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)
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.
Iran refuses to confirm conducting missile test-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's foreign minister has refused to confirm that the country conducted a missile test, saying Iran's missile program is not part of a 2015 nuclear deal between his country and world powers.The White House said Monday it is studying the details of an Iranian ballistic missile test. Iran is the subject of a United Nations Security Council resolution prohibiting tests of ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear warhead.During a joint news conference Tuesday with visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was asked if Iran had conducted a recent missile test."The missile issue is not part of the nuclear deal. As all signatories to the nuclear deal have announced, the missile issue is not a part of nuclear deal," he said.Iran's missiles, he added are, "not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead ... Our ballistic missile was designed to carry a normal warhead in the field of legitimate defense."A U.S. defense official said Monday that the missile test ended with a "failed" re-entry into earth's atmosphere. The official had no other details, including the type of missile. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was looking into whether the ballistic missile test violates the U.N. Security Council resolution.Zarif on Tuesday said he hopes the issue is not used as, "an excuse for some political games by the new U.S. administration."
Iran won't use ballistic missiles to attack any country - foreign minister-[Reuters]-By John Irish-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it would never use its ballistic missiles to attack another country but that its missile tests are neither part of a nuclear accord with world powers nor a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the deal.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spelled out Tehran's stance after a U.S. official said Iran on Sunday test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after 630 miles (1,010 km).Visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters France had voiced its concerns over the Iranian test, adding that it harmed the international community's confidence in Tehran and contravened U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231.That resolution ratified a July 2015 accord between Iran and six world powers under which it scaled back its nuclear activity to defuse concerns it could be put to making atomic bombs; in return, Iran won relief from crippling economic sanctions.Zarif neither confirmed nor denied the U.S. report that it tested a ballistic missile on Sunday but added: "The missiles aren't part of the nuclear accords. Iran will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country.""No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads," said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran. The Security Council resolution called on Iran not to carry out activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned Iran on Monday and said he would work with other lawmakers and the Trump administration to hold Iran accountable.Ayrault said at the start of his two-day trip to Tehran on Monday that France would act as a defender of the nuclear deal that new U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to tear up.But Ayrault added it was imperative the Islamic Republic abide strictly by the conditions of the accord. Ayrault said it was in the "common interest" that all sides heeded the deal.The United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France were parties to the deal. Paris took one of the hardest lines against Tehran in the negotiations, but has been quick to restore trade relations since then.(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Deutsche Bank fined on Russia money laundering By Andrew Rettman-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Germany’s largest bank is to pay US and UK authorities over €500 million in fines for laundering billions of euros of shady Russian money.Deutsche Bank (DB) agreed on the two penalties with the Department of Financial Services in New York (€397m) and the Financial Conduct Authority in London (€191m).The fines come on top of earlier penalties, worth billions, for mis-selling US mortgage securities, helping to rig an interbank lending rate called Libor and evading US sanctions on Iran.Maria T Vullo, from the New York authority, said on Monday that DB’s “Moscow, London, and New York offices … laundered $10 billion out of Russia” between 2011 and 2015 and that “today’s action sends a clear message that [we] … will not tolerate such conduct”.DB’s chief administrative officer, Karl von Rohr, said: “We deeply regret the bank’s role in the issues cited.”He promised to tighten up anti-money laundering controls and said DB had disciplined staff and closed part of its business in Moscow.The affair casts a harsh light on the EU banking sector and poses questions on sanctions compliance.DB’s “mirror trading scheme” saw Russian clients buy shares in Russian firms through its Moscow office. The same Russian clients, whose identities were hidden via offshore firms, then sold the shares through DB’s London branch. The transactions were cleared in DB’s New York office and the Russian clients were paid in US dollars.The clients used at least 12 offshore entities, some of which were registered in EU member state Cyprus and some in the British Virgin Islands, a UK-linked tax haven in the Caribbean.A typical transaction was worth about €2 million and made no sense from a financial point of view because clients often lost money on banking fees.The New York authorities’ “compliance order”, published on Monday (30 January), said there was “clear” evidence that DB staff “knowingly and actively facilitated” the scheme.It said the Russian clients did not make much effort to conceal the scam, with “several counter parties … registered at the same address” in Moscow.It also said that one DB executive was paid $3.8 million in bribes, some of them via Cyprus, to look the other way.“‘F---ing Obvious’ is the middle name of Russian corruption,” Roman Borisovich, a former DB investment banker told the New Yorker, a US magazine, last August when the Russian affair first came to light.The DB mirror trades were not explicitly linked to the EU and US sanctions on Russia that were imposed in 2014 over its invasion of Ukraine.But they continued after the measures were imposed, undermining Western attempts to restrict Russia’s access to foreign capital in order to enforce a ceasefire deal.The New York authorities said the mirror trades arose from a “corporate culture that allows for short-term profiteering through improper conduct”.They said DB staff “did not forcefully question these suspicious trades, because they were earning commissions at a time when trading had dramatically slowed” after the 2008 financial crisis, which DB’s mortgage mis-selling had helped to create.
Turkey dismissed more than 90,000 public servants in post-coup purge: minister-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have dismissed more than 90,000 public servants for alleged connections to a coup attempt in July as part of a purge critics say has broadened to target any political opposition to President Tayyip Erdogan.Speaking to reporters at a roundtable interview broadcast on television, Labour Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 125,485 people from the public service had been put through legal proceedings after the coup attempt, and that 94,867 of those had been dismissed so far.Turkey has been rooting out followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of having infiltrated state institutions and plotted to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied the charge and condemned the coup.Some 40,000 people from the police, the military, the judiciary, the civil service or the education system, have been remanded in custody pending trial for alleged connections with the coup attempt, during which at least 240 people were killed.Emergency rule declared after the failed coup attempt enables the government to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary.Rights groups and some of Turkey's Western allies fear that President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to stifle dissent, from state institutions to political parties.NATO member Turkey has been hit by a spate bombings and shootings in the past year, claimed by Kurdish and Islamic State militants, on top of July's failed coup, in which soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets in a bid to seize power.(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Ralph Boulton)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Watchdog urges creation of EU bad bank By Eszter Zalan-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-The European Union should create a publicly-funded asset management company to sweep up the bad loans choking economic growth, the bloc's banking watchdog said on Monday (30 January).The European Banking Authority (EBA) said dealing with the non-performing loans was "urgent and actionable".The EBA's chairman, Andrea Enria, said in Luxembourg that there needs to be a market created for bad loans, which could push up their price.The asset management company, acting as a bad bank, would attempt to try to sell the bad loans at an assessed "real economic value".If the company would not be able to get rid of the loan in three years, it would have to take the market price hit.According to the plan, the bill would have to be backed up by the creditors and the lender's home countries, so the risk would not be shared among EU states, something that countries like Germany have been reluctant to sign up to.Enria said some sort of public funding would be needed to kickstart such a bank, however.The EBA's plan was backed by Klaus Regling, head of the European Stability Mechanism, the euro area's bailout fund, who added that the new entity should aim to acquire up to €250 billion of bad loans.The EBA, the collection of EU national banking authorities, does not have the power to propose such a bad bank.It warned that the EU risks reacting even slower than Japan did in the 1990s when it was overburdened with debt during its "lost decade" of growth, however.The EU banking system has some €1.06 trillion of non-performing loans, amounting to 5.4 percent of the sector’s total loans.That is more than triple of the level in the banking systems of Japan or the US.Italian banks account for a quarter of these with €276 billion of bad loans.-IMF dispute-The EBA's suggestion comes amid a dispute between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union over continued financing of the Greek bailout.Greece will only receive more loans from the euro area if the IMF joins its latest aid programme, Regling said Monday.The IMF said it wants Greece's creditors, including Germany, to write off some of the debt if the Greek bailout is to be sustainable, but the EU creditors are not happy with the idea.Meanwhile, Greece needs a new tranche of financial aid under its €86 billion 2010 bailout by the third quarter of the year or it faces default.The IMF will discuss the issue on 6 February.The IMF has also published a paper saying that political bias contributed to weak euro-area fiscal discipline.-Politics of debt-It examines the significant accumulation of public debt in the past three decades in the eurozone, focusing on political aspects of the issue.Public-debt-to-GDP ration of the euro zone increased from an average of less than 60 percent of GDP in the early 1990s to more than 90 percent of GDP in 2015.The IMF paper says EU fiscal rules were bent far too often and that monitoring of compliance was too weak.Policy decisions made in the hopes of winning an election, bias in the enforcement of fiscal rules, and avoiding actions that were politically costly for other member states created a culture of leniency and lack of transparency, the IMF said.The lack of democratic oversight also factored into weak enforcement of EU fiscal rule and growing debt, with national politicians blaming Brussels for difficult decisions.
Focus-Swedes likely to back Gazprom plan to rent harbour area By Aleksandra Eriksson-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:24-Sweden's government said on Monday (30 January) it could not stop a Swedish port city from renting out part of its harbour to Russia to ease the construction of Nord Stream II, a planned gas pipeline that would connect Russia to Germany without the need to go through Ukraine.Sweden's defence minister Peter Hultqvist is opposed to the gas project, which he considers a security concern. But the government lacks legal powers to stop Karlshamn, a small town in southern Sweden, from going ahead with its plans.The local council is likely to back the proposal to store pipes for the Russian project when it meets on Tuesday.Hultqvist said on Monday he stood by his judgement that Nord Stream 2 would affect Sweden negatively, but that the threats were "manageable"."I have previously informed how Nord Stream 2 affects our authorities and the armed forces and that it affects negatively Sweden. It is a judgement that remains and we have taken a number of safety measures," Hultqvist said.Measures include a strengthening the coastguard, the armed forces and customs, and tighter surveillance over the strategic Baltic port, which is located 50km from the key Karlskrona naval base."We have had a good dialogue and tried to find a common solution, and now we feel that we have reached that goal so I will propose that we approve the deal," said Per-Ola Mattsson, Karlshamn council chairman, who hails from the same Social Democratic party as Hultqvist.The town has emphasised in talks with the government that it is already an important harbour for Russian marine traffic, with around 700 Russian cargo ships calling at the port each year. The municipality is not prepared to jeopardise this traffic.Mattsson estimates the town stands to win €11 million and 30 jobs over three years from the construction of the pipeline.The government plans to change Swedish law so that national security concerns will give it the right to re-examine decisions made at the municipal level. That would help to avoid similar cases in the future. But the right to local self-government is protected in Sweden's basic law.Last year, the government managed to convince the region of Gotland, an island on the Baltic sea, not to lease its Slite harbour to Gazprom. On Monday, the government said that the Karlshamn case was less controversial than Slite, because the logistical models were different.If all goes to plan, Nord Stream 2 will come online in 2019 and stretch from Russia to the German coast.The project is mainly owned by the Russian state company Gazprom, but also involves EU energy firms Basf, E.On, Engie, OMV, and Shell.A Dutch company, Wasco, would be in charge of construction in Karlshamn.
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)
Soldiers clear roads, help senior clean out freezer in N.B. ice-storm cleanup-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
LAMEQUE, N.B. — Troops went door-to-door Monday, helping northeastern New Brunswick recover from a devastating ice storm that has been linked to two deaths and almost three dozen hospitalizations from carbon monoxide poisoning.The soldiers cleaned debris from streets, went door-to-door to check on residents, and delivered needed items as the region recovers from a storm that has now prompted a delay in the provincial budget."They are making some significant gains in very difficult conditions ... But we understand there are people going through a tough time," Premier Brian Gallant told a briefing Monday. The budget scheduled for Tuesday is now delayed until Feb. 7.Early in the day, dark green military vehicles from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown crossed a bridge onto Lameque island, where soldiers set up a base in a school and then fanned out to ice-coated communities where power crews are still attempting to restore electricity lost in Wednesday's storm.Major Turmel Chiasson said the units have trained extensively for disaster scenarios, but for many of the younger soldiers it's their first real-life experience responding to an ice storm."(They're) very eager ... they train a lot and they don't do it for real, and this gets them involved in the community," he said."For myself, I'm from here, the area, so yes, very excited to be here and helping friends and family.""A lot of friends were able to get on social media, and I was able to see the damage from the storms, so I was well in the know. Especially my mother, with no electricity for awhile, living in one of the worst areas."One group of soldiers went to the small village of Sainte-Marie-Saint Raphael, on the eastern coast of Lameque island, and knocked on doors, at one point assisting an elderly woman with limited mobility to clean out her freezer.They ensured no one was using propane burners or open flames indoors, and checked whether any essentials were needed.Most residents had generators, and relatively few asked for additional assistance."So far everyone has been very friendly, very open with their houses," said Bombardier Jurica Mioc of the 4th Artillery Regiment, who was among soldiers knocking on doors in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphael."We've been invited in for food three or four times already. Everyone's been amazing so far. Really high spirits for the situation that's going on."Gallant said the number of people without electricity has fallen from 150,000 last Wednesday, to less than 20,000 by noon Monday, and it was expected that with 380 repair crews on the ground that the majority of customers will have power restored by the end of the day."There are some families that will have a few days without power," Gallant said.Meanwhile, hospitals continued to assist people who succumbed to carbon monoxide fumes as some residents resorted to generators or barbecues to supply power and heat.As of Monday afternoon, 33 people had been treated for exposure to the gas.In the small community of St. Leolin on the Acadian Peninsula, Mayor Mathieu Chayer said the community of about 700 people has its power back, but is grieving the loss of an elderly resident.He said many people in the town knew 74-year-old Lorraine Clement, who RCMP said passed away on Thursday as a generator was in her garage.Investigators have said an autopsy has yet to be carried out in her death, or in the death of a 62-year-old man who investigators say died at his home in Petite Riviere de l’ile on Lameque Island as a generator was running.Chayer said the incidents leave a lasting impact on the small, close-knit Acadian towns, which haven't seen an ice storm this severe for decades."Everybody's feeling sorrow about it ... She has family in the town," he said.The mayor said an emergency shelter was open in his town on Wednesday, hours after the storm hit, and that volunteer firefighters went door-to-door in an effort to check on older residents."We can't have 100-per-cent control of the community," he said.Chayer, a paramedic, said the deaths and hospitalizations have alerted residents in the region to the risks of running generators in enclosed spaces."I don't think most of the people before this realized how deadly carbon monoxide is and how quickly it can kill somebody," he said.During his news conference, Gallant said he heard from doctors that many of the poisoning victims were operating generators in garages with the door open, not realizing that doesn't provide sufficient ventilation."People will put things that emit carbon monoxide in garages thinking that if they open the door everything will be OK, but there is still the potential based on air flows of the emissions still going into their homes," said the premier.— With files from Michael Tutton in Halifax.Adam Hodnett, The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version of the story incorrectly spelled Major Turmel Chiasson's name.
It's a nightmare:' P.E.I. electric crews help restore power in N.B.[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Maritime Electric crews mobilized quickly to travel to New Brunswick Sunday and immediately begin work to help restore power to thousands after last week's ice storm.- Maritime Electric crews travel to New Brunswick to help with power outage-As of 9:50 a.m. Monday, there were more than 21,000 outages across New Brunswick, most of them in the Acadian Peninsula. The number of households that lost power reached 133,000 after the storm hit last Tuesday night."They started on Sunday afternoon as soon as they arrived," said Maritime Electric spokeswoman Kim Griffin.The crews had been kept busy on P.E.I. last week after the same storm knocked out power to about 1,600 customers."We're pretty proud of them, that they could do that to help out," said Griffin, adding that not one employee turned down the work in New Brunswick."It's devastating for the people of New Brunswick, and their system and their customers," said Griffin. "You just never know what's going to happen with Mother Nature."Martime Electric sent all the resources NB Power asked for — 14 people in seven crews, working in Tracadie, N.B. to replace downed power poles. Griffin is not sure how long the P.E.I. crews will be needed there."We certainly always make sure we have a strong foundation here on P.E.I. in case we're hit," Griffin added."They're not that far away if we see bad weather coming. So it's a judgement call."-'So sad'-NB Power was quick to come to P.E.I.'s aid last fall when an ice storm hit the Island, Griffin noted."Any time like this you'll find that utilities from region to region want to help each other," said Griffin."It's so sad about what's happened. It's probably one of the worst storms they've ever seen. They've had fatalities — it's a nightmare," she said.
Booms' in northern N.B. not an earthquake, seismologist says-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Loud noises that many northern New Brunswickers reported hearing in recent days were not caused by an earthquake, a seismologist says.Federal seismologist Stephen Halchuk cleared up some of the confusion about the noises in an email Monday to CBC News, confirming a quake wasn't the source.On Friday and over the weekend, many New Brunswickers, especially in the Bathurst area, took to a Facebook group to discuss what they had heard.Others wrote to CBC News describing "loud booms" and asking what they were.Halchuk said Natural Resources Canada also received reports on Friday of loud sounds in northeastern New Brunswick, around the Baie des Chaleurs and on the Gaspésie in Quebec."We reviewed our seismographs for this time period and see no evidence of any earthquakes large enough to be felt over a wide region," Halchuk wrote. "We are confident that the source of the sounds is not due to an earthquake."According to information on the department's website, there were two earthquakes in northwestern New Brunswick on Jan. 26, but the magnitude of each was just a little above two.On Saturday, a 1.8 magnitude earthquake occurred within 30 kilometres of Matane, Que., a community on the St. Lawrence River side of the Gaspé Peninsula.Natural Resources Canada lists three small earthquakes in northwestern New Brunswick and on the north side of the Gaspé Peninsula around the same time as the booms people reported hearing.But Halchuk suspects the sounds are more likely connected to the aftermath of the devastating ice storm last Tuesday that left so many people without power."The loud sounds (which were reported at different times in different localities) may be related to the ice storm in the region," Halchuk said in his email. "There are thousands of trees in the region that have suffered considerable damage."Halchuk recalled the ice storm of 1998, which involved "lots of loud booms.""Trees falling, branches shattering, electrical components failing — all of these could be the sources of the sounds," he said.The seismologist did, however, note that he's "not an expert in the sources of loud sounds that may be associated with the extensive accumulation of ice."
Mars, Venus and the moon to put on astronomical dance Tuesday-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
You won't have to get out your telescopes to see Mars, Venus and the moon put on a show, Jan. 31.The three celestial objects will be exceptionally close to each other on Tuesday night in a rare celestial treat called a conjunction."A conjunction is when you have the apparent visibility of multiple things in one particular area of the nighttime sky," said Derek Keif, an astronomer at the HR MacMillian Space Centre."There's going to be a whole bunch of bright stuff in one region pf our sky," he said. "You'll actually be able to see Mars, Venus and the moon really, really close together."-How close together?-Venus, Mars and the moon will form a bright and tight-knot triangle Tuesday night. Kei says the total space they'll take up is no larger than the size of your fist if you were to extend your arm.Of course, it's all relative — they'll still be millions of kilometres apart.But from the perspective of Earth, the conjunction marks a rare event where the objects meet in a unique dance."[It's] literally a dance because all of these components are moving at different speeds — our moon moves all the way around the Earth once every 29.5 days," said Kief."Mars and Venus are doing the same — but their time scales are much, much, much slower."The conjunction has been going on since early January 2017. But after the 31st, Mars and Venus will begin moving away from each other.-When to watch-Kief says the best time to watch the conjunction is after sunset, starting at 8 p.m. PT.He says to identify Venus, look for the glowing object that has a red and yellow tinge to it. Venus will shine slightly brighter than Mars, since it's closer to the Earth and has a highly reflective atmosphere that redirects light from the sun. Mars has an orange and red tinge to it.And remember, if the celestial object you're looking at twinkles, it's probably not a planet."Stars twinkle in our nighttime sky because they're so far away," he said, Planets on the other hand, are much closer."The atmosphere doesn't distort them as much, so you actually see them as a solid colour as opposed to the twinkling stars."With files from CBC's North by Northwest.
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
Northeast Calgary drug house shut down after 100+ calls to police-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Alberta's Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit has boarded up a house in northeast Calgary after years of drug activity and violent incidents at the property.A fence will be up around the home at 71 Coventry Rd. N.E. for 45 days, with the windows boarded up and the locks changed."The property has been a source of long-term problems in the neighbourhood, with regular drug activity and violent incidents spanning more than two years," said a news release issued Monday."Police have responded to the house more than 100 times — including an incident where a man who was beaten, robbed and held captive in the basement escaped into the street."-House will be up for sale-In what SCAN is calling an exceptional circumstance, the owner of the property has also agreed to a condition that she must list the house for sale."We have been able to achieve an outcome that addresses both the short- and long-term problems associated with this property," said Insp. Mike Letourneau with SCAN. "The closure immediately breaks the cycle of criminal activity taking place and the eventual sale will keep it from coming back."SCAN said the owner will be allowed to live in the home after the 45 days are up, but she is banned from renting to any tenants for one year, and must list the house within 30 days of the order being lifted.
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)
Quebec massacre suspect, 27, a fan of Trump, far right French politician-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
A university student accused of carrying out the horrific massacre on a mosque in Quebec City was a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, a far right leader in France and the separatist Parti Quebecois as well as a bird and chess enthusiast, according to what appeared to be his Facebook account.A handcuffed Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, made a brief court appearance Monday at which he was arraigned on six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted murder. Wearing a white jumpsuit, the tired-looking accused stared at his feet and fidgeted during the hearing.Bissonnette — the grandson of a decorated Second World War veteran, according to the social media profile in his name — was then remanded in custody until his next appearance Feb. 21.Police offered no information on what they believe motivated Sunday's shooting, which Prime Minister Trudeau has denounced as a terrorist act."The charges that have been laid are those that were disclosed by the evidence so far," said Michel Fortin, with the Quebec prosecutor's office. "It's an ongoing investigation."The Facebook profile in Bissonnette's name indicates that he "liked" Trump, French politician Marine Le Pen, the separatist Parti Quebecois and the Israeli armed forces. Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front in France who has won accolades from white supremacists, is known for her anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant ideology.Hema-Quebec — which manages the blood supply in Quebec — said Monday that Bissonette is an employee of the agency.It said in a statement that as an organization whose "primary mission is devoted to the gift of life," the arrest of Bissonette as a suspect in the mosque shooting has sent a "shock wave" through the organization.Hema-Quebec also said it would not comment further due to ongoing police investigation.The U.S.-based Site Intelligence Group called it "unlikely" that Bissonnette had any Jihadi ties in light of the postings.According to police and witnesses, a man entered the mosque and opened fire without warning during evening prayers, sowing death, injury and panic. Six worshippers were killed and 19 wounded — all men. Of the five victims who remained in hospital Monday, two were in critical condition, authorities said.The horrific act prompted several vigils across the country and expressions of sympathy from around the world.Bissonnette, who according to the Facebook account was from Cap-Rouge, Que., was enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universite Laval said in a statement. He has now been banned from all studies or research activities until the court process is over, the school said. The student directory lists him as pursuing an undergraduate degree in political science.One Facebook picture showed a boy dressed as an army cadet. Canadian Cadet Organizations said in a statement that Bissonnette was in the cadet program in the Quebec City area between 2002 and 2004. The national program focuses on developing leadership and citizenship skills as well as physical fitness. Cadets are not members of the Canadian Armed Forces and do not receive military training, the organization said.Among groups to which he belonged — according to the Facebook profile, which has since been taken down — was the Laval chess club and a birding group. The account also had numerous selfies of the neatly groomed young man, who appeared to be a blues fan.Another "like" was for the Parti Quebecois association in Louis-Hebert, a riding in Quebec's national capital region currently held by a Liberal member, and another for H.G. Wells, author of the 1890s science-fiction novel "War of the Worlds."Francois Deschamps, who runs a French-language web group called Bienvenue au refugies — Welcome Refugees — said Bissonnette was always making hateful comments."It's with pain and anger that we learn the identity of terrorist Alexandre Bissonnette, unfortunately known to many activists in Quebec for taking nationalist, pro-Le Pen and anti-feminist positions at Laval University and on social media," Deschamps wrote on the page of the group.However, Bissonnette's online profile offered few clues to the mass shooting he is accused of carrying out.His favourite citation, according to the Facebook page, was taken from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato:"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."
Wynne visits mosque in wake of 'cowardly act of terror' in Quebec-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne visited a mosque Monday in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Quebec City to tell the Muslim community that "the only antidote to hatred is love.""I want to just say that we are shocked," Wynne told the Muslim Association of Canada Masjid Toronto following prayers."We hope that this can't happen in Canada, can't happen in our open society, but we can't be smug. We have to remain vigilant."All Ontarians need to stand together for acceptance and an understanding that the province's strength comes from the fact "we are different.""Sometimes those words are used in a trivial way but I absolutely believe that what makes us strong in this country, in this province in this city, is that we are different, and because we can understand each other and we learn to live together, then we have a different view of the world that is stronger because of our shared understanding."The shooting Sunday night at a Quebec mosque left six people dead and 19 injured."I am very disturbed by this cowardly act of terror," Wynne said.NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement that she was heartbroken to hear about the attack."Today, we stand in solidarity and mourning with Muslim-Canadians, and all those grieving in Quebec," she wrote. "New Democrats condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and families of the victims."Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown tweeted Sunday night that he was "horrified to learn of the unspeakable and shocking attack."Toronto Mayor John Tory asked citizens to come together to support Muslims and Canadians of all faiths and backgrounds."We are the most diverse city in the world and while the safety and security of our nation is always fist and foremost, we will continue our proud legacy of welcoming people from around the world, especially in their time of need and in their pursuit of new opportunities," he said.Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
Trudeau offers solidarity with Canada's Muslim community after mosque attack-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
OTTAWA — All of Canada is nursing a broken heart in solidarity with the country's Muslim community following a deadly terrorist attack at a mosque in Quebec City, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.First in French and then in English, a solemn Trudeau delivered a heartfelt statement in the House of Commons — shortly after Parliament resumed following the Christmas break — to address what he called "a despicable act of terror.""To the more than 1 million Canadians who profess the Muslim faith, I want to say directly: we are with you; 36 million hearts are breaking with yours," Trudeau said."Last night's horrible crime against the Muslim community was an act of terror committed against Canada and against all Canadians. We will grieve with you, we will defend you, we will love you and we will stand with you."Six people between the ages of 35 and 70 were killed in the bloody massacre that took place Sunday at the Centre culturel islamique de Quebec mosque in Quebec City's Sainte-Foy neighbourhood.At least 12 other people were taken to hospital, two of whom were in critical condition, said the Centre Hospitalier Universite Laval. Police had two people in custody Sunday night, but by midday Monday were describing one of them as a witness.Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair also offered their condolences and their thanks to Canadian first responders.U.S. President Donald Trump also spoke to Trudeau by phone Monday to offer his condolences to all Canadians in the wake of the deaths.Trump "offered to provide any assistance as needed," A Trudeau spokeswoman said.Later Monday, Trudeau was to travel to Quebec City, accompanied by his fellow political leaders — a rare show of cross-partisan unity that illustrated the magnitude of the tragedy.MPs from all sides of the partisan divide shared their reactions to the shooting Monday as they gathered on Parliament Hill for the first day in the Commons of 2017.Conservative MP Sylvie Boucher, who represents a riding in the Quebec City area, had tears in her eyes as she described her reaction to the attack."We always imagine that it is very far away from us, but it is very close," said Boucher, who described speaking to her daughters before leaving for Ottawa, telling them to share a positive message with their Muslim friends."Tell them the door will always be open."Many MPs were also still reeling from Trump's immigration ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Syrian refugees — a measure that has sown anxiety and confusion for Canadians and others around the world.Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains called for openness at all levels, from economic trade to immigration and refugees."Countries are becoming more inward, they are promoting protectionism, and the other school of thought is really around innovation and being open to ideas, trade and people," he said."I think Canada's vision on this has been very clear. We believe in innovation, we believe in focusing on people, we believe in being open to ideas and to trade and that's what we've been saying since day one and that's what we'll continue to advance."When pressed for his specific thoughts on the immigration ban, Bains would only say Canada is making its values known through its actions."We are trying to lead by example and I think that's what the world expects us to do."New Democrat MP Charlie Angus called on the federal Liberal government to take a stronger stand against Trump."When you have the most powerful political figure of the world acting as a troll in charge, it has an effect," Angus said."The role of Canada, to be clear, is to work with our allies and to push back against the rising extremism that we see from the Trump administration."Omar Alghabra, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, said his own story of coming to Canada from Syria should serve as an example of what welcoming others can bring to a country."It shows how together we have built a unique society and how we are prospering together," said Alghabra, whose role as parliamentary secretary is focused on consular affairs."It's when you give individuals the opportunity to live in dignity, that's not only when they lift up themselves, but they lift the community they live within."— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter-Joanna Smith, The Canadian Press.
Breaking silence, Obama speaks out on Trump immigrants order-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama praised protesters who amassed across the country in opposition to President Donald Trump's immigration orders, breaking his silence on political issues for the first time since leaving office."The president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion," Obama's spokesman, Kevin Lewis, said.In his first statement on behalf of the former president, Lewis said Obama was "heartened" by the amount of engagement taking place in U.S. communities. Lewis, a former White House official, pointed out that Obama used his last official speech as president to talk about Americans' responsibility to be "guardians of our democracy," even in nonelection years."Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake," Lewis said.Lewis didn't specifically invoke Trump's immigration order. But he rejected comparisons between Trump's recent actions and Obama's foreign policy decisions.Trump said he took cues from Obama by temporarily banning travel to the U.S. from citizens of seven countries that Obama's administration identified as places of terrorism concern. But Obama's designation related strictly to eligibility to enter the U.S. without a visa; he never considered a travel ban.Obama's office also circulated excerpts from a speech the former president gave in November 2015, in which he called the idea of a ban on Muslims "shameful.""That's not American. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests to our compassion," Obama said in the aftermath of attacks in Paris that prompted calls for the U.S. to restrict Syrian refugees from entering the United States.Trump and the White House have vigorously disputed the notion that Trump's order is a "Muslim ban." Trump's halts all refugee admissions for 120 days, suspends the Syrian refugee program indefinitely and also suspends entry to the U.S. from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. But the White House has stressed that dozens of other Muslim-majority countries aren't included.Lewis' comments mark the first time Obama has weighed in on Trump's actions since Obama left office on Jan. 20. In his final weeks as president, Obama said he planned to follow George W. Bush's example by giving his successor room to govern without being second-guessed.Yet Obama pointedly reserved the right to speak out if Trump violated what Obama called basic American values. He suggested a ban on Muslims or a move by Trump to deport immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children would cross that threshold.___Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP-Josh Lederman, The Associated Press.
Clash over refugee ban brings firing of Justice Dept. head-[Associated Press]-JULIE PACE and ERIC TUCKER-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary public showdown, President Donald Trump fired the acting attorney general of the United States after she publicly questioned the constitutionality of his refugee and immigration ban and refused to defend it in court.The clash Monday night between Trump and Sally Yates, a career prosecutor and Democratic appointee, laid bare the growing discord and dissent surrounding an executive order that halted the entire U.S. refugee program and banned all entries from seven Muslim-majority nations for 90 days. The firing, in a written statement released just hours after Yates went public with her concerns, also served as a warning to other administration officials that Trump is prepared to terminate those who refuse to carry out his orders.Yates' refusal to defend the executive order was largely symbolic given that Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general, will almost certainly defend the policy once he's sworn in. He's expected to be confirmed Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee and could be approved within days by the full Senate.Yet the firing reflected the mounting conflict over the executive order, as administration officials have moved to distance themselves from the policy and even some of Trump's top advisers have made clear that they were not consulted on its implementation.As protests erupted at airports across the globe, and as legal challenges piled up in courthouses, Yates directed agency attorneys not to defend the executive order. She said in a memo Monday she was not convinced it was lawful or consistent with the agency's obligation "to stand for what is right."Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, soon followed with a statement accusing Yates of having "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." Trump named longtime federal prosecutor Dana Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as Yates' replacement. Boente was sworn in privately late Monday, the White House said, and rescinded Yates's directive.The chain of events bore echoes of the Nixon-era "Saturday Night Massacre," when the attorney general and deputy attorney general resigned rather than follow an order to fire a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. The prosecutor, Archibald Cox, was fired by the solicitor general.Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration who was the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta and later became Loretta Lynch's deputy, was not alone in her misgivings.At least three top national security officials — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Rex Tillerson, who is awaiting confirmation to lead the State Department — have told associates they were not aware of details of the directive until around the time Trump signed it. Leading intelligence officials were also left largely in the dark, according to U.S. officials.Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that despite White House assurances that congressional leaders were consulted, he learned about the order from the media.Trump's order pauses America's entire refugee program for four months, indefinitely bans all those from war-ravaged Syria and temporarily freezes immigration from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Federal judges in New York and several other states issued orders that temporarily block the government from deporting people with valid visas who arrived after Trump's travel ban took effect and found themselves in limbo.Yates on Monday said that she had reviewed the policy and concluded that it was at odds with the Justice Department's mission. She said that though other lawyers in the department had reviewed the order, their review had not addressed whether it was "wise or just.""I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right," Yates wrote in a letter.Trump said the order had been "approved" by Justice Department lawyers. However, the department has said the Office of Legal Counsel review was limited to whether the order was properly drafted, but did not address broader policy questions.White House spokesman Sean Spicer challenged those opposed to the measure to resign."They should either get with the program or they can go," Spicer said.The blowback underscored Trump's tenuous relationship with his own national security advisers, many of whom he met for the first time during the transition.Mattis, who stood next to Trump during Friday's signing ceremony, is said to be particularly incensed. A senior U.S. official said Mattis, along with Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford, was aware of the general concept of Trump's order but not the details. Tillerson has told the president's political advisers that he was baffled over not being consulted on the substance of the order.U.S. officials and others with knowledge of the Cabinet's thinking insisted on anonymity in order to disclose the officials' private views.Despite his public defense of the policy, the president has privately acknowledged flaws in the rollout, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking. But he's also blamed the media — his frequent target — for what he believes are reports exaggerating the dissent and the number of people actually affected.After a chaotic weekend during which some U.S. legal permanent residents were detained at airports, some agencies were moving swiftly to try to clean up after the White House.Homeland Security, the agency tasked with implementing much of the refugee ban, clarified that customs and border agents should allow legal residents to enter the country. The Pentagon was trying to exempt Iraqis who worked alongside the U.S. and coalition forces from the 90-day ban on entry from the predominantly Muslim countries."There are a number of people in Iraq who have worked for us in a partnership role, whether fighting alongside us or working as translators, often doing so at great peril to themselves," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.On Capitol Hill, lawmakers in Trump's party sought to distance themselves from the wide-ranging order.While Spicer said "appropriate committees and leadership offices" on Capitol Hill were consulted, GOP lawmakers said their offices had no hand in drafting the order and no briefings from the White House on how it would work."I think they know that it could have been done in a better way," Corker said of the White House.___Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee, Lolita C. Baldor, Erica Werner, Jonathan Lemire and Vivian Salama contributed to this report.___Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
With Islamic State gone, East Mosul residents face uncertain future-[Reuters]-By Michael Georgy-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
MOSUL (Reuters) - When Islamic State militants swept into Mosul in 2014, they wandered into Manaf Younes' billiards hall and declared it un-Islamic, taking away his billiard balls with a stern warning.A hall that was often packed with players until midnight was suddenly abandoned. Photographs of awards that made Younes proud gathered dust for two years and the billiard tables remained covered up.Iraqi government forces have now pushed the militants out of east Mosul and are poised to attack the west. While Younes is thrilled, like many other small businessmen in the city, his joy is tempered by uncertainty as he tries to revive his former life.Islamic State imposed a radical version of Islam in Mosul after establishing the country's second biggest city as its de facto capital: banning cigarettes, televisions and radios, and forcing men to grow beards and women to cover from head to toe."I am broke. I had to sell my two cars to survive. Now my landlord is demanding two years of back rent," said Younes, picking up a trophy that reminded him of the old days.He frowned at explosions in the distance, where Iraqi forces and jihadists are exchanging fire along the Tigris River that bisects the sprawling metropolis, once a trade hub and center for higher learning."These explosions hurt the business. They shake the billiard tables and make them imbalanced," he said.The fighting has already caused widespread destruction.U.S.-led airstrikes have demolished scores of buildings and left huge craters that destroyed roads. Rooftops have collapsed into the bottom floors. Other buildings have gaping holes from rockets or machinegun fire.Mortar bombs still land in the city and gunfire is heard.Across from Younes' billiard hall stands what's left of Mosul University, once one of the finest education institutions in the Middle East.Islamic State sold the university's ancient manuscripts and imposed its own form of education, banning philosophy books. When the army arrived, the jihadists burned down many of its buildings, leaving piles of ashes.A few pages of textbooks on hematology and diffusion were scattered on floors cluttered with debris. Upstairs in the cafeteria were blackened tables and chairs, below huge holes from airstrikes.A few bakers and restaurant owners in the neighborhood stood mostly idle.They too recalled hardships under Islamic State rule.The militants and their wives would show up clutching AK-47 assault rifles and jump to the front of queues, demanding discounts, they said.One restaurant owner, Qusay Ahmed, said he was dragged away to an Islamic State jail and tortured for four months after militants accused him of stealing."They ripped my toenails off with pliers," he said.The torturers may be gone, but there are new challenges.He and other restaurant owners have no potable water and scarce electricity, and hardly any customers.(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Malaysian police arrest three suspected Islamic State sympathisers-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian authorities have arrested three men for suspected links with the Islamic State militant group, police said on Tuesday.Muslim-majority Malaysia has been on high alert since an attack last January by Islamic State-linked militants in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia.Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the suspects were detained in three separate raids from Jan. 27 to Jan. 29. Police also confiscated a shotgun and an air rifle.Khalid did not identify the suspects but said one of them, a 38-year-old Malaysian, had posted a plan to carry out a bomb attack in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on his Facebook page.Another of the suspects is an Indonesian with Malaysian residency working as security guard with the national carrier, Malaysian Airlines.He and the third suspect, another Malaysian, were believed to have been planning to join Islamic State militants in Syria, Khalid said.The three face charges of suspected involvement in terrorism, he said.Malaysia has not seen a serious militant attack but authorities say they have disrupted several plots.Seven people were wounded in a grenade blast at a bar near Kuala Lumpur in June, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.Malaysia has arrested more than 250 people between 2013 and 2016 for suspected militant activity linked to Islamic State.According to police data, 91 Malaysians had gone to fight in the Middle East as of October last year. Of them, eight had returned to Malaysia and 24 had been killed in fighting there.Last week, authorities said they had arrested four people with links to an Islamic State cell based in the southern Philippines.(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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.
Iran refuses to confirm conducting missile test-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's foreign minister has refused to confirm that the country conducted a missile test, saying Iran's missile program is not part of a 2015 nuclear deal between his country and world powers.The White House said Monday it is studying the details of an Iranian ballistic missile test. Iran is the subject of a United Nations Security Council resolution prohibiting tests of ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear warhead.During a joint news conference Tuesday with visiting French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was asked if Iran had conducted a recent missile test."The missile issue is not part of the nuclear deal. As all signatories to the nuclear deal have announced, the missile issue is not a part of nuclear deal," he said.Iran's missiles, he added are, "not designed for the capability of carrying a nuclear warhead ... Our ballistic missile was designed to carry a normal warhead in the field of legitimate defense."A U.S. defense official said Monday that the missile test ended with a "failed" re-entry into earth's atmosphere. The official had no other details, including the type of missile. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was looking into whether the ballistic missile test violates the U.N. Security Council resolution.Zarif on Tuesday said he hopes the issue is not used as, "an excuse for some political games by the new U.S. administration."
Iran won't use ballistic missiles to attack any country - foreign minister-[Reuters]-By John Irish-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it would never use its ballistic missiles to attack another country but that its missile tests are neither part of a nuclear accord with world powers nor a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the deal.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spelled out Tehran's stance after a U.S. official said Iran on Sunday test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after 630 miles (1,010 km).Visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told reporters France had voiced its concerns over the Iranian test, adding that it harmed the international community's confidence in Tehran and contravened U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231.That resolution ratified a July 2015 accord between Iran and six world powers under which it scaled back its nuclear activity to defuse concerns it could be put to making atomic bombs; in return, Iran won relief from crippling economic sanctions.Zarif neither confirmed nor denied the U.S. report that it tested a ballistic missile on Sunday but added: "The missiles aren't part of the nuclear accords. Iran will never use missiles produced in Iran to attack any other country.""No Iranian missiles have been produced to carry nuclear warheads," said Zarif, speaking at a joint news conference held with Ayrault in Tehran. The Security Council resolution called on Iran not to carry out activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned Iran on Monday and said he would work with other lawmakers and the Trump administration to hold Iran accountable.Ayrault said at the start of his two-day trip to Tehran on Monday that France would act as a defender of the nuclear deal that new U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to tear up.But Ayrault added it was imperative the Islamic Republic abide strictly by the conditions of the accord. Ayrault said it was in the "common interest" that all sides heeded the deal.The United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France were parties to the deal. Paris took one of the hardest lines against Tehran in the negotiations, but has been quick to restore trade relations since then.(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Deutsche Bank fined on Russia money laundering By Andrew Rettman-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Germany’s largest bank is to pay US and UK authorities over €500 million in fines for laundering billions of euros of shady Russian money.Deutsche Bank (DB) agreed on the two penalties with the Department of Financial Services in New York (€397m) and the Financial Conduct Authority in London (€191m).The fines come on top of earlier penalties, worth billions, for mis-selling US mortgage securities, helping to rig an interbank lending rate called Libor and evading US sanctions on Iran.Maria T Vullo, from the New York authority, said on Monday that DB’s “Moscow, London, and New York offices … laundered $10 billion out of Russia” between 2011 and 2015 and that “today’s action sends a clear message that [we] … will not tolerate such conduct”.DB’s chief administrative officer, Karl von Rohr, said: “We deeply regret the bank’s role in the issues cited.”He promised to tighten up anti-money laundering controls and said DB had disciplined staff and closed part of its business in Moscow.The affair casts a harsh light on the EU banking sector and poses questions on sanctions compliance.DB’s “mirror trading scheme” saw Russian clients buy shares in Russian firms through its Moscow office. The same Russian clients, whose identities were hidden via offshore firms, then sold the shares through DB’s London branch. The transactions were cleared in DB’s New York office and the Russian clients were paid in US dollars.The clients used at least 12 offshore entities, some of which were registered in EU member state Cyprus and some in the British Virgin Islands, a UK-linked tax haven in the Caribbean.A typical transaction was worth about €2 million and made no sense from a financial point of view because clients often lost money on banking fees.The New York authorities’ “compliance order”, published on Monday (30 January), said there was “clear” evidence that DB staff “knowingly and actively facilitated” the scheme.It said the Russian clients did not make much effort to conceal the scam, with “several counter parties … registered at the same address” in Moscow.It also said that one DB executive was paid $3.8 million in bribes, some of them via Cyprus, to look the other way.“‘F---ing Obvious’ is the middle name of Russian corruption,” Roman Borisovich, a former DB investment banker told the New Yorker, a US magazine, last August when the Russian affair first came to light.The DB mirror trades were not explicitly linked to the EU and US sanctions on Russia that were imposed in 2014 over its invasion of Ukraine.But they continued after the measures were imposed, undermining Western attempts to restrict Russia’s access to foreign capital in order to enforce a ceasefire deal.The New York authorities said the mirror trades arose from a “corporate culture that allows for short-term profiteering through improper conduct”.They said DB staff “did not forcefully question these suspicious trades, because they were earning commissions at a time when trading had dramatically slowed” after the 2008 financial crisis, which DB’s mortgage mis-selling had helped to create.
Turkey dismissed more than 90,000 public servants in post-coup purge: minister-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have dismissed more than 90,000 public servants for alleged connections to a coup attempt in July as part of a purge critics say has broadened to target any political opposition to President Tayyip Erdogan.Speaking to reporters at a roundtable interview broadcast on television, Labour Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said 125,485 people from the public service had been put through legal proceedings after the coup attempt, and that 94,867 of those had been dismissed so far.Turkey has been rooting out followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of having infiltrated state institutions and plotted to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied the charge and condemned the coup.Some 40,000 people from the police, the military, the judiciary, the civil service or the education system, have been remanded in custody pending trial for alleged connections with the coup attempt, during which at least 240 people were killed.Emergency rule declared after the failed coup attempt enables the government to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary.Rights groups and some of Turkey's Western allies fear that President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to stifle dissent, from state institutions to political parties.NATO member Turkey has been hit by a spate bombings and shootings in the past year, claimed by Kurdish and Islamic State militants, on top of July's failed coup, in which soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets in a bid to seize power.(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Ralph Boulton)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Watchdog urges creation of EU bad bank By Eszter Zalan-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-The European Union should create a publicly-funded asset management company to sweep up the bad loans choking economic growth, the bloc's banking watchdog said on Monday (30 January).The European Banking Authority (EBA) said dealing with the non-performing loans was "urgent and actionable".The EBA's chairman, Andrea Enria, said in Luxembourg that there needs to be a market created for bad loans, which could push up their price.The asset management company, acting as a bad bank, would attempt to try to sell the bad loans at an assessed "real economic value".If the company would not be able to get rid of the loan in three years, it would have to take the market price hit.According to the plan, the bill would have to be backed up by the creditors and the lender's home countries, so the risk would not be shared among EU states, something that countries like Germany have been reluctant to sign up to.Enria said some sort of public funding would be needed to kickstart such a bank, however.The EBA's plan was backed by Klaus Regling, head of the European Stability Mechanism, the euro area's bailout fund, who added that the new entity should aim to acquire up to €250 billion of bad loans.The EBA, the collection of EU national banking authorities, does not have the power to propose such a bad bank.It warned that the EU risks reacting even slower than Japan did in the 1990s when it was overburdened with debt during its "lost decade" of growth, however.The EU banking system has some €1.06 trillion of non-performing loans, amounting to 5.4 percent of the sector’s total loans.That is more than triple of the level in the banking systems of Japan or the US.Italian banks account for a quarter of these with €276 billion of bad loans.-IMF dispute-The EBA's suggestion comes amid a dispute between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union over continued financing of the Greek bailout.Greece will only receive more loans from the euro area if the IMF joins its latest aid programme, Regling said Monday.The IMF said it wants Greece's creditors, including Germany, to write off some of the debt if the Greek bailout is to be sustainable, but the EU creditors are not happy with the idea.Meanwhile, Greece needs a new tranche of financial aid under its €86 billion 2010 bailout by the third quarter of the year or it faces default.The IMF will discuss the issue on 6 February.The IMF has also published a paper saying that political bias contributed to weak euro-area fiscal discipline.-Politics of debt-It examines the significant accumulation of public debt in the past three decades in the eurozone, focusing on political aspects of the issue.Public-debt-to-GDP ration of the euro zone increased from an average of less than 60 percent of GDP in the early 1990s to more than 90 percent of GDP in 2015.The IMF paper says EU fiscal rules were bent far too often and that monitoring of compliance was too weak.Policy decisions made in the hopes of winning an election, bias in the enforcement of fiscal rules, and avoiding actions that were politically costly for other member states created a culture of leniency and lack of transparency, the IMF said.The lack of democratic oversight also factored into weak enforcement of EU fiscal rule and growing debt, with national politicians blaming Brussels for difficult decisions.
Focus-Swedes likely to back Gazprom plan to rent harbour area By Aleksandra Eriksson-JAN 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:24-Sweden's government said on Monday (30 January) it could not stop a Swedish port city from renting out part of its harbour to Russia to ease the construction of Nord Stream II, a planned gas pipeline that would connect Russia to Germany without the need to go through Ukraine.Sweden's defence minister Peter Hultqvist is opposed to the gas project, which he considers a security concern. But the government lacks legal powers to stop Karlshamn, a small town in southern Sweden, from going ahead with its plans.The local council is likely to back the proposal to store pipes for the Russian project when it meets on Tuesday.Hultqvist said on Monday he stood by his judgement that Nord Stream 2 would affect Sweden negatively, but that the threats were "manageable"."I have previously informed how Nord Stream 2 affects our authorities and the armed forces and that it affects negatively Sweden. It is a judgement that remains and we have taken a number of safety measures," Hultqvist said.Measures include a strengthening the coastguard, the armed forces and customs, and tighter surveillance over the strategic Baltic port, which is located 50km from the key Karlskrona naval base."We have had a good dialogue and tried to find a common solution, and now we feel that we have reached that goal so I will propose that we approve the deal," said Per-Ola Mattsson, Karlshamn council chairman, who hails from the same Social Democratic party as Hultqvist.The town has emphasised in talks with the government that it is already an important harbour for Russian marine traffic, with around 700 Russian cargo ships calling at the port each year. The municipality is not prepared to jeopardise this traffic.Mattsson estimates the town stands to win €11 million and 30 jobs over three years from the construction of the pipeline.The government plans to change Swedish law so that national security concerns will give it the right to re-examine decisions made at the municipal level. That would help to avoid similar cases in the future. But the right to local self-government is protected in Sweden's basic law.Last year, the government managed to convince the region of Gotland, an island on the Baltic sea, not to lease its Slite harbour to Gazprom. On Monday, the government said that the Karlshamn case was less controversial than Slite, because the logistical models were different.If all goes to plan, Nord Stream 2 will come online in 2019 and stretch from Russia to the German coast.The project is mainly owned by the Russian state company Gazprom, but also involves EU energy firms Basf, E.On, Engie, OMV, and Shell.A Dutch company, Wasco, would be in charge of construction in Karlshamn.
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)
Soldiers clear roads, help senior clean out freezer in N.B. ice-storm cleanup-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
LAMEQUE, N.B. — Troops went door-to-door Monday, helping northeastern New Brunswick recover from a devastating ice storm that has been linked to two deaths and almost three dozen hospitalizations from carbon monoxide poisoning.The soldiers cleaned debris from streets, went door-to-door to check on residents, and delivered needed items as the region recovers from a storm that has now prompted a delay in the provincial budget."They are making some significant gains in very difficult conditions ... But we understand there are people going through a tough time," Premier Brian Gallant told a briefing Monday. The budget scheduled for Tuesday is now delayed until Feb. 7.Early in the day, dark green military vehicles from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown crossed a bridge onto Lameque island, where soldiers set up a base in a school and then fanned out to ice-coated communities where power crews are still attempting to restore electricity lost in Wednesday's storm.Major Turmel Chiasson said the units have trained extensively for disaster scenarios, but for many of the younger soldiers it's their first real-life experience responding to an ice storm."(They're) very eager ... they train a lot and they don't do it for real, and this gets them involved in the community," he said."For myself, I'm from here, the area, so yes, very excited to be here and helping friends and family.""A lot of friends were able to get on social media, and I was able to see the damage from the storms, so I was well in the know. Especially my mother, with no electricity for awhile, living in one of the worst areas."One group of soldiers went to the small village of Sainte-Marie-Saint Raphael, on the eastern coast of Lameque island, and knocked on doors, at one point assisting an elderly woman with limited mobility to clean out her freezer.They ensured no one was using propane burners or open flames indoors, and checked whether any essentials were needed.Most residents had generators, and relatively few asked for additional assistance."So far everyone has been very friendly, very open with their houses," said Bombardier Jurica Mioc of the 4th Artillery Regiment, who was among soldiers knocking on doors in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphael."We've been invited in for food three or four times already. Everyone's been amazing so far. Really high spirits for the situation that's going on."Gallant said the number of people without electricity has fallen from 150,000 last Wednesday, to less than 20,000 by noon Monday, and it was expected that with 380 repair crews on the ground that the majority of customers will have power restored by the end of the day."There are some families that will have a few days without power," Gallant said.Meanwhile, hospitals continued to assist people who succumbed to carbon monoxide fumes as some residents resorted to generators or barbecues to supply power and heat.As of Monday afternoon, 33 people had been treated for exposure to the gas.In the small community of St. Leolin on the Acadian Peninsula, Mayor Mathieu Chayer said the community of about 700 people has its power back, but is grieving the loss of an elderly resident.He said many people in the town knew 74-year-old Lorraine Clement, who RCMP said passed away on Thursday as a generator was in her garage.Investigators have said an autopsy has yet to be carried out in her death, or in the death of a 62-year-old man who investigators say died at his home in Petite Riviere de l’ile on Lameque Island as a generator was running.Chayer said the incidents leave a lasting impact on the small, close-knit Acadian towns, which haven't seen an ice storm this severe for decades."Everybody's feeling sorrow about it ... She has family in the town," he said.The mayor said an emergency shelter was open in his town on Wednesday, hours after the storm hit, and that volunteer firefighters went door-to-door in an effort to check on older residents."We can't have 100-per-cent control of the community," he said.Chayer, a paramedic, said the deaths and hospitalizations have alerted residents in the region to the risks of running generators in enclosed spaces."I don't think most of the people before this realized how deadly carbon monoxide is and how quickly it can kill somebody," he said.During his news conference, Gallant said he heard from doctors that many of the poisoning victims were operating generators in garages with the door open, not realizing that doesn't provide sufficient ventilation."People will put things that emit carbon monoxide in garages thinking that if they open the door everything will be OK, but there is still the potential based on air flows of the emissions still going into their homes," said the premier.— With files from Michael Tutton in Halifax.Adam Hodnett, The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version of the story incorrectly spelled Major Turmel Chiasson's name.
It's a nightmare:' P.E.I. electric crews help restore power in N.B.[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Maritime Electric crews mobilized quickly to travel to New Brunswick Sunday and immediately begin work to help restore power to thousands after last week's ice storm.- Maritime Electric crews travel to New Brunswick to help with power outage-As of 9:50 a.m. Monday, there were more than 21,000 outages across New Brunswick, most of them in the Acadian Peninsula. The number of households that lost power reached 133,000 after the storm hit last Tuesday night."They started on Sunday afternoon as soon as they arrived," said Maritime Electric spokeswoman Kim Griffin.The crews had been kept busy on P.E.I. last week after the same storm knocked out power to about 1,600 customers."We're pretty proud of them, that they could do that to help out," said Griffin, adding that not one employee turned down the work in New Brunswick."It's devastating for the people of New Brunswick, and their system and their customers," said Griffin. "You just never know what's going to happen with Mother Nature."Martime Electric sent all the resources NB Power asked for — 14 people in seven crews, working in Tracadie, N.B. to replace downed power poles. Griffin is not sure how long the P.E.I. crews will be needed there."We certainly always make sure we have a strong foundation here on P.E.I. in case we're hit," Griffin added."They're not that far away if we see bad weather coming. So it's a judgement call."-'So sad'-NB Power was quick to come to P.E.I.'s aid last fall when an ice storm hit the Island, Griffin noted."Any time like this you'll find that utilities from region to region want to help each other," said Griffin."It's so sad about what's happened. It's probably one of the worst storms they've ever seen. They've had fatalities — it's a nightmare," she said.
Booms' in northern N.B. not an earthquake, seismologist says-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Loud noises that many northern New Brunswickers reported hearing in recent days were not caused by an earthquake, a seismologist says.Federal seismologist Stephen Halchuk cleared up some of the confusion about the noises in an email Monday to CBC News, confirming a quake wasn't the source.On Friday and over the weekend, many New Brunswickers, especially in the Bathurst area, took to a Facebook group to discuss what they had heard.Others wrote to CBC News describing "loud booms" and asking what they were.Halchuk said Natural Resources Canada also received reports on Friday of loud sounds in northeastern New Brunswick, around the Baie des Chaleurs and on the Gaspésie in Quebec."We reviewed our seismographs for this time period and see no evidence of any earthquakes large enough to be felt over a wide region," Halchuk wrote. "We are confident that the source of the sounds is not due to an earthquake."According to information on the department's website, there were two earthquakes in northwestern New Brunswick on Jan. 26, but the magnitude of each was just a little above two.On Saturday, a 1.8 magnitude earthquake occurred within 30 kilometres of Matane, Que., a community on the St. Lawrence River side of the Gaspé Peninsula.Natural Resources Canada lists three small earthquakes in northwestern New Brunswick and on the north side of the Gaspé Peninsula around the same time as the booms people reported hearing.But Halchuk suspects the sounds are more likely connected to the aftermath of the devastating ice storm last Tuesday that left so many people without power."The loud sounds (which were reported at different times in different localities) may be related to the ice storm in the region," Halchuk said in his email. "There are thousands of trees in the region that have suffered considerable damage."Halchuk recalled the ice storm of 1998, which involved "lots of loud booms.""Trees falling, branches shattering, electrical components failing — all of these could be the sources of the sounds," he said.The seismologist did, however, note that he's "not an expert in the sources of loud sounds that may be associated with the extensive accumulation of ice."
Mars, Venus and the moon to put on astronomical dance Tuesday-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
You won't have to get out your telescopes to see Mars, Venus and the moon put on a show, Jan. 31.The three celestial objects will be exceptionally close to each other on Tuesday night in a rare celestial treat called a conjunction."A conjunction is when you have the apparent visibility of multiple things in one particular area of the nighttime sky," said Derek Keif, an astronomer at the HR MacMillian Space Centre."There's going to be a whole bunch of bright stuff in one region pf our sky," he said. "You'll actually be able to see Mars, Venus and the moon really, really close together."-How close together?-Venus, Mars and the moon will form a bright and tight-knot triangle Tuesday night. Kei says the total space they'll take up is no larger than the size of your fist if you were to extend your arm.Of course, it's all relative — they'll still be millions of kilometres apart.But from the perspective of Earth, the conjunction marks a rare event where the objects meet in a unique dance."[It's] literally a dance because all of these components are moving at different speeds — our moon moves all the way around the Earth once every 29.5 days," said Kief."Mars and Venus are doing the same — but their time scales are much, much, much slower."The conjunction has been going on since early January 2017. But after the 31st, Mars and Venus will begin moving away from each other.-When to watch-Kief says the best time to watch the conjunction is after sunset, starting at 8 p.m. PT.He says to identify Venus, look for the glowing object that has a red and yellow tinge to it. Venus will shine slightly brighter than Mars, since it's closer to the Earth and has a highly reflective atmosphere that redirects light from the sun. Mars has an orange and red tinge to it.And remember, if the celestial object you're looking at twinkles, it's probably not a planet."Stars twinkle in our nighttime sky because they're so far away," he said, Planets on the other hand, are much closer."The atmosphere doesn't distort them as much, so you actually see them as a solid colour as opposed to the twinkling stars."With files from CBC's North by Northwest.
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
Northeast Calgary drug house shut down after 100+ calls to police-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
Alberta's Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit has boarded up a house in northeast Calgary after years of drug activity and violent incidents at the property.A fence will be up around the home at 71 Coventry Rd. N.E. for 45 days, with the windows boarded up and the locks changed."The property has been a source of long-term problems in the neighbourhood, with regular drug activity and violent incidents spanning more than two years," said a news release issued Monday."Police have responded to the house more than 100 times — including an incident where a man who was beaten, robbed and held captive in the basement escaped into the street."-House will be up for sale-In what SCAN is calling an exceptional circumstance, the owner of the property has also agreed to a condition that she must list the house for sale."We have been able to achieve an outcome that addresses both the short- and long-term problems associated with this property," said Insp. Mike Letourneau with SCAN. "The closure immediately breaks the cycle of criminal activity taking place and the eventual sale will keep it from coming back."SCAN said the owner will be allowed to live in the home after the 45 days are up, but she is banned from renting to any tenants for one year, and must list the house within 30 days of the order being lifted.
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)
Quebec massacre suspect, 27, a fan of Trump, far right French politician-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
A university student accused of carrying out the horrific massacre on a mosque in Quebec City was a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump, a far right leader in France and the separatist Parti Quebecois as well as a bird and chess enthusiast, according to what appeared to be his Facebook account.A handcuffed Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, made a brief court appearance Monday at which he was arraigned on six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted murder. Wearing a white jumpsuit, the tired-looking accused stared at his feet and fidgeted during the hearing.Bissonnette — the grandson of a decorated Second World War veteran, according to the social media profile in his name — was then remanded in custody until his next appearance Feb. 21.Police offered no information on what they believe motivated Sunday's shooting, which Prime Minister Trudeau has denounced as a terrorist act."The charges that have been laid are those that were disclosed by the evidence so far," said Michel Fortin, with the Quebec prosecutor's office. "It's an ongoing investigation."The Facebook profile in Bissonnette's name indicates that he "liked" Trump, French politician Marine Le Pen, the separatist Parti Quebecois and the Israeli armed forces. Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front in France who has won accolades from white supremacists, is known for her anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant ideology.Hema-Quebec — which manages the blood supply in Quebec — said Monday that Bissonette is an employee of the agency.It said in a statement that as an organization whose "primary mission is devoted to the gift of life," the arrest of Bissonette as a suspect in the mosque shooting has sent a "shock wave" through the organization.Hema-Quebec also said it would not comment further due to ongoing police investigation.The U.S.-based Site Intelligence Group called it "unlikely" that Bissonnette had any Jihadi ties in light of the postings.According to police and witnesses, a man entered the mosque and opened fire without warning during evening prayers, sowing death, injury and panic. Six worshippers were killed and 19 wounded — all men. Of the five victims who remained in hospital Monday, two were in critical condition, authorities said.The horrific act prompted several vigils across the country and expressions of sympathy from around the world.Bissonnette, who according to the Facebook account was from Cap-Rouge, Que., was enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universite Laval said in a statement. He has now been banned from all studies or research activities until the court process is over, the school said. The student directory lists him as pursuing an undergraduate degree in political science.One Facebook picture showed a boy dressed as an army cadet. Canadian Cadet Organizations said in a statement that Bissonnette was in the cadet program in the Quebec City area between 2002 and 2004. The national program focuses on developing leadership and citizenship skills as well as physical fitness. Cadets are not members of the Canadian Armed Forces and do not receive military training, the organization said.Among groups to which he belonged — according to the Facebook profile, which has since been taken down — was the Laval chess club and a birding group. The account also had numerous selfies of the neatly groomed young man, who appeared to be a blues fan.Another "like" was for the Parti Quebecois association in Louis-Hebert, a riding in Quebec's national capital region currently held by a Liberal member, and another for H.G. Wells, author of the 1890s science-fiction novel "War of the Worlds."Francois Deschamps, who runs a French-language web group called Bienvenue au refugies — Welcome Refugees — said Bissonnette was always making hateful comments."It's with pain and anger that we learn the identity of terrorist Alexandre Bissonnette, unfortunately known to many activists in Quebec for taking nationalist, pro-Le Pen and anti-feminist positions at Laval University and on social media," Deschamps wrote on the page of the group.However, Bissonnette's online profile offered few clues to the mass shooting he is accused of carrying out.His favourite citation, according to the Facebook page, was taken from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato:"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."
Wynne visits mosque in wake of 'cowardly act of terror' in Quebec-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne visited a mosque Monday in the aftermath of a deadly attack in Quebec City to tell the Muslim community that "the only antidote to hatred is love.""I want to just say that we are shocked," Wynne told the Muslim Association of Canada Masjid Toronto following prayers."We hope that this can't happen in Canada, can't happen in our open society, but we can't be smug. We have to remain vigilant."All Ontarians need to stand together for acceptance and an understanding that the province's strength comes from the fact "we are different.""Sometimes those words are used in a trivial way but I absolutely believe that what makes us strong in this country, in this province in this city, is that we are different, and because we can understand each other and we learn to live together, then we have a different view of the world that is stronger because of our shared understanding."The shooting Sunday night at a Quebec mosque left six people dead and 19 injured."I am very disturbed by this cowardly act of terror," Wynne said.NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement that she was heartbroken to hear about the attack."Today, we stand in solidarity and mourning with Muslim-Canadians, and all those grieving in Quebec," she wrote. "New Democrats condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and families of the victims."Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown tweeted Sunday night that he was "horrified to learn of the unspeakable and shocking attack."Toronto Mayor John Tory asked citizens to come together to support Muslims and Canadians of all faiths and backgrounds."We are the most diverse city in the world and while the safety and security of our nation is always fist and foremost, we will continue our proud legacy of welcoming people from around the world, especially in their time of need and in their pursuit of new opportunities," he said.Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
Trudeau offers solidarity with Canada's Muslim community after mosque attack-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
OTTAWA — All of Canada is nursing a broken heart in solidarity with the country's Muslim community following a deadly terrorist attack at a mosque in Quebec City, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.First in French and then in English, a solemn Trudeau delivered a heartfelt statement in the House of Commons — shortly after Parliament resumed following the Christmas break — to address what he called "a despicable act of terror.""To the more than 1 million Canadians who profess the Muslim faith, I want to say directly: we are with you; 36 million hearts are breaking with yours," Trudeau said."Last night's horrible crime against the Muslim community was an act of terror committed against Canada and against all Canadians. We will grieve with you, we will defend you, we will love you and we will stand with you."Six people between the ages of 35 and 70 were killed in the bloody massacre that took place Sunday at the Centre culturel islamique de Quebec mosque in Quebec City's Sainte-Foy neighbourhood.At least 12 other people were taken to hospital, two of whom were in critical condition, said the Centre Hospitalier Universite Laval. Police had two people in custody Sunday night, but by midday Monday were describing one of them as a witness.Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair also offered their condolences and their thanks to Canadian first responders.U.S. President Donald Trump also spoke to Trudeau by phone Monday to offer his condolences to all Canadians in the wake of the deaths.Trump "offered to provide any assistance as needed," A Trudeau spokeswoman said.Later Monday, Trudeau was to travel to Quebec City, accompanied by his fellow political leaders — a rare show of cross-partisan unity that illustrated the magnitude of the tragedy.MPs from all sides of the partisan divide shared their reactions to the shooting Monday as they gathered on Parliament Hill for the first day in the Commons of 2017.Conservative MP Sylvie Boucher, who represents a riding in the Quebec City area, had tears in her eyes as she described her reaction to the attack."We always imagine that it is very far away from us, but it is very close," said Boucher, who described speaking to her daughters before leaving for Ottawa, telling them to share a positive message with their Muslim friends."Tell them the door will always be open."Many MPs were also still reeling from Trump's immigration ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Syrian refugees — a measure that has sown anxiety and confusion for Canadians and others around the world.Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains called for openness at all levels, from economic trade to immigration and refugees."Countries are becoming more inward, they are promoting protectionism, and the other school of thought is really around innovation and being open to ideas, trade and people," he said."I think Canada's vision on this has been very clear. We believe in innovation, we believe in focusing on people, we believe in being open to ideas and to trade and that's what we've been saying since day one and that's what we'll continue to advance."When pressed for his specific thoughts on the immigration ban, Bains would only say Canada is making its values known through its actions."We are trying to lead by example and I think that's what the world expects us to do."New Democrat MP Charlie Angus called on the federal Liberal government to take a stronger stand against Trump."When you have the most powerful political figure of the world acting as a troll in charge, it has an effect," Angus said."The role of Canada, to be clear, is to work with our allies and to push back against the rising extremism that we see from the Trump administration."Omar Alghabra, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, said his own story of coming to Canada from Syria should serve as an example of what welcoming others can bring to a country."It shows how together we have built a unique society and how we are prospering together," said Alghabra, whose role as parliamentary secretary is focused on consular affairs."It's when you give individuals the opportunity to live in dignity, that's not only when they lift up themselves, but they lift the community they live within."— Follow @smithjoanna on Twitter-Joanna Smith, The Canadian Press.
Breaking silence, Obama speaks out on Trump immigrants order-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-January 30, 2017
WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama praised protesters who amassed across the country in opposition to President Donald Trump's immigration orders, breaking his silence on political issues for the first time since leaving office."The president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion," Obama's spokesman, Kevin Lewis, said.In his first statement on behalf of the former president, Lewis said Obama was "heartened" by the amount of engagement taking place in U.S. communities. Lewis, a former White House official, pointed out that Obama used his last official speech as president to talk about Americans' responsibility to be "guardians of our democracy," even in nonelection years."Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake," Lewis said.Lewis didn't specifically invoke Trump's immigration order. But he rejected comparisons between Trump's recent actions and Obama's foreign policy decisions.Trump said he took cues from Obama by temporarily banning travel to the U.S. from citizens of seven countries that Obama's administration identified as places of terrorism concern. But Obama's designation related strictly to eligibility to enter the U.S. without a visa; he never considered a travel ban.Obama's office also circulated excerpts from a speech the former president gave in November 2015, in which he called the idea of a ban on Muslims "shameful.""That's not American. That's not who we are. We don't have religious tests to our compassion," Obama said in the aftermath of attacks in Paris that prompted calls for the U.S. to restrict Syrian refugees from entering the United States.Trump and the White House have vigorously disputed the notion that Trump's order is a "Muslim ban." Trump's halts all refugee admissions for 120 days, suspends the Syrian refugee program indefinitely and also suspends entry to the U.S. from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. But the White House has stressed that dozens of other Muslim-majority countries aren't included.Lewis' comments mark the first time Obama has weighed in on Trump's actions since Obama left office on Jan. 20. In his final weeks as president, Obama said he planned to follow George W. Bush's example by giving his successor room to govern without being second-guessed.Yet Obama pointedly reserved the right to speak out if Trump violated what Obama called basic American values. He suggested a ban on Muslims or a move by Trump to deport immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children would cross that threshold.___Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP-Josh Lederman, The Associated Press.
Clash over refugee ban brings firing of Justice Dept. head-[Associated Press]-JULIE PACE and ERIC TUCKER-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary public showdown, President Donald Trump fired the acting attorney general of the United States after she publicly questioned the constitutionality of his refugee and immigration ban and refused to defend it in court.The clash Monday night between Trump and Sally Yates, a career prosecutor and Democratic appointee, laid bare the growing discord and dissent surrounding an executive order that halted the entire U.S. refugee program and banned all entries from seven Muslim-majority nations for 90 days. The firing, in a written statement released just hours after Yates went public with her concerns, also served as a warning to other administration officials that Trump is prepared to terminate those who refuse to carry out his orders.Yates' refusal to defend the executive order was largely symbolic given that Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's pick for attorney general, will almost certainly defend the policy once he's sworn in. He's expected to be confirmed Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee and could be approved within days by the full Senate.Yet the firing reflected the mounting conflict over the executive order, as administration officials have moved to distance themselves from the policy and even some of Trump's top advisers have made clear that they were not consulted on its implementation.As protests erupted at airports across the globe, and as legal challenges piled up in courthouses, Yates directed agency attorneys not to defend the executive order. She said in a memo Monday she was not convinced it was lawful or consistent with the agency's obligation "to stand for what is right."Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, soon followed with a statement accusing Yates of having "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." Trump named longtime federal prosecutor Dana Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as Yates' replacement. Boente was sworn in privately late Monday, the White House said, and rescinded Yates's directive.The chain of events bore echoes of the Nixon-era "Saturday Night Massacre," when the attorney general and deputy attorney general resigned rather than follow an order to fire a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. The prosecutor, Archibald Cox, was fired by the solicitor general.Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration who was the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta and later became Loretta Lynch's deputy, was not alone in her misgivings.At least three top national security officials — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Rex Tillerson, who is awaiting confirmation to lead the State Department — have told associates they were not aware of details of the directive until around the time Trump signed it. Leading intelligence officials were also left largely in the dark, according to U.S. officials.Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that despite White House assurances that congressional leaders were consulted, he learned about the order from the media.Trump's order pauses America's entire refugee program for four months, indefinitely bans all those from war-ravaged Syria and temporarily freezes immigration from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Federal judges in New York and several other states issued orders that temporarily block the government from deporting people with valid visas who arrived after Trump's travel ban took effect and found themselves in limbo.Yates on Monday said that she had reviewed the policy and concluded that it was at odds with the Justice Department's mission. She said that though other lawyers in the department had reviewed the order, their review had not addressed whether it was "wise or just.""I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right," Yates wrote in a letter.Trump said the order had been "approved" by Justice Department lawyers. However, the department has said the Office of Legal Counsel review was limited to whether the order was properly drafted, but did not address broader policy questions.White House spokesman Sean Spicer challenged those opposed to the measure to resign."They should either get with the program or they can go," Spicer said.The blowback underscored Trump's tenuous relationship with his own national security advisers, many of whom he met for the first time during the transition.Mattis, who stood next to Trump during Friday's signing ceremony, is said to be particularly incensed. A senior U.S. official said Mattis, along with Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford, was aware of the general concept of Trump's order but not the details. Tillerson has told the president's political advisers that he was baffled over not being consulted on the substance of the order.U.S. officials and others with knowledge of the Cabinet's thinking insisted on anonymity in order to disclose the officials' private views.Despite his public defense of the policy, the president has privately acknowledged flaws in the rollout, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking. But he's also blamed the media — his frequent target — for what he believes are reports exaggerating the dissent and the number of people actually affected.After a chaotic weekend during which some U.S. legal permanent residents were detained at airports, some agencies were moving swiftly to try to clean up after the White House.Homeland Security, the agency tasked with implementing much of the refugee ban, clarified that customs and border agents should allow legal residents to enter the country. The Pentagon was trying to exempt Iraqis who worked alongside the U.S. and coalition forces from the 90-day ban on entry from the predominantly Muslim countries."There are a number of people in Iraq who have worked for us in a partnership role, whether fighting alongside us or working as translators, often doing so at great peril to themselves," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.On Capitol Hill, lawmakers in Trump's party sought to distance themselves from the wide-ranging order.While Spicer said "appropriate committees and leadership offices" on Capitol Hill were consulted, GOP lawmakers said their offices had no hand in drafting the order and no briefings from the White House on how it would work."I think they know that it could have been done in a better way," Corker said of the White House.___Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee, Lolita C. Baldor, Erica Werner, Jonathan Lemire and Vivian Salama contributed to this report.___Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
With Islamic State gone, East Mosul residents face uncertain future-[Reuters]-By Michael Georgy-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
MOSUL (Reuters) - When Islamic State militants swept into Mosul in 2014, they wandered into Manaf Younes' billiards hall and declared it un-Islamic, taking away his billiard balls with a stern warning.A hall that was often packed with players until midnight was suddenly abandoned. Photographs of awards that made Younes proud gathered dust for two years and the billiard tables remained covered up.Iraqi government forces have now pushed the militants out of east Mosul and are poised to attack the west. While Younes is thrilled, like many other small businessmen in the city, his joy is tempered by uncertainty as he tries to revive his former life.Islamic State imposed a radical version of Islam in Mosul after establishing the country's second biggest city as its de facto capital: banning cigarettes, televisions and radios, and forcing men to grow beards and women to cover from head to toe."I am broke. I had to sell my two cars to survive. Now my landlord is demanding two years of back rent," said Younes, picking up a trophy that reminded him of the old days.He frowned at explosions in the distance, where Iraqi forces and jihadists are exchanging fire along the Tigris River that bisects the sprawling metropolis, once a trade hub and center for higher learning."These explosions hurt the business. They shake the billiard tables and make them imbalanced," he said.The fighting has already caused widespread destruction.U.S.-led airstrikes have demolished scores of buildings and left huge craters that destroyed roads. Rooftops have collapsed into the bottom floors. Other buildings have gaping holes from rockets or machinegun fire.Mortar bombs still land in the city and gunfire is heard.Across from Younes' billiard hall stands what's left of Mosul University, once one of the finest education institutions in the Middle East.Islamic State sold the university's ancient manuscripts and imposed its own form of education, banning philosophy books. When the army arrived, the jihadists burned down many of its buildings, leaving piles of ashes.A few pages of textbooks on hematology and diffusion were scattered on floors cluttered with debris. Upstairs in the cafeteria were blackened tables and chairs, below huge holes from airstrikes.A few bakers and restaurant owners in the neighborhood stood mostly idle.They too recalled hardships under Islamic State rule.The militants and their wives would show up clutching AK-47 assault rifles and jump to the front of queues, demanding discounts, they said.One restaurant owner, Qusay Ahmed, said he was dragged away to an Islamic State jail and tortured for four months after militants accused him of stealing."They ripped my toenails off with pliers," he said.The torturers may be gone, but there are new challenges.He and other restaurant owners have no potable water and scarce electricity, and hardly any customers.(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Malaysian police arrest three suspected Islamic State sympathisers-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-January 31, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian authorities have arrested three men for suspected links with the Islamic State militant group, police said on Tuesday.Muslim-majority Malaysia has been on high alert since an attack last January by Islamic State-linked militants in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia.Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the suspects were detained in three separate raids from Jan. 27 to Jan. 29. Police also confiscated a shotgun and an air rifle.Khalid did not identify the suspects but said one of them, a 38-year-old Malaysian, had posted a plan to carry out a bomb attack in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on his Facebook page.Another of the suspects is an Indonesian with Malaysian residency working as security guard with the national carrier, Malaysian Airlines.He and the third suspect, another Malaysian, were believed to have been planning to join Islamic State militants in Syria, Khalid said.The three face charges of suspected involvement in terrorism, he said.Malaysia has not seen a serious militant attack but authorities say they have disrupted several plots.Seven people were wounded in a grenade blast at a bar near Kuala Lumpur in June, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.Malaysia has arrested more than 250 people between 2013 and 2016 for suspected militant activity linked to Islamic State.According to police data, 91 Malaysians had gone to fight in the Middle East as of October last year. Of them, eight had returned to Malaysia and 24 had been killed in fighting there.Last week, authorities said they had arrested four people with links to an Islamic State cell based in the southern Philippines.(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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