MH370-BATON ROUGE-TURKEY-LOUISIANA-CLEVELAND STORIES.ANOTHER INNOCENT FREDDIE GRAY OFFICER GETS OFF.

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)

Baltimore police lieutenant acquitted in Freddie Gray case-[Reuters]-By Donna Owens-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - A Baltimore police lieutenant was acquitted of manslaughter and two other charges in the April 2015 death of black detainee Freddie Gray, dealing prosecutors another setback in their efforts to secure a conviction in the highly charged case.Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams found Lieutenant Brian Rice not guilty in a bench trial. Rice, 42, was the highest-ranking officer charged after Gray's death from a broken neck suffered in a police transport van.His death triggered protests and rioting in the mainly black city and stoked a national debate about how police treat minorities.The controversy flared anew this month with the deaths of African-American men at the hands of police in Minnesota and Louisiana. Tensions were heightened further after police officers were killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the community to continue to respect the judicial process during “a very difficult time for our city.”The scene outside the courthouse in Baltimore on Monday was calm, with only a handful of protesters.Rice was the fourth of six officers to stand trial in the case. Williams previously acquitted Officers Edward Nero and Caesar Goodson Jr., both of whom were in court on Monday.In a statement, Rawlings-Blake said Rice would still face a departmental review.Officer William Porter faces a September retrial after a jury deadlocked.Rice, who is white, ordered two officers on bicycle to chase Gray, 25, when he fled unprovoked in a high-crime area.Prosecutors said Rice acted negligently by failing to place Gray in a seat belt.But defense lawyers said Rice was allowed leeway on how to secure a prisoner. The officer made the correct split-second decision while Gray was being combative and a hostile crowd looked on, they said.Williams, who heard the case without a jury at Rice's request, said prosecutors failed to show the lieutenant was aware of a departmental policy requiring seat belts for prisoners during transport."A mere error in judgment is not enough to show corruption," the judge said. Rice had faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.The verdict could renew calls from police union leaders to drop charges against the remaining officers.In addition to Porter's retrial, Officer Garrett Miller is scheduled for trial later this month, while Sergeant Alicia White's trial is set for October.Warren Alperstein, a Baltimore defense attorney who attended the trial as a spectator, said he was "not surprised by the verdict whatsoever.""At the end of the day, the state may have to say we're cutting our losses and moving on," he said.(Writing by Ian Simpson in Washington and Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Suspected MH370 wing flap reaches Australian investigators-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

CANBERRA, Australia - Investigators in Australia on Monday were examining a wing flap found last month on an East African island that is suspected to be from the missing Malaysian airliner, officials said.The "large piece of aircraft debris" arrived at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau headquarters in the capital, Canberra, for examination as part of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, said a joint statement by Australian and Malaysian government authorities."The large piece of what is likely to be a wing flap" was found June 23 by locals on Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania, the statement said.Australian technical specialists were working with Malaysian investigators to determine whether the debris was from the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people on board after flying far off course during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on March 8, 2014.The Transport Safety Bureau has so far examined four pieces of debris and found that they were almost certainly from Flight 370, which is thought to have crashed in the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.Another piece of wing found a year ago on La Reunion Island, off the African coast, was positively identified by French officials.The bureau is overseeing a sonar search of 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 square miles) of seabed in the hunt for Flight 370's crash site.Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said fewer than 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 square miles) had yet to be searched. The underwater search has not yielded a single clue so far.

Baton Rouge police killer: An ex-Marine from Kansas City-[CP]-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

BATON ROUGE, La. - The man who killed two police officers and a sheriff's deputy in Baton Rouge Sunday was a former Marine sergeant who served in Iraq and had no known ties to any extremist groups.Gavin Eugene Long, whose last known address was in Kansas City, Missouri, carried out the attack on his 29th birthday. Police say he also wounded three officers before he was killed in the latest in a string of violent incidents involving police.According to military records, Long was a Marine from 2005 to 2010 and rose to the rank of sergeant. He served in Iraq from June 2008 to January 2009, and records show he received several medals during his military career, including one for good conduct. Long, who received an honourable discharge, was listed as a "data network specialist" in the Marines.After the Marines, he attended the University of Alabama for one semester, in the spring of 2012, according to university spokesman Chris Bryant. University police had no interaction with Long during that time, Bryant said.Oren Segal, director of the Center on Extremism for the Anti-Defamation League, said there was no information linking Long, who was black, to any known extremist group or movement, but the ADL and others were investigating Long's possible use of aliases.Sunday's incident was the latest in a series of deadly encounters in the United States involving police and black men that have sparked a national debate over race and policing. It also came less than two weeks after 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man, was fatally shot by police in Baton Rouge in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests and has reverberated nationwide. Police-community relations in Baton Rouge have been especially tense since Sterling's death.In Kansas City, police converged on a small turquoise frame house listed under Long's name. An Associated Press reporter said some officers had weapons drawn from behind trees and others were behind police cars and unmarked cars in the residential neighbourhood in the southern part of the city.Missouri court records show that a Gavin Eugene Long filed a petition for divorce from his wife in February 2011. The online court records don't say why the couple divorced, but the petition indicates they had no children and that Long had represented himself. Three months after the divorce petition was filed, his ex-wife was granted restoration of her maiden name. Last month, on June 7, a case against Long by the city of Kansas City over unpaid city earnings taxes was dismissed.___AP journalists Maria Sudekum, Gerald Herbert and Janet McConnaughey also contributed to this story. Suhr reported from Kansas City; Mohr from Jackson, Mississippi.

Gunman 'was seeking out,' ambushed 6 Baton Rouge officers-[The Canadian Press]-Mike Kunzelman And Melinda Deslatte, The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

BATON ROUGE, La. - A former Marine dressed in black and carrying extra ammunition ambushed police in Baton Rouge, shooting and killing three law enforcement officers less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police there in a confrontation that sparked nightly protests that reverberated nationwide.Three other officers were wounded Sunday, one critically. Police said the gunman was killed at the scene."His movements, his direction, his attention was on police officers," state police Col. Mike Edmonson said Monday morning. He would not elaborate but said the gunman "certainly was seeking out police officers," and he used the word "ambush" to describe the attack.Edmonson also confirmed that investigators have interviewed people with whom the shooter had contact in Baton Rouge. But Edmonson wouldn't say how many or give details. He stressed that the interviews don't mean that those people were involved in the shooting and urged any others who might have had contact with or information about shooter Gavin Long to come forward.The shooting less than a mile from police headquarters added to the tensions across the country between the black community and police. Last week, a gunman targeted police during a march in Dallas, killing five officers. And just days before the Baton Rouge attack, one of the slain officers had posted an emotional Facebook message about the challenges of police work in the current environment.President Barack Obama urged Americans to tamp down inflammatory words and actions."We don't need careless accusations thrown around to score political points or to advance an agenda. We need to temper our words and open our hearts ... all of us," Obama said.The gunman was identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, who turned 29 Sunday.Long, who was black, served in the Marines from 2005 to 2010, reaching the rank of sergeant. He deployed to Iraq from June 2008 to January 2009, according to military records.Although he was believed to be the only person who fired at officers, authorities were investigating whether he had some kind of help."We are not ready to say he acted alone," state police spokesman Major Doug Cain said. Two "persons of interest" were detained for questioning in the nearby town of Addis. They were later released without any charges being filed.While in the military, Long was awarded several medals, including one for good conduct, and received an honourable discharge. His occupational expertise was listed as "data network specialist."The University of Alabama issued a statement saying Long attended classes for one semester in the spring of 2012. A school spokesman said university police had no interactions with him.In Kansas City, police officers, some with guns drawn, converged on a house listed as Long's.It was the fourth high-profile deadly encounter in the United States involving police over the past two weeks. In all, the violence has cost the lives of eight officers, including those in Baton Rouge, and two civilians and sparked a national debate over race and policing.Authorities initially believed that additional assailants might be at large, but hours later said there were no other active shooters. They did not discuss the gunman's motive or any relationship to the wider police conflicts.The shooting began at a gas station on Airline Highway. According to radio traffic, Baton Rouge police answered a report of a man with an assault rifle and were met by gunfire. For several long minutes, they did not know where it was coming from.The radio exchanges were made public Sunday by the website Broadcastify.Nearly 2 1/2 minutes after the first report of an officer getting shot, an officer on the scene is heard saying police do not know the shooter's location.Almost 6 minutes pass after the first shots are reported before police say they have determined the shooter's location. About 30 seconds later, someone says shots are still being fired.The recording lasts about 17 minutes and includes urgent calls for an armoured personnel carrier called a BearCat."There simply is no place for more violence," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. "It doesn't further the conversation. It doesn't address any injustice perceived or real. It is just an injustice in and of itself."From his window, Joshua Godwin said he saw the suspect, who was dressed in black with a ski mask, combat boots and extra bullets. He appeared to be running "from an altercation."Mike Spring awoke at a nearby house to a sound that he thought was from firecrackers. The noise went on for 5 to 10 minutes, getting louder.Of the two officers who survived the shooting, one was hospitalized in critical condition, and the other was in fair condition. Another officer was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, hospital officials said.Two of the slain officers were from the Baton Rouge Police Department: 32-year-old Montrell Jackson, who had been on the force for a decade, and 41-year-old Matthew Gerald, who had been there for less than a year.The third fatality was Brad Garafola, 45 and a 24-year veteran of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office.Jackson, who was black, posted his message on Facebook on July 8, just three days after the death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man killed by white Baton Rouge officers after a scuffle at a convenience store.In the message, Jackson said he was physically and emotionally tired and complained that while in uniform, he gets nasty looks. When he's out of uniform, he said, some people consider him a threat.A friend of Jackson's family, Erika Green, confirmed the posting, which is no longer on Facebook. A screenshot of the image was circulating widely on the internet.Police-community relations in Baton Rouge have been especially tense since Sterling's death. The killing was captured on cellphone video.It was followed a day later by the shooting death of another black man in Minnesota, whose girlfriend livestreamed the aftermath of his death on Facebook. The next day, a black gunman in Dallas opened fire on police at a protest about the police shootings, killing five officers and heightening tensions even further.Thousands of people protested Sterling's death, and Baton Rouge police arrested more than 200 demonstrators.Sterling's nephew condemned the killing of the three Baton Rouge officers. Terrance Carter spoke Sunday to The Associated Press by telephone, saying the family just wants peace."My uncle wouldn't want this," Carter said. "He wasn't this type of man."A few yards from a police roadblock on Airline Highway, Keimani Gardner was in the parking lot of a warehouse store that would ordinarily be bustling on a Sunday afternoon. He and his girlfriend both work there. But the store was closed because of the shooting."It's crazy. ... I understand some people feel like enough is enough with, you know, the black community being shot," said Gardner, an African-American. "But honestly, you can't solve violence with violence."Michelle Rogers and her husband drove near the shooting scene, but were blocked at an intersection closed by police."I can't explain what brought us here," she said. "We just said a prayer in the car for the families."Also Sunday, a domestic violence suspect opened fire on a Milwaukee police officer who was sitting in his squad car. The officer was seriously wounded, and the suspect fled and apparently killed himself, authorities said.___Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, Rebecca Santana and Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans, Maria Sudekum in Kansas City and Kevin McGill, Cain Burdeau and Gerald Herbert in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.

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

LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

EU states give green light to trade talks with Indonesia-By EUOBSERVER-JULY 18,16

Today, 16:05-The EU Council, representing member states, has given the go-ahead to free-trade talks with Indonesia. It also asked the EU Commission, which will lead the talks, to take "an ambitious approach". Indonesia will be the sixth South East Asian country to open talks with the EU. Agreements have already been concluded with Singapore and Vietnam, and talks are still going on with Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Uncertainty stalks EU trade deals with US and Canada By Aleksandra Eriksson-JULY 18,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 14:21-The 14th round of negotiations over the EU-US free trade deal TTIP is over, but not really.Last week’s round was officially scheduled to last five days (11-15 July). But talks got going on Saturday (9 July), dragged on over another weekend and will take place this week as well.The goal is to have a consolidated text - the negotiating positions of both parts, listed side by side - by the end of the summer.In other words - after three years, 14 rounds and ”hundreds of meetings, hours spent on the phone and many TTIP proposals exchanged, discussed and exchanged again”, as EU chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero put it during a press conference on Friday (15 July) - there is still nothing that both parts agree on, and not even one text which lists the EU-US positions side by side.”Important differences remain and much more work, basically in every area of the talks, is needed before we can say we have a deal,” Garcia Bercero admitted.Consensus is closest in the field of tariffs, with the exception of three percent of highly sensitive products, which weren’t discussed this time around.But tariffs are already low between the two blocs, and the whole point of TTIP was to scrap non-tariff barriers - such as mismatched rules and standards - holding back trade in the 21st century.Chief negotiators summed up the state of play on Friday, saying that progress remained ”painfully slow” on services, ”a serious cause for concern” on public procurement and ”would continue next week” on financial services and investment protection rules.”As in any negotiation, the most difficult issues are usually the last ones to get resolved,” US chief negotiator Dan Mullaney said.The diplomats claimed this was normal and said the only way to get a broad agreement was to cover as many aspects as possible - so that one party’s losses in any area would be compensated with victory elsewhere.For that reason, a TTIP-lite was not an option, they agreed.The goal remains to close the deal by the end of the year, before US president Barack Obama leaves the White House.It is uncertain if any of the presidential hopefuls will wish to continue negotiations, and it will take months to appoint a new US trade representative and team.The chief negotiators said they would be working long hours.-EU without trade-But even if they bridge their differences and bring talks to a close, it doesn't mean the deal is cliched - as shown by Ceta, the EU free trade agreement with Canada.The Slovak presidency of the Council last week announced a gloomy future for that deal.The European Commission’s legal service has said CETA only needs the approval of EU institutions - the Parliament and Council - because it only covers matters that are exclusive EU competence.But commission president Jean-Claude Juncker agreed in the 11th hour to put the text to a vote by up to 38 national and regional parliaments.He did so under pressure from Austria, France and Germany, who hope that this is the way to reign in anti-trade and eurosceptic feelings.Ratifications could take five years or longer if some assemblies vote against it.The EU executive hoped to speed up the process and protect the deal against rejections by asking the Council to approve a provisional application.Rejections would be left to national governments to deal with, as is the case with the Ukraine association agreement that was rejected by a referendum in the Netherlands.But last Thursday, Slovak trade council president Peter Ziga told the European Parliament’s international trade (INTA) committee he wasn't sure that ministers would agree on provisional application and said it definitely wouldn’t happen for CETA’s investment chapter."That would be a death sentence to CETA," Swedish MEP and INTA member Christofer Fjellner told EUobserver.The right to negotiate trade policy has long been a core power of the EU. The Lisbon Treaty also put it in charge of investments.As member states (and regions) now claim the right to veto EU authority, the block is bound to be the loser.Fjellner said the EU jeopardised its credibility as a trading partner if it failed to implement the CETA deal, which took five years to work out.This undermined its position in other fields as well, he added."How can we save the world from climate change if we can't even agree to standards with our most like-minded nations in Canada or the US," Fjellner asked.But above all, it showed the problems of the European project to defend itself from nationalism and protectionism within.”If the EU cannot protect its trade policy from member states - what can it then defend,” he added.

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

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

WORLD TERRORISM

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

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

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

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

Russia Dep PM says joint projects with Turkey still on agenda - RIA-[Reuters]-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's joint projects with Turkey, including the TurkStream undersea natural gas pipeline from Russia to Turkey, are still on the agenda and have a future, RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich as saying on Monday.(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov)

Turkey government seemed to have list of arrests prepared: EU's Hahn-[Reuters]-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The swift rounding up of judges and others after a failed coup in Turkey indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, the EU commissioner dealing with Turkey's membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said on Monday.Following a failed coup attempt on Saturday, Turkish authorities on Sunday rounded up nearly 3,000 suspected military plotters, ranging from top commanders to foot soldiers, and the same number of judges and prosecutors."It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage," Hahn said."I'm very concerned. It is exactly what we feared."(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Turkish F-16s patrol skies days after failed coup-[The Canadian Press]-Suzan Fraser And Dominique Soguel, The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

ANKARA, Turkey - Warplanes patrolled Turkey's skies days after a failed coup, officials said Monday, in a sign that authorities feared that the threat against the government was not yet over.A senior official said F-16 jets guarded the Turkish airspace overnight, after a faction within the military launched an attempted coup late Friday against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.The state-run news agency, Anadolu Agency, said Erdogan ordered the overnight patrol by F-16s "for the control of the airspace and security."The coup plotters sent warplanes firing on key government installations and tanks rolling into major cities, but the rebellion — which was not supported by the military's top brass —was quashed by loyal government forces and masses of civilians who took to the streets. At least 294 people were killed and more than 1,400 wounded in the rebellion that took the government — and much of the world — by surprise.On Sunday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the coup had failed and life had returned to normal. But he and other officials also urged people to take to streets at night, saying risks remained in its aftermath.At nightfall, thousands of flag-waving people rallied in Istanbul's Taksim Square, Ankara's Kizilay Square and elsewhere. Erdogan remained in Istanbul despite statements that he would return to the capital and address crowds in Kizilay Square. News reports said close to 2,000 special forces police officers were deployed in Istanbul to guard key installations.The government moved swiftly in the wake of the coup to shore up its power and remove those perceived as enemies, detaining some 6,000 people including a number of generals.As the cabinet prepared to meet for its first regular session since the attempt, security forces continued raiding military facilities in search of suspected plotters. They searched the Air Force Academy premises and residences in Istanbul early on Monday, Anadolu reported. It was not clear if any arrests were made.The crackdown targeted not only generals and soldiers, but a wide swath of the judiciary that has sometimes blocked Erdogan, raising concerns that the effort to oust him will push Turkey even further into authoritarian rule.The failed coup and the subsequent crackdown followed moves by Erdogan to reshape both the military and the judiciary. He had indicated a shake-up of the military was imminent and had also taken steps to increase his influence over the judiciary.It is not clear how the post-coup purge will affect the judiciary, how the government will move to replace the dismissed judges and prosecutors, or where the trials for those detained would be held.Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus defended the crackdown on judiciary officials in an interview with CNN-Turk, saying many of them would have played a role had the coup attempt succeeded."All of these (judiciary officials) did not necessarily have first-degree knowledge about this pro-junta initiative. Had they succeeded (with the coup) it is clear that these people would have been included into this business. Therefore, anyone connected to this group will be exposed."The government alleged the coup conspirators were loyal to moderate U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan has often accused of trying to overthrow the government.Yildirim said those involved with the failed coup "will receive every punishment they deserve." Erdogan suggested that Turkey might reinstate capital punishment, which was abolished in 2004 as part of the country's bid to join the European Union.Even before the weekend chaos in Turkey, the NATO member and key Western ally in the fight against the Islamic State group had been wracked by political turmoil that critics blamed on Erdogan's increasingly heavy-handed rule. He has shaken up the government, cracked down on dissent, restricted the media and renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels.Gulen, who lives in Saylorsburgh, Pennsylvania, espouses a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with democracy. He is a former Erdogan ally turned bitter foe who has been put on trial in absentia in Turkey, where the government has labeled his movement a terrorist organization. He strongly denies the government's charges.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would entertain an extradition request for Gulen, but Turkey would have to present "legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny." So far, officials have not offered evidence he was involved.___Soguel reported from Istanbul.

Turkey must not stifle democracy, say EU and US By Eric Maurice-JULY 18,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 12:44-The EU and US have urged Turkish authorities to show restraint and respect the rule of law in the aftermath of the failed coup on Friday (15 July)."We continue to condemn the attempts at a coup, and call for full observance of Turkey's constitutional order and rule of law," EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday at a joint press conference with US secretary of state John Kerry in Brussels."We need Turkey to respect democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms."Kerry said he "firmly urge[d] the government of Turkey to maintain calm and stability throughout the country" and to "uphold the highest standard of respect for the nation's democratic institutions and the rule of law"."We will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice, but we also caution against a reach that goes well beyond that," he said.Kerry was in Brussels for a meeting with the EU's 28 foreign ministers that was planned before events in Turkey.About 6,000 people have been arrested since Saturday, including army commanders, constitutional judges and president Erdogan's own aide-de-camp.Mogherini and Kerry said the EU and the US would remain "vigilant" in the coming days."Nato has a requirement with respect of democracy and Nato will measure very carefully what is happening," Kerry said.Mogherini stressed that Turkey, as a member of the Council of Europe, was bound by the European Convention on Human Rights. She added that "no country can become an EU member state if it introduces the death penalty".Kerry said that the US had received no formal notice from the Turkish authorities to extradite US-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom they accuse of being behind the coup.He said the US would examine any legal request but under the condition that Turkey sent "evidence, not allegations"."We need to see genuine evidence that would stand the standards of scrutiny that exist in many countries," he said.

EU fears Turkey crackdown could 'destroy' relations By Andrew Rettman-JULY 18,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-EU ministers and officials have urged Turkey’s leader to respect the law in his handling of an apparent coup that cost almost 300 lives over the weekend.Austria’s EU commissioner, Johannes Hahn, on Monday (17 July) came close to saying that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan knew more than he has let on about the shocking events that unfolded on Friday.He told press in Brussels at the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting that Erdogan’s crackdown “is exactly what we feared”.Referring to the Turkish leader’s arrest of thousands of judges on Saturday, he said it looked “like something that had been prepared. That the lists [of judges] are available after the events indicates that this [the crackdown] was prepared and that at a certain moment it should be used”.The US secretary of state John Kerry, who is attending the EU meeting, and German foreign minister Fank-Walter Steinmeier, declined to comment on Monday.The French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, “condemned” the “putsch”, but warned Erdogan of becoming even more “authoritarian”.“We must be vigilant that Turkish authorities don’t put in place a political system which turns against democracy”, he said.The new British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said “it’s important to show restraint”.EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini said the ministers would discuss events in Turkey as the first point on their agenda on Monday. She said their joint statement would call on Erdogan to maintain its system of democratic “checks and balances”.Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said: “My message today [to Turkey] is that now is not the time to create more divisions [in Turkish society] but to unite on the basis of rule of law”.Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders said he “can’t imagine” that Turkey could ever become an EU member if Erdogan jailed judges or reinstated the death penalty.Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said there was a danger that Turkey-EU relations could be “destroyed” if Erdogan goes too far.“It’s very important to show, for the sake of European interests and for Turkey’s interests, that relations between the EU and Turkey are not destroyed”, he said.-Death penalty?-The comments come after parts of the Turkish military tried to seize control of Ankara and Istanbul with tanks, jets, and armed men on the streets.The apparent coup attempt failed after pro-Erdogan supporters took to the streets to confront the soldiers and after pro-Erdogan military units took action, in events which cost, according to Turkish authorities on Monday, 290 lives.Turkish military officers, who requested anonymity, also told the Reuters news agency that two rebel F-16 jets had Erdogan’s plane in their gunsights in the small hours of Saturday."Why they didn't fire is a mystery," one of the three Reuters contacts said.Isolated clashes continued on Sunday, amid reports that pro-Erdogan authorities had detained more than 6,000 people, including 3,000 judges and prosecutors.When a pro-Erdogan crowd in Istanbul the same day called for the reinstatement of the death penalty, the Turkish leader said: "In a democracy, whatever the people want they will get. We cannot ignore this demand.We will not delay this decision for long. Because those who attempt a coup in this country must pay."Erdogan has blamed Fethullah Gulen, a prominent Islamic teacher who lives in exile in the US, for plotting his downfall, and has called for America to extradite him to Turkey.But Gulen has said that Erdogan staged the events in order to seize absolute power.Turkey is in talks to become and EU member and has pledged to stop migrants going en masse to Europe in return for political support and visa-free travel for Turkish nationals.It is also a Nato member with the second largest number of soldiers in the alliance after the US.The EU meeting on Monday will also discuss the attack in Nice, France, that claimed 90 lives on Friday evening.The EU ministers will talk with Kerry about the war in Syria, the fight against the Islamic State jihadist group, the situation in Libya, Russia relations and the war in Ukraine, and the Middle East Peace Process.They will also discuss EU-China relations and the food crisis in Venezuela.-Johnson’s EU debut-Meanwhile, Monday’s meeting will be the first time that the UK’s Johnson, who campaigned fiercely for Britain to leave the Union, meets his EU counterparts.He told media on Monday that leaving the EU “does not mean in any way that we are leaving Europe” in terms of foreign policy and security cooperation.He said the events in Turkey and Nice showed “the importance of that” and referred to the other 27 EU ministers as his “friends” and “colleagues”.Mogherini, who had dinner with Johnson on Sunday, said “our joint work continues” and spoke of Johnson going to “join the EU family” in Monday’s talks.France’s Ayrault said he had had a “frank but useful” phone call with Johnson on Saturday.He said Franco-Britsh relations remained “exceptional” in terms of cooperation on defence and on the migration crisis.He also urged the UK to begin its EU exit negations as soon as possible.Johnson, at one point in the Brexit campaign, compared the EU to Nazi Germany in terms of trying to snatch control of Europe from sovereign states.“We’ll meet later today and we’ll see if he still thinks the same”, the Dutch minister, Koenders, said.

NATO chief gives full support to Turkish govt - Turkish official-[Reuters]-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed full support for the Turkish government during a telephone call with President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday and said there could be no room for military coups in a NATO member state, a senior Turkish official said.The offical said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also spoken by phone with Erdogan on Monday and had denounced the coup attempt as unacceptable.(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Italy probes man who spoke to Nice attacker hours before massacre-[Reuters]-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

BARI, Italy (Reuters) - Italian counter-terror officials are investigating a Tunisian living in the southern city of Bari who spoke to Nice attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel hours before he killed 84 people, investigative sources said on Monday.The man spoke with Bouhlel, who was also Tunisian, by telephone just hours before the delivery man ran down revelers at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice on Thursday with a 19-tonne refrigerator truck, sources said.Italy's anti-terror police and magistrates opened the probe at the request of French authorities, who had Bouhlel's phone records, the sources said.The two men had spoken several times in recent weeks, the sources said without giving further details.Three people close to Bouhlel were arrested in Nice on Sunday. Four others arrested previously were still being held.Islamic State has claimed the attack, calling Bouhlel one of its soldiers, but authorities have yet to produce evidence that the 31-year-old, who was shot dead by police, had any actual links to the militant group.(Reporting by Vincenzo Damiani; Writing by Steve Scherer; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Attack in Nice prompts deep divisions in France By Eric Maurice-JULY 18,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:28-Four days after the lorry attack that killed 84 people in Nice on Bastille Day (14 July), France is struggling to maintain unity in its reaction.The attack is the latest in a series that has killed 235 people since January 2015, most notably on 13 November when 130 were killed in Paris."Fed up with carnage," read a placard put on Nice's Promenade des Anglais, the seafront avenue where the latest atrocity occurred.As a consequence, French people are losing faith in their leaders, politicians are divided over measures to take and a debate is starting over the level of freedom to maintain to address the terror threat.On Saturday, president Francois Hollande called for “national cohesion and unity” in face of “attempts to divide the country".But according to an opinion poll published Monday, by the Figaro newspaper, 67 percent of French people do not trust president Hollande to fight terrorism. That was 16 percentage points more than in the previous similar poll in January.While 99 percent of respondents said they felt that the threat level was high or very high, 81 percent say they were ready to accept more controls and limitations to their freedoms in order to face it.-'Renunciation'-While the first attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly and a Jewish supermarket in January 2015 had mainly triggered a debate on Islam in France, the aftermath of the Nice attack is about security.Parliament is expected to vote this week a three-month extension of the state of emergency, which has been in place since November.Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve called on “all French patriots" to join the operational reserve of the police and the gendarmerie to support the 10,000 military deployed in the streets.But less than a year before the next presidential and parliamentary elections, the government is under pressure to do more.“I hear a speech of renunciation that can only incite the population to defeatism, discouragement and anxiety,” far-right leader Marine Le Pen said."The spirit of the 11 January has died out,” Le Monde newspaper said on Saturday, referring to the mass demonstration and calls for unity tolerance after the first attacks in 2015.Eric Ciotti, an opposition MP for the the centre-right The Republicans party (LR), said that the French people were “angry" and did "not see Francois Hollande as a war leader."“The emotion-communication-banalisation trilogy is over," he said about the government management of the attacks. "We need a legal, military and moral rearmament.”-'Total war'-On Sunday, former president and LR leader Nicolas Sarkozy said that France was in a "total war" but rejected Hollande's call for unity."Do you really think that French people's concern is to know whether we are going to smile at each other and hold out hands," he asked on TV."All that should have been done in the past 18 months has not been done," said Sarkozy, who is preparing to run again for president next year.He said that the government should take new measures like considering viewing jihadist websites as a crime, closing mosques with links to radicals, create de-radicalisation centres and separate terror convicts from other prisoners.He also demanded that people who are know as Islamic radicals by the police are deported when they are foreigners, and kept under house arrest with an electronic bracelet when they are French.The opposition's criticism suggests that the attack could have been avoided.The truth is that “terrorism is part of everyday life, for a long time" and that "other lives will be taken", prime minister Manuel Valls responded.-Inevitable confrontation-He condemned “irresponsible politicians" who say more measures would avoid attacks. Referring to the populist US presidential candidate Donald Trump, he warned of a “trumpisation of minds” in France.“Undermining the rule of law, undermining our values, would be the greatest renunciation,” he said.Beyond controversies between politician, another concern is rising.At a parliamentary hearing in May, which transcript was published last week, the head of the DGSI, the domestic intelligence service, said that a confrontation between the “ultra right” and Muslims was “inevitable”.“I think it will happen. One or two more attacks and it will occur,” Patrick Calvar told MPs.He said there was a “radicalisation of society” and that he expected that the confrontation would be “between the ultra right and the Muslim world - not the Islamists, but the Muslim world”.

The Latest: Attacker's uncle: he was radicalized in 2 weeks-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

PARIS - The Latest on that truck attack in Nice, France (all times local):11:35 a.m.The uncle of the man who killed 84 people with a truck on the French Riviera says his nephew was indoctrinated about two weeks ago by an Algerian member of the Islamic State group in Nice.French officials could not confirm Monday that attacker Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel had been approached by an Algerian recruiter, saying that the investigation is ongoing.The driver's uncle, Sadok Bouhlel, told The Associated Press that given Bouhlel's family problems — he was estranged from his wife and three children — the Algerian "found in Mohamed an easy prey."Bouhlel's rapid radicalization has puzzled investigators. Friends and family said he had not been an observant Muslim in the past.Sadok Bouhlel spoke in the driver's hometown of Msaken, Tunisia. He said he learned about the Algerian from extended family members who live in Nice.IS claimed responsibility for the attack Thursday but Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Monday that investigators have found no sign yet that Bouhlel had links to a particular network.___11:30 a.m.The French government is defending its efforts to fight Islamic State extremists abroad and at home, announcing new airstrikes against their strongholds in the past two days.President Francois Hollande's Socialist administration has come under blistering criticism from opposition conservatives after last week's deadly attack in Nice. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy accused the government of bad policies that he says failed to prevent three major attacks in the past 18 months.Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve hit back Monday, listing a series of laws and extra police forces created under Hollande's presidency "to face a threat that France was not prepared for" when he took over from Sarkozy in 2012.After a special security meeting, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said French forces in the U.S-led coalition struck IS targets again overnight and on Saturday. French warplanes have been involved in the operation in Iraq and to a lesser degree in Syria.___9:15 a.m.France's interior minister says investigators have no evidence so far that the truck driver who killed 84 people in Nice had links to "terrorist networks."Bernard Cazeneuve said Monday on RTL radio that while the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Bastille Day attack, the driver may have been motivated by IS messages but not necessarily co-ordinating with a larger network.Cazeneuve says: "These links for now have not been established by the investigation."Authorities say Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a Tunisian living in Nice, had become recently and rapidly radicalized.Cazeneuve said 59 people are still hospitalized after the attack Thursday, 29 of them in intensive care, out of 308 people injured overall. Many of the dead and injured were children watching a fireworks display with their families.

Police union: Open carry of guns should be suspended at Republican convention in Cleveland-[Reuters]-July 17, 2016-YAHOONEWS

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The head of the Cleveland police union on Sunday urged Ohio's governor to declare a state of emergency and to suspend laws allowing the open carrying of firearms during the Republican National Convention, after the shooting of six police officers in Louisiana."I don't care what the legal precedent is, I feel strongly that leadership needs to stand up and defend these police officers," Steve Loomis, the head of the police union, told Reuters in an interview at the union's headquarters on Sunday. The four-day convention is due to begin on Monday.(Reporting by Kim Palmer, writing by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Howard Goller)

Former rivals, military leaders, actors to take stage at RNC-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-July 17, 2016-YAHOONEWS

CLEVELAND - Former presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio — the latter by video link — are among those set to speak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Military leaders, members of Congress, actors, faith leaders and family members of presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump are also set to speak in what the Republican National Committee calls "an unconventional lineup" that will challenge the status quo and press for Trump's agenda.Speaker highlights at the four-day convention, which begins Monday at the Quicken Loans Arena.___MONDAY-Theme: Make America Safe Again-Headliners: Trump's wife, Melania; Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael Flynn, U.S. Army; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont.Others: Willie Robertson, star of "Duck Dynasty"; former Texas Gov. Rick Perry; Marcus Luttrell, retired U.S. Navy SEAL; Scott Baio, actor; Pat Smith, mother of Sean Smith, killed in the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya; Mark "Oz" Geist, member of a security team that fought in Benghazi; John Tiegen, member of Benghazi security team and co-author of the book "13 Hours," an account of the attacks; Kent Terry and Kelly Terry-Willis, siblings of Brian Terry, a Border Patrol agent whose shooting death revealed the botched "Fast and Furious" gun-smuggling operation; Antonio Sabato Jr., actor; Mary Ann Mendoza, Sabine Durden and Jamiel Shaw, immigration reform advocates; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; David Clarke, sheriff of Milwaukee County, Wis.; Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis.; Rachel Campos Duffy, LIBRE Initiative for Hispanic economic empowerment; Darryl Glenn, Senate candidate in Colorado; Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Karen Vaughn, mother of a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan; Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; and Jason Beardsley of Concerned Veterans for America.___TUESDAY-Theme: Make America Work Again-Headliners: Tiffany Trump, candidate's daughter; Kerry Woolard, general manager, Trump Winery in Virginia; Donald Trump Jr.; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson; and actress Kimberlin Brown.Others: Sharon Day, co-chairwoman of Republican National Committee; Dana White, president, Ultimate Fighting Championship; Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson; Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge; former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey; Andy Wist, founder of Standard Waterproofing Co.; Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Chris Cox, executive director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action; golfer Natalie Gulbis; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.___WEDNESDAY-Theme: Make America First Again-Headliners: Former presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio; Eric Trump, son of the candidate; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump's pick to be vice-president.Others: radio host Laura Ingraham; Phil Ruffin, businessman with interests in real estate, lodging, manufacturing and energy; Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; retired astronaut Eileen Collins; Michelle Van Etten, small business owner; Kentucky state Sen. Ralph Alvarado Jr.; Darrell Scott, senior pastor and co-founder of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries, Cleveland; Harold Hamm, oil executive; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; Lynne Patton, vice-president, Eric Trump Foundation; Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (by video); Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Callista Gingrich, wife of Newt Gingrich.___THURSDAY-Theme: Make America One Again-Headliners: Peter Thiel, co-founder PayPal; Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony Capital; Ivanka Trump, daughter of the candidate; and Donald Trump, GOP nominee for president.Others: Brock Mealer, motivational speaker; Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin; Dr. Lisa Shin, owner of Los Alamos Family Eyecare in New Mexico; RNC Chairman Reince Priebus; Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University and evangelical leader.

Louisiana police shootings add new convention concerns-[The Canadian Press]-Mark Gillispie, The Associated Press-July 17, 2016-YAHOONEWS

CLEVELAND - The fatal shooting of three police officers in Louisiana added new concerns Sunday about security at the Republican National Convention as huge crowds were expected to protest and the city police chief prepared officers to deal with the open carrying of weapons as allowed by state law.Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich rebuffed a request by the head of the Cleveland police union to suspend that law during the convention, saying he doesn't have the authority to "arbitrarily" alter laws and constitutional rights.Kasich, who has pushed programs to heal rifts between communities and police after several fatal police shootings, said those bonds must be "reset and rebuilt.""Everyone has an important role to play in that renewal," said Kasich, who called law enforcement "a noble, essential calling."Authorities say three officers were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and three more injured in a shooting less than one mile from local police headquarters.Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people lined a bridge leading into downtown Cleveland in a peaceful "Circle the City With Love" rally. Participants standing on opposite sides of the bridge from one end to the other held hands and stood in silence for several minutes.Late Sunday afternoon, a few dozen people began marching in a noisy "Shut Down Trump and the RNC" from east of downtown toward Public Square.The morning started with Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams saying barricades have been placed at key streets and intersections in the city's downtown before the start of the convention to thwart the type of attack that occurred in France when a man drove a large truck into crowds, killing 84 people."Things that happen around the country and around the world do affect to some degree how we respond here in Cleveland," Chief Calvin Williams said during an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation."There have long been concerns about violent protests and clashes between those who support the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, and those who oppose the real estate mogul and his inflammatory rhetoric. But recent events, including a terror attack in Nice, France, last week and the fatal ambush of police officers in Dallas and Louisiana have heightened concerns about what might happen in Cleveland.There have been reports that anarchists and black separatists also plan to protest in Cleveland during the convention, Williams said.It seems, he said, that "everyone is coming to Cleveland to protest or exercise their First Amendment rights."An issue on the minds of many is the possibility that people might openly carry firearms during protests, marches and rallies given that Ohio is an open-carry state. Williams said during a morning news briefing that Cleveland police commanders will inform those who choose to open carry what their responsibilities are under Ohio law."We try to get across to people, if you carry that weapon, you have that right to do it, but you also have responsibilities to the general public and people around you to make sure that everybody else is safe," Williams said.A suburban Cleveland man drew attention Sunday afternoon when he stood in the city's Public Square with a semi-automatic rifle strapped over his shoulder and a .45-calibre handgun holstered on his hip. Other members of a northeast Ohio open carry group were supposed to join him."What I'm doing today is a statement about the right to bear arms," said Steve Thacker, 57, of Westlake.Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said Sunday during ABC's "This Week" that city officials "aren't strangers to unrest and demonstrations and protests" and insisted that the city is prepared for an event that could draw tens of thousands of people.The convention is a big moment for Cleveland, which is being hailed as a comeback city thanks, in part, to its revitalized downtown. The city also has drawn unwanted national attention because of high-profile police shootings and use-of-force incidents that helped lead to an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to reform the 1,500-member police department.About one third of those officers will be joining thousands of law enforcement officers from around the state and the country in providing security during the convention.___Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report.

GOP reaches for nuance on race, police after latest unrest-[The Canadian Press]-Bill Barrow, The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

ATLANTA - Some prominent Republican are grappling with how to talk about race relations after a spate of racially tinged gun violence that saw two black men killed by police and attacks by a black sniper that killed five Dallas police officers.House Speaker Paul Ryan, who serves as chairman of the Republican National Convention that convenes Monday in Cleveland, has argued for frank conversations about race, citing some hurdles unique to African-Americans, a traditionally Democratic constituency."It's important that we acknowledge ... there are people in this country who believe that because of their colour of their skin, they're not as safe as everybody else," Ryan said recently on CNN.One of Ryan's predecessors, Newt Gingrich, said it was "difficult" for white Americans to "appreciate how real" it is for black Americans to live in fear of a "situation where the police don't respect you and you could easily get killed."The tone is not uniform among Republicans: Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who has long advocated strong police tactics, declared the Black Lives Matter movement — a response to police killings of black men — "inherently racist." The real danger to young black men, Giuliani said, is "99 out of 100 times ... other black kids, who are going to kill them."Additional killings of at least three police officers Sunday in Louisiana, where Alton Sterling had been killed by Baton Rouge police two weeks before, could certainly test the new tenor.Even Gingrich, who had been among the finalists to be Donald Trump's vice-presidential pick, highlighted the tightrope Monday for GOP officials trying to find the right balance. On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the former speaker cited polling suggesting Americans believe race relations are worsening.Gingrich seemingly blamed President Barack Obama for "being divisive" after previous racially charged police incidents, including the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. "I think as long as you have Barack Obama doing what he did over the last few years, if you've had 7 1/2 years of a black president, 7 1/2 years of a black attorney general, Gallup reports race relations today are worse than any time in the last 17 years," Gingrich said.Still, those with hard-liner takes generally have been outliers in a week punctuated by a floor speech from Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, one of two black men in the chamber and the only black Republican.In deeply personal remarks, Scott, 50, told of years of being stopped by police — including seven times in one year after he was an elected official.The senator recounted a white officer once calling him "boy." Even recently, Scott recalled, a Capitol Hill policeman questioned the lapel pin issued only to senators. Scott said he was told: "The pin, I know. You, I don't. Show me your ID."Scott, who nevertheless praised American law enforcement, said he doesn't know a black man of any age, social status or income level who hasn't suffered the "loss of dignity that accompanies each of those stops." And he said that pales in comparison to what Philando Castile in Minnesota, Sterling and others faced as they died at the hands of police.The range of GOP reactions represents a break from the usual partisan divide after previous police-involved killings or other acts of gun violence, with Democrats criticizing police brutality and calling for stricter gun regulations and Republicans championing law-and-order while generally defending gun rights and police, while avoiding mentions of race.After Sterling, Castile and the Dallas attacks, something was different. Yet rhetorical shifts won't necessarily break the logjams on equally sensitive public policy arguments over gun laws, economic inequality and police behaviour.Ryan has not granted Democratic demands for votes on new gun regulations, specifically an expansion of background checks and proposals to block gun purchases by individuals on certain terrorist watch lists. But in an agreement with the Congressional Black Caucus, the speaker appointed a bipartisan panel to suggest ways to improve police relationships with their communities.Most Republicans haven't gone as far as Democrats in putting black Americans' frustrations in the wider context of economic struggle.Still, Matt Moore, the South Carolina Republican Party chairman and one of Scott's constituents, said the chilling videos of Castile's and Sterling's deaths — along with live televised images of the Dallas sniper attacks during peaceful protests against police violence — have created a new sense of empathy in the GOP."Empathy is just seeing the world through someone else's eyes, and we already experienced that in South Carolina," Moore said. He cited the April 2015 killing of Walter Scott, a black man, by a white North Charleston police office, and the June 2015 massacre in which a white gunman killed nine people at a historic black church in Charleston.The latter event sparked Republican Gov. Nikki Haley and white South Carolina lawmakers to lower the Confederate battle flag from statehouse grounds. "That shows people can change," Moore said, adding that he hopes more Republicans "will look at all these issues comprehensively, from a social, economic and personal perspective."GOP pollster Whit Ayres said the new dynamics could conceivably lead to speedier action on various criminal justice overhauls pending in Congress. Sentencing changes — a break from former sentencing guidelines, particularly for nonviolent offences — already have moved through several statehouses in recent years.Still, Moore and Ayres agreed, the hardest divide to breach will be on guns, where the Republican base and most GOP officials oppose any new restrictions on access to weapons. Conservatives are much more likely than other voters to make voting decisions based on gun policy, Ayres said."Intensity matters in politics, and that issue is exhibit A," he said.___Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP .

U.N. says Iraq's battle of Mosul may cost $2 billion in aid-[Reuters]-By Tom Miles-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

GENEVA (Reuters) - An expected Iraqi assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul is likely to cause mass civilian casualties and force hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, the United Nations said on Monday.It appealed for funds to deal with the humanitarian crisis, saying it would cost $284 million to prepare the necessary aid and up to $1.8 billion to deal with the aftermath."The impact of the Mosul military campaign on civilians will be devastating," the U.N. said in the summary of its Iraq humanitarian response plan."Mass casualties among civilians are likely and families trying to flee areas controlled by ISIL (Islamic State) are expected to be at extreme risk," it said.Large-scale displacement of people was expected when Mosul city itself came under attack, it said. Between 1.2 million and 1.5 million people are estimated to live in the city."In a worst case, all or the majority of these people will require life-saving assistance and protection," it said.Difficulties will include operating close to the Syrian border and the need to support civilians who escape across the frontline, transport them hundreds of kilometres to safety, and house and protect them in hundreds of camps, transit centres and reception sites.In the best case scenario, 300,000 people will be displaced for three months, requiring an aid budget of $143 million. The worst case would be 1 million displaced for a year, meaning a $1.8 billion cost.In any case, aid agencies need two and a half months of lead time and $284 million before the assault on Mosul starts. If funding comes too late, they will be unable to respond appropriately, the U.N. document said.Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, told Reuters last month that at least 430,000 more people could be displaced this year in Anbar, Iraq's desert province stretching west from Falluja to the Syrian border.The United Nations asked for $861 million in January this year for Iraq, the minimum needed to keep people alive, knowing that it was unlikely to get the $4.5 billion needed to offer 10 million Iraqis international standards of care, the document said.However, less than 40 percent of that appeal has been received, stopping 99 frontline aid programmes and hindering assistance for 85,000 people who have fled from Falluja.(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

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)

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: 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, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

100,000 Venezuelans cross border shopping for scarce food-[The Canadian Press]-Hannah Dreier, The Associated Press-July 17, 2016-YAHOONEWS

SAN ANTONIO DEL TACHIRA, Venezuela - Almost 100,000 Venezuelans, some of whom drove through the night in caravans, crossed into Colombia over the weekend to hunt for food and medicine that are in short supply at home.It was the second weekend in a row that Venezuela's socialist government opened the long-closed border with Colombia, and by 6 a.m. Sunday, a line of would-be shoppers snaked through the entire town of San Antonio del Tachira. Some had travelled in chartered buses from cities 10 hours away.Venezuela's government closed all crossings a year ago to crack down on smuggling along the 1,378-mile (2,219 kilometre) border. It complained that speculators were causing shortages by buying up subsidized food and gasoline in Venezuela and taking them to Colombia, where they could be sold for far higher prices.But shortages have continued to mount in Venezuela amid triple-digit inflation, currency controls that have restricted imports and investment and the world oil price slump that caused a collapse in the oil revenues that fund government spending.Although the border was heavily patrolled by Venezuelan troops, the crowds were mostly orderly amid an atmosphere of tense excitement. A few activists handed out anti-government pamphlets, looking to galvanize the frustration that has characterized food riots and long lines outside supermarkets in recent weeks.Some of those waiting to cross made anti-government chants and sang the national anthem, but there was no appetite for confrontation. They were focused on the prospect of getting at fully stocked supermarket shelves and the opportunity to buy even non-essential indulgences like nail polish and beer before the re-closing of border crossings Sunday night."It's kind of crazy day," said Alejandro Chacon, who owns a hardware store in the nearby town of San Cristobal and was crossing the border for the first time since the closure. "It's strange to see this, but we know we're going to find what we want in Colombia, so it's a nice difference."Colombian officials dressed in white shirts individually welcomed those arriving while police handed out cake and blasted out festive vallenato tunes, the traditional music beloved on both sides of the border. Roadside kiosks set up by entrepreneurs took payment in Venezuela's currency for goods at a steep discount from what they cost on the black market back home."It's sad to be doing this, but we also know over there we'll find something," said Rosa Cardenas, a 70-year-old retired school teacher accompanied by a 5-month-old granddaughter.Colombian officials estimated 35,000 Venezuelans crossed the border Saturday, the first day of what Colombia's government called a humanitarian corridor. Almost double that number entered Sunday, authorities said as the mad rush on products like sugar and flour led to extra supplies of staple goods being sent from other Colombian cities.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sought to deflate talk of a humanitarian crisis and instead blames his government's political enemies and self-serving smugglers for shortages. He dismissed as a "media show" the jarring images a few weeks ago of 500 women pushing through the border checkpoint, saying they were desperate to buy food.On Sunday, Venezuela's state TV ran footage of Venezuelans returning from Colombia empty-handed, dissuaded by what they called "price-gouging" and the threat of violence by their neighbours.___Hannah Dreier is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hannahdreier . Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/hannah-dreier .

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)

Funnel clouds spotted as severe thunderstorm warnings issued in southern Manitoba-[CBC]-July 17, 2016-YAHOONEWS

People in southern Manitoba are spotting funnel clouds as a cold front from the north meets up with the province's humid weather. Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for southern Manitoba, with a warning issued for the areas around Brandon, Neepawa, Killarney and Manitou.A warning was also issued for the area of Sprague and Northwest Angle Provincial Forest."The main threats are strong wind gusts and maybe large hail and brief, heavy downpour," said Justin Hobson, meteorologist with Environment Canada.On Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m., people around La Salle, Man., and St. Adolphe, Man., spotted some funnel clouds."The funnel clouds were associated with the cold front moving through the area so they formed on the leading edge of the precipitation," Hobson said."These aren't likely to touch down, and they only last a few minutes and it was long enough for people to snap pictures."Hobson said the funnel clouds are very unlikely to pose a threat."I know people are scared of funnel clouds. They think they will touch down and damage property and everything else," he said."This type of funnel isn't associated with that big, bad thunderstorm we call a supercell, and those are the ones that last a long time and can cause damage and injure people."Hobson said thunderstorms aren't unusual this time of year.A watch is an alert that conditions are favourable for a storm, while a warning means severe weather will certainly occur.

Parliament to vote on renewing Britain's nuclear arsenal-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-July 18, 2016-YAHOONEWS

LONDON - British lawmakers are due to vote Monday on whether to replace the country's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines, a powerful but expensive symbol of the country's military status.The Conservative government is determined to maintain Britain's nuclear deterrent, which consists of four Royal Navy submarines armed with Trident missiles. It says replacing the aging submarines will cost up to 41 billion pounds ($54 billion) over 20 years.Prime Minister Theresa May will open the debate in her first address to Parliament since taking office last week.Her office says May will say that "the nuclear threat has not gone away, if anything, it has increased," and it would be reckless to abandon the country's "ultimate safeguard.""We cannot outsource the grave responsibility we shoulder for keeping our people safe," she will say, according to extracts released in advance of the afternoon debate.Britain has been a nuclear power since the 1950s, and both Labour and Conservative governments have consistently supported atomic weapons.May's Conservatives made replacing the four submarines — Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance — a promise in last year's election.The Conservatives have a small majority in the House of Commons, and lawmakers are likely to back renewal, despite opposition from the Scottish National Party and some Labour Party members.Nuclear disarmament has been a lifelong cause for beleaguered Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is facing a leadership challenge from disgruntled lawmakers. Many Labour legislators will probably vote to keep the nuclear program to protect thousands of unionized defence jobs.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

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

Wildfires rage across Southwest, forcing home evacuations-[Reuters]-July 16, 2016-YAHOONEWS

(Reuters) - Several destructive wildfires were raging across the Southwestern United States on Saturday, after consuming dozens of homes and forcing evacuations.Firefighters have gained the upper hand on a blaze burning in the sparsely populated and wooded community of Timberon, New Mexico.That wildfire, which officials said was in the "mop-up stage" and had charred roughly 270 acres, destroyed 44 homes and damaged or demolished an additional two dozen structures since it was sparked on Wednesday, according to fire information website InciWeb.Investigators have not yet determined what caused the blaze, according to InciWeb.Firefighters to the north in Colorado were facing a so-called red flag warning of low humidity and wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour (48 kph) as they struggled to contain the 16,200 acre Hayden Pass Fire.Fire team spokesman Jose Acosta said residents of about 140 homes were forced to flee the flames in Fremont County, which is about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Colorado Springs. As of Saturday, fire personnel had carved out containment lines around only 5 percent of the inferno, and Acosta said it could take until Oct. 1 for the wildfire to be fully contained.To the southwest, in Arizona, firefighters aimed to keep the 3,700-acre Fuller Fire from reaching a highway that serves as a crucial artery in and out of the Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim.Low humidity and strong winds also plagued the 430 fire personnel battling that blaze, which broke out after a lightning strike on June 29, according to InciWeb. Firefighters on Saturday focused on keeping the flames to the east of State Route Highway 67, InciWeb said.(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis)