The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 3, 2018 Edition written by Frank DiMora
Link to my new site: www.endtimesresearchministry.com.
Jan 05
Jan. 5, 2018- ISIS declares war on Palestinian group Hamas
The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 3, 2018 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Device
~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
Headline: ISIL declares war on Palestinian group Hamas with new video execution
The extremist ISIL group’s branch in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula has taken a simmering dispute with the Palestinian Hamas group based in nearby Gaza to new levels in a 22-minute video calling on its followers to attack the group and executing what it said was a collaborator. It’s an escalation that analysts say has the potential to destabilize an already fragile security situation in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave that Hamas has controlled for the past decade. “Never surrender to them. Use explosives, silenced pistols, and sticky bombs. Bomb their courts and their security locations, for these are the pillars of tyranny that prop up its throne,” said the knife wielding narrator, according to a translation distributed by the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors extremist web sites. The video cited Hamas’ crackdown on jihadist groups in Gaza and their failure to prevent the U.S. declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as reasons for attacking the group.
Jan. 4, 2018
Saudi Arabia
Headline: Yemen rebels fire missile at Saudi Arabia
Rebels in Yemen claim to have fired two missiles, one of which targeted a military camp in Saudi Arabia. Houthi fighters announced they had fired one in the direction of the city of Najran, which Saudi authorities confirmed was intercepted. Rebel-run Al Masirah TV said the missile hit its target with “high accuracy” and then claimed that another had been fired. Saudi Arabia said its air defences “intercepted and destroyed” the first missile, which had caused “minor damage” to one person’s home as shrapnel fell. There were no deaths. The second, the rebels said, was targeting Saudi-backed forces on Yemen’s western coast.
Jan. 5, 2018
https://news.sky.com/story/yemen-rebels-fire-missile-at-saudi-arabia-11196410
Syria
Headline: Syria war: ‘Russian strikes’ kill 25 in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta
Twenty-five civilians are reported to have been killed in air strikes on two towns in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area outside Syria’s capital, Damascus. The Syria Civil Defence said one of its rescue workers was among 18 people who died when what witnesses identified as Russian jets bombed Misraba. Another six people died in suspected Russian strikes on Arbin, it added.The Syria Civil Defence said Russian jets fired “seismic missiles” on residential areas of Misraba overnight, causing several buildings to collapse. Nine women and two children were among the 18 people killed, it said, adding that the number might rise because some of the injured were in a critical condition. One of the organisation’s volunteer rescue workers – who are commonly known as the White Helmets – died after a “double-tap” strike on one building. The Syria Civil Defence said two children and two women were among the six people killed in the air strikes on Arbin, and that another three civilians were killed by government shellfire in Beit Sawa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, put the death toll from the three towns at 23, and also said the warplanes that attacked Misraba and Arbin were believed to have been Russian.
Jan. 4, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42566063
Turkey
Headline: France believes that Turkey’s future should be in Europe, says Macron
Headline: France’s Macron suggests EU partnership with Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron met on Friday in Paris. The pair discussed Middle East issues with a particular focus on Syria, as well as bilateral cooperation, including the joint Eurosam consortium between Turkey, Italy and France which will develop air- and missile-defense systems and is expected to reduce Turkey’s security vulnerabilities. During Erdogan’s visit, an agreement was signed between ASELSAN, the prominent Turkish defense electronics company, and the Eurosam consortium.
Jan. 5, 2018
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1219746/middle-east
https://www.yahoo.com/news/press-freedom-agenda-erdogan-meets-macron-paris-092121015.html
Iran
Headline: US, Russia gear up for UN showdown over Iran protests
Headline: IS supports Iranian anti-government protests
Headline: 50 killed says Iran opposition, as mass protests enter ninth day
The United States and Russia were set to face off Friday at the United Nations Security Council over how the international community should respond to the protests in Iran, after the U.S. called for an emergency session as it ramps up pressure on the hardline regime in Tehran. The Trump administration has taken a vocal approach to the situation in Iran, where at least 21 people have been killed and over 1,000 arrested as Iranians take to the streets to protest against the regime. In contrast to the U.S. response to the Iran protests in 2009, where the Obama administration took a relatively hands-off approach, President Trump has promised “great support” for the demonstrators, while the State Department has hinted at sanctions for officials who abuse protesters and said that it will use Facebook and Twitter to communicate directly with activists. “We must not be silent,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday. “The people of Iran are crying out for freedom. All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.”
Jan. 5, 2018
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/05/us-russia-gear-up-for-un-showdown-over-iran-protests.html
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5066907,00.html
Afghanistan
Headline: Death toll from Kabul suicide bombing rises to 20
The death toll from the overnight suicide bombing in the heart of Kabul has risen to 20, a police official said on Friday. At least 27 policemen were wounded in the attack in the ninth police district near the Shinozada Private Hospital. Soon after the fatal assault, police said at least 11 people were killed and 25 others injured by the attacker, who detonated his explosives near a group of security personnel. By Friday morning, the number of fatalities jumped to 20, one police official told an international news agency. Tawab Khan, a resident of the locality, said a large number of security personnel had gathered in the area for a crackdown on shopkeepers involved in trading illicit substances. Shortly after the incident, Kabul Emergency Hospital tweeted that 20 injured had been evacuated to the medical facility.
Jan. 4, 2018
https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/01/04/death-toll-kabul-suicide-bombing-rises-20
Headline: Burning Man Announces Newest Centerpiece: Temple to Greek Goddess
The Burning Man Festival, held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada in August, has chosen its centerpiece structure, a massive wood temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Gaia, that is just one of the many pagan symbols featured at the popular desert gathering. The festival has certainly evolved from its humble beginnings over 30- years ago when 20 artists gathered on a Beach in San Francisco. The annual event is now a high-profile gathering that attracts over 70,000 to its isolated desert location. The Burning Man organizers announcedtwo weeks ago that they chose the design for the centerpiece temple of the festival. This year they will build a massive structure composed of 20 wood trusses converging as a spiral. In the center will be a large mandala, a symbol used by Buddhists as an aid in meditation. Designed by Mamou-Mani, a London-based French architect, the structure will be titled Galaxia. In fact, the organizers of Burning Man declare a central theme every year. These have included Dante’s Inferno and Fertility. Every festival culminates in the burning of a massive wood effigy based on the neo-pagan/Druid Wicker Man Ritual which replaced human sacrifice. At last year’s Radical Ritual themed festival, a man died after running into the huge Burning Man effigy. The campground is one large symbol, its boundaries marked off by a huge plastic fence forming a pentagon, an occult symbol used by pagans to outline the five-pointed pentagram star.
Jan. 4, 2018
Headline: Heavy snowstorms in China leave 10 dead
Heavy snowstorms in eastern and central China have left 10 dead and countless others injured, following the collapse of more than 200 houses. State-owned news agency Xinhua reported Friday Anhui, Hubei and Jiangsu provinces have been pounded with snow blizzards. The heavy snow has led to the collapse of 200 residences in the region, and a total of 10 people have died across five provinces and 567,000 more have suffered damages. The data came from Chinese emergency management authorities, according to the report. In rural areas, farmers suffered substantial losses, estimated at about $785 million.
Jan. 5, 2018
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Jan 02
January 2, 2018- Iranians take to the streets for anti-regime protests
The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth December 18, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Device
~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
Headline: Likud Central Committee Votes To ‘Exercise Sovereignty’ Over Judea and Samaria
The Likud Central Committee voted Sunday night to exercise Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. “To mark 50 years to the liberation of Judea and Samaria, including Jerusalem our eternal capital, the Likud Central Committee calls on Likud officials to act so as to enable free construction and to apply Israeli law and sovereignty in all the liberated settlements in Judea and Samaria,” read the resolution passed by the committee. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was a notable absentee from the event held at the Airport City convention center. Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein told the 1,500 delegates attending the event that United States President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital had “opened a new chapter with regard to how the international community views Israel, Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.”
Jan. 1, 2018
Headline:Western Wall Prayers for Rain Answered
Prayers for rain offered up by thousands of Jews at the Western Wall on Thursday had an effect as desperately needed rain fell, raising the level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) one centimeter. Israel has suffered five dry years in a row, causing the worst drought in 40 years. The country has received just 45 percent of its multiyear average rainfall for September through November, and with only two light rainfalls in December. This dire situation has led to emergency measures, both spiritual and physical. At the behest of Chief Rabbi David Lau three weeks ago, Jews and Christians around the world began adding special prayers for rain. Last Thursday, thousands answered Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel’s call for a special prayer session at the Western Wall.The prayers were led by the chief rabbis of Israel, Rabbi David Lau and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, along with other prominent rabbis. The prayers were answered quickly. Israel’s Water Authority announced on Monday morning that approximately one inch of rain fell overnight in Israel’s Golan and Upper Galilee regions. As a result of the blessing, the Kinneret’s water level rose .4 inches, bringing it to four and a half feet from the lower red line and eighteen feet from the lake’s maximum capacity. Approximately six inches of snow gathered on Mount Hermon’s upper slopes, and three inches fell on the mountain’s lower slopes.
Jan. 1, 2018
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/100238/western-wall-prayers-rain-answered/
Headline: IDF retaliates to rocket launched at Eshkol
A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in open land near a community in the Eshkol Regional Council, catching nearby residents by surprise as no alarm was sounded to warn them ahead of time. Israel Air Force aircrafts attacked a Hamas military compound in the southern Gaza Strip in retaliation. IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the target was attacked since the army considers Hamas solely responsible for any fire emanating from the strip. Fragments of the rocket were found near a paved road. No one was injured and no property was damaged. On Saturday, Israeli jets attacked a Hamas observation post in northern Gaza in response to rockets that were fired Friday morning at Israel during a ceremony held in memory of IDF soldier Oron Shaul, whose body has been held by Hamas in Gaza since Operation Protective Edge.
Jan. 2, 2018
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5065037,00.html
Headline: New 80-majority Jerusalem bill has loophole enabling city to be divided
A law ostensibly meant to make it harder to cede parts of Jerusalem to a foreign entity – which contains a glaring loophole that allows Jerusalem to be divided – passed its final vote in the Knesset overnight on Monday. The amendment to Basic Law: Jerusalem, requiring a vote of 80 out of the 120 MKs to give parts of the capital away – an absolute two-thirds majority – was proposed by Bayit Yehudi-faction chairwoman Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, with enthusiastic backing from her party leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett. The newly requisite super-majority (more than just over half) comes in addition to the existing law requiring a referendum to give away any sovereign land, which includes Jerusalem. Although concessions in Jerusalem require an 80-MK vote, the bill can be changed with a 61-lawmaker absolute majority (as opposed to merely a majority of those present for the vote). However, the bill also canceled the article in the Basic Law that prohibits changing Jerusalem’s municipal borders, such that the new version creates a loophole by which parts of Jerusalem can be turned into a new municipality, and then ceded to the Palestinians. Such land will still be subject to 80-MK vote and the Referendum Law.
Jan. 2, 2018
Headline:US warns it won’t fund UN refugee agency if Palestinians reject talks
The US on Tuesday threatened it would cut aid to the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency if Ramallah refused to come to the negotiating table for relaunched peace talks. Speaking with reporters Tuesday at UN headquarters, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley stressed the US remains committed to reaching a peace deal and implied it would cut off aid if the Palestinians refused to engage in peace negotiations. Responding to a reporter’s question on whether the US will continue to provide funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to millions of Palestinian refugees, in light of a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution condemning the recognition, Haley said Trump was prepared to cut aid to UNRWA if the Palestinians refuse to return to peace talks. “I think the president has basically said that he doesn’t want to give any additional funding until the Palestinians are agreeing to come back to the negotiation table,” Haley said. “We’re trying to move for a peace process but if that doesn’t happen the president is not going to continue to fund that situation.”
Jan. 2, 2018
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-warns-it-wont-fund-refugee-agency-if-palestinians-reject-talks/
Jordan
Headline: Jordan warns Israel of consequences of Unified Jerusalem vote
Jordanian government spokesman Muhammad al-Momani condemned the "Unified Jerusalem" bill recently passed in the Knesset, saying that Jerusalem is part of the "occupied territories" and must be resolved by negotiation in a final settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. He added: "We are warning Israel of the dangers of its recent actions, including the passing of the above-mentioned bill and the vote by Likud Party members regarding imposing Israeli sovereignty on West Bank settlements."
Jan. 2, 2018
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5065488,00.html
Iran
Headline: Iranians take to the streets for fourth day of anti-regime protests
Headline:Leading Iranian ‘Hard-Line’ Cleric Supports Protests
Headline: Iran protests: Supreme leader Khamenei blames 'enemies'
Headline:US Intelligence Reportedly Gives Israel Green Light To Assassinate Iran's Top General
Anti-government protesters demonstrated in Iran on Sunday in defiance of a warning by the authorities of a tough crackdown, extending for a fourth day one of the most audacious challenges to the clerical leadership since pro-reform unrest in 2009. Police in the center of Tehran fired water cannon to try to disperse demonstrators, according to pictures on social media. Video posted online also showed a clash between protesters and police in the city of Khoramdareh in Zanjan province in the country's northwest. Reuters was unable immediately to verify the authenticity of the footage. There were also reports of demonstrations in the cities of Sanandaj and Kermanshah in western Iran as well as Chabahar in the southeast and Ilam and Izeh in the southwest. Tens of thousands of people have protested across the country since Thursday against the Islamic Republic's unelected clerical elite and Iranian foreign policy in the region. They have also chanted slogans in support of political prisoners. Demonstrators initially vented their anger over economic hardships and alleged corruption but they took on a rare political dimension, with a growing number of people calling on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down.
Jan. 2, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42539445
Headline: Trump plans to halt US aid to Pakistan
US President Donald Trump tweeted Monday: “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!” DEBKAfile: Trump’s decision came after Pakistan’s information chief Maj. Gen. Asif Ghaffor announced on Thursday: “We have done enough and we cannot do any more for anyone [i.e. US]. Whatever we are doing and shall do will only be done for Pakistan.
Jan. 1, 2018
https://www.debka.com/mivzak/trump-plans-halt-us-aid-pakistan/
Headline: Violence, destruction across India after deadly clashes
Violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups in India have led to the death of at least one person and injuries to several others, officials said Tuesday. Dalits, also known as "untouchables," are considered the lowest social status group among the Hindu caste system, a classification that divides Hindus in a hierarchy. Maratha are considered by some as champions of Hinduism. Violence erupted in Pune Monday, during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon, a battle in 1818 in which a British Army comprised of Dalits defeated upper-caste Peshwas, who were leaders of the Maratha groups. Protesters on Tuesday sought action against those responsible for killing a man during the celebrations. On Tuesday, protesters damaged buses and disputed rail traffic as the violence spilled over into the capital city of Mumbai. Shops across the area shut down as violence spread and protesters blocked roadways, authorities said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed for calm and ordered an inquiry into the death of the demonstrator killed Monday. Fadnavis also offered compensation to the family. To protest against the government's failure to stop the violence, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar called a "Maharashtra bandh" for Wednesday, a protest that would shut down government offices and shops across the state.
Jan. 2, 2018
Dec. 14, 2017–Hundreds of dead birds found in the countryside of Northern Sweden
https://sputniknews.com/viral/201712141059999598-sweden-dead-birds/
Dec. 16, 2017–Hundreds of pigeons fall dead near Santa Cruz, Bolivia
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eldia.com.bo%2Findex.php%3Fcat%3D1%26pla%3D3%26id_articulo%3D241245&edit-text=&act=url
Dec. 19, 2017–Hundreds of dead sharks wash up on Iranian island
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42409576
Dec. 19, 2017–Thousands of dead fish without eyes wash up in Castel Volturno, Italy
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ilmattino.it%2Fcaserta%2Fstrage_cefali_migliaia_trovati_morti_senza_occhi-3437851.html&edit-text=&act=url
Dec. 20, 2017– Thousands of dead fish found in a reservoir in Escaba, Argentina
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lagaceta.com.ar%2Fnota%2F755680%2Factualidad%2Faparecieron-miles-peces-muertos-dique-escaba.html&edit-text=&act=url
Dec. 20, 2017– Hundreds of thousands of fish die in Jumeirah Islands, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
http://gulfnews.com/xpress/news/mystery-as-lake-turns-into-fish-graveyard-1.2144505
Dec. 22, 2017– 16,000 ducks killed due to avian flu in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-saudi/saudi-arabia-confirms-h5n8-bird-flu-outbreak-oie-idUSKBN1EG21U
Dec. 23, 2017– Hundreds of dead fish found in the waters of Lee County, Florida
https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/dead-fish-spotted-on-cayo-costa-state-park
Dec. 27, 2017– Thousands of dead fish wash ashore in Haderslev, Denmark
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jv.dk%2Fhaderslev%2FTusindvis-af-doede-fisk-er-skyllet-i-land-i-damparken%2Fartikel%2F2572754&edit-text=&act=url
Dec. 27, 2017– Mass die off of fish inPorto de Pedras, Brazil
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fg1.globo.com%2Fal%2Falagoas%2Fnoticia%2Fima-investiga-mortandade-de-peixes-em-porto-de-pedras-alagoas.ghtml&edit-text=&act=url
Dec. 29, 2017– 660,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Kostroma Oblast, Russia
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-russia/russia-reports-virulent-h5n2-bird-flu-at-660000-bird-farm-oie-idUSKBN1EN1CD
Dec. 31, 2017– Hundreds of dead fish, seagulls and a dolphin wash up in Cornwall, England
http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/dead-seagulls-hundreds-fish-dolphin-993985
Headline: Nigerians killed in New Year attack on Rivers church
At least 16 people have been killed by gunmen in southern Nigeria after a New Year's Day church service, police say. The group had attended a midnight service before they were ambushed in the early hours of Monday, police told the BBC. The incident, which happened in the oil-rich region of Rivers state, has been linked to growing tensions between rival gangs, local reports say. The gunmen are said to have fired at random, killing some at close range. The noise of fireworks that greeted the New Year celebrations in Omuku town made it difficult for residents to realise that shots were being fired and people were being killed, reports say.
Jan. 2, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42540793
Headline: Storm Eleanor to SMASH UK: Britain facing hurricane-force wind as storm to become CYCLONE
The entire country is warned to batten down the hatches for torrential downpours and 50 to 80mph gales through tomorrow. Heavy rain threatens widespread flooding sparking warnings to expect travel mayhem through the start of 2018. It is likely forecasters will name the fifth storm of the season on Tuesday – Eleanor – following Dylan on New Year’s Eve. Forecasters are warning that Storm Eleanor is strengthening toward the northwest coast of the Azores and will develop into a powerful cyclone over the next 24 hours. Government forecasters warn it will be the first in series of assaults before Britain is plunged back into the freezer this weekend.
Jan. 2, 2018
All earthquakes are instantly posted to the ETRM Facebook page- you do not need to sign up; click the photo below to see the earthquake album
~click the photo to see ALL the maps of the large earthquakes for the current year~
Dec 21
Dec. 21, 2017- ETRM will return with more news Jan. 2, 2018
The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth December 18, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Device
Headline: U.N. Defies Trump's Threats by Passing Resolution on Jerusalem
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a measure critical of President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel despite U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s warning that the move could put funding for their nations and the global body at risk. The nonbinding UN resolution passed on Thursday by a vote of 128-9, with 35 nations abstaining. Key U.S. allies backing the measure over Trump’s threats included the U.K., France, Italy, Japan and Germany. The U.S. was joined in opposition by countries including Guatemala, Nauru and Micronesia. Abstentions included Australia, Canada and Argentina. “The United States will remember this day when it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly,” Haley said at the U.N. podium ahead of the vote. “We will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they often do, to pay even more. This vote will be remembered.” That threat was repudiated by speakers from countries supporting the resolution, which says the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations. A similar resolution had 14 votes in favor in the 15-member Security Council last week, prompting Haley to exercise the first U.S. veto since 2011.
Dec. 21, 2017
Dec 19
Dec. 19, 2017- U.N. General Assembly meeting set over U.S. veto of Jerusalem resolution
The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth December 18, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Device
~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
Headline: Israel strikes 40 Hamas targets over two weeks in response to rocket fire
Headline: Why aren’t Israelis told that Hamas High Command is behind the persistent rocket fire?
Israeli jets struck six Hamas targets in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday night, after rockets were fired into southern Israel earlier in the evening, one of which slightly damaged a home. Israel Air Force planes struck the targets, including a military compound that served as a training site and other terrorist infrastructures, the IDF Spokesman’s Unit said in a statement. “Hamas is exclusively responsible for the situation in the Gaza Strip. The IDF takes the firing of rockets at Israeli communities very seriously and will not allow any harm or attempt to harm the citizens of the State of Israel,” the statement said. Two rockets launched from the Gaza Strip slammed into the community of Netiv Hashayara in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council area, with shrapnel from the impact slightly damaging a home. A second rocket that landed in open territory caused no damage. Sirens sounded again in the Ashkelon Industrial Zone and nearby communities at 2:30 a.m., but the IDF said the rocket fell inside the Hamas-run enclave.
Dec. 18, 2017
https://www.debka.com/arent-israelis-told-hamas-high-command-behind-persistent-rocket-fire/
Headline: US vetoes UN resolution against Trump’s Jerusalem decision
Headline: Nikki Haley Slams UN for Resolution Denouncing Trump’s Jerusalem Proclamation
The United States on Monday vetoed a resolution supported by the 14 other U.N. Security Council members that would have required President Donald Trump to rescind his declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a vote that showed the depth of global opposition to the U.S. move. The United States was certain to veto the Egyptian-sponsored resolution, but its Arab supporters wanted the vote to demonstrate that countries everywhere and even many U.S. allies such as Britain, France and Japan are against Trump’s action. The Palestinians immediately announced that they will seek a resolution with similar demands in the 193-member General Assembly, where there are no vetoes. But unlike the Security Council, the assembly’s resolutions are not legally binding. Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters after meeting with the General Assembly president that he expects a vote this week. He said he hopes for “overwhelming support” telling the Trump administration that the international community doesn’t accept the U.S. position, which he said violates international law and Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
Dec. 19, 2017
Headline: U.N. General Assembly meeting set over U.S. veto of Jerusalem resolution
The U.N. General Assembly will meet in an emergency session this week after the United States vetoed a resolution to reject the Trump administration’s new policy of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. A bloc of Arab nations, Turkey and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation requested the meeting of the entire 193-nation U.N. body. The Palestinian Authority is a non-member observer in the United Nations. On Dec. 6, President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced plans to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv. On Monday, the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of the resolution by a vote of 14-1. The United States voted against the measure, one of five permanent members with veto power. No nation, though, can veto resolutions in the General Assembly. Miroslav Lajcak, general assembly president, did not say when the meeting will be held. Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said he expected the special session to take place Wednesday or Thursday.
Dec. 19, 2017
Headline: Abbas sends envoys to China, Russia to seek replacement for US in peace process
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday dispatched delegations to China and Russia in the hopes of finding international partners to “replace” the United States as mediator for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Abbas has said he will no longer accept the US as a mediator after US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6. “The two delegations will convey a message from President Abbas to Russia and China, the purpose of which is to find a new international sponsor for the peace process, in the framework of the United Nations, in order to replace the American sponsorship,” said senior PA official Ahmad Majdalani, according to a report in the official PA news site Wafa.
Dec. 19, 2017
Jordan
Headline: Jordan’s Christians throw weight behind King’s pro-Jerusalem push
Headline: Pope and Jordan’s king discuss Jerusalem, Temple Mount
Christian religious and non-clergy figures on Monday hailed and reaffirmed the messages of church leaders conveyed during a meeting attended by His Majesty King Abdullah at the Baptism Site a day earlier. They confirmed that the Christians of Jordan and Palestine, look at the King, the Custodian of Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem, as the protector of these shrines and the rights of Christians in the occupied city and the guarantor of an “unbreakable unity” between Muslims and Christians. The event came amid a campaign led by Jordan to isolate and neutralise any effect of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and make arrangements to move the US embassy to the occupied city. Speakers stressed their firm stands in support of Jordan’s positions, role and efforts to defend the holy city and safeguard its status quo in the face of unilateral decisions to alter the character of the city. Christian religious figures in Jordan echoed the same messages.
Dec. 19, 2017
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pope-and-jordans-king-discuss-jerusalem-temple-mount/
Saudi Arabia
Headline: Saudis intercept Yemen rebel missile targeting royal palace
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Shiite rebels said it intercepted a missile fired over southern Riyadh on Tuesday, while the rebels said they targeted the royal palace in the kingdom’s capital. It was the second time in as many months that a rebel projectile had reached as far inside the kingdom as Riyadh. The Yemeni rebels said they launched a ballistic missile to target Yamama Palace in Riyadh, where King Salman chairs weekly government meetings and receives dignitaries and heads of state from around the world. The coalition statement, carried by Saudi state TV, said the missile was fired by the rebels known as Houthis. State TV said no damage was caused by the intercepted missile. Residents of Riyadh posted videos on social media showing a small cloud of smoke in the sky after hearing a loud explosion over their homes and while driving. In Yemen, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the group targeted the Yamama Palace. He tweeted that a ballistic “Volcano H-2” missile was used in the attack.
Dec. 19, 2017
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-saudi-arabia-yemen-missile-20171219-story.html
Egypt
Headline: One killed and two wounded in shelling attack
AN officer has been killed and two others wounded following a shell attack on a military airport near Arish in Egypt’s North Sinai region. The attack is believed to have happened while the Ministers of Defense and Interior were visiting Arish, which is located close to the Gaza Strip. Neither minister is believed to have been injured in the attack. Those wounded in the attack are believed to be an officer and a soldier, according to security sources. A statement from an Egyptian army spokesman said a helicopter had been damaged during the attack, and that security forces had “dealt with the source of fire”.
Dec. 19, 2017
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/894373/egypt-airport-shelling-attack-terror-army-north-sinai
Iraq
Headline: Protests rock Iraqi Kurdistan for second day
Headline: Kurdish protesters set fire to party offices in northern Iraq
Protesters in Iraqi Kurdistan torched a mayor’s office and stormed a ruling party building on Tuesday as anger raged for a second day over the disastrous fallout from an independence vote. The September referendum delivered a resounding “yes” for independence but drew sweeping reprisals from Baghdad, which dealt a heavy blow to the autonomous region’s already flagging economy.
In its second largest city Sulaimaniyah, security forces fired in the air to disperse demonstrators marching on the central Saray Square, an AFP correspondent reported. Roadblocks sprang up across the city on major roads and around the offices of the main political parties. Protests were also held in the Sulaimaniyah province towns of Rania and Kifri, and in Halabja and Koysinjaq in neighboring Irbil province. In Koysinjaq, demonstrators set fire to the mayor’s office, while in Kifri hundreds stormed the offices of Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party after pelting the building with stones, witnesses said.
Dec. 19, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1211501/middle-east
http://jordantimes.com/news/region/kurdish-protesters-set-fire-party-offices-northern-iraq
Turkey
Headline: Turkey’s leader calls for backing of UN motion on Jerusalem
Turkey’s president is calling on nations to back a non-binding resolution that is expected to be brought to the U.N. General Assembly and seeks the cancellation of President Donald Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the appeal Tuesday during a joint news conference with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, a day after the U.S. vetoed such a resolution in the U.N. Security Council. Fourteen other members of the Security Council supported the resolution — a move Erdogan described as “important and meaningful.” The Turkish leader said: “I invite all U.N. member countries to defend Jerusalem’s historic status (in the 193-member General Assembly).” Erdogan has been among the most vocal critics of Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem.
Dec. 19, 2017
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkeys-leader-calls-backing-motion-jerusalem-51883867
Afghanistan
Headline: 3 militants killed in ISIS attack on Afghanistan’s main spy agency
Gunmen opened fire near a training facility on Monday in Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency in Kabul, leading to a fight with security forces that resulted in three militants being killed, local authorities said. Although details of the attack are still unclear, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry told Reuters that two members of Afghan security forces were wounded but their injuries were not life threatening. The attackers reportedly used rocket-propelled grenades and light weapons. The Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the attack in Afghanistan’s capital. “Initial reports indicate the gunmen are wearing police uniforms,” Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told CBS News.
Dec. 19, 2017
Headline: Clashes as Argentina congress debates pensions
Argentina’s Congress has been debating pension reforms for the second time in a week amid more violent protests in the capital, Buenos Aires. The lower house was due to vote on the bill last Thursday but had to postpone the session because of the disturbances. The government says the reforms will help tackle the large fiscal deficit. But the protesters accuse the government of balancing the books at the expense of the poor. Demonstrators threw stones, bottles, rocks and petrol bombs, while police in riot gear responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon. The authorities said 48 people had been arrested and at least 100 injured.
Dec. 19, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42407555
Headline: Dozens die in clash between Ethiopian Somalis and Oromos
At least 61 people have been killed in clashes between different ethnic groups in Ethiopia’s Oromia region since Thursday, officials said. It is not clear what caused the latest violence between ethnic Somalis and Oromos. But it comes after soldiers shot dead 16 ethnic Oromos at a protest on Tuesday, reports Reuters news agency. Oromia government’s spokesperson, Adisu Arega, announced the deaths on his Facebook page. He said 29 ethnic Oromos were killed between 14 and 17 December and 32 ethnic Somali Ethiopians were killed in revenge attacks. He added that the clashes happened in the region’s Hawi Gudina and Daro Lebu districts.
Dec. 18, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42394108
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