Saturday, December 17, 2016
FREEZING COLD WEATHER HITS CANADA AND USA.
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)
Enormous Wave in the North Atlantic Breaks Record-[International Business Times]-Denisse Moreno-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
A massive 62.3 foot wave in the North Atlantic measured by a buoy just broke a world record as the largest ever recorded, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced Tuesday.The wave was recorded by the buoy on Feb. 4, 2013 between Iceland and the UK. Scientists say the enormous wave was linked to a very strong cold front which produced winds of up to 50 miles per hour.This wave shattered the previous record of 59.96 feet measured on Dec. 8, 2007, which also took place in the North Atlantic. The highest waves usually occur there, rather than the Southern Ocean, because wind circulation patterns and atmospheric pressure in the North Atlantic in winter causes intense extra-tropical storms.The WMO Commission for Climatology’s Extremes Evaluation Committee, which is made up of researchers from the U.S., UK, Canada and Spain, classified it as “the highest significant wave height as measured by a buoy.”“This is the first time we have ever measured a wave of 19 meters. It is a remarkable record,” said WMO Assistant Secretary-General Wenjian Zhang. “It highlights the importance of meteorological and ocean observations and forecasts to ensure the safety of the global maritime industry and to protect the lives of crew and passengers on busy shipping lanes.”The wave's record will be added to the official WMO archive of weather and climate extremes, the organization said. A wave’s height is defined as the distance from the crest of one wave to the trough of the next, the WMO said.
Extended cold snap putting a strain on services throughout Metro Vancouver-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
The sustained period of cold weather in Metro Vancouver is causing a strain even for those used to being outside.And with the below-freezing overnight temperatures expected to last until Saturday or even Sunday evening, the chill will continue to make life difficult for many.-Higher risk of fires-Vancouver firefighters, already stretched because of the overdose crisis in the Downtown Eastside, have been tending to more fire calls than usual this month.In an average month, Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services (VFRS) receives 1,198 calls — but they've already faced more than 1,650 so far in December."It could be because this is one of the more prolonged cold stretches we've had in a few years ... it might mean people are using more space heaters," said Jonathan Gormick, public information officer with VFRS.He's warning the public not to overload their electrical systems by plugging in too many device on the same circuit, and to make sure any space heaters being used are CSA or ULC-approved.Homeless at risk The largest fire in the Metro Vancouver region on Tuesday was at a homeless camp in Chilliwack, near Yale Road and Alexander Avenue.Officials say it started in or around a tent, and there was significant damage. However, nobody was injured, and shelter arrangements have been offered to those affected.Close to 200 extra shelter spaces have been opened up in Vancouver alone, but Judy Graves, the retired City of Vancouver advocate for the homeless, says there will always be some people who choose to stay on the streets even on bitterly cold nights."People who remain on the streets, even when we have the extra shelters open, often have social anxiety disorders. They're not able to handle the noise and the number of people in a shelter," she said."This is the time, you know, where people are in your neighbourhood, to go out and make sure they have hot coffee, soup, that they can get a bit of respite. If you have extra blankets, even to go out and put an extra blanket over someone when they're sleeping, is a real gift right now."-Outdoor workers hoping for a reprieve-For those who work outside though, they have no choice but to bundle up and bear it.Michael Bullock is a carpenter. He doesn't skimp when it comes to clothing during a cold snap. "I got a neck warmer, long sleeve, two T-shirts, a vest and a hoodie on top."He says last week he was wearing two extra jackets, and that layers are key when coping with the cold.Though it's been sunny, the cold temperatures make it tough for Bullock and others who work outside to do their jobs.Greg Armstrong leads bicycle tours around Vancouver. He says having a full stomach is essential for him."Eat well. Don`t go hungry," he said. "You get even colder when you're hungry."He also recommends wearing a thin base layer for anyone cycling through the cold snap.For others, it's all about perspective. Razvan Cojocariu is a doorman at the Shangri La hotel.He says, "it's not so bad because we're exempt from rest of Canada. We only got to deal with this for a week or so, not like the rest of them who have to deal for about six months."-Park Board struggling to clean sidewalks-Vancouver property owners and businesses are responsible to clear snow and ice from their properties by 10 a.m. PT the morning following a snowfall, but some public spaces around town are still covered with ice. On Wednesday, crews were working on the cemetery around East 41st Avenue and Fraser, but the sidewalks surrounding the site were still very slippery.The sidewalk around Earles Park was almost completely covered, as snow covered the entire parameters of the park.The Vancouver Park Board is responsible for clearing parks, and it says it is doing the best it can, but the continued cold snap makes it difficult."Cold temperatures have remained persistently below zero this week making it a challenge for crews to remove frozen, compacted snow in some areas until there is a thaw," said Brian Quinn, Vancouver Park Board operations manager, in a statement.If a resident sees an area that has snow, they can report it to the 3-1-1 Contact Centre or by using the City's app, VanConnect.
U.S. East Coast to feel blast of arctic air that chilled Midwest-[Reuters]-By Timothy Mclaughlin-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Residents of the U.S. East Coast on Thursday felt a blast of arctic air that earlier swept across the Midwest, with a large swath of the country now under a wind-chill advisory and Boston facing possible record-low temperatures on Friday.The arctic air began blowing south from Canada into the Midwest earlier this week, prompting authorities to warn of the risk of frostbite and hypothermia.The frigid air spread to the East Coast on Thursday, with the National Weather Service forecasting temperatures in New York City around 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-4 degrees Celsius) and similar cold in other cities including Philadelphia, Washington and Boston."The coldest of the arctic air is just now arriving onto the East Coast," meteorologist Patrick Burke of the Weather Prediction Center said in a telephone interview.Temperatures might drop enough in Boston that on Friday it could approach a record low, Burke said. Other areas along the East Coast as far south as Norfolk, Virginia, will also be unusually cold.Residents in Chicago faced temperatures in the single digits and a wind chill of minus-16 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-27 degrees Celsius) on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.Around 150 schools in the Chicago area were closed or scheduled to open late, due to the cold. Chicago Public Schools were in session and opened on time, according to a statement."Chicago's cold goes beyond the physical level of coldness. It pinches your soul," Twitter user Ivan Korkes wrote.A woman whose body was found outside in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Monday has been determined to have died of hypothermia, according the Star Tribune newspaper, which cited the medical examiners' office.Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy said in a statement he would activate the state's severe cold weather protocol beginning on Thursday evening, directing state officials to work with shelters to bring in homeless people.Cold temperatures in the Midwest were expected to persist on Thursday, with certain areas from North Dakota to western Pennsylvania under wind chill advisories, Burke said.The heaviest snowfall in the nation on Thursday will be around the Great Lakes in Michigan where up to 10 inches (25 cm) of snow was expected, and in parts of the U.S. West where a storm is pushing inland from the Pacific Coast, Burke said.The Sierra Nevada mountain range in California and the mountains around Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming could receive more than two feet (61 cm) of snow, Burke said.(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles and Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Staff gathering may be source of gastrointestinal illness that closed Fort McMurray school-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
A staff event held off school premises could be the source of a gastrointestinal illness that closed École Dickinsfield Wednesday, says Fort McMurray Public Schools."There was a staff gathering off site and that may be the cause," said superintendent Doug Nicholls. "It is not a definitive determination."Nicholls wouldn't provide anymore details about the event because he said he didn't want to speculate further.On Wednesday, the school of 680 students closed because a large number of staff members fell sick.The district said many of the school's 60 staff members did not show up Tuesday.Several classes were merged as not enough substitute teachers could be called in."We had a significant issue on Tuesday with several staff members out and more calling in sick by the hour," Nicholls said."I have never seen a particular situation like this where there had been such a high percentage of staff ill."The district anticipates one third of school staff still won't show up Thursday and it will also need to combine smaller classes to make sure students are supervised.Alberta Health Services (AHS) said in an email it's aware that 30 gastrointestinal cases associated with the school were reported Monday morning.It also said it hasn't "lab-confirmed" the cases nor has it identified the source of the illness.But it said if stool samples were available, it could do the testing.AHS said it has provided the school with advice on infection prevention and control and is reminding staff to wash their hands frequently.The health authority is also unaware of any student-related illnesses.The district said it has taken the necessary precautions and has sanitized the school.Follow David Thurton, CBC's Fort McMurray correspondent, on Facebook, Twitter and via email.
CDC issues Texas city warning for pregnant women after Zika-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
DALLAS — Pregnant women should consider postponing travel to Brownsville, Texas, because of concerns about mosquitoes there spreading the Zika virus, federal health officials said Wednesday.The warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises doctors to tell pregnant women and their sex partners to take precautions and to consider putting off travel to the city while the advisory is in place. It comes after five cases of Zika virus infection spread locally were recently diagnosed in people living near each other in the city located on the state's border with Mexico."We're recommending pregnant women not travel to Brownsville, and if they do travel to that area, to ensure that they avoid mosquito bites and they avoid the risk of sexual transmission," the CDC's Dr. Denise Jamieson said. "And that when they return from the area, that they undergo testing for Zika virus infection."Florida is the only other state in the U.S. that has had homegrown Zika cases. The CDC has issued a similar warning there in Miami-Dade County.The CDC notes that temperatures in the Brownsville area are still conducive to mosquito breeding, so the risk of more cases can't be ruled out.Zika is primarily transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have previously bitten an infected person, though sexual transmission can also occur. Most infected people don't have symptoms, but for those who do, it's usually a mild illness with fever, rash and joint pain.But the disease is especially dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects, including babies born with unusually small heads. None of the people with homegrown Zika cases in Texas is pregnant, officials said.Texas Department of State Health Services officials on Wednesday recommended that all pregnant Brownsville residents and those who have travelled there on or after Oct. 29 be tested for Zika."The recommendation is now to test pregnant women more broadly in that area," department spokesman Chris Van Deusen said.The CDC says that people living in the Brownsville area should be counselled on the possible risk of Zika before getting pregnant.The locally transmitted Florida cases were detected over the summer. Until then, all U.S. cases had been connected to people travelling to countries with outbreaks, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean.Health officials note that because areas of active Zika transmission have been reported in Mexico near the U.S. border, they've been recommending since last year that pregnant women shouldn't travel to any low-elevation area in Mexico, where the virus-spreading mosquitoes thrive.___Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe contributed from New York.Jamie Stengle, The Associated Press.
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
Montrealers can buy recreational marijuana at 8 different illegal storefronts starting Thursday-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
A Canadian chain of recreational marijuana dispensaries is set to open eight illegal shops Thursday on the island of Montreal.Cannabis Culture, which is co-owned by activists Jodie and Marc Emery, already has stores in British Columbia and Ontario.The chain plans to open a total of 10 shops in Montreal by the end of the month, and eight of them are opening on Thursday. The remaining two locations have yet to be disclosed and are expected to open by the end of the month.Up until now, the Montreal locations have been kept under wraps, although CBC-Radio-Canada obtained the addresses of two shops earlier this week.Here's the full list of locations: -1863 Amherst St.-1412 Pie-IX Blvd.-8870 St-Michel Blvd.-7130 St-Laurent Blvd.-2200 Mount Royal Ave. E.-3804 Saint Laurent Blvd.-1431B Bishop St.-4961 Queen Mary Rd.Current federal law does not allow for the recreational sale of marijuana in Canada, although the government is expected to table new legislation in the spring."Legalization is only happening because of activists like Marc Emery and Cannabis Culture have been protesting and running for office and educating for decades and also be persecuted and punished and arrested," Jodie Emery, the company's CEO, told CBC News."We have always used peaceful civil disobedience to break the law in order to change the law."While Emery hopes there won't be any legal backlash, she's prepared to take the fight to court if necessary.Montreal police declined CBC's request for an interview, but a spokesperson said in an email that police intervene when there are violations of the law that governs drugs and other substances.Earlier this week, Mayor Denis Coderre said he supports decriminalization, but added the current law should be applied for the time being.No consumption on site allowed, for now-The Montreal dispensaries will sell recreational marijuana to anyone who proves they are 19 or older."Most of the locations are clean, white storefronts with open windows and signs," Emery said.In the first room, clients will be required to show their identification to prove their age. After that, Emery said, they'll be allowed into a second room where they can browse the cannabis flowers, hash, and extracts on display.No on-site consumption of marijuana will be allowed at any of the Montreal dispensaries for now.Depending what kind of reception her shops get, Emery hopes to eventually create a more Amsterdam-style, cannabis café scene."Montreal and Quebec are very unique in Canada. They like to do things their own way in some regards. So we hope that they'll set the model by embracing Cannabis Culture," Emery said.
CAA Atlantic warns effects of marijuana on motorists being underestimated-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
Many people are underestimating marijuana's effects on motorists, the Canadian Automobile Association is warning.CAA Atlantic spokesman Gary Howard told CBC News Wednesday there are many misconceptions about how marijuana affects driving.Some people "believe that they can drive the same or better on the road if they're under the influence of marijuana," he said. "This is simply not true."-Education is key-The CAA says it has met extensively with the federal government in hopes the Liberals will put aside money for public education campaigns about marijuana. The government has said it will introduce legalization legislation next spring."Public education is critical here," Howard said. "We have to get ahead of this before it hits the street, so to speak."The CAA also hopes there will be "clear and meaningful" laws to discourage Canadians from driving while under the influence of marijuana.The group warns that public education and provincial drugged-driving policies will both take time, and that training police officers about drugged driving will have "substantial" costs.-Double the risk-The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse says using marijuana before driving doubles the risk of being involved in a crash.Doug Beirness, a senior research associate with the centre, specializing in impaired driving, told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon that making it clear marijuana and driving don't mix is the priority."The use of cannabis is inconsistent with a safe operation of a motor vehicle and the sooner that we accept that universally the better off we'll be," he said.He said that doesn't necessarily mean zero tolerance, but he believes the legal limit should be quite low."Whether you issue criminal sanctions at that point or whether you do roadside suspensions as we do with alcohol and leave criminal sanctions for more egregious behaviour, that's up to Parliament," he said.-No marijuana breathalyzer yet-Beirness said part of the difficulty is that marijuana is less consistent in its effects on individuals than alcohol, making setting a limit trickier.He said marijuana tends to impair users cognitively as opposed to physically, but that it's similar to alcohol in how it affects the driver's ability to stay in their lane.He also says the technology isn't in place yet to have a "magic box" that would work for marijuana use the way a breathalyzer works for alcohol."At best, what we'll be able to do is use some kind of a screening device, probably based on oral fluid, that will tell us whether or not a person has recently used cannabis."Then the police officer would have several options, he said, including a field sobriety test, a more formal evaluation "downtown" by a drug recognition expert or a roadside suspension.
Opioid prescribing down, but OD-related hospital visits continue to climb: study-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
TORONTO — Medically sanctioned opioid use has dropped by almost 14 per cent since national guidelines for prescribing the drugs were introduced in 2010, yet the rate of overdose-related hospital visits continued to rise, an Ontario study has found.The study found opioid-related hospitalizations in the province rose 13 per cent between May 2010 and the end of 2013, possibly because people who continue to take these addictive narcotics for chronic non-cancer pain were often prescribed them in high doses, placing them at greater risk for overdose.To conduct the study, researchers examined health data for people who were eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit program between 2003 and 2014, identifying almost 770,000 who were dispensed at least one opioid prescription during that period."We looked specifically at hospital visits for opioid overdoses and found that the rates of those visits had continued to climb over that same period and don't appear to have been impacted by the guidelines," said Tara Gomes, a scientist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, who led the research.Those guidelines suggest clinicians exercise extreme caution when prescribing an opioid at a dose that exceeds 200 milligrams per day of morphine or an equivalent, such as oxycodone or fentanyl.Yet the study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE, found a large number of patients were being prescribed at that 200-milligram level and some were taking double that potency.Despite falling rates of opioid prescribing, the proportion of high-dose use among the remaining users more than doubled over the study period — from 4.2 per cent in 2003 to 8.7 per cent in 2014.Researchers found 41 per cent of recipients of long-acting opioids exceeded daily doses of 200 mg of morphine, or an equivalent, and almost 19 per cent were treated with very high doses exceeding 400 mg."What's incredible to me is we're seeing about 75 per cent of fentanyl users getting over 200 milligrams of morphine equivalent," said Gomes, referring to the prescribed fentanyl patch, not the pills sold illicitly on the street that have caused so many overdose deaths in Canada this year.Because opioids affect the central nervous system, taking too high a dose can severely depress a person's respiration, leading to unconsciousness and death."So what you often hear when people die of an opioid overdose is that they fall asleep because they've been sedated by these drugs, and then their breathing becomes very shallow and they just stop breathing and die," said Gomes.So why do doctors keep prescribing these drugs? And why in such high doses? Gomes believes that once a patient becomes reliant one of the narcotics and needs increasingly higher doses to maintain its effect, it's difficult for a physician to taper down their dose or have them stop taking it altogether."What we've seen over the last decade or so is more and more people getting access to these drugs, escalating doses, and now in the last couple of years we've really started to get the message out that there are serious risks around high-dose opioid use," she said."But it's clearly not having an impact on the dose prescribed, which might just be because prescribers are having a very hard time getting their patients off these drugs."Gomes said policy makers and health practitioners need to do more to turn the tide of opioid overprescribing and the epidemic of overdoses, including making sure patients have access to addiction services.- Follow @SherylUbelacker on Twitter.Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
EU agrees deadline for 5G internet plan By Peter Teffer-DEC 15,16-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, Today, 12:03-National governments agreed to European Commission plans to free up bandwidth to be dedicated to mobile internet by 2020, in a compromise deal on Wednesday (14 December).Under the plan, states have committed to freeing up the 700 megahertz (MHz) band, meaning most of them will have to move digital television to a lower band.EU countries agreed, in a deal with the EU parliament on Wednesday, to a 30 June 2020 deadline by which the migration should be finished.However, the 2020 deadline is not completely binding.“If they are unable to do this, a delay of up to two years is possible in duly justified cases,” said a press release by the Council of the EU, where national governments meet.What constitutes a “justified case” is not defined in the press release.It did say that “the coordinated use of a key frequency band ... will allow for higher speeds and better access to mobile internet across Europe”.“This means better connectivity everywhere,” said Arpad Ersek, Slovak transport minister in the press release.EU countries also agreed to create national plans for organising the frequency reassignment.While the commission had originally proposed that these plans should be ready by 30 June 2017, the compromise deal gives them until 30 June 2018.Still, EU digital single market commissioner Andrus Ansip welcomed the deal on coordinating radio frequencies, referred to as radio spectrum in EU circles.“Better spectrum coordination is vital to provide higher quality internet to all Europeans,” said Ansip."It paves the way for 5G, the next generation of communication networks, and the internet of things."The spectrum rules were proposed by the commission in February, but were expected to face opposition because states see auctioning of bandwidth as a valuable resource, and they were wary that the commission would want that income.Ansip's predecessor Neelie Kroes failed in a previous attempt to set EU-wide spectrum rules.
Privacy watchdog recommends better privacy protection in electoral reform survey-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart:(WARS AND DEATH) and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.(CHINA CONTROLS AMERICAS ECONOMY BY BUYING UP DEBT)
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(ARAB/MUSLIM) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man;(RIOTS-BURNING-MURDEROUUS RAGE) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM WANTS WORLD DOMINATION) and every man's hand against him;(DEFENDING THEMSELVES) and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(ARAB/MUSLIMS LIVE WITH ISRAELIS)
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF THEIR MOON GOD ALLAH)
Number of asylum-seekers crossing illegally into Quebec from U.S. spikes-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 14, 2016
The number of asylum-seekers entering Quebec illegally from the United States has more than quadrupled in the last three years, according to an exclusive report by Radio-Canada.According to the Canada Border Services Agency, 823 refugee claimants were taken into custody by the RCMP between April 1 and Nov. 30, 2016, after illegally crossing into Quebec.By comparison, the RCMP detained 166 asylum-seekers for entering Quebec illegally in the year between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015, and another 315 between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016.Last month alone, 273 asylum-seekers entered Quebec illegally — by far the highest one-month total for the three years."They come regularly every week," said retired police officer Francois Doré, who lives near the Roxham Road crossing near Hemmingford, about 70 kilometres south of Montreal.Doré said the migrants cross the Canadian border easily enough, passing under yellow tape that divides the two countries."Sometimes you see whole families with babies and suitcases," Doré said, adding that many arrive by taxi."One suitcase still had the tag from the airport in Plattsburgh [N.Y.]," he said.Intercepting them is up to the RCMP, which monitors the crossings via patrols and surveillance cameras.The migrants are then taken to one of the main Quebec border crossings at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Saint-Armand/Philipsburg and Stanstead, where they are turned over to the CBSA and their refugee claims are processed.Reasons for spike unclear-The reasons for the jump are unclear, but Mitchell Goldberg, a refugee lawyers in Montreal, said applying for asylum from inside Canada can be easier."If you come inland, you can do all the forms — take your time, do it with your lawyer, and then submit it when you're ready, so there's an advantage in that sense to making the application inside Canada," he said.
Aid trucks with medical supplies leave Paris for northern Syria-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
PARIS (Reuters) - Two trucks filled with 20 tonnes of first aid supplies and construction materials left Paris for northern Syria on Thursday to help those fleeing conflict in Aleppo.Doctors and health workers from the France-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations organised the convoy, which will cross nearly 4,000 km (2,500 miles) by land to Syria."(The objective) is to provide supplies to the hospitals to face the increased demand from the people who will arrive," Chadi Homedan, a doctor and member of the Union of Relief and Medical Organisations, told Reuters.An operation to evacuate thousands of civilians and fighters from Aleppo began on Thursday, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city, once Syria's most populous.One of the trucks leaving Paris contained materials to help rebuild health care centres destroyed by ground fighting and air strikes.(Reporting by Michaela Cabrera and Noemie Olive. Editing by Patrick Johnston and Larry King)
Aleppo envoy left gloomy by EU summit By Nikolaj Nielsen-DEC 15,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:32-A dejected senior city official from Aleppo smoked on a cigarette and briefly glanced towards the EU summit building in Brussels where EU leaders have gathered.Thousands of kilometres away from his home city, besieged by the Syrian regime with Russian support, Brita Haj Hassan, who is president of eastern Aleppo’s city council, did not find the help he expected."The war crimes that have been committed, the crimes against humanity, are also in truth crimes that have killed what we call the international role," he told reporters on Thursday (15 December).Hassan spoke on a sidewalk nearby the EU summit building.He had earlier met with EU council chief Donald Tusk and had been invited by French president Francois Hollande to address the 28 EU leaders at the start of their meeting.Tusk had told Hassan and press that the EU offered its support, but that it was confronted with "global limitations and problems". Tusk did not go into detail."Our main goal today is to protect, as effectively as possible, your civilians in Aleppo. Please believe me, no one is indifferent in the EU," Tusk said.-Other priorities-Declarations aside, the EU and member states, in truth, appear to have other priorities.Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel made no mention of Syria when queried about the day's top discussion points.Syria is listed as the final point in a nine-page draft summit communique, which outlines the joint position of all EU states. "The EU is considering all available options," notes the paper.Hollande pushed the Germans into also issuing a separate declaration after meeting Merkel in Berlin on Monday.The declaration, according to one EU diplomat, will demand a total ceasefire in Aleppo and protection of the city's besieged hospitals. Access to humanitarian relief and medical supplies will also be demanded."In the hours ahead, if these efforts are not made, I'm telling you, the regimes that back [Syrian leader] Bashar al-Assad will be responsible for the extremely awful situation of the population," said Hollande before the meeting.-War crimes-Hassan had come to Brussels to pressure EU leaders into discussing Syria, to get people to monitor the evacuation on the ground, and to hold the regime accountable for war crimes."The most important demand nowadays is to rescue and save the lives of these 50,000 people in eastern Aleppo, and after this to put an end to the war crimes committed by the regime," he said.Government forces loyal to Assad earlier in the week cleared the rebel stronghold in the city. The UN has since reported summary executions of civilians in the former enclave in the lead up to an evacuation now taking place.Hassan said four people had been shot and wounded by snipers during the evacuation, however, including two volunteers from the White Helmets civil defence group."The first convoy had been stopped and had to return to eastern Aleppo because it was subject to fire," he said."The truth is that the ceasefire is not really in place on the ground."
Britain summons Russian, Iranian ambassadors over Aleppo-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Thursday he had summoned the ambassadors of Russia and Iran to convey his "profound disquiet" over events in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo.An operation to evacuate thousands of civilians and fighters from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo began earlier on Thursday, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been backed by Russia and Iran.Johnson expressed concern at reports of executions, ambulances being shot at and "disappearances" of opponents by pro-regime forces."Both Russia and Iran have failed to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, specifically by failing to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians during the months when eastern Aleppo was besieged," Johnson said in a statement."They deserve no credit for the fact that an evacuation appears to be underway today," he added."Having inflicted such suffering on the people of eastern Aleppo, Iran and Russia cannot expect praise for allowing some people to escape at the final hour."He said the Russian and Iranian governments were prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people through their support for the Syrian regime.(Reporting by Stephen Addison, Editing by Paul Sandle)
EU mulls roll-out of Africa migration deals By Nikolaj Nielsen-DEC 15,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:25-The European Commission does not want new migration deals with other countries despite pressure from EU states ahead of an EU summit on Thursday (15 December).An EU official said focus needs to be maintained on priority states Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, and Ethiopia and their so-called migration compacts. Work will instead intensify on an operational level in other places."This does not mean we are proposing additional compacts because the work that has been done in the five priority countries is already intensive enough," he said.All five have seen a flurry of diplomatic visits in the past few months.Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel visited Niger in October. Senior ministers from France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands have also gone to the region.EU leaders are likely to demand for "additional compacts or other forms of cooperation", according to leaked summit documents.A diplomat in Brussels said some EU states are pushing for compacts with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt.The deals cover a wide range of policies from integration and development to security and readmission."The five pilot countries have not produced all the lessons to learn yet, we would need a deeper experience," said the diplomat.An EU commission report out Wednesday noted that transit flows of people heading towards the EU in Niger have dropped from 70,000 in May to 1,500 in November.Niger is a main migratory route towards Libya where people then disembark on boats to reach Italy.The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) runs a transit centre in Agadez, a city in Niger, and is now repatriating over 1,000 people per month from the country."We have moved from around 200 per month to more than 1,500. So we are seeing sustained progress in Niger," said an EU official.The EU is fearful that Niger's diminished transit flows will instead shift to neighbouring Mali.Plans are now under way to expand the IOM's repatriation programme to other countries but with an emphasis on Libya, Mali and Niger.Libya migrant returns-IOM chief William Lacy Swing, along with the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, are set to announce a new €100 million allocation programme for the effort.The plan, driven by both Germany and Italy, foresees assisting some 24,000 stranded migrants to be returned home on a voluntary basis. It also intends to provide temporary shelter for around 60,000 along migration routes.But stopping people from crossing the Mediterranean and sending rejected nationals back from the EU to the Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, and Ethiopia still remain outstanding issues.Out of the 173,000 people who crossed the Mediterranean to reach the EU this year, some 59,000 came from these five countries alone.The vast majority hailed from Nigeria but only 2,000 have been returned in 2016. Another 435 were sent back to Senegal, 119 to Mali, and 172 to Ethiopia. No figures were given for Niger.Returning rejected migrants is proving difficult given political and administrative bottlenecks. The EU wants to fast track the returns by issuing a special transit travel document but has met stiff resistance from African governments.-Laissez-passer-The so-called laissez-passer document was initially floated at a 2015 summit for Africa in Malta's capital city, Valletta, but widely panned by African states who reject being told to accept a travel document for a person who may not necessarily be their citizen."The laissez-passer is the most complicated element in all the discussions, it's not only on the issue of returns but also sovereignty," an EU official told reporters in Brussels.The EU has some 17 readmission agreements around the world. Only one, with Cape Verde, is in Africa. Talks for a readmission agreement with Nigeria started in October."We have countries, which refuse return via dedicated flights. Some actually request that returns only take place on their national airline," Matthias Ruete, the head of EU commission's home affairs department, told MEPs earlier this month.
Traces from EgyptAir victims point to blast on plane-[AFP]-Maram Mazen-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
Cairo (AFP) - Traces of explosives have been found on victims' remains from an EgyptAir plane that crashed into the Mediterranean in May killing all 66 people on board, Egypt's aviation ministry said Thursday.An official investigative committee which made the discovery has referred the case to Egypt's state prosecution, it added in a statement.Under Egyptian law, the prosecution takes over "if it becomes clear to the investigative committee that there is criminal suspicion behind the accident", the ministry said.EgyptAir MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo when it disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean.Investigators have determined that a fire broke out in or near the cockpit of the Airbus A320 before it crashed between Crete and the coast of northern Egypt.France's air safety agency BEA reacted with caution to Thursday's announcement in Egypt."In the absence of detailed information on the conditions in which samples were taken and measures which led to the detection of traces of explosives, BEA does not consider it possible at this stage to draw conclusions on the origin of the accident," a spokesman said.France's foreign ministry said "the investigation will continue to determine the exact causes", while the plane's manufacturer Airbus said it had not been informed of the Egyptian findings and declined to comment.French investigators have favoured the theory of a technical fault.- 'Pinning responsibility on Paris' -A lobbyist for French victims of attacks and accidents poured scorn on the Egyptian findings."We are being manipulated," said Stephane Gicquel. "No substantiated element points to terrorism. This is blackmail on the part of Egyptian authorities... to protect the company EgyptAir by placing responsibility on Paris."Thursday's announcement comes while Cairo is still investigating the October 2015 crash of a Russian passenger plane in the Sinai Peninsula of eastern Egypt.The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for bombing the Airbus A321 Russian plane that crashed after takeoff from a Sinai resort headed for St Petersburg, killing 224 passengers and crew.There has been no such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash.Among the 66 people on board the EgyptAir plane were 40 Egyptians, including the 10-member crew, and 15 French nationals.Egypt's aviation minister, Sherif Fathy, had said a terrorist attack was the most likely cause of the EgyptAir crash.The chances of an attack were "higher than the possibility of a technical (failure)" for the downing of the plane, Fathy said in May following the crash.Aviation experts have said there is little chance that a mechanical fault was responsible.The plane only entered service in 2003, making it relatively new for an aircraft that tends to operate for 30 to 40 years.The EgyptAir plane was flying at 37,000 feet (11,000 metres) and disappeared about 130 nautical miles off the Greek island of Karpathos.The plane plunged 22,000 feet and swerved sharply before it disappeared from radar screens, Greece's Defence Minister Panos Kammenos said at the time.If a bombing is established, investigators will have to determine if a device could have been smuggled aboard a flight taking off from France's busiest airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle.Security has been tight since last year's jihadist attacks in the French capital.Internet site FlightRadar24 indicates the EgyptAir plane travelled to Egypt, Tunisia and Eritrea in the two days before Thursday's crash, leaving open the possibility that a device could have been planted prior to its arrival in France.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Putin, Abe hold talks on Japan-Russia territorial dispute-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
NAGATO, Japan — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin spent much of their first round of talks at a hot springs resort in western Japan on Thursday discussing a territorial dispute that has divided their countries for 70 years.For Putin, the summit meeting in Nagato city marks his first official visit to a G-7 country since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.Abe invited Putin even though the G-7 nations, including Japan, still have sanctions on Russia. The talks will move to Tokyo on Friday.Abe said the two leaders talked for three hours, spending about half of the time on the dispute over four islands seized by the former Soviet Union in the closing days of World War II, and a peace treaty officially ending the two countries' wartime hostilities. A major breakthrough is seen as unlikely.The disagreement over the four southern Kuril islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, has kept the two countries from signing a peace agreement."We had in-depth discussions on a peace treaty," Abe told reporters.He said the two leaders also discussed possible joint economic projects on the disputed islands. Abe hopes such economic co-operation will bolster ties and help solve the territorial dispute if they are operated under a special legal status that does not raise sovereignty issues. Russia, however, wants them to be run under its law.Putin expressed concern about the deployment of U.S. missile defence systems in Japan, calling them an overreaction to North Korea's missile program, Japanese media reported. Abe assured him that they are limited to self- defence and do not pose a threat to neighbouring countries, while stressing the importance of discussing defence issues amid growing security concerns in the region, they said.To that end, the two leaders agreed to resume "2+2" talks among the countries' foreign and defence ministers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Lavrov, who is accompanying Putin, attended the first and last "2+2" meeting three years ago.Abe did not say if there was any progress on the territorial issue. The two leaders will release a joint statement after the end of the talks Friday, he said.In brief remarks before the meeting, Abe told Putin that the hot spring waters of Nagato are famous for relieving fatigue."I can guarantee you that the hot springs here would fully remove fatigue from our summit talks," he said.Putin replied, "Better not to get too tired." He also credited Abe's efforts for "a certain movement in the development of Russian-Japanese ties."James Brown, a Japan-Russia expert at Temple University's Japan campus in Tokyo, said the meeting was "an extraordinary development. I think Prime Minister Abe is being really quite bold in announcing this new approach to relations with Russia, especially coming at such a difficult time in relations between Russia and the West."The meeting started after 6 p.m., more than two hours behind schedule, because Putin's plane landed late. Putin has a reputation for late arrivals. He kept Pope Francis waiting at the Vatican for one hour and 20 minutes in 2015. Earlier this month, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida waited for two hours when he visited the Kremlin.Thursday's delay was because of "scheduling issues" including ones related to Syria, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, without elaborating.Abe, who flew from Tokyo to Nagato in the morning, used the time to visit the grave of his father, Shintaro Abe. As foreign minister, the elder Abe strove for a resolution of the territorial dispute in the 1980s.Japan says the Soviet Union took the islands illegally, expelling 17,000 Japanese to nearby Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. Russia governs the islands and the Russians who now live there.Putin told Japanese journalists earlier this week that progress hinges on Japan's flexibility to compromise, and that he doesn't mind the status quo. "We think that we have no territorial problems. It's Japan that thinks that is has a territorial problem with Russia," he said.But Russia wants to attract Japanese investment, particularly to its far east. Japan hopes that stronger ties through joint economic projects will help resolve the thorny territorial issue over time.___Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and videojournalist Kaori Hitomi in Tokyo contributed to this story.Emily Wang And Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
No planned changes to U.S. missile defense in South Korea: White House-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday said it was unaware of any planned changes to the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea despite recent political changes there."I'm not aware of any change in plan for the deployment," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters at a daily briefing. His comments come after the former leader of South Korea's main opposition party earlier on Thursday said deployment should be decided by its next leader.(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Russia to boost Serbian defense with MIG-29 fighter jets-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 15, 2016
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's prime minister says Russia will arm Serbia with fighter jets to boost its defenses amid a row with neighboring Croatia, a member of NATO.Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday he will travel to Moscow next week to secure the deal that involves six aging MIG-29 aircraft donated by the Kremlin. Vucic says the deal "would deter anyone who would like to attack us."Although formally seeking European Union membership, Serbia has been sliding toward its traditional ally Russia.Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said during this week's visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that new jets were needed to counter an alleged threat from Croatia.The two former Yugoslav republics were at war in the 1990s and continue to disagree on a number of issues.
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