Wednesday, July 05, 2017

NORTH KOREA TESTS INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSLE FOR FIRST TIME.

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)

North Korea says first intercontinental ballistic missile test successful-[Reuters]-By Christine Kim and Jack Kim-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which some analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.U.S. television networks Fox News and NBC said U.S. officials had told them they believed Tuesday's test was of an ICBM, marking a milestone in Pyongyang's missile development.The launch, on the eve of U.S. Independence Day, took place days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons program, which it has pursued in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.North Korea's state media said the launch was ordered and supervised by leader Kim Jong Un and sent the Hwasong-14 933 km (580 miles) reaching an altitude of 2,802 km (1,741 miles) over a flight time of 39 minutes.North Korea has said it is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, something U.S. President Donald Trump vowed in January would never happen.Some analysts said the flight details on Tuesday suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles), which would put significant parts of the U.S. mainland in range, representing major advances in its program. Others said they believed its range was not so far.David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the flight time and distance suggested the missile could reach a maximum range of about 6,700 km (4,163 miles), bringing Alaska into range.South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile was believed to be an intermediate-range type, but the military was looking into the possibility it was an ICBM.The Pentagon and State Department said on Tuesday that they and other U.S. government agencies were working on a more detailed assessment of the launch. On Monday night, the Pentagon described the missile as an intermediate-range type that traveled for 37 minutes.Analysts have said they believed North Korea was still years away from having an operational nuclear-tipped ICBM capable of hitting the United States. Such a missile would require not only sufficient range, but also a warhead small enough to be mounted on it and technology to ensure stable re-entry into the atmosphere.North Korea said its missiles were now capable of striking anywhere in the world.Officials from South Korea, Japan and the United States said the missile landed in the sea in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone after being launched on a high trajectory.Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Seoul's Kyungnam University, said it appeared the test was successful and that if launched on a standard angle, the missile could have a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles)."But we have to see more details of the new missile to determine if North Korea has acquired ICBM technology."-TRUMP FRUSTRATION WITH CHINA-Trump has been urging China, North Korea's main trading partner and only big ally, to press North Korea to give up its nuclear program. In an apparent reference to Kim Jong Un, Trump tweeted: "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?""Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he added. "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"Trump has indicated he is running out of patience with Beijing's efforts to rein in North Korea. His administration has said all options are on the table, military included, but suggested these would be a last resort and that sanctions and diplomatic pressure are its preferred course.While China has responded to previous North Korean tests of suspected ICBM technology by agreeing to tougher U.N. sanctions, on Tuesday it emphasized its call for a return to talks with North Korea by signing a joint statement with Russia.Under China's plan, North Korea would suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, which Washington and Seoul say are essential to maintain defense readiness.Trump is due to meet both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.Japan said on Monday it would have a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea on North Korea at the G20. Its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles.North Korea was a major topic in phone calls between Trump and the leaders of China and Japan this week.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Tuesday for calm and restraint, and reiterated China's opposition to North Korea's violation of U.N. resolutions on missile tests.Responding to Trump's tweet, Geng said China had been working hard to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue."China's role is indispensable," he told a daily news briefing. "We hope all sides can meet each other half way."North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two since the beginning of last year, and the pace of missile tests has risen significantly. It says it needs to develop its weapons in the face of what it sees as U.S. aggression.Analysts say it often conducts tests to show its defiance and to raise the stakes when it sees regional powers getting ready for talks or sanctions.(Additional reporting by Soyoung Kim in SEOUL, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Elaine Lies in TOKYO, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and David Brunnstrom and Ayesha Rascoe in WASHINGTON; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Howard Goller)

North Korea claims it tested first intercontinental missile-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — North Korea on Tuesday claimed it successfully test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, a potential game-changing development in what may be the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff and, if true, a direct rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier declaration that such a test "won't happen!"The launch appeared to be North Korea's most successful missile test yet. A U.S. scientist examining the height and distance said the missile could potentially be powerful enough to reach Alaska.In typically heated rhetoric, North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said the test of an ICBM — the Hwasong-14 — marked the "final step" in creating a "confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth."It will be difficult to confirm many details about what happened. North Korea's weapons program is perhaps the most closely held state secret in one of the world's most suspicious nations. U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials earlier assessed that the North fired an intermediate-range missile into waters near Japan.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment on whether Japan thinks it was an ICBM, and South Korea's Defence Ministry said it was analyzing whether the North's statement was accurate.North Korea has previously launched satellites in what critics said were disguised tests of its long-range missile technology. A test-launch of an ICBM, however, would be a major step in developing nuclear-armed missiles that could reach anywhere in the United States.The launch sends a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies, Seoul and Tokyo, while also allowing North Korean scientists a chance to perfect their still-incomplete nuclear missile program. It came on the eve of the U.S. Independence Day holiday, days after the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of South Korea and the United States, and ahead of a global summit of the world's richest economies.Most outside and North Korean analyses of the missile's height, distance and time in the air were roughly similar.U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials say it flew for about 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles), which would be longer and higher than any similar North Korean test previously reported. It also covered a distance of about 930 kilometres (580 miles).North Korea said the missile flew as high as 2,802 kilometres before hitting a designated target in the ocean about 933 kilometres away from the launch site in the North's northwest. It said the missile flew for about 39 minutes and was made at the highest possible angle.Russia's military, however, said the missile flew considerably shorter and lower than others reported.Before North Korea's announcement of an ICBM, South Korean analysts said it was likely that it was a retest of one of two intermediate-range missiles launched earlier this year.One U.S. missile scientist, David Wright, estimated that the highly lofted missile, if the reported time and distance are correct, could have a possible maximum range of 6,700 kilometres (4,160 miles), which could put Alaska in its range, if fired at a normal trajectory.Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commanding officer of the British Armed Forces Joint Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Regiment, said that "in capability of missile terms and delivery, it is a major step up and they seem to be making progress week-on-week." He added, however, that "actually marrying the warhead to the missile is probably the biggest challenge, which they appear not to have progressed on."North Korea has a reliable arsenal of shorter-range missiles and is thought to have a small arsenal of atomic bombs, but is still trying to perfect its longer-range missiles. Some outside civilian experts believe the North has the technology to mount warheads on shorter-range Rodong and Scud missiles that can strike South Korea and Japan, two key U.S. allies where about 80,000 American troops are stationed. But it's unclear if it has mastered the technology needed to build an atomic bomb that can fit on a long-range missile.Soon after the morning launch, President Trump responded on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!""This guy" presumably refers to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. China is North Korea's economic lifeline and only major ally, and the Trump administration is pushing Beijing to do more to push the North toward disarmament.After North Korea claimed earlier this year it was close to an ICBM test launch, Trump took to Twitter and said, "It won't happen!"China and Russia proposed on Tuesday that North Korea declare a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests while the United States and South Korea refrain from large-scale joint military exercises. North Korea views the exercises as preparation for an invasion and has repeatedly demanded their cancellation. It says it needs nuclear weapons and powerful missiles to cope with what it calls rising U.S. military threats.The Chinese and Russian foreign ministries issued the proposal in a joint statement after talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.They urged other nations to create a "peaceful atmosphere of mutual trust" to encourage talks between the two sides on commitments not to use force and to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.Regional disarmament talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been deadlocked since 2009, when the North pulled out of the negotiations to protest international condemnation over a long-range rocket launch.The missile test could invite a new round of international sanctions, but North Korea is already one of the most sanctioned countries on Earth. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban it from engaging in any ballistic activities. Since late 2012, North Korea has placed two satellites into orbit with long-range rockets, each time triggering new U.N. sanctions and worldwide condemnation.Last year, North Korea conducted its fourth and fifth atomic bomb tests and claimed a series of technical breakthroughs in its efforts to develop long-range nuclear missiles. The fifth nuclear test in September was the North's most powerful atomic detonation to date.In their meeting last week, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump vowed to oppose North Korea's development of atomic weapons.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sharply criticized North Korea for the launch. "The latest launch clearly showed that the threat is growing," Abe said.Abe, who talked by phone with Trump on Monday, said the two leaders plan to seek co-operation from world leaders when they attend a G-20 summit in Germany.On May 14, North Korea launched a Hwasong-12 missile which its state media said flew as high as 2,111 kilometres (1,310 miles) and landed in a targeted area in the ocean about 787 kilometres (490 miles) from the launch site. On May 21, North Korea tested a Pukguksong-2, which travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles).The Korean Peninsula has been divided since before the 1950-53 Korean War. Almost 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.___Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.Hyung-Jin Kim And Foster Klug, The Associated Press.

China, Russia offer plan for easing North Korea tensions-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

MOSCOW — Russia and China on Tuesday proposed a plan for defusing tensions over North Korea, suggesting that Pyongyang declare a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests while the United States and South Korea refrain from large-scale military exercises.The Russian and Chinese foreign ministries made the recommendation in a joint statement after talks between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping and another North Korean missile test.The missile flew higher and longer than previous ones North Korea has launched, sparking concerns around the world. Moscow and Beijing called Tuesday's test "unacceptable."The foreign ministries said that as a "voluntary political decision," North Korea should declare a "moratorium on testing nuclear devices and test launches of ballistic missiles." In turn, the U.S. and South Korea should "accordingly refrain from large-scale joint manoeuvrs ," the joint statement added.They said "the confronting parties" involved should sit down for talks to agree on principles that include a refusal to use force and a pledge to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.At the same time, the document emphasized that the North's "sensible concerns" must be respected and urged other nations to create a "peaceful atmosphere of mutual trust" to help launch the talks.In an apparent hint at the U.S., Beijing and Moscow spoke against the "non-regional powers' military presence in Northeast Asia and its buildup under the pretext of countering North Korea's nuclear and missile programs."They specifically opposed U.S. missile defence systems in the region, saying their deployment "seriously damages strategic security interests of regional powers, including Russia and China" and hinders peace and stability.Xi's visit to Russia came amid a flare-up of tensions between China and the U.S. over an American destroyer sailing within the territorial waters of a Chinese-claimed island in the South China Sea.Before arriving in Moscow Monday, Xi warned President Donald Trump that "some negative factors" were hurting U.S.-China relations.Putin hailed Xi during their Kremlin talks as a "big friend" and presented him with Russia's highest award for his efforts to strengthen ties.Xi said "the Russian-Chinese relations are now the best ever."After the talks, the two countries' officials signed several dozen agreements to bolster their co-operation .Trump, Putin and Xi are scheduled to attend the Group of 20 summit in Germany this week. Putin and Trump are to hold their first meeting there.Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press.

Scientists baffled by strange sea creatures near Alaska-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 3, 2017

JUNEAU, Alaska — Strange sea creatures that resemble large pink thimbles are showing up on the coast of southeast Alaska for the first time after making their way north along the West Coast for the last few years.Scientists say the creatures are pyrosomes, which are tropical, filter-feeding spineless creatures usually found along the equator. They appear to be one long pink tube, but in reality, they're thousands of multi-celled creatures mushed together, generally about 6 inches (15 centimetres ) long.Pyrosomes have been working their way north, Ric Brodeur, a researcher with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told the Associated Press on Monday.Brodeur, who is based at the agency's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Newport, Oregon, said pyrosomes were first seen on the Oregon coast in 2014 and every year since. More recently, the animals have made their way up farther north on the Washington state coast, Canada's British Columbia and Alaska.Jim Murphy, a biologist with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said pyrosomes spotted near Alaska this year marked the first documented presence of the animals that far north, and their appearance is cause for concern."It means that we are clearly seeing really big changes in the marine ecosystem," he told The Juneau Empire (http://bit.ly/2tiGSle).Researchers have speculated that the bloom is tied to warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean in recent years. But temperatures have nearly cooled back to normal this year, Murphy said, and these pyrosomes started showed up in the middle of winter.Leon Shaul, a biologist with Fish and Game, has been tracking the appearance of pyrosomes in southeast Alaska. He said he's "emailed the whole world" about the issue, but hasn't heard much back.Brodeur told the AP that it's also unusual how close to shore the pyrosomes have come, although they are now being found farther offshore again.He said the creatures have a low nutritional value, and that raises concerns on how they will affect the fish that eat them."They're not the greatest food for the animals out there, compared to the things they normally have," he said.Pyrosomes aren't harmful to humans, but they have puzzled those who've encountered them.Angler Don Jeske was fishing for king salmon in February when he said he found himself surrounded by "millions" of the tube-shaped creatures and he'd never seen anything like it in his 50 years of trolling around Sitka, a fishing town about 90 miles southwest of Juneau."They were all over out there, they were everywhere. . I would say millions, not hundreds of thousands," he said. "This is a weird organism, man."___This story has been corrected to show that the U.S. agency is called National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, not the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.___Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com-The Associated Press.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)

REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Juncker lashes out at 'ridiculous' EU parliament By Eric Maurice-JULY 4,17-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 11:03-[Updated at 17.15 on 4 July] European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker lashed out against the "very ridiculous" European Parliament, in a debate that only a handful of MEPs attended on Tuesday morning (4 July).Juncker was in the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg for a debate about the outcome of the six-month Maltese presidency of the Council of the EU, which ended on Friday.But when he took the floor, around 9.15 in the morning, the room was almost empty."The European Parliament is ridiculous, very ridiculous," Juncker said straightaway."I salute those who made the effort to be in the room. The fact that about 30 deputies attend this debate demonstrates sufficiently that the parliament is not serious," he went on.There are 751 MEPs in total.Speaking about the Maltese prime minister, Joseph Muscat, who was also there to report on his government's work during the EU presidency, Juncker added that "if Mr Muscat was Ms Merkel (chancellor of Germany) or Mr Macron (president of France), we would have a full house."-Juncker's angry comments at the EU parliament on Tuesday morning-"The parliament is totally ridiculous," he repeated, banging into the microphones in front of him, before being interrupted by the parliament's president, Antonio Tajani."Please, Mr president. You can criticise the parliament, but the commission is not going to control the parliament. It's the parliament that has to control the commission," said Tajani, a fellow member of the centre-right EPP party."There are only few members to control the commission. You are ridiculous," Juncker insisted."I ask you to use a different language. We are not ridiculous," Tajani angrily retorted."I will never again attend a meeting of this kind," said a visibly upset Juncker."The commission is under the control of the parliament, but the parliament has to respect even the presidencies of smaller countries," added the EU commission chief, referring to Malta, the smallest EU state. Juncker was the prime minister of Luxembourg for 18 years, a country of just over 550,000 inhabitants.While Muscat witnessed the angry exchange between the two EU institution leaders with a smile, both Juncker and Tajani were applauded by some of the MEPs who were in the room.Tajani and Juncker met later and the commission president said that he regretted the language he used, according to the parliament's spokesman."Tajani considers the case closed," Jaume Duch said on Twitter."This is what happens when passionate politicians speak from the heart," commission vice president Frans Timmermans told journalists in the afternoon.He said that Juncker wanted to stand up for small countries, "because their prime ministers deserve the same amount of respect".Last month, MEPs already came under criticism when Hilda Heine, the president of the Pacific's Marshall Islands, spoke about climate change and the threat it poses to her country in front of an almost empty plenary room.

Feature-Catalonia ponders independence 'leap of faith' By Eric Maurice-JULY 4,17-EUOBSERVER

Barcelona, Today, 09:17-In less than three months, on 1 October, Catalan voters will be asked whether they want their region to "become an independent state in the form of a Republic."Until Carles Puigdemont, the president of the Catalan government, officially calls the vote at the end of August or early September, the debate on Catalonia's independence will not yet have disturbed the Mediterranean summer.As tourists flooded Barcelona's seafront, streets and monuments last week, only a few stickers and red and yellow Catalan flags displayed in windows served as reminders of the feverish political atmosphere that could potentially lead to the break-up of Spain, the EU's fifth largest state.A visit to Catalonia's second-most visited landmark - after Gaudi's Sagrada Familia basilica - may be a good way to understand how the campaign is taking shape in people's mind."Mes que un club" - more than a club - reads a giant message in the Camp Nou, the 99,000-seat stadium and home to the globally famous "Barca", Barcelona's main football club.In Catalonia and its capital, Puigdemont told EUobserver, "Barca plays a social role, more than a political role."In the club's museum that sits in the Camp Nou, a sign says that "ever since its foundation, FC Barcelona's identity has been inextricably linked to its country, Catalonia. This commitment is accepted by Catalan society and understood by Barcelona supporters from the rest of the Spanish state, and the world."Every match, after 17 minutes and 14 seconds, the most politicised supporters strike up chants about Catalonia's independence to commemorate the defeat of Catalan forces against the Spanish king's army in 1714.In early May, the Barca signed the "national pact for a referendum", an online petition that states "Catalonia’s desire to decide its own political future" and calls on Catalan and Spanish authorities to agree on the modalities of the vote.Polls say that two-thirds of Catalans support the initiative, whereas Spanish authorities have said that the vote will be illegal and have refused any discussion on the matter.But despite its commitment to Catalonia's identity, Barca will not take a side in the referendum."Barca is pro-referendum. They say nothing about independence, because part of their supporters are against independence," Puigdemont explained, adding that a majority of Catalans, including opponents of independence, said they will accept the result."Barca is a reflection of this," he said.Ahead of October's referendum, Catalans are almost united on the need to go to the ballot box to express themselves. But they are also divided on the referendum question and uncertain about the result and the consequences.-Uncertainties-The Spanish government has said that it would use "all means" to prevent the vote or independence from happening, and there is also no guarantee that an independent Catalonia would be recognised by the EU.Puigdemont, in an interview with several European media outlets, including this website, said that "nothing will stop" his government.He added that he would try to find an agreement with the Spanish government and the EU on "how Catalonia can become a fully independent state"."If a majority of Catalans vote for 'Yes' … the European Union must accept reality," he said.Adding to the uncertainty, the Catalan government is still yet to presented the "secession bill," which will outline the transition process towards becoming an independent state.Detailed figures on how much the process would cost have not been put forward either - for example, whether to build state infrastructure or to assume part of the Spanish debt."We will act as an independent state from the first minute. We'll calculate the needs and financial capacities," Puigdemont said in his interview.He also said that he wanted to base Catalonia's share of the debt on the level of Spanish public investment in the region over recent years, although it would "not be strange" to calculate it according to Catalonia's population - 16 percent of the Spanish overall population.In the face of the momentous decision to take, independence supporters argue that it is a question of principles."It's a matter of democracy," said Raul Romeva, the region's foreign minister.He said that the independence movement "was born on the streets because of an accumulation of frustrations.""Frustration mobilises people. And there is a solution to the problem, that's called democracy," he said.-Price to pay-Many date the rise of the independence movement back to 2010, when the Spanish Constitutional Court rewrote 14 articles of Catalonia's statute of autonomy, and reinterpreted 27 others.The court said, in particular, that the reference to Catalonia as a "nation" within Spain was unconstitutional.The "Estatut" (statute) had been ratified in a referendum in 2006, after an initial version adopted by the Catalan parliament in 2005 had been modified by the Spanish parliament.The ruling was a turning point for Catalonia."Our project was to increase and improve self-governance and autonomy step-by-step within the Spanish state, but we were blocked," noted Artur Mas, who then became Catalan leader a few months after the constitutional ruling.As a result, "Catalonia is the only Spanish autonomous community that doesn't have the statute of autonomy that it had adopted," pointed out Puigdemont, who succeeded Mas in January 2016.Mariano Rajoy, the conservative Spanish prime minister, who was elected in 2011, had maintained a hard line to defend the country's unity.Mas was prosecuted and barred from public office for organising a consultation on independence in 2014.Carme Forcadell, the speaker of the Catalan parliament, is also under trial for letting the assembly vote on the independence process last year."It's the price I must pay for the debate and democracy," she said, echoing a sentiment that Spanish authorities are putting the country's unity above democratic values.In the feverish atmosphere, some minority voices reject the separatist arguments.-Opening dialogue-"We're facing a populist movement and we're afraid of that," said Antonio Sitges-Serra, who is a surgeon and vice-president of the Left Federalist association."It's crazy to divide society this way," he added, pointing to the fact that "the next day, we'll have to speak with the government. So why not now?"Anti-independence politicians are also divided.While the local branch of the Rajoy's Popular Party rejects the referendum, the Catalan Socialist Party supports the idea of a reform of the Spanish constitution that would be put to a different referendum.They place their hopes on the national Socialist leader, Pedro Sanchez, who could try to bring down Rajoy with a motion of defiance in parliament.In the meantime, some, such as former Socialist MEP Ernest Maragall, see the Catalan referendum as "the only possibility to open a dialogue" with the Spanish government to obtain more autonomy.The radical left Podemos party says that the referendum could be a first step towards a solution to the Catalan question, but that the main debate should be about social issues, not independence.Although the Catalan government says it is "100 percent committed" to declaring independence if they win the referendum, some independence leaders suggest that the process could change track once the Spanish government is ready to talk."Our attitude will be a positive attitude, it will not be to impose our criteria," said former Catalan leader Mas.-Miracle-Mas, who is the leader of Puigdemont's Catalan European Democratic Party, said the fact that "Catalans can vote on their political future" was "more independent than independence"."To achieve a concrete agreement, everyone has to yield a little," he added.If a 'Yes' vote happens, the Catalan leadership's capacity to negotiate - with Madrid, as well as with the EU - would depend on the result's legitimacy.As the Spanish government has refused to discuss the modalities of the vote, the result would likely be discarded if the majority for independence is small and if turnout is low.In the 2014 consultation, which was not binding, over 80 percent of voters supported Catalonia's independence, but the participation in the vote - which was not officially published - was estimated to be between 37 and 40 percent.Although a majority of Catalans say they support the idea of a referendum, it is impossible to say how many will go to the ballot box, especially if the Spanish government tries to prevent the vote.As a decisive summer begins for Catalonia and Spain, independence has never been so close, yet so difficult to achieve.The decision will be "a leap of faith," admitted Ismael Pena-Lopez, an academic who is also a member of Omnium, an association to promote Catalan language and culture."It will be miracle if we become independent," said a close observer of the process.This article is the second in a two-part report about Catalonia's independence referendum, written after a press trip organised by Catalan authorities. The first article is an interview of Carles Puigdemont, the president of the Catalan government.

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

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

WORLD TERRORISM

OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).

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

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

EU has 'no silver bullet' for Italy on migrants By Andrew Rettman-JULY 4,17-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 19:13-The European Commission said €35 million in additional funds and EU refugee resettlements from Africa could help Italy cope with irregular migration.It also said Italy should expel more economic migrants, while admitting that other EU states had failed to show solidarity.Frans Timmermans, the Commission’s first vice presient, unveiled its response to Italy’s cry for help in Strasbourg on Tuesday (4 July).He said EU interior ministers would discuss the measures at an informal meeting in Estonia on Thursday after Italy threatened to close its ports to NGO rescue boats and after Austria said it might send soldiers to its border with Italy.The alarm call came after more than 12,000 people arrived in Italy in the past few days, pushing levels so far this year more than 20 percent higher than in the same period last year.Timmermans said Europe’s door should remain open to people in need despite the political problems that caused.“We would not be the European Union without the values we share and one of those values is that people who flee war and persecution should find shelter,” he said.“This issue will not go away tomorrow, or next year, not in a decade - it is here to stay for generations,” he said.The Commission plan published on Tuesday restated the need to implement previous accords.The list included EU support for the Libyan coast guard and border guards, sending more staff from EU migration agencies to Italy, increasing aid to African countries that migrants come from or transit, and reforming EU asylum laws which, currently, place the burden on frontline states such as Italy and Greece.It promised €35 million more to help Italy build up its migrant reception centres and “additional funding”, but with no amount mentioned, to pay people in Libya and Niger to go home instead of coming to the EU.The Commission also said there should be “a new resettlement pledging exercise, notably from Libya, Egypt, Niger, Ethiopia and Sudan” to take in UN-registered refugees in a more orderly way.It said Italy ought to “step up returns” of non-refugees.It also said the EU should “possible endorse” a new “code of conduct” for NGO rescues that is to be drafted by Rome.Timmermans admitted there was little that was new in the list, which made no mention either of migrant quotas or of Italy’s request for rescued people to be taken to other EU states in the region.The EU two years ago voted to share 120,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy, but fewer than 20,000 out of them were taken in amid boycotts by Poland, Hungary and others.“I’m not saying we’re coming up with a silver bullet,” Timmermans said of Tuesday’s plan.“It would already make world of difference if they [member states] just did what they agreed to do before [on quotas],” he added.“If it needs more money … we will find the funds,” he said of Italy.He said the NGO code of conduct could help reduce the risk of accidents at sea and remove what he called “misunderstandings” amid accusations that NGO rescues encouraged migrants to come.He added that unless economic migrants are returned home in greater numbers, Europeans will lose the “will” to help refugees.Speaking earlier on Tuesday in the European Parliament, some MEPs voiced anger at the status quo.“We’re not racist, we’re realistic,” Mara Bizzotto, from Italy’s far-right Lega Nord said, adding “it’s time to physically close the ports”.Kristina Winberg, from the far-right Swedish Democrats party, said: “We need to say No to NGOs transporting people in boats from Libya to Italy. I know people will talk about international law and asylum law, but we need to find a solution”.

Austrian military set to stop Italy migrants By Andrew Rettman-JULY 4,17-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:28-The Austrian military is preparing to stop migrants coming from Italy amid sharpening rhetoric ahead of elections.Seven hundred and fifty soldiers, including Pandur armoured vehicles, stand ready to go to the Austrian-Italian border at 72 hours notice, Austria’s defence minister, Hanspeter Doskozil, told the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, an Austrian daily, on Monday (3 July)."We need to prepare for migration developments in Italy, and I expect that, very soon, border controls will be activated and [military] assistance will be requested”, Doskozil said.He added that the measure would be “indispensable if the inflow into Italy does not ease”.Doskozil’s statement comes after Austria’s armed forces chief, Othmar Commenda, said that EU navies should intercept migrant boats coming from Libya and return people to safe zones in north Africa.“From a military point of view, almost all of these refugee boats, which are heading towards Europe, can be intercepted,” he told the Kronen Zeitung newspaper on 20 June.The military solutions are being discussed amid a surge in migrants from Africa to Italy.The UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, said on Monday that 83,650 people have come to Italy this year - a 20 percent increase on the same period in 2016.It said 70 percent of them were economic migrants with little chance of getting asylum.The Italian, French, and German interior ministers held talks on the situation in Paris on Monday.They decided to create a code of conduct for NGOs who rescued people at sea and took them to Italy and urged the EU to help secure Libya’s coasts and southern borders.The military talk in Austria comes ahead of snap elections in October, with the far-right FPO party trying to put immigration centre stage.“Let’s put an end to this policy of Islamisation as soon as possible,” FPO leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, said at a party meeting in Salzburg, Austria, on Monday, referring to the EU and Austria’s handling of the migration crisis.He said Muslim migrants were “misogynistic, anti-liberal” and should “return to their Muslim country” if they did not accept Austrian values.Chancellor Otto Kern, from the centre-left SPO party, said at a speech in the Vienna University of Technology, in Kern, Austria, the same day that the EU must ensure “sound protection of external borders”.Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s foreign minister, who will challenge Kern on behalf of the centre-right OVP party, has called for the EU to “block” the central Mediterranean route.Austria already imposed checks at the Brenner Pass, its crossing point from Italy, last year.That move led irregular migrants to go in greater numbers to Switzerland in what Frontex, the EU border control agency, said at the time was “a diversification in routes and modi operandi”.Austria and Hungary’s decision, in 2015, to seal borders to people coming to the EU via Greece saw a drastic fall in numbers on that route.An EU deal with Turkey to keep Syrian refugees from going to Greece also led to that fall.Fewer than 10,000 people have so far come to Greece this year, according to the International Migration Organisation, a Geneva-based body.The Turkey pact included €3 billion in EU aid in 2016 and 2017 to help the almost 3 million refugees in Turkey, as well as faster EU-Turkey accession talks and visa-free travel.The accession and visa moves have stalled due to the Turkish president’s authoritarianism.But Guenther Oettinger, the EU budget commissioner, told Die Welt, a German newspaper, also on Monday that the deal should be extended with another €3 billion pledge."I am in favour of deciding a follow-up agreement between the EU and Turkey for the coming years,” he said."A significant part of this money should come from the EU budget," he said.

Ottawa reportedly set to pay millions to Omar Khadr-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

The Canadian government will apologize and give millions to former Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prisoner Omar Khadr, according to multiple reports.Khadr — who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. army medic when he was 15, under interrogation that was later deemed "oppressive" — will receive a settlement of more than $10 million, according to unnamed sources who spoke to The Associated Press, the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.The Star said Khadr, who now lives in an apartment in Edmonton, will get more than $10 million, not the $20 million he sought in a civil suit. Other reports said he will receive about $10 million.The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month, according to AP.Speaking to reporters in Ireland, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would not confirm any details."There is a judicial process underway that has been underway for a number of years now, and we are anticipating, like I think a number of people are, that that judicial process is coming to its conclusion," Trudeau said.Born in Toronto, Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of Sgt. Christopher Speer.Khadr was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer. The Canadian was taken to Guantanamo Bay and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.Khadr spent 10 years in Guantanamo Bay. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier.The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2010 that Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under "oppressive circumstances," such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and then shared that evidence with U.S. officials.Khadr, now 30, was the youngest and last Western detainee at the U.S. military prison.His lawyers filed a $20-million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against Ottawa, arguing the government violated international law by not protecting its own citizen and conspired with the U.S. in its abuse of Khadr.The widow of Speer and another U.S. soldier blinded by the grenade in Afghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his wrongful imprisonment lawsuit.A U.S. judge granted $134.2 million in damages in 2015, but the plaintiffs acknowledged then that there was little chance they would collect any of the money from Khadr because he lives in Canada.Khadr's lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy.Khadr's Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior al-Qaeda operatives.After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care.Human rights groups welcomed the reports."For 15 years Omar Khadr's case has been a stark reminder of the many ways that an overreaching and unchecked approach to national security readily runs roughshod over universally protected human rights," said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.Neve said Khadr's rights were violated or ignored in Afghanistan, at Guantanamo Bay and in Canadian prisons, and that U.S. interrogators, jailors and officials refused to recognize him as a child soldier.The previous Conservative government offered "inflammatory rhetoric" instead of making an effort to help him, Neve said.Last month, the NDP wrote a letter to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould urging her to act on an e-petition that said Canada abandoned Khadr to a decade of torture and abuse."We recognized that his fundamental rights had been deprived as has been explained by the Supreme Court of Canada and this was really about the treatment he received while he was incarcerated," he said. "It's fortuitous and maybe a nice coincidence these reports have come out now after we sent that letter."The e-petition, which opened March 22 and closes July 20, now has 2,448 signatures.Retired Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, founder of the Child Soldiers Initiative, said the apology and compensation is a first step in a long healing process."An apology does not absolve Canada for its many years of inaction, but does give it an opportunity to finally lead once again on issues of children," he said in a statement.The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it would welcome a "long overdue" apology and compensation."It is the right decision in light of the callous and unlawful treatment meted out to Mr. Khadr with the complicity of Canadian officials," NCCM executive director Ihsaan Gardee said in a news release.Others condemned the reported deal, including the federal Conservatives.Public safety critic Tony Clement rejected the argument that Khadr was a child soldier because he "admitted his guilt." Clement called it "completely inappropriate" that the government would strike a deal to compensate and apologize to Khadr, forcing the Speer family to relive the ordeal."We're absolutely astounded this has happened, that he is now one of the richest Canadians in the country because of this settlement," he told CBC News. "We feel this is an act that betrays those innocent Canadians who were killed on 9-11, 25 of them, and also our soldiers who were working so hard in Afghanistan at the time."He said any financial compensation should be given to Speer's widow and two children.Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader Jason Kenney also denounced the reported deal."Odious. Confessed terrorist who assembled and planted the same kind of IEDs that killed 97 Canadians to be given $10 million by Justin Trudeau," the former federal immigration minister under Stephen Harper tweeted.

Portugal suspects terrorists behind theft at national armoury-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

LISBON, Portugal — Portuguese authorities suspect international terrorists and arms traffickers are behind a "very professional" theft last week at the country's national armoury , the attorney general's office said Tuesday.The suspicions have prompted the attorney general's office to broaden the scope of its investigation into the theft of hand grenades, 9mm ammunition and possibly other weapons, a statement said.The armed forces have not made public a full list of what was stolen from the arsenal last Wednesday at the Tancos Air Base, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Lisbon.At the time, Defence Minister Jose Alberto Azeredo Lopes called the theft a "very professional" job. He said criminals broke in by cutting a hole in a perimeter fence and that he had informed Portugal's European Union and NATO partners of the theft.The public prosecutor will be assisted in the case by police, military police investigators and the National Counter-Terrorism Unit, according to the attorney general's office.No further details of the investigation will be provided due to Portugal's judicial secrecy law, which forbids the release of information about open investigations.The Associated Press.

Fierce fighting as East Libyan forces close in on last Benghazi holdout-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - East Libyan forces battled to advance into a final area of Benghazi controlled by their opponents on Tuesday, clearing mines and roadblocks and targeting snipers with cover from tank rounds.Khalifa Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) says it is close to concluding a three-year campaign for control of Libya's second city, having surrounded rival fighters in a strip of the seafront district of Sabri little more than two km wide.The campaign has been halting, with the LNA suffering high casualties even after gaining the upper hand early last year.A medical source said at least 16 troops had been killed and at least 36 wounded in fighting since Monday. The LNA said it had killed 19 of its opponents."The special forces and supporting units from the army advanced today and tightened the grip on the terrorist groups on the Sabri front, gaining control over important sites," said special forces spokesman Milad al-Zawi. He said one of the sites was a block that contained a large number of snipers.Parts of Benghazi have been left in ruins since Haftar launched his "Dignity Operation" against Islamists and other opponents in May 2014.Many of the buildings in Sabri and the neighboring historic neighborhood of Souq al-Hout have been wrecked by street fighting, shelling and air strikes. Much of the area was heavily mined.Three years ago Libya split into two broad and shifting rival alliances based in the east and west of the country, loyal to competing governments, worsening the turmoil that followed a 2011 uprising that ousted veteran ruler Muammar Gaddafi.Haftar's LNA has gained ground in Benghazi and other parts of eastern and southern Libya while rejecting a U.N.-backed government that arrived in the capital, Tripoli, in March 2016.(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Russia may deploy military in Syrian buffer zones within weeks-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 4, 2017

ASTANA (Reuters) - Russia may deploy its military to police the borders of planned de-escalation zones in Syria within two to three weeks after finalizing an agreement with Turkey and Iran, Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.Moscow hopes to sign the final documents with Ankara and Tehran on Wednesday, he told reporters after a series of meetings in the Kazakh capital, Astana.Russia and Iran, which back President Bashar Assad's government, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebels, agreed in principle to create four "de-escalation zones" in Syria in a previous round of talks in May, but put off a planned June meeting where they were supposed to work out the details.Since the May agreement was announced, the rebel-held stronghold of Idlib province in the northwest of Syria has been mostly calm.But fighting has continued on other frontlines in western Syria, including Eastern Ghouta of Damascus and the southwestern city of Deraa, where government forces and their allies are trying to crush remaining pockets of rebellion.Lavrentyev told reporters that Moscow and its partners were still discussing detailed maps and other conditions related to the Idlib and southern zones, while the borders of two other zones, in Homs province and near Damascus, had been agreed."Overall, (the agreement) provides for the presence of Russian military police in the buffer zones, but once again this matter has not been agreed yet," he said."Depending on when the documents on safe zones are signed, I think one should expect concrete measures on the deployment of forces within 2-3 weeks."-OPPOSITION SKEPTICAL-The Syrian opposition, some of whose delegates walked out of the previous round of talks in protest against Iran's participation, has routinely criticized Russia for failing to enforce the ceasefire and was skeptical of Moscow's plan.Armed opposition leader Muhammad Alloush, who led the opposition delegation in earlier rounds of the Astana process, is not attending the current talks.A Syrian opposition official said the aim of Astana "is to set out the areas of influence between the three states that sponsor it, and it embodies the interests of these states and their areas of influence on the ground, unfortunately with an intended American absence and suspicious European silence"."It will succeed in the north because the desire of the states and their interests dictate that, and if we want to interpret it on the Syria-wide level, it represents the strengthening of Russian and Iranian influence on the ground.”Riyad Nassan Agha, a member of the opposition Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, told Reuters the opposition feared the Astana talks aimed to undermine the U.N.-backed peace talks in Geneva, reiterating the opposition’s view that Iran could not act as a guarantor of any deal because "it is a hostile state"."What they are talking about (de-escalation) did not happen. So the Syrian people no longer have faith in these agreements that happened in Astana," he said.Lavrentyev, who earlier on Tuesday met Stuart Jones, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Near East, said he would meet Syrian opposition delegates on Wednesday.(Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Vladimir Soldatkin and Gareth Jones)

Tuesday, July 04, 2017

THE DOW WAS UP 129 POINTS MONDAY-YESTERDAY.

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)

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.(IN 1 HR THE STOCK MARKETS WORLDWIDE WILL CRASH)
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

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.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(THE FALSE POPE WHO DEFECTED FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH) causeth all,(IN THE WORLD ) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(MICROCHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,(MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the name of the beast,(WORLD DICTATORS NAME INGRAVED ON YOUR SKIN OR TATTOOED ON YOU OR IN THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the number of his name.(THE NUMBERS OF HIS NAME INGRAVED IN THE MICROCHIP IMLPLANT)-(ALL THESE WILL TELL THE WORLD DICTATOR THAT YOUR WITH HIM AND AGAINST KING JESUS-GOD)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:(WORLD LEADER) for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM (6006006)OR(60020202006)(SOME KIND OF NUMBER IMPLANTED IN THE MICROCHIP THAT TELLS THE WORLD DICTATOR AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT YOU GIVE YOUR TOTAL ALLIGIENCE TO HIM AND NOT JESUS)(ITS AN ETERNAL DECISION YOU MAKE)(YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESTINY)(YOU TAKE THE DICTATORS NAME OR NUMBER UNDER YOUR SKIN,YOUR DOOMED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND TORMENTS FOREVER,NEVER ENDING MEANT ONLY FOR SATAN AND HIS ANGELS,NOT HUMAN BEINGS).OR YOU REFUSE THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT AND GO ON THE SIDE OF KING JESUS AND RULE FOREVER WITH HIM ON EARTH.YOU CHOOSE,ITS YOUR DECISION.

1 KINGS 10:13-14
13  And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.
14  Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

GENESIS 49:16-17
16  Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
17  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

BANK RELATED INFORMATION
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2015/09/bank-related-links.html 
CURRENCIES
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/currencies
COMMODITIES
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/commodities 


UPDATE-JULY 04,2017-12:00AM

TSX MARKET TUESDAY-JULY 04,2017 (DOW CLOSED TODAY)
09:30AM-5.07
10:00AM-40.20-
10:30AM-63.70-
11:00AM-63.39-
11:30AM-67.70-
12:00PM-76.77-
12:30PM-65.25-
01:00PM-64.64-
01:30PM-50.50-
02:00PM-47.68-
02:30PM-44.31-
03:00PM-37.31-
03:30PM-32.59-
04:00PM-51.58- 15130.61
HIGH +15 LOW -77
TSX -51.58 15,130.61 - GOLD $+03.80 $1,223.00 - OIL $+0.01 $47.08
AMERICAN MARKETS ON HOLIDAY TODAY.

EARTHQUAKES

EZEKIEL 37:7,11-14
7  So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.(POSSIBLE QUAKE BRINGS ISRAEL BACK TO LIFE-SO NOISE AND SHAKING-QUAKES WILL ALSO DESTROY ISRAELS ENEMIES)
11  Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13  And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14  And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

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

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

UPDATE-JULY 04,2017-11:55PM

1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ U.S.18 of 19 earthquakes in map area.

    5.1-130km ESE of Amahai, Indonesia-2017-07-04 22:42:11 (UTC)-21.2 km
    4.1-3km NE of Ohrid, Macedonia-2017-07-04 22:05:16 (UTC)-10.0 km
    3.2-90km SSW of Shishmaref, Alaska-2017-07-04 21:48:39 (UTC)-19.1 km
    5.0-150km ESE of Amahai, Indonesia-2017-07-04 19:28:19 (UTC)-57.8 km
    2.6-5km ESE of Snohomish, Washington-2017-07-04 16:27:10 (UTC)-12.4 km
    5.9-89km WSW of Constitucion, Chile-2017-07-04 16:05:58 (UTC)-10.0 km
    3.2-3km NNW of Frazier Park, California-2017-07-04 13:42:09 (UTC)-1.8 km
    3.2-35km E of Chignik Lake, Alaska-2017-07-04 12:48:18 (UTC)-105.4 km
    4.9-137km SSW of Letlhakane, Botswana-2017-07-04 11:37:05 (UTC)-10.0 km
    2.5-20km NW of Desert Center, CA-2017-07-04 11:19:14 (UTC)-4.5 km
    2.7-14km ESE of Cherokee, Oklahoma-2017-07-04 11:04:55 (UTC)-5.0 km
    4.7-7km WNW of Nebe, Indonesia-2017-07-04 09:25:11 (UTC)-199.6 km
    4.7-235km WSW of Kuripan, Indonesia-2017-07-04 08:12:02 (UTC)-10.0 km
    4.4-57km WNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina-2017-07-04 07:48:25 (UTC)-210.4 km
    2.6-13km NW of Chandler, Oklahoma-2017-07-04 07:36:17 (UTC)-5.5 km
    2.5-5km SSW of Morongo Valley, CA-2017-07-04 07:34:11 (UTC)-10.1 km
    2.6-29km SE of Volcano, Hawaii-2017-07-04 06:17:40 (UTC)-45.8 km
    3.1-50km NW of Cape Yakataga, Alaska-2017-07-04 05:58:54 (UTC)-6.3 km
    2.6-51km NE of Road Town, British Virgin Islands-2017-07-04 05:57:39 (UTC)-29.0 km
    3.8-68km S of Yunaska Island, Alaska-2017-07-04 05:24:38 (UTC)-18.9 km
    4.7-Western Indian-Antarctic Ridge-2017-07-04 05:11:22 (UTC)-10.0 km
    2.5-108km SSW of Atka, Alaska-2017-07-04 03:37:11 (UTC)-23.5 km
    4.5-52km ESE of Hatansuudal, Mongolia-2017-07-04 03:34:37 (UTC)-14.8 km
    3.0-2km NNW of Alberto Oviedo Mota, Mexico-2017-07-04 03:21:47 (UTC)-15.6 km
    2.5-17km SE of Mammoth Lakes, California-2017-07-04 02:40:50 (UTC)-0.8 km
    4.9-101km NNE of Iquique, Chile-2017-07-04 02:25:26 (UTC)-91.5 km
    4.8-Southern East Pacific Rise-2017-07-04 02:06:32 (UTC)-10.0 km
    4.6-149km ESE of Amahai, Indonesia-2017-07-03 21:38:31 (UTC)-46.4 km
    4.4-133km ESE of Amahai, Indonesia-2017-07-03 21:26:26 (UTC)-35.0 km

STOCK MARKET AND EARTHQUAKE NEWS
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-dow-was-up-points-friday-new-week.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/weekend-quake-results-for-july-01.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-dow-was-down-167-points-thursday.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-dow-was-up-143-points-wednesday.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-dow-was-down-98-points-tuesday.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-dow-was-up-14-points-monday.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-dow-was-down-02-points-friday-new.html 
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2017/06/weekend-quake-results-for-june-24.html 

JEWISH HOME, LIKUD COLLABORATE ON UNITED JERUSALEM BILL.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jewish Home, Likud to collaborate on ‘Unified Jerusalem’ bill-Ending coalition spat, Naftali Bennett and Ze’ev Elkin say they’ll reformulate proposal to require supermajority for handing over parts of capital for peace-By Raoul Wootliff July 2, 2017, 10:59 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

After a fallout between the two coalition parties over a proposal to make it harder to cede Israeli control over parts of Jerusalem, Jewish Home chair Naftali Bennett and Likud minister Ze’ev Elkin agreed Sunday night to work together in order to bring the legislation to a ministerial vote next week.Jewish Home said earlier in the day that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vetoed the “Unified Jerusalem” bill that would require a special two-thirds Knesset supermajority to pass any decision to divide the capital city under a future peace deal with the Palestinians.The proposal was set to face a vote in a weekly meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation early Sunday afternoon, but the prime minister pulled it from the agenda at the last minute, the pro-settlement Jewish Home party said in a statement.“We are sorry narrow political considerations outweigh the need to prevent the division of Jerusalem. We will continue pushing this bill, and will do all we can to advance it in the upcoming days,” the statement read. “Jerusalem will be united by actions, not words.”The Likud party slammed Jewish Home’s announcement, saying the bill was proposed without seeking the cooperation of any coalition partners.“Jewish Home apparatchiks know well that Prime Minister Netanyahu supports the bill. He supported it back in 2007,” the Likud statement read. “But instead of reaching for agreement and cooperation, Jewish Home prefers childish politicking.”Bennett, who proposed the bill, and Elkin, who serves as minister of Jerusalem affairs, said in a joint statement that they will “work together over the next week in order to come to an agreed-upon text” that will be voted on by ministers at next week’s meeting.Bennett is seeking to amend the Basic Law on Jerusalem so that any future vote to divide the city would require the approval of 80 of the 120 MKs to pass, as opposed to a regular majority.“The purpose of this law is to unify Jerusalem forever,” Bennett said of his legislation in a statement last week. “Reaching a majority of 80 MKs in order to divide Jerusalem is impossible and has no feasibility in the Knesset, which is why this law is so important.”Currently the Jerusalem Law, passed in 1980 and amended in 2000, states: “No authority that is stipulated in the law of the State of Israel or of the Jerusalem Municipality may be transferred either permanently or for an allotted period of time to a foreign body, whether political, governmental or to any other similar type of foreign body.”With no provision in the Basic Law specifying how the law can be amended, it currently can be overturned with a simple majority. Bennett’s proposal would add a clause requiring the supermajority.Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, but the move has not been recognized internationally and most countries refuse to recognize any part of the city as Israel’s capital, saying it was an issue that will need to be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians.Neither Bennett nor Elkin would comment on what changes may be discussed in their discussions or whether the Likud, or Netanyahu, had raised objections to the bill.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

UNESCO World Heritage meet opens amid tensions over Hebron motion-Cultural body to vote on Palestinian request to add Tomb of Patriarchs to list of endangered sites-By Times of Israel staff and AP July 3, 2017, 4:55 am

Officials opened the 41st annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s conference in Poland on Sunday, bringing together 21 member states, more than 170 observer nations and many non-governmental organizations.The meeting will run through July 12 and debate contentious issues like a Palestinian motion to deny Israel sovereignty over Jerusalem and have the West Bank city of Hebron designated as a “World Heritage Site in Danger.”Members discussed a lost of sites in danger but it was unclear when they were expected to vote. Given the Arab nations’ automatic majority in international forums, the Palestinian proposal is likely to be accepted.UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Polish Culture Minister Piotr Glinski opened the session Sunday in a ceremony at the Renaissance Wawel Castle in Krakow, a historic city on the UNESCO World Heritage site.Earlier, they viewed Poland’s most precious painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine,” which the state bought last year from the aristocratic Czartoryski family. The government said the session is among Poland’s top cultural events this year.UNESCO has come under fire by Israel, the US and other nations for a series of moves deemed anti-Israel, most recently in May when its executive board ratified a contentious resolution denying any legal or historical Israeli links to Jerusalem and calling Israel an “occupying power” in its capital.That resolution also criticized the Israeli government for archaeological projects in the capital and in Hebron and lambasted its naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.On Friday, speaking at the UNESCO International Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Paris, former foreign minister Tzipi Livni criticized UNESCO for its repeated decisions against Israel and called on the organization to reject the vote on Hebron.“I am an opposition leader in Israel, but I am not in opposition to the history of my people and not an opposition to the truth,” Livni said, indicated she had almost declined the invitation to participate over UNESCO’s recent actions. “These decisions will not harm my people’s connection to [Jerusalem and Hebron], but they will hurt UNESCO and the ability to promote common interests.”“UNESCO must not be turned into a political arena,” Livni said during the UN body’s conference. “There are representatives from countries that have conflicts between them, but they must be left outside the building. Unfortunately, there are member states that exploit UNESCO for political purposes and to open conflicts.”“At first I thought I would not come because they have taken terrible decisions, but then I thought, if I am getting a hearing here at UNESCO, I am going to say what I have to, not only on the issue of women, but also what I think about the decisions that are on their table about Hebron next week,” Livni said.“They are going to hear what one woman from Israel thinks of these decisions. We can make a difference here.”In May’s resolution, the UN agency wrote that Hebron (and Bethlehem) was an “integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” and that it “deplores the ongoing Israeli excavations, works, construction of private roads for settlers and of a Wall inside the Old City of Al-Khalil/Hebron which are illegal under international law and harmfully affect the authenticity and integrity of the site.”The Tomb of the Patriarchs could become the third cultural site on UNESCO’s “List of World Heritage in Danger” that is registered as located in the “State of Palestine.” The other two are the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem and the “cultural landscape of Southern Jerusalem,” around Battir.Following the May vote, Israel announced it would cut another $1 million from its payments to the UN, bringing the total cuts since December 2016 to $9 million.In December, after the Security Council passed Resolution 2334, slamming Israeli settlement activity and calling settlements illegal, Netanyahu ordered $6 million cut from Israel’s payment to the UN. And in March, after the Human Rights Council passed five anti-Israel resolutions, Netanyahu vowed to cut an additional $2 million.Last week, Israel denied a fact-finding mission entry to Hebron ahead of the UNESCO vote.A group of independent scholars from the International Council on Monuments and Sites had been trying to gain access to the disputed holy site since the Palestinian Authority announced in April its plan to have it added to UNESCO’s list of endangered world heritage sites.However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to grant them the required permits.“On a strategic and principled level, the State of Israel will not take part in and will not legitimize any Palestinian political move under the guise of culture and heritage,” said Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Carmel Shama-Hacohen.Raphael Aharen contributed to this report.

Angry US donor wants to issue ‘a wake up call,’ isn’t planning to pull his Israel funding-Real-estate mogul ‘Ike’ Fisher, a member of AIPAC’s board, made headlines Sunday with threat to ‘suspend’ support over Western Wall, conversion crisis-By Amanda Borschel-Dan July 3, 2017, 5:57 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Taking a break from his long Fourth of July weekend in the mountains of North Carolina, Isaac “Ike” Fisher, a member of the board of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee, told The Times of Israel on Sunday that reports of the demise of his support for Israel have been greatly exaggerated.The Florida real estate tycoon, a leading fundraiser in the Greater Miami Jewish Federation who is active in many Jewish philanthropies, was splashed on the front page of Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday morning vowing to “suspend” all further financial support for Israel. This, in reaction to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s June 25 decision to “suspend” a long-negotiated January 2016 government decision which would have seen construction of a permanent pluralistic prayer pavilion, over which non-Orthodox Jewish leaders would have a share in oversight, in the southern section of Jerusalem’s Western Wall.Fisher elaborated on Israeli Channel 2 on Sunday afternoon that he had spoken of “suspending” his philanthropy, rather than ending it, just as the Israeli government had “suspended” its original Western Wall commitment, and that he was reacting to the government moves in “language they understand.”‘Israel was created as a Jewish state, not as a Jewish theocracy’Speaking with The Times of Israel later on Sunday, Fisher said he used the term “suspend” to raise awareness of the dire consequences Israel would face in losing the support of the Diaspora. “I am trying to speak in the language of the politicians: They suspended this agreement and I said I was suspending my support,” he explained.Having spoken out, he said, however, he was not planning any next step.“It needs to be appreciated how much Diaspora Jewry supports the state of Israel,” he told the Times of Israel. Without the Diaspora’s financial support, Israeli citizens would be looking to the government to replace its funding, he added.The government of Israel, said Fisher, “treats with disdain the larger am yisrael [People of Israel]; It lacks the vision that the government represents the entire Jewish world,” he said.The issues of the frozen Western Wall deal, as well as a conversion bill — which would grant the ultra-Orthodox-dominated Israeli Chief Rabbinate sole discretion for conversion in Israel, but which was shelved for six months on Friday — are “not Reform or Conservative issues,” he said. They are, rather, issues which affect the entire Jewish people.“The two issues represent something that they have in common: With the kotel [the Western Wall], it is contempt for women who love Torah and Jews who believe in an egalitarian form of worship. With the new legislation, it is contempt for the overwhelming number of Jewish leaders from all denominations,” he said.Despite his current anger at Netanyahu’s government, Fisher said he has spent his “whole life committed to Israel and the Jewish people” and he is “not cutting himself off” from it now. “My heart is with Israel and the larger Jewish people,” he said.Fisher said he is not suggesting sanctions and, having raised awareness of the need for public outcry, has no immediate plans for further action. Ten days ago he made a purchase for $1 million Israel Bonds. Contrary to reports that he was stopping the purchase, Fisher told The Times of Israel that “there is no way of even trying to negate that sale.”‘Wake up everybody. You need to support us, because you need our support’Instead, when he speaks about Israel Bonds, or his financial support for Tel Aviv University, he said he is indicating that he expects these organizations to speak up with their support for the Western Wall deal and world Jewry — just as he and other Diaspora donors support the institutions’ needs.“I want to say to Israel Bonds, understand who your constituency is,” said Fisher. “To tell them, ‘Wake up everybody. You need to support us, because you need our support,'” he said.Fisher said there is no “or else” to his statements on support. “‘Or else’ is not productive,” he said.But he does want the government of Israel to fully understand that it has a “worldwide constituency which it needs to respect.”“Israel was created as a Jewish state, not as a Jewish theocracy. And Diaspora Jews and Israelis needs to recognize the threat of a creeping theocracy,” he said. “It’s not here yet, I think we still have democratic institutions like the Supreme Court to protect us. But we need to stand up and say we recognize the threat.”

65% of Latin American Jewish leaders fear terror attack on community-14 countries surveyed; in Argentina, hit twice in by major attacks in the 1990s, the figure is 90%-By JTA July 3, 2017, 1:47 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Sixty-five percent of Latin American Jewish leaders fear their community could suffer a terrorist attack, a new survey found.That figure is 90 percent among Jewish leaders in Argentina, where large numbers of Jews have been killed in two terrorist attacks: in 1992 on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, which killed 29 and injured 242; and in 1994 on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, which killed 84 and injured more than 300.In the opinion of 82 percent of the Jewish leaders surveyed, a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the best way to prevent future terrorist attacks.At the same time, 71 percent of the Jewish leaders agreed it is possible to live openly as a Jew in their countries, with 17 percent saying they agree “very much.” Another 11 percent agreed somewhat, and just 1 percent disagreed.The Argentinean political consultancy firm Poliarquia Consultores conducted the survey for the Latin American Jewish Congress. The opinions of 322 Jewish leaders from 14 countries were surveyed using an online tool.Some 40 percent of the Latin American Jewish leaders said Trump’s presidency will positively affect Israel. Of those, some 67 percent said Trump “will help positively with the security of Israel.” Another 40 percent said Trump will negatively affect Israel. Of those, some 60 percent said his administration “will hinder the possibility to reach a peace agreement.”The findings of the survey were publicized Friday evening, well after being presented to the World Jewish Congress in New York in April.

Britney Spears said to skip dinner with Netanyahu-After pop icon mobbed by fans at the Western Wall, PM’s meal with sick children goes ahead without her-By Times of Israel staff July 2, 2017, 10:45 pm

American pop star Britney Spears arrived in Israel on Sunday and headed straight to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But after she was mobbed by fans at the holy site, she reportedly decided to skip dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and child cancer patients.At the Western Wall and the Western Wall tunnels, Spears was surrounded by security staff and paparazzi who tried to keep the fans at bay. Afterward, she was unable to make it to a date with Netanyahu, his wife, Sara, and pediatric cancer patients from Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, the Ynet news site reported.However, a senior official in the Prime Minister’s Office told The Times of Israel that the meeting had never been confirmed.The dinner went ahead without Spears at the Prime Minster’s Residence in Jerusalem.The singer is in Israel for a show on Monday in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park as part of her upcoming world tour. Local music producers have been working to bring Spears to Israel since last year, and the performance is set to cost more than $2 million.The Ynet report said Spears would meet the child cancer patients Monday before her show, which is part of her “Britney: Live In Concert” world tour.On Saturday Spears tweeted her excitement at her upcoming concert.I’ve had such an amazing time performing in Asia over these last few weeks!! One final stop in Tel Aviv on Monday!! pic.twitter.com/vd5QfjipMC— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) July 1, 2017-Two weeks ago El Al flight attendants made headlines with a spoof on Spears’ “Toxic” — perhaps inspired by flight attendants on AsiaAir and Thailand’s low-cost Nok Air — local Spears fans are organizing themselves for this long-awaited night.In order to avoid lengthy traffic jams in and out of the park before and after the concert, local fans have ordered the Britney Bus, a private coach bus organized by the FanZone company that picks up passengers throughout the country, deposits them at the concert and takes them home afterwards.The concert made headlines in April when the Labor Party announced that it would be postponing its leadership primaries, which had originally coincided with the performance.Spears shot to international fame in the late 1990s with hits such as “…Baby One More Time” and “Oops!…I Did It Again.” She has sold more than 100 million albums and 100 million singles throughout her career.The pop star joins a star-studded lineup of musical artists and groups performing in Israel over the summer, including Justin Bieber, Aerosmith, Radiohead, Tears for Fears, Rod Stewart, Nick Cave and Guns N’ Roses.Raphael Ahren and Jessica Steinberg contributed to this report.

Arab nations extend deadline in Qatar crisis by 48 hours-Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Cairo give Doha mor etime to respond to list of 13 demands to end standoff-By MAGGIE HYDE July 3, 2017, 6:46 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Arab nations extended a deadline early Monday for Qatar to respond to their list of demands in a diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf, saying Kuwait’s emir requested the delay as part of his efforts to mediate the dispute.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut off ties with 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar on June 5, restricting access to their airspace and ports and sealing Qatar’s only land border, which it shares with Saudi Arabia.They issued a 13-point list of demands to end the standoff June 22 and gave the natural gas-rich country 10 days to comply.The joint statement early Monday by the Arab nations said they expected Qatar to respond to their demands on Monday. The new deadline would expire late Tuesday or early Wednesday.“The response of the four states will then be sent following the study of the Qatari government’s response and assessment of its response to the whole demands,” the statement said.The four nations cut ties to Qatar over allegations it supports extremists and over worries it maintains too-close ties to Shiite power Iran. Qatar long has denied sponsoring militants and maintains ties to Iran as it shares a massive offshore natural gas field with the country.“Qatar is not an easy country to be swallowed by anyone. We are ready. We stand ready to defend our country. I hope that we don’t come to a stage where, you know, a military intervention is made,” Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah told Sky News.Qatar’s main QE stock index lost more than 3 percent when it reopened Sunday following a weeklong hiatus for the Eid al-Fitr holiday break — its first session since the demands were laid out. It eventually recovered some of its losses later in the trading session to close down 2.3 percent at 8,822.15.Qatari supermarkets saw panic buying when the four countries initially cut ties. But the capital, Doha, was largely calm Sunday as residents waited to see how the crisis would play out.Abdelaziz al-Yafaei, a Qatari out for an evening walk along the city’s bayside, said he was reassured that things would be fine, regardless of what happens over the course of the next days.“We have a government, thank God, that is wise and knows how to provide for all of our needs, how to maintain security,” he said. “We have enough funds in the country, on the economic side. All of the affairs are headed for the better.”Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, showed no signs of backing down in during a press briefing in Rome on Saturday, saying they were never meant to be accepted and that his country “is prepared to face whatever consequences.”While in Rome, Al Thani met with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who gave his backing to ongoing mediation efforts led by Kuwait. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also tried to resolve the dispute, with the US last week urging Saudi Arabia and its allies to stay “open to negotiation” with Qatar.Russian President Vladimir Putin has separately spoken with the leaders of Qatar and Bahrain, urging direct dialogue among all the states involved, according to statements released by the Kremlin on Saturday.

At least 8 injured in shooting near mosque in France-Police rule out terror as motive in incident in Avignon, say it may be criminal settling of scores-By Agencies July 3, 2017, 3:57 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

PARIS (AP) — French media reports say eight people have been injured in a shooting near a mosque in the southern city of Avignon in what appears to be a criminal settling of scores.Local magistrate Laure Chabaud was quoted by La Provence and Le Dauphine Libere as saying that the mosque did not appear to be the target of the Sunday night shooting.According to initial accounts, at least two men got out of a car around 10:30 pm near the mosque and opened fire, including with a shotgun, the prosecutor’s office said.None of the wounded had life-threatening injuries, it said.“From what we know this evening, the mosque was not targeted. The fact that it happened in the street of the religious establishment was unconnected with it,” the prosecutor said, ruling out terrorism.Witness accounts mentioned four men in the car, all hooded.No mosque was publicly listed at the reported address.The shooting comes as France’s government prepares to extend a state of emergency in place since Islamic extremist attacks in 2015, citing continued threats.

US,JAPAN UNITED ON PRESSURING NORTH KOREA.

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)

Hong Kong’s uneasy deal with China-[Christian Science Monitor]-yahoonews-The Monitor's Editorial Board-July 2, 2017

Hong Kong is part of China, now and forever.That’s the clear message the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping is sending to the former British colony on the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule.Mr. Xi himself visited Hong Kong over the weekend to make the point. A military parade that featured thousands of Chinese government troops, the largest yet staged on the island, added an exclamation point.As part of the 1997 turnover from Britain, China promised to follow a “one country, two systems” approach with its new acquisition. That has meant a great deal of local autonomy for Hong Kong, including an independent judicial system, unfettered capitalism, a free press, and personal freedom of expression.But many of the 7.3 million Hong Kongers feel that in recent years the Chinese ratchet has been tightening, twist by twist, on their freedoms. In late 2014 many took to the streets for 11 weeks in what became know as the “Umbrella Movement,” protesting China’s interference in Hong Kong’s electoral system.Today the legislature contains members both pre-approved by the Chinese government as well as those independently elected who support democracy and autonomy. The result has often been legislative gridlock: Work on vital issues such as education reform and infrastructure projects has ground to a halt.Voices speaking for Beijing point to the stalled legislature and ask if a little more Chinese efficiency, and a little less sloppy Western democracy, might be a good thing.Older Hong Kongers are more likely to tread a careful line, politely reminding China of its commitment that “one country, two systems” will remain uneroded. But a younger generation, used to Western-style freedoms, has begun talking about full independence from China. In a recent poll only 3 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds in Hong Kong consider themselves Chinese. To them Xi’s visit was that of a foreigh politician, not the leader of their country.What next? The leverage would appear to be all on China’s side. It’s made clear that while “one country, two systems” is the policy, it remains subject to broad interpretation by the Chinese government.China is unlikely to risk any open show of force against its most prosperous urban center. It’s more likely to try to continue to influence events in less obvious ways, including actions against individuals who speak up too loudly.In his speeches at the 20th anniversary, Xi sought to lower tensions.“[T]he success of ‘one country, two systems’ is recognized by the whole world,” Xi said. But while strike a conciliatory tone he also issued a warning. “Any attempt to endanger China’s sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government … or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible,” he said, according to an account in the South China Morning Post.Hong Kong’s new chief executive, Carrie Lam, who took office July 1, was China’s favored candidate. She has pledged to “heal the divide and to ease the frustration – and to unite our society to move forward.”China could learn much about the benefits of democracy from Hong Kong. But it doesn’t seem especially interested now. What Hong Kong can do is continue to showcase the advantages of a more open society, with the hope that someday China will be ready to listen.

China slams US warship move as Xi, Trump talk-[AFP]-Laurent Thomet, with Laurent Barthelemy in Washington-yahoonews-July 3, 2017

Beijing (AFP) - The US and Chinese presidents spoke on Monday in a scheduled call hours after relations came under renewed pressure as an American warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea.Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discussed efforts to denuclearise North Korea and improve US-Chinese trade relations, though the ship's passage was not mentioned in a White House readout of the conversation.Relations between the two nations had been warmer since Trump and Xi met in April, but Washington has taken a series of actions that have infuriated Beijing in recent days.The latest move to anger China came on Sunday, when the USS Stethem destroyer sailed less than 12 nautical miles from tiny Triton Island in the Paracel Islands archipelago, which is claimed by China as well as Taiwan and Vietnam, a US official told AFP.The distance is commonly accepted as constituting the territorial waters of a landmass. Such operations are meant to demonstrate freedom of navigation in disputed waters.The move prompted China to deploy military vessels and fighter jets, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement late Sunday, calling the US operation a "serious political and military provocation".The spokesman called on Washington to "immediately stop" operations that violate Chinese sovereignty and threaten the country's security.It was the second operation of its kind carried out by the United States since Trump took office.Last week, China lashed out at Washington after Trump authorised a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province, and the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Chinese bank accused of laundering North Korean cash.Washington also vexed Beijing by voicing concern about freedom in semi-autonomous Hong Kong and placing China on a list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders.- A sharp cooling -Hours after the naval operation, Trump held separate phone calls with Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe focused on the regional tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme.In his call with Xi, "President Trump raised the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes," the White House said."Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," it said.Trump, who berated Beijing over trade during the US election campaign, also "reiterated his determination to seek more balanced trade relations with America’s trading partners".While there was no mention of the warship in the White House statement, it said the two leaders discussed "a range of other regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest" and indicated the two would meet at the Group of 20 summit in Germany this week.The recent tensions marked a sharp reversal in tone from April, when Xi travelled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for a first face-to-face meeting that Trump later said had helped build an "outstanding" relationship.Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said it was possible that during the call Xi would agree to take some of the steps Trump has demanded to pressure Pyongyang."I think that Xi is keen to keep Sino-US relations on an even keel," Glaser told AFP. "Of course, he can't appear to be making concessions or taking steps in response to US pressure."- A growing Chinese presence -The latest US "freedom of navigation" exercise came as Beijing continues muscular efforts to cement its claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.On May 25, the USS Dewey guided-missile destroyer sailed less than 12 nautical miles from Mischief Reef -- part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, south of the Paracel Islands.

US, Japan 'united' on pressuring N. Korea: White House-[AFP]-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

Washington (AFP) - The United States and Japan are united in their efforts to clamp down on North Korea's "growing threat," as the regime ramps up its nuclear drive and other belligerent efforts, the White House said Sunday.During a phone call, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe "reaffirmed that the United States-Japan Alliance stands ready to defend (against) and respond to any threat or action taken by North Korea", the White House said in a statement.It added that the pair expressed "unity with respect to increasing pressure on the regime to change its dangerous path."During a separate phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said it was Trump who "raised the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.""Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."But the White House made no mention of possible discussions between Trump and Xi over disputed islands in the South China Sea, even though the call took place just hours after a US warship sailed near an island in the waterway.Beijing termed the incident a "serious political and military provocation."The destroyer, the USS Stethem, sailed less than 12 nautical miles from tiny Triton Island in the Paracel Islands archipelago, which is claimed by China as well as Taiwan and Vietnam, a US official told AFP.On the call, Trump also "reiterated his determination to seek more balanced trade relations with America's trading partners," the White House said, a reference to the US administration's aggressive stance on trade matters, especially as concerns China.- Pinning hopes on China -The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.Trump had been pinning his hopes on China -- North Korea's main diplomatic ally -- to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed.He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In -- who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang -- on Friday, Trump called for a "determined response" to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to handle North Korean threats."The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over," Trump said.There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.

Thailand's new labor rules send thousands of migrant workers fleeing-[Reuters]-By Amy Sawitta Lefevre-yahoonews-July 3, 2017

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of workers have fled Thailand, most of them for homes in neighboring Myanmar, immigration officials said on Monday, after new labor regulations adopted by the military government sparked fear and panic among the migrant community.Millions of workers from poor neighbors, such as Cambodia and Myanmar, form the backbone of Thailand's manual labor force, with industries such as the multi-billion-dollar seafood business heavily reliant on foreign workers.Since taking power in a 2014 coup, Thailand's ruling junta has attained varying degrees of success in campaigns to regulate the foreign workforce, spurred partly by media reports that unregulated workers faced exploitation by employers.About 60,000 workers left between June 23 and 28, and the number has risen since, an Immigration Bureau official said."They were of all nationalities, but the biggest group was from Myanmar," Deputy Commissioner Pornchai Kuntee told Reuters. "They are probably very scared."Following news of the exodus, Thailand on Friday promised a 120-day delay in enforcing parts of the decree, including fines that can range up to 800,000 baht ($23,557) for employers who hire unregistered foreign workers without permits.Geta Devi, 28, a Myanmar worker based in Bangkok, the Thai capital, said some of her friends panicked after hearing about the decree."They went back to Myanmar," she added.The mass movement leaves undocumented workers vulnerable, said Andy Hall, a British specialist in migrant workers' rights who has monitored such migration in Thailand for more than a decade."It's clear to me tens of thousands of migrants only move like this after instigation," Hall, who has worked extensively with Myanmar workers, told Reuters.Despite the threat of punishment, "corrupt officials" would try to take bribes from fleeing migrants, he said."Mass profit is to be made in a short time from the panic and commotion," Hall added.Police officers who try to extort money from employers or migrant workers will be punished, Thai police chief Chaktip Chaijinda said on Friday, in a bid to discourage exploitation of undocumented workers.Last month, the United States kept Thailand on a trafficking watch list, saying it did not meet the minimum standards to end human trafficking.Thailand defended its efforts to stop trafficking and urged U.S. officials to visit and gauge its campaign.More than 3 million migrants work in Thailand, the International Organization for Migration has said, but rights groups put the figure higher.(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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)

South China floods kill 15, thousands evacuated-[Reuters]-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

BEIJING (Reuters) - Floods in southern China have killed at least 15 people over the past few days and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands more, state media said.In Guangxi region, seven died and three were missing following torrential rains, with more than 23,000 people being evacuated to safer areas, the Xinhua news agency said late on Sunday.In neighboring Hunan province, more than 300,000 people have been evacuated and eight people have died, the agency said.More rain is forecast in coming days, according to the China Meteorological Administration.Floods kill dozens of people every year in China during the summer rainy season.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Aid helicopter crash kills 8 after Indonesian volcano erupts-[Associated Press]-yahoonews-July 3, 2017

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A rescue helicopter crashed while heading to help evacuate residents near an active volcano on Indonesia's main island, killing all eight people on board, officials said Monday.The helicopter crashed about three minutes before arriving at Dieng Plateau, the popular tourist area where the volcanic eruption Sunday injured at least 10 people. The aircraft reportedly hit a cliff on Butak Mountain in the Temanggung district of Central Java province.All eight people on board were killed, said Maj. Gen. Heronimus Guru, deputy operations chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency. He told The Associated Press, "We are now at the Bhayangkara Hospital in Semarang," the Central Java provincial capital where the victims' bodies were taken.Brig. Gen. Ivan Tito, director of operation and training at the search agency, told TVOne station in a live interview from Temanggung, that the victims were four navy officers and four rescuers. He also said the Indonesian-made Dauphin AS365 helicopter was airworthy.The Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau spewed cold lava, mud and ash as high as 50 meters (164 feet) into the sky when it erupted Sunday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.The sudden eruption occurred while about 17 visitors were around the crater. Ten people were injured and were treated at a hospital.Soldiers and police officers were dispatched and local residents and visitors were asked to evacuate in case of further eruptions, Nugroho said.Sileri is the most active and dangerous among some 10 craters at Dieng Plateau. Its most recent eruption was in 2009, when it unleashed volcanic materials up to 200 meters (656 feet) high and triggered the creation of three new craters.Dwi Suryanto, head of culture and tourism in the Sileri area, said the crater was quiet Monday but remains closed to visitors. Other craters on the plateau are still open, he said.Dieng Plateau, located in the Central Java district of Banjarnegara, is a popular tourist attraction because of its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples. It sits about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level.Some 142 people were reportedly asphyxiated in 1979 when the volcano spewed gases.

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

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

WORLD TERRORISM

OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).

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

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

At least 15 killed in fresh C. Africa clashes: source-[AFP]-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - At least 15 people died in clashes between UN peacekeepers and former rebels in the centre of the chronically restive Central African Republic, a humanitarian source said Sunday.The violence broke out on Saturday in the market town of Kaga-Bandoro when rebels from the former Seleka movement of mainly Muslim fighters attacked the town "to settle an old score," a source in MINUSCA, the UN mission which has some 12,000 troops in the country, told AFP."They (the former Seleka rebels) were confronted by the Pakistani and Burundian contingents stationed in the town," the UN source said."The MINUSCA forces did their job and protected the civil population" in the town, some 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of the capital Bangui, the source added.Seleka rebels briefly seized power in March 2013 and deposed the Christian President Francois Bozize.The Seleka group was itself then ousted, leading to a wave of violent reprisals against the Muslim population by the Christian anti-Balaka militia.Clashes towards the end of last month left around 100 people dead in the central town of Bria just hours after the government signed a peace deal with rebel groups aimed at ending simmering sectarian violence which has blighted Central Africa since 2013.Although the unrest has long pitted Christian anti-Balaka militias against mainly Muslim ex-Seleka rebels, there have been growing splits within the various armed groups that have turned deadly.Violence resurfaced at the end of May in Kaga-Bandoro, the main town in the Nana-Grebizi region where some 20,000 displaced people have been housed since last year.

Italy urges EU ports to take migrants as pressure builds-[AFP]-Ella IDE-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

Paris (AFP) - The French and German interior ministers met with their Italian counterpart Marco Minniti in Paris on Sunday to discuss a "coordinated response" to Italy's migrant crisis, hours after Minniti had called on other European countries to open their ports to rescue ships.The working dinner at the French interior ministry -- also attended by EU Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos -- was aimed at finding "a coordinated and concerted response to the migrant flux in the central Mediterranean (route) and see how to better help the Italians," a source close the talks said.The four-way talks between Minniti, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany, Gerard Collomb of France and Avramopoulos will also prepare them for EU talks in Tallinn this week."The talks went off very well," a member of the Italian delegation told AFP after the Paris meeting, with the "Italian proposals being discussed". The source offered no other details."We are under enormous pressure," Minniti had said earlier Sunday in an interview with Il Messaggero.With arrivals in Italy up nearly 19 percent over the same period last year, Rome has threatened to close its ports to privately-funded aid boats or insist that funding be cut to EU countries which fail to help."There are NGO ships, Sophia and Frontex boats, Italian coast guard vessels" saving migrants i the Mediterranean, Minniti said, referring to the aid boats as well as vessels deployed under EU border security missions."They are sailing under the flags of various European countries. If the only ports where refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working. This is the heart of the question," he said."I am a europhile and I would be proud if even one vessel, instead of arriving in Italy, went to another European port. It would not resolve Italy's problem, but it would be an extraordinary signal" of support, he said.- 'Unfolding tragedy' -More than 83,000 people rescued while attempting the perilous crossing from Libya have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the UN, while more than 2,160 have died trying, the International Organization for Migration says.Italy's Red Cross has warned the situation in the country's overcrowded reception centres is becoming critical."What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Saturday.One of the rescue organisations, SOS Mediterranee, which runs an aid vessel along with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said forcing boats carrying migrants to go to other European ports would be logistically difficult.If the order came, "we would have no choice, we would obey. But it would be completely impossible with more than 1,000 people on board," SOS Mediterranee spokeswoman Mathilde Auvillain told AFP."And then we'd need to make a stopover in an Italian port anyway to refuel, or we'd end up needing to be rescued ourselves."After weeks or months spent in Libyan camps -- where many migrants are raped or tortured -- those rescued are already traumatised, "imagine adding two or three more days at sea. Our priority is to protect them," she said.- Code of conduct -Minniti said Rome would be pushing for a way to shift the asylum application process from Italy to crisis-hit Libya, and safely bring to Europe those who win the right to protection."We have to distinguish before they set off (across the Mediterranean) between those who have a right to humanitarian protection and those who don't," he said.Unsourced Italian media reports said Rome was likely to call for a European code of conduct to be drawn up for the privately-run aid boats, with the Corriere della Sera saying vessels that did not comply could be "seized".Rome would like a regional maritime command centre to oversee all rescue operations from Greece to Libya to Spain, which would spread the migrant arrivals between European countries, it said.And Italy insists that the EU refugee relocation programme -- which is largely limited to people from Eritrea and Syria -- should be expanded to include other nationalities, such as Nigerians, La Repubblica said.

Macron in Mali for diplomatic push on Sahel anti-jihadist force-[AFP]-Laurence BENHAMOU-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

Bamako (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday threw his weight behind a planned Sahel force to fight jihadists on a lightning visit to Mali but told countries in the region their efforts had to bear fruit.Faced with a growing number of jihadist attacks in central Mali which have also hit neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, the so-called G5 Sahel nations have moved to set up a regional force to tackle the threat.The aim is to combat the wave of Islamist bombings, shootings and kidnappings in the Sahel, the region just south of the Sahara.Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen -- an alliance of Al-Qaeda-allied Sahel groups -- on Saturday offered a reminder of the jihadist threat by releasing a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages.Joining the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger at a summit in Bamako, Macron hailed the initiative as "a dynamic, a groundswell which France is proud to back".But, he said, "it will be up to you and your armed forces to demonstrate that the G5 can be effective while respecting humanitarian conventions. The results have to be there to convince your partners."The force, which will initially count some 5,000 troops, will begin its operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger with Macron saying he wants it to be operational by the end of August."The important thing is that the joint force be fully operational by autumn, with the initial funds unlocked ... and exhibit first signs of success," he said.With a base in Sevare in central Mali, the force will work alongside France's 4,000-strong Operation Barkhane as well as with MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping operation in Mali.- 'Essential in our eyes' -At a news conference with Macron, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said the leaders had agreed on a budget of 423 million euros ($480 million)."Each of our states will make a 10-million-euro contribution," he said, noting that the question of funding had taken precedence at the closed-door talks.The European Union has already made an initial 50-million-euro pledge which Macron said was "the start of a long-term commitment".On June 21, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution backing the joint counterterror operation."This is a major step for Sahel security, essential in our eyes," Macron told a crowd of French expatriates in Bamako on Sunday.Macron is also hoping for extra support from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States, and said he hoped it would be possible to make a French-German funding commitment after talks in Paris on July 13.Although Chad's military is widely viewed as the strongest of the five Sahel nations, President Idriss Deby has said his country cannot afford to mobilise large numbers of troops simultaneously for the UN peacekeeping mission and also in the new force.Deby and Macron also discussed the financial issue on the sidelines of the Bamako summit, with the French and Malian leaders both saying the Chadian president had been reassured by the talks.- Laboratory for coordination -France intervened in Mali 2013 to chase out Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists who had overtaken key northern cities. A year later, that mission evolved into Operation Barkhane with an anti-terror mandate stretching across the Sahel.The new Sahel force will support national armies trying to catch jihadists across porous frontiers, and its operations will be closely coordinated with Barkhane, a source in the French presidency told AFP.Analysts have compared the new force with the Multinational Joint Task Force battling Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, comprising troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.But the G5 Sahel force will face other problems, with the inherent weakness of the armed forces in Burkina Faso and Mali, while Chad and Niger are already engaged on multiple fronts, said Rinaldo Depagne of the International Crisis Group.The three-nation border of Liptako-Gourma between Burkina, Mali and Niger, will become a "laboratory" where French forces will work with them before bringing Chad and Mauritania into the mix, he predicted.The G5 Sahel force's top commander, Malian general Didier Dacko, has said each country's contingent would initially operate on its own soil and gradually shift focus to their mutual borders.

Airstrikes propel Mosul gains, despite toll on civilians-[Associated Press]-SUSANNAH GEORGE-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi forces say their recent territorial gains against the Islamic State group in Mosul's Old City have largely been propelled by airstrikes, despite a spike in allegations of civilian casualties and warnings from human rights groups of the dangers of using large munitions in the dense, highly-populated area.As strikes pummeled the Old City Sunday, hundreds of civilians fled. Many were badly injured and had to be carried out over mounds of rubble by family members. Deeper inside the district, narrow alleyways were littered with bodies.Special forces Lt. Col. Muhanad al-Timimi said over the past three days his forces have carried out about 20 airstrikes a day on IS-held territory within there are of operation — a portion of the Old City measuring about one square kilometer (0.6 square miles) in size."It's because we have a lot of enemy forces here," he said, conceding the number of munitions used was relatively high.Half buried in a mound of rubble beside a strike crater, limbs protruded, darkened by dust and rotting in the summer heat. The pile of rocks was once a brightly painted house with a courtyard garden."Those were two Daesh fighters," said Sgt. Ali Mehdi, a member of al-Timimi's security detail, using an Arabic acronym for IS.When the small unit rounded another narrow street the men silently stepped over the body of an elderly man lying in a pool of fresh blood.A warning cracked over the radio that an airstrike was called in on a position just 50 meters away and the men ducked into a cleared home. When they emerged two more bodies, in civilian clothes and without weapons, lay in the next street.Throughout the fight against IS, the U.S.-led coalition has largely relied on airstrikes to enable Iraqi ground forces to advance. But in previous battles, civilians were evacuated from front lines. In Mosul, the Iraqi government told the city's estimated one million people to stay put to avoid massive displacement.Iraqi forces have repeatedly requested airstrikes in Mosul, often to kill teams of just two or three IS fighters armed with light weapons.Manhal Munir was sheltering in the basement of his home with his extended family when IS fighters took a position on his roof. They were targeted by an airstrike Sunday morning. The house collapsed."I just pulled my youngest daughter out with me," Munir said at a nearby medic station, the toddler on his lap. "My mother was stuck between two large blocks of cement. We tried to free her," he said, still covered in dust and his eyes red with grief. "After two hours she died."In the weeks leading up to the operation to retake the Old City the UN and human rights groups warned the Iraqi government against the use of explosive weapons with wide effects in the Old City area, where houses are tightly packed and the civilian population is dense."In the crowded Old City, using explosive weapons with wide area effects puts civilians at excessive risk," Lama Fakih of Human Rights Watch said in a statement.The coalition did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press as to what munitions are being used."The Coalition always seeks to use weapons that are proportional to the target to minimize collateral damage," the U.S-led coalition said in a written statement."Nearly all munitions released have been precision guided to ensure we achieve the desired effects," the statement continued. "The avoidance of civilian casualties is our highest priority."In a report Friday, Airwars said they "presently estimate that between 900 and 1,200 civilians were likely killed by Coalition air and artillery strikes over the course of the eight month (Mosul) campaign."The group said the territorial gains in Mosul come at a "terrible cost."The United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped inside the Old City.Iraqi forces launched the operation to retake the Old City — IS' last stand in Iraq's second-largest city — in mid-June after eight months of grueling battles across Mosul's eastern half and around the city's western edge.Iraq's Prime Minister declared an end to IS' so-called caliphate in late June and pledged victory was "near" after Iraqi forces retook the landmark al-Nuri mosque in the Old City.Iraq's federal police declared a partial victory Sunday, announcing they had completed "the liberation of our sector," according to spokesman Captain Bassam Khadim.Iraq's special forces are now just 450 meters from the Tigris River that roughly divides Mosul in half, according to Maj. Gen. Sami al-Aridi."For us, the airstrikes are better than artillery because they allow us to target the enemy accurately," said special forces Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil. "They help us minimize civilian casualties and casualties among our own forces."

Merkel overshadows party ahead of September election-[AFP]-Tom BARFIELD-yahoonews-July 2, 2017

Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday formally launches her campaign to win a fourth term in a September parliamentary election more likely to be decided on personality than policy.Challenger Martin Schulz of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) is leading his campaign with "more social justice", promising reforms to tax, unemployment benefits and childcare after having just succeeded with a push to legalise same-sex marriage.Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has so far failed to counter its opponents' focused campaign with a unifying policy theme of its own.Social media users last week mocked party secretary-general Peter Tauber's slogan "For a Germany where we live well and gladly", after he transformed the initial letters of the German phrase into an unpronounceable Twitter hashtag: #fedidwgugl.Schulz, struggling to catch up with Merkel in the polls, last week shocked observers by accusing the chancellor of systematically refusing to debate him on the future of the country.But the lacklustre CDU campaign does not appear to have hurt the re-election prospects of the veteran leader dubbed "Mutti" (Mummy) by German voters.- 'Germany in good hands' -After a brief spell between January and March when Schulz, a newcomer on the German political landscape, surged into the lead, the former European Parliament president has fallen far behind Merkel as the preferred candidate in polls by public broadcaster ARD.Rallying around a trusted leader is a long tradition for the CDU, whose simple "No experiments!" campaign posters for Konrad Adenauer's reelection in 1957 remain a touchstone of German political culture.Merkel's mentor, recently-deceased former chancellor Helmut Kohl, was accused of transforming the CDU into a "chancellor electing society" during his 16-year reign.And Merkel herself echoed the strong-leader theme in 2013, with gigantic posters featuring her fingers clasped and the slogan "Germany in good hands".Merkel's government faced heavy pressure in 2015 when it opened the nation's borders to a mass influx of refugees, sparking a xenophobic backlash.But as the arrivals have slowed sharply, the issue has faded from public debate, as the upstart anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party slipped back into single digits in the polls.- Tax cuts and families -The few concrete policies that have filtered out from the CDU party machinery, and their Bavarian CSU allies, are familiar to conservatives the world over.The sister parties plan to lower income taxes, increase the threshold for the highest bracket and wind down so-called "solidarity surcharges" introduced after Germany's 1990 reunification to pay for government spending on the former communist East Germany, news agency DPA reported last week.Lower taxes favouring higher consumer spending and thereby increased imports could also be seen as a gesture to foreign critics of Germany's massive trade surplus.While US President Donald Trump has made the bluntest attacks on the imbalance, experts at the International Monetary Fund as well as European allies like France have all called on Germany to reduce it.Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has suggested there is room for around 15 billion euros ($13.1 billion) of income tax cuts.That figure is unlikely to satisfy the government's critics at home or abroad when compared with the 1.35 trillion euros in taxes and social contributions collected by Germany's federal, state and municipal governments last year.Other local media have reported on CDU/CSU plans to increase benefits and tax relief for families with children, improve primary schools and daycare, and accede to a longstanding industry demand to exempt research and development spending from taxes.Only one major issue, an echo from the refugee crisis, continues to divide Merkel from the more conservative Bavarians: whether Germany should set an upper limit on the number of refugees allowed to enter the country each year.

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