JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
US flies bombers, fighters in show of force against N. Korea-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — The United States flew some of its most advanced warplanes in bombing drills with ally South Korea on Thursday, a clear warning after North Korea launched a midrange ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear bombs over Japan earlier this week, the U.S. and South Korean militaries said. North Korea hates such displays of U.S. military might at close range and will likely respond with fury.Two U.S. B-1B supersonic bombers and four F-35B stealth fighter jets joined four South Korean F-15 fighters in live-fire exercises at a military field in eastern South Korea that simulated precision strikes against the North's "core facilities," according to the U.S. Pacific Command and South Korea's Defence Ministry. The B-1Bs were flown in from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam while the F-35Bs came from a U.S. base in Iwakuni, Japan.North Korea, which claims Washington has long threatened it by flaunting the powerful U.S. nuclear arsenal, describes the long-range B-1Bs as "nuclear strategic bombers" although the United States no longer arms them with nuclear weapons.Hours after the announcements by Washington and Seoul, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency issued a short statement calling the exercises a "rash act of those taken aback" by North Korea's recent missile launch.The dueling military displays open up the risk that things will get worse as each side seeks to show it won't be intimidated.North Korea has made it clear that it sees its weapons program, which demands regular testing to perfect, as the only way to contest decades of U.S. hostility, by which it means the huge U.S. military presence in South Korea, Japan and the Pacific. Washington, in turn, seeks with its joint drills with Seoul and bomber flights to show that it will not be pushed from its traditional role of supremacy in the region. More missile tests, more bomber flyovers and three angry armies facing each other across the world's most heavily armed border raises the possibility that a miscalculation could lead to real fighting.The U.S. Pacific Command said the exercises were conducted in response to North Korea's recent missile launch. Over the course of a 10-hour mission, the B-1Bs, F-35Bs and two Japanese F-15 fighters first flew together over waters near Kyushu, Japan. The U.S. and South Korean warplanes then flew across the Korean Peninsula and participated in the live-fire training before returning to their respective home stations, according to the Pacific Command."North Korea's actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland, and their destabilizing actions will be met accordingly," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said in a statement. "This complex mission clearly demonstrates our solidarity with our allies and underscores the broadening co-operation to defend against this common regional threat. Our forward-deployed force will be the first to the fight, ready to deliver a lethal response at a moment's notice if our nation calls."In Beijing, North Korea's ally China warned that war is not an option in finding a solution to the North's growing nuclear capabilities.Defence Ministry spokesman Col. Ren Guoqiang told reporters that all parties should exercise restraint and avoid words and actions that escalate tension.The bombing exercise came as the United States and South Korea wrapped up their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military drills that involved tens of thousands of soldiers. North Korea condemns the annual U.S.-South Korea war games as rehearsals for an invasion and described Tuesday's missile launch over Japan as a response to the drills. Washington and Seoul faced calls to postpone or downsize this year's drills.The United States often sends its warplanes to South Korea, mostly for patrols, when animosity rises on the Korean Peninsula, which is technically in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.North Korea on Tuesday flew a potentially nuclear-capable Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile over northern Japan and later called it a "meaningful prelude" to containing the U.S. territory of Guam. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the launch was a "curtain-raiser of its resolute countermeasures" against the U.S.-South Korea war games and called for his military to conduct more ballistic missile launches targeting the Pacific Ocean.North Korea has been maintaining a torrid pace in weapons tests this year as it openly pursues an arsenal of nuclear-armed, intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching deep into the U.S. mainland. Experts say Kim wants a real nuclear deterrent against the United States to ensure the survival of his government and likely believes that it will strengthen his negotiating position when North Korea returns to talks.North Korea had earlier threatened to fire a salvo of Hwasong-12s toward Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases and strategic long-range bombers the North finds threatening. It also flight-tested a pair of developmental ICBMs in July.South Korean analysts said North Korea's threat against Guam and the launch over Japan on Tuesday are likely attempts to make launches over Japan an accepted norm and win itself greater military space in a region dominated by enemies.The U.S. and South Korean militaries say the Hwasong-12 fired over Japan's northern island of Hokkaido flew about 2,700 kilometres (1,677 miles). South Koreans Vice Defence Minister Suh Choo-suk told lawmakers on Thursday that North Korea might have fired the missile at about half its maximum range.Kim Tong-Hyung, The Associated Press.
Washington tells Russia to close consulate, buildings in U.S.[Reuters]-By Yeganeh Torbati-YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has told Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco and two annex buildings in Washington and New York, the State Department said on Thursday, a response to Moscow last month ordering cuts in the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia.The announcement was the latest in tit-for-tat measures between the two countries that have helped to drive relations to a new post-Cold War low, thwarting hopes on both sides that they might improve after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.Last month Moscow ordered the United States to cut its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia by more than half, to 455 people, after Congress overwhelmingly approved new sanctions against Russia. The sanctions were imposed in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and to punish Russia further for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine."We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement on Thursday."In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring the Russian Government to close its Consulate General in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, D.C., and a consular annex in New York City," Nauert said. "These closures will need to be accomplished by September 2."Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed regret during a phone call with his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson about Washington's decision, his ministry said."Moscow will closely study the new measures announced by the Americans, after which our reaction will be conveyed," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.To cope with the reduction in staff in Russia, the United States said last week it would have to sharply scale back visa services, a move that will hit Russian business travelers, tourists and students.The Russian consulate in San Francisco handles work from seven states in the Western United States. There are three other Russian consulates separate from the embassy in Washington. They are in New York, Seattle and Houston.(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; editing by Grant McCool)
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)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Macron calls for powerful eurozone budget By Andrew Rettman-AUG 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:20-The eurozone should have a sizeable budget of its own and play a more muscular role in the global economy, French president Emmanuel Macron has said.He also said French labour reforms would create jobs and pledged a tough line on Russia in a wide-ranging interview in French magazine Le Point, published on Thursday (31 August).Macron said the new euro budget should be worth "several points of the eurozone's GDP" and be funded out of member states' tax incomes.The eurozone's combined GDP last year was €10.7 trillion."The creation of such a budget would first of all mean establishing a minimum level of solidarity to eventually be able to raise money in common, invest, and absorb economic shocks that could hit Europe again," Macron said.He said "Europe's fiscal policy is too restrictive today compared with those of China, Russia, or the United States, and our jobless are paying the price".Macron's euro-budget idea comes after he called for a multi-format EU on Tuesday in which a "European vanguard" would press ahead on integration.He promised concrete proposals after the German election in September.On Tuesday, German chancellor Angela Merkel nodded to Macron's ideas and said that she "could imagine an economy and finance minister" for the eurozone.Le Point published its interview, which was 16 pages long, the same day that Macron was due to unveil economic reforms designed to make France more business-friendly.Macron told Le Point he would "profoundly transform the economy, society and the political landscape," despite opposition from "old parties, old politicians, and their allies."He added that the reforms would be "ambitious and efficient enough to continue to bring down mass unemployment"."We are the only major economy in the European Union that has not defeated mass unemployment for more than three decades," he said.He spoke amid a slump in his popularity to just 40 percent and with the labour reforms, to be presented on Thursday, that are likely to prompt protests by trade unions and left-wing activists."I'm going to have to live for months with the impatience of the people," Macron told Le Point."I'm going to have to think about changing tack, explain where we're going and what kind of France we want to build. I need to act profoundly, without giving in on anything. The French will be ready to believe again when the results are there," he said.He indicated that he would maintain a tough line on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.He said he spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin "very directly and very frankly" on the issue."On Ukraine, we have major differences with Vladimir Putin. I take note of it. France won't let him get away with anything," Macron said.He also said, in a faux pas, that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was one reason why his job was sometimes boring."The global stage is not really a 'cool' scene, you know," he said."I am the one who has to talk with Erdogan every 10 days," he added as an example of what he meant.
Round of Brexit talks to end in bad blood By Eric Maurice-AUG 31,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 08:56-The third round of Brexit talks will end on Thursday (31 August) in Brussels, with little progress in sight and no easing of the tension between the EU and UK sides."To be flexible you need two points, our point and their point. We need to know their position and then I can be flexible," EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters on the sidelines of the talks, according to the Bloomberg press agency.In a message posted on Twitter, he also insisted that his negotiation guidelines, which were established by EU leaders, are "designed for serious and constructive negotiations" and that he needs "clear" positions from the UK government "on all issues".Barnier will conclude the round of talks in a meeting with UK Brexit secretary David Davis on Thursday morning, followed by a joint press conference.But while talks have been described as very technical, no real progress has been made so far on the key withdrawal issues - citizens' rights, the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and the Brexit financial settlement.Ireland was discussed on Wednesday afternoon, as part of a so-called dialogue that will continue throughout the negotiations. But a position paper published in London earlier this month failed to satisfy the EU and Ireland.On citizens' rights, progress was made on some topics, such as frontier workers, but wide gaps remain on other issues like the health insurance card.Talks on what happens with goods after the UK leaves the EU and the single market are also ongoing, on what sources called "incredibly technical areas".The main point of contention remains the financial settlement, while UK negotiators rebuked EU claims for a bill of up to €100 billion.On Tuesday, in a 3-hour-long session, the British side presented a legal analysis of the settlement and argued that the EU cannot ask the UK to pay into the EU budget until the end of the current multi-annual budget programme in 2020.UK negotiators, who strongly rejected EU accusations that they are not serious, presented an 11-page analysis.-'Maximalist' EU-They argued that the so-called Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) and other documents used by the EU to calculate the UK's commitments are only "overarching documents", and that they provide no legal requirement on how to spend the money.Sources with knowledge of the UK position said that Britain considers the EU approach of budget issues as "top down" and "maximalist" and that nobody would sign a cheque on the basis of the EU's four-page position paper.Barnier's team took note and will assess the UK analysis ahead of the next round of talks in September. But the two sides seem to be very far apart on that crucial issue.An EU source told the Daily Telegraph that the EU negotiators were "flabbergasted" and that the UK presentation was "a total amazement".The soundbite, as well as Barnier's comment, is part of an ongoing communications battle between the EU and the UK that has been rising all week.Each side is accusing the other of preventing progress and of jeopardising the talks.On Monday, Barnier warned that he was "concerned" by the slow progress made since the beginning of the Brexit process before summer, and called on the UK side to "start negotiating seriously".The UK retorted through an anonymous source - like before, in the Telegraph - that the EU chief negotiator's comments were "inconsistent, ill-judged, ill-considered and unhelpful".On Tuesday, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said that "none" of the 11 UK position papers were "actually satisfactory".-'Symbolic weather'-And, on Wednesday, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, warned that "if [the negotiation] goes very slow, as it is the case at the moment, it will be very difficult to say there is sufficient progress when we are in October."At an EU summit on 19-20 October, EU leaders will assess the progress achieved and decide whether to open talks on the future of the EU-UK relationship.The UK government, on the other side, is pushing to open the second phase of talks as soon as possible and is accusing the EU of rigidity.During a visit to Japan on Wednesday, UK prime minister Theresa May insisted that: "It is the United Kingdom that has been coming forward with the ideas and with the clarity about the future."Meanwhile, in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon, some meetings were still going on during a massive rain shower over the city."It's very symbolic weather," a source quipped, referring to the mood in the negotiation rooms and corridors.
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)
THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.
Hurricane Irma forms over eastern Atlantic-[Reuters]-August 31, 2017
(Reuters) - Irma has strengthened over the eastern Atlantic to become the fourth hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory on Thursday.Irma is forecast to become a major hurricane by Thursday night and is expected to be an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days, it said.Irma is located about 1,845 miles (2,975 km) east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 km/h), the Miami-based weather forecaster said.(Reporting by Vijaykumar Vedala in Bengaluru; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
U.S. government may provide up to $80 billion in Harvey aid: Texas congressman-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government could provide up to $80 billion in aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey, only a fraction of what the total impact could be from the storm, Texas Representative Pete Sessions said on Thursday."(People) think the federal government is going to pay for this. In fact ... it may be $60, 70, 80 billion, but it's a $1 trillion impact," Sessions told Fox Business Network. He did not specify what he meant by impact and all damage estimates remain preliminary.(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Tim Ahmann)
Harvey floods U.S. refineries, roils global fuel markets-[Reuters]-By Erwin Seba and Devika Krishna Kumar-YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
HOUSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Harvey further damaged the heart of the U.S. energy industry on Wednesday, churning into Louisiana after flooding the biggest U.S. refinery in Texas, forcing major pipelines to halt operations and threatening a supply squeeze for weeks.Benchmark U.S. gasoline prices and margins surged to two-year highs as Colonial Pipeline, the biggest U.S. fuel system, said it would shut its main lines to the Northeast by Thursday, hit by outages at pumping points and lack of supplies from refiners.At least two East Coast refineries have already run out of gasoline for immediate delivery as they scrambled to fill barges to markets typically supplied by the Gulf Coast, two refinery sources said. Others were seen running at higher rates to boost profitability by filling shortages.Traders in Europe and Asia were scrambling to reroute cargoes to the United States and Latin America to fill the gap left by refining and shipping closures in the Gulf, but supplies may not arrive fast enough to avert a crunch."The longer the Gulf refinery outages last, the wider ranging the ripple effect for regions outside of the U.S. Gulf will be," said Michael Tran, director of global energy strategy at RBC Capital Markets.Refinery damage from Harvey has driven up gasoline futures prices nearly a fifth over the past week, and pump prices are rising too, particularly in the U.S. South. More refineries could close now that Harvey has made landfall in Louisiana, where refiners can produce 3.3 million barrels per day.The Explorer Pipeline, which has a capacity of 660,000 barrels a day (bpd), said it shut its main fuel line from Houston to Tulsa, Oklahoma as supplies dwindled.About 4.4 million barrels of U.S. refining capacity have been shut by Harvey, company reports and Reuters estimates show. That is about 24 percent of U.S. refining capacity and almost equal to Japan's daily consumption.The figure includes the biggest U.S. refinery, Motiva's Port Arthur facility, which can handle more than 600,000 barrels a day. Parts of the refinery were flooded after more than a foot of rain.Other Port Arthur refineries also shut overnight, including Total's plant, where sources familiar with operations said they expected water to recede by the weekend."The refineries shut down as a precaution might be able to restart," said Antoine Halff, director of Global Oil Markets at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University."The others in a worst-case scenario could take weeks and months to repair."More rain fell on the area on Tuesday night than elsewhere in the region since the storm roared in last week, said David Roth of the U.S. Weather Prediction Center.Refiners further south on the Texas coast, including Citgo's Corpus Christi refinery, expected to restart by the weekend.But damage delayed a restart of the gasoline unit at Marathon's 459,000-bpd Galveston Bay refinery, plant sources said. Citgo's 425,000 bpd Lake Charles refinery, on the Louisiana coast in the storm's path, halved capacity.-DANGEROUS RESTARTS-Restarts after a storm are especially dangerous for refiners, though far less rain fell in Corpus Christi than in Houston."The continued increase in flooding creates high uncertainty on the amount of damage that U.S. refineries will incur, the pace at which the shutdown will reverse and the magnitude of capacity impaired over the next few months," Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a note.They expected about a tenth of what is now offline to stay shut for several months, they added.Just last week, refiners pushed output to their highest percentage of capacity since 2005, as gasoline demand hit an all-time weekly record of 9.85 million barrels, U.S. Energy Department data showed on Wednesday.Gasoline futures gained 7 percent on Wednesday alone. Refinery shutdowns and fuel shortage worries have also boosted retail fuel prices, particularly in the U.S. south and southwest.The AAA said retail gasoline prices were up 6 cents from a week ago at $2.404 per gallon of regular gasoline nationwide. They have risen as much as 12 cents in some states, like Georgia.The storm has also sharply cut shale production in the Eagle Ford region of Texas.(Reporting by Erwin Seba and Devika Krishna Kumar; additional reporting by Catherine Ngai, Julia Simon and Jarrett Renshaw, writing by David Gaffen; Editing by David Gregorio and Clarence Fernandez)
U.S. Coast Guard reopens some Texas ports with restrictions-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-August 30, 2017
(Reuters) - The United States Coast Guard on Wednesday said the ports of Houston, Texas City, Galveston and Freeport have been reopened with restrictions on vessel traffic after they were closed due to storm Harvey.However, the section of the upper Houston ship channel from Morgan's Point inbound to the turning basin would remain closed until weather conditions improve, the Coast Guard said in a statement, adding that all vessel traffic is limited to daylight hours.The Houston Ship Channel links the busiest U.S. petrochemical port to the Gulf of Mexico.The restrictions would prevent vessels from moving to the upper ship channel, where five of the Houston-area oil refineries are located.Also, only the smallest draft tankers would be allowed to travel to Texas City, where three refineries are located, since the Coast Guard has imposed restrictions on the size of vessels that would be allowed to navigate the waterways.Tropical Storm Harvey further damaged the heart of the U.S. energy industry on Wednesday, churning into Louisiana after flooding the biggest U.S. refinery in Texas, forcing major pipelines to halt operations and threatening a supply squeeze for weeks.(Reporting by Arpan Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin)
Gas prices surge as Harvey puts more strain on refineries, pipelines-[Fox Business]-Matthew Rocco-YAHOONEWS-August 30, 2017
Gasoline prices continued to climb nationwide Wednesday, as Hurricane Harvey forced more refineries to shut down and put a critical pipeline in jeopardy.Harvey, now a tropical storm impacting parts of Texas and Louisiana, has brought massive flooding to Houston and neighboring cities. Officials say at least 18 people have died and 13,000 have been rescued since the storm arrived Friday. The slow-moving hurricane likely caused $51 billion to $75 billion in total damage to homes, vehicles, businesses, infrastructure and economic activity, according to Moody’s Analytics.Harvey has wreaked havoc on U.S. energy infrastructure along the Texas Gulf Coast, which is home to about 30 refineries that produce gasoline, diesel and other fuels. The latest shoe to drop was Motiva’s refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, the largest refinery in the country. The Saudi-owned company temporarily closed the facility Wednesday morning after initially reducing capacity due to local flood conditions. S&P Global Platts estimated that refineries had shut down or cut 18.1% of the nation’s capacity by late Tuesday.With supplies under pressure, gasoline futures are trading at more than two-year highs. New York Harbor gasoline gained another 12.5 cents, or 7%, to $1.90 a gallon.“What does that mean for the average driver? It means hang onto your wallet,” said Phil Flynn, Price Futures Group senior market analyst and FOX Business Network contributor, during an interview on “Mornings with Maria.”With supplies under pressure, the national average is already up nearly 8 cents a gallon over the past week, according to GasBuddy’s live ticking average. Gas prices averaged about $2.42 a gallon Wednesday morning, 2 cents more compared to the prior day.Analysts are keeping a close eye on the status of the Colonial pipeline, which transports more fuel than any other pipeline in the U.S. A shutdown of Colonial’s pipeline is the “nightmare scenario,” Flynn said. But Colonial said Tuesday its pipeline continued to operate, though at reduced capacity due to limited supply from the Houston area and storm-related damage to three facilities.“Personnel have been deployed to the region to assist in bringing our system back to full capacity as soon as conditions on the ground are deemed safe,” Colonial said.Flynn noted that if Colonial ultimately needs to shut down its pipeline, it has the potential to create shortages across the East Coast. The Colonial system runs from Houston to Linden, New Jersey, serving markets in the southeast and mid-Atlantic.
We didn't bring anything': Manitoba forest fire evacuees arrive in Brandon-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-August 30, 2017
People who arrived in Brandon on Wednesday by the planeload after being forced from their northern Manitoba homes due to smoke and flames say they became separated from family members in what they described as a chaotic, hectic evacuation. Up to 7,000 people could now be driven out of their homes by wildfires in northern Manitoba, according to the Red Cross. The number had reached 3,700 by Wednesday afternoon. It's the largest evacuation the Red Cross in Manitoba has had to undertake, officials said Wednesday.Norah Whiteway, who had to leave her home in Wasagamack, Man. — nearly 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg — helped the very young, the old and those with medical issues leave on Tuesday evening. After taking a boat to St. Theresa Point, she flew to Winnipeg, then to Brandon."It was scary on the boats," she said while outside the Red Cross reception centre in the western Manitoba city. "All the darkness and things flying, ashes flying, with elders and boats all over the place."She said there were seven people on the boat with her. One man got sick, she said, adding that many arrived with little more than the clothes on their backs. Some who arrived at the reception centre in Brandon were fortunate enough to have had time to pack small bags."We didn't bring anything, only my purse when we left because I was focused on the kids. I wanted them out of there because of the smoke, their lungs. I was worried about their lungs," Whiteway said.Some children became separated from their families in the chaos, she said, adding that she was still looking for one of her grandsons on Wednesday afternoon."When we got to the airport, people came piling in, there was a co-ordinator there … you can't call out, so much noise in there, kids crying," she said.Whiteway expressed her frustration with the evacuation efforts on Wednesday. She wasn't happy with the Red Cross' response. "We have no airport [in Wasagamack]," she said. "It was really poorly co-ordinated." Whiteway said she asked earlier this week why the critically ill weren't being airlifted out then."We need somebody that can co-ordinate an evacuation from our community."People were also taken out of the First Nations of St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill. With hotels in Winnipeg full, evacuees are now being brought to Brandon.There are about 1,400 hotel rooms in Brandon. Once those are full, evacuees could be housed in Portage la Prairie, about 85 kilometres west of Winnipeg.Flights into Brandon started arriving Tuesday night. By Wednesday afternoon, the runway at the city's airport was busy as people arrived about 45 at a time before being taken by bus to hotels.The Red Cross is using all available hotels but plans are being made to create a large-scale shelter."There's no one city in Manitoba that has enough hotel rooms for us, for the evacuees," a spokesman said. "That's why we're using multiple sites."The number of evacuees could reach 7,000, officials said.On Wednesday, the Department of National Defence said it will send military planes to help residents get out of the evacuated First Nations.The City of Winnipeg also said the federal Indigenous and Northern Affairs deparment will set up a triage and emergency shelter for evacuees at the the downtown RBC Convention Centre.The fire in the Island Lake area is estimated at more than 77,000 hectares, according to the province.Sheila Harper arrived in Brandon Wednesday afternoon from Garden Hill. She, like Whiteway and many others, had to take a boat to St. Theresa Point to catch planes."It was scary," she said. "When we were leaving our house you could see the burned … pinecones falling and ... falling ashes."She said many people in her community didn't have time to pack."We didn't pack, no shower, no nothing," she said. "We Just left the house right away."She asked people to pray for her community and those who remained behind.
Florida city votes to strip Confederate names from streets-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-August 30, 2017
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A Florida city commission voted Wednesday to strip the names of Robert E. Lee and two other Confederate generals from the suburb's streets, the latest in a recent spate of skirmishes over whether those who led the Southern army should still be honoured 152 years after the Civil War ended.The Hollywood City Commission voted 5 to 1 to remove the names of Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Bell Hood from residential streets that hopscotch through the Fort Lauderdale suburb. More than 200 supporters and opponents of the change packed the commission chamber and the adjoining lobby, with most of the approximately 100 speakers generally spirited but polite.Mayor Josh Levy, who voted for the change, said he hoped it would bring the community together by showing a "spirit of companionship" that recognizes that many black residents were offended by these names."These streets are symbols of men whose deeds symbolized oppression and bigotry against a whole group of people," Levy said. Five of the commission's six white members voted for the change.The one Hispanic, Peter Hernandez, walked out of the meeting before the vote in protest over procedure. Before he left, he said he opposed the change because he says the commission had not followed its rules and he thought there would be a push to change other street names. Hernandez, a Democrat, also said the change was "a Democratic national agenda that is being pushed upon us."The commission will vote to rename the streets at a later meeting. The members indicated they will likely rename Forrest Street for Frankie Mae Shivers, a black, female city police officer who was shot to death in 1982.The change was supported by the city's Chamber of Commerce and by more than half of the meeting's speakers.Benjamin Israel, a black resident who was one of the early leaders to change the street names, said the idea that residents would be "inconvenienced" by the name changes was "ridiculous.""Think of the inconvenience of the Civil War. Over 600,000 were killed. This will help make a better America," Israel said. "This is not a racial matter. Most of the people killed in the Civil War were white."Opponents argued that stripping the names of Lee, Hood and Forrest will be erasing history.John Jacobs of the group "Save Our Streets," which opposed the change, said the commission trampled on residents' rights when the members waived a city ordinance that says affected property owners need to be polled before a street name can be changed, knowing there would be little support. He said change supporters "waged a propaganda campaign by making outlandish and false accusations" against the generals. Lee, he said, didn't fight to support slavery but to uphold his home state of Virginia's right to secede."These were not treasonous men. They were 19th century men and shouldn't be judged by 21st century standards," he said.Some opponents, meanwhile, suggested keeping the name of Lee Street by renaming it for Harper Lee, who wrote the classic Southern novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."A few hours before the meeting, protests briefly turned tense when a lone pro-Confederate protester charged at about 100 anti-Confederate demonstrators. Hollywood police quickly tackled Chris Tedino, 21, of Miami, throwing him and his Confederate flag to the ground before he was led away. The confrontation occurred outside Hollywood City Hall, hours before the commission meeting opened.If the measure passes, Hollywood would join Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, and the Gulf coast town of Bradenton as Florida cities that have removed Confederate memorials. Those two cities removed statues. Tampa will remove a statue in the coming weeks.Tedino had been standing alone, holding a flag that was half-Confederate battle flag and half a black X on a white field. He was yelling at the other group, calling them "traitors."Several street names dating to the city's 1925 founding honour military officers both U.S. and Confederate. Others are named after U.S. Civil War Gen. George McLellan, Adm. David Farragut, who led the Union Navy during the Civil War, as well as World War I Gen. John J. Pershing.The debate over Confederate street names, statues and other symbols is being conducted in several communities around the U.S. The memorials have been under increased scrutiny since deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month.In Kentucky, group of black lawmakers, pastors and advocacy groups called anew this week for the removal of a Jefferson Davis statue in that state's Capitol. That landmark building is home to five statues of famous Kentuckians, including former President Abraham Lincoln and Davis, the only president of the Confederacy.Terry Spencer, The Associated Press.
Explosions rock flood-crippled chemical plant near Houston-[The Canadian Press]--YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
CROSBY, Texas — Explosions and fires rocked a flood-crippled chemical plant near Houston early Thursday, sending up a plume of acrid, eye-irritating smoke and adding a new hazard to Hurricane Harvey's aftermath.The plant's owners warned more explosions could follow because a lack of refrigeration was causing chemicals stored there to degrade and burn.The top federal emergency official in Washington warned that the plume of smoke was "incredibly dangerous." But local officials disputed that.There were no immediate reports of any serious injuries.Dozens of workers were pulled out of the Arkema Inc. plant before the hurricane hit and a small crew that had been left behind was evacuated before the blasts for fear of just such a disaster. Officials had also ordered people living within 1 1/2 miles (2.4 kilometres ) to leave on Tuesday.Fire and plant officials said the substances that caught fire were organic peroxides, a family of volatile compounds used for making a variety of products, including pharmaceuticals and construction materials.Earlier this week, Arkema warned of the possibility of an explosion at the plant about 25 miles (40 kilometres ) northeast of Houston, saying Harvey's floodwaters had knocked out power and backup generators, disabling the refrigeration needed to keep the organic peroxides stable.On Thursday, Rich Rennard, an Arkema executive, said the chemical compounds were transferred to refrigerated containers after power was lost. But he said those containers also failed, causing the chemicals to degrade and burn in one unit before dawn.He said the company expected more explosions from the eight remaining containers.Assistant Harris County Fire Chief Bob Royall said the organic peroxides caught fire in a tractor-trailer and sent up 30- to 40-foot (9- to 12-meter) flames and black smoke. Harris County Fire Marshal spokeswoman Rachel Moreno put the quantity of burning organic peroxide at 2 tons.Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said some deputies suffered eye irritation from the smoke, but added: "It is not anything that we feel is a danger to the community at all."In Washington, however, Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told reporters that "by all means, the plume is incredibly dangerous."Arkema had warned earlier this week that the chemicals would erupt in an intense fire resembling a gasoline blaze. There was "no way to prevent" the explosion, CEO Rich Rowe said on Wednesday.The company shut down the site before Harvey blew ashore, though a crew of 11 had stayed behind until it, too, was pulled out.The plant is along a stretch near Houston that contains one of the biggest concentrations of refineries, pipelines and chemical plants in the country.Moreno, of the fire marshal's office, said the 1 1/2 -mile radius was developed in consultation with the Homeland Security Department and other experts."The facility is surrounded by water right now so we don't anticipate the fire going anywhere," she said.Arkema was required to submit a risk management plan to the Environmental Protection Agency because it has large amounts of sulfur dioxide, a toxic chemical, and methylpropene, a flammable gas. The plans are supposed to detail the effects of a potential release and how the company would respond.In its most recently available submission from 2014, Arkema said that in a worst-case scenario, 1.1 million residents could be affected over 23 miles (37 kilometres ), according to information compiled by a non-profit group and posted on a website hosted by the Houston Chronicle.Arkema said that scenario was highly unlikely because it assumed that all of the plant's safety measures failed and that strong winds were blowing directly toward Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.___This story has been corrected to show that the assistant fire chief is Bob Royall, not Rayall.___Schmall and Dunklin reported from Dallas. Associated Press writer Claudia Lauer in Dallas contributed to this report.___Sign up for AP's daily newsletter showcasing our best all-formats reporting on Harvey and its aftermath: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb-Gregory Bull, Emily Schmall And Reese Dunklin, The Associated Press.
Islamic State convoy in Syria appears to have turned back, U.S.-led coalition says-[Reuters]-By Angus McDowall-YAHOONEWS-August 31, 2017
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A convoy of Islamic State fighters appears to have turned back after U.S.-led airstrikes thwarted its attempt to reach territory held by the militant group in eastern Syria, the head of U.S.-led forces fighting Islamic State said on Thursday.More than 300 lightly armed IS fighters and about 300 family members were evacuated from Syria's western border with Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement involving the ultra-hardline group, the Syrian army and the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah.On Thursday they sought to move into IS-held territory from a new location after U.S.-led strikes on Wednesday stopped them joining forces with their jihadist comrades, a commander in the pro-Syrian government military alliance said.However, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, the commander of U.S.-led forces fighting Islamic State, told a Pentagon briefing that the convoy had turned back into Syrian government territory."When I walked into this conference about an hour ago, the buses were on the move. They had turned and had driven back into regime-held areas," he told reporters via a video teleconference from Baghdad."We haven't struck the convoy. But we have struck every ISIS fighter and/or vehicle that has tried to approach that convoy. And we'll continue to do that," he said.The coalition opposes experienced combatants being moved to a battle zone in which it is active, and used warplanes on Wednesday to halt the convoy by damaging the road ahead. It also struck fighters on their way to meet the convoy.A commander in the pro-Syrian government military alliance said the convoy had headed north towards the town of Sukhna on Thursday after being halted in the desert and would try to reach Deir al-Zor province, close to the border with Iraq.Two sources familiar with U.S. policy on Syria said the airstrikes did not signal a more aggressive military approach, and were intended to prevent the IS fighters in the convoy reinforcing their comrades in Deir al-Zor.But the standoff shows the tangled nature of a war theater divided into several overlapping conflicts, and where the engagement of local, regional and global powers is further complicated by a mosaic of alliances and enmities.Six years into Syria's civil war, in which Islamic State has seized swathes of land, the jihadist group is on the retreat across the region, losing ground to an array of foes.In Syria, the government of President Bashar al-Assad has rapidly gained ground this year as the army advanced eastwards, backed by Russia and allied Iran-backed militia including Hezbollah, towards its besieged enclave in Deir al-Zor.But in the north, the United States -- which opposes Assad, Iran and Hezbollah -- has led a coalition backing Kurdish and Arab militias as they assault Islamic State's former Syrian capital of Raqqa.-NASRALLAH VISITED DAMASCUS-Hezbollah-affiliated media have reported that the Syrian town of Al-Bukamal, close to the border with Iraq, is the final destination for the convoy.Hezbollah has been one of Assad's closest allies in the war and it trumpeted the departure of Islamic State, after that of two other militant groups, from the Lebanon border as a "day of liberation".On Thursday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Assad had only reluctantly agreed to the evacuation after Nasrallah visited Damascus to request it, a rare public acknowledgement that he had traveled outside Lebanon.Iraq's Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, said it was "unacceptable" to ferry more jihadist fighters from another battlefront in Syria to the edge of Iraqi territory, prompting a statement from Hezbollah defending the move.Iraq has formed a dedicated intelligence operations room to monitor and track the jihadists, a senior Interior Ministry official told state media, saying the convoy included "elite commanders" of Islamic State.After it was blocked from moving eastwards on Wednesday, the convoy headed north within government territory to try to move into Islamic State land from a new location, the commander in the pro-Assad alliance said.The commander added that the convoy would head on again after an exchange of dead combatants and prisoners. The bodies of an Iranian killed in the fighting and two other dead fighters were to be swapped for 25 wounded IS fighters traveling with the convoy, the commander said.In Tehran, the country's Revolutionary Guards said on their website that the dead Iranian, whom they identified as Mohsen Hojaji, would be returned at an unspecified date for a funeral and burial.-LIFE ON BUSES "GETTING KIND OF HARD"? The fighters retained light weapons but left heavier arms in their enclave after being evacuated from western Lebanon following heavy fighting there."I would imagine life getting kind of hard on those buses after two and a half days or more, largely cooped up in those buses driving around in the desert," Townsend said.Such deals have increasingly been used by the Syrian army and its allies to press besieged rebels to surrender their enclaves and to relocate to insurgent-held territory elsewhere, but this is the first such deal involving Islamic State.In the process, Islamic State revealed the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers it took captive in its border enclave in 2014, as well as surrendering a Hezbollah prisoner.An official in the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, which is helping with the exchange, has entered Islamic State territory to accompany the prisoner back to the government-held area, the commander in the pro-Assad military alliance said.Hezbollah-aligned al Akhbar newspaper in Lebanon reported on Thursday that some IS leaders in eastern Syria did not want members of the group who had surrendered territory to be welcomed back into their self-declared caliphate.(Reporting by Leila Bassam and Sarah Dadouch in Beirut, Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Idrees Ali, David Alexander and John Walcott in Washington, and Dubai Newsroom, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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