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)
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
FIFTH ANGEL - TO DR DOCTORIAN-We are five angels from the five continents. of the world.
I saw the angel pouring over Mexico and two oceans joining together- the Atlantic and the Pacific. A great part of north Brazil covered with water, the Amazon River turning into a great sea. Forests destroyed and flooded. Major cities in Brazil destroyed; earthquakes in many places. As the angel poured, great destruction took place in Chile and Argentina as never before. The whole world was shaking. Then I heard the angel say, This will happen in a very short time.
ITS NOW UP TO ABOUT 254 DEAD AND ANOTHER 500 MISSING. AND 400 INJURED. SO AROUND AT LEAST 754 WILL HAVE DIED IN TOTAL.
Colombia mudslide, flooding kill 254 in midnight deluge-[Reuters]-By Jaime Saldarriaga-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Flooding and mudslides in the Colombian city of Mocoa sent torrents of water and debris crashing onto houses in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing 254 people, injuring hundreds and sending terrified residents, some in their pajamas, scrambling to evacuate.Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the capital of southwestern Putumayo province and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud."It was torrential rainstorm, it got really strong between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.," said local resident Mario Usale, 42, who was looking for his father-in-law in the debris."My mother-in-law was also missing, but we found her alive two kilometers away. She has head injuries, but she was conscious."Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families."We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."The army said in a statement that 254 people were killed, 400 people had been injured and 200 were missing. More than 1,100 soldiers and police officers were called in to help dig people out in 17 affected neighborhoods.Santos gave a lower death toll of 193 via Twitter.Even in a country where heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes combine to make mud and landslides a common occurrence, the scale of the Mocoa disaster was daunting compared to recent tragedies, like a 2015 landslide that killed nearly 80 people in Salgar, Antioquia. Colombia's deadliest landslide, the 1985 Armero disaster, left more than 20,000 dead."It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro, who lost his house, told Caracol radio on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche."He said that people were warned ahead of time and many were able to get out, but several neighborhoods and two bridges had been destroyed.Weather authorities said light rains were expected in the area on Saturday night and Sunday.Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses, while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water during the night.(Reporting by Jaime Saldarriaga, Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Bill Trott and Mary Milliken)
Colombia landslide kills 154 on city outskirts, scores injured-[Reuters]-By Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
BOGOTA (Reuters) - A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing at least 154 people and injuring scores, officials said on Saturday.Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud.Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families."We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."Officials were working to determine the number of missing, Santos said. Nearly 200 people were injured, the defense ministry said, and more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers were called in to dig people out."We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately," Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the national disaster unit, said in a statement.Even in a country where heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes combine to make landslides a common occurrence, the scale of the Mocoa disaster was daunting. By comparison, a 2015 landslide killed nearly 80 people in Salgar, Antioquia."It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro, who lost his house, told Caracol radio on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche."He said that people were warned ahead of time and many were able to get out, but several neighborhoods and two bridges had been destroyed.Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses, while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water during the night.(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Bill Trott and Mary Milliken)
Third body found in aftermath of damaging Australian cyclone-[Reuters]-By Harry Pearl-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A third body has been found in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped Australia’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state's tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.Evacuation orders are still in place for a number townships in northern New South Wales, but authorities said on Sunday the flood threat was receding.“There are still a number of communities subject to evacuation orders and in some instance people have remained in their properties and that’s causing us the biggest challenge at the moment,” Mark Morrow of the NSW State Emergency Service told Channel 9.Several large rivers that had reached major flood levels were falling, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday. But the city of Rockhampton in Queensland state is bracing for record-level flooding next week.Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.Debbie will hit Australia's A$1.7 trillion ($1.3 trillion) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe.(Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Tom Brown)
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)
Islamic State second-in-command killed in airstrike, Iraqi intelligence says-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.The U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV.Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters."The air force's planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh's second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister," state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence.Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations.-FORMER SADDAM OFFICIAL-U.S. and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders.A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa.The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.Jumaili led Islamic State's top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts.Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State's territorial rule in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the U.S.-led invasion.The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement.More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Hamas warns 'collaborators' after Gaza killing-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The Islamist Hamas group in Gaza said Saturday "radical measures" would be taken against Palestinians who "collaborated" with Israel, a week after one of its military commanders was murdered.Interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum said measures to be taken soon could mean arrests, trials and even executions.During the summer 2014 conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the group's armed wing publicly executed six men accused of collaboration.On March 24, gunmen in the Palestinian territory shot dead Hamas official Mazen Faqha, who had been freed by Israel in a 2011 prisoner swap, in what appeared to be a planned assassination.Faqha was released along with more than 1,000 other Palestinians in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had detained for five years.After Faqha was killed, Hamas pointed the finger of blame at "collaborators" and at Israel.Earlier Saturday, Hamas said it would allow foreign UN and Red Cross workers to leave the enclave after it closed the only foot crossing with Israel.It shut the Erez crossing a day after it blamed the Jewish state for Faqha's death."In recognition of the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Ministry of Interior decided to permit foreign workers of the UN and the Red Cross free movement to enter and leave the Gaza Strip," a ministry spokesman said.Other restrictions remain in place, a statement added, but "humanitarian cases in urgent need of travel" would be examined individually.On Monday, the authorities reopened Erez for those entering Gaza, but men between 18 and 45 are still largely prevented from leaving the enclave of two million people.Reports said Hamas was looking for the assassins of Faqha, 38, believing they are still in the territory, but the knock-on effects have been significant.On Friday, the office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process suspended its missions to Gaza as frustrations grew over the restrictions, according to a source close to the organisation.Around half a dozen international aid workers were prevented from leaving this week, a senior humanitarian source has said.The World Health Organization said that, until Friday, 79 Gazan patients had missed medical appointments in Israel because of the restrictions.More than two-thirds of Gazans are dependent on aid, the United Nations says.Erez is the only crossing for people, although a separate route is available for goods.On Thursday, a coalition of more than 100 Palestinian NGOs and rights groups called on Hamas to reopen the crossing.Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, largely restricting residents from entering.However, Israel grants hundreds of permits for medical, educational, business and other reasons per week.Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.
Hospital struggles with Mosul's injured _ and its dead-[Associated Press]-BALINT SZLANKO and YESICA FISCH-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
QAYARA, Iraq (AP) — The hospital in Qayara sometimes receives so many dead bodies that they do not fit in the refrigerator unit and have to be left in the corridors. Inside the mortuary, the dead are simply put on the floor because there are no containers, sometimes piled one on top of the other in a gruesome fashion and wrapped in a blanket, just as they were brought in.The bodies are casualties from Mosul, where Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led coalition forces have been battling the Islamic State group for over five months to take control of the city."We asked for shelves but they gave us nothing," shrugged Dr. Mansour Marouf, the hospital's chief surgeon.The beleaguered Qayara hospital is one of only two public hospitals within a 120-mile (193-kilometer) radius, between Mosul and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. It is overwhelmed with casualties from the field clinics in Mosul. Activity in the hospitals mirrors the intensity of the operation: There were 21 dead on Friday, nothing on Saturday.Since it reopened in January, after Qayara was retaken by Iraqi troops from IS, the hospital has treated over 2,000 patients, including some 600 battle casualties.The hospital is also responsible for general health care, including maternity care, for the hundreds of thousands of people living in the surrounding area. Yet it receives no government support — even doctors' salaries are covered by a foreign aid organization. It has only six surgeons who get so busy when the injured start flowing in that sometimes they sleep no more than a few hours in several days. It has only two operating theaters and 50 beds because the upper levels of the hospital were destroyed in the fighting, leaving only the ground floor usable. Medical equipment is also lacking."It is shameful to say this but we have received no help and no support from the government at all even though the town was liberated eight months ago," said Dr. Mansour.He said the only public help they got was from the local governorate, which sent forensic inspectors twice a week to try to identify the dead who come in without an identity card or a relative. Everything else, including all the equipment and the medical disposables, have been paid for by WAHA, a foreign aid organization that focuses on health issues.It has even occurred to Dr. Mansour that they are being ignored by officials because of suspicions they might harbor toward local residents who spent over two years under IS rule. "But every employee has been checked by the security services so they cannot even blame it on that," he said.The hospital's situation underscores the extent to which the Iraqi government's efforts to reclaim the areas that it lost to IS in 2014 have been uneven at best. Military operations, assisted by the U.S.-led coalition, have been proceeding relatively evenly, if slowly, but the provision of public services, let alone reconstruction, has only barely begun or not at all in most liberated towns.Dr. Mansour recalled that the hospital hosted a visit by the European Union's humanitarian-aid commissioner several weeks ago when it was announced that the EU would donate $42.5 million emergency aid to Iraq this year, some of it for health care. When asked if any of that aid has reached them yet, the surgeon only laughed."We requested a lot of things. We sent a lot of lists. Every time we ask them they say we will help but then nothing happens," he said.
2 teenage girls held on suspicion of plotting French attack-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
Nice (France) (AFP) - Two teenage girls were arrested Saturday in southern France on suspicion of plotting a terror attack, a judicial source said.The pair, aged 14 and 15, were taken in for questioning by the anti-terrorism prosecution service after a search of both girls' homes turned up evidence suggesting they could have been planning an attack, a judicial source said."At this stage we do not know how far advanced the preparations were," a source close to the inquiry told AFP, adding no weapons had been found.Several girls have been among a swathe of teenagers arrested in recent anti-terror swoops in France on suspicion either of plotting attacks or having contact with Islamic State members or sympathisers.The country remains in a state of emergency after suffering a spate of deadly jihadist attacks over the past two years.Three teenage girls were arrested in late February on suspicion they had chatted on Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging platform used by French jihadi Rachid Kassim to call for attacks on France.An anti-terrorism judge in Paris charged the trio last month.
South Korea ore carrier missing in South Atlantic, 22 crew unaccounted-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean cargo vessel is missing after making its last contact in the South Atlantic about 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) from shore and 22 crew members are unaccounted for, South Korea's foreign ministry and news reports said on Sunday.Two Filipino crew members have been rescued floating in a life raft on Saturday, but other lifeboats and rafts found in the area were empty, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported."A search operation is continuing for the 22 people," a South Korean foreign ministry official in Seoul said by telephone, adding eight of the missing are South Korean nationals and 14 are Filipinos.South Korea has requested Brazil and Uruguay to aid in the search and rescue, the official said asking not to be identified.The very large ore carrier (VLOC) Stellar Daisy owned and operated by South Korea's Polaris Shipping based in Busan was sailing from Brazil to China carrying iron ore when it sent a distress signal to the ship operator on Friday, Yonhap said.A message last received on Friday by Polaris from a crew member said the ship was taking in water on the port side and was listing rapidly, Yonhap said.(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Mary Milliken)
EU guidelines set out two-phase Brexit talks By Eszter Zalan and Jean Comte-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 31. Mar, 15:57-The EU’s draft Brexit negotiating guidelines were sent to member states on Friday (31 March), two days after the UK triggered its exit procedure from the bloc.The guidelines, obtained by EUobserver, set out the political priorities and principles for the Union.Member states are now going through the text to finalise their positions. The guidelines will then be adopted at a summit of EU leaders on 29 April.-Priorities-The EU will want to create certainty for the EU citizens caught up in Brexit - either EU nationals living in the UK, or Britons living in the EU.The issue is very complex: negotiators will first need to identify who these people are, who is living in the UK now, as well as who has lived there before and might return. What about relatives - what should happen to their right to work, and their access to benefits and health care? The EU wants "reciprocal, non-discriminatory" rules that are “enforceable” on both sides. This means that some sort of mechanism, or court, will have to oversee these rights. In the EU it is the European Court of Justice (ECJ), but there is still questions about what type of procedure will suit the UK.The second issue is to settle the financial bill, for the UK to honour its previous obligations and commitments.“It is not a punishment or discouragement to others,” a senior EU official said. Previous commitments have to be met to create certainty for authorities, businesses, universities, and many others.The Republic of Ireland remains a key issue for the EU, as it wants to preserve the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, and to avoid hard borders.But an EU official confirmed that "it will be an external border of the EU, so in a legal sense there will be a new quality [to] the border,” indicating that there will need to be changes to the current arrangement.He added the EU’s commitment is to be "flexible and imaginative” about figuring out a way of doing that without undermining the single market, or the EU's legal order.-Phases-The EU’s draft guidelines state that the first phase of the negotiations should aim to agree on a divorce settlement on the rights and obligations of the UK.It would have the goal of providing "as much clarity and legal certainty as possible to citizens, businesses, stakeholders and international partners” on the future.An agreement on these points does not have to be achieved for the EU and the UK to start talking about the future in a next phase, but “sufficient progress” is necessary.It is a political assessment, and it is for the EU leaders to decide when that sufficient progress has been achieved, based on the recommendations of the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.A senior EU official said that the bloc wants to move onto the first phase as quickly as possible, and it could be negotiated by autumn.If that political criteria is met, the EU would be open to talk about a future framework.However, the details of a future relationship and trade deal can only be discussed once the UK is out. "The future relationship as such can only happen when the UK becomes a third country," said a senior EU official.However, any future trade deal cannot amount to being a member of the single market, the EU warns."It must ensure a level playing field in terms of competition and state aid, and must encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, fiscal, social and environmental dumping,” the draft guidelines state.-Transitional period-That future agreement will need to be ratified by national parliaments, which could take up to two years.Therefore, the guidelines foresee a transitional phase to “bridge” the time between the divorce settlement and when the UK leaves the bloc in 2019, and a future trade deal, which can only be negotiated in detail when the UK is already out."Any such transitional arrangements must be clearly defined, limited in time, and subject to effective enforcement mechanisms,” say the guidelines, again providing for the possibility that the ECJ will still play a future role in the UK.While the UK is still an EU member, it is not allowed to enter into official trade talks with third countries, as that is the exclusive authority of the European Commission. However, it would be allowed to engage in preparatory talks.“We understand the UK has a need to talk to other countries, but is should not happen in a way that [works] against EU interests,” a senior EU official said.-'Dispute settlement'-The withdrawal settlement under Article 50 "should include appropriate dispute settlement mechanisms”, the draft guidelines say, meaning that some sort of court jurisdiction will have to be maintained.Any Article 50 agreement will legally be an EU agreement, which doesn’t have to be ratified by the national parliaments, but would fall under ECJ jurisdiction if it were to be contested.-Creating certainty-"Brexit will have consequences, things will change,” warned a senior EU official.“There will be some level of destruction, barriers, not because of Brussels bureaucrats but because of the UK's decision,” he added, reiterating European Council president Donald Tusk’s sentiments that the Brexit talks will amount to “damage control”.The draft guidelines will be further discussed on 11 and 24 April at the meetings of EU affairs advisers, who give counsel to the leaders.The EU affairs ministers will also comb through the text on 27 April, in preparation for the 29 April summit.
UK to Gibraltar: We will protect you in Brexit talks with EU-[Associated Press]-DANICA KIRKA-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
LONDON (AP) — Britain sought Saturday to reassure Gibraltar that it will protect the territory's interests in upcoming talks on exiting the European Union amid a dispute with Spain that underscores the complications of Britain's EU divorce.Spain has long sought to regain control of Gibraltar, an enclave of 32,000 people on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula that was ceded to Britain in 1713.On Friday, the EU suggested that Spain would get a veto over the territory's future relationship with the trading bloc. Gibraltar reacted angrily to the EU position, saying Spain was using the U.K.'s departure from the EU to force negotiations that it has wanted on the status of the territory.British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson talked with Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo, on Friday to assure him of the U.K.'s support."As ever, the U.K. remains implacable and rock-like in our support for Gibraltar," Johnson tweeted after the conversation.British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to mention Gibraltar in her letter triggering formal negotiations on Britain's departure from the EU — causing dismay in the territory.The EU fueled that anxiety on Friday when it released a nine-page roadmap for the talks, which included a statement that no future agreement after Brexit between Britain and the bloc would apply to Gibraltar unless both the U.K. and Spain agreed.The statement on Gibraltar is unique for the EU, which in other matters has called for the 27 remaining members to speak with one voice in talks with Britain.Picardo expressed outrage at being singled out, describing the guidelines as "a disgraceful attempt by Spain to manipulate the European Council for its own narrow political interests.""What we are seeing is a clear manifestation of the predictably predatory attitude that we anticipated Spain would seek to abusively impose on its partners," he said in a statement.Although May has since insisted her support for Gibraltar remains firm, some analysts suggest the prime minister's failure to mention the territory in her letter supports the idea that it is a colony, not an integral part of the U.K.Christian Hernandez, president of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, disagreed. Gibraltar became a member of the EU when Britain joined the bloc in 1973, and it is considered part of the U.K. for all matters relating to the EU, he told the BBC on Saturday."We have to trust that the British government is going to represent the interests of its British citizens in Gibraltar," Hernandez said. "The British government now needs to stand firm in the face of Spanish bullying."The people of Gibraltar, who rely on an open border with Spain to fuel their economy, voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU during the referendum on Britain's membership but also have similarly voted to stay in the U.K. They will be leaving the EU, however, because a majority in Britain voted to leave.Several people in Gibraltar expressed little surprise Saturday at the EU document."I don't think it was unexpected," said retiree Derek Booth. "It's only a draft document and if the British government are true to their word, then they will contest the statement."If the proposal on Gibraltar is accepted as the EU's bargain position, it would increase Spain's leverage in the debate over the enclave's future.The territory's strategic location overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, has long made it an ideal location for military bases. Gibraltar is also a source of jobs for many Spaniards in the region, and Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis has pledged to ensure an open border.Timothy Boswell, chairman of the House of Lords EU Committee, said May's omission was "unfortunate," because "the door has been opened for the EU to present it as a disputed territory, without a voice of its own in negotiations that will have profound implications for its future prosperity."Clare Moody, a member of the opposition Labour Party who represents Gibraltar and southwestern England in the European Parliament, said it was a "shock" that May didn't mention the territory."If the government has overlooked the interests of Gibraltar, which is a crucial part of the constitutional arrangements of our membership of the EU, then what else are they going to overlook?" she asked on the BBC.__Donovan Torres contributed to this story.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
FIFTH ANGEL - TO DR DOCTORIAN-We are five angels from the five continents. of the world.
I saw the angel pouring over Mexico and two oceans joining together- the Atlantic and the Pacific. A great part of north Brazil covered with water, the Amazon River turning into a great sea. Forests destroyed and flooded. Major cities in Brazil destroyed; earthquakes in many places. As the angel poured, great destruction took place in Chile and Argentina as never before. The whole world was shaking. Then I heard the angel say, This will happen in a very short time.
ITS NOW UP TO ABOUT 254 DEAD AND ANOTHER 500 MISSING. AND 400 INJURED. SO AROUND AT LEAST 754 WILL HAVE DIED IN TOTAL.
Colombia mudslide, flooding kill 254 in midnight deluge-[Reuters]-By Jaime Saldarriaga-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Flooding and mudslides in the Colombian city of Mocoa sent torrents of water and debris crashing onto houses in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing 254 people, injuring hundreds and sending terrified residents, some in their pajamas, scrambling to evacuate.Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the capital of southwestern Putumayo province and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud."It was torrential rainstorm, it got really strong between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.," said local resident Mario Usale, 42, who was looking for his father-in-law in the debris."My mother-in-law was also missing, but we found her alive two kilometers away. She has head injuries, but she was conscious."Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families."We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."The army said in a statement that 254 people were killed, 400 people had been injured and 200 were missing. More than 1,100 soldiers and police officers were called in to help dig people out in 17 affected neighborhoods.Santos gave a lower death toll of 193 via Twitter.Even in a country where heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes combine to make mud and landslides a common occurrence, the scale of the Mocoa disaster was daunting compared to recent tragedies, like a 2015 landslide that killed nearly 80 people in Salgar, Antioquia. Colombia's deadliest landslide, the 1985 Armero disaster, left more than 20,000 dead."It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro, who lost his house, told Caracol radio on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche."He said that people were warned ahead of time and many were able to get out, but several neighborhoods and two bridges had been destroyed.Weather authorities said light rains were expected in the area on Saturday night and Sunday.Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses, while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water during the night.(Reporting by Jaime Saldarriaga, Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Bill Trott and Mary Milliken)
Colombia landslide kills 154 on city outskirts, scores injured-[Reuters]-By Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
BOGOTA (Reuters) - A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing at least 154 people and injuring scores, officials said on Saturday.Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the provincial capital of Mocoa and immobilizing cars in several feet of mud.Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos flew to Mocoa, population 345,000, to oversee rescue efforts on the city outskirts and speak with affected families."We will do everything possible to help them," Santos said after confirming the death toll. "It breaks my heart."Officials were working to determine the number of missing, Santos said. Nearly 200 people were injured, the defense ministry said, and more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers were called in to dig people out."We have sent a team of 150 people to make our response effective and machinery began work immediately," Carlos Ivan Marquez, head of the national disaster unit, said in a statement.Even in a country where heavy rains, a mountainous landscape and informal construction of homes combine to make landslides a common occurrence, the scale of the Mocoa disaster was daunting. By comparison, a 2015 landslide killed nearly 80 people in Salgar, Antioquia."It's a big area," Mocoa Mayor Jose Antonio Castro, who lost his house, told Caracol radio on Saturday. "A big portion of the many houses were just taken by the avalanche."He said that people were warned ahead of time and many were able to get out, but several neighborhoods and two bridges had been destroyed.Photos posted on Twitter by the air force showed neighborhood streets filled with mud and damaged houses, while videos on social media showed residents searching for survivors in the debris and struggling to move through waist-high water during the night.(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Bill Trott and Mary Milliken)
Third body found in aftermath of damaging Australian cyclone-[Reuters]-By Harry Pearl-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
SYDNEY (Reuters) - A third body has been found in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped Australia’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state's tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.Evacuation orders are still in place for a number townships in northern New South Wales, but authorities said on Sunday the flood threat was receding.“There are still a number of communities subject to evacuation orders and in some instance people have remained in their properties and that’s causing us the biggest challenge at the moment,” Mark Morrow of the NSW State Emergency Service told Channel 9.Several large rivers that had reached major flood levels were falling, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday. But the city of Rockhampton in Queensland state is bracing for record-level flooding next week.Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.Debbie will hit Australia's A$1.7 trillion ($1.3 trillion) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe.(Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Tom Brown)
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)
Islamic State second-in-command killed in airstrike, Iraqi intelligence says-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 2, 2017
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ayad al-Jumaili, believed to be a deputy of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in an air strike on Friday, an Iraqi intelligence spokesman said on Saturday.The U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition said it was unable at the moment to confirm the information that was reported earlier in the day by Iraqi state-run TV.Jumaili was killed with other Islamic State commanders in a strike carried out by the Iraqi air force in the region of al-Qaim, near the border with Syria, a military intelligence spokesman told Reuters."The air force's planes executed with accuracy a strike on the headquarters of Daesh in al-Qaim .. resulting in the killing of Daesh's second-in-command...Ayad al-Jumaili, alias Abu Yahya, the war minister," state TV said earlier, citing a statement from the directorate of military intelligence.Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, have been battling since October to retake the city of Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq and the city where Baghdadi declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.Nearly 290,000 people have fled the city to escape the fighting, according to the United Nations.-FORMER SADDAM OFFICIAL-U.S. and Iraqi officials believe Baghdadi has left operational commanders with diehard followers to fight the battle of Mosul, and is now hiding out in the desert with senior commanders.A separate battle is in preparation in Syria to drive Islamic State from its stronghold there, the city of Raqqa.The Iraqi state TV report is the first by an official media to announce the death of Jumaili, who was an intelligence officer under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president toppled in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.Jumaili led Islamic State's top security agency in Iraq and Syria, known as Amniya, answering directly to Baghdadi, according to experts.Although the loss of Mosul would effectively end Islamic State's territorial rule in Iraq, U.S. and Iraqi officials are preparing for the group to go underground and fight an insurgency like the one that followed the U.S.-led invasion.The last official report about Baghdadi was from the Iraqi military on Feb. 13. Iraqi F-16s carried out a strike on a house where he was thought to be meeting other commanders, in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, they said in a statement.More than 40 leading members of the group have been killed in coalition air strikes, according to experts. Baghdadi has not officially appointed a successor.(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Hamas warns 'collaborators' after Gaza killing-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The Islamist Hamas group in Gaza said Saturday "radical measures" would be taken against Palestinians who "collaborated" with Israel, a week after one of its military commanders was murdered.Interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum said measures to be taken soon could mean arrests, trials and even executions.During the summer 2014 conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the group's armed wing publicly executed six men accused of collaboration.On March 24, gunmen in the Palestinian territory shot dead Hamas official Mazen Faqha, who had been freed by Israel in a 2011 prisoner swap, in what appeared to be a planned assassination.Faqha was released along with more than 1,000 other Palestinians in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had detained for five years.After Faqha was killed, Hamas pointed the finger of blame at "collaborators" and at Israel.Earlier Saturday, Hamas said it would allow foreign UN and Red Cross workers to leave the enclave after it closed the only foot crossing with Israel.It shut the Erez crossing a day after it blamed the Jewish state for Faqha's death."In recognition of the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Ministry of Interior decided to permit foreign workers of the UN and the Red Cross free movement to enter and leave the Gaza Strip," a ministry spokesman said.Other restrictions remain in place, a statement added, but "humanitarian cases in urgent need of travel" would be examined individually.On Monday, the authorities reopened Erez for those entering Gaza, but men between 18 and 45 are still largely prevented from leaving the enclave of two million people.Reports said Hamas was looking for the assassins of Faqha, 38, believing they are still in the territory, but the knock-on effects have been significant.On Friday, the office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process suspended its missions to Gaza as frustrations grew over the restrictions, according to a source close to the organisation.Around half a dozen international aid workers were prevented from leaving this week, a senior humanitarian source has said.The World Health Organization said that, until Friday, 79 Gazan patients had missed medical appointments in Israel because of the restrictions.More than two-thirds of Gazans are dependent on aid, the United Nations says.Erez is the only crossing for people, although a separate route is available for goods.On Thursday, a coalition of more than 100 Palestinian NGOs and rights groups called on Hamas to reopen the crossing.Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for a decade, largely restricting residents from entering.However, Israel grants hundreds of permits for medical, educational, business and other reasons per week.Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.
Hospital struggles with Mosul's injured _ and its dead-[Associated Press]-BALINT SZLANKO and YESICA FISCH-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
QAYARA, Iraq (AP) — The hospital in Qayara sometimes receives so many dead bodies that they do not fit in the refrigerator unit and have to be left in the corridors. Inside the mortuary, the dead are simply put on the floor because there are no containers, sometimes piled one on top of the other in a gruesome fashion and wrapped in a blanket, just as they were brought in.The bodies are casualties from Mosul, where Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led coalition forces have been battling the Islamic State group for over five months to take control of the city."We asked for shelves but they gave us nothing," shrugged Dr. Mansour Marouf, the hospital's chief surgeon.The beleaguered Qayara hospital is one of only two public hospitals within a 120-mile (193-kilometer) radius, between Mosul and the central Iraqi city of Tikrit. It is overwhelmed with casualties from the field clinics in Mosul. Activity in the hospitals mirrors the intensity of the operation: There were 21 dead on Friday, nothing on Saturday.Since it reopened in January, after Qayara was retaken by Iraqi troops from IS, the hospital has treated over 2,000 patients, including some 600 battle casualties.The hospital is also responsible for general health care, including maternity care, for the hundreds of thousands of people living in the surrounding area. Yet it receives no government support — even doctors' salaries are covered by a foreign aid organization. It has only six surgeons who get so busy when the injured start flowing in that sometimes they sleep no more than a few hours in several days. It has only two operating theaters and 50 beds because the upper levels of the hospital were destroyed in the fighting, leaving only the ground floor usable. Medical equipment is also lacking."It is shameful to say this but we have received no help and no support from the government at all even though the town was liberated eight months ago," said Dr. Mansour.He said the only public help they got was from the local governorate, which sent forensic inspectors twice a week to try to identify the dead who come in without an identity card or a relative. Everything else, including all the equipment and the medical disposables, have been paid for by WAHA, a foreign aid organization that focuses on health issues.It has even occurred to Dr. Mansour that they are being ignored by officials because of suspicions they might harbor toward local residents who spent over two years under IS rule. "But every employee has been checked by the security services so they cannot even blame it on that," he said.The hospital's situation underscores the extent to which the Iraqi government's efforts to reclaim the areas that it lost to IS in 2014 have been uneven at best. Military operations, assisted by the U.S.-led coalition, have been proceeding relatively evenly, if slowly, but the provision of public services, let alone reconstruction, has only barely begun or not at all in most liberated towns.Dr. Mansour recalled that the hospital hosted a visit by the European Union's humanitarian-aid commissioner several weeks ago when it was announced that the EU would donate $42.5 million emergency aid to Iraq this year, some of it for health care. When asked if any of that aid has reached them yet, the surgeon only laughed."We requested a lot of things. We sent a lot of lists. Every time we ask them they say we will help but then nothing happens," he said.
2 teenage girls held on suspicion of plotting French attack-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
Nice (France) (AFP) - Two teenage girls were arrested Saturday in southern France on suspicion of plotting a terror attack, a judicial source said.The pair, aged 14 and 15, were taken in for questioning by the anti-terrorism prosecution service after a search of both girls' homes turned up evidence suggesting they could have been planning an attack, a judicial source said."At this stage we do not know how far advanced the preparations were," a source close to the inquiry told AFP, adding no weapons had been found.Several girls have been among a swathe of teenagers arrested in recent anti-terror swoops in France on suspicion either of plotting attacks or having contact with Islamic State members or sympathisers.The country remains in a state of emergency after suffering a spate of deadly jihadist attacks over the past two years.Three teenage girls were arrested in late February on suspicion they had chatted on Telegram, an encrypted instant messaging platform used by French jihadi Rachid Kassim to call for attacks on France.An anti-terrorism judge in Paris charged the trio last month.
South Korea ore carrier missing in South Atlantic, 22 crew unaccounted-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean cargo vessel is missing after making its last contact in the South Atlantic about 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) from shore and 22 crew members are unaccounted for, South Korea's foreign ministry and news reports said on Sunday.Two Filipino crew members have been rescued floating in a life raft on Saturday, but other lifeboats and rafts found in the area were empty, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported."A search operation is continuing for the 22 people," a South Korean foreign ministry official in Seoul said by telephone, adding eight of the missing are South Korean nationals and 14 are Filipinos.South Korea has requested Brazil and Uruguay to aid in the search and rescue, the official said asking not to be identified.The very large ore carrier (VLOC) Stellar Daisy owned and operated by South Korea's Polaris Shipping based in Busan was sailing from Brazil to China carrying iron ore when it sent a distress signal to the ship operator on Friday, Yonhap said.A message last received on Friday by Polaris from a crew member said the ship was taking in water on the port side and was listing rapidly, Yonhap said.(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Mary Milliken)
EU guidelines set out two-phase Brexit talks By Eszter Zalan and Jean Comte-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 31. Mar, 15:57-The EU’s draft Brexit negotiating guidelines were sent to member states on Friday (31 March), two days after the UK triggered its exit procedure from the bloc.The guidelines, obtained by EUobserver, set out the political priorities and principles for the Union.Member states are now going through the text to finalise their positions. The guidelines will then be adopted at a summit of EU leaders on 29 April.-Priorities-The EU will want to create certainty for the EU citizens caught up in Brexit - either EU nationals living in the UK, or Britons living in the EU.The issue is very complex: negotiators will first need to identify who these people are, who is living in the UK now, as well as who has lived there before and might return. What about relatives - what should happen to their right to work, and their access to benefits and health care? The EU wants "reciprocal, non-discriminatory" rules that are “enforceable” on both sides. This means that some sort of mechanism, or court, will have to oversee these rights. In the EU it is the European Court of Justice (ECJ), but there is still questions about what type of procedure will suit the UK.The second issue is to settle the financial bill, for the UK to honour its previous obligations and commitments.“It is not a punishment or discouragement to others,” a senior EU official said. Previous commitments have to be met to create certainty for authorities, businesses, universities, and many others.The Republic of Ireland remains a key issue for the EU, as it wants to preserve the peace settlement in Northern Ireland, and to avoid hard borders.But an EU official confirmed that "it will be an external border of the EU, so in a legal sense there will be a new quality [to] the border,” indicating that there will need to be changes to the current arrangement.He added the EU’s commitment is to be "flexible and imaginative” about figuring out a way of doing that without undermining the single market, or the EU's legal order.-Phases-The EU’s draft guidelines state that the first phase of the negotiations should aim to agree on a divorce settlement on the rights and obligations of the UK.It would have the goal of providing "as much clarity and legal certainty as possible to citizens, businesses, stakeholders and international partners” on the future.An agreement on these points does not have to be achieved for the EU and the UK to start talking about the future in a next phase, but “sufficient progress” is necessary.It is a political assessment, and it is for the EU leaders to decide when that sufficient progress has been achieved, based on the recommendations of the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.A senior EU official said that the bloc wants to move onto the first phase as quickly as possible, and it could be negotiated by autumn.If that political criteria is met, the EU would be open to talk about a future framework.However, the details of a future relationship and trade deal can only be discussed once the UK is out. "The future relationship as such can only happen when the UK becomes a third country," said a senior EU official.However, any future trade deal cannot amount to being a member of the single market, the EU warns."It must ensure a level playing field in terms of competition and state aid, and must encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, fiscal, social and environmental dumping,” the draft guidelines state.-Transitional period-That future agreement will need to be ratified by national parliaments, which could take up to two years.Therefore, the guidelines foresee a transitional phase to “bridge” the time between the divorce settlement and when the UK leaves the bloc in 2019, and a future trade deal, which can only be negotiated in detail when the UK is already out."Any such transitional arrangements must be clearly defined, limited in time, and subject to effective enforcement mechanisms,” say the guidelines, again providing for the possibility that the ECJ will still play a future role in the UK.While the UK is still an EU member, it is not allowed to enter into official trade talks with third countries, as that is the exclusive authority of the European Commission. However, it would be allowed to engage in preparatory talks.“We understand the UK has a need to talk to other countries, but is should not happen in a way that [works] against EU interests,” a senior EU official said.-'Dispute settlement'-The withdrawal settlement under Article 50 "should include appropriate dispute settlement mechanisms”, the draft guidelines say, meaning that some sort of court jurisdiction will have to be maintained.Any Article 50 agreement will legally be an EU agreement, which doesn’t have to be ratified by the national parliaments, but would fall under ECJ jurisdiction if it were to be contested.-Creating certainty-"Brexit will have consequences, things will change,” warned a senior EU official.“There will be some level of destruction, barriers, not because of Brussels bureaucrats but because of the UK's decision,” he added, reiterating European Council president Donald Tusk’s sentiments that the Brexit talks will amount to “damage control”.The draft guidelines will be further discussed on 11 and 24 April at the meetings of EU affairs advisers, who give counsel to the leaders.The EU affairs ministers will also comb through the text on 27 April, in preparation for the 29 April summit.
UK to Gibraltar: We will protect you in Brexit talks with EU-[Associated Press]-DANICA KIRKA-YAHOONEWS-April 1, 2017
LONDON (AP) — Britain sought Saturday to reassure Gibraltar that it will protect the territory's interests in upcoming talks on exiting the European Union amid a dispute with Spain that underscores the complications of Britain's EU divorce.Spain has long sought to regain control of Gibraltar, an enclave of 32,000 people on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula that was ceded to Britain in 1713.On Friday, the EU suggested that Spain would get a veto over the territory's future relationship with the trading bloc. Gibraltar reacted angrily to the EU position, saying Spain was using the U.K.'s departure from the EU to force negotiations that it has wanted on the status of the territory.British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson talked with Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo, on Friday to assure him of the U.K.'s support."As ever, the U.K. remains implacable and rock-like in our support for Gibraltar," Johnson tweeted after the conversation.British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to mention Gibraltar in her letter triggering formal negotiations on Britain's departure from the EU — causing dismay in the territory.The EU fueled that anxiety on Friday when it released a nine-page roadmap for the talks, which included a statement that no future agreement after Brexit between Britain and the bloc would apply to Gibraltar unless both the U.K. and Spain agreed.The statement on Gibraltar is unique for the EU, which in other matters has called for the 27 remaining members to speak with one voice in talks with Britain.Picardo expressed outrage at being singled out, describing the guidelines as "a disgraceful attempt by Spain to manipulate the European Council for its own narrow political interests.""What we are seeing is a clear manifestation of the predictably predatory attitude that we anticipated Spain would seek to abusively impose on its partners," he said in a statement.Although May has since insisted her support for Gibraltar remains firm, some analysts suggest the prime minister's failure to mention the territory in her letter supports the idea that it is a colony, not an integral part of the U.K.Christian Hernandez, president of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, disagreed. Gibraltar became a member of the EU when Britain joined the bloc in 1973, and it is considered part of the U.K. for all matters relating to the EU, he told the BBC on Saturday."We have to trust that the British government is going to represent the interests of its British citizens in Gibraltar," Hernandez said. "The British government now needs to stand firm in the face of Spanish bullying."The people of Gibraltar, who rely on an open border with Spain to fuel their economy, voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU during the referendum on Britain's membership but also have similarly voted to stay in the U.K. They will be leaving the EU, however, because a majority in Britain voted to leave.Several people in Gibraltar expressed little surprise Saturday at the EU document."I don't think it was unexpected," said retiree Derek Booth. "It's only a draft document and if the British government are true to their word, then they will contest the statement."If the proposal on Gibraltar is accepted as the EU's bargain position, it would increase Spain's leverage in the debate over the enclave's future.The territory's strategic location overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, has long made it an ideal location for military bases. Gibraltar is also a source of jobs for many Spaniards in the region, and Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis has pledged to ensure an open border.Timothy Boswell, chairman of the House of Lords EU Committee, said May's omission was "unfortunate," because "the door has been opened for the EU to present it as a disputed territory, without a voice of its own in negotiations that will have profound implications for its future prosperity."Clare Moody, a member of the opposition Labour Party who represents Gibraltar and southwestern England in the European Parliament, said it was a "shock" that May didn't mention the territory."If the government has overlooked the interests of Gibraltar, which is a crucial part of the constitutional arrangements of our membership of the EU, then what else are they going to overlook?" she asked on the BBC.__Donovan Torres contributed to this story.
via EVENTS IN TIME (BIBLE PROPHECY LITERALLY FULFILLED)(BY GOD) http://ift.tt/2nu6mrc
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