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)
OTHER NEWS TODAY FROM ISRAEL
OTHER NEWS TODAY FROM ISRAEL
BEGLEY PROMOTES ANTICHRIST-PREACHER BELIEVES-BEGLEY HATES THIS PASTOR BIG TIME.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9D1wJgkhYs
BEGLEYS RESPONSE TO PREACHER-AND HIS HATERS 31-MIN-42 MIN-MAR 2,17
http://ift.tt/2lk5GbG
$38,000 DOLLARS PLUS FOR HIS BUNKER OR END OF THE WORLD STUDIO MADE IN BEGGING MAR 1,17-CAN MAKE A PERSON BRAVE.AND BEGLEY SAYS WERE HATERS OF HIM AND HIS INFORMATION KNOWLEDGE GURUS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE. AS BEGLEY SAYS I QUOTE THEY THOUGHT WE WOULD BE OUTTA HEAR BEFORE KILLING CHRISTIANS OCCURS. THAT OTHER PREACHER IS RIGHT. BEGLEY IS PROMOTING THE ANTICHRIST. BECAUSE HE BEGLEY BELIEVES HE WILL NOT BE RAPTURED TILL THE MIDPOINT OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. AFTER THE ANTICHRIST GOES IN THE 3RD TEMPLE AND CALLS HIMSELF GOD.
BEGLEYS NSA VISITS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eq2fiKmmYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXk03wJvXqs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9D1wJgkhYs
BEGLEYS RESPONSE TO PREACHER-AND HIS HATERS 31-MIN-42 MIN-MAR 2,17
http://ift.tt/2lk5GbG
$38,000 DOLLARS PLUS FOR HIS BUNKER OR END OF THE WORLD STUDIO MADE IN BEGGING MAR 1,17-CAN MAKE A PERSON BRAVE.AND BEGLEY SAYS WERE HATERS OF HIM AND HIS INFORMATION KNOWLEDGE GURUS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE. AS BEGLEY SAYS I QUOTE THEY THOUGHT WE WOULD BE OUTTA HEAR BEFORE KILLING CHRISTIANS OCCURS. THAT OTHER PREACHER IS RIGHT. BEGLEY IS PROMOTING THE ANTICHRIST. BECAUSE HE BEGLEY BELIEVES HE WILL NOT BE RAPTURED TILL THE MIDPOINT OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD. AFTER THE ANTICHRIST GOES IN THE 3RD TEMPLE AND CALLS HIMSELF GOD.
BEGLEYS NSA VISITS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eq2fiKmmYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXk03wJvXqs
Ontario hydro bill reductions to ultimately cost ratepayers more-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 2, 2017
TORONTO — Soaring electricity bills in Ontario will see an average 17-per-cent cut this summer, a year before the provincial Liberals bid for re-election, but those savings will ultimately cost ratepayers billions in extra interest payments.Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne acknowledged Thursday that the bill for the across-the-board-relief will eventually come due for ratepayers."Over time it will cost a bit more. That's true," she said when detailing the plan. "And it will take longer to pay off. That's also true. But it is fairer because it doesn't ask this generation of hydro customers alone to pay the freight for everyone before and after."Electricity bills have roughly doubled in the last decade, rising faster than inflation since 2010, and have sparked increasing anger among Ontarians, leading to plummeting approval ratings for Wynne.She said the increasing costs were due to investments in the grid, nuclear refurbishments and getting rid of coal. She also acknowledged that long-term contracts for green energy producers at above-market rates were "too generous."Ontario now has a clean and reliable system, Wynne said, but the entire burden of those investments was being shouldered by current ratepayers when the benefits will be seen over many years.But Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the new plan just shifts the burden between the same group of people — "robbing Peter to pay Paul, but in this case, both Peter and Paul are taxpayers."Most of the electricity generation contracts in Ontario are for 20 years, so refinancing them is like re-amortizing a mortgage over 30 years instead. But that will come with up to $1.4 billion a year in extra interest payments over 10 years.In the near term, rates will also be held to the rate of inflation, and the plan is for the 17-per-cent cut to be reflected in the Ontario Energy Board's May 1 rates so customers see it reflected on their June bills.But those extra interest costs will be added back onto bills in the future.Legislation will be introduced to enable the Independent Electricity System Operator and Ontario Power Generation to refinance a portion of the global adjustment charge.That's the charge consumers pay for above-market rates for power producers. The auditor general has estimated the global adjustment charge cost $50 billion between 2006 and 2015 and increased by 1,200 per cent between 2006 and 2013 — meanwhile, the average electricity market price dropped by 46 per cent.The across-the-board relief of 17 per cent comes in addition to an eight-per-cent rebate that took effect Jan. 1. That cut is estimated to cost taxpayers about $1 billion per year.Several other measures were announced Thursday to help low-income and rural residents at a cost of $2.5 billion over three years to taxpayers.Customers under a program that gives a rate subsidy to those in rural and remote areas will be expanded, so that ratepayers covered by local distribution companies with the highest delivery charges will see those rates cut.The Ontario Electricity Support Program for low-income ratepayers will be funded through government revenues instead of other taxpayers. The benefits are also being increased, so that someone who qualifies for the smallest credit — a single person earning less than $28,000 — would save $45 a month instead of $30.The delivery charge for on-reserve First Nations residential customers is being removed. The province is also establishing an affordability fund for electricity customers who don't qualify for low-income conservation programs to make energy efficiency improvements.The government will still meet its goal of balancing the next budget, Wynne said, though she admitted the new measures puts the government "a lot closer to the line."Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
Announcement on cuts to Ontario hydro bills coming Thursday-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario electricity ratepayers will learn Thursday how the Liberal government plans to reduce their bills, which reportedly includes a move akin to refinancing a mortgage that's being slammed as just kicking costs down the road.The plan is to slash soaring hydro bills by another 17 per cent largely by paying the costs of electricity generation contracts over longer periods, Toronto Star reported Wednesday.The Liberal government faces no bigger political issue at the moment than hydro bills, which have nearly doubled in the last decade, and Premier Kathleen Wynne had promised that further relief — in addition to an eight-per-cent rebate that took effect Jan. 1 — would be announced before the spring budget.Wynne and Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault are set to make their announcement Thursday morning. After a cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon, Thibeault wouldn't say whether relief would come all at once or in phases."I would like to see it all done at once to ensure that we can get the best bang for every ratepayer's dollar," he said.It could take some time to take effect, if regulatory changes or legislation are needed, Thibeault said, but it could perhaps be made retroactive.Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the reported plan would just shift costs from people's hydro bills to tax bills."The money needs to come from somewhere," he said. "Will this government come clean and acknowledge that in their leaked plan, taxes are going to go up? They're simply playing a shell game."Thibeault said Ontario Power Generation did something similar to reduce nuclear refurbishment cost increases."It's something that OPG has recognized that works, but for us in terms of our smoothing — or our rate mitigation plans, we're not putting anything out there right now," he said.Energy consultant Tom Adams said in a blog post that the plan would create a "big new electricity debt" in order to make rates "appear" to decrease."In a nutshell, Wynne's plan is to stretch out the recovery of current electricity generation costs over a longer time period than currently is the case," he wrote.It's not clear whether the underlying contracts would be extended or if the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation, which manages the debt of the former Ontario Hydro, would fund the difference, Adams wrote.The Star reported the benefit from the plan would be more than $1.5 billion a year, reflected in decreased global adjustment costs.The global adjustment, which accounts for up to 70 per cent of electricity rates, is the charge consumers pay for above-market rates paid to power producers in 20-year contracts meant to ensure a steady supply.Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk has estimated the global adjustment cost $50 billion between 2006 and 2015 and increased by 1,200 per cent between 2006 and 2013 — meanwhile, the average electricity market price dropped by 46 per cent.NDP deputy leader Jagmeet Singh said the reported plan wouldn't address the root causes of problems within the electricity system, such as the high-paying, long-term contracts."When they talk about smoothing out payments ... that means extending a bad contract and by extending it the interest payments are going to put more money in the hands of bankers," he said.The NDP on Monday presented its plan to lower hydro bills, and it included renegotiating power contracts they say have led to high costs and an oversupply of energy.The government will also shift the Ontario Electricity Support Program for low-income customers to the tax base, rather than being funded by other ratepayers, the Star reported.Wynne has previously signalled that more savings will be coming for rural and northern ratepayers, who face significantly higher costs than urban customers, and Thibeault has suggested that changes are on the way for time-of-use pricing.Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
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)
Germany and France endorse multi-speed Europe By Eric Maurice-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:20-Germany and France will push for a multi-speed EU, in which some countries integrate more deeply than others, at a summit in Rome later this month."We must find means to better take into account member states' different levels of ambitions so that Europe can better address the expectations of all European citizens," the countries' foreign affairs ministers said in a joint statement on Wednesday (1 March).Sigmar Gabriel and Jean-Marc Ayrault said that should be done "without calling into question all that we achieved."The statement could be seen as a reassurance to countries with a lower "level of ambitions" that they will not lose the EU's benefits, as well as a warning to countries who would like to take back powers from EU institutions.The EU "is founded on common values, solidarity and the rule of law," they added, in a reference to the most divisive issues between a core of member states and some countries such as those in the Visegrad group - Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.Visegrad countries have refused to take asylum seekers and migrants despite EU demands for solidarity.Hungary's leader Viktor Orban wants to build an "illiberal democracy" and the new government in Poland is under EU monitoring over constitutional violations.At the end of the month, EU leaders - except British prime minister Theresa May - will meet in Rome to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the European Communities' founding treaty.They will also publish a declaration outlining their vision for a post-Brexit EU.The two ministers' call for a multi-speed Europe follows similar statements by their leaders, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, and indicates that the Rome declaration will set out that direction.On Monday, Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, also said that the EU needed to "go ahead with multi-speed Europe".-'Quo vadis Europa?'-Germany and France "are deeply attached to the success of this process," Gabriel and Ayrault said.They were reacting to a White Paper on the future of Europe presented on Wednesday by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of the summit.Juncker laid out five scenarios for the bloc after Britain's departure in 2019, from "carrying on" to "doing much more together", with "nothing but the single market", "those who want to do more fo more" and "doing less more efficiently" as intermediare scenarios.“It is time we sought answers to a question as old as our union is young: ‘quo vadis Europa?'," Juncker told MEPs, using the latin version of "where are you going, Europe?".“We need to move forward, we need to continue,", he said, adding that it was not up to him to decide which scenario to adopt.Juncker's paper was "an important and valuable contribution to the larger discussion on the future of Europe, its project and its functioning," Gabriel and Ayrault said, in a referrence to the member states' desire to control the process.-'Much more than a single market'-They noted that "our best protection and our best asset for the future is a stronger European Union".They said that the EU should focus on "reinforcing" Europe's role on the world stage; developing a European defence policy; "putting into place a stable and cooperative framework to address the migration issue"; "promoting the convergence" of European economies; "reinforcing" Europe's social market economy; and "progressing towards the completion" of monetary union.With Brexit talks to be triggered this month, the EU wants to demonstrate that the process will not be its main task and that Britain's influence on the European project is already a thing of the past."However painful and regrettable Brexit may be, it will not stop the EU as it moves to the future," Juncker said on Wednesday."Europe is much more than a single market," the German and French ministers said in their statement, referring to a vision of Europe defended by the UK before it voted to leave the EU.
Central European countries warn against EU 'disintegration' By Eszter Zalan-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 19:12-Prime ministers of four central European countries warned against the "disintegration" of the EU a day after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker outlined possible scenarios for the future of the bloc, including a multi-speed Europe."Any form of enhanced cooperation should be open to every member state and should strictly avoid any kind of disintegration of the single market, the [passport-free] Schengen area and the European Union itself," leaders of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia said in a joint statement on Thursday (2 March).Ahead of a summit in Rome at the end of the month on Europe's future, the Visegrad Group acknowledged that a "necessary flexibility" in integration could be achieved through enhanced cooperation under the current treaties, but insisted on the need for unity as a principle for cooperation between member states-Eastern member states were unnerved by the possibility that Juncker's proposals, and a declaration to be adopted in Rome, could entrench existing divisions and see them permanently fall behind.At a joint press conference in Warsaw, Poland's prime minister Beata Szydlo said changes in the EU should not lead to "permanent cracks"."We will not agree to division within the EU, because that leads directly to disintegration," she said.The statement also said any development in the eurozone should be open to all and called for deeper defence cooperation.But that does not mean the Visegrad Four want to move ahead with integration any faster.The prime ministers again reiterated that a "more significant and definite role" should be given to national parliaments to "enhance legitimacy of the EU decision-making process".Szydlo called on European Council chief Donald Tusk, whose re-election Szydlo's government does not support, to ensure that EU reforms are agreed before the Rome summit on 25 March.At the Rome summit, leaders are expected to outline a common vision for the future of the EU after the UK leaves the bloc.Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said preparations for the summit were "lamentable"."It may happen that [the Rome statement] will again not be a vision for the future of Europe, but a collection of individual, national interests, which cannot help anyone today, but only do harm," Fico said at the news conference.-Founders would move ahead-Among the five proposals outlined by Juncker as a preparation for Rome, one called for a multi-speed Europe, in which those countries that want to have a closer and deeper cooperation could move on, while others can pick and chose if they want to join.German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Francois Hollande, Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, and Maltese PM Joseph Muscat, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, all recently spoke out in favour of a multi-speed Europe.That could pit the Visegrad countries, which have been reluctant to participate in the relocation of asylum seekers in Europe, and some founding countries against each other in Rome over whether a multi-speed Europe is the way to go.Visegrad countries receive substantial EU funding to help develop their poorer regions, but the feeling that they were "second class" EU countries has lingered in political discourse ever since they joined the bloc in 2004.Poland and Hungary have been criticised over rule of law issues, in what the two governments see as Western lecturing.Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban has argued that EU funding to the east benefits Western companies as well.Recently, a scandal over different food quality in the east and west also become a sensitive political issue.-Food inequality-At their Warsaw meeting the four prime ministers came out strongly against the "double standards" in food quality, because some firms used cheaper ingredients in food stuff sold in central and eastern Europe than in the west.The prime ministers urged the European Commission and Parliament to act.Slovak PM Fico said the different standards in food quality are "unacceptable", and send a "dangerous political message".
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
3 people in Ontario contract Seoul virus, which is spread by rats-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario's chief medical officer of health says three people have contracted a virus linked to exposure to rats.Dr. David Williams says the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is investigating three human cases of Seoul virus among people who had prolonged contact with rats. Williams says no serious health problems have been reported.Seoul virus is a type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from rats to people through bite wounds or exposure to urine, feces, saliva or contaminated bedding.Officials say the health risk to Ontarians is considered low and Seoul virus is not spread from person to person.A person infected with Seoul virus may not develop symptoms or will only develop very mild symptoms. However, in some instances, more severe symptoms may include fever, severe headache, back and abdominal pain, chills, blurred vision, redness of the eyes, or rash.Williams says the source of the illnesses, including links to a multi-state investigation in the U.S., is being investigated.As of Feb. 24, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a similar Seoul virus outbreak associated with rat exposure that involves 16 positive human cases and rat breeders located in 15 states.Rats do not show symptoms of disease when they are infected with Seoul virus.The Canadian Press.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Cemetery visitors ruffled by 'traipsing' bird-watching shutterbugs-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
On the edge of Hamilton Harbour, where a stockade once stood during the War of 1812, a new conflict has arisen.Gaggles of bird-watchers have long found the 100-acre Woodland Cemetery one of the best birding places around. There, they spy migrating birds like cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds and, in the winter, even bald eagles.But in their excitement to document their finds, some amateur nature photographers have upset the sensibilities of a couple of people visiting the cemetery to pay respects to their dearly departed."Our family plot is there and it happens to be at a spot that is an old section in the cemetery where there are some nesting owls and everything," said Dave O'Reilly, a man who likes to speak aloud to his parents when he pays their gravesites a visit. "It's been getting worse over the last couple of years."He's seen sunflower seeds on headstones, left there to lure birds. He's also noticed the resulting muck – "you know what birds do.""I'm a nature guy myself," he said. "But they're just really stomping around."-'Lack of respect'-The cemetery is public property, run by the city, and there's no restriction on accessing the grounds during daylight hours. Birders have found 242 species there in records going back at least to the 1950s. Birders' behaviour hasn't seemed to be a problem before but a couple of recent calls got the city's attention.The city is worried about ruts in the grass from absent-mindedly parked cars, and a level of disrespect being paid by the eagle-oglers."I knew we had bird-watchers going out there," said the city's manager of parks and cemeteries, Tennessee Propedo. "But not to the extent – the lack of respect they're showing."-'Beating the nest tree with sticks'-O'Reilly shot some video of a flock of shutterbugs on Family Day, setting up a tripod near a headstone and pointing their zoom lenses at a feathered target.The video doesn't appear to show them being loud, but O'Reilly said he has a problem with people "traipsing" all over gravesites and near markers to get a good shot.A letter-writer to the editor published in the Spectator a couple of years ago chastised some inexpert explorers for "beating the nest tree with sticks" to try to get a beloved screech owl to wake up and fly for some candid action shots.Propedo says bird-watchers and hikers have been using the city's public spaces for decades without incident. He said he thinks it's smaller hobbyist groups focused on photography that are causing the trouble.Rob Porter, a local naturalist and photographer, agreed that photography groups tend to stalk the screech owl, for example."As with all hobbies there's a wide range of sub-groups and interests, and certainly there are some who are very (or solely) focused on photography who tend to be the ones who stake out known birds that are perceived to be uncommon," said Porter."I'm not sure why anyone would be putting birdseed out for an owl though – as they're carnivores."Leaving behind only footprints-Propedo hopes for a détente between the groups of birders and photographers and those who want to visit their loved ones in peace.His message to the photographers:"That at the end of the day the only thing they leave behind are their footprints," he said. "Don't take away from somebody else's grieving. It may not have any connection to you, but there's definitely loved ones who would take offence." kelly.bennett@cbc.ca | @kellyrbennett
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)
EU wants rejected migrants, including minors, locked up By Nikolaj Nielsen-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:23-The European Commission is piling on pressure for governments to send unwanted migrants packing, including children, and lock up those at risk of disappearing before deportation.Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU commissioner for migration, told reporters on Thursday (2 March) that EU states should not hesitate to detain anyone at risk of absconding for the maximum legal limit of 18 months allowed under EU law."In certain countries, the maximum length duration set by national law is much shorter, the result is that the detention period is not long enough to complete successfully the readmission process," he said.He went on to say that detention could also include children who would otherwise risk falling into the hands of criminals."Closed centres can help to protect children against smugglers, traffickers, people who want to abuse them," he added.The commission has earmarked around €200 million for 2017 to help finance the return of migrants across the EU states and wants the new EU Border and Coast Guard Agency to negotiate deals with commercial airlines to send people home.These plans will feed into broader discussions next week in Brussels when EU leaders meet for a two-day summit. Draft conclusions seen by EUobs demand governments to implement the return plans as swiftly as possible.Not everyone is convinced by the proposals.Picum, a Brussels-based NGO working on undocumented migrants, said in a statement the Commission's scheme would end up traumatising children and divide families.“The European Commission is hiding behind the language of 'efficiency' to present measures that violate EU and international law," said Picum's director Michele LeVoy.Amnesty International’s EU office has also denounced the plans."That children are included in this wide detention regime is truly shocking,” said Amnesty's director Iverna McGowan.-Readmission, returns-The commission says the measures are needed to dissuade irregular migration, in spite of outstanding issues in getting African countries to accept the return of their unwanted nationals in the first place.Among them is Nigeria whose nationals lodged some 46,000 asylum applications last year, but whose recognition rate hovers only around 8 percent. The EU has no readmission agreement with Nigeria.The issue has frustrated officials who are yet to convince their counterparts in African states to accept the validity of a so-called European Travel Document issued to people who do not have IDs but cannot legally remain in the EU.Officials are also struggling to secure readmission agreements with some countries in Africa while others stand accused of only accepting voluntary returns from EU states that are willing to pay.The EU commission says it is ready to use "collective leverage", similar to an October deal with Afghanistan, to force origin countries in Africa to accept returns and readmission.It also says that EU states are not doing enough in terms of returns, noting that some 1 million people are likely not to qualify for asylum out of the 2.6 million applications lodged between 2015 and 2016.Excluding returns to Western Balkan countries, the effective return rate throughout the EU was only 27 percent in 2015.Most of those rejected are likely to be in Germany following a surge in arrivals over the past few years.Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel is hoping to convince authorities in Egypt and Tunisia to help prevent people from disembarking from Libya towards Italy.She is meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Thursday and then with Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on Friday.
Toronto mayor seeks federal help as more refugees wind up in city shelters-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 2, 2017
Toronto Mayor John Tory is asking the federal government for funding to help refugees struggling with the "hard landing" of losing government support, and he wants some of that money to go to city shelters that are now dealing with an influx of newcomers.At least 810 refugees relied on city shelters this January — an 80 per cent increase over the same month last year, according to the city's shelter administration. Tory, in a letter sent to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen this week, said that's putting pressure on an already-strained system."Opening the doors is not enough," Tory's letter said."We must make sure our cities have the resources they need to support new arrivals and set them up for success over the long-term."The mayor's letter calls for the federal government to provide immediate and ongoing funding for Toronto's shelter system and its newcomer office, which connects those arriving in the city with important services like healthcare. It also calls on the government to expand the housing resources and supports given to refugees — like the thousands of Syrians who arrived last year — "to ensure that existing services are not further strained."Government-sponsored refugees receive programming and support for 12 months, but for many, that is now ending.Tory's letter praises the federal government's move to welcome more immigrants, but says the well-managed initial push must continue."We cannot accept people here in their time of need only to see them fall through the cracks or lack the resources to reach their true potential," it states.Tory previously called Toronto a "magnet" for asylum seekers due to its opportunities and diverse population. Earlier this year, councillors reaffirmed Toronto's sanctuary city status, meaning people don't need to disclose their immigration status to gain access to services.Groups that support newcomers, meanwhile, said they expect many of the asylum seekers crossing the U.S.-Canada border in the wake of President Donald Trump's election to make their way to Toronto.CBC Toronto is seeking a comment from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.Dr. Meb Rashid, who works at the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre and the Crossroads Clinic at Women's College Hospital, welcomed Tory's funding request. The areas that would be bolstered, he said, are "critical" to helping newcomers, many who arrive in the city with serious medical needs."Certainly having more resources to support our colleagues in the shelter system is incredibly important," he told CBC Toronto.Rashid said refugees often arrive at the Christie refugee centre in the middle of the night, touching off a scramble to find them a bed."We're filled … we're constantly busy," he said, adding he has heard more people have been arriving in the city recently.Rashid said most refugees only need help when they first arrive, and that most do quite well once they adapt to Toronto.Tory's office declined to provide a specific dollar figure for its request, but notes the federal government is expected to present its budget soon. Tory is also seeking a meeting with Hussen to discuss future steps.
Federal poll showcases difference in attitudes on immigrants versus refugees-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
OTTAWA — A newly released federal survey on attitudes towards immigration suggests Canadians are somewhat more enthusiastic about accepting economic migrants than they are about refugees.While 52 per cent of those polled in the Immigration Department's annual tracking study felt the right number of immigrants were coming to Canada, 23 per cent thought it was too high.Meanwhile, 40 per cent felt the right number of refugees was being admitted and 30 per cent thought that figure was too high.The 2016 survey was done long before immigration and refugee policy became a centrepiece of the U.S. presidential campaign and the eventual new administration of Donald Trump, and before the question of what values immigrants to Canada ought to hold became a centrepiece of Conservative leadership politics here.So while the data might not reflect how attitudes have shifted since those developments, it's telling for what it was probing for in the first place, suggested Jack Jedwab, the executive vice president of the Association for Canadian Studies and co-chairman of an upcoming conference on integration and immigration."I think what the government is trying to get at is the issue of the extent to which people are more preoccupied by the increase in refugees that's happening in a lot other places in the world," he said.While the survey did suggest some differences in viewpoints on refugees versus other classes of immigrants, Jedwab said they aren't substantial."Right now, we're seeing globally an effort on the part of elected officials to try to make those distinctions — refugees bad, economic migrants good, that's the distinction that's being made in the States to some extent," he said."And I don't think, based on what we're seeing now in this poll, that we're seeing that idea take effect here."Pollsters were in field between August 11 to 31, 2016, asking 1,598 Canadians for their opinions on immigration. The survey has a margin of error of 2.45 per cent, 19 times out of 20.The survey was done ahead of the release of the immigration levels plan, published in October, and also before the federal government received a report from its economic advisory council that would recommend a massive increase in the number of immigrants to Canada, from what had been about 260,000 a year to 450,000.The survey did probe Canadians' appetite for an increase. Respondents were asked to what extent they'd support boosting levels of economic immigration by 100,000 people over the next five years and 42 per cent exhibited some level of support for the idea. If the number ratcheted up further to 200,000 over five years, support fell to 38 per cent.The Liberals eventually nixed any major increase, going instead with a modest uptake in admissions to around 300,000.While the survey is done annually, not all the questions are repeated each year, making it difficult to compare attitudes over time unless the questions are exactly the same.There was some crossover between this year and last year's study.Fifty-two per cent of those polled in 2016 thought the government is accepting the right number of immigrants, down from 58 per cent of those polled in 2015.Meanwhile, about 46 per cent of those polled in 2016 felt that refugees have a positive impact on the Canadian economy, up from the 41 per cent who felt that way in the survey done last year.The 2016 survey results were published on the federal government's polling research report website on Wednesday.Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press.
Group threatening Concordia Muslim students has no ties to U.S. supremacist group, experts say-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
The Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada (C4), the group that purportedly wrote a threatening letter against Muslim students at Concordia University in Montreal, has no links to an American white supremacist group with a similar name, according to experts."That's not us. That type of behaviour is utterly counterproductive," said Paul Fromm, a Canadian spokesperson for the Council of Conservative Citizens.The group describes itself as wanting to "preserve North America for the European founding settler people," and is "strongly opposed to massive Third World immigration.""We don't support violence or threats of violence, which is what this sounds to be."The Council of Conservative Citizens is a well-known group in the United States that was founded in 1988. It's been described in some U.S. media reports as "America's biggest white-nationalist organization."Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine black church members in Charleston, S.C., was apparently inspired by council documents.Fromm said he had never heard about the Canadian group claiming to have penned the letter threatening Concordia's Muslim students, until CBC News contacted him today and told him about it.The letter sent to media outlets threatened to set off bombs in two buildings of the university's downtown campus over a 48-hour period."We know nothing about it. If did, we would repudiate it. That's not what we are about," Fromm told CBC. "This really is appalling."CBC also reached out to an expert from the Southern Poverty Law Centre in the U.S., a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups.Mark Potok, senior fellow at the group, has been writing about the Council of Conservative Citizens for years.Potok said he's virtually certain the group has no links to the American group."I have never heard of the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada. It basically doesn't exist on the internet. You do a site search of the Council of Conservative Citizens [U.S.] website and there is no mention of it. So I think this is some kind of freelance operation," he said.After the letter was emailed to media outlets and Montreal police were alerted, three buildings at Concordia's downtown campus were evacuated. Officers conducted a search. No explosive devices were found, and the buildings were reopened Wednesday evening.The case has been handed over to the Montreal police major crimes unit.
Police investigating after 2 Muslim men, copies of Qur'an, sprayed with urine-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
Toronto police are investigating after two Toronto men who hand out copies of the Qur'an and books on Islam to passers-by every weekend at St. Lawrence Market say they were sprayed with urine last Saturday."I didn't see who sprayed it but I smelled it and came to my table, and [I saw] the whole table, table-cloth and Qur'an ... was sprayed and smelled," Quazi Islam told CBC Toronto. "I came home and took a shower but my jacket and everything smelled."Islam said it happened around 11 a.m. and caused them to put away their damaged flyers and Qur'an in plastic bags.He filed a police report the next day alongside his friend, Gerges Hamad, who was also there at the time of the incident.The two men say they have been talking about Islam to passers-by from the same spot at St. Lawrence Market for just under two years and though they've been on the receiving end of many abusive comments, nothing like this has ever happened before."We experienced similar things a couple of times ... Someone has spit on our face and the floor. From time to time people comment, very few people, stuff like, 'Don't bring this garbage into our country.'" said Islam."Generally, if something big happens, such as when [the attack in] Paris happened last year, then we experience these things."-Toronto Police investigating -Toronto police have confirmed they are investigating the incident but are not classifying it as a hate crime until they have more evidence.Islam and Hamad are not affiliated with any Islamic organization or mosque. They say they're simply there to dispel misconceptions about Islam and point out what the religion has in common with Christianity and Judaism."We are not there to convince people to change their beliefs," said Hamad. "We are educating people on Islam. We are not there to make any problems."Both men said they are afraid that the perpetrator, who approached their table from behind, may return and that something more violent could happen."We're really scared about our life and after what happened in Quebec ... it can escalate to a more violent thing. That's why we reported to the police," Hamad said.-'People stand up for us'-Islam says the incident is not representative of the wider community. Despite the odd comment here and there, people usually regard them with respect even if they don't agree with their message. "Many people stand up ... Couple of people stand up for us and say they're helping us. People are saying, 'I don't believe in your religion but I am supporting you and what you're doing,'" he said."People say, 'We don't believe your religion, we don't practise, but we want your voice to be heard.' Those are the things that keep us going."The two men say they debated going home early that day because they weren't feeling safe but decided to continue."This incident ... is not keeping us away. We're scared ... but we are not violent people. We don't have anything to fight back," Hamad said."We'll just leave it to the police to give us safety."
Liberals look to fill Trump funding gap, but are urged to raise aid spending-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 2, 2017
OTTAWA — The federal government is pledging up to $20 million to fund sexual health and abortion-related projects as part of an international campaign to fill a gap created by President Donald Trump's decision to ban U.S. funding for abortion-related programs.The money will go to five organizations, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and be spent in the coming 12 months on contraceptives, family planning and comprehensive sexuality education, abortion services where they are legal and access to post-abortion care.International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said funding sexual education and abortion where it is legal is a matter of human rights."The idea is really to give women the choice," Bibeau told reporters in a conference call from Brussels. "We're not forcing anyone into it."Having the control over our own body is, to me, the first step for women's rights and it's a matter of choice and having access to the information, the services and the supplies."Aid agency Save the Children welcomed the pledge, saying that the money could help save the lives of women, adolescents and girls in the most remote regions of the world.An anti-abortion group, Campaign Life Coalition, called on the government to redirect the money to provide better nutrition, clean water, medicine and safe deliveries overseas. The group said in a release that the money signalled an abandonment of the country's previous commitment to improving maternal health.A major aid agency said it welcomed any financial help Canada can provide, but warned that if the country is really serious about helping poor women in the developing world, it must increase the overall amount it spends on international aid.Lauren Ravon, Oxfam's Canadian director of policy and campaigns, said Canada's decision to take part in Thursday's pledging conference in Brussels — known as "She Decides" — is welcome.Bibeau represented Canada at the meeting, where some 50 countries are trying to raise $600 million to fill the shortfall caused by Trump's decision.One of Trump's first acts as president was to resurrect a policy withholding hundreds of millions of dollars a year from groups that perform abortions or provide advice about the procedure.The ban has been instituted by successive Republican administrations dating back to the Ronald Reagan era, only to be rolled back by successive Democratic presidents since then.Trump's order reversed Barack Obama's 2009 decision to restore funding.Bibeau said the international community doesn't have a clear picture of what impact Trump's decision will have. She said the almost $200 million pledged Thursday was encouraging because there are few governments that can make significant financial commitments on short notice.The Trudeau government made a similar decision after winning power in 2015 by allowing funding for family planning in projects related to the maternal newborn child health, the signature aid project of the previous Harper government.The Conservatives also banned funding for abortion-related services, but the Trudeau government lifted that ban while deciding to carry forward with the aid initiative.Bibeau said funding for abortion-related programs will become a pillar of the government's international aid agenda and suggested a multi-year funding commitment will be announced soon.The Liberals have not committed to raising Canada's overall aid budget, which stands at less than 0.3 per cent of gross national income. That's significantly less than the 0.7 per cent target the United Nations has set.Bibeau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have said it is unlikely Canada can come up with a plan to meet that target, because it would involve a massive infusion of as much as $10 billion.Ravon said organizations such as Oxfam want to see an overall increase in Canada's aid budget."There is such a shortfall in funding," she said in an interview. "We're seeing that Canada's aid budget is actually at an almost all-time low."One-off announcements are important. But we'd really like to see a major increase in the federal budget for development assistance."The Liberals are expected to release their latest budget in the coming weeks. Bibeau has overseen the completion of a major review of development strategy, but has not released it. A summary on her department's website says it held 300 consultations in 65 countries, involving 15,000 people.Two of the main messages it received were to "apply a feminist lens" to development and raise overall aid spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.Shaughn McArthur, CARE Canada's advocacy and government relations adviser, said agencies such as his applaud the government's focus on women and girls in the development review."This government has come out very strongly in saying we want to support women and girls," said McArthur. "And obviously there needs to be a dollar figure associated to that."Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press.
Crucifix to be back on view at Quebec City hospital following removal-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
QUEBEC — A crucifix is set to return to a Quebec City hospital after being removed following a complaint.The Hopital du Saint-Sacrement said Wednesday it would restore the religious sign at the behest of the provincial Health Department.The crucifix was expected to be put back up later in the day when the hospital was not as busy."At the request of the Health Department, the CHU will reinstall the crucifix at the entry of Saint-Sacrement," the hospital's communications department said in a statement.Health Minister Gaetan Barrette denied his department had anything to do with the hospital's about-face, while Premier Philippe Couillard said he didn't believe the withdrawal of the crucifix was justified."Being open and tolerant does not mean erasing our heritage and history," Couillard said.More than 13,000 people signed a petition to get the crucifix back, while the hospital said it received nearly 600 calls from people unhappy with its removal.The crucifix will be accompanied by a temporary note explaining its historic importance, while a permanent plaque will be put up in the next few months.Meanwhile, a Quebec City man was arrested Tuesday night in connection for allegedly uttering threats against the hospital for removing the religious sign.The hospital's change of heart came a day after the Archbishop of Quebec expressed disappointment at the institution's decision to withdraw the crucifix from its premises after it received a complaint.Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix voiced his disapproval Tuesday and said the move constituted a lack of respect toward the history of the hospital, which was founded in 1927 by the Sisters of Charity of Quebec.On Wednesday, Lacroix welcomed the about-turn."This is a wise decision that respects the heritage, the historic and the religious aspects of the crucifix," he said.The Canadian Press.
TORONTO — Soaring electricity bills in Ontario will see an average 17-per-cent cut this summer, a year before the provincial Liberals bid for re-election, but those savings will ultimately cost ratepayers billions in extra interest payments.Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne acknowledged Thursday that the bill for the across-the-board-relief will eventually come due for ratepayers."Over time it will cost a bit more. That's true," she said when detailing the plan. "And it will take longer to pay off. That's also true. But it is fairer because it doesn't ask this generation of hydro customers alone to pay the freight for everyone before and after."Electricity bills have roughly doubled in the last decade, rising faster than inflation since 2010, and have sparked increasing anger among Ontarians, leading to plummeting approval ratings for Wynne.She said the increasing costs were due to investments in the grid, nuclear refurbishments and getting rid of coal. She also acknowledged that long-term contracts for green energy producers at above-market rates were "too generous."Ontario now has a clean and reliable system, Wynne said, but the entire burden of those investments was being shouldered by current ratepayers when the benefits will be seen over many years.But Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the new plan just shifts the burden between the same group of people — "robbing Peter to pay Paul, but in this case, both Peter and Paul are taxpayers."Most of the electricity generation contracts in Ontario are for 20 years, so refinancing them is like re-amortizing a mortgage over 30 years instead. But that will come with up to $1.4 billion a year in extra interest payments over 10 years.In the near term, rates will also be held to the rate of inflation, and the plan is for the 17-per-cent cut to be reflected in the Ontario Energy Board's May 1 rates so customers see it reflected on their June bills.But those extra interest costs will be added back onto bills in the future.Legislation will be introduced to enable the Independent Electricity System Operator and Ontario Power Generation to refinance a portion of the global adjustment charge.That's the charge consumers pay for above-market rates for power producers. The auditor general has estimated the global adjustment charge cost $50 billion between 2006 and 2015 and increased by 1,200 per cent between 2006 and 2013 — meanwhile, the average electricity market price dropped by 46 per cent.The across-the-board relief of 17 per cent comes in addition to an eight-per-cent rebate that took effect Jan. 1. That cut is estimated to cost taxpayers about $1 billion per year.Several other measures were announced Thursday to help low-income and rural residents at a cost of $2.5 billion over three years to taxpayers.Customers under a program that gives a rate subsidy to those in rural and remote areas will be expanded, so that ratepayers covered by local distribution companies with the highest delivery charges will see those rates cut.The Ontario Electricity Support Program for low-income ratepayers will be funded through government revenues instead of other taxpayers. The benefits are also being increased, so that someone who qualifies for the smallest credit — a single person earning less than $28,000 — would save $45 a month instead of $30.The delivery charge for on-reserve First Nations residential customers is being removed. The province is also establishing an affordability fund for electricity customers who don't qualify for low-income conservation programs to make energy efficiency improvements.The government will still meet its goal of balancing the next budget, Wynne said, though she admitted the new measures puts the government "a lot closer to the line."Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
Announcement on cuts to Ontario hydro bills coming Thursday-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario electricity ratepayers will learn Thursday how the Liberal government plans to reduce their bills, which reportedly includes a move akin to refinancing a mortgage that's being slammed as just kicking costs down the road.The plan is to slash soaring hydro bills by another 17 per cent largely by paying the costs of electricity generation contracts over longer periods, Toronto Star reported Wednesday.The Liberal government faces no bigger political issue at the moment than hydro bills, which have nearly doubled in the last decade, and Premier Kathleen Wynne had promised that further relief — in addition to an eight-per-cent rebate that took effect Jan. 1 — would be announced before the spring budget.Wynne and Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault are set to make their announcement Thursday morning. After a cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon, Thibeault wouldn't say whether relief would come all at once or in phases."I would like to see it all done at once to ensure that we can get the best bang for every ratepayer's dollar," he said.It could take some time to take effect, if regulatory changes or legislation are needed, Thibeault said, but it could perhaps be made retroactive.Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the reported plan would just shift costs from people's hydro bills to tax bills."The money needs to come from somewhere," he said. "Will this government come clean and acknowledge that in their leaked plan, taxes are going to go up? They're simply playing a shell game."Thibeault said Ontario Power Generation did something similar to reduce nuclear refurbishment cost increases."It's something that OPG has recognized that works, but for us in terms of our smoothing — or our rate mitigation plans, we're not putting anything out there right now," he said.Energy consultant Tom Adams said in a blog post that the plan would create a "big new electricity debt" in order to make rates "appear" to decrease."In a nutshell, Wynne's plan is to stretch out the recovery of current electricity generation costs over a longer time period than currently is the case," he wrote.It's not clear whether the underlying contracts would be extended or if the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation, which manages the debt of the former Ontario Hydro, would fund the difference, Adams wrote.The Star reported the benefit from the plan would be more than $1.5 billion a year, reflected in decreased global adjustment costs.The global adjustment, which accounts for up to 70 per cent of electricity rates, is the charge consumers pay for above-market rates paid to power producers in 20-year contracts meant to ensure a steady supply.Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk has estimated the global adjustment cost $50 billion between 2006 and 2015 and increased by 1,200 per cent between 2006 and 2013 — meanwhile, the average electricity market price dropped by 46 per cent.NDP deputy leader Jagmeet Singh said the reported plan wouldn't address the root causes of problems within the electricity system, such as the high-paying, long-term contracts."When they talk about smoothing out payments ... that means extending a bad contract and by extending it the interest payments are going to put more money in the hands of bankers," he said.The NDP on Monday presented its plan to lower hydro bills, and it included renegotiating power contracts they say have led to high costs and an oversupply of energy.The government will also shift the Ontario Electricity Support Program for low-income customers to the tax base, rather than being funded by other ratepayers, the Star reported.Wynne has previously signalled that more savings will be coming for rural and northern ratepayers, who face significantly higher costs than urban customers, and Thibeault has suggested that changes are on the way for time-of-use pricing.Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.
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)
Germany and France endorse multi-speed Europe By Eric Maurice-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:20-Germany and France will push for a multi-speed EU, in which some countries integrate more deeply than others, at a summit in Rome later this month."We must find means to better take into account member states' different levels of ambitions so that Europe can better address the expectations of all European citizens," the countries' foreign affairs ministers said in a joint statement on Wednesday (1 March).Sigmar Gabriel and Jean-Marc Ayrault said that should be done "without calling into question all that we achieved."The statement could be seen as a reassurance to countries with a lower "level of ambitions" that they will not lose the EU's benefits, as well as a warning to countries who would like to take back powers from EU institutions.The EU "is founded on common values, solidarity and the rule of law," they added, in a reference to the most divisive issues between a core of member states and some countries such as those in the Visegrad group - Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.Visegrad countries have refused to take asylum seekers and migrants despite EU demands for solidarity.Hungary's leader Viktor Orban wants to build an "illiberal democracy" and the new government in Poland is under EU monitoring over constitutional violations.At the end of the month, EU leaders - except British prime minister Theresa May - will meet in Rome to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the European Communities' founding treaty.They will also publish a declaration outlining their vision for a post-Brexit EU.The two ministers' call for a multi-speed Europe follows similar statements by their leaders, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, and indicates that the Rome declaration will set out that direction.On Monday, Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, also said that the EU needed to "go ahead with multi-speed Europe".-'Quo vadis Europa?'-Germany and France "are deeply attached to the success of this process," Gabriel and Ayrault said.They were reacting to a White Paper on the future of Europe presented on Wednesday by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of the summit.Juncker laid out five scenarios for the bloc after Britain's departure in 2019, from "carrying on" to "doing much more together", with "nothing but the single market", "those who want to do more fo more" and "doing less more efficiently" as intermediare scenarios.“It is time we sought answers to a question as old as our union is young: ‘quo vadis Europa?'," Juncker told MEPs, using the latin version of "where are you going, Europe?".“We need to move forward, we need to continue,", he said, adding that it was not up to him to decide which scenario to adopt.Juncker's paper was "an important and valuable contribution to the larger discussion on the future of Europe, its project and its functioning," Gabriel and Ayrault said, in a referrence to the member states' desire to control the process.-'Much more than a single market'-They noted that "our best protection and our best asset for the future is a stronger European Union".They said that the EU should focus on "reinforcing" Europe's role on the world stage; developing a European defence policy; "putting into place a stable and cooperative framework to address the migration issue"; "promoting the convergence" of European economies; "reinforcing" Europe's social market economy; and "progressing towards the completion" of monetary union.With Brexit talks to be triggered this month, the EU wants to demonstrate that the process will not be its main task and that Britain's influence on the European project is already a thing of the past."However painful and regrettable Brexit may be, it will not stop the EU as it moves to the future," Juncker said on Wednesday."Europe is much more than a single market," the German and French ministers said in their statement, referring to a vision of Europe defended by the UK before it voted to leave the EU.
Central European countries warn against EU 'disintegration' By Eszter Zalan-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 19:12-Prime ministers of four central European countries warned against the "disintegration" of the EU a day after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker outlined possible scenarios for the future of the bloc, including a multi-speed Europe."Any form of enhanced cooperation should be open to every member state and should strictly avoid any kind of disintegration of the single market, the [passport-free] Schengen area and the European Union itself," leaders of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia said in a joint statement on Thursday (2 March).Ahead of a summit in Rome at the end of the month on Europe's future, the Visegrad Group acknowledged that a "necessary flexibility" in integration could be achieved through enhanced cooperation under the current treaties, but insisted on the need for unity as a principle for cooperation between member states-Eastern member states were unnerved by the possibility that Juncker's proposals, and a declaration to be adopted in Rome, could entrench existing divisions and see them permanently fall behind.At a joint press conference in Warsaw, Poland's prime minister Beata Szydlo said changes in the EU should not lead to "permanent cracks"."We will not agree to division within the EU, because that leads directly to disintegration," she said.The statement also said any development in the eurozone should be open to all and called for deeper defence cooperation.But that does not mean the Visegrad Four want to move ahead with integration any faster.The prime ministers again reiterated that a "more significant and definite role" should be given to national parliaments to "enhance legitimacy of the EU decision-making process".Szydlo called on European Council chief Donald Tusk, whose re-election Szydlo's government does not support, to ensure that EU reforms are agreed before the Rome summit on 25 March.At the Rome summit, leaders are expected to outline a common vision for the future of the EU after the UK leaves the bloc.Slovak prime minister Robert Fico said preparations for the summit were "lamentable"."It may happen that [the Rome statement] will again not be a vision for the future of Europe, but a collection of individual, national interests, which cannot help anyone today, but only do harm," Fico said at the news conference.-Founders would move ahead-Among the five proposals outlined by Juncker as a preparation for Rome, one called for a multi-speed Europe, in which those countries that want to have a closer and deeper cooperation could move on, while others can pick and chose if they want to join.German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Francois Hollande, Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, and Maltese PM Joseph Muscat, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, all recently spoke out in favour of a multi-speed Europe.That could pit the Visegrad countries, which have been reluctant to participate in the relocation of asylum seekers in Europe, and some founding countries against each other in Rome over whether a multi-speed Europe is the way to go.Visegrad countries receive substantial EU funding to help develop their poorer regions, but the feeling that they were "second class" EU countries has lingered in political discourse ever since they joined the bloc in 2004.Poland and Hungary have been criticised over rule of law issues, in what the two governments see as Western lecturing.Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban has argued that EU funding to the east benefits Western companies as well.Recently, a scandal over different food quality in the east and west also become a sensitive political issue.-Food inequality-At their Warsaw meeting the four prime ministers came out strongly against the "double standards" in food quality, because some firms used cheaper ingredients in food stuff sold in central and eastern Europe than in the west.The prime ministers urged the European Commission and Parliament to act.Slovak PM Fico said the different standards in food quality are "unacceptable", and send a "dangerous political message".
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
3 people in Ontario contract Seoul virus, which is spread by rats-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
TORONTO — Ontario's chief medical officer of health says three people have contracted a virus linked to exposure to rats.Dr. David Williams says the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is investigating three human cases of Seoul virus among people who had prolonged contact with rats. Williams says no serious health problems have been reported.Seoul virus is a type of hantavirus that can be transmitted from rats to people through bite wounds or exposure to urine, feces, saliva or contaminated bedding.Officials say the health risk to Ontarians is considered low and Seoul virus is not spread from person to person.A person infected with Seoul virus may not develop symptoms or will only develop very mild symptoms. However, in some instances, more severe symptoms may include fever, severe headache, back and abdominal pain, chills, blurred vision, redness of the eyes, or rash.Williams says the source of the illnesses, including links to a multi-state investigation in the U.S., is being investigated.As of Feb. 24, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a similar Seoul virus outbreak associated with rat exposure that involves 16 positive human cases and rat breeders located in 15 states.Rats do not show symptoms of disease when they are infected with Seoul virus.The Canadian Press.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Cemetery visitors ruffled by 'traipsing' bird-watching shutterbugs-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
On the edge of Hamilton Harbour, where a stockade once stood during the War of 1812, a new conflict has arisen.Gaggles of bird-watchers have long found the 100-acre Woodland Cemetery one of the best birding places around. There, they spy migrating birds like cedar waxwings, eastern bluebirds and, in the winter, even bald eagles.But in their excitement to document their finds, some amateur nature photographers have upset the sensibilities of a couple of people visiting the cemetery to pay respects to their dearly departed."Our family plot is there and it happens to be at a spot that is an old section in the cemetery where there are some nesting owls and everything," said Dave O'Reilly, a man who likes to speak aloud to his parents when he pays their gravesites a visit. "It's been getting worse over the last couple of years."He's seen sunflower seeds on headstones, left there to lure birds. He's also noticed the resulting muck – "you know what birds do.""I'm a nature guy myself," he said. "But they're just really stomping around."-'Lack of respect'-The cemetery is public property, run by the city, and there's no restriction on accessing the grounds during daylight hours. Birders have found 242 species there in records going back at least to the 1950s. Birders' behaviour hasn't seemed to be a problem before but a couple of recent calls got the city's attention.The city is worried about ruts in the grass from absent-mindedly parked cars, and a level of disrespect being paid by the eagle-oglers."I knew we had bird-watchers going out there," said the city's manager of parks and cemeteries, Tennessee Propedo. "But not to the extent – the lack of respect they're showing."-'Beating the nest tree with sticks'-O'Reilly shot some video of a flock of shutterbugs on Family Day, setting up a tripod near a headstone and pointing their zoom lenses at a feathered target.The video doesn't appear to show them being loud, but O'Reilly said he has a problem with people "traipsing" all over gravesites and near markers to get a good shot.A letter-writer to the editor published in the Spectator a couple of years ago chastised some inexpert explorers for "beating the nest tree with sticks" to try to get a beloved screech owl to wake up and fly for some candid action shots.Propedo says bird-watchers and hikers have been using the city's public spaces for decades without incident. He said he thinks it's smaller hobbyist groups focused on photography that are causing the trouble.Rob Porter, a local naturalist and photographer, agreed that photography groups tend to stalk the screech owl, for example."As with all hobbies there's a wide range of sub-groups and interests, and certainly there are some who are very (or solely) focused on photography who tend to be the ones who stake out known birds that are perceived to be uncommon," said Porter."I'm not sure why anyone would be putting birdseed out for an owl though – as they're carnivores."Leaving behind only footprints-Propedo hopes for a détente between the groups of birders and photographers and those who want to visit their loved ones in peace.His message to the photographers:"That at the end of the day the only thing they leave behind are their footprints," he said. "Don't take away from somebody else's grieving. It may not have any connection to you, but there's definitely loved ones who would take offence." kelly.bennett@cbc.ca | @kellyrbennett
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)
EU wants rejected migrants, including minors, locked up By Nikolaj Nielsen-MAR 2,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:23-The European Commission is piling on pressure for governments to send unwanted migrants packing, including children, and lock up those at risk of disappearing before deportation.Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU commissioner for migration, told reporters on Thursday (2 March) that EU states should not hesitate to detain anyone at risk of absconding for the maximum legal limit of 18 months allowed under EU law."In certain countries, the maximum length duration set by national law is much shorter, the result is that the detention period is not long enough to complete successfully the readmission process," he said.He went on to say that detention could also include children who would otherwise risk falling into the hands of criminals."Closed centres can help to protect children against smugglers, traffickers, people who want to abuse them," he added.The commission has earmarked around €200 million for 2017 to help finance the return of migrants across the EU states and wants the new EU Border and Coast Guard Agency to negotiate deals with commercial airlines to send people home.These plans will feed into broader discussions next week in Brussels when EU leaders meet for a two-day summit. Draft conclusions seen by EUobs demand governments to implement the return plans as swiftly as possible.Not everyone is convinced by the proposals.Picum, a Brussels-based NGO working on undocumented migrants, said in a statement the Commission's scheme would end up traumatising children and divide families.“The European Commission is hiding behind the language of 'efficiency' to present measures that violate EU and international law," said Picum's director Michele LeVoy.Amnesty International’s EU office has also denounced the plans."That children are included in this wide detention regime is truly shocking,” said Amnesty's director Iverna McGowan.-Readmission, returns-The commission says the measures are needed to dissuade irregular migration, in spite of outstanding issues in getting African countries to accept the return of their unwanted nationals in the first place.Among them is Nigeria whose nationals lodged some 46,000 asylum applications last year, but whose recognition rate hovers only around 8 percent. The EU has no readmission agreement with Nigeria.The issue has frustrated officials who are yet to convince their counterparts in African states to accept the validity of a so-called European Travel Document issued to people who do not have IDs but cannot legally remain in the EU.Officials are also struggling to secure readmission agreements with some countries in Africa while others stand accused of only accepting voluntary returns from EU states that are willing to pay.The EU commission says it is ready to use "collective leverage", similar to an October deal with Afghanistan, to force origin countries in Africa to accept returns and readmission.It also says that EU states are not doing enough in terms of returns, noting that some 1 million people are likely not to qualify for asylum out of the 2.6 million applications lodged between 2015 and 2016.Excluding returns to Western Balkan countries, the effective return rate throughout the EU was only 27 percent in 2015.Most of those rejected are likely to be in Germany following a surge in arrivals over the past few years.Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel is hoping to convince authorities in Egypt and Tunisia to help prevent people from disembarking from Libya towards Italy.She is meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Thursday and then with Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on Friday.
Toronto mayor seeks federal help as more refugees wind up in city shelters-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 2, 2017
Toronto Mayor John Tory is asking the federal government for funding to help refugees struggling with the "hard landing" of losing government support, and he wants some of that money to go to city shelters that are now dealing with an influx of newcomers.At least 810 refugees relied on city shelters this January — an 80 per cent increase over the same month last year, according to the city's shelter administration. Tory, in a letter sent to Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen this week, said that's putting pressure on an already-strained system."Opening the doors is not enough," Tory's letter said."We must make sure our cities have the resources they need to support new arrivals and set them up for success over the long-term."The mayor's letter calls for the federal government to provide immediate and ongoing funding for Toronto's shelter system and its newcomer office, which connects those arriving in the city with important services like healthcare. It also calls on the government to expand the housing resources and supports given to refugees — like the thousands of Syrians who arrived last year — "to ensure that existing services are not further strained."Government-sponsored refugees receive programming and support for 12 months, but for many, that is now ending.Tory's letter praises the federal government's move to welcome more immigrants, but says the well-managed initial push must continue."We cannot accept people here in their time of need only to see them fall through the cracks or lack the resources to reach their true potential," it states.Tory previously called Toronto a "magnet" for asylum seekers due to its opportunities and diverse population. Earlier this year, councillors reaffirmed Toronto's sanctuary city status, meaning people don't need to disclose their immigration status to gain access to services.Groups that support newcomers, meanwhile, said they expect many of the asylum seekers crossing the U.S.-Canada border in the wake of President Donald Trump's election to make their way to Toronto.CBC Toronto is seeking a comment from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.Dr. Meb Rashid, who works at the Christie Refugee Welcome Centre and the Crossroads Clinic at Women's College Hospital, welcomed Tory's funding request. The areas that would be bolstered, he said, are "critical" to helping newcomers, many who arrive in the city with serious medical needs."Certainly having more resources to support our colleagues in the shelter system is incredibly important," he told CBC Toronto.Rashid said refugees often arrive at the Christie refugee centre in the middle of the night, touching off a scramble to find them a bed."We're filled … we're constantly busy," he said, adding he has heard more people have been arriving in the city recently.Rashid said most refugees only need help when they first arrive, and that most do quite well once they adapt to Toronto.Tory's office declined to provide a specific dollar figure for its request, but notes the federal government is expected to present its budget soon. Tory is also seeking a meeting with Hussen to discuss future steps.
Federal poll showcases difference in attitudes on immigrants versus refugees-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
OTTAWA — A newly released federal survey on attitudes towards immigration suggests Canadians are somewhat more enthusiastic about accepting economic migrants than they are about refugees.While 52 per cent of those polled in the Immigration Department's annual tracking study felt the right number of immigrants were coming to Canada, 23 per cent thought it was too high.Meanwhile, 40 per cent felt the right number of refugees was being admitted and 30 per cent thought that figure was too high.The 2016 survey was done long before immigration and refugee policy became a centrepiece of the U.S. presidential campaign and the eventual new administration of Donald Trump, and before the question of what values immigrants to Canada ought to hold became a centrepiece of Conservative leadership politics here.So while the data might not reflect how attitudes have shifted since those developments, it's telling for what it was probing for in the first place, suggested Jack Jedwab, the executive vice president of the Association for Canadian Studies and co-chairman of an upcoming conference on integration and immigration."I think what the government is trying to get at is the issue of the extent to which people are more preoccupied by the increase in refugees that's happening in a lot other places in the world," he said.While the survey did suggest some differences in viewpoints on refugees versus other classes of immigrants, Jedwab said they aren't substantial."Right now, we're seeing globally an effort on the part of elected officials to try to make those distinctions — refugees bad, economic migrants good, that's the distinction that's being made in the States to some extent," he said."And I don't think, based on what we're seeing now in this poll, that we're seeing that idea take effect here."Pollsters were in field between August 11 to 31, 2016, asking 1,598 Canadians for their opinions on immigration. The survey has a margin of error of 2.45 per cent, 19 times out of 20.The survey was done ahead of the release of the immigration levels plan, published in October, and also before the federal government received a report from its economic advisory council that would recommend a massive increase in the number of immigrants to Canada, from what had been about 260,000 a year to 450,000.The survey did probe Canadians' appetite for an increase. Respondents were asked to what extent they'd support boosting levels of economic immigration by 100,000 people over the next five years and 42 per cent exhibited some level of support for the idea. If the number ratcheted up further to 200,000 over five years, support fell to 38 per cent.The Liberals eventually nixed any major increase, going instead with a modest uptake in admissions to around 300,000.While the survey is done annually, not all the questions are repeated each year, making it difficult to compare attitudes over time unless the questions are exactly the same.There was some crossover between this year and last year's study.Fifty-two per cent of those polled in 2016 thought the government is accepting the right number of immigrants, down from 58 per cent of those polled in 2015.Meanwhile, about 46 per cent of those polled in 2016 felt that refugees have a positive impact on the Canadian economy, up from the 41 per cent who felt that way in the survey done last year.The 2016 survey results were published on the federal government's polling research report website on Wednesday.Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press.
Group threatening Concordia Muslim students has no ties to U.S. supremacist group, experts say-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
The Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada (C4), the group that purportedly wrote a threatening letter against Muslim students at Concordia University in Montreal, has no links to an American white supremacist group with a similar name, according to experts."That's not us. That type of behaviour is utterly counterproductive," said Paul Fromm, a Canadian spokesperson for the Council of Conservative Citizens.The group describes itself as wanting to "preserve North America for the European founding settler people," and is "strongly opposed to massive Third World immigration.""We don't support violence or threats of violence, which is what this sounds to be."The Council of Conservative Citizens is a well-known group in the United States that was founded in 1988. It's been described in some U.S. media reports as "America's biggest white-nationalist organization."Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine black church members in Charleston, S.C., was apparently inspired by council documents.Fromm said he had never heard about the Canadian group claiming to have penned the letter threatening Concordia's Muslim students, until CBC News contacted him today and told him about it.The letter sent to media outlets threatened to set off bombs in two buildings of the university's downtown campus over a 48-hour period."We know nothing about it. If did, we would repudiate it. That's not what we are about," Fromm told CBC. "This really is appalling."CBC also reached out to an expert from the Southern Poverty Law Centre in the U.S., a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups.Mark Potok, senior fellow at the group, has been writing about the Council of Conservative Citizens for years.Potok said he's virtually certain the group has no links to the American group."I have never heard of the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada. It basically doesn't exist on the internet. You do a site search of the Council of Conservative Citizens [U.S.] website and there is no mention of it. So I think this is some kind of freelance operation," he said.After the letter was emailed to media outlets and Montreal police were alerted, three buildings at Concordia's downtown campus were evacuated. Officers conducted a search. No explosive devices were found, and the buildings were reopened Wednesday evening.The case has been handed over to the Montreal police major crimes unit.
Police investigating after 2 Muslim men, copies of Qur'an, sprayed with urine-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
Toronto police are investigating after two Toronto men who hand out copies of the Qur'an and books on Islam to passers-by every weekend at St. Lawrence Market say they were sprayed with urine last Saturday."I didn't see who sprayed it but I smelled it and came to my table, and [I saw] the whole table, table-cloth and Qur'an ... was sprayed and smelled," Quazi Islam told CBC Toronto. "I came home and took a shower but my jacket and everything smelled."Islam said it happened around 11 a.m. and caused them to put away their damaged flyers and Qur'an in plastic bags.He filed a police report the next day alongside his friend, Gerges Hamad, who was also there at the time of the incident.The two men say they have been talking about Islam to passers-by from the same spot at St. Lawrence Market for just under two years and though they've been on the receiving end of many abusive comments, nothing like this has ever happened before."We experienced similar things a couple of times ... Someone has spit on our face and the floor. From time to time people comment, very few people, stuff like, 'Don't bring this garbage into our country.'" said Islam."Generally, if something big happens, such as when [the attack in] Paris happened last year, then we experience these things."-Toronto Police investigating -Toronto police have confirmed they are investigating the incident but are not classifying it as a hate crime until they have more evidence.Islam and Hamad are not affiliated with any Islamic organization or mosque. They say they're simply there to dispel misconceptions about Islam and point out what the religion has in common with Christianity and Judaism."We are not there to convince people to change their beliefs," said Hamad. "We are educating people on Islam. We are not there to make any problems."Both men said they are afraid that the perpetrator, who approached their table from behind, may return and that something more violent could happen."We're really scared about our life and after what happened in Quebec ... it can escalate to a more violent thing. That's why we reported to the police," Hamad said.-'People stand up for us'-Islam says the incident is not representative of the wider community. Despite the odd comment here and there, people usually regard them with respect even if they don't agree with their message. "Many people stand up ... Couple of people stand up for us and say they're helping us. People are saying, 'I don't believe in your religion but I am supporting you and what you're doing,'" he said."People say, 'We don't believe your religion, we don't practise, but we want your voice to be heard.' Those are the things that keep us going."The two men say they debated going home early that day because they weren't feeling safe but decided to continue."This incident ... is not keeping us away. We're scared ... but we are not violent people. We don't have anything to fight back," Hamad said."We'll just leave it to the police to give us safety."
Liberals look to fill Trump funding gap, but are urged to raise aid spending-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 2, 2017
OTTAWA — The federal government is pledging up to $20 million to fund sexual health and abortion-related projects as part of an international campaign to fill a gap created by President Donald Trump's decision to ban U.S. funding for abortion-related programs.The money will go to five organizations, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and be spent in the coming 12 months on contraceptives, family planning and comprehensive sexuality education, abortion services where they are legal and access to post-abortion care.International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said funding sexual education and abortion where it is legal is a matter of human rights."The idea is really to give women the choice," Bibeau told reporters in a conference call from Brussels. "We're not forcing anyone into it."Having the control over our own body is, to me, the first step for women's rights and it's a matter of choice and having access to the information, the services and the supplies."Aid agency Save the Children welcomed the pledge, saying that the money could help save the lives of women, adolescents and girls in the most remote regions of the world.An anti-abortion group, Campaign Life Coalition, called on the government to redirect the money to provide better nutrition, clean water, medicine and safe deliveries overseas. The group said in a release that the money signalled an abandonment of the country's previous commitment to improving maternal health.A major aid agency said it welcomed any financial help Canada can provide, but warned that if the country is really serious about helping poor women in the developing world, it must increase the overall amount it spends on international aid.Lauren Ravon, Oxfam's Canadian director of policy and campaigns, said Canada's decision to take part in Thursday's pledging conference in Brussels — known as "She Decides" — is welcome.Bibeau represented Canada at the meeting, where some 50 countries are trying to raise $600 million to fill the shortfall caused by Trump's decision.One of Trump's first acts as president was to resurrect a policy withholding hundreds of millions of dollars a year from groups that perform abortions or provide advice about the procedure.The ban has been instituted by successive Republican administrations dating back to the Ronald Reagan era, only to be rolled back by successive Democratic presidents since then.Trump's order reversed Barack Obama's 2009 decision to restore funding.Bibeau said the international community doesn't have a clear picture of what impact Trump's decision will have. She said the almost $200 million pledged Thursday was encouraging because there are few governments that can make significant financial commitments on short notice.The Trudeau government made a similar decision after winning power in 2015 by allowing funding for family planning in projects related to the maternal newborn child health, the signature aid project of the previous Harper government.The Conservatives also banned funding for abortion-related services, but the Trudeau government lifted that ban while deciding to carry forward with the aid initiative.Bibeau said funding for abortion-related programs will become a pillar of the government's international aid agenda and suggested a multi-year funding commitment will be announced soon.The Liberals have not committed to raising Canada's overall aid budget, which stands at less than 0.3 per cent of gross national income. That's significantly less than the 0.7 per cent target the United Nations has set.Bibeau and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have said it is unlikely Canada can come up with a plan to meet that target, because it would involve a massive infusion of as much as $10 billion.Ravon said organizations such as Oxfam want to see an overall increase in Canada's aid budget."There is such a shortfall in funding," she said in an interview. "We're seeing that Canada's aid budget is actually at an almost all-time low."One-off announcements are important. But we'd really like to see a major increase in the federal budget for development assistance."The Liberals are expected to release their latest budget in the coming weeks. Bibeau has overseen the completion of a major review of development strategy, but has not released it. A summary on her department's website says it held 300 consultations in 65 countries, involving 15,000 people.Two of the main messages it received were to "apply a feminist lens" to development and raise overall aid spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.Shaughn McArthur, CARE Canada's advocacy and government relations adviser, said agencies such as his applaud the government's focus on women and girls in the development review."This government has come out very strongly in saying we want to support women and girls," said McArthur. "And obviously there needs to be a dollar figure associated to that."Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press.
Crucifix to be back on view at Quebec City hospital following removal-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017
QUEBEC — A crucifix is set to return to a Quebec City hospital after being removed following a complaint.The Hopital du Saint-Sacrement said Wednesday it would restore the religious sign at the behest of the provincial Health Department.The crucifix was expected to be put back up later in the day when the hospital was not as busy."At the request of the Health Department, the CHU will reinstall the crucifix at the entry of Saint-Sacrement," the hospital's communications department said in a statement.Health Minister Gaetan Barrette denied his department had anything to do with the hospital's about-face, while Premier Philippe Couillard said he didn't believe the withdrawal of the crucifix was justified."Being open and tolerant does not mean erasing our heritage and history," Couillard said.More than 13,000 people signed a petition to get the crucifix back, while the hospital said it received nearly 600 calls from people unhappy with its removal.The crucifix will be accompanied by a temporary note explaining its historic importance, while a permanent plaque will be put up in the next few months.Meanwhile, a Quebec City man was arrested Tuesday night in connection for allegedly uttering threats against the hospital for removing the religious sign.The hospital's change of heart came a day after the Archbishop of Quebec expressed disappointment at the institution's decision to withdraw the crucifix from its premises after it received a complaint.Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix voiced his disapproval Tuesday and said the move constituted a lack of respect toward the history of the hospital, which was founded in 1927 by the Sisters of Charity of Quebec.On Wednesday, Lacroix welcomed the about-turn."This is a wise decision that respects the heritage, the historic and the religious aspects of the crucifix," he said.The Canadian Press.
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