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Headline: Israel and Turkey to resume diplomatic dialogue after six years
Yuval Rotem, Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, will travel to Turkey on Tuesday where he will hold a diplomatic dialogue with local officials, for the first time in over six years. Rotem’s visit to Ankara will continue until Thursday and will include, in addition to meeting with his Turkish counterpart, meetings with government officials, the Israeli embassy staff in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul. Rotem will also meet with leaders of the Turkish Jewish community and with the governor of Istanbul. Israel and Turkey announced a reconciliation agreement last June, six years after the Mavi Mamara incident, following which Turkey cut off ties with Israel. The purpose of Rotem’s visit to Turkey is to deepen the relations between the two countries in a way that will help to further develop them, primarily on the political and economic fronts.
Jan. 31, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/224129
Headline: Israeli Home Front preparing for thousands of rockets
Headline: Hamas military capabilities said restored to pre-2014 war strength
The IDF Home Front Command is preparing for the thousands of rockets expected to strike Israel during the next war, investing hundreds of millions of shekels over the past two years on defensive measures and strengthening strategic capabilities. The IDF considers Hezbollah the most substantial threat, with at least 120,000 rockets aimed at Israel, many of them able to strike anywhere in the country. While most have a range of just 45 kilometers, the army has said that it expects a bombardment of over 1,000 rockets in the course of just one day. The Home Front Command currently divides the country into 264 polygon alert zones in which a siren is activated once the flight path and expected landing area of a missile or rocket is calculated. The Jerusalem Post has learned that Israel’s already state-of-the-art alert system is being upgraded, as the number of polygon alert zones is set to increase to a few thousand by April 2018.
Jan. 31, 2017
http://www.jpost.com/printarticle.aspx?id=480096
http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-military-capabilities-said-restored-to-pre-2014-war-strength/
Headline: Israel approves 3,000 new settler homes as Amona evacuation begins
Israel says it will build 3,000 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. The aim was to fulfil demands for housing and “return to normal life”, the defence ministry said. A Palestinian official condemned the move and warned that chances for peace were being destroyed. It is the third such announcement by Israel since US President Donald Trump took office. Mr Trump has hinted he will be more supportive on the issue. Tuesday’s announcement follows on from the recent approval of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank and 550 in East Jerusalem. Mr Trump has indicated that he will be more sympathetic to settlement construction than his predecessor, Barack Obama, and has appointed a staunch settlement supporter as his ambassador to Israel. Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi warned that the “frenzied escalation of Israel’s illegal enterprise” signalled “the final demise” of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “The silence of the new American government, including those who actively support the settlements in the White House and the administration as a whole, has emboldened Netanyahu to persist with his settlement activities,” she said.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38826231
Headline: Knesset Speaker travels to US, will discuss moving embassy
Headline: Trump says ‘chance’ he’ll move embassy, but admits there are ‘two sides’
Speaker of the Knesset (Israel’s parliamentary body) Yuli Edelstein, flew to the US on Tuesday night for a visit in which he will help push to move forward with President Donald Trump’s previously stated plan to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “I will call on my counterparts to support and work toward moving the US Embassy to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem,” Edelstein said before he left. In an interview that aired last weekend, Trump told Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) that there is “certainly a chance” he will officially elect to move the US embassy, but committed to studying the issue “very long and hard” before making a final decision. Edelstein also said that he will discuss regional security issues and in particular, a resurgent Iran. “I will also speak about the Iran threat, which remains unchanged, and about the situation in the Middle East,” he added.
Feb. 1, 2017
https://worldisraelnews.com/knesset-speaker-travels-to-us-will-discuss-moving-embassy/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-says-chance-hell-move-embassy-but-admits-there-are-two-sides/
Headline: Jihadist rebels surrender Lebanese border points to Syrian Army
The jihadist rebels have agreed to surrender the remaining villages between the Lebanese border and Wadi Barada area after a successful meeting with a reconciliation committee sent by the government. At least 250 jihadist rebels will leave the town of Serghaya and its nearby villages in exchange for transportation to the Idlib Governorate, a government spokesperson told Al-Masdar News on Monday night. In addition to surrendering this town, the jihadist rebels will also give-up the Rankous area and its border-crossing in the Qalamoun Mountains; this will result in the Syrian Army’s full control over the rural Zabadani border with Lebanon.
Jan. 31, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/jihadist-rebels-surrender-lebanese-border-points-syrian-army/
Headline: Pro-government forces to undertake new offensive in Al-Quneitra province
Reports are coming in that the high command of the Syrian Armed Forces is planning a large offensive in Al-Quneitra province to liquidate the last militant bastion around the Beit Jenn area. The operation is to involve the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) elite 4th Armoured Division, plus a range of units from the National Defense Forces (NDF). The 4th Armoured Division in particular is fresh from successful operations in the Wadi Barada region, so morale among its soldiers are undoubtedly high. The offensive will take place in two parts. First, the farmlands of Mazra’et Beit Jenn are to be secured, followed (secondly) by the liberation of Beit Jenn village which sits in a valley of the al-Sheikh mountain chain. All information on this development was provided to Al-Masdar News by a military source in the Syrian Arab Army. In hindsight, the complete liberation of the Wadi Barada pocket from Jihadists and Islamist militants now appears to only be another step in a high-priority campaign by the pro-government forces to eliminate all pockets of hostile armed groups in the greater Damascus countryside (such as East Ghouta) and around the border regions with Lebanon and Israel. Such pockets have always represented a strategic thorn in the side of the pro-government forces as they tie down manpower resources, preventing their release to more active fronts.
Feb. 1, 2017
Headline: Clashes erupt as Israeli forces begin evacuating Amona outpost; several arrested
Headline: Supreme Court rejects Amona relocation plan
The operation by Israeli security forces to evacuate 40 Jewish families from the Amona outpost in the West Bank was expected to continue throughout Wednesday night, police said. Clashes erupted between activists and security forces as hundreds of officers entered the outpost built illegally on privately-owned Palestinian land. More than 15 people were arrested amid the High Court of Justice-ordered move to remove those living in Amona. In addition, more than 24 members of security forces were wounded during the commotion and a police source said at least some of the officers had sustained injuries from a chemical substance thrown at them by protesters. A spokesman from Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, three police officers were being treated for their wounds, including two with moderately wounded from liquid thrown at their eyes. Ahead of the long-awaited eviction of the illegal outpost, settlers poured oil on the main road leading to Amona to make it difficult for security forces to reach them. About 200 activists, the majority of which were youth and teenagers, were protesting at the entrance to Amona. About 10 buses were in the vicinity slated to take away the Amona families before the outpost is demolished per an order by the High Court of Justice. Earlier, activists had set fire to tires and hurled rocks in an attempt to block any security forces from entering.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/224249
Headline: Palestinians set delayed local elections for May 13
The Palestinian Authority said Tuesday that local elections delayed last October after a spat between political factions will now take place in the West Bank and Gaza on May 13. “Today, at a regular meeting, the council of ministers decided to hold elections on May 13, to be held in the West Bank and Gaza,” local government minister Hussein Al Araj told AFP. The rival parties have not contested an election since 2006 parliamentary polls, which Hamas won — sparking a conflict that led to near civil war in Gaza the following year.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://jordantimes.com/news/region/palestinians-set-delayed-local-elections-may-13
Jordan
Headline: ‘Moving US embassy to Jerusalem will impact regional stability’
Headline: Abbas, Jordanian king agree to fight against US embassy relocation to Jerusalem
His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday discussed regional developments and Jordan’s strategic relations with the US at meetings in Washington, DC, with chairs and members of Congress committees. Talks at the meetings, part of which was attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, also covered the Kingdom’s role in dealing with the crises in the region and anti-terrorism efforts from a holistic approach, according to a Royal Court statement. The King met with Senate leaders and the heads and members of the Senate’s Appropriations Committee and its Armed Services Committee. His Majesty also held talks with the chairpersons and members of the US House of Representatives’ foreign affairs and armed services committees, in addition to its subcommittee on state, foreign operations and related programmes, the statement said. Talks addressed developments such as the Middle East peace process, the Syrian crisis and the situation in Iraq. King Abdullah warned that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem will have regional consequences that will diminish the opportunity for peace and reaching the two-state solution. Such a move, according to His Majesty, will feed into the anger and despair among Arabs and Muslims, enabling extremists to further spread their dark ideologies and agendas.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4911159,00.html
Saudi Arabia
Headline: End of tax-free living in Saudi Arabia as oil revenues dry up
Saudi Arabia has introduced a value-added tax (VAT) with the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), indicating the end of life without VAT across the Gulf. The decision was taken on Monday and implies a five percent levy on some goods across the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, which unites Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Other Gulf countries are also expected to follow and introduce the VAT system by the beginning of 2018. The move has IMF backing, which recommended the Gulf States impose revenue raising measures. The countries have already introduced taxes on tobacco and fizzy drinks. “A Royal Decree has been prepared,” the official Saudi Press Agency said. The tax on tobacco, now at 50 percent, will be increased to 100 percent, the same level as those for energy drinks and sodas. Residents of the region had enjoyed the tax-free period before the oil prices more than halved. The price of a barrel of crude oil fell from over $114 in 2014 to just over $55 currently.
Jan. 31, 2017
https://www.rt.com/business/375746-saudi-arabia-vat-gulf-oil/
Egypt
Headline: Dozens Arrested on Anniversary of Deadly Egypt Soccer Riot
Egyptian security forces arrested dozens in central Cairo on Wednesday, the anniversary of a soccer riot that killed over 70 fans in 2012. Lawyer Mokhtar Mounir told The Associated Press that over 80 people were taken into custody, with some arrests made near the club grounds belonging to the Al-Ahly team. Most of the victims of the rioting five years ago were fans of Al-Ahly. The rioting was Egypt’s worst soccer disaster to date and one of the world’s deadliest. The lawyer said the police likely made the arrests Wednesday on suspicion those detained had planned to stage a protest. Public gatherings without a permit are banned under Egypt’s draconian anti-terrorism laws. Mounir said the detainees were undergoing security checks and officials would determine whether to release them or press charges. In 2015, a court declared Al-Ahly’s hardcore “Ultras Ahlawy” fan group a terrorist organization. The arrests came as Egyptians gathered in cafes all over the country to watch the national team play Burkina Faso in the first semifinals match of the African championship in Gabon. At least a dozen police and security forces’ vehicles as well as armed troops were stationed near the Al-Ahly club grounds in the evening Wednesday.
Feb. 1, 2017
Headline: ISIS fights back in northeast Aleppo, captures village
Headline: Syrian Army advances against ISIS in Deir Ezzor
Headline: ISIS storms FSA base in southwest Daraa
ISIS large-scale offensive was launched this morning by sending three VBIEDs to the Army positions inside the small village, which serves as one of the last defense lines for the terror group in the area. The first VBIED was prematurely detonated by the Syrian Army. However, the intensity of clashes forced the government troops to retreat, thus saving the lives of much-needed soldiers. A military source told AMN that the Syrian Army has already began shelling ISIS militants inside Serhan. Throughout its recent push toward Al-Bab, the government forces attempts to recapture Aran, the last ISIS-held town before Tadef, which is just in the southern outskirt of Al-Bab.
Feb. 1, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-fights-back-northeast-aleppo-captures-village/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-advances-isis-deir-ezzor/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-storms-fsa-base-southwest-daraa/
Headline: Syrian army dash to al-Bab risks Turkey clash
Headline: Islamic State faces multiple adversaries in Al Bab (Aleppo province), Syria
A rapid advance by the Syrian army towards the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab risks sparking a confrontation with Turkey as Damascus seeks to stop its neighbor penetrating deeper into a strategically important area of northern Syria. Northern Syria is one of the most complicated battlefields of the multi-sided Syrian war, with Islamic State now being fought there by the Syrian army, Turkey and its rebel allies, and an alliance of U.S.-backed Syrian militias. In less than two weeks, Syrian army units have moved to within 6 km (4 miles) of al-Bab, a city that is also being targeted in a campaign waged by the Turkish military and its allies, groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. A source in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad told Reuters on Wednesday the Syrian army aimed to reach al-Bab and was ready “to clash with the FSA fighting” alongside the Turkish army if necessary. However, the source, a non-Syrian, said the main aim was to frustrate Turkey’s ambitions and “to acquire a strong hand in the game unfolding on that front”, rather than to provoke an all-out confrontation. If a clash does occur, it would be the first time Syrian government forces have confronted the Turkish army on the ground in northern Syria since Turkey launched its operation in August.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-albab-idUSKBN15G5DA
Headline: Syrian government disagrees with Russia on Kurdish autonomy
Headline: Russia denies proposing Kurdish autonomy in Syria
The Syrian government completely rejected any form of Kurdish autonomy and has reportedly proposed amendments to change the Russian draft proposal for a new Syrian constitution. The draft proposed by Russia suggested a decentralized Syria in article 40, which mentioned regional assemblies, called ‘people’s societies’. The draft constitution also mentioned equality of the Kurdish and Arabic languages. “The Kurdish cultural self-ruling systems and its organizations use both the Arabic and Kurdish languages equally,” the draft reads. Kurdish officials of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), however, suggested that only full federalism would be a solution, and that the Russian draft proposal didn’t go far enough. On the other hand, the Syrian government rejected any form of local autonomy or recognition of the Kurdish language on an equal level, and requested the Russians to amend this.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://aranews.net/2017/02/syrian-government-disagrees-with-russia-on-kurdish-autonomy/
http://aranews.net/2017/01/russia-denies-proposing-kurdish-autonomy-in-syria/
Headline: PMU embark on new operation to expel ISIS from key roadway
The Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) media team said on Wednesday that they have launched an offensive to remove ISIS from an imperative road. The operation will focus on clearing the road linking the strategic the ISIS-held town of Tal Afar to Sinjar (Nineveh province). The militias media said the “complementary” operation began from Ein Hussan. The cutting of this will make it more difficult for the extremists to enter Syria from Iraq.
Feb. 1, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pmu-embark-on-new-operation-to-expel-isis-from-key-roadway/
Headline: The Campaign of Mosul: January 24-31, 2017
The ISF recaptured the last ISIS-held neighborhood in eastern Mosul on January 24, nearly three months since operations in the city began on November 1, 2016. Preparations and troop movement are now underway for operations to break into western Mosul, though no official start date has been announced. Mosul Operations Commander Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah announced that local Ninewa police and fighters, headed by the 16th Iraqi Army Division, will hold recaptured eastern neighborhoods while local Ninewa tribal militias will hold recaptured land outside of the city limits. The Federal Police stated on January 29 that their forces were moving towards western Mosul, suggesting that the three brigades which supported southeastern operations returned to their original position on the southern axis. PM Abadi is at increased risk of losing his premiership. Former PM Nouri al-Maliki is maneuvering to reclaim the position by appealing to Iranian interests and courting the pro-Iranian support base away from PM Abadi. PM Abadi, who has been receptive to and supported by the U.S., may need to make concession to the pro-Iranian political base in order to ensure his position, especially if U.S.-Iraq relations strain. PM Abadi compromised on the appointment of a Badr Organization member as the Minister of Interior on January 30, despite previous reservations. He may also need to appease political parties by allowing their affiliated militias greater latitude in anti-ISIS operations.
http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/campaign-mosul-january-24-31-2017
Headline: Iraq Situation Report Jan. 25- Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/iraq%20SITREP%202017-02-01%20PDF.pdf
Turkey
Headline: Turkey and Greece Trade Jabs in Island Dispute
Turkey and Greece have reignited a decades-old disagreement over the sovereignty of a pair of uninhabited Aegean Islands, in a spat that analysts say risks aggravating other diplomatic disputes between the two countries. The Greek defense minister, Panos Kammenos, flew over the two disputed islands on Wednesday, the Greek government said, in a pointed response to a visit three days earlier to nearby waters by the commander of the Turkish armed forces, Hulusi Akar. The exchange is the most public disagreement over the tiny islands’ sovereignty since 1996, when soldiers from both countries landed on them before American-led mediation persuaded both sides to leave the area. Turkey disputes Greece’s claim that the islands — known as Imia in Greece and Kardak in Turkey — entered Greek ownership in 1947, after first being assigned to Italy in 1923 following the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Analysts said that Turkey’s recent incursions were a response to the decision by the Greek Supreme Court last week to block the extradition of eight Turkish airmen accused of participating in the failed attempt last July to oust the Turkish government. They also warned that the dispute risked complicating negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus.
Feb. 1, 2017
***PLEASE SEE ETRM WRITE UP OF THIS ISSUE ON OCT. 3, 2016 (SCROLL DOWN TO TURKEY):
Iran
Headline: Security Adviser Flynn says Iran ‘on notice’ after missile test
Headline: Iran: We will not negotiate our missiles
Headline: US, Western allies launch war games near Iran waters
National Security Adviser Mike Flynn said Wednesday the Trump administration is putting Iran “on notice” after it tested a ballistic missile and Tehran-backed militants attacked a Saudi naval vessel. The implications of the warning are unclear, but Flynn pointedly criticized the Obama administration for failing “to respond adequately” to Iran’s provocative behavior. He seemed to reference the Iran nuclear deal, saying the regime “is now feeling emboldened” instead of “being thankful” to the U.S. for “various agreements.” “As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice,” Flynn said, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing and also issuing a written statement. Flynn blasted Iran’s “destabilizing behavior,” saying the recent missile launch defied a U.N. Security Council resolution.
Feb. 1, 2017
Afghanistan
Headline: Afghan government controls less than 60 percent of country: watchdog
Headline: Afghan government ‘has lost territory to the insurgency’
The Afghan government controls less than 60 percent of the country, a U.S. watchdog agency reported on Wednesday, after security forces retreated from many strongholds last year. Afghan soldiers and police, with the aid of thousands of foreign military advisers, are struggling to hold off a resurgent insurgency led by the Taliban, as well as other groups like Islamic State. As of November, the government could only claim to control or influence 57 percent of Afghanistan’s 407 districts, according to U.S. military estimates released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), in a quarterly report to the U.S. Congress. That represents a 15 percent decrease in territory held compared with the same time in 2015, the agency said in a report. “SIGAR’s analysis of the most recent data provided by U.S. forces in Afghanistan suggests that the security situation in Afghanistan has not improved this quarter,” it said. “The numbers of the Afghan security forces are decreasing, while both casualties and the number of districts under insurgent control or influence are increasing.”
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-war-idUSKBN15G40M
Sudan
Headline: Fresh Clashes Near South Sudan’s Oil Hub of Malakal
Fresh clashes broke out around South Sudan’s second-largest city of Malakal on Tuesday, a rebel spokesman and a government official said, the latest turn in the struggle for the capital of the oil-producing Upper Nile region. The United Nations said Malakal, on the banks of the White Nile near the country’s northern border with Sudan, was largely deserted after civilians fled the fighting. “The rebels had been trying to provoke the SPLA all this time because the SPLA has been given instruction not to wage offensives against the rebel forces,” said military spokesman Colonel Santo Domic Chol, using the acronym for the military, known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. “This is in line with the call by the president for the national dialogue,” he added, referring to a presidential directive on dealing with the rebels. But rebel spokesman William Gatjiath Deng said government troops launched several attacks on rebel positions early on Tuesday. “In the fight this morning, the Juba regime suffered heavy losses in human and material, as bodies of the Juba regime soldiers lie everywhere,” he said in a press statement.
Jan. 31, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/south-sudan-malakal-renewed-fighting/3700112.html
Libya
Headline: Libya leader offers NATO sea access if it upgrades navy
Libya’s U.N.-backed prime minister said Wednesday NATO or European Union ships could be permitted to operate in Libyan waters alongside the national navy if those organizations help modernize his country’s vessels. The European Union wants to secure U.N. and Libyan backing to move its anti-smuggling mission Operation Sophia into Libyan waters to help prevent migrants reaching Europe. “If there is something to be carried out jointly between the Libyan navy and any other party that would be interested in extending a hand to the Libyan navy, that would be possible,” Prime Minister Fayez Serraj told reporters after talks in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “Of course, we have to modernize our navy flotilla and enhance its capacities. NATO or any other friendly nation on a bilateral basis could extend a hand in this,” Serraj added. Stoltenberg said that NATO stands ready to help Libya ensure security and strengthen its defense institutions. “Looking to the future, we could offer advice on establishing a modern ministry of defense, a joint military staff, and security and intelligence services under civilian control,” he said. “If requested, we could also support the efforts of the European Union to strengthen the Libyan coast guard and navy,” he added.
Feb. 1, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/news/libya-leader-offers-nato-sea-access-upgrades-navy-152337626.html
Headline: African Union backs mass withdrawal from ICC
The African Union has called for the mass withdrawal of member states from the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, the resolution is non-binding, with Nigeria and Senegal opposing a withdrawal. South Africa and Burundi have already decided to withdraw, accusing the ICC of undermining their sovereignty and unfairly targeting Africans. The ICC denies the allegation, insisting it is pursuing justice for victims of war crimes in Africa. The AU took the decision on Tuesday following a divisive debate at its annual heads of state of summit in Addis Ababa. Part of the resolution also said the AU would hold talks with the UN Security Council to push for the ICC to be reformed.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38826073
Headline: U.N. says team attacked on Nigeria-Cameroon border, five dead
An armed group attacked a U.N. technical team working along the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, killing five people and wounding several, the United Nations Office for West Africa said on Wednesday. The attack occurred on Tuesday at around 1400 local time near the Cameroonian border town of Kontcha, the statement said. “The victims were one U.N. independent contractor, three Nigerian nationals and one Cameroonian national,” it added.
Feb. 1, 2017
Headline: EU Leader Identifies Russia, China, Trump as Threats
European Union President Donald Tusk says China, Russia and the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump are among the top external threats facing the bloc. His remarks came in a letter to 27 EU leaders before a summit Friday in Malta. “Particularly the change in Washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation; with the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy,” Tusk said. Trump has insisted on policies that put the United States first, and has questioned whether NATO members are contributing their fair share to the alliance. Tusk laid out a defense of the European Union, saying it has never faced more dangerous challenges and needs “courage, determination and political solidarity.” He said the European Union must stand up for its dignity in talks with the United States, Russia, China or Turkey, and must not give in to populist arguments and xenophobic sentiments that go against European integration.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/eu-leader-identifies-russia-china-trump-as-threats/3701324.html
Headline: Military situation in eastern Ukraine worsens
Headline: Trump and Putin discuss Ukraine in weekend phonecall
The Ukrainian foreign ministry expressed deep concern on Monday night (30 January) over the “intensification of the Russian-terrorist forces in Donbas”. Other reports, however, speak of a “creeping offensive” of Ukrainian forces in an attempt to create “new facts on the ground”. According to a statement, for the last two days, Russian forces carried out massive attacks across the contact line using all available weapons, including Grad rockets, 122 mm and 152 mm artillery, 82 and 120mm mortars, and tanks, all of which are prohibited by the Minsk agreements. The Russian weapons killed 8 Ukrainian soldiers and have left 26 wounded, the statement adds. Reports indicate that residential areas have been shelled. “Two civilians have been wounded. The cities of Yasinovata and Avdiyivka were fully cut off from electricity by shelling. More than 400,000 peaceful civilians in the region have no access to water, electricity and heating. Given the harsh weather conditions and the continuing shelling by the militants, the humanitarian situation in the area continues to deteriorate,” the statement says.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/military-situation-in-eastern-ukraine-worsens/
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4916281,00.html
Headline: Global Freedom Drops for 11th Year as Populism, Autocracy Rise
U.S. human rights group Freedom House says global freedoms weakened in 2016 for an 11th consecutive year, a decline it blamed on growing populism and nationalism in democratic nations and greater authoritarianism in others. The bleak assessment came in the group’s annual global freedom survey published Monday with the title, “Populists and Autocrats: The Dual Threat to Global Democracy.” Of the 195 countries assessed in the Freedom House report, 45 percent were rated “free,” 30 percent were rated “partly free” and 25 percent were rated “not free.” It said 67 countries suffered declines in political rights and civil liberties in 2016, predominantly in established democracies such as Brazil, France, Germany and the United States. The report said 36 nations saw improvements in freedom, leaving the gainers outnumbered by nations with declining freedom for the 11th straight year. Speaking to VOA via Skype from New York, Freedom House spokeswoman Sarah Repucci said the country with the biggest drop in freedom in 2016 was “partly free” Turkey.
Jan. 31, 2017
Headline: Boy Scouts of America to begin accepting transgender boys
Headline: California Lawmakers Want ‘Third Gender Option’ for Drivers’ Licenses
The Boy Scouts of America said on Monday the group would begin accepting transgender boys, bucking its more than a century-old practice of using the gender stated on a birth certificate to determine eligibility. “Starting today, we will accept and register youth in the Cub and Boy Scout programs based on the gender identity indicated on the application,” Boy Scouts of America communications director Effie Delimarkos said in an emailed statement. Delimarkos cited shifting definitions of gender under state laws, which can “vary widely from state to state,” in explaining the change. She said that while the organization offers programs for all youths, its Cub and Boy Scout programs are specifically for boys. The change will allow children to apply even if male is not listed on their birth certificate. Meanwhile, Legislation introduced in California would create a third gender option on drivers’ licenses and expedite the process for individuals to change their sex on their birth certificate without undergoing a sex change. The “Gender Recognition Act,” sponsored by state senators Toni Atkins of San Diego and Scott Weiner of San Francisco, would add “nonbinary” to the list of male and female genders on state identification documents.
Feb. 1, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-boyscouts-idUSKBN15F022
http://freebeacon.com/issues/california-lawmakers-want-third-gender-option-drivers-licenses/
Headline: Church in revolt at pope’s ‘blessing’ of Islam’s expansion in Europe
Several leaders in the Catholic Church are openly challenging what they say is Pope Francis’s decision to condone the rapid spread of Islam in Europe. “[T]hey are not refugees, this is an invasion, they come here with cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’, they want to take over,” said Laszlo Kiss Rigo, head of the Catholic Hungarian southern community. Rigo “belongs to a growing branch of Catholic leaders who refuse to see the future belonging to Islam in Europe,” Giulio Meotti wrote for Gatestone Institute on Jan. 29. “They speak in open opposition to Pope Francis, who does not seem too impressed by the collapse of Christianity due to falling birth rates, accompanied by religious apathy and its replacement by Islam.” Catholic commentators are also questioning what they see as the Church’s “blindness” about the danger Europe is facing. One is the cultural editor of the French magazine Valeurs Actuelles, Laurent Dandrieu: “Islam has every chance massively to strengthen its presence in Europe with the blessing of the Church. The Church is watching the establishment of millions of Muslims in Europe… and Muslim worship in our continent as an inescapable manifestation of religious freedom. But the civilizational question is simply never asked.”
Jan. 29, 2017
http://www.worldtribune.com/church-in-revolt-at-popes-blessing-of-islams-expansion-in-europe/
Headline: Christian persecution seen in more locations across the globe, new report shows
In the past year, the persecution of Christians has not only increased, but it has also spread to more corners of the globe – with incidents occurring on every continent, according to a new report. The advocacy group Open Doors USA recently released the latest edition of its annual World Watch List, which ranks countries based on the treatment of their Christian populations. The group said the increase in incidents considered persecution was alarming and only getting worse. “It is appalling that Open Doors has to report that persecution has increased again in 2016 and we are still at the worst levels of persecution in modern times,” David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, said to Fox News. “The spread of persecution has gotten worse, now hitting nearly every continent in the world. There were 23 Christians killed in Mexico specifically because of their faith.” The report comes on the heels of another study by the Center for Studies on New Religions that showed nearly 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2016 and that as many as 600 million were prevented from practicing their faith through intimidation, forced conversions, bodily harm or even death.
Feb. 1, 2017
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