't be discussed at a EU leaders summit in Brussels on Thursday. The European Commission described the suspension talks "as an artificial debate" because of the stand-still in accession negotiations."I don't see any movement in the next couple of months," said EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn.-EU parliament sidelined-But Tuesday's decision is still a blow for the European Parliament. The assembly had in late November roundly supported a temporary freeze in talks.German MEP Manfred Weber, who heads the parliament's largest political group, the centre-right EPP, reiterated the demand earlier on Tuesday in Strasbourg."The EPP believes the Council has to send out a strong signal to Turkey," he said. "We can no longer turn a blind eye to what is going on."Turkey was granted candidate status in 1999 with accession negotiations opening a few years later. Out of the 16 chapters opened so far, only one was closed.
Opinion-How to reinvent the EU in the age of populism-By Adrian Taylor-dec 14,16-euobserver
Hamburg, Today, 13:58-The European Union needs to act fast to meet a coming onslaught of Farage, Trump, Putin and Johnson. Luckily there are a lot of things that can be done to give the citizens of Europe a new – positive – vision of the future of Europe, and to reduce the interest of outsiders in destroying the EU.-Show that the EU has 'got the message'-Firstly, the EU must demonstrate that it is no longer going to carry on with “business as usual”. As surveys show, when asked whether “in principle” European integration is a good idea, a large majority of EU citizens are still convinced of the necessity of the EU.However, when asked about the practice of how the EU is working today, they are very negative in their views.Hence it is important to demonstrate – first by symbolic acts – that a new chapter has opened, and that the EU is now going to change direction. These changes must be achievable immediately and hence without treaty modifications. They must then be followed by changes in practice. Fortunately, a lot can be done.-The Brussels brand must die-“Brussels” is everywhere associated with “bureaucracy” and “centralisation”. To eliminate this perception, every month the College of Commissioners should spend a working week in another member state, starting with Dublin (to talk about the consequences of Brexit on the island).Commissioners should not meet ministers there. Rather they should appear before national parliaments, encounter civil society and talk to journalists.The college should then hold its weekly meeting on the spot, and in that meeting, discuss the messages they heard. Every effort should be made to show that the commission is breaking out of the Brussels bubble.Costs should be kept down by allowing only commissioners plus one cabinet member to travel, holding college meetings in the Commission's representation offices in member states capitals, and avoiding ornate banquets/security.-Break the link between 'Europe' and 'austerity'-The EU should constitute a fund that buys all state-owned enterprises that indebted member states want to sell. For example, the European Investment Bank could buy the 14 regional airports that Greece must sell to meet its creditors wishes.If all these state owned assets were bought at once (Europeanised rather than nationalised), and not sold piecemeal at fire-sale prices, the member states concerned would receive a massive injection of funds to cut the debt (€50bn in Greece alone, according to the OECD ). And the rich nations who otherwise complain that their money disappears into a black hole, would actually be buying tangible assets with their money.Then a “Treuhand” like institution could be created on the model of the agency established to privatise industries in former East Germany, which helps turn the companies around (removing the ability of states to use such companies for patronage), and can progressively inject private capital in the fund, or privatise the individual enterprises.-Make the EU a world leader in transparency-All EU lobbying and conflicts of interest should become absolutely crystal clear for everybody. A first symbolic step could be to make the meeting calendar of every EU official public, especially indicating who is being met when, and what events/conferences they are invited to.Ultimately every meeting between a lobbyist and officials/parliamentarians/ministers should be recorded, and the register of interests should cover every decision maker and lobbyist. Some steps are already under way, but there is a need to go even further than the current proposals.-Kill the image of a regulatory monster-From now on, every regulation/directive/recommendation should contain an automatic sunset clause that this legislation is only valid for a fixed period of time – say 10 years. If it needs to be renewed, it must be discussed again at that time.Moreover, for all legislation adopted more than 10 years ago, the commission should propose that member states are allowed to change the legislation, if they can prove to the commission first that the change will not hinder the single market.-Have President Trump invest in Europe-On the strategic level, the EU needs to win over the Trump administration (which in turn can win over the president) from its Farage-influenced view of the world.The EU should pitch a Transatlantic Investment Pact. Note, unlike in the current TTIP project, there is no second “T for Trade” in this. Trade is Trump’s bugbear, but investments are the core of what makes the transatlantic economic relationship special (in 2015 the EU accounted for 80 percent of global Foreign Direct Investment flows into the US).In the process, the negotiations, which were in any case almost at a halt, can be revived as a swathe of problems will be removed (e.g. on harmonisation of laws).By concentrating only on investment, both President Trump and the EU can come out as “winners” by pointing out how investments bring jobs to local economies rather than sucking them out.-Make the EU the motor of defence-The EU - not the member states - should take up the slack on defence spending by paying not just for extra research but also direct ownership of military kit to bring the EU as a whole to the 2 percent of GDP spending on defence mark.-This would need to be substantially more ambitious than the planned European Defence Fund, but can build on the foundations proposed in it.In the process the EU would become the bridge for allies to meet the US president’s target – making the EU an actor the US defence establishment will be keen to keep in play. Moreover, Europeans will get far more bang for their buck by avoiding duplication of basic military research and assets, and European citizens will see action in an area where surveys suggest popular opinion is in favour of more Europe.-The EU as the new frontier-The same logic should apply for a major increase in Frontex‘s role – ideally even having national forces integrated into Frontex completely. This not would give more chance of the external border being organised uniformly, show citizens that migration is taken seriously by the EU, and make it harder for Trump to single out “good” or “bad” countries on immigration, as he has threatened to do.-Face the reality of (non-)enlargement to the east-With regards to Putin, the EU should make symbolically plain something that is already obvious to any observer of the EU: after enlargement to the Balkans, there will be no further expansion of EU frontiers for the next 20 years. By declaring this publicly, the perceived fear of Moscow that the EU is seeking to encircle it will be dampened, and so too will public fears that have become obvious, not least in the Netherlands and UK.The EU should even offer to start trade and investment negotiations with the Eurasian Economic Union, as a recognition that it is an alternative route to link up with countries like Armenia, which has concerns about Russian influence, and that there are alternative paths to Association Agreements.-Let citizens decide the future constitution-It is in any case time to overhaul the sprawling mess that now constitutes the consolidated treaties. And this must not be done by yet another Inter-Governmental Conference, and not only because that would lead to another complex mess of treaty provisions.Instead, the Icelandic experience should be taken and built upon.As part of their national renewal after the financial 2008 meltdown, Iceland held a major participative consultation process that allowed a cross-selection of the population to sit down together and discuss the basic values they wished to see the country represent. This started as a purely private initiative - launched by citizens themselves. Only when it was running did the politicians feel obliged to take account of it.Then, in a second phase, those politicians said they would like to adopt the same process when rewriting the constitution, with a cross section of citizens chosen, and with professional politicians being excluded.Vital for this to succeed would be that member states promise to submit the outcome of this process without amendment – something that Iceland failed to do.The time has come for national governments to recognise that they need to bring normal citizens to the table, as otherwise the population will seize a place at the table by voting for populist parties.And why not, in those circumstances, offer British citizens a place at the table when agreeing the new constitution. Who knows, perhaps the EU they come up with will be one that a majority of UK citizens would also be keen on.Given that the Iceland initiative did not start with the elites, this is something that could start bottom-up, right now.So dear fellow European citizens, what are you waiting for, if you want to trump Nigel, calm Vlad and dump Boris? Adrian Taylor works as a consultant for companies in the chemicals, energy, telecoms and transport or environment sectors.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Liberal campaign set up volunteers in office rented from Canada 2020-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada temporarily expanded its campaign headquarters during the federal election last year by renting office space from Canada 2020, a not-for-profit organization founded by long-time partisans with close personal ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.According to documents filed with Elections Canada, the Liberals subleased office space from Canada 2020 at 35 O'Connor St., in downtown Ottawa — now occupied by the think-tank — from Aug. 13 to Oct. 19, 2015, so that the party could set up a "volunteer hub" that was up and running 12 hours a day.The documents show the Liberals paid a total of $13,833 to Canada 2020 over that period.There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit the arrangement, as both the Liberal party and Canada 2020 say the agreement involved paying full market rent.But it is another example of the close connections between the Liberals and Canada 2020, an organization that styles itself as an independent source of progressive ideas and policies but whose people are also intertwined with the governing party and the prime minister."The relationships are very, very close, they're very, very convenient and they do raise a lot of eyebrows," Conservative MP Blaine Calkins, who has repeatedly asked questions about Canada 2020 in the House of Commons, said Wednesday morning.New Democrat MP Alexandre Boulerice said the rental agreement is another piece of the puzzle."It's the latest piece of evidence that this organization is really an extension of the Liberal party," Boulerice, the NDP ethics critic, said Tuesday.The think tank is not unaware of these problems with perception.Canada 2020 has recently been trying to insulate itself from the cash-for-access fundraising stories that have been dogging the federal government this fall by bringing in new policies related to lobbying.The close relationship also came up during the U.S. presidential election campaign, when Wikileaks published purportedly hacked emails that suggested Hillary Clinton's entourage was annoyed the Liberal Party of Canada had used a Canada 2020 event she appeared at in 2014 as a fundraising opportunity.The costs associated with the work the volunteer hub did for local campaigns across the country — including rent, meals, telephones, computers and telecommunications services — were listed as part of the "Liberal Party Riding Services Package" the central campaign sells to the local campaigns for individual candidates nationwide.Twenty-five per cent of the total amount spent on rent, or $3,458, was billed to the local campaigns, because the volunteers were making calls for local candidates from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day.Braeden Caley, a party spokesman, wrote in an email Tuesday that the Liberal Party of Canada chose 35 O'Connor St. because of its "central location and close proximity" to its own national office at 350 Albert St., also in downtown Ottawa, which he said was not big enough to accommodate the "strong volunteer response" from the area."The Liberal campaign was the sole occupant of the space," Caley wrote.He said the volunteer hub moved back into the Liberal party national headquarters after the campaign was over.Alex Paterson, a spokesman for Canada 2020, wrote in an email Tuesday that the organization rented the space to the Liberal party because "the space was available to rent."He said Canada 2020 did not begin using the space until earlier this year, when it relocated from its previous location on Dalhousie Street, in the Lowertown neighbourhood just east of downtown, and that no one associated with the organization was based at the Liberal volunteer hub.Neither Paterson nor Caley would provide a copy of the rental agreement signed between Canada 2020 and the Liberal Party of Canada.That paperwork is included with the supporting documentation for the "Liberal Party Riding Services Package" provided to Elections Canada, but it is six centimetres tall and illegible, with an access-to-information request being required to see the full-sized version.As The Canadian Press reported last month, Canada 2020 recently introduced a new donor agreement that must be signed by any company or group that gives it money, making it clear that the donation will not buy access to the prime minister, his cabinet ministers who anyone else who attends their events.It has also recently implemented a new policy prohibiting active lobbyists from sitting on its board of directors.Tom Pitfield, who is president of Canada 2020, was the chief digital strategist for the 2015 Liberal election campaign.He is also a childhood friend of Trudeau's and is married to Anna Gainey, the Liberal Party of Canada president.Canada 2020 was founded 10 years ago, when the Conservatives were in power, by Pitfield and three other longtime Liberals: Tim Barber, Susan Smith and Eugene Lang.Smith and Barber are both principals at the lobbying firm Bluesky Strategy Group, which used to be located in the same Dalhousie Street building that housed Canada 2020, and now occupies a space at 35 O'Connor St., one floor below where Canada 2020 is now.Smith, a registered lobbyist, recently left the board of directors at Canada 2020 in accordance with the new policy.Barber remains on the board, but Lang has not been involved since 2013.— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter-Joanna Smith, The Canadian Press.
Syrian rebel official says rebels launch counter attack in Aleppo-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian rebel official said on Wednesday that insurgents had launched counter-attacks against government forces in the city of Aleppo as fighting raged on after a truce deal appeared to collapse.Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim group told Reuters that his men "have begun a military action" from their last remaining areas of control in the city.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group and a witness reported that insurgents had staged a car bomb attack southwest of the historic Old City.(Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
U.N. rights chief says Aleppo bombardment most likely a war crime-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
GENEVA (Reuters) - Syria's government forces and their allies have almost certainly violated international law and probably committed war crimes by the latest bombardment of civilians hoping to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo, the U.N. human rights chief said on Wednesday."The Syrian Government has a clear responsibility to ensure its people are safe, and is palpably failing to take this opportunity to do so," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said in a statement."The Government of Syria is also obliged under international law to provide medical assistance to all sick and wounded people – civilians and fighters alike," he said.He added that he was appalled that a deal to evacuate many thousands of civilians from eastern Aleppo appeared to have collapsed, and said it was outrageously cruel that hope of survival had been snatched away from them.A evacuation of besieged rebel districts was announced late on Tuesday but did not go ahead as planned early on Wednesday after Iran, one of President Bashar al-Assad's main backers, imposed new conditions, saying it wanted the rebels to allow the simultaneous evacuation of two Shi'ite villages.A ceasefire that had coincided with news of the evacuation plan broke down and fighting raged again in Aleppo on Wednesday."While the reasons for the breakdown in the ceasefire are disputed, the resumption of extremely heavy bombardment by the Syrian Government forces and their allies on an area packed with civilians is almost certainly a violation of international law and most likely constitutes war crimes," Zeid said."The agreement was there, the buses were in place, the first convoy had set off and was then reportedly blocked by pro-Government militia. This is inexcusable.”(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Lavrov and Kerry discuss situation in East Aleppo: ministry-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the situation in east Aleppo by phone on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Lavrov told Kerry the Syrian government had long been prepared to provide a safe withdrawal for militants leaving Aleppo but opposition fighters had refused a ceasefire, the ministry said.(Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Arms seized by Islamic State in Syria pose threat to U.S.-led forces - general-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces fighting Islamic State said on Wednesday that weapons seized by the group when they captured the Syrian city of Palmyra posed a danger to U.S.-led coalition in the region, but he said that threat could be managed.Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend told a Pentagon video briefing that the weapons seized by Islamic State when it captured Palmyra recently included armored vehicles and air defense equipment."I'm not really exactly sure ... what they've seized there. We believe it includes some armored vehicles and various guns and other heavy weapons, possibly some air defense equipment," Townsend said. "Basically anything they seized poses a threat to the coalition but we can manage those threats and we will."He indicated U.S. forces would strike the weapons as the opportunity presented itself. He also said fighting between Russian-backed Syrian government forces and Syrian rebels in Aleppo was unlikely to significantly affect the U.S.-backed effort to take the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, Syria.(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Writing by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Walsh)
US: Islamic State may have air defense weapons in Syria town-[Associated Press]-LOLITA C. BALDOR-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. general leading the fight against the Islamic State says the militants got control of military equipment and weapons, possibly including air defense equipment, when they recaptured the Syrian town of Palmyra.Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend says Russian forces and the Syrian government took their eye off the ball and lost Palmyra and will likely try to take it back again. But if they don't, he says the U.S.-led coalition will launch strikes and kill IS there, particularly if he sees insurgents moving weapons out of the city.He says the complicating factor is that it's difficult to tell Syrian government and Russian forces from Islamic State fighters there. He says the U.S. is staying out of it for now, giving Russia time to sort it out.
South Carolina church massacre victims each hit by multiple gunshots-[Reuters]-By Harriet McLeod-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - A forensic pathologist gave a grim accounting at Dylann Roof's federal hate crimes trial on Wednesday of the multiple gunshot wounds suffered by the nine people killed last year at a historic black church in Charleston.Some of the victims' family members chose to leave the courtroom before the testimony by Dr. S. Erin Presnell, a forensic pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Others stayed, wiping away tears as jurors viewed X-rays of the bodies and photos of the recovered bullets.Myra Thompson, who led the Bible study where Roof has admitted opening fire the night of June 17, 2015, was shot at least eight times, Presnell testified. Susie Jackson, who was 87 and the oldest victim, was hit at least 10 times. The Reverend Clementa Pinckney, pastor at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and a state legislator, died from five gunshots.The evidence and testimony were among the final pieces of the federal government's death penalty case against Roof, a self-described white supremacist facing 33 charges of hate crimes resulting in death, obstruction of religion and firearms violations.Prosecutors said Polly Sheppard, one of two adults who survived the massacre, would be their last witness before they rested their case on Wednesday.Defense lawyers said they may call some witnesses as well. If Roof is convicted, he has indicated he wants to represent himself during the penalty phase of the trial, when jurors would decide if he should be sentenced to prison or death.Closing arguments in the case are expected on Thursday.(Reporting by Harriet McLeod; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Bill Trott)
