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)
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Massachusetts governor shrugs off LGBT group's booing as ‘part of my job’-[Reuters]-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday chalked up an incident in which he was booed off a stage for his tepid stance on a transgender rights bill as "part of my job.""My job is to meet with everybody and anybody and sometimes that means I am going to spend time with audiences who don't agree with me. And that's part of my job," Baker, a Republican, told reporters on Thursday morning, a day after the incident.Baker had angered attendees at the Boston Spirit LGBT Executive Networking Night when he declined to say whether he would sign a bill the state Senate plans to take up next month that would prohibit discrimination against transgender people in public, including in bathrooms.Baker said on Thursday he does not comment on pending legislation, but will consider the bill when it comes to his desk.A moderate Republican in the first U.S. state to legalize gay marriage more than a decade ago, Baker has generally supported gay rights.The new Massachusetts bill, which has bipartisan support in the state legislature, is being discussed as a wave of southern U.S. states are debating and passing laws requiring individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds with their birth gender.(Reporting by Scott Malone, editing by G Crosse)
Bathroom access for transgender people debated across South-[Associated Press]-SEANNA ADCOX-April 13, 2016-YAHOONEWS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Louisiana's governor issued an executive order Wednesday banning discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and transgender people in South Carolina told state senators that a bill requiring them to use a public bathroom corresponding to their "biological sex" puts them in danger of harassment.The overwhelming majority of people at the Senate hearing opposed the measure, which mimics part of a North Carolina law signed last month that has brought a national backlash. No vote was taken.In Tennessee, 60 business leaders — including the CEOs of Williams-Sonoma, Airbnb, Alcoa, T-Mobile and Dow Chemical — signed a letter asking lawmakers to kill similar legislation. The events seemed to unfold across the South almost simultaneously as the fight over LGBT rights raged on.The South Carolina bill introduced by Sen. Lee Bright would require multistall bathrooms on public property to be designated and used "based on biological sex." It specifically includes student bathrooms, locker rooms and showers in public schools. It would also bar local governments from requiring businesses to let transgender people use the bathroom of their choice.Bright said he's had enough of tolerance if that means "men who claim to be women" going into a bathroom with children."I don't believe transgender people are pedophiles," the Republican said. "I think grown adult men would use this as protection to violate women in the restroom."U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles, who was invited to the hearing to discuss instances in South Carolina of transgender people verbally or physically assaulting someone, had a simple answer: "I can find none."He declined to give any position on the bill, but when asked whether current laws protect people from being victimized, he said, "the state of South Carolina has laws to address assault and battery."Dex Sexton, 17, of Blythewood, said people don't undress openly in women's restrooms, as stalls provide privacy. If the issue is fear of assault, he asked, then why are men who have abused little boys not forced to use a different bathroom? "It's protections against sexual assault that stop them, not because they can't use the men's bathroom," he said.In Louisiana, the LGBT protection order signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards prohibits state agencies, boards and contractors from harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, disability or age. State contracts will be required to include a similar anti-discrimination provision.Edwards, in office since January, also terminated a religious objections executive order issued by former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal last year. That "Marriage and Conscience" order from Jindal prohibited state agencies under the governor's control from denying licenses, benefits, contracts or tax deductions to businesses and people that take actions because of a "religious belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman."At the South Carolina hearing, opponents said the proposal would do the opposite of its purported intention."Look at me and tell me I belong in the men's restroom," said Capri Culpepper, who was wearing a blue, low-cut dress and fingernails with red polish. Last year, she settled a lawsuit against the state Department of Motor Vehicles after being told to remove her makeup for a driver's license photo. "Our community is already at risk for sexual assault and violence."Culpepper was among nine transgender people who stood in a show of support. Opponents also questioned how the bill would be enforced."In everyday life, how do we determine whether someone we're with is male or female? We look at them. We don't inspect their genitalia," said University of South Carolina law professor Gregory Adams. "Are we going to start looking at their birth certificate?"The bill has little chance this year. House GOP leaders have said they won't deal with the issue and Republican Gov. Nikki Haley has called it unnecessary.___Melinda Deslatte from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Sheila Burke in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
North Carolina mom afraid when told to cover breastfeeding-[Associated Press]-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman says she was "terrified" when a judge told her to cover herself while breastfeeding or leave his courtroom.Stephanie Rhodus, 25, of Forest City, said she was trying to breastfeed her 8-month-old son, Archer, on Monday during a child custody case involving an older child when the judge gave the order."He was extremely condescending, threatening. He was aggressive," she told WHNS-TV."Ma'am, you need to cover up," District Court Judge Peter Knight said according to an audio recording obtained by local media. "For you not to realize that is absolutely ridiculous."Step outside and cover up, right now. Stand up and go," Parker said. As he continued to speak to the woman, he told her she could be seated and continue to read her complaint if she buttoned up.Rhodus can be heard saying that she is finished reading the complaint.North Carolina law says "a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be."Rhodus later told news outlets she didn't want to use a blanket because her son doesn't like to be covered while she's breastfeeding."I do apologize for the breastfeeding," Rhodus said after she finished reading the complaint."We as a court routinely accommodate women who are nursing, including while they are waiting for a case to be called in the courtroom," Knight said in a statement emailed to The Washington Post. "When a case is called and a party is participating in a formal hearing before the court, all litigants are expected to respect the same rules of procedure, decorum and dress.""I was terrified, I never expected anything like that," Rhodus told the newspaper.Knight ruled against Rhodus in the case involving her mother, who has custody of Rhodus' 8-year-old son.
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.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
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.
Turkey rejects EU parliament's critical report-By EUOBSERVER-APR 14,16
Today, 15:49-A European Parliament report adopted on Thursday is "null and void", Turkish Europe minister Volkan Bozkir said. The report says there has been a "regression" in Turkey in areas like freedom of expression and judicial independence, and that MEPs are concerned about escalating violence in the south east.
Belgian minister 'ignored EU security warning'-By EUOBSERVER-APR 14,16
Today, 13:41-Belgian opposition parties Ecolo and Green have called for transport minister Jacqueline Galant to quit, accusing her of failing to act on a classified 2011 European Commission report that warned of security flaws at Belgian airports. MPs are due to question her in a late parliamentary meeting on Thursday.
Poland: EU migrant quota plan is 'dead'-By EUOBSERVER-APR 16,16
Today, 12:45-The plan to distribute 160,000 migrants across the EU is "dead", Poland's deputy foreign minister Konrad Szymanski told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper on Thursday. He said he did not see EU countries implementing the decision on relocation.
European Parliament adopts EU PNR-By EUOBSERVER-APR 16,16
Today, 12:37-The European Parliament on Thursday adopted the European passenger name record (EU PNR). EU PNR will give authorities in EU states access to flight data details of people flying into and out of Europe in their effort to tackle terrorism. The bill was introduced five years ago.
MEPs set to back air-passenger data sharing By Nikolaj Nielsen-APR 14,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:22-After five years of heated debate, the European parliament is set to approve an anti-terrorism law on Thursday (14 April) that will give national authorities sweeping access to airline passenger data."It is one all EU governments and indeed the United States government have requested as a very important tool to tackling terrorism," British conservative Timothy Kirkhope, who steered the bill through parliament, told reporters in Strasbourg.The EU passenger name records (PNR) bill is likely to pass despite widespread criticism from civil liberties defenders who say it will do little to prevent or tackle terrorism.Defenders of the bill say it will help security services in the EU identify suspicious behavioural patterns in their efforts to crack down on potential terrorists and other criminals.Information like passengers' names, travel dates, itinerary, and payment method will be retained for up to five years and masked after six months.The data will be stored in new so-called Passenger Information Units to be set up in each EU member state. The units will pass on the information to the police where necessary.The rules would apply to flights to and from destinations outside the EU, but member states can also apply them to flights inside the EU."EU governments have it made clear that they really do wish to begin operating the system almost immediately," noted Kirkhope.Recent attacks in Europe have piled on the political pressure from capitals for EU lawmakers to pass the bill.Critics point out that 15 out of the 17 attackers in Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris were already known to the police and that the real problem is the lack of information sharing among intelligence agencies.-Years and money-To address the gap, Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in’t Veld introduced a last-minute amendment to the bill that would have required a mandatory exchange of the air-travel data among all EU countries."It remains to be seen if we get the security that everybody has been talking about or whether this is just fake security," she said.Kirkhope's bill requires authorities to share information only when it is requested.Meanwhile, EU lawmakers are unable to estimate how much the new system will cost taxpayers.But Giovanni Buttereli, the EU's top data protection supervisor, told this website last December that "establishing a new large scale database will require years and an unbelievable amount of money"."To identify if someone is travelling outside the EU, we don't need an EU PNR. This data are already easily available in the airline reservation system," he noted.That information is found in the EU's advanced passenger information (API) directive. API data includes the name, place of birth and nationality of the person, the passport number and expiry date.But intense pressure and lobbying from France's prime minister Manuel Valls, who came to Strasbourg on Tuesday, helped push the bill to Thursday's vote.-Quiet financing-In a further twist, the EU commission had been quietly financing national PNR systems since 2013, long before the bill had been signed into law.France received the biggest slice from the commission purse and was awarded €17.8 million, followed by the Netherlands at €5.7 million and Hungary at €5 million."You are delivering a symbolic measure at the cost of effective security and civil liberties of EU citizens," German Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht told the Strasbourg assembly on Wednesday.The EU also has PNR agreements with the Australia, Canada and the United States.
As Amnesty warns about Saudi arms sale, Trudeau says deal a matter of principle-[The Canadian Press]-The Canadian Press-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
LONDON, Ont. - Amnesty International is raising red flags about the sale of Canadian-made armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sticking to the deal, saying a contract is a contract.Amnesty says it is worried that Canadian armour sold to the Saudis earlier may have been used in ground attacks in Yemen.Trudeau says the agreement is a matter of principle.He says the contract signed under the previous government must be honoured by his government.Canada's word has to mean something in the international community.Contracts can't just be abandoned, he says."It's important that people know that when they sign a deal with Canada, a change of government isn't going to lead to the contract being ripped up," Trudeau said Thursday at a news conference in London, Ont.He also noted that a lot of Canadian jobs are at stake.He was speaking in the home of General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, which is building the light armoured vehicles that are at issue in the multibillion-dollar deal.Amnesty said it was disappointed with the sale."We have good reason to fear that light armoured vehicles supplied to Saudi security forces are likely to be used in situations that would violate human rights, whether these forces are intervening in neighbouring countries or suppressing demonstrations and unrest within Saudi Arabia," the agency said in a statement.Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, noting earlier sales of similar armour to the Saudis, said there is no reason to think those vehicles have been misused."Our best, and regularly updated, information indicates that Saudi Arabia has not misused the equipment to violate human rights," he said in a statement. "Nor has the equipment been used in a manner contrary to the strategic interests of Canada and its allies."He said he will be watching the situation.Trudeau said future sales will come under scrutiny."From now on, now that this government is in office, we will be demonstrating transparency and rigour and showing Canadians that we are abiding by our principles and the laws that are in place."
US sending commandos, combat aircraft to Philippines-[The Canadian Press]-Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MANILA, Philippines - In a military buildup certain to inflame tensions with China, the United States said Thursday it will send troops and combat aircraft to the Philippines for regular, more frequent rotations, and will conduct more joint sea and air patrols with Philippine forces in the South China Sea.The announcement by U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter in a news conference with Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was the first time the U.S. disclosed that its ships had carried out sea patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.Carter insisted that the U.S. did not intend to be provocative and was "trying to tamp down tensions here." But Gazmin said he expected that U.S. forces, "with their presence here, will deter uncalled-for actions by the Chinese."The increased troop presence is part of a broader U.S. campaign to expand its assistance to the Philippines as America shores up its allies in the Asia-Pacific that are roiled by China's building of man-made islands in the South China Sea. While the military boost does not include permanent basing for U.S. troops, China views any increased U.S. military presence and activities in the region as a threat."Military exchanges by relevant countries should not target third parties, much less support a few countries in challenging China's sovereignty and security, inciting regional contradictions and sabotaging regional peace and stability," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in response to Carter's announcement.Carter said the U.S. will keep nearly 300 troops, including Air Force special operations forces armed with combat aircraft and helicopters, in the Philippines through the end of the month. The U.S. will increase troop rotations to strengthen training and support increased military operations in the region.Speaking in the guest house of the presidential complex, Carter said the joint patrols will improve the Philippine navy and "contribute to the safety and security of the region's waters." Two patrols have taken place since March. The U.S. also has conducted joint patrols with Japan in the region.Carter has said that China's increased aggression in the region is compelling more countries to reach out to the U.S., strengthening their military ties with Washington.The increase in military support comes days after the Philippines' ambassador to the U.S. asked the Obama administration to help persuade China not to build in the nearby Scarborough Shoal, which is viewed as important to Philippine fishermen. Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. said the Philippines cannot stop China from building there. China has built man-made islands in other contested spots in the South China Sea.Charlito Maniago, the leader of a northwestern Philippine village where many fishermen lost access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal after China seized it in 2012, said the joint patrols will bring hope that fishermen can again sail freely to the rich fishing ground."This will boost the confidence of our fishermen because they think the U.S. has the capability to defend them," Maniago told The Associated Press by telephone from the coastal village of Cato in Pangasinan province. "The presence of America will make China think twice."The Pentagon said the U.S. forces that will remain in the Philippines are already participating in the Balikatan, or shoulder-to-shoulder combat exercises, that will end Friday. About 200 airmen, including special operations forces, will remain at Clark Air Base, along with three of their Pave Hawk attack helicopters, an MC-130H Combat Talon II special mission aircraft and five A-10 combat aircraft.This initial contingent will provide training to increase the two militaries' ability to work together, laying the groundwork for forces to perform joint air patrols.Up to 75 Marines will stay at Camp Aguinaldo to support increased U.S. and Philippine combined military operations.The troops and aircraft are expected to leave at the end of April, but other U.S. forces and aircraft would do similar rotations into the Philippines routinely in the future. Carter would not say how frequently those rotations would happen, but called it a "regular periodic presence."Last week the Pentagon announced that the U.S. will give the Philippines about $40 million in military assistance to bolster intelligence-sharing, surveillance and naval patrols. Carter said the aid will include an enhanced information network for classified communications, sensors for patrol vessels and an unmanned aerostat reconnaissance airship to help the Philippines keep watch over its territory.The U.S. will get access to five Philippine military bases to house American forces that will rotate in and out of the country for training and other missions.Scarborough Shoal is at the centre of a case that Manila filed with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international panel, in January 2013 after Chinese coast guard ships took effective control of the disputed land following a tense standoff with Filipino ships.The shoal sits about 145 miles (230 kilometres) west of the Philippines, and 620 miles (1,000 kilometres) from the Chinese coast.The court has agreed to take the case. Beijing says the panel has no jurisdiction in the matter.___Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in Manila and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.
Russian jets in repeated 'aggressive' passes of US warship-[AFP]-Thomas Watkins-April 13, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Washington (AFP) - A Russian military jet came within a few feet of a US destroyer in international waters in the Baltic Sea during a series of "aggressive" overflights, US officials said Wednesday.Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the USS Donald Cook this week, including an incident Tuesday in which a Russian Su-24 flew just 30 feet (nine meters) above the ship in a "simulated attack profile," the US military's European Command said."We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers," EUCOM said in a statement."These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries and could result in a miscalculation."The incidents come at a time of friction between Moscow and Washington over Russian involvement in conflicts in eastern Ukraine and in Syria, and in an area of eastern Europe that the Kremlin considers its "backyard."EUCOM released video showing warplanes zooming so close past the Cook that one sailor can be heard saying: "He is below the bridge wing," meaning the plane was flying lower than the highest point of the ship.A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "This is more aggressive than anything we've seen in some time."White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the overflights "entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters and international airspace."- Altitude of 100 feet -The maneuvers began Monday while the destroyer was located about 70 nautical miles from Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave, in international waters.Two Russian Su-24s flew 20 times past the USS Cook at a distance of less than 1,000 yards (meters) and at an altitude of about 100 feet, the official said.Then on Tuesday, a Russian Ka-27 Helix anti-submarine helicopter flew seven times around the destroyer, taking photographs as it passed.Shortly after, two Su-24s roared toward the ship, making 11 close-range and low-altitude passes, including one that was "so low it created wake in the water," the official said.The plane was "wings clean," meaning it was not visibly armed, he added.US sailors tried multiple times to hail the Russian craft on international frequencies but got no response."The Russian aircraft flew in a simulated attack profile and failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and Russian," EUCOM said."USS Donald Cook's commanding officer deemed several of these maneuvers as unsafe and unprofessional."A Polish helicopter had been conducting drills on the destroyer and was refueling during one of the overflights."As a safety precaution, flight operations were suspended until the Su-24s departed the area," EUCOM said.The Pentagon periodically decries the risky tactics displayed by Russian pilots."There have been repeated incidents over the last year where the Russian military, including Russian military aircraft, have come close enough to each other or have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns," Earnest said.Exactly two years ago -- on April 12, 2014 -- a Russian Su-24 made numerous close-range, low-altitude passes near the USS Donald Cook while it was in the Black Sea, in an incident the Pentagon at the time called a "provocative act."
First Nations leaders plead with MPs to deal with reserve health troubles-[The Canadian Press]-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - Aboriginal leaders painted a bleak picture of dire and deadly conditions on reserves during testimony Thursday before a parliamentary committee.First Nations leaders, including Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, urged the federal government to address tragedies playing out on the ground."I cannot count how many funerals I have gone to in our communities," Fiddler said.His organization, which represents northern Ontario communities, declared a public health emergency in February.Dr. Michael Kirlew, a physician based in Sioux Lookout, Ont., also pleaded with the committee to ensure there is "drastic change, quickly.""The longer we wait, the more people will die," he said."The more time that we wait, the more children will die. I appeal to you today, not as politicians, not as members of political parties ... let's return the humanity to this process. This process needs that humanity."The committee hearing follows an emergency debate in the Commons earlier this week about the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation.The debate was called at the request of NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus.Canada didn't arrive at a crisis by accident, Angus said during question period Thursday, noting the government routinely denies access to medical services.Health Minister Jane Philpott said 18 mental health workers have been sent to Attawapiskat to help with the crisis.The community's leaders declared a state of emergency on Saturday, citing 11 suicide attempts so far in the month of April and 28 recorded attempts in March.On Monday, officials thwarted what they called a suicide pact by 13 young aboriginal people on the reserve, including a nine-year-old.
BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Thursday chalked up an incident in which he was booed off a stage for his tepid stance on a transgender rights bill as "part of my job.""My job is to meet with everybody and anybody and sometimes that means I am going to spend time with audiences who don't agree with me. And that's part of my job," Baker, a Republican, told reporters on Thursday morning, a day after the incident.Baker had angered attendees at the Boston Spirit LGBT Executive Networking Night when he declined to say whether he would sign a bill the state Senate plans to take up next month that would prohibit discrimination against transgender people in public, including in bathrooms.Baker said on Thursday he does not comment on pending legislation, but will consider the bill when it comes to his desk.A moderate Republican in the first U.S. state to legalize gay marriage more than a decade ago, Baker has generally supported gay rights.The new Massachusetts bill, which has bipartisan support in the state legislature, is being discussed as a wave of southern U.S. states are debating and passing laws requiring individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds with their birth gender.(Reporting by Scott Malone, editing by G Crosse)
Bathroom access for transgender people debated across South-[Associated Press]-SEANNA ADCOX-April 13, 2016-YAHOONEWS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Louisiana's governor issued an executive order Wednesday banning discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and transgender people in South Carolina told state senators that a bill requiring them to use a public bathroom corresponding to their "biological sex" puts them in danger of harassment.The overwhelming majority of people at the Senate hearing opposed the measure, which mimics part of a North Carolina law signed last month that has brought a national backlash. No vote was taken.In Tennessee, 60 business leaders — including the CEOs of Williams-Sonoma, Airbnb, Alcoa, T-Mobile and Dow Chemical — signed a letter asking lawmakers to kill similar legislation. The events seemed to unfold across the South almost simultaneously as the fight over LGBT rights raged on.The South Carolina bill introduced by Sen. Lee Bright would require multistall bathrooms on public property to be designated and used "based on biological sex." It specifically includes student bathrooms, locker rooms and showers in public schools. It would also bar local governments from requiring businesses to let transgender people use the bathroom of their choice.Bright said he's had enough of tolerance if that means "men who claim to be women" going into a bathroom with children."I don't believe transgender people are pedophiles," the Republican said. "I think grown adult men would use this as protection to violate women in the restroom."U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles, who was invited to the hearing to discuss instances in South Carolina of transgender people verbally or physically assaulting someone, had a simple answer: "I can find none."He declined to give any position on the bill, but when asked whether current laws protect people from being victimized, he said, "the state of South Carolina has laws to address assault and battery."Dex Sexton, 17, of Blythewood, said people don't undress openly in women's restrooms, as stalls provide privacy. If the issue is fear of assault, he asked, then why are men who have abused little boys not forced to use a different bathroom? "It's protections against sexual assault that stop them, not because they can't use the men's bathroom," he said.In Louisiana, the LGBT protection order signed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards prohibits state agencies, boards and contractors from harassment or discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, disability or age. State contracts will be required to include a similar anti-discrimination provision.Edwards, in office since January, also terminated a religious objections executive order issued by former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal last year. That "Marriage and Conscience" order from Jindal prohibited state agencies under the governor's control from denying licenses, benefits, contracts or tax deductions to businesses and people that take actions because of a "religious belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman."At the South Carolina hearing, opponents said the proposal would do the opposite of its purported intention."Look at me and tell me I belong in the men's restroom," said Capri Culpepper, who was wearing a blue, low-cut dress and fingernails with red polish. Last year, she settled a lawsuit against the state Department of Motor Vehicles after being told to remove her makeup for a driver's license photo. "Our community is already at risk for sexual assault and violence."Culpepper was among nine transgender people who stood in a show of support. Opponents also questioned how the bill would be enforced."In everyday life, how do we determine whether someone we're with is male or female? We look at them. We don't inspect their genitalia," said University of South Carolina law professor Gregory Adams. "Are we going to start looking at their birth certificate?"The bill has little chance this year. House GOP leaders have said they won't deal with the issue and Republican Gov. Nikki Haley has called it unnecessary.___Melinda Deslatte from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Sheila Burke in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.
North Carolina mom afraid when told to cover breastfeeding-[Associated Press]-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina woman says she was "terrified" when a judge told her to cover herself while breastfeeding or leave his courtroom.Stephanie Rhodus, 25, of Forest City, said she was trying to breastfeed her 8-month-old son, Archer, on Monday during a child custody case involving an older child when the judge gave the order."He was extremely condescending, threatening. He was aggressive," she told WHNS-TV."Ma'am, you need to cover up," District Court Judge Peter Knight said according to an audio recording obtained by local media. "For you not to realize that is absolutely ridiculous."Step outside and cover up, right now. Stand up and go," Parker said. As he continued to speak to the woman, he told her she could be seated and continue to read her complaint if she buttoned up.Rhodus can be heard saying that she is finished reading the complaint.North Carolina law says "a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be."Rhodus later told news outlets she didn't want to use a blanket because her son doesn't like to be covered while she's breastfeeding."I do apologize for the breastfeeding," Rhodus said after she finished reading the complaint."We as a court routinely accommodate women who are nursing, including while they are waiting for a case to be called in the courtroom," Knight said in a statement emailed to The Washington Post. "When a case is called and a party is participating in a formal hearing before the court, all litigants are expected to respect the same rules of procedure, decorum and dress.""I was terrified, I never expected anything like that," Rhodus told the newspaper.Knight ruled against Rhodus in the case involving her mother, who has custody of Rhodus' 8-year-old son.
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.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
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.
Turkey rejects EU parliament's critical report-By EUOBSERVER-APR 14,16
Today, 15:49-A European Parliament report adopted on Thursday is "null and void", Turkish Europe minister Volkan Bozkir said. The report says there has been a "regression" in Turkey in areas like freedom of expression and judicial independence, and that MEPs are concerned about escalating violence in the south east.
Belgian minister 'ignored EU security warning'-By EUOBSERVER-APR 14,16
Today, 13:41-Belgian opposition parties Ecolo and Green have called for transport minister Jacqueline Galant to quit, accusing her of failing to act on a classified 2011 European Commission report that warned of security flaws at Belgian airports. MPs are due to question her in a late parliamentary meeting on Thursday.
Poland: EU migrant quota plan is 'dead'-By EUOBSERVER-APR 16,16
Today, 12:45-The plan to distribute 160,000 migrants across the EU is "dead", Poland's deputy foreign minister Konrad Szymanski told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper on Thursday. He said he did not see EU countries implementing the decision on relocation.
European Parliament adopts EU PNR-By EUOBSERVER-APR 16,16
Today, 12:37-The European Parliament on Thursday adopted the European passenger name record (EU PNR). EU PNR will give authorities in EU states access to flight data details of people flying into and out of Europe in their effort to tackle terrorism. The bill was introduced five years ago.
MEPs set to back air-passenger data sharing By Nikolaj Nielsen-APR 14,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:22-After five years of heated debate, the European parliament is set to approve an anti-terrorism law on Thursday (14 April) that will give national authorities sweeping access to airline passenger data."It is one all EU governments and indeed the United States government have requested as a very important tool to tackling terrorism," British conservative Timothy Kirkhope, who steered the bill through parliament, told reporters in Strasbourg.The EU passenger name records (PNR) bill is likely to pass despite widespread criticism from civil liberties defenders who say it will do little to prevent or tackle terrorism.Defenders of the bill say it will help security services in the EU identify suspicious behavioural patterns in their efforts to crack down on potential terrorists and other criminals.Information like passengers' names, travel dates, itinerary, and payment method will be retained for up to five years and masked after six months.The data will be stored in new so-called Passenger Information Units to be set up in each EU member state. The units will pass on the information to the police where necessary.The rules would apply to flights to and from destinations outside the EU, but member states can also apply them to flights inside the EU."EU governments have it made clear that they really do wish to begin operating the system almost immediately," noted Kirkhope.Recent attacks in Europe have piled on the political pressure from capitals for EU lawmakers to pass the bill.Critics point out that 15 out of the 17 attackers in Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris were already known to the police and that the real problem is the lack of information sharing among intelligence agencies.-Years and money-To address the gap, Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in’t Veld introduced a last-minute amendment to the bill that would have required a mandatory exchange of the air-travel data among all EU countries."It remains to be seen if we get the security that everybody has been talking about or whether this is just fake security," she said.Kirkhope's bill requires authorities to share information only when it is requested.Meanwhile, EU lawmakers are unable to estimate how much the new system will cost taxpayers.But Giovanni Buttereli, the EU's top data protection supervisor, told this website last December that "establishing a new large scale database will require years and an unbelievable amount of money"."To identify if someone is travelling outside the EU, we don't need an EU PNR. This data are already easily available in the airline reservation system," he noted.That information is found in the EU's advanced passenger information (API) directive. API data includes the name, place of birth and nationality of the person, the passport number and expiry date.But intense pressure and lobbying from France's prime minister Manuel Valls, who came to Strasbourg on Tuesday, helped push the bill to Thursday's vote.-Quiet financing-In a further twist, the EU commission had been quietly financing national PNR systems since 2013, long before the bill had been signed into law.France received the biggest slice from the commission purse and was awarded €17.8 million, followed by the Netherlands at €5.7 million and Hungary at €5 million."You are delivering a symbolic measure at the cost of effective security and civil liberties of EU citizens," German Green MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht told the Strasbourg assembly on Wednesday.The EU also has PNR agreements with the Australia, Canada and the United States.
As Amnesty warns about Saudi arms sale, Trudeau says deal a matter of principle-[The Canadian Press]-The Canadian Press-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
LONDON, Ont. - Amnesty International is raising red flags about the sale of Canadian-made armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sticking to the deal, saying a contract is a contract.Amnesty says it is worried that Canadian armour sold to the Saudis earlier may have been used in ground attacks in Yemen.Trudeau says the agreement is a matter of principle.He says the contract signed under the previous government must be honoured by his government.Canada's word has to mean something in the international community.Contracts can't just be abandoned, he says."It's important that people know that when they sign a deal with Canada, a change of government isn't going to lead to the contract being ripped up," Trudeau said Thursday at a news conference in London, Ont.He also noted that a lot of Canadian jobs are at stake.He was speaking in the home of General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, which is building the light armoured vehicles that are at issue in the multibillion-dollar deal.Amnesty said it was disappointed with the sale."We have good reason to fear that light armoured vehicles supplied to Saudi security forces are likely to be used in situations that would violate human rights, whether these forces are intervening in neighbouring countries or suppressing demonstrations and unrest within Saudi Arabia," the agency said in a statement.Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion, noting earlier sales of similar armour to the Saudis, said there is no reason to think those vehicles have been misused."Our best, and regularly updated, information indicates that Saudi Arabia has not misused the equipment to violate human rights," he said in a statement. "Nor has the equipment been used in a manner contrary to the strategic interests of Canada and its allies."He said he will be watching the situation.Trudeau said future sales will come under scrutiny."From now on, now that this government is in office, we will be demonstrating transparency and rigour and showing Canadians that we are abiding by our principles and the laws that are in place."
US sending commandos, combat aircraft to Philippines-[The Canadian Press]-Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MANILA, Philippines - In a military buildup certain to inflame tensions with China, the United States said Thursday it will send troops and combat aircraft to the Philippines for regular, more frequent rotations, and will conduct more joint sea and air patrols with Philippine forces in the South China Sea.The announcement by U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter in a news conference with Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin was the first time the U.S. disclosed that its ships had carried out sea patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.Carter insisted that the U.S. did not intend to be provocative and was "trying to tamp down tensions here." But Gazmin said he expected that U.S. forces, "with their presence here, will deter uncalled-for actions by the Chinese."The increased troop presence is part of a broader U.S. campaign to expand its assistance to the Philippines as America shores up its allies in the Asia-Pacific that are roiled by China's building of man-made islands in the South China Sea. While the military boost does not include permanent basing for U.S. troops, China views any increased U.S. military presence and activities in the region as a threat."Military exchanges by relevant countries should not target third parties, much less support a few countries in challenging China's sovereignty and security, inciting regional contradictions and sabotaging regional peace and stability," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in response to Carter's announcement.Carter said the U.S. will keep nearly 300 troops, including Air Force special operations forces armed with combat aircraft and helicopters, in the Philippines through the end of the month. The U.S. will increase troop rotations to strengthen training and support increased military operations in the region.Speaking in the guest house of the presidential complex, Carter said the joint patrols will improve the Philippine navy and "contribute to the safety and security of the region's waters." Two patrols have taken place since March. The U.S. also has conducted joint patrols with Japan in the region.Carter has said that China's increased aggression in the region is compelling more countries to reach out to the U.S., strengthening their military ties with Washington.The increase in military support comes days after the Philippines' ambassador to the U.S. asked the Obama administration to help persuade China not to build in the nearby Scarborough Shoal, which is viewed as important to Philippine fishermen. Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. said the Philippines cannot stop China from building there. China has built man-made islands in other contested spots in the South China Sea.Charlito Maniago, the leader of a northwestern Philippine village where many fishermen lost access to the disputed Scarborough Shoal after China seized it in 2012, said the joint patrols will bring hope that fishermen can again sail freely to the rich fishing ground."This will boost the confidence of our fishermen because they think the U.S. has the capability to defend them," Maniago told The Associated Press by telephone from the coastal village of Cato in Pangasinan province. "The presence of America will make China think twice."The Pentagon said the U.S. forces that will remain in the Philippines are already participating in the Balikatan, or shoulder-to-shoulder combat exercises, that will end Friday. About 200 airmen, including special operations forces, will remain at Clark Air Base, along with three of their Pave Hawk attack helicopters, an MC-130H Combat Talon II special mission aircraft and five A-10 combat aircraft.This initial contingent will provide training to increase the two militaries' ability to work together, laying the groundwork for forces to perform joint air patrols.Up to 75 Marines will stay at Camp Aguinaldo to support increased U.S. and Philippine combined military operations.The troops and aircraft are expected to leave at the end of April, but other U.S. forces and aircraft would do similar rotations into the Philippines routinely in the future. Carter would not say how frequently those rotations would happen, but called it a "regular periodic presence."Last week the Pentagon announced that the U.S. will give the Philippines about $40 million in military assistance to bolster intelligence-sharing, surveillance and naval patrols. Carter said the aid will include an enhanced information network for classified communications, sensors for patrol vessels and an unmanned aerostat reconnaissance airship to help the Philippines keep watch over its territory.The U.S. will get access to five Philippine military bases to house American forces that will rotate in and out of the country for training and other missions.Scarborough Shoal is at the centre of a case that Manila filed with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an international panel, in January 2013 after Chinese coast guard ships took effective control of the disputed land following a tense standoff with Filipino ships.The shoal sits about 145 miles (230 kilometres) west of the Philippines, and 620 miles (1,000 kilometres) from the Chinese coast.The court has agreed to take the case. Beijing says the panel has no jurisdiction in the matter.___Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in Manila and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.
Russian jets in repeated 'aggressive' passes of US warship-[AFP]-Thomas Watkins-April 13, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Washington (AFP) - A Russian military jet came within a few feet of a US destroyer in international waters in the Baltic Sea during a series of "aggressive" overflights, US officials said Wednesday.Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the USS Donald Cook this week, including an incident Tuesday in which a Russian Su-24 flew just 30 feet (nine meters) above the ship in a "simulated attack profile," the US military's European Command said."We have deep concerns about the unsafe and unprofessional Russian flight maneuvers," EUCOM said in a statement."These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries and could result in a miscalculation."The incidents come at a time of friction between Moscow and Washington over Russian involvement in conflicts in eastern Ukraine and in Syria, and in an area of eastern Europe that the Kremlin considers its "backyard."EUCOM released video showing warplanes zooming so close past the Cook that one sailor can be heard saying: "He is below the bridge wing," meaning the plane was flying lower than the highest point of the ship.A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "This is more aggressive than anything we've seen in some time."White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the overflights "entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters and international airspace."- Altitude of 100 feet -The maneuvers began Monday while the destroyer was located about 70 nautical miles from Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave, in international waters.Two Russian Su-24s flew 20 times past the USS Cook at a distance of less than 1,000 yards (meters) and at an altitude of about 100 feet, the official said.Then on Tuesday, a Russian Ka-27 Helix anti-submarine helicopter flew seven times around the destroyer, taking photographs as it passed.Shortly after, two Su-24s roared toward the ship, making 11 close-range and low-altitude passes, including one that was "so low it created wake in the water," the official said.The plane was "wings clean," meaning it was not visibly armed, he added.US sailors tried multiple times to hail the Russian craft on international frequencies but got no response."The Russian aircraft flew in a simulated attack profile and failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and Russian," EUCOM said."USS Donald Cook's commanding officer deemed several of these maneuvers as unsafe and unprofessional."A Polish helicopter had been conducting drills on the destroyer and was refueling during one of the overflights."As a safety precaution, flight operations were suspended until the Su-24s departed the area," EUCOM said.The Pentagon periodically decries the risky tactics displayed by Russian pilots."There have been repeated incidents over the last year where the Russian military, including Russian military aircraft, have come close enough to each other or have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns," Earnest said.Exactly two years ago -- on April 12, 2014 -- a Russian Su-24 made numerous close-range, low-altitude passes near the USS Donald Cook while it was in the Black Sea, in an incident the Pentagon at the time called a "provocative act."
First Nations leaders plead with MPs to deal with reserve health troubles-[The Canadian Press]-April 14, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - Aboriginal leaders painted a bleak picture of dire and deadly conditions on reserves during testimony Thursday before a parliamentary committee.First Nations leaders, including Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, urged the federal government to address tragedies playing out on the ground."I cannot count how many funerals I have gone to in our communities," Fiddler said.His organization, which represents northern Ontario communities, declared a public health emergency in February.Dr. Michael Kirlew, a physician based in Sioux Lookout, Ont., also pleaded with the committee to ensure there is "drastic change, quickly.""The longer we wait, the more people will die," he said."The more time that we wait, the more children will die. I appeal to you today, not as politicians, not as members of political parties ... let's return the humanity to this process. This process needs that humanity."The committee hearing follows an emergency debate in the Commons earlier this week about the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation.The debate was called at the request of NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus.Canada didn't arrive at a crisis by accident, Angus said during question period Thursday, noting the government routinely denies access to medical services.Health Minister Jane Philpott said 18 mental health workers have been sent to Attawapiskat to help with the crisis.The community's leaders declared a state of emergency on Saturday, citing 11 suicide attempts so far in the month of April and 28 recorded attempts in March.On Monday, officials thwarted what they called a suicide pact by 13 young aboriginal people on the reserve, including a nine-year-old.
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