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)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Foreign journalists in North Korea told to prepare for 'big' event-[Reuters]-By James Pearson-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
SEOUL (Reuters) - Foreign journalists visiting North Korea have been told to prepare for a "big and important event" on Thursday, although there were no indications it was directly linked to tensions in the region over the isolated state's nuclear weapons program.Around 200 foreign journalists are in Pyongyang as the country marks the 105th birth anniversary of its founding president Kim Il Sung on April 15, North Korea's biggest national day called "Day of the Sun".Officials gave no details as to the nature of the event or where it would take place, and similar announcements in the past have been linked to relatively low-key set pieces.In 2016, for example, foreign journalists underwent hours of investigation by North Korean officials ahead of what turned out to be a pop concert to mark the finale of a ruling Workers' Party congress.But tensions are running high, with a U.S. Navy strike group steaming toward the western Pacific in a show of force and North Korea warning of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression.Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean problem in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday.In April, 2012, North Korea attempted to launch a long-range rocket ahead of the 100th Day of the Sun. State media later confirmed the launch had failed.On Wednesday, North Korean officials told foreign journalists in Pyongyang invited to mark the national holiday that their schedule had been canceled, and to instead meet early on Thursday to prepare for a "big and important event".Visits by foreign journalists to North Korea are rare and tightly coordinated, and security checks at events attended by leader Kim Jong Un are especially rigorous.North Korea often uses such visits to showcase new construction projects. In recent weeks workers have been putting the finishing touches to the skyscraper-lined "Ryomyong" street in central Pyongyang.Kim has made frequent visits to the street to inspect construction work there, according to state media. North Korea has in the past marked its April 15 holiday with tightly choreographed military parades.(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
North Korea decries US carrier dispatch as parliament meets-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of — North Korea's parliament convened Tuesday amid heightened tensions on the divided peninsula, with the United States and South Korea conducting their biggest-ever military exercises and the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier heading to the area in a show of American strength.North Korea vowed a tough response to any military moves that might follow the U.S. decision to send the carrier and its battle group to waters off the Korean Peninsula."We will hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions," a spokesman for its Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.The statement followed an assertion by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack carry a message for any nation operating outside of international norms. He didn't specify North Korea, but the context was clear enough."If you violate international agreements, if you fail to live up to commitments, if you become a threat to others, at some point a response is likely to be undertaken," Tillerson told ABC's "This Week."Pyongyang is always extremely sensitive to the annual U.S.-South Korea war games, which it sees as an invasion rehearsal, and justifies its nuclear weapons as defensive in nature. It has significantly turned up the volume of its rhetoric that war could be on the horizon if it sees any signs of aggression from south of the Demilitarized Zone."This goes to prove that the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario," the North's statement said, referring to the country by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "If the U.S. dares opt for a military action, crying out for 'pre-emptive attack' ... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S."In Washington, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump has been very clear that it's "not tolerable" for North Korea to have nuclear-armed missiles."The last thing we want to see is a nuclear North Korea that threatens the coast of the United States, or, for that matter, any other country, or any other set of human beings," Spicer said at the Tuesday news briefing.Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Trump spoke Wednesday morning Beijing time with Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea. It said Xi stressed the need for an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and that China insists on peace and stability on the peninsula and advocates resolving the problem through peaceful means. Xi said China would maintain "communication and co-ordination " with Washington over the issue.Spicer said that Trump spoke last week with Xi about the "shared national interest" in stopping its close ally, North Korea, from having nuclear capabilities, adding that it would be helpful if China was more outspoken on the matter."He would welcome President Xi weighing in on this a little bit more," Spicer said.Earlier Tuesday, Trump also said that he tried to persuade Xi to put pressure on North Korea in exchange for a good trade deal with the U.S."I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!" Trump tweeted.In a second tweet he wrote: "North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A."North Korea's parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, nominally the highest organ of government, opened Tuesday with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, taking the centre seat.Foreign media are not allowed to attend parliamentary sessions. Initial reports from state media said the meeting went through domestic issues, with Premier Pak Pong Ju making a speech about the latest five-year economic plan, which was announced last year. Another closely watched category on the official agenda is organizational issues, which can mean new appointments to senior positions.Like other attendees, Kim Jong Un was shown on the North Korean news late Tuesday holding up his assembly membership card to vote on state business.This year's meeting kicks off what are expected to be major celebrations, including a large-scale military parade and fireworks, to mark the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader and "eternal president," and Kim Jong Un's late grandfather.Though the details of the April 15 anniversary — known as the "Day of the Sun" — have not been officially confirmed, Pyongyang residents have been out every day diligently practicing in the city's squares and parks for the mass event.The North Korean parliament is often dismissed as rubberstamp because it tends to approve, rather than formulate, policies and laws, but its role is a bit more complex than the facade and spectacle presented to the nation by state-run media.For one thing, the regularity of its meetings — it usually meets once or twice a year — is, in itself, a sign of stability."The SPA gatherings completely undercut any analysis or prognostications that the country is going to collapse. If they failed to convene an SPA session, that would be an indication that there is a fundamental problem among DPRK elites," said Michael Madden, editor of the North Korea Leadership Watch website ."If there was an existential problem with the (ruling) Workers' Party of Korea and the political culture, then they wouldn't be convening so many people at one time in Pyongyang," Madden said.___Associated Press writer Joshua Boak in Washington contributed to this report.Eric Talmadge, The Associated Press.
Russia says to veto Western-backed draft U.N. resolution on Syria - Ifax-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will veto a draft U.N. resolution being pushed by the United States, Britain and France which aims to bolster support for international inquiries into a deadly toxic gas attack in Syria, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.The U.N. Security Council could vote on the draft resolution later on Wednesday. It is similar to a text circulated to the 15-member council last week that condemns the April 4 attack and pushes Syria's government to cooperate with investigators.Interfax cited Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov as saying Russia would veto it in its current form.(Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
British scientists find sarin used in Syria: U.N. envoy-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Samples taken from the site of a deadly toxic gas attack in Syria and analyzed by British scientists have tested positive for sarin or a sarin-like substance, Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday."The United Kingdom therefore shares the U.S. assessment that it is highly likely that the regime was responsible for a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April," Rycroft said.(Reporting by Michelle Nichols)
WYNN CLAIMS WE GET A HYDRO BREAK FROM THE SUMMER ON. BUT NOW THE CARBON TAXES SKY ROCKET THE GAS AND OIL PRICES. CAN YOU SAY. WYNN SCAMS US BY JACKING CARBON TAXES ON GAS AND OIL TO COVER THE SO CALLED HYDRO SAVINGS. SO EVERYTHING STILL STAYS THE SAME. SAYS WYNN. BOTH BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT. AND THE CARBON TAX SCAM CONTINUES.
Gas prices are expected to jump 6 cents/litre at midnight in the GTA-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 11, 2017
You might want to fill up your tanks before the clock strikes 12.Average prices in the Greater Toronto Area are expected to jump as much as six cents/litre, from 115.9 cents/litre to 121.9 cents/litre, at midnight tonight, according to GasBuddy.com"All of our prices have everything to do with the stock market for gasoline in New York and that price went up over 15 cents a gallon [Monday]," said Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com.McTeague said he hasn't seen gas prices like this since October 4, 2014."Compared to that time in 2014, the Canadian dollar was much stronger, and of course we didn't have a carbon tax [or] a cap-and-trade tax, so those two factors alone account for an 11-cent difference between what we are paying today and what we are paying back when we last saw it," said McTeague.Winter to summer gasoline-The increase is demand in the U.S., as well as the shift from winter-blended to summer-blended gasoline, according to McTeague.Warmer weather can lead to gasoline becoming volatile or evaporating into the environment, McTeague said."It's important for refineries, through a federal mandate, that they provide additives, change the blend and the composition to stabilize the gasoline under higher temperatures," he said.
France's Macron would seek more EU ministerial say on bank rules-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron will push to give more power to European finance ministers to set bank capital rules to boost credit flow in the economy, his adviser, French European parliamentarian Sylvie Goulard said on Wednesday.Goulard shed light on comments by Macron made earlier in March when he said he wanted bank and insurance capital rules set by European Union finance ministers rather than by regulators.Such a move could run up against EU decisions to make the European Central Bank the main banking supervisor.France, which is home to four out of 30 global systemically important banks, has been a vigorous critic of new global bank rules being hammered out by the Basel Committee of bank supervisors and opposed a big hike in banks' capital requirement."In the EU we set in common the basic rules/levels and then allow some flexibility to regulators/supervisors," Goulard said in an email to Reuters."It is not that strange to have regular assessment to see if the basic rules/levels are appropriate".Macron, a former French economy minister who is frontrunner in the polls to win the election, has said that regulators were too focussed on reducing risk, discouraging banks and insurers from lending to the wider economy.Giving more power to ministers would likely come at the expense of regulatory bodies who, Goulard said could "come to a point where they draft legislation" under the current setup.With regulators requiring banks to hold higher levels of capital to offset their risks in order to avoid a repeat of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, Europe has been struggling to strike the right balance between strong capital requirements and the need to keep credit flowing to broader economy."A yearly assessment by Ecofin (EU finance ministers) could indeed make the ministers consider more the spill over of national decisions".When European Union lawmakers adopt a set of global financial rules, such as those under discussion with the Basel Committee, the text is then voted in each EU state, usually with some changes to take into account particularities of banking systems."We need to move away from discussions where abstract, short term national interests prevail to a broader picture of the common interest, ensuring we all benefit from the single market," Goulard added.(Story refiles to read systemically in paragraph 4.)(Reporting by Maya Nikolaeva Editing by Jeremy Gaunt; Editing by Leigh Thomas)
Trump approves Montenegro's Nato membership-By EUOBSERVER-APR 12,17
Today, 08:27-US president Donald Trump ratified Montenegro's accession to Nato on Tuesday, paving the way for the Balkan nation to become the alliance's 29th member. In a separate letter to the US Senate also sent Tuesday, Trump pledged that Montenegro's inclusion will not increase the United States’ payments towards the alliance. Trump's approval came on the eve of his meeting in Washington with Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, on Wednesday.
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)
New Zealanders brace for 2nd major storm in just over a week-[Associated Press]-yahoonews-April 12, 2017
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealanders were bracing for a second major storm in just over a week as the remnants of Cyclone Cook bore down on the South Pacific nation.Civil defense authorities on Thursday advised people in low-lying areas on the North Island's Coromandel peninsula to evacuate to higher ground. Air New Zealand suspended flights from Tauranga Airport and the military placed 500 troops on standby.The worst of the weather was expected to hit Thursday afternoon through Friday night. The MetService weather agency predicted rainfall could exceed 100 millimeters (4 inches) in some places. The service predicted winds could gust to 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and waves of over 5 meters (16 feet) would hit the coast.Last Thursday the remnants of Cyclone Debbie flooded some towns.
UNICEF: Peru floods leave thousands of children at risk-[Associated Press]-FRANKLIN BRICENO-yahoonews-April 12, 2017
LIMA, Peru (AP) — The United Nations' child relief agency is warning that thousands of children in Peru are at risk of severe malnutrition as a result of floods and mudslides that have killed 106 people and left countless more homeless.An estimated 15,000 children under the age of 2 living in the Andean nation's hardest hit regions don't have access to sufficient food, clean water and sanitary living conditions, UNICEF representative Maria Luisa Fornara said Wednesday."A child can rapidly become malnourished if they don't have needed food or do not eat," Fornara said.A warming of Pacific Ocean waters along Peru's coast has generated a series of intense storms that officials are calling the worst environmental calamity to strike the nation in nearly two decades. Floods and mudslides have destroyed thousands of homes, crippled roads and bridges and ruined agricultural lands.Along Peru's northern coast — the hardest hit region — families left homeless are living in shelters and tents. In those conditions, respiratory and intestinal ailments abound and children are "the first to get sick," Fornara said."They live in tents when there are tents and at night they start to get cold," she said.Nationwide, nearly 15 percent of Peruvian children suffer from malnutrition. In many of the areas devastated by floods those numbers are even higher. In Piura, for example, 20 percent of children are considered malnourished."In an emergency situation, the situation is even more severe," Fornara said. "Children can fall into acute malnutrition, which is what we must prevent."Peru's president estimates it will take $9 billion for the country to rebuild within five years. Humanitarian organizations are calling the international community to donate $38 million in humanitarian aid, including $8 million to combat malnutrition and provide assistance to children.On Wednesday, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger joined the plea for assistance, urging his followers on Twitter to support a fundraising effort to "help relieve the devastating effects of the floods in Peru."
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)
LIKE I KEEP SAYING. ALL THE WESTERN COUNTRIES HAVE TO DO IS BAN ALL MUSLIM MALES 6 YEARS OLD OR OLDER FROM COMING INTO OUR COUNTRIES. ALL MUSLIM GIRLS AND WOMEN GLADLY WELCOME. IF YOU WANNA STOP TERRORISM-YOU BETTER START BANNING MALES 6+ FROM OUR WESTERN COUNTRIES. THIS IS JUST PURE MUSLIMS TO DO THIS BANNING ONLY.
Fewer refugees to get relocated as Commission revises targets By Nikolaj Nielsen-APR 12,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:34-The EU is reducing its overall target of how many asylum seekers need to be relocated from Italy and Greece by September.Governments around the EU had committed to initially relocating 160,000 under a two-year scheme that was later amended to around 98,000.That figure is likely to drop again to just over 33,000, given that the number of people eligible for the scheme is far lower than the initially stated ceiling."The number of those who are eligible for relocation in Italy and in Greece is indeed turning out to be lower than the original targets," EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on Wednesday (12 April).It means that even if EU states don't meet their stated quotas, they are still likely to relocate those who have been registered.People who are eligible usually have a high chance of receiving asylum, but the nationalities of the individuals change over time.Since earlier this month, only people from Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, British overseas countries and territories, Eritrea, Grenada, Guatemala, Syria and Yemen are eligible.The EU commission is now calling the scheme a success even though only 16,340 people have been relocated as of 10 April.Some 14,000 people in Greece and around 3,500 in Italy are registered and ready to be relocated."It is absolutely possible to relocate all those eligible in Greece and in Italy by the end of September," said Avramopoulos."The numbers I gave you today proves finally that this scheme has started working," he said.But unless far more people become eligible for the scheme, a total of only around 33,840 will be relocated by the end of September.Avramopoulos also listed a number of recommendations to "reach this objective" of relocating "eligible" asylum seekers.He then praised Austria for agreeing to take in 50 children from Italy after Vienna had asked for a one-year exemption earlier this year.When pressed on whether the amended 98,000 target for September is no longer valid, an EU commission official said the ceiling figure had been based on the migrant flows at the time of the decision almost two years ago.The official noted that times have changed, with the number of people leaving from Turkey to reach the Greek Aegean islands no longer being a big issue.Even though some 25,000 people arrived in Italy since the start of the year, national authorities are struggling to get people into the scheme, given the administrative bottlenecks, delays in response times, and stringent demands from receiving states.Some EU member states will only take single mothers with children and refuse single men.Others, such as Bulgaria, refuse Eritreans even though 21,000 arrived in Italy alone last year.States are also refusing people over security issues, despite having already been vetted by the Greek and Italian authorities.Logistical restrictions on flights demanded by EU countries only serve to complicate matters further.Some, like Germany and France, only want monthly transfers of people to take place at the end of the month on chartered flights.Others demand transfers that are scattered throughout the month, but only on commercial flights.
Malala Yousafzai becomes honorary Canadian citizen-[AFP]-Michel COMTE-yahoonews-April 12, 2017
Ottawa (AFP) - Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai became only the sixth person to receive honorary Canadian citizenship Wednesday, as she called on the country to be bold in advocating for girls' education.Wearing a bright orange scarf to cover her head in accordance with Muslim tradition, the Pakistani activist was welcomed to the seat of Canada's democracy by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.At age 19, Yousafzai is the youngest person to speak to Canadian members of parliament and senators in a joint session.She is also the youngest to receive honorary Canadian citizenship -- a privilege previously granted to five others including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi."Dear Canada, I'm asking you to lead once again," she said, to a standing ovation.She urged Canada to use its turn as president of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations in 2018 to press for the education of girls and refugees."We should not ask children who flee their homes to also give up their dreams," she said.Yousafzai said Trudeau also must ask other world leaders to do more for education."If Canada leads, I know the world will follow, she said.Yousafzai had fought for years for the right of girls to education in her strictly Muslim home region in Pakistan.She leapt to global fame after a Taliban gunman shot her in the head on a school bus in October 2012 for defending her right to attend school.Since a successful operation following the attack, she has lived in the British city of Birmingham, where she continues to advocate for women's rights.During a brief ceremony, Yousafzai was given the Canadian flag from atop the Peace Tower at the entrance of parliament, and a copy of her 2013 book "I Am Malala" was added to the parliamentary library.- Praise for Trudeau -She thanked her hosts and expressed excitement in particular about meeting Trudeau, whom she praised for speaking out on behalf of women's rights, gender equality, and refugees "during a time where the world is hopeless.""I wanted to say that Trudeau is an amazing person and an inspiration," she said, later noting in her speech that "he does yoga, he has tattoos... Everyone was telling me (to) shake the prime minister's hand and, like, let us know how he looks in reality."In introducing Yousafzai to lawmakers, Trudeau praised her for her advocacy."Yours is a story of an ordinary girl doing extraordinary things, an everyday hero... a fearless advocate for girls who wants nothing more than to see more kids in classrooms," he said."And on top of that, you're impossibly humble. We Canadians are all about that."Trudeau said his past experience as a teacher taught him "that going to school is more than just learning about how to read and write."Education has the power to change the world," he said. "It can end poverty, fight climate change, prevent wars. But in order to achieve progress, we all have to make sure that all children, girls as well as boys, get to go to school."- Postponed honor -Yousafzai had been invited to Canada by the previous Conservative government in 2014 -- when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -- to receive Canadian citizenship in Toronto.But the ceremony was postponed due to the shooting of a ceremonial guard and an attack on parliament the same day.Yousafzai decried the violence, saying: "The man who attacked Parliament Hill called himself a Muslim. But he did not share my faith. He did not share the faith of 1.5 billion Muslims living in peace around the world."In her speech, she challenged Canadian youth to step up and make a difference."I wanted to tell the children of Canada that when I was little, I used to wait to be an adult to lead. But I have learned that even a child's voice can be heard across the world," she said.She added she was humbled and honored to be given honorary citizenship, "though I still require a visa" to enter the country, she quipped.The honor is mostly symbolic, coming with no obligations or benefits.Earlier Wednesday, Yousafzai joined the prime minister's wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau for a talk with students at a local high school."The message I am spreading around the world to our leaders, to our politicians, (is) that they must prioritize education for each and every child around the world," she said.
Girls' education activist Malala Yousafzai to address Parliament today-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
Malala Yousafzai will become Canada's sixth honorary citizen today, a rare gesture of respect for her bravery in overcoming a brutal Taliban attack to become a champion for girls' education around the world.The 19-year-old Pakistan-born Nobel Peace Prize recipient will attend a formal ceremony in Ottawa before she delivers a 15-minute address in the House of Commons.The speech is expected to begin at about 12 p.m. ET. CBC.ca will have live coverage of Yousafzai's arrival on the Hill and her address to Parliament.Yousafzai was targeted by Taliban at age 15 for speaking out on the right for girls to learn and attend school.She survived the attack by a masked gunman to become an international activist. After moving with her family to Birmingham, England, she founded the non-profit Malala Fund and co-authored the best-selling book I am Malala.Named a co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, Yousafzai was the youngest person ever to earn the distinction. She was recently appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the highest honour given by the world body.-Meeting with PM scheduled-Yousafzai will have a number of meetings during her visit to Ottawa, including one with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau called Yousafzai the "best ambassador" to speak about the importance of education for girls."I know that she is inspiring young girls here," she said. "I have friends who called me and said how they had the opportunity to read her history in class, and what she has done is really giving courage to our girls to really invest and be serious in their study, but also to work in terms of human rights."Later in the afternoon, Yousafzai will meet with interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose."Malala is a symbol of determination and hope for young girls around the world. She exemplifies so much of what it means to be Canadian: Bravery, conviction and a determination to stand up for those who need support," she said in a statement provided to CBC News.The House of Commons unanimously supported granting the honorary citizenship on October 21, 2014 under the former Conservative government. But a ceremony scheduled in Toronto with then-prime minister Stephen Harper was abruptly cancelled due to the Parliament Hill shootings.-'Tenacity, strength of conviction'-Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, said Yousafzai underscores the "tenacity, strength of conviction and intelligence" that so many young women have to offer their communities and the world."Her presence in the House of Commons, just a month after Equal Voice brought together 338 Daughters of the Vote delegates to occupy that same space, shows how powerful young women's voices are at this juncture in our history, and how much we need those voices at the table if we are to thrive and prosper as a global community," she told CBC.Only five people have been granted honorary Canadian citizenship: - Karim Aga Khan, imam of the world's 15 million Shia Ismali Muslims and advocate for development, pluralism and tolerance around the world in 2010. - Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy advocate and Nobel laureate in 2007. - Tenzin Gyatso, the current and 14th Dalai Lama in 2006. - Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa in 2001. - Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat noted for his actions during the Holocaust, granted posthumously in 1985.Honorary citizenship is purely symbolic, and does not provide any rights, privileges or status such as special entry to the country, or the right to vote or hold a Canadian passport. Recipients are not held to any obligations or duties associated with Canadian citizenship.-No legal status-"Honorary citizenship is an extraordinary recognition conferred upon a recipient which does not confer legal status under the Citizenship Act," said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship spokeswoman Nancy Caron.British media have reported that Yousafzai intends to attend university in the U.K. after finishing high school, applying to several prestigious schools including Oxford University and the London School of Economics.Rehana Hashmi is a long-time human rights activist from Pakistan who is helping to organize a rally outside Parliament Hill on Wednesday promoting women's rights ahead of Yousafzai's ceremony. She met her before she was attacked, and described her as a "special child.""I'm very excited that she is coming over here and that Canada is going to be her second home," she said.Some students will be in the gallery in the House of Commons when Yousafzai delivers her speech, including 17-year-old Ottawa student Emma Boyes. She read her book and says it had a big impact on her life.
Malala Yousafzai back for honorary Cdn citizenship, delayed by 2014 shooting-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
OTTAWA — Malala Yousafzai, the irrepressible Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who famously survived a Taliban bullet in 2012, has become an honorary Canadian citizen.Yousafzai received the honour Wednesday during a long-awaited and anticipated ceremony on Parliament Hill alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before an audience of dignitaries, MPs, cabinet ministers and diplomats.Trudeau presented her with a framed certificate of citizenship, making her only the sixth person to receive the honour and the youngest ever. He also presented her with the flag from atop the tower.Speaking to a joint session of Parliament, the 19-year-old Yousafzai — known to all and sundry these days simply as "Malala" — acknowledged the fact that her initial trip to Canada in 2014 was essentially cancelled by a gunman's rampage through the very building where she now stood."The man who attacked Parliament Hill called himself a Muslim — but he did not share my faith. He did not share the faith of one and a half billion Muslims, living in peace around the world. He did not share our Islam — a religion of learning, compassion and mercy," she said, after taking the podium to a sustained and thunderous ovation."I am a Muslim and I believe that when you pick up a gun in the name of Islam and kill innocent people, you are not a Muslim anymore."The gunman "shared the hatred" of the man who attacked the Quebec City mosque in January, who killed civilians and a police officer in London three weeks ago, who killed 132 school children at Pakistan's Army Public School in Peshawar, she said."The same hatred as the man who shot me."Malala sang Canada's praises throughout an inspiring and touching speech that even appeared to contain a subtle jab at the shifting political landscape in the United States."'Welcome to Canada' is more than a headline or a hashtag," she said."It is the spirit of humanity that every single one of us would yearn for, if our family was in crisis. I pray that you continue to open your homes and your hearts to the world's most defenseless children and families — and I hope your neighbours will follow your example."Today's pomp and pageantry comes more than two years after an initial plan to honour Yousafzai was interrupted by a gunman who took the life of a Canadian soldier and stormed Parliament Hill before dying in a hail of gunfire.Yousafzai surprised a group of students at an Ottawa high school earlier today where she was introduced to cheers by Trudeau's wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau.The day Yousafzai was originally to be honoured, Oct. 22, 2014, marked a moment replete with irony for Rona Ambrose, a former status of women minister who is currently serving as the Conservative party's interim leader."This irony didn't escape me: the fact that this kind of Islamic extremism, (which) takes the shape of anti-girl, anti-women rights in every possible way ... also arrived that day," Ambrose said in an interview.The groundwork to make the now 19-year-old an honorary citizen began several months after she was shot in the fall of 2012.The honour was part of a political initiative tied into the Conservatives' foreign aid focus on maternal, newborn and child health, said Rachel Curran, Harper's former director of policy."It was just really a sense that this young woman is doing really important work, it's going to be increasingly important, we want to highlight it in Canada and highlight it internationally as well," Curran said in an interview."'How can we bestow one of our greatest honours on her?' We landed on that because it was the most significant thing we could do to draw attention to her work."The other five honorary citizens are the Dalai Lama, the Aga Khan, Nelson Mandela, Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.What binds them all together is that they are leaders who have played iconic roles in world history, said Chris Alexander, the former Conservative immigration minister who oversaw the technical process behind getting Yousafzai citizenship."Malala is both a symbol of the setbacks and the daunting barriers that girls can face," he said."But also of the ability of strong people to overcome them."Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press.
Syrian refugee in Windsor uses art to cope with terrors of war-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 11, 2017
Raida Farzat uses her artwork to help her cope with the horrors she and her family experienced before escaping war-torn Syria.The soft-spoken 13-year-old vividly remembers hearing bomb blasts. She was particularly traumatized when she saw pictures how people tore apart their family home in the small city of Homs, located in western Syria."Everything was destroyed, I remember my toys were all scattered on the floor and dirty and even pictures were burned," Farzat said.Her family arrived in Windsor in November 2014 as refugees. While her parents say Farzat suffered from depression, they say they've noticed an improvement recently and credit her artwork."I'm not really good with speaking so drawing is my way of expressing myself," Farzat explains. "It's my hobby and I really like it. I really like drawing my feelings."One of her paintings shows a young girl with bombs, fire and images of war behind her."When I was drawing this I was thinking of any refugee who is escaping from war. The maple leaf represents how they came to Canada and to safety," said Farzat.-'Very creative'-That's not an uncommon coping mechanism, according to a clinical psychologist."It's sounds like a very creative and very healthy way for this young girl to express herself, " says Dr. Ben Kuo, who is beginning a five-year national study on the physical and mental health of Syrian refugees. "I think what is difficult for refugees, regardless of the age, when they are fleeing from their hometowns there's really not a lot of time to really make sense of what happened to them."Farzat also likes helping others. She's donated five drawings to the Diocese of London so they could sell them and use the money to help other refugee children in need. Claire Roque says the money was used to buy toys to keep children occupied while their parents go through their refugee hearings.
At U.N., U.S. tells Russia it's isolating itself by backing Assad-[Reuters]-By Michelle Nichols-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States told Russia at the United Nations on Wednesday that is it isolating itself by continuing to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Britain said its scientists found sarin was used in a deadly toxic gas attack on Syrian civilians last week.Russia is set to block a push by Western powers at the United Nations later on Wednesday to bolster support for international inquiries into the April 4 toxic gas attack in Syria. It will be Moscow's eighth veto in support of the Assad government since the Syrian war began six years ago."To my colleagues from Russia - you are isolating yourselves from the international community every time one of Assad's planes drop another barrel bomb on civilians and every time Assad tries to starve another community to death," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, told the U.N. Security Council.During a heated Security Council meeting, Russia's deputy U.N. envoy Vladimir Safronkov told the 15-member body that Western countries were wrong to blame Assad for the attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun."I'm amazed that this was the conclusion. No one has yet visited the site of the crime. How do you know that?" he said.The attack prompted the United States to strike a Syrian air base with cruise missiles and worsened relations between the United States and Russia.President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday trust had eroded between the two countries under President Donald Trump, as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told the Security Council that samples taken from the site of the gas attack, in a rebel-held area of northern Syria, have tested positive for the nerve gas sarin.He accused Russia of siding with "a murderous, barbaric criminal, rather than with their international peers."Safronkov, who demanded Rycroft look at him while he was speaking, responded: "I cannot accept that you insult Russia."Haley also accused Iran of being "Assad's chief accomplice in the regime's horrific acts," adding: "Iran is dumping fuel on the flames of this war in Syria so it can expand its own reach."Western powers blame the gas attack, which killed scores of civilians - many of them children - on Assad's forces. Syria's government has denied responsibility for the attack, which prompted a U.S. strike on a Syrian air base.Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said Syria had sent dozens of letters to the Security Council, some detailing "the smuggling of sarin from Libya through Turkey on a civilian air plane by using a Syrian citizen.""Two litres of sarin were transported from Libya through Turkey to terrorist groups in Syria," he said, adding that the government does "not have these weapons."U.N. Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura warned the Security Council on Wednesday that fragile progress in peace talks was now "in grave danger."(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Palestinian force deploys in Lebanon camp, ending clashes-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
AIN EL-HILWEH, Lebanon (Reuters) - A Palestinian security force deployed into an area of a refugee camp in southern Lebanon where it had been battling Sunni Islamist militants, ending six days of lethal clashes on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said.The clashes at Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon have killed seven people.The violence began on Friday when the joint Palestinian security force sought to deploy throughout the camp and met resistance from the Sunni Islamist Badr group.The joint security force comprises the main Palestinian factions including Fatah, led by the West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.(Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Barricades, arrests overnight as Venezuela protests spread to low-income areas-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans blocked streets and lit fires during scattered protests across the country on Tuesday night with over 40 people arrested during the growing anti-government unrest in the midst of a crippling economic crisis.In a worrying sign for leftist President Nicolas Maduro, groups in low-income, traditionally pro-government neighborhoods took to the streets in nighttime protests during the typically calm Easter week, witnesses and opposition lawmakers reported.Many were galvanized by footage of a crowd in the poor town of San Felix heckling and throwing objects at the usually closely-protected Maduro during a rally on Tuesday, before state television cut off the broadcast."Last night's protests in Caracas and the provinces are not isolated occurrences, we Venezuelans are sick of living in a dictatorship," said opposition lawmaker Olivia Lozano on Twitter, as the coalition prepared for another protest on Thursday.Witnesses said residents of a number of working-class Caracas neighborhoods blocked streets with trash or burning debris, describing confused street melees and clashes with security forces.Government officials did not provide an official account of the events, and the Information Ministry did not respond to an email seeking comment.The opposition says Maduro has morphed into a dictator after a Supreme Court decision in late March to assume the functions of the opposition-led congress. The court quickly overturned the most controversial part of its decision, but the move breathed new life into the fractured opposition movement.News that the national comptroller on Friday had banned high-profile opposition leader Henrique Capriles from office for 15 years drew broad criticism, too. Maduro's foes are demanding the government call delayed state elections, which polls suggest would not go well for the ruling Socialists.But it is Venezuela's extended economic crisis that has ordinary people fuming.Venezuelans have been suffering food and medicine shortages for months, leading many to skip meals or go without crucial treatment. Lines of hundreds form in front of supermarkets as people jostle for hours under the hot sun hoping price-controlled rice or flour will be delivered.The crisis has especially hurt the poor, long the base of support of Maduro and his predecessor the late Hugo Chavez.-ARRESTS-Amid what the opposition coalition says is a crackdown on dissent, some 43 people were arrested on Tuesday, according to rights group Penal Forum.In total, 325 people were arrested between April 4-11 during the most sustained protests since 2014, with 153 people still behind bars, the group added.Five males, aged 15, 17, 18, 19 and 20, were arrested for throwing "sharp objects" against Maduro's vehicle on Tuesday night, according to a report by a local National Guard division seen by Reuters.Local media reported lootings overnight in the working class bedroom community of Guarenas outside Caracas. Two young men have been killed during protests in the last week, according to authorities. One police officer has been arrested.Maduro says that under a veneer of pacifism, a U.S.-backed opposition is actually encouraging violent protests in a bid to topple his government and get its hands on Venezuela's oil wealth.State officials have tweeted images and videos of demonstrators vandalizing public property and throwing rocks at police.Despite the spiking tensions, many in the opposition worry extended protests will not spur early and fair elections, but rather increase violence and chaos in the already turbulent country.Many others stay at home out of fear of violence or because they are consumed with standing in line for food.(Reporting by Caracas newsroom; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Andrew Hay)
AP Investigation: UN troops lured kids into Haiti sex ring-[Associated Press]-PAISLEY DODDS-YAHOONEWS-April 12, 2017
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The Haitian girl known Victim No. 1 was 12 when she first had sex with a Sri Lankan peacekeeper. She says she didn't even have breasts yet.The boy, known as Victim No. 9, was 15 when his ordeal began. Over the course of three years, he said he had sex with more than 100 Sri Lankan peacekeepers, averaging about four a day.From 2004 to 2007, nine Haitian children were exploited by a child sex ring involving at least 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers, according to a U.N. report obtained by The Associated Press.Often the children were given cookies or a few dollars in exchange for sex. Although 114 of the peacekeepers were sent home, none was ever jailed for the abuse.Justice for victims is rare. An Associated Press investigation of U.N. missions during the past 12 years found an estimated 2,000 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers and U.N. personnel around the world — signaling the crisis is much larger than previously known. More than 300 of the allegations involved children, the AP found, but only a fraction of the alleged perpetrators were jailed.In March, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced new measures to tackle peacekeeper misconduct. But the proclamation had a depressingly familiar ring: More than a decade ago, the United Nations commissioned a report that promised to do much the same thing, yet most of the reforms never materialized.For a full two years after those promises were made, the children in Haiti were passed around from soldier to soldier. And in the years since, peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse the world over.U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been calling for reforms in the United Nations for more than a year. He may well get them under President Donald Trump, whose administration has proposed a 31 percent reduction to the U.S. foreign aid and diplomacy budget."If I heard that a U.N. peacekeeping mission was coming near my home in Chattanooga," he told AP, "I'd be on the first plane out of here to go back and protect my family."The Haitian children had made a home for themselves at Habitation Leclerc, a resort was once well-known throughout Port-au-Prince as a lush refuge amid the capital's grimy alleyways. During its heyday in the 1980s, celebrities like Mick Jagger and Jackie Onassis would perch by the pool or stroll past the property's Voodoo temple.By 2004, the resort was a decrepit clutch of buildings and several children, either orphaned or abandoned by their parents, were living in its ruins.It was there that the girl identified as Victim No. 1, or V01, met other children in the same straits: two young girls referred to in the U.N. report as "V02" and "V03," and a young boy, "V08." The boy initially supported them by occasionally bringing food from his aunt, but they were often hungry.The peacekeepers had arrived that year as part of a new mission to help stabilize the country in the wake of President Jean-Bertrande's ouster. Some of the peacekeepers in the Sri Lankan contingent were based nearby.In August 2007, the U.N. received complaints of "suspicious interactions" between Sri Lankan soldiers and Haitian children.V02, who was 16 when the U.N. team interviewed her, told them she had sex with a Sri Lankan commander at least three times, describing him as overweight with a moustache and a gold ring. She said he often showed her a picture of his wife.V03 identified 11 Sri Lankan troops through photographs, one of whom she said was a corporal with a "distinctive" bullet scar between his armpit and waist. V04, who was 14, said she had sex with the soldiers every day in exchange for money, cookies or juice.The boy, V08, said he had sex with more than 20 Sri Lankans. Most would remove their name tags before taking him to trucks, where he gave them oral sex or was sodomized by them.Under Haitian law, having sex with someone under 18 is considered statutory rape. U.N. codes of conduct also prohibit exploitation."The sexual acts described by the nine victims are simply too many to be presented exhaustively in this report, especially since each claimed multiple sexual partners at various locations where the Sri Lankan contingents were deployed throughout Haiti over several years," the report said.At the close of the UN investigation, 114 Sri Lankan peacekeepers were sent home.Ten years later, U.N. officials said they were unable to find any members of the mission in Haiti who might have dealt with child victims in the sex ring case and did not know what happened to the children. An Italian nongovernmental organization, AVSI, helped the children at the time but lost track of them after the country's devastating 2010 earthquake.Some Haitians, including lawyer Mario Joseph, wonder whether the U.N. has done more harm than good in a country that has endured tragedy after tragedy since it became the first black republic in 1804."Imagine if the U.N. was going to the United States and raping children," Joseph said in Port-au-Prince. "Human rights aren't just for rich white people."____Dodds reported from several locations in Haiti, London and Geneva. Katy Daigle reported from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Krista Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal.
