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)
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
Israel struggles to handle latest threat from Gaza: Fire-starting kites-Blaze breaks out near Kibbutz Be'eri after a container of burning liquid is flown over the border on a kite, in fourth such attack in as many days-By Judah Ari Gross-APR 17,18-TOI
The Israel Defense Forces has learned how to protect the country from rockets, attack tunnels and stealthy Iranian drones, but since Friday the military has been stymied by a children’s toy: kites.For the past five days, Palestinians in Gaza have made attempts to fly kites carrying burning cans of fuel into Israeli territory. The first attempt on Friday failed and the kite landed inside Gaza, but the rest have sparked fires in southern Israel.On Tuesday, one such kite started a fire in a grassy grove outside Kibbutz Be’eri, an Israeli community located some seven kilometers (4.3 miles) east of Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp.As of Tuesday afternoon, four teams of firefighters were working to bring the blaze under control, a spokesman for the local fire department said. The Kan news broadcaster reported that the fire had spread over almost 100 dunams (25 acres). This could not be immediately confirmed.Gazans filmed the kite crossing the border and starting the blaze, in a video shared on social media.The kites seem to be the latest phase in the ongoing tension on the Gaza border, as Palestinians have rioted and protested along the security fence almost daily since March 30.Fridays have been by far the most active days, with over 40,000 people taking part in the first protest, nearly 30,000 taking part in the second and approximately 10,000 participating in the third and most recent, according to the IDF’s figures.These violent demonstrations have often included the burning of tires and Israeli flags, as well as Molotov cocktail attacks and rock-throwing.As this month also marks the beginning of Israel’s dry season, an IDF spokesperson on Friday said the military was prepared for the possibility that fires might break out and had therefore coordinated with local fire departments and put firefighting planes on standby.However, when asked specifically about the low-tech threat posed by kites carrying incendiary devices, the army offered scant details about its ability to combat the threat.“The IDF is prepared and ready for various scenarios during the riots organized along the Gaza fence,” the army said in a statement.On Monday, the local Eshkol regional council issued a stark warning to residents, telling them to be on alert for these airborne arson attacks.“In the last 24 hours, there have been several cases of kites flying with Molotov cocktails from the Strip to our territory,” the council said in a statement. “The public is asked to be alert and to report on any unusual incident of fires in the area.”Last month, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) organized a “Kites of Hope” festival for over 1,000 Gazan schoolchildren from Khan Younis.David Sedley contributed to this report.
Macron: Syria strikes were ‘for honor of international community’-In address to European Parliament, French leader warns divisions between democracy and authoritarianism in EU like a 'civil war'-By Jérôme RIVET, Cedric Simon and Danny Kemp-APR 17,18
STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday launched into a spirited defense of his decision to launch airstrikes alongside Britain and the United States against alleged regime chemical weapons sites in Syria.“Three countries have intervened, and let me be quite frank, quite honest — this is for the honor of the international community,” he said in a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.“These strikes don’t necessarily resolve anything but I think they were important,” said Macron, who earlier this week said he had persuaded Donald Trump to keep US troops in Syria.The French president also warned that divisions between democracy and authoritarianism in Europe were becoming like a “civil war.”Setting out his vision of a reformed EU, Macron called on the bloc to resist the siren song of populism.The young French leader’s call to arms comes after euroskeptic populists won elections in Hungary and Italy, and as Brussels confronts Poland’s right-wing government over the rule of law.“There seems to be a sort of European civil war, where our differences and sometimes our national egotisms can seem more important than presenting a united face to the world,” the 40-year-old president said.“There is a fascination with the illiberal and it’s growing all the time.”Macron’s election victory last year against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, and his ardent pro-Europeanism, have made him the poster boy for those aiming for a revived post-Brexit EU to battle the challenges of populism.Macron said he was concerned by the growing sense of “doubt” in several European countries in the wake of the shock 2016 Brexit vote, which he said was creating divisions in the EU.“I don’t want to belong to a generation of sleepwalkers, I don’t want to belong to a generation that’s forgotten its own past,” he told MEPs in the eastern French city.“I want to belong to a generation that will defend European sovereignty because we fought to obtain it. And I will not give in to any kind of fixation on authoritarianism,” he added.-‘France is back’-His speech comes just days after Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a crushing re-election victory. Orban regularly clashes with Brussels but is a “hero” for US President Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon.Macron’s words were welcomed by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who told parliament afterwards: “The true France is back.”In terms of his European reforms, Macron has struggled to win support across Europe for all his proposals.His speech to MEPs is part of a charm offensive ahead of European Parliament elections in May 2019, the first after Britain’s scheduled departure from the EU.Later this week Macron will travel to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to try to boost flagging support for his plans for the future of the eurozone.Macron said that France was ready to increase its contribution to the EU’s first post-Brexit multi-year budget, which begins in 2020.-EU reforms-But Merkel’s conservative CDU party pushed back on Monday against plans for deeper eurozone integration, including a separate eurozone budget and the expansion of the EU’s bailout fund.Any reforms have to be “in the European and in the German interest,” CDU secretary-general Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters.Macron separately proposed on Tuesday to create a European fund for communities that take in refugees in a bid to tackle one of the most politically toxic issues facing the EU.“I propose creating a European programme that directly financially supports local communities that welcome and integrate refugees,” Macron said.EU leaders are set to adopt preliminary Macron-backed plans for eurozone reforms and for an overhaul of its troubled asylum system in June, but there is still a lot of work to do.Fighting to push through reforms at home in the face of mass rail strikes, Macron also faced difficulties in the European Parliament, where his domestic En Marche party is not affiliated to any political group.Merkel is due to address the European Parliament in November, officials said on Monday.She made a joint speech with then-French president Francois Hollande in Strasbourg in 2015 in which they urged unity in the face of the migrant crisis.
Bracing for Iran missile or drone strikes, IDF reveals Iranian targets in Syria-As tension mounts after alleged bombing of Iranian air base in Syria, Israel issues map showing five Tehran-controlled bases in Syria-By Judah Ari Gross-APR 17,18-TOI
Ahead of Israel’s Independence Day, the military was preparing for the possibility of a direct attack by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ air force in response to a strike on Iran’s air base in Syria earlier this month, The Times of Israel has learned.In an apparent effort at deterrence, Israeli media was provided by the IDF with a map on Tuesday showing five Iranian-controlled bases in Syria, which would apparently constitute potential targets for an Israeli response should Iran carry out any kind of attack.Iranian officials have made increasingly bellicose remarks following the April 9 strike on the T-4 air base, near Palmyra in central Syria, which killed at least seven members of the IRGC, including the head of its drone program, Col. Mehdi Dehghan.Iran, Syria, Russia and some US officials have all said explicitly that Israel was responsible for the strike. Israeli officials refuse to comment on the matter, though The New York Times quoted an Israeli military official as acknowledging that the Jewish state was behind the attack.On Monday, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s retaliation against Israel will come “sooner or later” and that Jerusalem will “regret its misdeeds.”“The Zionist regime should not be able to take action and be exempt from punishment,” spokesman Bahram Qasemi told reporters, according to Iranian news media.Tensions rose again on Tuesday, as additional strikes were initially reported on two air bases in Syria, with the Syrian military claiming to have shot down incoming missiles. Later, the Syrian army clarified that no missiles had actually been fired, but claimed that its countermeasures were triggered by a joint Israeli-American cyberattack.Israel’s defense establishment — the country’s various intelligence services and the military — believes an Iranian revenge attack would likely be carried out by the IRGC’s air force, with surface-to-surface missiles or armed drones, The Times of Israel has learned.That would be a departure from previous clashes between Israel and Iran, in which Tehran’s reprisals were carried out through proxies, like the Hezbollah terrorist group, rather than by its own Revolutionary Guard Corps.There was no indication of when such an attack might take place, though Independence Day festivities scheduled for Thursday may serve as a tempting target for Iran.“The Israel Defense Forces will do everything to ensure that Independence Day passes quietly and that the citizens of Israel can enjoy the holiday. The IDF is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios so that the citizens of Israel can celebrate the 70th Independence Day properly,” defense officials told the Ynet news site.In what could be seen as a not-so-subtle threat, a map was distributed to Israeli media outlets on Tuesday showing five Iranian-controlled bases in Syria — potential targets for the Israel Defense Forces if Iran does carry out reprisals.These are Damascus International Airport, through which Iranian transport planes bring in weapons and military gear; the Sayqal air base; the T-4 air base; an airfield near Aleppo; and a base in Deir Ezzor, which was recaptured from the Islamic State terror group by the regime last year.Israeli intelligence believes the sites are used by Iran for its missions in Syria, as well as to transport weapons to its proxies in the region.Their exact locations on the map are not entirely accurate. (The Sayqal air base, for instance, is located east of Damascus, not south of it as it appears on the map.)-Israel believes Iran’s retaliatory effort is being led by Major General Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC’s Quds Force, which operates around the world, with assistance from the head of the IRGC air corps, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh; the head of its surface-to-surface missile program; Col. Mahmoud Bakri Katrem Abadi; and the head of its air defense operations, Ali Akhbar Tzeidoun.Soleimani has repeatedly threatened Israel, and he threatened to “wipe out the Zionist entity” in February over the assassination of a Hezbollah leader, which has been attributed to the Mossad and America’s CIA.Iran has access to a variety of surface-to-surface missiles, from short-range Fajr-5 rockets to medium-range Fateh 110 missiles, which have a range of approximately 300 kilometers (190 miles) to long-range Shehab ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets over 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) away.To counter those threats, Israel has a multi-tiered missile defense system consisting of the Iron Dome for short-range rockets and mortar shells, the David’s Sling for medium-range missiles and the Arrow for long-range ballistic missiles.Iran has been supporting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad since the start of his country’s civil war, first providing him with things like riot control gear at the start of the clashes and then expanding that assistance to include routine war materiel drops.Western officials have accused Iran of using seemingly civilian airlines as fronts for the IRGC to conduct military transport missions to Syria from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport.Pouya Airlines, for instance, was subjected to US sanctions in 2014 for “transporting illicit cargo, including weapons, to Iran’s clients in the Levant,” according to the US Treasury Department.Over time, the IRGC began setting up its own facilities on Syrian military bases and air fields.Earlier this year, the Syrian news site Zaman Al Wasl quoted an Assad regime military official as saying that Iran had operatives placed on military bases throughout the country.The Syrian outlet identified other Iranian sites in the country in addition to the five bases on the map sent out to Israeli media, including an air base near Homs under Iranian and Hezbollah control that is used to train Shiite forces.The T-4 air base, also known as the Tiyas air base, has specifically been tied to the IRGC’s drone program.Israel targeted the base on February 10, after a drone loaded with explosives was flown into Israeli airspace in order to carry out an attack, according to the Israeli military.An Israeli attack helicopter shot down the drone moments after it entered Israeli airspace and Israeli fighter jets later targeted the mobile control center on the T-4 air base from which it was piloted.The drone appeared to be a relatively new stealth model known as a Saeqeh, whose design was stolen from an American unmanned aerial vehicle that was captured by Iran in 2011, according to aviation analysts.During the Syrian counterattack against the Israeli jets, one F-16 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a field in northern Israel after the pilot and navigator ejected from it.In response to that downing of the fighter jet, Israel launched a large-scale attack on Syria’s air defenses, destroying between one-third and one-half of its capabilities, according to the IDF.Israel sees Iran, which has vowed to destroy the Jewish state, as its central enemy in the region. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that Israel will not allow Iran to entrench itself in Syria, marking it as a “red line” that it will fight militarily if necessary.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36 And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.(DAMASCUS FRYED TO A PULP)
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS-CHEMICAL WEAPONS
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) 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)
Chemical weapons experts enter site of attack in Syrian town-[Reuters]-By Angus McDowall-YAHOONEWS-April 17, 2018
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Global chemical weapons inspectors finally reached the Syrian town on Tuesday where a suspected poison gas attack took place, days after the United States, Britain and France launched missile strikes to punish Damascus for it.Syrian state television reported that the experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had entered Douma, where Western countries say scores of civilians sheltering from bombs were gassed to death on April 7.France said it was very likely that evidence of the poison gas attack was disappearing before the inspectors could reach the site. Syria and its ally Russia deny that any chemical attack took place.Douma is now in the hands of government forces after the last rebels withdrew just hours after U.S., French and British forces fired more than 100 missiles to hit three suspected chemical weapons development or storage sites.Saturday's air strikes were the first coordinated Western strikes against Assad's government in a seven-year war that has killed more than 500,000 people and drawn in global powers and neighbouring states.The intervention threatened to escalate confrontation between the West and Russia but has had no significant impact on the ground, where President Bashar al-Assad is now in his strongest position since the war's early days and shows no sign of slowing down his campaign to crush the rebellion.YARMOUK-The Syrian army began preparatory shelling on Tuesday for an assault on the last area outside its control near Damascus, a commander in the pro-government alliance said.Recovering the Yarmouk camp and neighbouring areas south of the city would give Assad complete control over Syria's capital. Yarmouk, Syria's biggest camp for Palestinian refugees, has been under the control of Islamic State fighters for years. Although most residents have fled, the United Nations says several thousand remain.Assad has benefited from Russian air power since 2015 to regain large swathes of Syria. The suspected poison gas attack creates a conundrum for Western powers, who are determined to punish Assad for using chemical weapons but have no strategy for the sort of sustained intervention that might damage him.Damascus and Moscow have broadcast statements from hospital workers in Douma - which medical aid groups operating in rebel areas have dismissed as propaganda - saying that no chemical attack took place.Syrian state media reported that missiles had again targeted an airbase overnight, but the commander in the regional military alliance backing the government, speaking on condition of anonymity, later told Reuters it was a false alarm.The commander said the new offensive would target Islamic State and Nusra Front militants in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad district. Rebels in the adjoining Beit Sahm area had agreed to withdraw on buses, he said.EASTERN GHOUTA-A government media tour on Monday of Douma, the biggest town in the former rebel enclave of eastern Ghouta just outside Damascus, revealed severe destruction and the plight of residents who had survived years of siege.The assault on eastern Ghouta began in February and ended in government victory on Saturday when rebels withdrew from the town. All the rebel groups controlling areas of eastern Ghouta eventually agreed surrender deals that involved withdrawal to opposition-held areas of northwestern Syria.After the recapture of eastern Ghouta, Assad still has several smaller pockets of ground to recover from rebels, as well as two major areas they hold in the northwest and southwest.Besides the pocket south of Damascus, rebels still hold besieged enclaves in the town of Dumayr northeast of Damascus, in the Eastern Qalamoun mountains nearby, and around Rastan north of Homs.The pro-government commander said the army had prepared for military action in the Eastern Qalamoun, but that Russia was working on securing the rebels' withdrawal without a battle. State television said on Tuesday that rebels in Dumayr had also agreed to withdraw.In Idlib in northwest Syria, the largest area still held by rebels, a government assault could bring Damascus into confrontation with Turkey, which has set up a string of military observation posts in the area.Ali Akbar Velayati, a top Iranian official, said during a visit to Damascus last week that he hoped the army would soon regain Idlib and areas of eastern Syria now held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by Washington.(Reporting by Laila Bassam, additional reporting by Dahlia Nehme; Editing by Kevin Liffey; Writing by Angus McDowall and Peter Graff; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Syrian officer: Israel-US cyberattack triggered missile defenses-Pro-regime commander says Russian experts have been brought in to help, after incident over city of Homs overnight that was initially thought to be a missile strike-By Agencies and TOI staff-APR 17,18
A false alarm caused by a “joint electronic operation” carried out by Israel and the US led to the firing of air defenses missile over Syria overnight Monday, a commander of militia forces supporting the regime said.Speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters on Tuesday, the commander said that the Syrian radar system had been targeted in the alleged cyberattack and that Russian experts were brought in to resolve the issue.Syrian state news originally reported overnight that missiles targeting government air bases had been shot down over the western city of Homs, but later said the air defense systems had been triggered by a false alarm.Large explosions were heard near Al Shayrat Air base in Homs province, and in eastern Qalamoun near Damascus, where two other air bases are located, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights reported.Following initial reports that a strike had been carried out by Israel, an IDF spokesman said he was “not aware of such an incident.”In Washington, Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb said that “there are no US or coalition operations in that area.”Shayrat air base was targeted by US Tomahawk missiles in April last year in a strike ordered by President Donald Trump in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib.According to the Pentagon, US intelligence had established that the base was the launchpad for the alleged chemical attack.On Saturday, a volley of American, British, and French missiles slammed Syrian military positions in Homs province and around Damascus.And on April 9, Syria accused Israel of striking the T-4 air base in Homs.Both the US and Israel appeared to deny involvement in Monday night’s incident.An Israeli military spokesman said he was “not aware” of the incident and US defense spokeswoman Heather Babb said there were no American operations in the area.AFP contributed to this report.
Russia mulls supplying S-300 missile defense system to Syria-Israeli officials have previously expressed concern the system could weaken IAF air supremacy in the region-By TOI staff-APR 17,18
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Moscow would consider supplying its S-300 missile defense system to Syria.He told the BBC in an interview that the recent US-led airstrikes on Syrian military targets had led to Moscow to mull a reversal in its policy.“A few years ago at the request of our partners, we decided not to supply S-300s to Syria,” he said. “Now that this outrageous act of aggression was undertaken by the US, France and UK, we might think how to make sure that the Syrian state is protected.”Asked by the interviewer to clarify his position and confirm that Moscow would indeed consider supplying the S-300 to Syria despite the fact that Israel would be “gravely concerned” by such a move, Lavrov responded: “Whatever is required to help the Syrian army to deter aggression, we would be ready to consider.”The Russian-made system is one of the most advanced of its kind in the world, offering long-range protection against both airplanes and missiles. The system has been supplied by Moscow to Tehran, and deployed by the Russian army in Syria, and Israeli officials have expressed concerns that selling it to Damascus could weaken Israel’s regional air supremacy.Last Monday, Israel allegedly struck the T-4 air base in central Syria where Iran has reportedly been building a fully functional air base of its own and where it has centered its attack drone operations. The base was reportedly protected by surface-to-air missile defense systems.While refusing to comment on whether it carried out the strike, Israel on Friday revealed for the first time that an Iranian drone dispatched from T-4 in February was an attack drone that carried explosives and was headed to an unspecified location in Israel when it was shot down 30 seconds after entering Israeli airspace.Israel lost an F-16 in retaliatory raids hours after the drone was downed on February 10, the first loss of a fighter jet in action in 35 years. The Israeli plane was hit by Syria air-defense fire, and crashed in Israel; the two pilots ejected to safety.Lavrov’s interview came in the wake of airstrikes Saturday on Syrian military targets led by the US in a joint operation with Britain and France, in response to the Assad regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons earlier this month.The targets were a scientific research facility near Damascus, a chemical weapons storage facility west of the city of Homs, and a third location near Homs that contained both a command post and a chemical weapons equipment storage facility, the US military said.Meanwhile, Syrian state-run media reported that the country’s air defenses confronted a new “aggression,” shooting down missiles over the central region of Homs early on Tuesday. Following reports that the strike was carried out by Israel, an IDF spokesman said he was “not aware of such an incident.”
Kingsville mayor calls for funding as shoreline homes bashed by storms-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 17, 2018
Between 200 and 500 homes along the shoreline in Kingsville were affected by the heavy rain and flooding over the weekend, and the town's mayor is calling the event "surprising."Gerry Merritt has lived on Heritage Road for the last 18 years and said he's never seen the situation so bad along the shoreline."This whole yard was a big lake, water all over the place but it's drained away now. It was quite something to see." said Merritt.Waves off of the lake were so strong they were whipping water against Merritt's home and rocks on the ground were thrown up onto his property."We put out more rocks a few years ago for more protection but other than putting out more rocks I'm not sure what we could do," he said.The wild weather has prompted Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos to call on the province to bring back some of the help it once offered to those living on the shoreline.Dried up funding-Santos said a shoreline protection initiative was once offered by the province to help those living along the lake, that matched local funding to help protect the shoreline.But he said the funding for that program dried up about 15 to 20 years ago."We'd like to see a shared program restored," said Santos. "Especially on properties where we're losing land, so for example the cliffs out toward Wheatley — year after year, the beating of the waves hitting the shore basically undermining the land and you start ... seeing land disappear."The funding would help municipalities and conservation authorities protect infrastructure long term, said Santos, like the section of Highway 3 that runs close to the shore.For Merritt, the weekend storms are just part of life where he's chosen to live."There's a lot of pluses of living on the water, and seeing Mother Nature at it's finest is part of living out on the lake."
Siksika Nation calls state of local emergency due to flooding east of Calgary-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 17, 2018
The Siksika Nation east of Calgary has called a state of local emergency due to flooding that has washed out roads and is threatening homes and other buildings.A release says the flooding is due to rapid snowmelt. "Siksika Nation Chief and Council has identified that there is a risk to people, property and infrastructure and has mandated specific departments and services to plan and execute an emergency response plan to protect residential homes and commercial [and] industrial structures," reads the release."Several roads are washed out and remain impassable."Chief Joseph Weasel Child and Stewart Breaker, the lead for the Siksika Emergency Management Team, are scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday morning at the Siksika Business Centre."Overland flooding is impacting our communities and roads in various locations throughout the reserve," reads the release."Siksika Nation is working to mitigate rising waters that are causing homes and public property to flood and wash out of local roads that have hindered access for emergency vehicles and school buses."Officials in Lethbridge County in southern Alberta have also called a state of emergency.More than a dozen roads are closed and a couple homes may be threatened by high water, Lethbridge County Reeve Lorne Hickey said shortly before noon Monday.
IMF: A major trade rift could imperil solid global economy-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 17, 2018
WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday that rising trade tensions between the United States and China risk undermining a global economy that the IMF believes should otherwise grow solidly this year.The IMF predicted Tuesday that the U.S. economy will grow 2.9 per cent this year, up from the 2.7 per cent it had forecast in January and from the 2.3 per cent growth the economy achieved last year. The U.S. economy will benefit through 2020 from tax cuts that President Donald Trump signed into law in December, the IMF predicts.The lending agency has kept its forecast for worldwide growth this year at 3.9 per cent , which would be its fastest pace since 2011. But the IMF's chief economist, Maurice Obstfeld, told reporters that this bright outlook could be derailed by a major trade conflict.Speaking at a news conference, Obstfeld said that the IMF had run economic simulations about the impact of a far-reaching trade war that would include across-the-board tariffs of 10 per cent . The computer simulations, he said, showed a "fairly substantial" impact from tariffs of that magnitude.Global financial markets could also endure damage from rising threats of tariffs, Obstfeld said. Investors have already endured stomach-churning swings this year as markets have wildly in response to the perceived likelihood of a trade conflict, especially resulting from actions and statements by the Trump administration.Obstfeld said that while the IMF didn't take account of rising trade tensions in its baseline economic forecasts, the consequences could be serious enough to trigger an economic downturn."If you keep poking at the economic expansion, it could turn around and bite you," Obstfeld said.There aren't "going to be any winners coming out of a trade war."The IMF issued the update to its World Economic Outlook on the eve of spring meetings in Washington this week of the 189-nation IMF, the World Bank and the Group of 20 major economies.In its base forecast, the IMF predicted that trade would grow 5.1 per cent this year, which would be the fastest pace since 2011.President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to protect U.S. industries from what he argues is unfair foreign competition, has slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. He has also proposed imposing tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports to punish Beijing for its aggressive attempts to obtain foreign technology.China has countered by proposing tariffs on $50 billion in U.S. products, including soybeans — a highly valuable export for America's farm belt — and small aircraft. Trump has, in turn, ordered the U.S. trade representative to consider targeting up to an additional $100 billion in Chinese imports.The prospect of a trade war between the world's two biggest economies has rattled financial markets for weeks. For now, though, the global outlook remains sunny, thanks to low borrowing rates and increasing trade and investment.The IMF upgraded its forecast for the 19-country eurozone to 2.4 per cent — which would be its best showing since 2007 — and up from the 2.2 per cent it predicted three months ago. The eurozone, which emerged only slowly from its 2011-2012 debt crisis, is expected to benefit from continued low rates.China is projected to grow 6.6 per cent this year, decelerating from 6.9 per cent growth in 2017. The world's second-biggest economy is attempting a transition from super-fast growth based on often-wasteful investment to slower but steadier growth built increasingly on consumer spending.India is expected to outpace China, registering 7.4 per cent growth this year. Japanese economic growth is forecast to decelerate to 1.2 per cent from 1.7 per cent in 2017. Japan's economy has long been hobbled by an aging workforce and dwindling population.A recovery in the prices of commodities such as oil, which imploded in 2014-2015, likely will help developing economies this year. Sub-Saharan Africa's economy is expected to grow 3.4 per cent this year, up from 2.8 per cent in 2017. Latin America is forecast to expand 2 per cent this year, up from 1.3 per cent in 2017.Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press.
