JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
U.S. coalition jets bomb Islamic State-held town near Euphrates Dam-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S-led coalition planes bombed an Islamic State-controlled town near the Euphrates Dam in northern Syria a day after the launch of a new phase of a campaign to capture the militants' defacto capital of Raqqa, activists and the militants said on Sunday.Activists confirmed reports released by the militants' news agency Amaq which said four raids in the last twenty four hours hit the town of Tabqa west of Raqqa, located near Syria's largest dam, at the southern end of Lake Assad on the Euphrates.A video released by Amaq showed extensive damage to a commercial center in the town but did mention any casualties.Islamic State fighters are battling hard to keep the swathes of territory they have captured in Syria, mostly in the center and east, as they lose ground in Iraq.On Friday, air strikes in Raqqa hit at least four bridges over the Euphrates River, part of a weeks-long campaign of air strikes in the province and near the dam, activists said.The Euphrates Dam is one of the major sources of electicity in the country and crucial for irrigation of farms in the fertile region around Raqqa.On the ground, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of U.S.-backed militias, started a new phase of its campaign against Raqqa on Saturday, aiming to surround it and sever the road to militant strongholds in Deir al-Zor province.The SDF, which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia, launched the campaign to capture Raqqa in November.The alliance of militias quickly gained territory to the north of the city at the beginning of the campaign and has been targeting areas to the west of it. It is the main U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State in Syria.(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Louise Ireland)
New Chinese missile makes latest appearance in drills-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
BEIJING — A highly accurate Chinese ballistic missile capable of threatening U.S. and Japanese bases in Asia has made its latest appearance at recent Rocket Force drills.The medium-range DF-16 featured in a video posted last week on the Defence Ministry's website showing the missiles aboard their 10-wheeled mobile launch vehicles being deployed in deep forest during exercises over the just-concluded Lunar New Year holiday.While the Rocket Force boasts an extensive armoury of missiles of various ranges, the DF-16 fills a particular role in extending China's reach over waters it seeks to control within what it calls the "first-island chain."First displayed at a Beijing military parade in 2015, the missile is believed to have a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), putting it within striking distance of Okinawa, home to several U.S. military installations, as well as the Japanese home islands, Taiwan and the Philippines.The two-stage DF-16 replaces the older, shorter range DF-11, with a final stage that can adjust its trajectory to strike slow moving targets and evade anti-missile defences such as the U.S. Patriot system deployed by Taiwan.It also carries up to three warheads weighing as much as a ton and carrying conventional high explosives or a nuclear weapon. Further increasingly its lethality, the missile is believed to be accurate to within as little as 5 metres (16 feet) of the target, similar to that of a cruise missile.The Associated Press.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Bird lovers flock to 25th annual Eagle Watch-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
Plenty of eagles could be seen in a field in Sheffield Mills in Kings County, N.S. Sunday, despite chilly temperatures and falling snow.Organizers of the 25th annual Eagle Watch have been luring the birds of prey to the area since mid-January. The event draws bird watchers from across Canada every year."It's much better than last year," observed Barry Burgess, a bird enthusiast from Queenland, N.S. "It's a colder winter so there's more hungry birds around. They're searching for food and the river is frozen ... everything is frozen over, there's lots of birds here."-'You have to be patient'-Malcolm Lake, one of the organizers, said some of the eagles live in the area and others are migrating through Cape Breton."To see the eagles you have to be patient," Lake said. "And you have to have great perseverance because they're not under contract. They just come down when they want to."Yves Guillot, a retired psychologist and now avian photographer, traveled from Sherbrooke, Que. to see the eagles."It's hard to shoot the eagles unless you have roadkill or something. But here it's much easier and you can also have different scenes you don't see elsewhere, like fights."The eagles are expected to fly away by mid-March.
Russia, Turkey, Iran discuss Syria ceasefire in Astana-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
ASTANA (Reuters) - Experts from Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United Nations held a technical meeting in the Kazakh capital on Monday to discuss the implementation of the Syrian ceasefire agreement, Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said.The sides signed no documents at the meeting, but Russia's TASS and Interfax news agencies quoted a Russian negotiator as saying they would meet again this month and might sign an agreement regulating the work of a joint task force.Kazakhstan, which hosts the meetings, said Monday's agenda included reviewing the implementation of the cessation of hostilities and discussing a proposal from the Syrian armed opposition about the ceasefire.Each side blames the other for violations of the ceasefire agreement since it took effect in late December."This is about creating a mechanism to control the implementation of the ceasefire," a ministry spokesman said.After the talks, Russian negotiator and senior military official Stanislav Gadzhimagomedov said the sides had discussed how to avoid provocations and secure humanitarian access."The delegations have confirmed their readiness to continue interaction in order to achieve the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities in Syria," he said.Gadzhimagomedov told TASS the sides could meet again on Feb. 15-16.(Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Israel demolishes buildings at evacuated West Bank outpost-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
JERUSALEM — Israel says it's started demolishing buildings at a West Bank settlement outpost evacuated last week amid clashes between settlers and security forces.Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says officers are securing Amona to "prevent incidents" on Monday.Israel's Supreme Court later ruled in 2014 that Amona was built on private Palestinian land and must be dismantled.Settlers resisted the evacuation and clashed with police enforcing the law. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later announced a new settlement would be established — the first in two decades — to make up for Amona.Most of the international community views settlements as illegal and a hindrance to a two-state solution to the conflict.The Trump administration is perceived as sympathetic to settlements, an issue that caused friction between Netanyahu and former President Barack Obama.The Associated Press.
Responsible nations' should back new Iran sanctions: Israeli PM-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
London (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that all "responsible nations" should back new sanctions against Iran, speaking during a meeting with his British counterpart Theresa May in London.He said he welcomed US President Donald Trump's "insistence on new sanctions against Iran. I think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations," he said, accusing Iran of "provocation after provocation"."Iran seeks to annihilate Israel, it says so openly, it seeks to conquer the Middle East, it threatens Europe, it threatens the West, it threatens the world," he said."I'd like to talk to you on how we can ensure that Iran's aggression does not go unanswered," he told May.Trump's administration last week said Iran was formally "on notice" after a recent missile test and has voiced opposition to the Iran nuclear deal.Netanyahu is a fierce opponent of the agreement with world powers, including Britain, in which Iran pledged to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.The deal was implemented in January 2016. A spokeswoman for May said the prime minister made clear the nuclear agreement "is vital and must be properly enforced and policed, while recognising concerns about Iran's pattern of destabilising activity in the region."During the bilateral talks May "reiterated the UK's opposition to settlement activity" and said Britain remains committed to a two-state solution "as the best way to bring stability and peace to the region", her spokeswoman said.There has been a sharp acceleration in Israeli settlement expansion plans since Trump took office last month, with more than 6,000 new homes announced in less than a fortnight.Britain voted in favour of a UN Security Council resolution passed in December demanding a halt to settlement construction. The vote prompted Israel to temporarily scale back relations.But Britain refused to sign the final statement of a Middle East peace conference held in Paris last month that was strongly opposed by Israel.
Israel targets Hamas sites after Gaza rocket attack-[Associated Press]-FARES AKRAM-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel's military fired on Hamas installations in Gaza after a rocket launched from the territory exploded inside Israel on Monday, with no reports of casualties on either side.Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, has largely adhered to a cease-fire that ended a 50-day war with Israel in 2014, but other militant groups occasionally fire rockets or mortar rounds over the frontier. Israel holds Hamas responsible for all incoming fire.Sirens wailed in parts of southern Israel warning of incoming rockets early Monday. The military said one exploded in an open field. Soon after the attack, it said a tank fired at a Hamas position near the frontier.The uptick in violence continued throughout the day. Gaza residents, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, said Israeli airstrikes targeted three Hamas-run militant training sites. The military confirmed those as well as a series of additional airstrikes during the evening, saying they were in response to the rocket and to shots fired at troops operating near the frontier.Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said the military "will not tolerate rocket fire toward civilians and will continue to ensure security and stability in the region."Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem blamed Israel for the escalation.There was no immediate claim of responsibility in Gaza for the rocket attack. Jihadists who support the Islamic State group have taken responsibility for similar attacks in the past.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
WWII bomb to force major evacuation in northern Greek city-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Authorities in Greece's second-largest city are planning to evacuate up to 60,000 residents from their homes so experts can safely dispose of an unexploded World War II bomb.The evacuation in Thessaloniki is set for Sunday, and people living 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the bomb site will be kept away from the area for up to five hours, officials say.The bomb was found 5 meters (over 16 feet) deep near the central railway station in western Thessaloniki during work to expand a gas station's underground tanks. The existing tanks have been emptied, but previous attempts to remove the bomb were unsuccessful.Deputy regional governor Voula Patoulidou told the Associated Press on Monday that military and police authorities will try to defuse the bomb on the spot.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
New snowfall warnings issued for B.C.'s South Coast in record-breaking storm-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
Environment Canada has renewed snowfall warnings for parts of the B.C. South Coast, saying the winter storm is one of the snowiest in decades.The agency said it expects around five to 15 centimetres of fresh powder Sunday for the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast and eastern Vancouver Island in British Columbia.That's on top of the 20 to 40 centimetres that fell in some areas over the weekend.A new snowfall high was set at Vancouver's airport Friday when 12 centimetres of fresh powder fell, beating the record of 10.7 centimetres set in 1946.The weight of the snow caused a large tree to fall on three houses in the 2100 block of East 6th Avenue in Vancouver Sunday. No one was injured.The Alex Fraser Bridge was also closed Sunday afternoon because of the weather, but reopened in just under two hours.Highway 3 is closed both directions at the B.C./Alberta border due to heavy snowfall and low visibility in Alberta.According to Drive B.C. eastbound traffic is being held at Sparwood until the highway re-opens, which is not expected until at least 8 a.m. PT on Monday.In Abbotsford, 20 centimetres fell Saturday, demolishing 1957's tally of 7.6 centimetres.The City of Abbotsford said in a tweet that 38 centimetres of snow fell in the Fraser Valley community between Friday and Sunday morning, rivalling the 46 centimetres that fell in all of December.-Monday school closures -Several schools in B.C.'s Fraser Valley have cancelled classes Monday.Meteorologist Jennifer Hay said the eastern part of the region has seen between 40 and 60 centimetres of snow since Friday."We've been calling this an old fashioned winter because it's not historically really significant," she told CBC News. "But in the last few years of memory, it's like, 'What is going on?'"Chilliwack, Langley and Abbotsford, Hope, Mission and Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows districts said schools would be closed to children and staff.The University of the Fraser Valley also cancelled all classes for Monday.Other schools closed Monday include: - Langley Montessori School - Burnaby Montessori School - Fraser Valley Elementary - The King's School.
Japan's troubled 'space junk' mission fails-Agence France-Presse-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
Tokyo (AFP) - An experimental Japanese mission to clear 'space junk' or rubbish from the Earth's orbit has ended in failure, officials said Monday, in an embarassment for Tokyo.Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say could pose risks for future space exploration.Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were trying to test an electrodynamic 'tether' -- created with the help of a fishing net company -- to slow down the orbiting rubbish and bring it into a lower orbit.The hope was that the clutter -- built up after more than five decades of human space exploration -- would eventually enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up harmlessly before it had a chance to crash into the planet.The 700-metre (2,300-foot) long tether -- made from thin wires of stainless steel and aluminium -- was due to be extended out from a cargo ship launched in December carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.Problems arose quickly, however, and technicians tried for days to remedy the situation but only had a one-week window to carry out the mission before the vessel reentered the Earth's atmosphere before dawn on Monday."We believe the tether did not get released", leading researcher Koichi Inoue told reporters."It is certainly disappointing that we ended the mission without completing one of the main objectives," he said.The disappointment is the latest failure to hit JAXA and comes just weeks after the agency had to abort a mission that sought to use a mini-rocket to send a satellite into orbit.The agency also abandoned a pricey ultra-high-tech satellite launched in February last year to search for X-rays emanating from black holes and galaxy clusters after losing contact with the spacecraft.
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)
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
EU council chief Tusk is ready to serve another term-By EUOBSERVER
3. Feb, 19:38-European Council president Donald Tusk told leaders in Malta Friday that he was ready to continue his task after his term expires in May. "After talking to many leaders who expressed their support, I informed that I am ready to continue," he said. The decision is up to EU leaders. So far the only country opposing Tusk's new term is his native Poland, where his political rivals are in power.
Interview-EU-Israel meeting risks to 'bury' two-state solution By Andrew Rettman-FEB 6,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:19-Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian diplomat, has said that if the EU “rewarded” Israel with a high-level meeting later this month, it would be helping to “bury” the two-state solution.“The Israeli government shouldn’t be rewarded for its systematic violations of international humanitarian law. Rather, there must be accountability,” he told EUobserver in an interview.“Lack of accountability, impunity, is what provides the Israeli government with enough confidence to move ahead with its plan to bury the prospects of the two-state solution,” he said.Asked when the moment will come when that solution is no longer viable, he said: “We may be witnessing it now.”The EU foreign service aims to hold an “association council” with Israeli diplomats on 28 February.The meeting, the first of its kind in five years, is to take place despite the EU’s verbal rebuke of Israel’s plan, announced in January, to build some 6,000 new homes for Jewish settlers on Palestinian land.More than half a million settlers have already come to live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank since Israel occupied the territories after a war in 1967.The EU and the UN have long said the solution to the conflict should be the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as their shared capital.Erekat said the reality on the ground was Israel’s creation of one “apartheid” state that denigrated Palestinian rights, however.“It’s about theft of land and natural resources. It’s about dividing our families and preventing our economic development. Overall, it’s about the violation of our basic human and national rights,” he said.He said the EU should “move towards sanctions against Israel”, such as “banning settlement products” from being exported to Europe.But he said that, behind closed doors, “a few member states have been putting pressure on the EU not to take any action”.He declined to name them, but the list includes Britain, Hungary, and Lithuania, who vetoed an EU declaration last month that was to have endorsed a new French initiative for Arab-Israeli talks.“The Netanyahu administration knows that no action will be taken,” Erekat said, referring to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.-Palestinians flee to Europe-Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, spoke out on the eve of an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday (6 February).He also spoke ahead of Netanyahu’s visit to the UK the same day and to the US later this week.EU ministers are to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East Peace Process, among other topics, such as how to stop migrants coming via Libya to Europe.Erekat said the two issues were linked because the number of Palestinian refugees trying to reach the EU from camps in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria was “growing”.He said this was because they “have been persecuted by terrorist groups”, referring to jihadist groups such as Islamic State.He also said it was because they had no Palestinian state in which to seek shelter.“What choice do they have? Hundreds have already died in the Mediterranean Sea [en route to Europe] because Israel doesn’t allow them to go back home,” he said.About 1 million Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.There are 2 million more Palestinians in Gaza. The UN says the strip will become “unliveable” by 2020 due to Israel’s economic blockade, making them likely to also join the exodus to Europe in greater numbers.-New opening for Russia?-Erekat urged the EU to play a bigger role in the peace process in reaction to Donald Trump’s election in the US.Trump, a pro-Israeli hawk, has said he might move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel’s UN-recognised capital, to Jerusalem.The 61-year old Erekat, who was Palestine’s chief negotiator in talks with Israel in the 1990s, said “it has been made clear that the days of an occupier [Israel] negotiating alone with a people under occupation only under US mediation are gone”.He added that the Jerusalem move “would be a total disaster”.“This would be the end of an era, probably the end of the two-state solution, or at least the end of any role for Washington in our region.”He indicated that Palestine might turn to Russia for help in the absence of EU or US leadership.“Russia is already playing a very important role,” he told EUobserver.“I was recently in Moscow and foreign minister [Sergei] Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to ending the Israeli occupation, including of East Jerusalem,” he said.Russia is trying to expand its influence in the Mediterranean, but it remains to be seen if Russian leader Vladimir Putin would jeopardise his friendly relations with Trump by challenging Israel.“Russia has recognised the State of Palestine and we appreciate this gesture. Now it is time to turn their political position into concrete measures on the ground”, Erekat said.
Trump to meet Nato allies in Brussels in May-By EUOBSERVER-FEB 6,17
Today, 09:12-US president Donald Trump has agreed to attend a Nato meeting in Europe in May, according to Reuters. Trump spoke to Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday. The two "discussed how to encourage all Nato allies to meet their defence spending commitments", according to a White House statement cited by the agency. Trump had previously called the transatlantic alliance "obsolete".
Column / Brexit Briefing-Brexit white paper is a clear break, with shades of grey-By Ben Fox-FEB 6,17-EUOBSERVER
London, Today, 08:56-British government proposals, known as white papers, rarely contain anything genuinely new.Despite its 77 pages and grand title - The United Kingdom’s exit from and Partnership with the European Union - the government's Brexit white paper is essentially a longer version of Theresa May’s speech on January 17.Even so, it contains numerous passages which underscore the scale of the UK’s imminent break from the EU.“As we will no longer be members of the Single Market, we will not be required to make vast contributions to the EU budget,” the White Paper states, in one sentence nailing two sacred cows of European integration - the single market and the EU budget.The clearest break, however, is on immigration. “In future, therefore, the Free Movement Directive will no longer apply and the migration of EU nationals will be subject to UK law.”Those looking for lots of detail in the White Paper and certainty will be disappointed.Even the section on immigration leaves a bit of wiggle room. The White Paper states that there “may be a phased process of implementation to prepare for the new arrangements”.The days of UK contributions to the EU budget are not necessarily over either. “There may be European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution,” the White Paper concedes.-Pragmatic and business-like-Much of the document is pragmatic and business-like - almost like the mandate for a conventional trade deal.Alongside the usual optimism you get in a government document, plenty of care has been taken to guard against hostages to fortune.The difference between the Brexit White Paper and a negotiating mandate for a trade deal is that failure to broker a deal on TTIP, for example, leaves nobody (even the negotiators who wasted their time) materially worse off.Failure to reach agreement when the two-year deadline of Article 50 is up, will place individuals and businesses in a weaker and uncertain position than exists now. By triggering Article 50 and set out, albeit ambiguously, its strategy, the UK now has less leverage.How much pragmatism actually exists in practice will be demonstrated by the UK’s approach to the inevitable transitional arrangements that will be required. This could last as long as five years after the completion of the first phase of withdrawal in 2019.The lack of detail has prompted plenty of concern, particularly in the business community. In a note to clients on Thursday (2 February), Malcolm Barr, a JP Morgan economist, commented: “As a distillation of the state of knowledge within the UK government six months after the vote, and with the beginnings of a time-compressed negotiation just weeks away, the shallowness of the analysis and absence of detail are matters of great concern."Barr won’t be alone. Bank executives and corporations are right to be worried because Brexit will not be for them.The next step into the uncharted waters of Brexit will be Theresa May’s long-awaited letter to Council President Donald Tusk, which will probably be on the table when EU leaders meet in Brussels in March.But Article 50 was not drafted with the expectation that it would ever be used. The treaty does not specify where the negotiations should take place, for example.Michel Barnier's Commission unit will do the daily leg-work with their British counterparts led by Ambassador Tim Barrow. The big political decisions on the negotiations will be taken at the very top.-Existential threat-One of the most telling points made during two days of parliamentary debate on the Article 50 bill was former Chancellor George Osborne remark that “the government has chosen – and I respect this decision – not to make the economy the priority”.A spokesperson for May insisted that Osborne was “speaking for himself” not the government. Yet Osborne was right.If the six months since the June referendum has offered more confusion than clarity, the government has been unswerving that ending freedom of movement will be the UK’s most important "red line" in the negotiations.If Britain’s refusal to budge on immigration means a punitive deal on single market access, then May will take it.It is easy to accuse the May government of arrogance, hubris and naivety in their assumption that they will be able to cherry-pick as much access to the single market and other EU policy areas of their choice for a bargain price.But eurocrats would be well-advised not to scoff or be complacent. The very existence of a White Paper on Britain leaving the EU would have been unimaginable as recently as a year ago.Brexit represents an assault and existential threat to the EU’s long-term survival.The risk to the EU is that other countries may look at the British blueprint and see much in it that they would like for themselves.Benjamin Fox, a former reporter for EUobserver, is a consultant with Sovereign Strategy, a London-based PR firm, and a freelance writer.
France's Le Pen takes aim at EU in presidential bid launch By Eszter Zalan-FEB 6,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-Far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen promised to take France out of the EU and Nato as she kicked off her presidential campaign in Lyon over the weekend.Le Pen told supporters on Sunday (5 February) she would give France its freedom back, and said: "Financial globalisation and Islamist globalisation are helping each other out. Those two ideologies aim to bring France to its knees."In a manifesto published at the beginning of the two-day rally Le Pen listed 144 "commitments" to France.She promised to leave the eurozone and the integrated command structure on Nato.Le Pen also vowed to hold a referendum on EU membership unless European partners agree to roll back integration to a loose coalition of nation states with neither a single currency nor a border-free area.She also pledged to put taxes on imports and on job contracts of foreigners, lower income tax and the retirement age.The manifesto called for certain rights, like free education and social housing, to be reserved to French citizens, and promised 15,000 more police and to expel irregular immigrants.“What is at stake in this election is the continuity of France as a free nation, our existence as a people,” Le Pen told her supporters.In a trademark policy she also lashed out at what she called Islamic fundamentalism. She told her supporters it was a "yoke" France could no longer live under, saying no dignified French person could accept veils, mosques and street prayers.Le Pen hopes to cash in on the populist political momentum and to score on Trump-like upset win in May.-Unpredictable-The 48-year-old daughter of National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen is likely to win the most votes the first round of the presidential race on 23 April, according to opinion polls.But the polls suggest she will lose to a mainstream candidate in the 7 May run-off.The race has been thrown into turmoil since centre-right candidate Francois Fillon became embroiled in a scandal over money paid to his relatives for tasks they never performed. He denies any wrongdoing.Some members of The Republicans have called for him to quit the race, but there is no new candidate and it is unclear how the conservatives could select one, since they have already held their primary.Fillon had promised deregulation and called for a dialogue with Russia, arguing that sanctions against Moscow are "pointless".-Macron hits back-Centrist former economy minister Emmanuel Macron has surged in the polls amid Fillon's travails and the decision of the Socialists to field a hard-left candidate.Macron, whose party is called En Marche (On The Move), also held a rally in Lyon on Saturday promising to unite a divided France.He took on Le Pen's divisive and anti-establishment rhetoric, saying the far-right leader does not speak in the name of the people, and betrays France's core ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity."Some today pretend to be talking in the name of the people, but they are just ventriloquists," he said."They betray liberty by shrinking our horizons, they betray equality by stating that some are more equal than others, they betray fraternity because they hate faces that don’t look like theirs," Macron told a cheering crown.However, he has been vague on specific policies and has yet to publish a campaign manifesto.On Sunday, he said he aimed to revive France’s economy through innovation, more funding for education, cutting bureaucracy and relaxing labour laws.He also pledged to raise France's defence spending to 2 percent of GDP and put more police on the streets.Macron had earlier spoken out against closing borders in Europe, advocated for a closer alliance with Germany, a stronger economic and monetary union to stand up against the dollar, and for a new EU road map to specify priorities.National Front party officials called the former investment banker the candidate of "international capitalism" at the FN rally.
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)
Imam says speech that was re-tweeted by J.K. Rowling came from his heart-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
An imam who spoke at the funerals for three Quebec mosque shooting victims says he believes his words have become popular on social media because his message came from the heart.Hassan Guillet, 64, says he didn't even prepare his speech, which has been lauded for its message that the man accused of the shootings in Quebec City last week is himself a victim of hate, and that people shouldn't seek revenge for the crime."People could see that the man standing in front of them is an honest man, a sincere man and a sad man and is talking his pain. I think it was apparent," Guillet said in an interview Sunday about the speech he delivered Friday."When I was talking, I saw the tears on the face of our prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, and on the face of our premier, Philippe (Couillard), on the face of the mayor of Quebec (City)."-"I was touched."-Stories about the speech have since appeared on the social media feeds of people around the globe, including some celebrities."The extraordinary and humane words of Imam Hassan Guillet, at the funeral for the victims of the Quebec massacre," J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, tweeted along with a link to a transcript of the speech.Guillet, who came to Canada from Lebanon in 1974 and is now retired from the aerospace industry, said he was too busy to prepare for the speech leading up to the funerals. As a spokesman for the province's council of imams, he hadn't had a lot of time since the shootings happened last Sunday night.The tragic evening began happily for Guillet, with a dinner in his home to celebrate his son's birthday. But then his son got a message on his phone about the shooting. Guillet's own phone began to ring from members of the Muslim community. They wanted to know what was going on, but at that point he didn't know much more than they did.Six men died and 19 others were injured when a gunman stormed the mosque in Quebec City and opened fire on men who were attending evening prayer.Guillet said he believes he was chosen to speak because the community wanted someone to convey its concerns and pain without being aggressive or shouting. Muslims in Quebec know him for an orchard he runs in Saint-Remi where he grows apples, berries, figs and other fruit and hosts picnics and Ramadan events.He told the gathering that the victims were the dead, the injured, the witnesses, Quebecers and Canadians — but also the man accused of murder."Before shooting bullets into the heads of his victims, somebody planted ideas, more dangerous than the bullets, in his head," Guillet said at the event.The suspect, Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, faces six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted murder using a restricted firearm. He'll appear before a judge Feb. 21 to face the allegations, which have not been proven in court.Guillet also told Friday's service that he hopes the shooting is the last of its kind.Guillet said Sunday he's thankful for Rowling's praise. His daughter called tell him about it, and he said it has given him a new, younger audience."Mainly I was in contact with the older generation, but with what Mrs. Rowling did, she gave me a new audience which is the Harry Potter generation," Guillet said.Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press.
A choice to work together': Edmonton pastor attends Muslim friend's spiritual meeting-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
When Farooq Maseehuddin enters the room, his friend Bev Sesink immediately greets him with a hug.The Muslim spiritual leader and the Christian spiritual leader are launching a discussion about the power of forgiveness. "She said, 'God, please give to me the forgiveness that I need to give to him,'" Sesink says, recounting a piece of a sermon that captures the resiliency of the Jewish faith during the Holocaust. "I know your word says, 'If I do not forgive, neither will I be forgiven.'"It's Sunday morning and the two men are standing in the foyer of the Boyle Street Community League building, where people have started arriving for Tarjuma, a Muslim community gathering.Sesink has a congregation of his own at Calvary Community Church in Mill Woods, but he articulates a need to be with his friend, whose community is showing tremendous strength in the face of a trying test.The associate pastor left his service early."Where there's a choice to work together, there's an opportunity to learn and serve together and realize we do have a lot in common in spite of the differences we do have," Sesink says.Given the political climate in the United States, where U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries has been stayed, and the fallout from a fatal shooting at Quebec City mosque, Sesink's gesture means a lot to Maseehuddin."I think it speaks to the strength of our friendship. It also speaks to the importance of building connections and building relationships when you're not at the crucible of a geopolitical or national crisis," Maseehuddin says.-'I just began by saying hello'-The two men first connected five years ago. They worked together to build an Islamic version of a Christian program to support young married couples."It means a lot to have a friend like Bev, but it also means a lot for a leader within a local church to extend his hand through the various resources that he has to not just myself and my family, but also our entire community," Maseehuddin says.Sesink had been reading a book titled Muslims, Christians and Jesus by Carl Medearis when it dawned on him how little effort he had made to connect with people of different faiths in his diverse Mill Woods neighbourhood.He contacted the Imam, the person who leads prayer, of the local mosque and began volunteering at nearby school. Slowly, he made his way into the community, unsure he could be a part of it."I just began by saying hello and noticed people were surprised," says Sesink, who has learned greetings in five different languages."People, they warm up, like they're going, 'Maybe I might be accepted.' So I've made a point to do that," he says. "I refuse to be the silent majority that isn't affirming of those who are moving into our community or have been here for some time but still don't feel accepted."Maseehuddin says for some Muslims, that is an unfortunate reality."One thing that Muslims often say is that we just want people to know is that we are just people like everyone else," he says."Sometimes because we wear our faith on our sleeves, in some ways very visibly, it can be intimidating to get to know one another."As Sesink and Maseehuddin have gotten to know one another, they've realized they are very similar. They're both husbands and fathers who want the best for the communities they serve."I think interfaith connection has to be personal if it's going to be real," Maseehuddin says."I think it extends beyond the shells of our faith or our identities as members of a particular faith tradition. It's getting to know one another as people."'What people all across Canada want to see'-Sesink helps himself to a cup of coffee and a cookie as he converses with the Muslim teens manning the reception table. He walks toward the Willow Room, where Mustafa Ghani will deliver a message about spiritual growth. He sits in the second row, listening intently."You have this idea that it does actually make sense to plant this seedling," Ghani tells 50 or so people packed into the small space as they contemplate the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad from different perspectives. "That may grow into fruition. That little plant may grow into a beautiful plant that gives people shade and gives people fruit. And the person has to have hope."The relationship between Sesink and Maseehuddin gives hope to many of the young Muslims who know them, including Umaimah Usmani."I think that's what people all across Canada want to see. It's just the message of inclusiveness and peace and love and harmony," she says."I think it holds onto the Canadian values that this is a country where diversity is accepted and flourishes and where everybody should be able to practice what they believe in."Usmani, a dentist by trade who now has her hands full driving her three children to hockey, soccer and swimming lessons, makes time to come to Tarjuma every week."I think that's the message that the space gives out to people, that it's a wonderful space to connect, to grow spiritually, for your families to connect and it's a wonderful space for me to bring non-Muslim friends just to get a sense of what Muslim spaces look like."Maseehuddin says now more than ever before, that curiosity is there."Muslims are like anyone else. This is a time of a lot of loneliness," he says. "All of us, whether you're Muslim or not, are looking for a sense of belonging, a place to connect."That's what Tarjuma is, it's a place for us to connect on a weekly basis with people that we know, but also to kind of open our arms to anyone who wants to show up and hang out and learn from the ancient traditions of Islam."roberta.bell@cbc.ca-@roberta__bell
IS suspects detained in Turkey raids rises to nearly 750-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has now detained nearly 750 suspects in a police operation against the Islamic State group, authorities said Monday.Anti-terrorism police launched the security operation against people with alleged links to IS early Sunday, conducting simultaneous raids in 29 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and the border provinces of Gaziantep and Sanliurfa.The Interior Ministry released a statement Monday saying that 748 people have been detained in the police sweep, but did not give their nationalities. In addition, 72 other suspects were detained last week, it said.The state-run Anadolu Agency said police seized IS documents, digital material and six firearms during the raids.Anadolu, citing police sources, said the IS was "searching" for ways to carry out a "sensational attack" in Turkey, and was actively engaged in propaganda in order to recruit fighters. It said the raids targeted suspects believed to be in contact with IS operatives in conflict zones.Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Turkey was determined to "bring to their knees" IS and other terror organizations active in the country by blocking them from recruiting new fighters."We will get results," Kurtulmus added.Turkey in the last year has suffered dozens of deadly attacks linked to IS or Kurdish militants, and has been stepping up its anti-terrorism efforts.The Islamic State group, which took responsibility for a New Year's mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people, claims to have multiple cells in Turkey.The accused perpetrator of the nightclub attack, an Uzbek national who reportedly trained in Afghanistan, was detained in Istanbul two weeks after the assault.Officials hoped his questioning would lead to valuable information about IS operations and cells inside Turkey, but it wasn't immediately known if the major raid was in any way linked to his arrest.Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press.
Man found not criminally responsible for bus beheading expected to seek freedom-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
WINNIPEG — A man who beheaded and cannibalized a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba is expected to ask for his freedom today.Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, was found not criminally responsible for the killing of Tim McLean in 2008.Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Baker was initially kept inside a secure wing at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.He was gradually granted more freedom over the years at annual appearances before the Criminal Code Review Board, and started living on his own last year, but is still subject to monitoring and random drug tests.Baker's annual review is scheduled for this afternoon and the victim's mother, Carol de Delley, says justice officials have told her Baker's lawyer will ask for an absolute discharge.De Delley has said that would mean there would be no more monitoring to ensure Baker continues to take his medication.Baker sat next to the 22-year-old McLean on the bus after the young man smiled at him and asked how he was doing.Baker said he heard the voice of God telling him to kill the young carnival worker or "die immediately.''He repeatedly stabbed McLean while the young man fought for his life. As passengers fled the bus, Baker continued stabbing and mutilating the body before he was arrested.His medical team has said he has been a model patient and understands the need to continue to take anti-psychotic medication.The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1999 that a review board must order an absolute discharge if a person doesn't pose a significant threat to public safety.The ruling added there must be clear evidence of a significant risk to the public for the review board to continue imposing conditions after a person is found not criminally responsible.Manitoba Conservative member of Parliament James Bezan, who represents the Selkirk area, said Baker's request for a discharge should be denied.The Canadian Press.
Islamic authority rejects Egypt's move to reform divorce-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 5, 2017
CAIRO — Egypt's top Islamic authority on Sunday rejected President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's suggestion that legislation be adopted to invalidate the practice of Muslim men verbally divorcing their wives.It marked a rare instance of a public institution contradicting the president, who has presided over a wide-scale crackdown on dissent in recent years while seeking to rally the country's entrenched interests behind him.The Council of Senior Clerics in Al-Azhar — the highest authority in Sunni Islam — unanimously ruled that verbal divorce, when meeting all requirements, has been an undisputed practice since the days of the 7th century Prophet Muhammad.The requirements, it explained, included that the man has a sound mind, full consciousness and uses appropriate phrasing. Muslim women in Egypt cannot verbally divorce their husbands but can apply for divorce in a court of law.In a carefully-worded statement, the council made no mention of el-Sissi, or his suggestion last month for legislation requiring such divorces to be carried out in the presence of a state-authorized cleric. It was addressed to "the people."However, its rejection of the president's proposal was uncompromising, and it made a thinly-veiled reference to the constitution, which refers to Al-Azhar as the main authority on religious and Islamic affairs.The council expressed concern over the high rate of divorce in Egypt, where 40 per cent of marriages end in divorce within five years, according to figures cited by the president. But it pointed out that the figures include only documented divorces, suggesting that reducing the number of verbal divorces would have little impact.El-Sissi had proposed the change during a televised address he gave last month with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, in attendance. He turned to him and said with a smile: "What do you think, your eminence, the imam?" indirectly acknowledging that he needed al-Azhar's backing for his proposed legislation.Al-Tayeb, appointed by presidential decree, heads the Council of Senior Clerics.Ayman al-Sayad, an analyst who closely monitors religious affairs, said that Al-Azhar's rejection of the proposal showed that it has "drawn a clear line between religion and politics." He added: "It has decisively settled the issue, but went to great lengths so as not to appear confrontational."El-Sissi, a devout Muslim whose public comments are often peppered with Quranic verses or mentions of God, has repeatedly called for moderating Islam's discourse to counter extremism. Recently, he instructed authorities to standardize Friday sermons in mosques across Egypt, a move billed as combatting extremism but which was seen by critics as further curtailing free speech.The statement was a cautious pushback against el-Sissi, asserting a measure of independence for Al-Azhar in the face of a president who seeks to rally everyone and every institution behind him, according to author and columnist Basma Abdel-Aziz.But it also reflects the influence wielded by senior conservative clerics in an institution that prides itself on being the chief propagator of moderate Islam while remaining a bastion of religious conservatism, said Abdel-Aziz.Hamza Hendawi, The Associated Press.
Shelling stops in eastern Ukraine town, leaving death and destitution-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
After a week of extensive and indiscriminate shelling, the government-controlled town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine finally got its first night of relative calm Saturday, and Sunday brought restored electricity.In this part of the world, however, relative calm means that bombardments are a couple kilometres away, instead of a couple of metres.Residents of Avdiivka, a small town just outside the Russian-backed separatist stronghold of Donetsk, could only describe the past week as a living hell.After two years of peace, the civil war in eastern Ukraine has reignited, with Avdiivka on the front line. The fighting last week left 35 dead, Radio Free Europe reported. And on some nights during the ceaseless bombardments, temperatures reached –20 C.The Ukrainian conflict began in early spring 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. More than 9,750 people have been killed since fighting in eastern Ukraine first erupted.Emergency workers restored electricity in the town Sunday, and residents are thankful that at least they once again have heated homes and apartments.For some, however, like Anatoliy Karabaz, 70, and his wife Elena, 71, electricity is little consolation given their losses.Sometime on Thursday night or Friday morning, a shell exploded through their fourth-floor apartment and tore a hole the size of a small car through the exterior wall.Their building was one of 114 that were damaged, according to Pavel Malychin, the head of military and civilian administration in Avdiivka. The Karabazs' apartment, however, was effectively destroyed.Fortunately, the elderly Karabazs were sleeping in their daughter's apartment on the first floor when the shell landed. They'd chosen to stay there because Anatoliy's recent heart attack had made it difficult to climb the four flights of stairs to get to the top, said Elena. "Otherwise we would be dead."Half a kilometre down the road, another woman wasn't as fortunate as Elena and Anatoliy. She was killed when shrapnel led to "injuries incompatible with life," Dnipropetrovsk regional war adviser Tetiana Guba said in an interview. The woman left behind a nine-year-old son.After the damage, the temperature in the Karabazs' home was the same as the outside world.Coming up the stairs of the four-storey, Soviet-era low-rise, and entering through the front door is all the same as walking out onto a balcony in the freezing cold winter.From the front entrance, one can now see right through the apartment and out to a treeline that separates the town from the frontline of the conflict, less than one kilometre away."This was our dinner table," says Anatoliy, as he shuffles through the wreckage. "My own grandfather built this table. This was where my family gathered!"At 8 a.m. last Friday morning, the Karabazs made the 10-minute walk to a makeshift humanitarian aid centre in the town. With tears in his eyes, Anatoliy pleaded for help from Ukrainian emergency workers gathered within the camp.He was told he'd have to file a damage report at the city administration building, just like all the other people affected by the hellish week of fighting.Inside the city administration building, the scene was hectic, with dozens of other residents gathered in a small corridor demanding answers.The calm and quiet Elena had to take over the paperwork process from Anatoliy, who was fighting back tears while shouting in exasperation.The authorities in Avdiivka, although flush with humanitarian aid and basic necessities, seemed less than adequately prepared to guide the flock of despondent residents through this arduous bureaucratic process.It was likely no fault of their own, however, because no one foresaw this type of lightning fast escalation in Ukraine.The Karabazs had to spend the next part of their morning filing yet another damage report. This time, it was in the town's police station. Regular police are long gone from this frontline town, replaced by officers dressed in full camouflage and carrying assault rifles. They are now entirely indistinguishable from soldiers, except for a patch on their chests that reads "Police."Inside, an officer patiently took down the couple's names, ages and address before looking up."So, Elena Karabaz, tell me. What was destroyed?"She paused for a second before throwing up her hands."Everything!" she replied-Outside the station, the elderly couple was met by their weeping daughter. She'd given up her apartment to her parents after the heart attack and moved her family to a small village a short drive away. This was the first she'd seen of them after her father called that morning to give her the news.Elena, Anatoliy, their daughter and her husband packed themselves into a small orange car and drove back to their damaged home.-40 years at plant-Back at the building, their daughter remained in the hallway, only peering through the front door. She couldn't bear to step inside. The damage within was incomprehensible to someone who'd grown up in the home. Until 2014, the Karabazs had spent their entire lives living in quiet peace in Avdiivka.Anatoliy and Elena both spent 40 years working at the local plant, which employs most of the town's residents, and were enjoying a quiet retirement. They never imagined spending their twilight years in the brutality of war. Nor could they have ever imagined that it would take away everything they'd worked for.As police wrapped up their investigation inside the home, Anatoliy asked his wife for just one last thing before they left the ruins of their lifelong home."Come on honey, let's take one more picture here," he joked to Elena. "So, we'll have a memory of this day!"Through her tears, Anatoliy's daughter fell into a little fit of laughter at her dad's joke.
UN: More than 900 children killed in Afghanistan in 2016-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
KABUL — More than 900 children were killed in Afghanistan's conflict last year, the United Nations said Monday, calling it the most violent year for children since it started keeping records.The U.N. mission said the nearly 25 per cent increase in child deaths from the previous year was largely caused by mines and munitions left over from decades of conflict. It documented a 66 per cent increase in such deaths in 2016."Conflict-related violence exacted a heavy toll on Afghanistan in 2016, with an overall deterioration in civilian protection and the highest-total civilian casualties recorded since 2009, when UNAMA began systematic documentation of civilian casualties," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in its annual report.It said 3,498 people were killed in 2016, including 923 children, and that another 7,920 people were wounded. The overall casualty toll was slightly higher than the previous year."I am deeply saddened to report, for yet another year, another increase in civilian casualties, another all-time high figure," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, told a press conference.The aid group Save the Children said the latest figures were "extremely concerning," and called on all parties to do more to protect civilians.The Taliban, who have been waging an insurgency against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul for more than 15 years, advanced on a number of fronts in 2016. Afghan forces have struggled to combat the militants since the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014."The humanitarian situation across much of Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly in the past 12 months," Save the Children's country director, Ana Locsin, said in a statement."With the start of the traditional fighting season not far away with the end of winter, it could get even worse in the coming months," she said.The Associated Press.
Halifax police will not participate in Pride parade amid 'national debate'-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
Halifax's police force says it will not participate in the city's Pride parade this year after considering the "national debate" about law enforcement involvement in such events.A news release from Halifax Regional Police says the decision was made after several months of discussions with Halifax Pride.Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais says participating in the parade may contribute to divisions in the Pride community, and stepping away from it will allow for meaningful discussions on the issue.Halifax Pride executive director Adam Reid says he supports the proactive decision, and believes the Halifax force is the first in Canada to take such an approach.The force says it will be involved in other Pride activities, to be determined through consultation with the "LGBT2Q+ community," such as a community barbecue or public lecture.Last month, Pride Toronto members voted to ostensibly ban official police floats from marches and parades, adopting a list of demands put forward by that city's chapter of Black Lives Matter.Pride Toronto issued an apology in September for what it described as a "history of anti-blackness'' and "repeated marginalization of the marginalized."The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the Toronto Pride vote took place earlier this month.
Trump vows US, allies will defeat 'radical Islamic terrorism'-[AFP]-Andrew BEATTY-YAHOONEWS-February 6, 2017
MacDill Air Force Base (United States) (AFP) - President Donald Trump vowed Monday that America and its allies would defeat the "forces of death" and keep radical jihadists from gaining a foothold on US soil, but did not offer details about his strategy to defeat the Islamic State group.In his first visit to US Central Command -- responsible for an area that includes the Middle East and Central Asia -- Trump did not say whether he would scrap the anti-IS mission in Iraq and Syria undertaken by his predecessor Barack Obama."Today we deliver a message in one very unified voice to these forces of death and destruction -- America and its allies will defeat you. We will defeat them," he told about 300 military personnel at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida."We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism. And we will not allow to it take root in our country," Trump added."Freedom, security, and justice will prevail."He accused Islamic State fighters of leading a "campaign of genocide, committing atrocities across the world.""Radical Islamic terrorists are determined to strike our homeland as they did on 9/11, as they did from Boston to Orlando to San Bernardino, and all across Europe," added the president.He claimed that the "the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report" on certain attacks, without offering any corroborating evidence to back up his allegation."They have their reasons," he said, without explaining further.- 30-day review -Trump had made fighting "radical Islamic terrorism" a central plank of his election campaign and the issue is emerging as the organizing principle of his foreign and domestic policies.Centcom plays a key role in Operation Inherent Resolve -- the US-led mission to "degrade and defeat" the Islamic State group -- which has resulted in 17,861 strikes across northern Syria and Iraq since August 2016.In late January, the president ordered generals to begin a 30-day review of the US strategy to defeat IS.Trump visited the base as he made his way back to Washington following a three-day break at his Mar-a-Lago estate in southern Florida.The Republican president, now in his third week on the job, had lunch with enlisted soldiers before making brief remarks.Apart from seizing territory and declaring a caliphate, the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for attacks in Africa, Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia and across the Middle East.It's seen as having influenced attackers in San Bernardino, California, who killed 14 people in December 2015, and the attacker of an Orlando nightclub, who left 49 dead in June last year.
