Sunday, December 31, 2017

TRUMP SHOWS OFF JERUSALEM ANNOUNCEMENT AMOUNG HIS 2017 SUCCESSES.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

In frigid Times Square, relief arrives with the new year-[Reuters]-By Daniel Trotta and Chris Francescani-yahoonews-January 1, 2018

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Intrepid revelers from around the world endured hours of waiting in a frigid Times Square on Sunday to witness the glittering New Year's Eve ball make its annual descent at midnight, undeterred and perhaps reassured by a massive police presence.With New York City in the grip of a bitterly cold Arctic air mass, the experience was made particularly memorable this year for hundreds of thousands of people who braved the bone-chilling conditions to witness a century-old tradition.In the waning hours of 2017, the mercury had plunged to 10 Fahrenheit, with a "Real Feel" of 7F, according to AccuWeather.com. That made it the city's second-coldest New Year's Eve on record after 1917, when the mercury in Times Square dropped to 1F (-17C).Jaden Hunter, a 13-year-old from southern New Jersey, arrived at around 6 p.m., protected by a face mask and geared up for a good time.“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Hunter said. “It’s pretty chilly, but we’ve got hand-warmers and all kinds of thermal technology.”About 2 million people were expected in the vicinity of Times Square, the bow-tie-shaped plaza formed by the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan. That was roughly same number as last year, when the temperature at midnight was a comfortable 44F (7C).Still, the weather was severe enough to test the mettle of even the hardiest of partygoers.Alejandro Garcia, 32, of Barcelona, Spain, said the only thing that stood between him and leaving early for a warm hotel room was his girlfriend, graduate student Gamma Elias, 28."I'm freezing to death out here!" Garcia said, a few hours before midnight, wrapping his arms around Elias. "But she wants to stay."Like tens of thousands of others, the couple stood in one of dozens of fenced-in enclosures set up for blocks along the square. After hours of waiting, they were rewarded with a spectacular view of the giant ball as it made its annual, one-minute descent on the southern end of the plaza.Greg Packer, 54, a retired highway maintenance manager from Huntington, New York, had a prime spot on West 43rd Street after arriving at 7 a.m.“It feels more like Antarctica than New York. But everybody in the world is here,” he marveled, glancing around at the crowds in nearly every direction. “And I’m here.”The crowds counted down the final hours of 2017 with a lineup of live musical acts including Nick Jonas, Neil Diamond and Andy Grammer.Mariah Carey returned to the Times Square stage as well, pulling off a smooth performance after the embarrassment of last year's technical difficulties.Then came the long-awaited ball drop, a tradition that dates to 1907, three years after New Yorkers started gathering en masse in Times Square to usher in the new year.SHOW OF FORCE-Thousands of police were on hand, some heavily armed, others undercover. The show of force is part of a beefed-up security plan that follows a spate of attacks in the city and around the world that authorities have labeled as terrorist.The NYPD provided officers with specialized training to stop any suicide bombers in response to an attempted bombing in a Times Square subway station walkway on Dec. 11.Police deployed observation teams trained to spot snipers. There were also more explosive-detecting dogs and more officers positioned throughout the area this year.People hoping to see musical acts and other entertainment up close in Times Square had to pass by heavily armed officers and dogs. They went through a magnetometer to check for weapons, had their bags inspected, then repeated all those steps a second time.Police cars, dump trucks filled with sand and cement blocks were used to close streets, starting Sunday morning. About 125 parking garages in the area were emptied of all cars and sealed.Brynn Hansen, 14, from Longmont, Colorado, appeared unfazed by the heightened security and the trying conditions. She said she was living a dream."It's been on my bucket list, and now I can cross it off. It's exciting to be here."(Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Dave Gregorio and Michael Perry) 

LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)

JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE

Trump shows off Jerusalem announcement among his 2017 successes-In end-of-year video lauding first year in office, US president can be seen visiting Western Wall and signing declaration to recognize Israel's capital-By AP and TOI staff-DEC 31,2017

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — US President Donald Trump capped 2017 on Sunday with a video self-tribute touching on what he sees as the high points of his achievements and rhetoric from his first year in office, including his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.In the video running 3 and a half minutes, scenes of Trump with military personnel, Border Patrol agents and other world leaders are set to a stirring soundtrack as he declares of his country: “We gave birth to the modern world and we will shape tomorrow’s world with the strength and skill of American hands.”Trump cited his success in placing a new justice on the Supreme Court, his efforts to cut regulations and his big win on overhauling taxes, which he falsely described as the “largest tax cut in the history of our country.”Included in the video is footage of Trump visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, the first such visit by a sitting president, during his May trip to Israel. Immediately after, the video cuts to Trump signing a declaration he made earlier this month recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.In an address from the White House earlier this month, Trump defied worldwide warnings and insisted that after repeated failures to achieve peace a new approach was long overdue, describing his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the seat of Israel’s government as merely based on reality.The move was hailed by Prime Minister Netanyahu and by leaders across much of the Israeli political spectrum. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.Trump offered the video on Twitter with a New Year’s Eve message, saying “What a year it’s been, and we’re just getting started. Together, we are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Happy New Year!!”He later offered another Twitter message, loaded with his signature bombast: “As our Country rapidly grows stronger and smarter, I want to wish all of my friends, supporters, enemies, haters, and even the very dishonest Fake News Media, a Happy and Healthy New Year. 2018 will be a great year for America!”As our Country rapidly grows stronger and smarter, I want to wish all of my friends, supporters, enemies, haters, and even the very dishonest Fake News Media, a Happy and Healthy New Year. 2018 will be a great year for America!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017-The president is spending the holidays in Palm Beach, where his Mar-a-Lago club hosts an annual New Year’s Eve bash. At the event last year, hundreds of guests gathered in the club’s grand ballroom, including action star Sylvester Stallone and romance novel model Fabio.The White House said Trump been briefed on New Year’s Eve security precautions around the country and will continue to monitor those efforts.

Haley says Iran being ‘tested by its own citizens’-Amid ongoing protests across Islamic Republic, US ambassador echoes presidential message, says 'freedom and human rights will carry the day'-By AFP-DEC 31,2017

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday Iran’s government is “being tested by its own citizens” after three days of protests against the clerical regime.“We pray that freedom and human rights will carry the day,” she said in a statement.Haley’s comments echoed those of US President Donald Trump, who earlier Sunday said the United States was watching closely for human rights violations.“Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer,” Trump tweeted.Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017-Over the past year, Trump has held out Iran as Washington’s top adversary in the Middle East, disavowing a 2015 accord that curbed its nuclear program and accusing it of destabilizing activities in the region.At least two people have been killed and dozens arrested since protests broke out Thursday in the city of Masshad and spread to Tehran and other cities.Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on Sunday warned that protesters will “pay the price” for disrupting order.Haley singled out Iran in a New Year’s message that also denounced “oppressive governments” in North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba.“The long-repressed Iranian people are now finding their voice,” she said. “The Iranian government is being tested by its own citizens.”

German foreign minister under fire for accusing Israel of ‘apartheid’-Open letter from Jewish woman accuses Sigmar Gabriel of 'providing further ammunition to youths who were fed anti-Semitism with their mothers’ milk'-By TOI staff and JTA-DEC 31,17

BERLIN — German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has come under fire for suggesting that Israel pursues an “apartheid” policy.During a meeting with Muslim representatives in mid-December, Gabriel mentioned that he had visited Hebron several years ago and said that what he saw “reminded him of apartheid,” the Berliner Zeitung newspaper reported.In an open letter to Gabriel, a Jewish woman has demanded an apology for “providing further ammunition to youths who were fed anti-Semitism with their mothers’ milk,” according to a report in the German Jewish weekly, the Juedische Allgemeine.Gabriel had been addressing the issue of anti-Semitism among Muslims in Germany with a group of Muslim communal representatives. The event event was hosted by the Kreuzberg Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, a non-governmental organization that works in schools with children of migrant background, trying to combat anti-Semitic attitudes from an early age.Instead of helping fight anti-Semitism, Gabriel fed the flames, the letter from Malca Goldstein-Wolf said.In her open letter to Gabriel, published on the Israel advocacy website “Honestly Concerned” on December 21, Goldstein-Wolf applauded the idea of meeting with Muslim leaders. “But if you use this occasion to repeat your defamation of Israel as an apartheid state, then it is not only counterproductive but must be vehemently condemned.”Responding to a query from the German Jewish weekly, Gabriel’s office said he had emphasized at the meeting that there was no place for anti-Semitism in Germany.His comments, which referred to 2012 visit to the region, mirrored a post he published on Facebook at the time accusing Israel of running an “apartheid regime.”“I was just in Hebron. There’s a legal vacuum there for Palestinians. This is an apartheid regime, for which there is no justification,” Gabriel, who was then chairman of Germany’s main opposition party, wrote. The post quickly drew hundreds of responses, mostly from pro-Israel surfers, some of whom threatened to cancel their memberships in the SPD.Since becoming foreign minister, Gabriel has publicly clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.In April, Netanyahu canceled a planned meeting with the Gabriel after the latter refused to cancel a sit-down with Breaking the Silence, an NGO that collects anonymous testimonies from IDF soldiers on alleged human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.Gabriel also met with B’Tselem, another group that deals with human rights issues and campaigns against Israeli settlement building.

Former US army chief: US, N. Korea closer to nuclear war than ever-Mike Mullen attributes rising danger to Donald Trump's 'incredibly disruptive' presidency-By AFP-TOI-31 December 2017

WASHINGTON — The United States is now closer than it has ever been to a nuclear war with North Korea, a former top US military officer warned Sunday, saying he saw little prospect of a diplomatic solution.Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, attributed the rising danger to Donald Trump’s “incredibly disruptive” presidency.“And in my view, an incredibly dangerous climate exists out there in that uncertainty with how this all ends up,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.” “One in particular that is top of the list is North Korea.”“We’re actually closer, in my view, to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been,” he said, adding, “I don’t see the opportunities to solve this diplomatically at this particular point.”Mullen, who served as the top US military adviser to both presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, questioned whether Trump can be constrained by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, or White House chief of staff John Kelly.“Will he follow through on his rhetoric? Or will we actually be able to get to a situation where it could be solved peacefully?” Mullen asked.“I’m just more inclined to see over time that the rhetoric seems to be where the president is, and that will limit the constraining ability that both Jim Mattis and H.R. McMaster and John Kelly have,” he said.Trump warned in a speech to the UN General Assembly in September that the United States “will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea” if forced to defend itself or its allies.In August, he vowed to unleash “fire and fury” on North Korea if it continued to threaten the United States or its allies.Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test on September 3, and, despite escalating sanctions, on November 28 it test-launched an intercontinental missile capable of striking the United States.Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who warned Sunday of a sharp increase in the risk of pre-emptive attack if North Korea conducts any more tests, said Trump had decided early on to deny North Korea the capability to strike the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile.“2018 will be a year of opportunity and extreme danger,” Graham said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”“Now, the Iranians are watching the way he engages with North Korea, and vice versa. So we’ve got a chance here to deliver some fatal blows to really bad actors in 2018. But if we blink, God help us all.”

Pope Francis laments wars, injustices that ‘ruined’ 2017-Pontiff lambastes 'little and big offenses against life, truth, brotherhood, that cause human, social and environmental degradation'-By Frances D'Emilio-TOI-31 December 2017

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Bidding 2017 farewell, Pope Francis on Sunday decried wars, injustices, social and environmental degradation and other man-made ills which he said spoiled the year.Francis presided at a New Year’s Eve prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica, a traditional occasion to say thanks in each year’s last hours.In his homily, the pope said God gave to us a “whole and sound” year, but “we humans in so many ways ruined and hurt it with works of death, with lies and injustices.”“The wars are the flagrant sign of this repeated and absurd pride,” he said. “But so are all the little and big offenses against life, truth, brotherhood, that cause multiple forms of human, social and environmental degradation.”Francis added: “We want to, and must assume, before God, our brothers and Creation our responsibility” for the harm.Despite the gloom, Francis said “gratitude prevails,” thanks to those who “cooperate silently for the common good.” He singled out parents and educators who try to raise young people with a sense of responsible ethics.After the solemn basilica service, Francis strolled outside, briskly crisscrossing St. Peter’s Square to shake hands and banter with well-wishers, and kiss babies held by some of the thousands of faithful who waited for hours for a glimpse of him. The evening was warm, and Francis went without the white coat an aide carried for him. During his nearly hour-long walkabout outdoors, he stopped to admire a life-sized Nativity scene in the middle of the square.In keeping with past practice, the pope will celebrate Mass dedicated to the theme of world peace on New Year’s Day.

MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM

EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)

EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17  And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20  Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21  And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22  So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

Abbas warns Israel: Rethink your ‘aggressive’ policies ‘before it’s too late’-PA president slams IDF and 'settler terrorist groups' for 'crimes'; declares Jerusalem 'the eternal capital of the Palestinian people'-By TOI staff-31 December 2017

At an anniversary celebration Sunday marking the founding of the Fatah party, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged Israel to rethink its “aggressive policies” and “apartheid system” before it is too late.“We will not accept the status quo. We will not accept the apartheid system. We will not accept occupation without cost, and you [Israel] must rethink your aggressive policies and actions against our people, our land and our holy places before it is too late,” Abbas said.Abbas slammed the Israel Defense Forces and “settler terrorist groups” for their “crimes” against the Palestinians, speaking at event marking the 53rd anniversary of the founding of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Fatah movement, according to the official Wafa news agency.At the celebration Abbas also laid a wreath at the tomb of the later Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.According to Channel 10, Abbas said the “murder” of a disabled Gazan protester killed in border clashes earlier this month and the arrest of a Palestinian teenager filmed slapping IDF soldiers in the West Bank “remind us of all the crimes by the Israeli security forces and settler terror groups.”The army earlier this month said it did not intentionally shoot a disabled Palestinian man, Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh, who was killed in a riot along the Gaza security fence on Friday, but could not determine his cause of death.Ahed Tamimi, 16, was filmed along with her 21-year-old cousin Nour slapping IDF soldiers outside the family’s home in Nebi Saleh earlier this month. She has been accused of “assaulting a soldier, harming the security of the area, incitement, and other felonies,” according to court documents.In his address, Abbas also referred to the 2014 East Jerusalem murder of teenager Muhammed Abu Khdeir by Jewish extremists and the fatal Duma firebombing in 2015.The PA leader again slammed the United States for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6.The city is “the eternal capital of the Palestinian people,” he said, according to Channel 10. “We are staying here and won’t leave until Palestine is liberated. East Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state.”Following the Trump announcement, Abbas rejected any further US role in the peace process with Israel  and cancelled a scheduled meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence.Earlier on Sunday the PA recalled its envoy to the United States for consultations in protest at the recognition.Abbas also spoke of the floundering reconciliation deal with the Hamas terror group that controls the Gaza Strip.“We will continue with all sincerity and perseverance to work to unify our land and our people and achieve national reconciliation,” he said. “I assure our people that we are moving in the path of reconciliation confidently and urgently. We will embark on a strong national unity.”The deal, which was to have been completed several weeks ago, is on the verge of collapse, according to the head of Hamas in Gaza.Yahya Sinwar said earlier this month that the Palestinian reconciliation process is failing over a dispute about the future of the terror group’s weapons.“Whoever doesn’t see that reconciliation is collapsing is blind,” said Sinwar, in a meeting with local Gaza youth and social media activists.An Egyptian-brokered agreement in early October originally set a December 1 deadline for the terror group to fully transfer power in the Gaza Strip back to the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Abbas’s Fatah party, though that was later pushed back to December 10.

PA recalls envoy to US for consultations after Jerusalem recognition-Palestinians have reacted with fury to Trump's declaration on Israel's capital, and have said Washington will no longer have a role in peace process-By AFP and TOI staff-31 December 2017

The Palestinian Authority said Sunday it was recalling its envoy to the United States for consultations in a move that follows US President Donald Trump’s designation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki decided to recall PLO envoy to Washington Husam Zomlot, official Palestinian news agency WAFA said, without providing further details.The Palestinian response to Trump’s December 6 decision has been scathing, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas rejecting any further US role in the peace process with Israel.Abbas canceled a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence, who was due to arrive earlier this month but postponed the trip to January citing a need to attend a crucial Senate vote in Washington.And Palestinian officials have refused meetings with any US political officials, including members of Trump’s peace team and chief negotiator Jason Greenblatt.Israeli TV reports last week claimed Abbas has told all PA officials that Trump is “a lost cause” and has ordered the PA to sever all contacts with US diplomatic officials, including those of the US consulate in East Jerusalem responsible for Palestinian affairs.According to Hadashot TV news, Abbas has made clear to his aides that he is “not merely closing the door” on further dealings with the Trump administration, “but also throwing away the key.”An unnamed US official told Hadashot the US recognizes that the Palestinians need a “cooling off” period after the Jerusalem declaration, that the US remains committed to achieving an accord, that it has no intention of seeking to impose one, but that it still hopes Abbas will change his stance.Violence since Trump’s announcement has left 13 Palestinians dead, with most killed in clashes with Israeli forces. Abbas’s Fatah party has urged several “days of rage” and the Hamas terror group which rules Gaza, and which seeks to destroy Israel, has urged a new intifada and encouraged thousands of Gaza to confront Israeli troops at the Gaza-Israel border.On Sunday, while marking the 53rd anniversary of his Fatah movement, Abbas called Jerusalem “the eternal capital of the Palestinian people.”In his December 6 declaration on Jerusalem, Trump stressed that the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city would still have to be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.His speech, welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli leaders across most of the political spectrum, infuriated Abbas and regional leaders because it was perceived to be prejudging the fate of the disputed holy city.The UN in a December 21 resolution rejected Trump’s move, in a vote approved by 128 votes to 9; the resolution had been vetoed by the US in the Security Council two days earlier.

Israeli minister wishes Iranian protesters luck, says murderous regime will fall-As demonstrations continue throughout Iran, Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz says, in contrast to the Mullahs, Israel will 'exist forever'-By TOI staff-31 December 2017

Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said Sunday that Iran’s “murderous regime” — which has long predicted Israel’s annihilation — will “disappear,” while the Jewish state will “exist forever.”“The chief of staff of the Iranian army said the State of Israel will not exist in 25 years, I say to him — the State of Israel will exist forever, but you and your colleagues in the murderous regime will disappear long before,” Katz said, according to Israel Radio.“I wish success to the protesters in Iran who are fighting for freedom and democracy,” added Katz.In June, Iran inaugurated a huge digital countdown display at Tehran Palestine Square, showing that Israel would allegedly cease to exist in 8,411 days.In 2015, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted that after 25 years — by 2040 — there will no longer be a State of Israel.Protests in Iran began Thursday in Mashhad over economic issues. The protests have expanded to cities across the Islamic Republic in the days since.An official in Tehran said on Sunday that 200 people were arrested during the previous night’s protests in the Iranian capital, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.“These individuals are now with the judiciary and some others have been freed out of clemency,” Ali Asghar Nasserbakht, a security deputy for Tehran’s governor, told ILNA.He said 40 of those arrested were “leaders” and that their protests had not been related to the economy.“Some opposition groups from abroad make our youth emotional,” he said.However, Twitter showed a completely different story, with videos of hundreds of people marching in many cities across the country, in protests that sometimes turned violent.#Update99–#Lorestan, a group of young protesters were attached by the security forces.Three groups then united and burned a Basij base and two banks.#Rasht just now, Basij Forces tried to arrest a young woman protesters didn’t allow it and started beating them up.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/B4O9gfjAwd— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) December 31, 2017-Meanwhile, authorities acknowledged the first fatalities in the protests in Doroud, a city some 325 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Tehran in Iran’s western Lorestan province. Protesters had gathered for an unauthorized rally that lasted into the night Saturday, said Habibollah Khojastepour, the security deputy of Lorestan’s governor. The two protesters were killed in clashes at the rally, he said.Videos circulating on social media late Saturday also appeared to show fallen protesters in Doroud as gunshots sounded in the background. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the footage.Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli warned protesters that police would not hesitate to confront lawbreakers.“Those who misused cyberspace and spread violence are absolutely known to us and we will definitely confront them in due time,” Fazli said, according to state TV.Agencies contributed to this report.

Analysis-Assad may have retaken the Syrian Golan, but Iran is pulling the strings-The Syrian president is more beholden than ever to the IRGC and Hezbollah, which have no interest in keeping things quiet along the border with Israel-By Avi Issacharoff-TOI-31 December 2017

The evacuation of several hundred Syrian rebels from the Beit Jinn area on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights over the weekend puts Israel in an old-new position on the border. Assad’s army is once again at the fences, just like it was from 1967 to 2011.In the southern Golan, a few pockets of resistance remain from supporters of the Islamic State group, or as they are known locally, the Khalid Ibn Walid Army. But beyond that, the Syrians have almost completely retaken control of the border with Israel.Only a few moderate forces remain south of Kuneitra that would maintain some relative cooperation with Israel or keep the Shiite or Sunni extremists at bay.The actual evacuation took place quietly, and the buses carrying nearly all the rebels and their supporters have already made their way from the slopes of Mount Hermon to the last bastion belonging to the (relatively) moderate opposition, in the Idlib area.This seemingly familiar presence — an army of Syrian regulars, disciplined and beholden to regulations, that understands the Damascus regime’s need to keep things quiet — ostensibly heralds stability. But that’s only on the surface. Over the last several years, Syrian President Bashar Assad has been forced to give up a foothold and then some to Iraqi Shiite militias, Hezbollah and, most importantly, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. His regime was saved by their intervention and he literally owes them his life, physically as well as politically.Assad will be forced to give the Shiite crescent a foothold in the border area, and may even do so happily.Hezbollah’s presence on the border is nothing new. The town of Khader on the side of the Hermon has become known in recent years as a redoubt of support for Assad, encircled by Sunni rebels. Hezbollah managed to build a military infrastructure in the town to carry out attacks against Israel, as evidenced by the assassination of its operatives while carrying out these activities. Chief among them were Jihad Mughniyeh and the Iranian general killed in 2015, and, of course Samir Kuntar, the terrorist who served time in Israeli prison for killing a Nahariya family and was released in a deal with Hezbollah in 2008. Kuntar was killed near Damascus in 2015, reportedly assassinated by Israel amid attempts to set up a structure near Khader for attacking Israel.Iranian Revolutionary Guards will be much less careful than Assad’s forces about keeping things quiet on the border. It’s possible they will actively try to destabilize the situation along the frontier — in order to keep war from erupting in Lebanon, among other reasons.Israel has warned time and again that it will not allow Iranian forces near the border, and the Russian-American ceasefire is supposed to keep them at bay.However, Washington and Moscow might not consider Hezbollah fighters in Syrian uniforms — or IRGC advisers who come to “visit” forward positions, including a Syrian post on the Hermon — as a classical “Iranian presence.” Indeed, Hezbollah or IRGC fighters may very well be present in Syrian positions on the Hermon right now.In 2018, Assad will need more help than ever from Iran and Hezbollah to stabilize his regime, and may become an Iranian-Shiite puppet. He doesn’t have much to be excited about. The Sunni enemies of his regime, who make up the majority in the country, are still hostile. Syria is bankrupt as a country, with hundreds of thousands dead, millions injured and a destroyed infrastructure.But he does have one significant thing going for him: He survived the Arab Spring. That’s something not a lot of current leaders in the Arab world can say. And survival is the name of the game for everybody.

'Iran and Hezbollah are trying to turn Gaza into Lebanon II'-As Gaza heats up, Israel points an accusing finger at Iran-Israeli officials call on residents of the coastal enclave to reject the machinations of the Iranian regime and choose a better 'future for your children'-By Judah Ari Gross-TOI-31 December 2017

After terrorists in Gaza fired three mortar shells at southern Israel on Friday, apparently to disrupt a ceremony honoring a fallen IDF soldier whose remains are being held captive in the coastal enclave, top Israeli officials have cast blame not only on Hamas, which rules the Strip, but also on Israel’s nemesis, Iran.On social media and in interviews with news outlets, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz and the Israel Defense Forces have all pointed to the Islamic Republic as the source of rising tensions in the Gaza Strip.Friday’s mortar fire was the latest attack against Israel by terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip this month, which also saw a two-week period in which there were near daily rocket launches aimed at southern Israel.Iran’s support for terrorist groups in the coastal enclave is, of course, nothing new. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been received funding from the Islamic Republic for decades, maintaining close ties with its Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Hamas too has been turning more toward Tehran in recent years, particularly for its military wing, as it has been moving away from Saudi Arabia — or, more accurately, as Saudi Arabia has been moving away from it.The comments from senior Israeli officials come as protesters in Iran rail against the country’s apparent focus on the wider Middle East region, rather than its domestic concerns. Iranian students chanted, “Never mind Palestine, think about us,” and “Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran.”With their comments, the Israeli ministers and military appeared to be trying to stir similar feelings among Palestinians, calling on them to consider their well-being.“After the Iranians completely destroyed Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon and Syria, they are starting to do the exact same thing in Gaza,” Liberman said on Saturday night, in a Facebook video published by the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).The video, published in English, Hebrew and Arabic, was specifically directed toward a Palestinian audience.“I suggest you think about your children, their future, and start pressing Hamas leaders to change direction. Right now, you’re on a flight to nowhere. If you change the direction, believe me, you will build, first and foremost, a good future for your children,” he said“The heads of the regime in Tehran are not interested in the depressing reality in Gaza nor in the future of the children there. They care about their extremist ideology and hurting Israel as much as possible,” he said.The defense minister also noted that while the vast majority of Gaza Strip residents only have access to electricity between four to six hours a day, the leaders of Hamas — Yahya Sinwar and Saleh al-Arouri — have power 24 hours a day.Since becoming defense minister last year, Liberman has maintained a policy of “sticks and carrots” as it relates to the Palestinians. Regarding Gaza, where there is widespread unemployment, he has said that he would be prepared to allow residents of the Strip to work in Israel, if the security situation were calmer.Speaking to Israel Radio, the intelligence minister also accused the Islamic Republic of effectively hijacking the Gaza Strip for its own means through its influence over the Hamas terrorist group.“Iran and Hezbollah are trying to turn Gaza into Lebanon II, into south Lebanon B,” Katz said.“We need to differentiate between the interests of Hamas and the interests of most of the people in Gaza,” he added.Katz, who is minister of both intelligence and transportation, has long advocated for the construction of an artificial island off the coast of Gaza where a port can be opened in an attempt to make the Strip more independent.Referring to Gaza as a “ticking time bomb,” he repeated his call for the off-shore port, saying it would relieve Israel of the onus of having to manage the land crossings and daily convoys of trucks bringing humanitarian aid and commercial goods into the coastal enclave.Maintaining the same basic line of argument, the IDF also blamed Iran for supplying the terrorist group that launched the mortar shells — which it inaccurately referred to as rockets — and unnecessarily endangering the lives of Gaza citizens.“The rockets were launched by a terror organization that used standard-grade Iranian weapons. This is a severe incident that proves once more how much these terror organizations despise the residents of Gaza & are willing to put them at risk of escalation over Iranian interests,” the army tweeted on Sunday.The rockets were launched by a terror organization that used standard-grade Iranian weapons. This is a severe incident that proves once more how much these terror organizations despise the residents of Gaza & are willing to put them at risk of escalation over Iranian interests-— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) December 30, 2017-The military would not elaborate on the type of mortar shell used in the attack or regarding which terrorist group is believed to have fired them, citing “security concerns.”In the attack on Friday, three mortar shells were fired at southern Israel. Two of them were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system, while the third fell in Israeli territory in the Shaar Hanegev region, on the Gaza border.Police said they found the shell at the entrance to a building that had sustained damage from the fire.The attack appeared to deliberately coincide with a ceremony marking what would have been the 24th birthday of Oron Shaul, an IDF soldier who was killed in 2014, and whose remains are held by Hamas.Shortly after the rocket barrage, the IDF retaliated by attacking two Hamas positions with tank shelling and strikes from aircraft.

Kim Jong Un says US should know North Korean nuclear force a reality-Despite bellicose threat, Supreme Leader also strikes conciliatory tone in his New Year's address, wishing success for Winter Olympics set to begin in South Korea next month-By Eric Talmadge-TOI-DEC 31,17

TOKYO (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday the United States should be aware that his country’s nuclear forces are now a reality, not a threat. But he also struck a conciliatory tone in his New Year’s address, wishing success for the Winter Olympics set to begin in the South in February and suggesting the North may send a delegation to participate.Kim, wearing a Western-style gray suit and tie, said in his customary annual address his country had achieved the historic feat of “completing” its nuclear forces and added he has a nuclear button on his desk.“The US should know that the button for nuclear weapons is on my table,” he said during the speech. “The entire area of the US mainland is within our nuclear strike range. … The United States can never start a war against me and our country.”Kim also called for improved relations with the South, an idea mentioned in speeches more often than it is met. He said the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics would be a good opportunity to showcase the status of the Korean nation.He said the North and South could meet urgently to discuss the North sending a delegation.“The Winter Olympic games that will be held soon in the South will be a good opportunity to display the status of the Korean nation and we sincerely wish that the event will be held with good results,” he said.The New Year’s address is an annual event in the North and is watched closely for indications of the direction and priorities Kim may adopt in the year ahead.This year’s speech was seen as particularly important because of the high tensions over Pyongyang’s frequent missile launches and its nuclear test in 2017. The tests were the focus of fiery verbal exchanges between the North and US President Donald Trump, who has derisively called Kim, “little rocket man.”Kim also stressed North Korea’s economic achievements during the speech, and noted the importance of improving the nation’s standard of living.

After a year marred by terror attacks, revelers welcome 2018 in Europe-Under heightened alert and bolstered security, cities across the globe welcome in the new year with dazzling firework displays and street parties-By AFP and TOI staff    -DEC 31,17

Countless revelers switched into party mode Sunday across Europe to ring in 2018 after Sydney and Hong Kong earlier welcomed New Year on the other side of the globe with dazzling firework displays.In London more than 100,000 ticket-holders gazed up at a spectacular pyrotechnics display from the banks of the river Thames, before dancing to Auld Lang Syne.Keeping with tradition, the Big Ben bell in the Houses of Parliament rang in Britain’s new year — the chimes having been turned back on especially for the celebrations as the famous clock tower is undergoing renovation and encased in scaffolding.Other European cities were similarly awash with people despite the winter cold.In Paris hundreds of thousands of partygoers braved a storm warning and drizzle to line the Champs-Elysees avenue before a dazzling light show and a fireworks display lit up the Arc de Triomphe.Nearly 2,000 security forces were deployed to protect the crowd — out of some 140,000 mobilized nationwide to guard against the jihadist threat which the authorities describe as “still high.”One participant, who gave his name only as Stephane, insisted that a spate of recent attacks on France were “in the past.”“Life goes on and they (jihadists) are on the retreat,” he said.While New Year’s Eve is not officially celebrated in Israel, many secular Israelis do mark the end of the civil year, known locally as “Sylvester” — the December 31 anniversary of the death of Pope Sylvester I.Israeli authorities said they were on alert throughout the country with extra units, special patrol units and border police patrolling city centers. Traffic police and volunteers were also spread out to conduct alcohol inspections on drivers.In Hong Kong, the city staged a stunning fireworks display over its famous Victoria Harbour and thousands watched as “shooting stars” were fired from the rooftops of skyscrapers during a 10-minute musical spectacular.Three hours earlier Australia had rung in the New Year with a magnificent show of rainbow-coloured fireworks cascading from Sydney Harbour Bridge, as partygoers marked the nation’s legalisation of gay marriage amid tight security.In Britain, despite the capital being hit by four terror attacks in 2017, Scotland Yard said it had fewer police officers on the streets than during last year’s event.And revelers on the banks of the Thames were in a party mood as they danced to a soundtrack dominated by women to mark the centenary of women being granted the vote.“We will have the right response of officers at the right locations,” said superintendent Nick Aldworth. “There is no specific threat to this event.Tens of thousands of people had been expected in Edinburgh for its Hogmanay celebrations — one of the world’s biggest street parties.-Around the world-In Berlin, special tents were set up at the Brandenburg Gate to assist female victims of sexual harassment, following mass assaults on women in Cologne two years ago.In Cologne itself, 1,400 police were being mobilized, street lighting improved and more video cameras installed.As the midnight chimes neared in western Europe, Dubai had already moved into 2018, celebrating with a laser show on the world’s tallest tower, the 828-metre (2,716-foot) Burj Khalifa.Moscow likewise entered the new year with major boulevards and 36 key sites decked out.In Africa, Cameroon President Paul Biya used the occasion to remind his citizens of their “duty” to “maintain republican order” as well as “social peace and national unity” amid unrest in the country’s Anglophone regions.Gabon’s President Ali Bongo vowed “radical change in governance” in 2018 in his end-of-year speech, with around a third of the country living below the poverty line.“I am determined to do everything possible to strengthen our unity, regain our cohesion,” he said.In the Americas the countdown continued. In Brazil’s party capital Rio millions were to gather on Copacabana beach to watch the fireworks, with many wearing white, the traditional colour to usher in the new year.-Toughest security in years-Despite the joyous mood among those celebrating, stricter security has been a key focus amid fears that crowds could be targets for vehicle and other terror attacks.In Australia, the stronger police presence included some officers carrying semi-automatic rifles in Sydney and bollards used as barriers against vehicles. Earlier in December one man was killed and more than a dozen hurt when a man plowed a car into a crowd of pedestrians in Melbourne.Other cities are also on alert following deadly vehicle assaults over the past two years in Barcelona, Nice and London.New York’s Times Square celebrations are set to go ahead despite the Arctic chill gripping much of the central and northeastern United States and Canada. But revelers there will be surrounded by the strongest security presence in years, after two recent attacks apparently inspired by the Islamic State group.

Friday, December 29, 2017

TILLERSON OMITS JERUSALEM FROM YEAR END FOREIGN POLICY REVIEW.WHAT IS TILLERSON THINKING.

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)

LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)

JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE

Tillerson omits Jerusalem from year-end foreign policy review-White House touts recognition of Israel's capital, but country's top diplomat focuses on North Korea, Russia and Iran-By AFP and TOI staff-DEC 28,17

The United States’ top diplomat failed to mention US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital or his plan to move the embassy, as he defended his country’s foreign policy record on Wednesday, saying progress had been made in the last year to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and counter the “immense challenges” posed by Russia and Iran.Jerusalem took the lead position in a White House tweet of the president’s accomplishments in 2017.“President Trump followed through on his campaign promise and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. Read more about the President’s first year accomplishments,” the tweet read.President Trump followed through on his campaign promise and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel. Read more about the President's first year accomplishments: https://t.co/MmTiv2ssv5 pic.twitter.com/63NCaokbTO— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 26, 2017-In an address earlier this month from the White House, Trump defied worldwide warnings and insisted that after repeated failures to achieve peace, a new approach was long overdue. He described his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the seat of Israel’s government as merely based on reality.The move was hailed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by leaders across much of the Israeli political spectrum, but was condemned worldwide. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.In an opinion piece in The New York Times on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ignored the matter entirely and didn’t mention Jerusalem at all.He said some 90 percent of Pyongyang’s export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration “abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience.”Tensions have escalated dramatically on the Korean peninsula this year after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests — and as Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded personal insults.Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear program and has spearheaded three rounds of UN sanctions against the isolated regime, restricting crucial exports of coal, iron, seafood and textiles from the cash-starved state.Pyongyang has hit out at those sanctions, calling the latest round “an act of war,” and has vowed to never give up its nuclear program.In his piece, Tillerson said “a door to dialogue remains open” for Pyongyang but warned “until denuclearization occurs, the pressure will continue.”At the same time he called on China — Pyongyang’s only major ally — to “do more” to pressure North Korea.Trump’s administration has been dogged by allegations his campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year’s election.Addressing relations with Moscow, Tillerson said the Trump administration had “no illusions about the regime we are dealing with” and that they were “on guard against Russian aggression.”But he added that Washington needed to “recognize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect,” citing Syria civil war where the two countries have backed opposing sides but pushed for peace talks.On Iran, he struck a less conciliatory tone.“The flawed nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran,” he warned. “We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats.”He also defended his cuts to the State Department and USAID budget, saying they were designed to “address root problems that lead to inefficiencies and frustrations.”Critics say Tillerson’s first year in office has seen scores of key diplomatic posts go unfilled, embassies hampered by cuts and many veteran staff leave the foreign service altogether.

Palestinian arrested trying to enter West Bank military court with pipe bomb-Police seal area as bomb disposal team works to defuse explosive in Samaria Military Court in second such incident this month-By Jacob Magid-TOI-DEC 28,17

Border Police arrested a 16-year-old Palestinian teen who tried to enter  a military court in the northern West Bank with a pipe bomb.Forces immediately closed the entrance to the Samaria Military Court, clearing the area before bomb disposal experts arrived, a police spokesman said.Earlier this month, police arrested a Palestinian man who tried to enter the same military court with two pipe bombs. Security forces used sappers to defuse the explosives, which were found in the suspect’s coat along with a knife.

Turkish president ‘laughs off’ demand to arrest Sudan leader-Omar al-Bashir, wanted for war crimes, leaves Istanbul after attending summit of Islamic nations convened to denounce Trump's Jerusalem recognition-By AFP-DEC 28,17-TOI

ISTANBUL — Turkey “laughed off” a demand from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Sudan’s wanted leader when he attended a summit in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying Thursday.Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted on charges of genocide and war crimes, on December 13 attended a summit of Islamic nations called by Erdogan to denounce US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.Erdogan told Turkish reporters in an interview that the ICC wrote a letter to Turkey saying it had information Bashir was in Istanbul for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit and he should be arrested and handed over to the court.There was no immediate confirmation from the ICC, which is currently in recess, that it made such a demand.“Something like this just makes you laugh,” Erdogan was quoted Thursday as saying on his presidential plane as he rounded off a four-day trip to Africa.“Are we going to just go and hand over to you someone who is a member of the OIC and is taking part in such a summit? “What kind of understanding is this? It’s impossible to understand it. We just laughed it off,” Erdogan said.He noted that Turkey is not a signatory to the treaty which set up the Hague-based ICC.Erdogan’s defiant comments came after holding talks with Bashir in Sudan on his Africa trip, which also took in Chad and Tunisia and underlined his ambition for a strategic foothold in the continent.On the trip, Erdogan said Sudan had agreed to let Turkey restore the Red Sea port of Suakin Island, which thrived during the era of the Ottomans but has fallen into disrepair. He denied, however, that there was any plan to build a military base there.Bashir is wanted by the ICC for genocide and war crimes — charges he rejects — over the conflict that broke out in Darfur in 2003 when ethnic minority groups took up arms against his government, which launched a brutal counter-insurgency.The UN says at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced.While serving as prime minister in 2009, Erdogan defended Bashir, saying “a Muslim could not commit genocide, he is not capable of it.”The ICC has previously rebuked countries including Jordan and South Africa for failing to arrest Bashir when he visited for summits.

Netanyahu to Arab demonstrators: ‘Why protest? We believe in progress’-Prime minister slams protesters outside ceremony honoring his contribution to Galilee town, says they should direct anger at atrocities across the Middle East-By Raoul Wootliff-TOI-DEC 28,17

7:07 pm-Roadside bomb kills senior army officer in Egypt’s Sinai-Egyptian security and hospital officials say a roadside bomb planted by Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula has hit a military vehicle, killing a senior army officer.They say the colonel, who was the military commander of the town of Bir al-Abd, was killed while patrolling in an armored vehicle in an area just outside the town.Bir al-Abd was the scene of deadliest terrorist attack against civilians on Nov. 24, when militants killed 311 worshippers in a mosque. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has vowed to use “brute force” to crush the long-running insurgency in northern Sinai and given the military and police three months to restore “security and stability” there.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.— AP-6:59 pm-Explosion hits near police station in southern Turkey-Turkish media reports say a powerful explosion has occurred near a police station in a town in southern Turkey.The private Dogan news agency says the blast happened in the town of Seyhan, in Adana province on Thursday.There was no information immediately available on possible casualties or injuries. Dogan says police have been sent to the area.— AP-6:55 pm-Netanyahu to Arab demonstrators: ‘Why protest? We believe in progress’-Speaking at a ceremony in the Galilee town of Ein Mahil honoring his contribution to the community, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slams the some 600 Arab Israeli protesters demonstrating against the event.“At the entrance, I saw a protest. They are holding signs of Fatah of the PLO. Against my visit here? Against what?” he says.“What are they protesting against? Against the millions who were slaughtered or kicked out of their homes in Syria, Iraq or Libya? Who are you protesting against?” he repeats.Netanyahu says the protesters should not be demonstrating against Israel, “the only state that protects human rights,” but against atrocities in the region.“Why protest? We believe in progress, we believe in coexistence, we are working for it, we will continue working for it,” he concludes. “Shame on you!”-6:29 pm-Putin says terror suspects can be killed ‘on the spot’-Russian President Vladimir Putin says that armed terrorists should be “liquidated on the spot,” calling the blast that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people an “act of terror.”Yesterday, a homemade bomb placed in a locker at the supermarket in northwestern Saint Petersburg went off sowing panic among customers and wounding 14 people including a pregnant woman.“As you know, an act of terror took place in Saint Petersburg yesterday,” Putin says, speaking at a ceremony to award officers who took part in Russia’s Syria campaign.He says he had ordered the nation’s security services to “act decisively” and “liquidate bandits on the spot” if armed militants put up resistance.His spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters later that the Russian leader was referring to all those “who harbor plans to carry out acts of terror in our country.”— AFP-6:28 pm-Tehran police: No more arrests for flouting dress code-Police in Iran’s capital say they will no longer arrest women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code imposed since the 1979 revolution.The reformist daily Sharq quotes Gen. Hossein Rahimi, the Tehran police chief, as saying “those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be taken to detention centers, nor will judicial cases be filed against them.”The semi-official Tasnim news agency says violators will instead be made to attend classes given by police. It says repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action.Younger and more liberal-minded Iranian woman have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that don’t fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.— AP-5:35 pm-Thousands pray for rain at Western Wall amid ongoing drought-Thousands of people are gathering at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s old City to pray for rain at an event organized by Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel in light of a nationwide drought.The mass prayer service coincides with the end of the 10th of Tevet fast marking, among other tragedies, the beginning of the Babylonian siege on Jerusalem which led to the destruction of the First Temple.Since last winter the Sea of Galilee has received just 10% of its annual average inflow, and by February had reached its lowest level in nearly a hundred years.Israeli meteorologists predicted in early December that the coming months would be drier than an average winter, prolonging an already troubling drought. As of the last reckoning, the water level in the Sea of Galilee stood at 703 feet (214 meters) below sea level, several feet (about a meter) below the point at which ecologists predict damage to the ecosystem and water quality.-4:33 pm-Netanyahu thanks US public for saying he is one of their ten most admired men-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posts a video message thanking the American public for putting him in the top ten of a most admired men list.In the video, posted to his official Twitter feed, Netanyahu is seen affecting surprise at being told the result of the Gallup poll, released yesterday.“Really,” he says. “Well, I appreciate that, not merely for me, but first and foremost for my country, Israel. Thank you America.”The Gallup poll found that the prime minister placed ninth in the list of most admired men, with one percent of Americans naming him as their first or second choice.Former US president Barack Obama, President Donald Trump and Pope Francis placed first, second and third, with 17, 14 and two percent, respectively, citing them as their first or second choice. Senator Bernie Sanders placed as the highest Jew on the list, coming in at seventh.-4:25 pm-Justice Ministry concludes investigation of Abu Al-Qia’an shooting-The Justice Ministry probe by the Police Investigations Department concludes its reexamination into the police shooting of a Bedouin teacher during an operation to demolish homes in his unrecognized village at the beginning of the year and hands its report to the state prosecutor.The state now has to decided whether to close the case or to continue the investigation.In November, in light of evidence, the ministry’s Police Investigations Department was told to take another look at the events surrounding the death of Yaqoub Mousa Abu Al-Qia’an, who was slain by police in Umm al-Hiran during a nighttime incident in which his car drove into officers, killing one of them.The incident was initially ruled terrorism, but authorities have indicated since that Abu Al-Qia’an likely lost control of the vehicle after being shot and did not intentionally hit the officers.-4:13 pm-Last of 3,633 North American olim for 2017 arrives in Israel-With the arrival of a flight carrying 93 new immigrants, a total of 3,633 people from North America made aliyah in 2017, Nefesh B’Nefesh reports.The group flight that landed at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday included 15 future lone soldiers and a soon-to-be bride, according to the organization which, in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA, helps facilitate aliyah from North America and the United Kingdom.Another 103 Americans and Canadians already living or studying in Israel made aliyah on Wednesday at the Nefesh B’Nefesh offices in Jerusalem.Many of the 3,633 new immigrants arrived on 19 special aliyah flights from North America, bringing 377 families with 677 children, and an additional 1,677 singles. The oldest immigrant in 2017 was 102, and the youngest five weeks old, according to NBN. Most of the new immigrants settled in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ra’anana, and Netanya.Nearly 29,000 immigrants from around the world arrived in Israel in 2017.— JTA-2:21 pm-Turkey’s Erdogan holds out olive branch to Germany, EU-Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expresses hope for a better relationship with Germany and the EU after a fractious 2017, saying Ankara needs to reduce its enemies and increase its friends.“Of course, we want to have good relations with the EU and with EU countries,” Erdogan tells Turkish journalists on his presidential plane while on a visit to Africa.“I always say this. We must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends,” he said, in comments published in Turkish newspapers including the Hurriyet daily.The past year has seen Turkey’s long-running bid to join the EU grind to a virtual halt and a crisis in relations with Germany over the crackdown that followed the failed July 15, 2016 coup.— AP-2:20 pm-State archives release details of pre-state Israelis-The Israeli State Archives releases a new online archive made public and searchable of the names of over 206,000 Jews who lived in the country before the founding of the State of Israel.The archive spans ten years, from 1937 to 1947, and is made up of about 67,000 requests for citizenship in British Mandatory Palestine. Some of the requests came from famous future Israelis like the late president Shimon Peres.Each request includes the names of family members, dates and places of birth and a treasure trove of other information. The documents themselves – requests could reach 20 pages each – also include the names of two sponsors for each aspiring citizen.The project is a collaboration of the State Archives and the ancestry startup MyHeritage, whose staff has worked for the past year to scan and index the 67,000 requests.

Ontario minimum wage rises, youth pharmacare takes effect Jan. 1-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 28, 2017

TORONTO — The minimum wage in Ontario rises to $14 an hour and people younger than 25 can get free prescription medications as of Jan. 1, when a host of other legal and regulatory changes in the province take effect.The new minimum wage is part of a Liberal government promise to boost it further to $15 in 2019, though if the Progressive Conservatives win the June election, the increase to $15 will be spread out over several years.It's the main plank of a series of major labour reforms announced this year by the government. Jan. 1 will also see all employees get 10 days of personal emergency leave per year — two of them paid — for which they won't be required to show their employers a doctor's note.All employees will get three weeks of paid vacation after they have been with a company for five years, and can get up to 17 weeks off — one week paid — when they or their child has experienced or is threatened with domestic or sexual violence.If an employee needs to care for a family member, unpaid family medical leave is increasing to 28 weeks a year, up from eight weeks in half a year. And parents whose children die can take two years of job-protected, unpaid leave. It was previously only offered to parents when a child's death was related to a crime.The labour changes also increase fines under the Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act.Youth pharmacare will mean that anyone under 25 in Ontario will have free access to more than 4,400 prescription medications with no co-pay or deductible.Other health changes taking effect Jan. 1 include banning smoking on the outdoor grounds of hospitals, psychiatric facilities and certain Ontario government properties, and allowing long-term care homes to designate "reunification priority access beds" to ensure spouses or partners can stay together.The age of protection is also being raised to 18, meaning 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to receive the full range of child protection services.On Jan. 1 rewards points will no longer expire solely based on how much time has passed since they were earned, deposit protections for people who buy newly built homes will be expanded, and municipalities will be able to restrict where payday loan shops can open and how many can operate in a given area.Ontario's cap-and-trade market, the system aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions, will be linked with Quebec and California's joint carbon market as of Jan. 1, though the first joint auction isn't expected until the end of February.As a way to further try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all new commercial office buildings or workplaces with indoor parking will be required to install electric vehicle charging stations.Small businesses will see their corporate income tax rate cut from 4.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent. The government has also placed a new requirement on itself, to remove $1.25 in regulatory costs to businesses for every $1 in new administrative costs that are added. As well, businesses will be able to electronically submit any required document to the government instead of doing it by paper.The City of Toronto will be able to impose a vacant homes property tax and the finance minister will be able to allow other municipalities to do so as well.Allison Jones, The Canadian Press.

Canadian citizenship applications surge after government relaxes language, residency rules-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 28, 2017

There was a spike in applications for Canadian citizenship after the government relaxed the rules around residency requirements and language proficiency this fall.Figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship provided to CBC News show there was an average of 3,653 applications a week in the six months before changed were brought in Oct. 11.The number shot up to 17,500 applications the week after the new requirements kicked in. There were 12,530 applications submitted the week after that, but data for subsequent weeks is not yet available."Reducing the physical presence requirement gives more flexibility to applicants to meet the requirements for citizenship and encourages more immigrants to take the path to citizenship," said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship spokeswoman Nancy Caron. "This helps individuals who have already begun building lives in Canada achieve citizenship faster."In recent years, there has been an average of 200,000 citizenship applications submitted each year.Fluctuations in application rates are expected after rule changes, so the department put resources in place to handle "surge capacity" and keep processing times below the 12-month service standard, Caron said.Andrew Griffith, a former senior immigration official, author and fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said it's too early to tell if the jump in numbers represents a blip or part of a longer-term trend. But he believes an increased rate of citizenship fosters social cohesion and eases community tensions as immigrants have a deeper connection to the country and to Canadian society."We want people to become citizens because we believe that's part of the integration journey," he said. "That helps them feel part of Canada and ultimately should improve all the economic, social and political outcomes of the country."The new rules include:-The required length of physical presence in Canada is reduced to three out of five years, from four out of six years.- A portion of time spent in Canada before permanent resident status will count toward residency requirements, which will give credit to temporary workers and students. - The age range for language and knowledge requirements is reduced to 18 to 54 years old, from the previous requirement of 14 to 64. But Griffith said high fees remain a barrier for some to apply for citizenship, especially those in the family reunification or refugee categories with stretched finances.The processing fee jumped to $630 in 2014-2015, which includes a $100 "right of citizenship" fee. That is still much lower than the fees in the U.K., the U.S. and the Netherlands, but is higher than New Zealand, Germany, Australia and France.Griffith said reducing costs would reflect the fact that promoting citizenship provides not just personal benefit, but a benefit to the greater Canadian society when people can fully participate, including in the political process.Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, who marked the changes taking effect at an event in October, said they will make the path to join the "Canadian family" easier and more flexible."As a country that's committed to the settlement and integration of newcomers successfully so they can restart their lives and make contributions to our society, we have to ensure the path to citizenship for permanent residents," he said at the time.People can be deemed ineligible for Canadian citizenship if they have a criminal record or are facing charges in or outside Canada, or if they have had citizenship refused or revoked in past.

Syrian rebels say discussing evacuation from territory near Israel-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 28, 2017

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels in a pocket of land near where the Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli borders meet are negotiating a deal with the government to leave for other insurgent-held areas, rebel officials there said.The Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, Shi'ite militias supported by Iran and local fighters from the Druze sect have besieged the rebel enclave around Beit Jin for weeks. In recent days it captured various positions, leaving the rebels trapped inside the town itself."There is now negotiation on the departure of fighters and those who wish to leave with them," said Abu Kanaan, an official in a local rebel group."The militias are trying to convince them to evacuate to Idlib... There has been no agreement reached yet," said Ibrahim al-Jebawi, an official with a Free Syrian Army faction familiar with the situation.Syria's army and its allies have increasingly pushed for such evacuation deals for rebel enclaves near big cities or in other strategic locations after long periods of siege and bombardment.The area around Beit Jin is sensitive because of its location next to the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.Israel wants to keep Lebanon's Hezbollah, the most powerful of the Iran-backed militias aiding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against the rebel groups, far away from its border with Syria.It has repeatedly targeted military positions in Syria near the border after stray projectiles crossed into Israeli-controlled areas, and it has struck Hezbollah convoys and weapons caches inside Syria.(Reporting By Suleiman al-Khalidi; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Islamic State kills 41 in attack on Afghan cultural centre-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 28, 2017

KABUL — An Islamic State suicide bomber struck a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 41 people and underscoring the extremist group's growing reach in Afghanistan even as its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria has been dismantled.The attack may have targeted the pro-Iran Afghan Voice news agency housed in the two-story building. The Sunni extremists of IS view Shiite Muslims as apostates and have repeatedly attacked Afghanistan's Shiite minority and targets linked to neighbouring Iran.The attack wounded more than 80 people, many of whom suffered severe burns.Local Shiite leader Abdul Hussain Ramazandada said the bomber slipped into an academic seminar at the centre and blew himself up among the participants. More bombs went off just outside the centre as people fled.The IS-linked Aamaq news agency said four bombs were used in the assault, one strapped to the suicide attacker. It said the centre was funded by Iran and used to propagate Shiite beliefs.Ali Reza Ahmadi, a journalist with Afghan Voice, said he leaped from the window of his second-floor office after the first bomb went off and saw flames pouring from the basement."I jumped from the roof toward the basement, yelling at people to get water to put out the fire," he said.At nearby Istiqlal Hospital, Director Mohammed Sabir Nasib said the emergency room was overwhelmed. Additional doctors and nurses were called in to help. At the height of the crisis, more than 50 medics were working to save the wounded.By late afternoon, Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mujro said 41 people were dead and 84 others wounded.The cultural centre was housed in a simple building surrounded by mud-brick homes in the Shiite-dominated neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, home to some of Kabul's poorest residents.A senior member of the local Shiite clerical council, Mohammad Asif Mesbah, said the centre may have been targeted because it houses Afghan Voice. The news agency's owner, Sayed Eissa Hussaini Mazari, is a strong proponent of Iran, and the agency's output is dominated by Iranian news.On Thursday, the centre was marking the anniversary of the 1979 Soviet invasion with a seminar about the event's impact on the country. Mesbah said the invasion, which led to decades of war and unrest that continue to the present day, was the "beginning of all of Afghanistan's disasters."Iran, a Shiite-majority country bordering Iraq and Afghanistan, has provided heavy military and financial aid to the Syrian government as well as regional Shiite militias battling IS in recent years.The extremist group is now largely confined to a few remote patches of territory in Syria, but it retains the ability to inspire and carry out attacks further afield. Powerful affiliates in Afghanistan and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula continue to launch regular assaults against security forces and civilians.The IS affiliate in Afghanistan, which emerged in 2014 at around the same time the group declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq, has vowed to target Shiites. The militants attacked the Iraqi Embassy and two Shiite mosques in Kabul earlier this year, killing dozens of people. A suicide attack on the largest Shiite mosque in the western Herat province last summer killed at least 90 people.Afghanistan's IS affiliate largely consists of displaced Uzbek militants and disgruntled former members of the much larger and more entrenched Taliban movement. The Taliban and IS share the goal of overthrowing Afghanistan's Western-backed government and imposing a harsh version of Islamic law, but they are fiercely divided over leadership, tactics and ideology, and have clashed on a number of occasions. The Taliban denied any involvement in Thursday's attack.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the attack a "crime against humanity." The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, John R. Bass, said, "We remain confident the Afghan government and people, supported by their friends and partners, will defeat those behind these terrible acts."Pakistan, which Afghan and U.S. officials have long accused of harbouring militants, condemned the "dastardly" attack in Kabul and vowed to stand with Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism. Pakistan has denied that it shelters militants and has in turn accused Afghanistan of failing to crack down on extremist groups.Toby Lanzer, the acting head of the United Nations mission to Afghanistan, said the bombing was "another truly despicable crime in a year already marked by unspeakable atrocities."Afghan forces have struggled to combat both the Taliban and IS since U.S. and international forces officially concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014 and shifted to a support and counterterrorism role more than a decade after the American-led invasion that toppled the Taliban.President Donald Trump has ordered an additional 3,800 U.S. troops to Afghanistan since announcing a new strategy in August aimed at ending America's longest war, bringing the total U.S. forces there to at least 15,000.Amir Shah, The Associated Press.

Russia says Tokyo's deployment of U.S. missiles a blow to relations-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 28, 2017

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A decision by Japan to deploy a U.S. missile defense system will damage Moscow's relations with Tokyo and is a breach by Washington of a landmark arms control treaty, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.Japan formally decided this month it would expand its ballistic missile defense system with U.S.-made ground-based Aegis radar stations and interceptors in response to a growing threat from North Korean rockets."Actions like these are in direct contradiction to the priority of building military and political trust between Russia and Japan, and, unfortunately, will impact in a negative way on the whole atmosphere in bilateral relations, including negotiations over the peace treaty problem," Zakharova told a weekly briefing."In practice it will mean one more breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by the Americans with, in fact, Japan's assistance", she said.Russia and Japan never formally ended their hostilities after World War Two because of a dispute over a chain of islands in the Pacific.Concluding a peace treaty between Russia and Japan would involve Moscow examining how it could be affected by Tokyo's security commitments to its allies, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month.(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Alison Williams)

Thursday, December 28, 2017

ISRAEL TO NAME TEMPLE MOUNT RAIL LINE AFTER DONALD J TRUMP. LOOK HOW GOD IS BLESSING TRUMP AFTER RECOGNITION OF JERUSALEM AS ISRAELS ETERNAL CAPITAL.

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)

LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)

JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE

Ex-mufti rails at plan for Trump train stop at Western Wall-Ikrema Sabri says adding US president's name does not give scheme legitimacy-By AP and TOI staff-DEC 27,17

Ikrema Sabri, a senior Muslim cleric in Jerusalem, on Wednesday denounced an Israeli government plan to dig a railway tunnel under Jerusalem’s Old City, passing near sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims — and ending at the Western Wall with a station named after US President Donald Trump.Palestinians will not accept “any change or act in the occupied territories,” said Sabri, a former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.He said that “giving the name of Trump to this project will not give it any legitimacy. It would be just another implementation of the unacceptable decision of President Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz’s plan, currently in the initial stages, involves constructing two underground stations and excavating over two miles (three kilometers) of tunnel beneath downtown Jerusalem and under the Old City. The project would extend Jerusalem’s soon-to-open high-speed rail line from Tel Aviv to the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray.The route will run close to — but not directly under — the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and buried, and the Temple Mount compound. Previous excavations by Israel near the Temple Mount — the spiritual epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — have sparked violent Palestinian protests.Because of those sensitivities, the proposal was expected to meet with heavy resistance from the Palestinians, neighboring Arab countries and the international community.Transportation Ministry spokesman Avner Ovadia said Wednesday the project is estimated to cost more than $700 million and, if approved, would take four years to complete.Katz’s office said the minister advanced the plan in a recent meeting with Israel Railways executives, and has fast-tracked it in the planning committees.Katz said a high-speed rail station would allow visitors to reach “the beating heart of the Jewish people — the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.” He proposed naming the station after Trump “for his brave and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital” earlier this month.Despite the likely opposition to the project, Ovadia said he expects the plans to be approved in the coming year, barring major complications. The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high-speed line is expected to open next spring.“There’s no reason why this train won’t be built,” he said. “We already know how to deal with no less difficult opposition.”Katz has previously proposed other ambitious infrastructure projects, including an artificial island off the coast of the Gaza Strip that would serve as an air and seaport for the Palestinian territory, and a railway connecting Israel with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.In an address earlier this month from the White House, Trump defied worldwide warnings and insisted that after repeated failures to achieve peace, a new approach was long overdue. He described his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the seat of Israel’s government as merely based on reality.The move was hailed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by leaders across much of the Israeli political spectrum. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.In May, Trump became the first serving US president to visit the Western Wall.The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem rail project, which is already projected to cost an estimated NIS 7 billion ($1.8 billion) and has been in planning since 2001, is expected to cut travel time to 28 minutes, down from 78 minutes on the old line built during the days of the Ottoman Empire.

Erdogan on Trump’s ‘unacceptable’ recognition: Jerusalem is ‘our red line’-Turkish president also slams Syrian leader Assad as 'terrorist' who 'has killed close to a million of his citizens'-By Agencies and TOI staff-DEC 27,17

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said his country would not tolerate the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.“Jerusalem is our red line. Any steps against Jerusalem’s historic status and holiness are unacceptable,” Erdogan said, adding that his country will work toward international recognition of the Palestinian state and seek the support of the European Union.In a move that delighted much of Israel’s leadership but ignited protests across the Muslim world, US President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and planned to move its embassy there from Tel Aviv.Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.Erdogan spoke during a visit to Tunisia at the end of a four-day Africa trip focusing on economic issues.At a joint news conference with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Erdogan called Assad a “terrorist who engaged in state terrorism” and should not be part of Syria’s post-conflict future.“How can we embrace a future with a Syrian leader who has killed close to a million of his citizens?” said the Turkish leader, whose country has seen a flood of refugees from neighboring Syria during the fighting.Turkey, Russia and Iran have taken the lead in Syria peace efforts over the past year. Those efforts remain at an impasse, however, with the opposition insisting that Assad have no role during a political transition and the government refusing to even consider such a demand.Turkey backs the opposition, while Russia and Iran are close allies of Assad and their support has tipped the nearly seven-year war in his favor.The Turkish leader said, “There is no calm in Syria, and with Assad there can never be peace there.”Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was paying a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Wednesday with King Salman.The two countries recently have been at odds over regional issues.Following his accession to power in 2015, King Salman sought to improve relations with Turkey to form a so-called Sunni axis against rival Shiite-led Iran. However, the kingdom’s move in June to lead a four-nation boycott of Qatar and cut off ties with the Gulf state led to new tensions with Turkey, which has sided with Qatar.The Turkish prime minister’s office said Yildirim and King Salman exchanged views on “regional challenges and problems.” They also emphasized the importance of Jerusalem’s status and the need for the Islamic world to act in unity to protect the rights of Palestinian “brothers.”Yildirim was also expected to meet Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey discuss Jerusalem, aiding Palestinian ‘brothers’-Saudi King Salman and Turkey's premier sit down for first high-level meeting since US recognized Israel's capital-By AFP and TOI staff-DEC 27,17

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi King Salman and Turkey’s premier on Wednesday discussed boosting ties and the status of Jerusalem, in a first high-level meeting since the US recognized the city as Israel’s capital.Firm US ally Riyadh and NATO member Ankara have both slammed US President Donald Trump’s December 6 decision to upend decades of careful policy by Washington.In a move that delighted much of Israel’s leadership but ignited protests across the Muslim world, Trump announced on December 6 that the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and planned to move its embassy there from Tel Aviv.Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.But the Saudis only sent a low-level representative to a conference of Muslim nations on the issue hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, amid signs of strains in their relations.The Saudi SPA agency said King Salman received Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Riyadh and discussed “means of boosting bilateral ties and developments in the region,” without providing details.Yildirim’s office in Ankara said the status of Jerusalem and supporting the Palestinians were discussed at the meeting.“The importance of the status of Jerusalem was emphasized and that the whole Islamic world should act with unity to protect the rights of our Palestinian brothers,” the office said, citing Yildirim.He also said that they discussed bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia “one of the most important countries in the Gulf and the Middle East.”Ties between the sides soured following the 2013 ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in Egypt, but warmed after King Salman’s accession to the throne 18 months later.However, analysts say there are signs ties are being tested again as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shaken up the kingdom and amassed power.Turkish officials have avoided public criticism of Saudi Arabia but pro-government press have stepped up attacks on the kingdom, especially over its strong alliance with Trump.Erdogan last week also lashed out at the powerful foreign minister of Saudi’s chief regional ally the UAE after he retweeted a social media post critical of the early 20th century Ottoman governor of Medina.

Iran votes to declare Jerusalem ‘everlasting capital of Palestine’-Resolution passes unanimously in parliament, weeks after US president recognizes city as Israel's capital-By TOI staff-DEC 27,17

Iran’s parliament has voted to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, according to state-run media.The vote, which passed 207-0 in the 290-member Majlis, requires Tehran to recognize Jerusalem as “the everlasting capital of Palestine.”The vote “comes in response to the recent US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in hopes of dealing a blow to Muslims,” the Turkish Anadolu news agency quoted speaker Ali Larijani as saying.In a move that delighted much of Israel’s leadership but ignited protests across the Muslim world, US President Donald Trump announced on December 6 that the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and planned to move its embassy there from Tel Aviv. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.Trump’s declaration has been condemned by the Islamic Republic, which is committed to Israel’s destruction.Earlier this week, Hamas’s leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, said that a senior Iranian military commander pledged all of the Islamic Republic’s military resources to help the Gaza-based terror group fight Israel over Jerusalem.“All our of capabilities and potential are at your disposal in the battle for the defense of Jerusalem,” Sinwar said that Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ elite Quds Force, told him over the phone.The statements by Sinwar regarding Soleimani were broadcast Monday by the pro-Iranian Lebanese news outlet al-Mayadeen, and seemed to be from a speech he gave on Thursday in Gaza to young men and social media activists.According to Sinwar, Soleimani asserted that “Iran, the Revolutionary Guards and Quds Force stand with all they have with our people in order to defend Jerusalem so that Jerusalem will endure as the capital of the state of Palestine.”

Government grants settlements NIS 40 million for security, first-aid-PMO denies allocation had anything to do with Netanyahu's sit-down with national religious rabbis a day earlier in which he asked for support amid corruption allegations-By Jacob Magid-DEC 27,17-TOI

Government ministers approved a NIS 40 million ($11.5 million) grant for Israeli local and regional councils in the West Bank on Wednesday.The vast majority of the grant will go toward “special expenses related to the security situation” in the Israeli settlements, and NIS 5.5 million will be used to bolster medical emergency stations throughout the West Bank.The Yesha settlement umbrella council spokesman Yigal Dilmoni told The Times of Israel that the allocation is an annual grant that Israeli local and regional councils receive each year. He added that the amount is nearly identical to what they received in 2016.The grant was approved in a cabinet vote that took place over the telephone. It came just one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of prominent national religious rabbis — many of them settlers themselves — to request their support as he battles corruption allegations.The Prime Minister’s Office flatly denied any connection between the approved grant and Netanyahu’s meeting the day prior. “This is an annual proposal that passes towards the end of every budget year,” it said in a Wednesday statement.For his part, Dilmoni added that “the issue [of the grant] was never even raised in yesterday’s meeting,” Dilmoni added.During Tuesday’s meeting, Netanyahu took aim at the weekly anti-corruption protests in Tel Aviv calling for his resignation, saying they were part of a broader effort to topple him.The prime minister is currently being investigated in two criminal investigations involving suspicions he accepted gifts and favors from businessmen in exchange for advancing their interests. Police are expected to submit their recommendations in the cases in the coming weeks.While a number of rabbis voiced their support for Netanyahu and dismissed the corruption allegations, others criticized the prime minister for only reaching out when he is “in trouble” and ignoring them when the scenario is reversed.The rabbis raised a number of issues they want to see addressed, among them preventing the integration of women in military combat units and stepped-up construction in West Bank settlements, the Haaretz daily reported.The Peace Now settlement watchdog did not accept the denials by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Yesha Council. “Corruption has a price tag,” the left-wing NGO said in a statement. “Netanyahu is a weak prime minister and blackmailer who is willing to sell the future of Israel in order to survive.”

Stalled by Christmas: Israel’s withdrawal from UNESCO runs into holiday obstacle-Cultural agency's Paris headquarters closed until January 2, but Jerusalem's envoy vows to formally give notice in time 'even if I have to climb over the fence'-By Raphael Ahren-DEC 27,17

Israel’s planned withdrawal from UNESCO by the end of the year has hit a snag with diplomats unable to file the necessary papers on time because the cultural agency’s Paris offices are closed for the year-end holidays. But Israel’s envoy to the organization vowed to overcome these problems and to ensure that Israel will give up its membership.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday instructed Israel’s envoy to the UNESCO, Carmel Shama-Hacohen, to submit a formal letter announcing Israel’s intent to leave the organization, two months after the US formally announced its own withdrawal — partly due to UNESCO’s anti-Israel bias.In order to leave the organization at the same time as the US — at the end of 2018 — Israel would have to formally hand a letter of intent to its director-general, Audrey Azoulay at least one year ahead of time.According to article 2(6) of the UNESCO Constitution, a member state “may withdraw from the Organization by notice addressed to the Director-General. Such notice shall take effect on 31 December of the year following that during which the notice was given.”UNESCO’s headquarters are closed until January 2, which appears to prevent Shama-Hacohen from delivering the letter before the end of the year.But Shama-Hacohen vowed to find a solution to the problem.“Yes, the organization is closed until next year, but the letter will be transmitted in time,” he told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. “Even if I have to climb over the fence, I am still in the age and physical condition allowing me to do so.”Also, the notification is likely to be accepted as long as it is dated and sent before the end of the year, even if UNESCO only receives it  after the holidays.Shama-Hacohen — a former lawmaker from Netanyahu’s Likud party —  is very supportive of the prime minister’s decision to follow Washington’s lead in leaving the organization, which in recent years has made headlines for passing several resolutions ignoring Jewish ties to the holy sites in Jerusalem.“I think that this is appropriate, given this organization’s biased, one-sided and absurd attitude toward us, and against the background of the US’s strong stand at the UN, which we welcome,” Netanyahu said Sunday about his decision to withdraw.Shama-Hacohen said Friday that UNESCO “has broken records of hypocrisy, incitement and lies against Israel and the Jewish people, while polluting its noble core principles with politicization and diplomatic terrorism that sometimes bordered on anti-Semitism.”The envoy said Israel and the Jewish people “should have been the first to contribute to the organization and the last to leave it, but in the theater of the absurd of UNESCO, nations who have nothing to do with science, education and culture have bankrupted this important organization.”Professional diplomats, on the other hand, were less enthusiastic about leaving UNESCO, arguing that while the US could easily obtain observer status at the organization, Israel has no such prospects. In order to get observer status, a state needs the support of a majority of member states, something which is highly unlikely in Israel’s case due to the automatic Arab majority.Azoulay has acknowledged difficulties in the Paris-based organization, which has been rocked by US funding cuts since 2011 over the admission of Palestine as a member and a series of anti-Israel resolutions.But the 45-year-old former French culture minister, who has already urged the US and Israel not to withdraw from UNESCO, told The Associated Press in October that the Trump administration’s announced plan to pull out of the agency was not tenable in the long term.“I obviously regret their departure … but this ’empty chair politics’ is not sustainable because the United States is also affected by everything that UNESCO does,” she said, speaking at the agency’s Paris headquarters.UNESCO is best known for its World Heritage program to protect cultural sites and traditions, but it also works to fight violent extremism, improve education for girls, promote Holocaust understanding, defend media freedoms and encourage science on climate change.Israel has been infuriated by resolutions that ignore and diminish its historical connection to the Holy Land and have named ancient Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites.There have been hopes that Azoulay, the organization’s first Jewish chief who is also of Moroccan descent, would be able to quell the political tempest inside the organization that was created following World War II to promote peace.AP and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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)

Power returns to Nova Scotia after windstorm left thousands in the dark-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 26, 2017

Tens of thousands of Nova Scotians are back on the electrical grid as crews worked Tuesday to repair power lines damaged by a major Christmas Day storm in Atlantic Canada.About 13,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia remained without electricity as of about 8 p.m. local time, the province's power utility said.Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Tiffany Chase said about 139,000 affected customers had their power restored by late Tuesday afternoon.She said more than 700 personnel are working "around the clock" to get the rest of the province back on the grid, including contract crews from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.The utility estimated that 90 per cent of affected customers will see their power come back on by late Tuesday evening, Chase said, and the remaining isolated outages should be resolved by Wednesday afternoon."We know it is the holidays and many people have plans for things like turkey dinners," Chase said."We do appreciate their patience as our crews continue to safely work to restore power to customers as quickly as possible."In total, approximately 158,000 Nova Scotians have been affected by the outages, Chase said, amounting to nearly one-third of the utility's 507,000 customers throughout the province. The province's south shore, Dartmouth and Sydney were among the areas most affected, she said.Chase said as the wind died down, helicopters and vehicles were deployed to survey the damage throughout the province, which included downed trees, snapped power lines and damaged utility poles.The utility has set up four "comfort centres" in Shelburne, Chester, Kentville and Stellarton where Nova Scotians without power can warm up and charge their devices Tuesday and Wednesday.Chase encouraged homeowners to check their meter masts for damage, which they would be responsible for fixing, and must be repaired by an electrician before power can be restored.Paul Mason, executive director of the provincial government's Emergency Management Office, said aside from the power outages, he was not aware of any reports of major infrastructure damage.He warned residents who are using generators, barbecues and other gas-powered appliances to beware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which killed two people and injured several others during a devastating ice storm in New Brunswick last January that caused widespread power outages for days.Staff Sgt. Robert Fox of Halifax Regional Police said the city's major arteries have been cleared after downed electrical lines, shattered glass and other debris that temporarily disrupted traffic.Fox said he had heard reports of trees crushing cars, a toppled port-a-potty and splintered trunks, but it appeared that property damage in the city has been relatively minor.Scott Ferro, an amateur woodcraftsman who lives near Peggy's Cove, said he and his wife have spent eight hours helping their neighbours move misplaced boulders, clear brush and chop up trees that were knocked over or partially uprooted by the forceful winds.Lawn ornaments, patio furniture and Christmas decorations were strewn across backyards, Ferro said, and some houses have lost shingles and some siding."It just looks more like chaos than any other real damage," he said. "I'm leaving (all the firewood) behind for someone else who needs it. I don't mind doing the hard part."Holly Slauenwhite in Blockhouse on Nova Scotia's south shore said she and her two-year-old son are staying with a friend after sleeping off a candlelit Christmas dinner on Monday under layers of blankets in a home without heat or running water."It doesn't feel like Christmas now, I can tell you that much, because you can't light your Christmas tree," Slauenwhite said. "It was kind of nice having a Christmas dinner without technology in the way, but I'm ready for power."A low-pressure system barrelled across the eastern seaboard and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence over Christmas and was hovering over Newfoundland on Tuesday, Environment Canada said.The weather agency recorded gusts in excess of 100 km/h throughout much of Nova Scotia, reaching hurricane-force speeds at their peak in some areas, preliminary reports indicate.Nova Scotia was also doused in a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain on Christmas Day, and Tuesday's forecast calls for a few centimetres of snow with winds gusting up to 50 km/h as the storm moves away.Environment Canada has issued warnings of severe winds, blowing snow and blizzard conditions in Newfoundland and Labrador, which the agency said could persist until Wednesday in some parts of the province.NL Hydro reported outages early Tuesday affecting Port Saunders, Eddies Cove and Port Au Choix, but said all power was restored by the mid-afternoon.Several flights have been delayed or cancelled in Halifax and St. John's, N.L., and Marine Atlantic has cancelled ferry crossings until Wednesday.Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press.

Toronto is going to be 'bone-chilling' cold into 2018-Sarah Rohoman-Yahoo Canada News-December 26, 2017

The polar vortex system that slammed Toronto with snow has one final parting gift for 2017: frigid temperatures that may break records, says Dan Kottlowski, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.The Toronto temperatures aren’t cold enough to deter Boxing Day shoppers, even though its currently warmer in Iqaluit, but the next few days may have people rethinking their plans.The polar vortex, which creates a pattern of “very, very cold air,” is leaving the Toronto area and heading into Newfoundland. Although it’s on its way to Eastern Canada, it’s leaving behind its “dirty work,”  said Kottlowski.“The normal low for today should be around zero or just under and today’s low is much below that,” he said. “It’s like someone opened the freezer door and it’s stuck and won’t close until 2018.”Tomorrow’s forecast may break the 1960 low of -18 C with an expected temperature of -22 C in the evening.As for the rest of the week, Kottlowski expects it to be “bone-chilling cold,” with low temperatures expected to be in the negative teens and negative twenties range.In terms of temperature highs for the next few days, tomorrow is expected to be -12 C, Thursday will be -13 C, Friday -9C, Saturday also -9 C and Sunday will be -12.

Russia to supply Turkey with four S-400 missile batteries for $2.5 billion: Kommersant-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 27, 2017

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will supply Turkey with four batteries of S-400 surface-to-air missiles for $2.5 billion under a deal that is almost complete, Sergei Chemezov, head of Russian state conglomerate Rostec, told the Kommersant daily on Wednesday.The deal has caused concern in the West because Turkey is a member of NATO but the Russian missile system cannot be integrated into NATO's military architecture.In addition, relations between Moscow and the Western military alliance are strained, in part because of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.Turkish Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said Ankara would purchase two S-400 systems and four batteries and that all agreements were made, the state broadcaster TRT Haber reported.Turkey will pay 45 percent of the cost up front with Russia providing loans to cover the remaining 55 percent, Chemezov said. Moscow expected to begin the first deliveries in March 2020, he said.Chemezov told Kommersant that Turkey was the first NATO member state to acquire the advanced S-400 missile system.He said the Russian and Turkish finance ministries had already completed talks on financing the deal and that the final documents just needed to be approved.(Reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

Israel wants to build 'Trump station' near Western Wall-[Reuters]-By Jeffrey Heller-YAHOONEWS-December 27, 2017

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel wants to name a train station after Donald Trump to thank him for recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, but the site of the planned building could be as divisive as the U.S. president's declaration.Transport Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday he had chosen a proposed subway stop near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City - right in the middle of the area that the Palestinians want as their own future capital."I have decided to name the Western Wall station ... after U.S. President Donald Trump for his courageous and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel," Katz said in a statement.The envisaged underground extension of a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is still on the drawing board and a transport ministry spokeswoman said other departments still needed to approve it.The announcement was quickly condemned by Palestinian leaders already angered by Trump's Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy on the city."The Israeli extremist government is trying to race against time to impose facts on the ground in the city of Jerusalem," Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, told Reuters.Trump has said he was simply acknowledged the reality on the ground by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital - but the Palestinians and most world powers have said he undermined the long-held position that Jerusalem's status must be settled by future negotiations.A ministry spokeswoman said the proposed station and underground extension still required the approval of various governmental planning committees, and gave no date for when a final go-ahead might be given. She said she did not know where funds for the estimated $700-million rail add-on would come from.Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem - among whose shrines is Islam's third-holiest mosque, Al-Aqsa - as the capital of a state they seek in the occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.(Additional reporting by Steven Scheer in Jerusalem and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Russia to limit U.S. military observation flights: RIA-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 27, 2017

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow will limit the scope of U.S. military observation flights over Russia from Jan. 1 next year in retaliation for U.S. curbs on similar Russian flights over the United States, the RIA news agency reported on Wednesday.The United States has accused Russia of flouting the Open Skies Treaty, an agreement designed to build confidence between the countries' militaries which entered into force in 2002, and said it plans to take measures against Moscow.The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported in September that this would include restricting Russian military flights over American territory in response to what it said was Moscow preventing U.S. observation flights over its heavily militarized Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.The United States is reported to have been keen to restrict Russian flights over Alaska and Hawaii as well as limiting the distance of Russian observation flights.RIA on Wednesday cited Georgy Borisenko, a senior foreign ministry official, as saying Moscow would take reciprocal steps to respond to the new U.S. measures from Jan. 1 and limit the territory which U.S. observations flights can fly over.(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Richard Balmforth)