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)
Thou shalt not kill: Catholic bishops start new Philippines prayer campaign-[Reuters]-By Manuel Mogato-YAHOONEWS-November 5, 2017
MANILA (Reuters) - A top Catholic archbishop on Sunday called for Filipinos to choose peace over violence and end a spate of drug-related killings that have divided the nation.Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, was speaking as the church launched a new prayer campaign to "heal the nation and stop the killings" in the country.Philippine Catholic bishops have been stepping up opposition to killings blamed on a government crack down on drugs.They are now asking the faithful to pray with the rosary for 33 days until Dec. 8, an important Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception.The new campaign follows the 40-day ringing of church bells and lighting of candles for thousands of people killed in President Rodrigo Duterte's 16-month war on drugs.More than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed in what the police called self-defense after armed suspects resisted arrest. Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place, with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.In a mass for families of victims of drug-related killings, Villegas said that if the killings continue "a curse awaits a nation that kills its own people".Symbolically, the mass was held at the Catholic shrine of Mary Queen of Peace which stands on the site where nuns stopped soldiers from attacking mutineers who overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986."Why do we applaud the killings?," Villegas said in his homily. "We chose violence instead of peace. We chose lies instead of truth. We chose to laugh at obscenities instead of correcting these. We chose to be silent than to be involved."Human rights lawyers, politicians, civil society groups and opponents of the president joined the families of victims in a religious procession after the mass to the "People Power" monument, where they held a cultural show.Harry Roque, presidential spokesman, said the government welcomed "constructive dissent" after hundreds joined the religious activity condemning the killings."We reiterate that this administration does not - and will never - condone extrajudicial and vigilante killings," Roque, a human rights lawyer, said in a statement, adding police have been investigating more than 2,200 killings with drug-related motives."Accountability is essential to good government. The president himself made a clear stance that any violation committed by the police during operations would be dealt with accordingly."Roque asked Catholic bishops to work closely with government on drug rehabilitation and in its anti-drug campaign.(Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
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.
THE EU BETTER KEEP THEIR TRAP OUT OF ISRAELS BUSINESS.GOD TOLD ISRAEL TO BUILD HOUSES ON THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND.AND NO COUNTRY WILL STOP GODS WILL FROM BEING FULFILLED.
Opinion-The EU must act against the 'Jerusalem Bill'-By Issam Aruri-euobserver
Jerusalem, 3. Nov, 09:26-In response to handwringing and inaction by European leaders in the face of Israel's violations of international law, the Israeli government is emboldened to continue its illegal settlement expansion.In recent months, the situation in Palestine has deteriorated considerably. Just last week, 176 new settlement units were announced to be built in occupied East Jerusalem.Systematic residency revocations for Palestinians in Jerusalem are forcing people out of their lifelong communities. And now, the Knesset is considering an unprecedented bill that would annex some of the West Bank's largest illegal settlements to Jerusalem.Dubbed the 'Greater Jerusalem' Bill, it constitutes a de facto annexation of settlements built on occupied Palestinian land and regarded as illegal by international law and the European Union.Among the settlements included in the bill is Ma'aleh Adumim, the largest settlement in the Jerusalem area and the Gush Etzion settlement cluster. The bill is sponsored by a member of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right–wing Likud party and enjoys his backing.The Greater Jerusalem Bill is an exercise in demographic change through annexation. Under the bill, the settlements' over 150,000 inhabitants would be considered residents of Jerusalem, enabling them to vote in and sway municipal elections.It will also downgrade the status of three Palestinian neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, demoting the status of the approximately 100,000 Palestinians who live there - essentially creating Jerusalem's own Bantustans.The bill's intention, according to its authors Israeli Knesset minister Yoav Kish and transportation minister Yisrael Katz, is two-fold: to increase the proportion of Jews to Palestinians in Jerusalem to ensure Jewish dominance of the city, and territorial expansion.Katz openly expressed his intent for the bill to "ensure a Jewish majority in the united city and to expand its borders by adding 150,000 residents to the area of a greater Jerusalem," adding that it would serve as a response to all who question the Jewish people's right to the whole of Jerusalem as the capital of a Jewish homeland.Demographic engineering-Demographic engineering is in clear violation of international law, as it uses manipulation of the makeup of the civilian population to accomplish political goals.Currently, Palestinians make up nearly 40 percent the population of Jerusalem. If the bill passes, the addition of settler populations into Jerusalem's census will reduce that percentage to 32 percent.It is a sinister way of ensuring that Jerusalem is washed of its Palestinian identity and, by extension, Palestinian rights and interests, while still calling itself democratic.Enacting laws that are anti-democratic or violate international law, however, is not a rarity for Israel.This February, the Knesset passed a law that retroactively legalises Israeli outposts built on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. International calls to abandon the 'Regulation Law' proved futile, as the Knesset rapidly moved to pass it.In response, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini issued an uncharacteristically bold condemnation for the law, stating that it "crosses a new and dangerous threshold" and concluding that its implementation would "further entrench a one-state reality of unequal rights, perpetual occupation and conflict."This condemnation once again fell on deaf ears, doing nothing to alter the trajectory of Israel's actions. Palestinian human rights organisations, including my organisation, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), warn that without concrete action, the Great Jerusalem Bill could face an eerily similar fate, with public outcry and condemnations proving to be little more than lip service that only delays the inevitable.This should sound an alarm to European officials.Not only do these actions undermine UN Security Council resolutions and EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions, they erode the potency of international law as a whole. More so, they destroy the prospects of peace.Despite discussions about renewing the peace talks, and the Palestinian reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo last month, measures like the Greater Jerusalem Bill undo any positive steps made toward solving the conflict.-Seize the moment-On Sunday, Israel's ministerial committee for legislation delayed its vote on the bill to reportedly allow time for "diplomatic preparation". European officials should seize the time offered by the delay to unequivocally condemn the Greater Jerusalem Bill and spell out real economic, political, and legal consequences of its passage.This time, we need more than measured consideration and public statements. We need genuine action.There are concrete steps officials can - and should - take to pressure Israel to act in accordance with international law. They include an end to preferential trade agreements so long as settlement activity continues and support for accountability mechanisms.Given the serious prospect of annexation, the European Commission should immediately halt any discussion about holding the EU-Israel Association Council.If the international community continues to remain silent in the face of Israeli violations, it will be very hard to undo the damage being done to the prospects of achieving justice and peace. European officials must stand tall and take the lead to stop the Greater Jerusalem Bill.Issam Aruri is general director of the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center
Spain jails Catalan separatist leaders, looks for Puigdemont By Eric Maurice-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 3. Nov, 09:24-The Catalan crisis took a new judicial and international turn on Thursday (2 November) when eight former regional ministers were jailed and a European arrest warrant was poised to be issued against their leader Carles Puigdemont.The warrant is expected to be issued on Friday, and an extradition request could follow, Puigdemont's lawyer Paul Bekaert said in Brussels.Puigdemont has been in the Belgian capital since Monday, where he has claimed to continue working as the "legitimate president" of Catalonia.He was dismissed last Friday (27 October), with all the Catalonia's regional government, when the Spanish government started to apply article 155 of the constitution in order to take back control of Catalonia, after the region's parliament declared its independence.Thirteen ex-members of the government, including Puigdemont, were charged on Monday with rebellion, sedition and embezzlement and risk up to 30 years in prison.A judge at the National Audience, Spain's high court of justice, argued on Thursday that Puigdemont "has publicly stated his intention of not appearing in court and has requested … to address the court via videolink, without offering any information about their location."The warrant will also include four other ex-ministers who travelled to Belgium with Puigdemont.When the warrant is issued, Belgian authorities will be required to arrest the separatist leader. But he will be able to go to court to try to prevent or slow down his extradition.Bekaert told the Belgian VRT channel that Puigdemont "will stay" in Brussels."He has said that he will fully cooperate with Belgian authorities during the procedure," the lawyer added.In Madrid, the former vice-president of the Catalan government, Oriol Junqueras, and seven other former ministers, including Raul Romeva who was in charge of external relations, were held in custody after a hearing with a judge in Madrid.-Increased legitimacy-The judge said that there was a risk that the politicians, who had come to Madrid to appear in court, could abscond.In a video message broadcast on Thursday evening by TV3 channel in Barcelona, Puigdemont called for the liberation of his colleagues, whom he described as "political prisoners."He accused Spanish authorities of "charging with an out of control fury and menacing everyone."He said that the decision to jail politicians was a "coup against the 21 December elections" - the Catalan elections called by the Spanish government to replace the government - and that Spanish state was "putting itself out of the rule of law."In Barcelona, over 20,000 people took the street on Thursday night to protest against the jailing of the eight separatist leaders.At a city council meeting, Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau denounced "a very serious mistake" and "the worst attack on democracy" in Catalonia.The city council adopted a resolution that recognises as "the legitimate government of Catalonia" the regional executive issued from the September 2015 - the one led by Puigdemont and dismissed last week.The dismissal "increased the legitimacy of the Catalan institutions," said Colau, who is close to the radical left Podemos party.The council however did not recognise the 'Catalan Republic' proclaimed last week by the parliament.'More than a bridge too far'-In Belgium, the leader of the Flemish regional government also criticised the decision to jail Puigdemont's colleagues.In a message posted on Twitter, Geert Bourgeois said that "jailing democratically-elected government leaders [was] more than bridge too far."Bourgeois, who presides over Belgium's richest and most populous regions, hails from the Flemish nationalist N-VA party, which supports the Catalan separatists while being a key member of the Belgian government coalition.An N-VA member, asylum minister Theo Francken put prime minister Charles Michel in an awkward situation last Sunday, when he said that Puigdemont and other Catalan politicians could get asylum in Belgium.Michel later said that Puigdemont would be treated as "any European citizen, no more, no less", but N-VA's influence in the government could make difficult any decision over the five Catalan separatists' extradition.Another European nationalist leader, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, came to the support of the Catalan politicians.She said also on Twitter that "the disagreement about Catalonia's future .. should be resolved democratically - not by the jailing of political opponents."
US may cause 'distraction' at Bonn climate talks By Peter Teffer-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, 3. Nov, 16:17-The world should manage its expectations for the 23rd annual United Nations summit on climate change that starts in Bonn, Germany, on Monday (6 November), said Claire Healy, a former adviser to the US department of energy.She told EUobserver in an interview that she expected a lot of attention will be on the United States, since this will be the first global climate summit following the American president Donald Trump's announcement that the US is pulling out of the Paris agreement."It's a bit of an unusual year. There is a lot of attention on it, it's happening in a heightened political context, yet the actual landing zone for policy outcome is pretty minimal," said Healy, who now is programme director on climate diplomacy at E3G, a climate change think tank funded by a range of governments, NGOs and multinationals, including the European Commission."There is a lot of attention on how the US are going to play it, what they are going to say, who are they going to send. Because that is going to be a pretty big deal," Healy told EUobserver in an interview.Trump announced on 1 June of this year that the US will leave the Paris agreement, which was agreed at 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015."If that hadn't happened, the media perhaps wouldn't be as interested in this," said Healy, adding that she hoped the US will not be too much of a "distraction" from "the real work."The COP is the forum where UN members meet to discuss how they will limit climate change. This year's edition, COP23, is more about preparing procedural decisions than reaching agreements like in Paris."It's very process-heavy, even though there is a political spotlight on it," said Healy, noting that COPs "are not all like COP21"."We should manage your expectations," she added.While countries agreed in Paris that they should slow down the Earth's temperature rise to prevent catastrophic climate change, they did not specify all the details yet.An open question is how each country's climate commitments will be verified, and what happens if a country fails to do what it promised.Next year's COP, which will be held in Katowice in Poland, will be about agreeing a "rulebook". This year's COP is about preparing for that rulebook."We're not literally discussing the rules at this COP, but discussing the process by which we are going to decide the rules."EU wants 'tangible progress'The European Commission hopes that COP23 will deliver "tangible progress on the Paris work programme, which is to be agreed next year in COP24 in Poland," according to spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen."For us this is clearly a COP that is important to prepare for the 2018 COP," said Itkonen at a press briefing in Brussels on Friday (3 November).She acknowledged that 'tangible progress' can mean different things to different countries and regions. Itkonen said that to the EU it would mean "clear language on how the parties are implementing their national contributions".Think tank director Healy said it will be difficult to "give you technical milestones" which would make the difference between success and failure."It's all very procedural," she said.EU ministers for environment said in a statement last month that they expect COP23 to deliver "sufficient clarity on how the 2018 facilitative dialogue will be conducted" – the term 'facilitative dialogue' refers to the moment when the treaty's signatories take stock of their progress.To the ministers, substantial progress should take "the form of draft decisions or textual elements."COP23 will last two weeks. Traditionally, politicians will show up in the second week. On behalf of the EU, climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete is expected to attend, in addition to national ministers from the EU member states.The chair of the meetings this year is the island nation Fiji, but the actual talks are held in Bonn, the location of the headquarters of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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)
Man allegedly threatens Vegas-style attack on Sask. country music festival-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-November 3, 2017
A 30-year-old man has been charged with uttering threats in connection with an online post referencing the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting and the Country Thunder music festival to be held Craven, Sask., next summer. Gerry Krochak, Country Thunder's director of marketing and sales, said the festival's head office was notified of a post made on Facebook and reported it to the RCMP.On Wednesday, RCMP in Fort Qu'Appelle began investigating and announced Friday that a 30-year-old man from the area had turned himself in."You know you have to take it seriously, whether it's people being social-media tough guys or whatever it is," Krochak said on Friday."Anytime there's a situation where there's a mass shooting or the situation in New York with the van, anything like that, I think if it leads to threats being made they need to be taken seriously, and it doesn't matter if it's in the U.S or Canada. Nobody's going to take these types of threats lightly."Charges laid for Facebook posts beforeThe man accused is now facing one count of uttering a threat and one count of breach of probation. He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear in provincial court in Fort Qu'Appelle on Monday. RCMP say the investigation remains ongoing.Krochak said festival organizers review security plans annually and this year will be no different.This isn't the first time RCMP have charged people in the province in connection to posts made on on Facebook.In separate incidents, two Saskatchewan men were charged with making online threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in August 2016 and May 2017.
Lebanese premier resigns, plunging nation into uncertainty-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 4, 2017
BEIRUT — Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri resigned from his post in a televised address from the Saudi capital Saturday, accusing Hezbollah of taking the country hostage, in a surprise move that plunged the nation into uncertainty amid heightened regional tensions.In his resignation speech, Hariri fired a vicious tirade against Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah group for what he said was their meddling in Arab affairs and said that "Iran's arms in the region will be cut off.""The evil that Iran spreads in the region will backfire on it," Hariri said, accusing Tehran of spreading chaos, strife and destruction throughout the region.Hariri was appointed prime minister in late 2016 and headed a 30-member coalition government that included members of the Shiite militant Hezbollah. But it's been an uneasy partnership between Hariri, who heads a Sunni-led camp loyal to Saudi Arabia, and Hezbollah, which represents a camp loyal to Shiite Iran. President Michel Aoun, who was elected in October 2016 after more than a two-year presidential vacuum, is a close ally of Hezbollah.As U.S. and Saudi Arabia sought ways to curb Iran's growing influence in the region, Hariri has come under pressure to distance himself from the militant group which has sent thousands of troops to neighbouring Syria to shore up President Bashar Assad's forces.It was not immediately clear whether Hariri intended to return to Lebanon. In a statement, the presidential office said Aoun was informed by Hariri in a phone call of his resignation, adding that the president now awaits Hariri's return to clarify the circumstances of his resignation and proceed accordingly.Hariri's bombshell resignation — even close aides seemed unaware of the announcement — ushers in a stage of deep uncertainty and potential instability. It also throws into doubt parliamentary elections slated for early next year which have been repeatedly delayed.It comes amid a sharp escalation in Saudi rhetoric against its regional archrival Iran and puts Lebanon at the centre of that rivalry.Hazem al-Amin, a Lebanese writer who follows regional affairs, said Hariri's resignation is "completely a Saudi step" that comes in the context of an international and regional atmosphere against Hezbollah and against Iranian influence in the region."Lebanon is a fragile country. This confrontation (between Saudi Arabia and Iran) is more violent than Lebanon can stand up to," he said, warning of economic and security ramifications.Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the resignation is a plot by the U.S., Israel and the Saudis to foment tensions in Lebanon and the region, the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reported.Ghasemi dismissed Hariri's "baseless accusations," which he said indicate that "a new scenario" for the region was being drawn.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hariri's resignation and comments "are a wake-up call to the international community to take action against the Iranian aggression that is trying to turn Syria into Lebanon 2.""This aggression endangers not only Israel but the entire Middle East. The international community needs to come together and stand against this aggression," he said.Hariri's resignation was unprecedented in the way it was announced, in a televised address from an undisclosed location in Riyadh. In his speech, Hariri suggested he feared for his life and said the climate in the country is similar to the one that existed before his father, the late prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.Several Hezbollah members are being tried in absentia for the killing by a U.N.-backed tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. Hezbollah denies any involvement.Hariri said Hezbollah's policies have put Lebanon "in the eye of the storm." His attacks on Hezbollah come on the heels of new U.S. sanctions on the group that many fear will impact negatively on the Lebanese economy. Hariri has frequently called on the group to withdraw its fighters from Syria."I declare my resignation from the premiership of the Lebanese government, with the certainty that the will of the Lebanese is strong," Hariri said."When I took office, I promised you that I would seek to unite the Lebanese and end political division... But unfortunately, this pushed Iran and its allies to more interference in our internal affairs," he said.In Beirut's Tarik al-Jadideh neighbourhood , a predominantly Sunni neighbourhood supportive of Hariri, residents described the shock resignation as a positive step."Prime Minister Hariri has reached the stage where he is not able anymore to bear the pressure on Lebanon by Arab nations, due to the intervention of Iran," said Mohyeddine Awwad, sitting in a cafe where posters of Hariri hung.Earlier this week, Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan sharply criticized Hezbollah, calling for its "toppling" and promising "astonishing developments" in the coming days during an interview with the Lebanese TV station MTV.Al-Sabhan met with Hariri in Saudi Arabia when the now resigned prime minister was visiting earlier this week. Hariri abruptly returned to the kingdom again on Friday after a meeting in Beirut with Ali-Akbar Velayati, foreign adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.In tweets after meeting Hariri, al-Sabhan criticized the Lebanese government for tolerating Hezbollah's criticism of the kingdom.Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East, said that with the Syrian war calming down, Hariri's move could be a message from Saudi Arabia to Iran that it "can't have it all.""So Lebanon is back on the table as a stage for the next tug of war," she said.___Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Nasser Kariri in Tehran and Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.Zeina Karam, The Associated Press.
Two suicide attacks kill at least five in Iraq's Kirkuk: police, medics-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 5, 2017
KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Sunday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 20, police and medical sources said.The interior ministry said the attacks targeted a Shi'ite Muslim mosque on Atlas Street in central Kirkuk, giving an initial casualty toll of one killed and 16 wounded.(Reporting by Mustafa Mahmoud; writing by Ahmed Rasheed; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Russia-backed Syrian congress postponed: Turkish presidential spokesman-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 5, 2017
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Russian-sponsored Syrian peace congress scheduled for Nov. 18 has been postponed and the main Syrian Kurdish group will not be invited if it is held later after objections by Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Sunday.Asked for comment, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman referred to her regular weekly briefing on Thursday in which she said Moscow was working on "dates, venue, the participants' lineup". The list of expected participants, which included the Kurds, has since been deleted from the ministry's website.The head of the Kurdish PYD party indicated last week that it favored attending the peace congress in what would be the first time the Kurds participate in a major diplomatic push to end the war in Syria."Russia told us that the meeting has now been postponed and that the PYD will not be invited," Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, told broadcaster NTV in an interview.The PYD has emerged as one of the most powerful players in Syria since the war began in 2011 and has said it was invited to the meeting in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi.Turkey views the PYD and its armed YPD affiliate as offshoots of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long insurgency in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and European Union.The YPG controls swathes of northern Syria where Kurdish-led local administrations have been set up and is allied to the United States as the core of the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) that drove Islamic State militants from much of northern Syria.The main rebel groups fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are planning to boycott the peace congress in Sochi, which Moscow says will focus on a new constitution.(Reporting by Daren Butler in Istanbul and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Smog blankets Pakistan, India, causing accidents, illness-(The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 5, 2017
ISLAMABAD — Smog has enveloped much of Pakistan and neighbouring India, causing highway accidents and respiratory problems, and forcing many residents to stay home, officials said Saturday.Pakistani meteorologist Mohammad Hanif said the pollution, caused by dust, the burning of crops, and emissions from factories and brick kilns in Pakistan and neighbouring India, was expected to linger until the middle of the month. He advised people to wear face masks to protect themselves from respiratory ailments.Mohammad Arshad, a highway police official, said at least 10 people were killed and 25 injured in road accidents linked to poor visibility in various parts of the Punjab province since Monday. Authorities have advised people to limit road travel.Average air pollution in Pakistan's major cities is about four times higher than the World Health Organization limits.Similar problems have been reported in the Indian capital, New Delhi, where air quality was rated "very poor" on Saturday. Some private schools in New Delhi have suspended sports and outdoor activities.India's Supreme Court banned the sale of firecrackers in New Delhi ahead of last month's Hindu Diwali festival to try to curb air pollution in the notoriously smoggy city. Though reports said air quality was better than last year, pollution levels in the capital hit 18 times the healthy limit the night after the festival, as many dodged the ban.___Associated Press Writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi, India contributed to this story.Munir Ahmed, The Associated Press.
Trump lands in Japan, says U.S. and allies are prepared to defend freedom-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-By Steve Holland-November 5, 2017
TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up his tough rhetoric against North Korea when he arrived in Japan on Sunday, saying the United States and its allies are prepared to defend freedom and "no dictator" should underestimate U.S. resolve.Trump kicked off a 12-day Asian trip and is looking to present a united front with Japan against North Korea through meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.He told reporters on Air Force One en route to Asia that North Korea would figure prominently in discussions, and also singled out trade, which he said had been "badly handled" in the region for years.Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States and with his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "rocket man" on a suicide mission.A top aide said last week Trump intends to tell Asian leaders the world is "running out of time" in dealing with the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula."No dictator, no regime, no nation should ever underestimate American resolve," Trump told hundreds of cheering U.S. and Japanese troops in camouflage uniforms gathered at Yokota Air Base, just west of Tokyo, soon after he arrived."Every once in a while, in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?" said Trump, who wore a bomber jacket as he addressed the troops.North Korea's recent actions, including several missiles that flew over Japan and Pyongyang's sixth and largest nuclear test, have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump's presidency.Recent drills over South Korea by two U.S. strategic bombers have further heightened tensions."We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defense of our freedom," Trump said.He told reporters earlier on Air Force One that a decision would be made soon on whether to add reclusive North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism.Trump said his administration planned to take a different approach after years of what he termed "total weakness.""It's a big problem for our country and the world, and we want to get it solved."In an apparent attempt to distinguish between North Korea's leadership and ordinary people, he said he thought North Koreans were "great people.""And I hope it all works out for everybody."GOLF DIPLOMACY-Abe told reporters before Trump's arrival that he welcomed the visit as a chance to deepen bilateral ties by building on the "friendship and trust" between the two leaders, fostered by several meetings that included a round of golf in Florida earlier this year."I hope we will be able to have thorough discussions about international issues, including North Korea," he said.Trump and Abe greeted each other with a handshake at a golf course to be used during the 2020 Olympic Games, changing clothes and heading out to play after what media said was a lunch of hamburgers. In an allusion to a Trump campaign slogan, they signed caps that said "Donald and Shinzo Make Alliance Even Greater."They discussed North Korea and trade while playing nine holes with Hideki Matsuyama, the world no. 3 pro golfer.A senior White House official said the two leaders have developed a close bond since Trump took office in January."Playing golf with Prime Minister Abe and Hideki Matsuyama, two wonderful people!" Trump tweeted. For his part, Abe took to Twitter to say he played golf "with a marvellous friend (President Donald J. Trump) full of spirited conversation."The two leaders, and their wives, were having an intimate dinner on Sunday night.Trump, in brief remarks at the upscale restaurant where they were to dine on grilled Japanese premium beef, said U.S.-Japan ties were closer than ever.But he added: "We’ll have dinner tonight. I think we’ll insult everybody by continuing to talk about trade."Trump also said he planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, the longest Asian tour by any U.S. leader since George H.W. Bush in 1992."I think it's expected that we will meet," he said. "We want Putin's help on North Korea."Trump wants a united front with the leaders of Japan and South Korea against North Korea before he visits Beijing to make the case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do more to rein in Pyongyang.Trade will factor heavily during Trump's trip as he tries to persuade Asian allies to agree to policies more favorable to the United States, a point Trump emphasized.A centerpiece of the trip will be a visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where Trump will deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response to expansionist Chinese policies."One of the things we're going to be very focused on is trade because trade has not been done well for 25 years by the United States with this part of the world, with any part of the world," he said on Air Force One."We're going to be discussing reciprocal trade. Fair, free but reciprocal," he said.(With additional reporting by Christopher Gallagher; Writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Paul Tait and Ian Geoghegan)
