Jan 24
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Jan 23
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 18, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
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Headline: With Obama out, 566 new Jewish housing units approved in Jerusalem
Headline: France demands Israel retract plans for 566 new Jerusalem homes
The municipality of Jerusalem on Sunday approved the construction of 566 new Jewish homes in northern portions of city that were won by Israel from Jordan during the Six Day War of 1967. “After eight difficult years of Obama, we are continuing to build in Jerusalem,” remarked Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat. “I hope that the era of government delays as a result of political pressures has ended and that we will we able to leave to a big building boom in order to strengthen the sovereignty over a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.” The municipality originally made the building plans in late December after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning construction in areas of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. However, the initiative was postponed in order not to further anger the then-outgoing Obama Administation that had abstained from vetoing the UN Security Council resolution condemning Jewish communities in those areas. The new housing units will be built in the neighborhoods of Ramot and Ramat Shlomo in the northwestern parts of Jerusalem as well as in Pisgat Ze’ev, which lies more to the east.
Jan. 22, 2017
https://worldisraelnews.com/france-demands-israel-retract-plans-for-566-new-jerusalem-homes/
Headline: Netanyahu promises unfettered construction in East Jerusalem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the high-level security cabinet Sunday he will soon announce expanded construction in the settlement blocs and ease all building restrictions in East Jerusalem. The prime minister said he will remove any political obstacles from regional and local planning committees in order to ease construction in East Jerusalem, according to Hebrew media reports. He added that wide-scale building will soon be green-lighted in the settlement blocs as well. The prime minister also told ministers that his “vision” is that all of the settlements in the West Bank will ultimately come under Israeli sovereignty in any accommodation, Channel 2 news reported. Netanyahu’s declaration on Sunday convinced ministers from the settlement-backing Jewish Home party to postpone a cabinet vote on a bill to annex a West Bank settlement on the outskirts of Jerusalem for at least a month, according to the Haaretz newspaper. The controversial bill, presented by Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, would extend Israeli sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim. Instead, the cabinet voted unanimously not to approve the proposed legislation until after an expected meeting between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump next month.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-promises-unrestricted-construction-in-east-jerusalem/
Headline: Palestinians threaten consequences if US embassy moves to Jerusalem
Headline: Hamas: We’ll fight embassy move ‘using all means’
Headline: Trump and Netanyahu discuss ‘beginning stage’ of US Embassy move to Jerusalem
Headline: ‘Trump has already sent embassy architects to Jerusalem’
Senior PLO official Saeb Erekat threatened on Monday that the Palestinians will revoke recognition of the State of Israel and seek to have Israel suspended from the UN if the United States moves its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “The PLO will not be able to continue to recognize Israel as east Jerusalem is annexed,” Erekat said in an interview with Ynet. During the interview, Erekat pointed the finger at the Israeli government saying, “The Israeli government is aligning itself with the most extreme, white supremacist, nationalist, populist parties in Europe and the United States against Arabs and Muslims; these people are inciting war against the values and concepts of Arabs and Muslims. “I hope that Trump will not do it and we urge him not to do it. We urge him to try and bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.” Meanwhile, On Sunday night, Jerusalem City Councilman and Deputy Mayor Meir Turjemon told Channel 10 that in fact preliminary work on a new embassy in Jerusalem had already begun, claiming that a US government architect responsible for designing American diplomatic facilities were examining possible building sites in the Israeli capital. “The architect who designs American embassies around the world has already arrived in Israel to examine the conditions in the field,” Turjemon is quoted as saying. According to the report, three sites already used by the US State Department are now under consideration for use by the embassy.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4911536,00.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223688
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4911174,00.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223671
Headline: Amona residents call for protest against evacuation
Headline: Bennett: This is the time for action, not excuses
Headline: PM to Bennett: This is not the time for knee-jerk reactions
Residents of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona say they feel the government betrayed their agreement to compensate them for evacuating peacefully, and call on the public to protest the demolition later this month. Meanwhile, Education Minister Naftali Bennett called for the government to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Trump Administration and to apply Israeli sovereignty over the city of Maaleh Adumim immediately at the Jewish Home faction meeting Monday. “The US is entering a new era. The State of Israel is also this week entering a new era for national security,” Bennett said. “Prime Minister Netanyahu faces a historic decision: either sovereignty or Palestine. Either sovereignty or ISIS on Route 6.” Bennett continued: “We call upon Prime Minister Netanyahu: don’t miss this opportunity which came only after 50 years. We will give complete backing to the Prime Minister to act with courage and determination. There is a perception that we must continue to manuever and defend, but we must initiate [policy] and stick with it.”
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/amona-residents-call-for-protest-against-evacuation/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223718
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223719
Jordan
Headline: King, Abbas discuss Mideast, region ahead of Arab summit
His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday discussed efforts to revive Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations and the regional situation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to a Royal Court statement. The talks, held at Al Husseiniya Palace, focused on the importance of the upcoming Arab summit the Kingdom is going to host on March 29 and the issues on its agenda, on top of which are Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian issue is expected to witness a dramatic turn if new US President Donald Trump makes good on his promise to relocate his country’s embassy to Jerusalem, the east part of which is part of the two-state solution to the Mideast conflict, and where the Hashemite leadership of Jordan is the official custodian of religious shrines. Jordan will work with all regional and international parties to maintain the historic status quo in Jerusalem, the King said in regard to protecting sanctuaries in Palestine. Moreover, the talks focused on the importance of coordination during the upcoming period with the US administration and Congress to discuss the repercussions of any decisions that violate the status quo in Jerusalem on peace and security in the region, and highlighted also regional developments. King Abdullah said that Jordan, through the presidency of the summit, is going to work on reviving the momentum of efforts to solve the conflict and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Jan. 22, 2017
http://jordantimes.com/news/local/king-abbas-discuss-mideast-region-ahead-arab-summit
Lebanon
Headline: Lebanese security forces foil attack in capital
Headline: Would-be suicide bomber in Beirut confesses to being a part of ISIS
Lebanon’s National News Agency says local security forces have foiled a suicide bombing attempt in the capital’s bustling commercial district and arrested the would-be attacker.
The national news agency says the attacker was wearing an explosive belt. The agency says he was stopped shortly before midnight Saturday before he walked into a coffee shop in the popular Hamra district. The agency says the young man was injured. There were conflicted reports about the identity of the attacker. The Lebanese Security Forces have announced on their Twitter account that the would be suicide bomber in Beirut yesterday confessed to being a terrorist of ISIS. Preliminary reports also emerged that the would-be suicide bomber was Palestinian, however, this was proven to be false. The ISIS militant was a Lebanese national from Sidon, Lebanon’s third largest city, and located in the south.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1042566/middle-east
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/suicide-bomber-beirut-confesses-part-isis/
Saudi Arabia
Headline: Yemeni government forces seize Red Sea port of Mokha
Headline: Fresh fighting in Yemen leaves 66 combatants dead
Headline: Egypt extends participation in Arab coalition in Yemen
Yemeni army forces backed by Gulf Arabs fought their way into the Red Sea coast city of Al-Mokha on Monday, military officials said, pushing out Iran-allied Houthi militia. A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war nearly two years ago to back President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces. The so-called National Army loyal to Hadi entered the port area on Mokha’s southwestern edge, an army official said. “Houthi forces began withdrawing this morning, and the city is nearly abandoned after most of its residents departed,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The city and the port under the control of national army.” A spokesman for rival army forces fighting for the Houthis could not be immediately reached for comment.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1043161/middle-east
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1042656/middle-east
Egypt
Headline: Egypt: Terrorists kill five policemen in the Sinai
According to the report, the terrorists stopped the police vehicle, attacked the officers and then fled the scene. Egypt has been suffering from violent terrorist attacks in the Sinai since the January 2011 revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. The attacks increased after the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. Most of the terrorist attacks in the Sinai have been claimed by the Sinai Province terrorist group, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS). Among the attacks claimed by Sinai Province in recent years were the assassination of a top Egyptian police general, who was gunned down as he left his home in a west Cairo neighborhood, and a bus bombing on a tour bus filled with South Korean tourists in the Sinai.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223687
Headline: Syria opposition delegates arrive in Astana for peace talks
Headline: Turkey: Immediate Syria solution shouldn’t be expected at Astana talks
Members of the Syrian opposition delegation arrived on Sunday in the Kazakh capital Astana for face-to-face peace talks with the war-torn nation’s government. The talks will be the first time a delegation composed exclusively of opposition groups will negotiate with the regime of Assad. A source close to the opposition’s team told AFP that the delegation had been broadened from eight opposition figures to a total of 14, in addition to 21 legal and political advisers. The 10-member government delegation, headed by its UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari, left Damascus on Sunday, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The US State Department on Saturday decided not to send a delegation from Washington to attend peace talks in the Kazakh capital next week due to immediate demands of the transition. The State Department’s acting spokesman Mark Toner, however, said US Ambassador to Kazakhstan, George Krol, would attend the Monday talks as an observer. UN Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura has said he intends to convene separate peace talks in Geneva on Feb. 8.
Jan. 22, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1042591/middle-east
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4911530,00.html
Headline: Astana floored by Russian pick as Assad successor
Syrian government and rebel groups launch a fresh peace conference in the Kazakh capital of Astana Monday, Jan.23 in freezing temperatures of minus 20 Centigrade. Although the event is jointly sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran, Moscow is the real power-broker. debkafile’s intelligence sources reveal that the delegations on both sides of the table were caught off-balance by the arrival of Bashar Assad’s former close friend, Gen. Manas Tlass, whom Russia flew in from his place of exile in a Gulf emirate to a prominent seat with the opposition delegation. Gen. Tlass, 53, son of the eminent Gen. Mustafa Tlass, defense minister under President Hafez Assad, was awarded high honors by his son Bashar as one of his closest friends. Although appointed commander of the prestigious 104th Brigade in the Syrian Republican Guard, Manas chose to defect and flee the country in 2012, not long after the outbreak of the Syrian uprising. Our sources report that Moscow has chosen him as lead player in Syria’s post-Assad era, initially in the transition government in Damascus which is scheduled to start evolving from the peace process kicked off at Astana this week. This does not imply that Bashar Assad will be gone in a day – only that a new mechanism will be put in place to start curtailing his powers. How quickly and how far this process will unfold cannot yet be determined. Iran threatens to be one of the main obstacles to any reduction in Assad’s powers.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://debka.com/article/25898/Astana-floored-by-Russian-pick-as-Assad-successor
Headline: Assad’s forces advance north toward rebels backed by U.S., Turkey, Gulf states
Syrian forces backed by Russia, Iran and Hizbullah seized several villages from Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) on Jan. 22 as they advanced closer to Turkish-backed rebels in the country’s north. President Bashar Assad’s army and its allies captured the villages of Sora, Moran, Surja al-Saghira and Surja al-Kabira, located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of al-Bab and roughly the same distance east of Aleppo. Anti-Assad rebels supported by Turkish jets, armored vehicles and special forces are attempting to capture al-Bab from ISIL after reaching its northern outskirts a month ago. The main battle in Syria’s civil war is between Assad and his allies and rebels that include groups backed by Turkey, Gulf states and the United States. Both sides, as well as a separate group of Kurdish-led militias, are also fighting against ISIL and retaking territory which the jihadist group controls in northern Syria. “Although Turkey has long been one of the biggest supporters of anti-Assad rebels, its entry into Syria last summer was aimed at pushing ISIL from its border and at stopping Kurdish groups linking two enclaves they control along the frontier,” Reuters reported on Jan. 22. “After rebels lost their pocket of territory in Aleppo in December, Turkey and Assad’s main supporter Russia brokered a ceasefire and peace talks in Syria between the government and insurgents.” Last week, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek seemed to soften Ankara’s position against Assad, saying it was no longer realistic to demand a resolution of the conflict without his involvement.
Jan. 22, 2017
Headline: Islamic State offensive against Assad regime cuts city of Deir Ezzor in two
Headline: Russian strategic aviation hits ISIS targets in Deir Ezzor again
On Jan. 15, the Islamic State launched a new offensive in Deir Ezzor. The eastern Syrian city has been divided between the so-called caliphate and Bashar al Assad’s regime since July 2014. In the two and half years since, the jihadists and Assad’s loyalists have regularly clashed, leading to an ongoing humanitarian crisis. The situation has become even more dire in recent days. Despite fighting on multiple fronts throughout Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State was able to muster enough forces for a significant push into the city. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s men have “effectively cut the besieged enclave in two.” Deir Ezzor’s airport and two neighborhoods in the east have been cut off from the city’s more populous western neighborhoods.
Jan. 23, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-strategic-aviation-hits-isis-targets-deir-ezzor/
Headline: Iraqi forces take complete control of east Mosul
Iraqi forces have captured all of eastern Mosul, dislodging ISIS militants from the last district they held east of the Tigris river, 100 days after the start of the U.S.-backed campaign, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. Mosul is ISIS’ last major city stronghold in Iraq. “The armed forces succeeded in liberating the left bank of the city of Mosul completely, after inflicting heavy losses in lives and equipment to the enemy,” the ministry said in a statement on its website. Mopping up operations were underway to clear a remaining pocket inside Rashidiya, a northeastern suburb of Mosul, said military spokesman Brigadier-General Yahya Rasool in a statement. Iraqi forces launched a campaign on Oct. 17 to retake Mosul from the hardline Sunni group, which captured the city in 2014, declaring from its Grand Mosque a “caliphate” that also spanned parts of Syria, ruled by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A U.S.-led coalition is providing air and ground support to the Iraqi forces. The western side of Mosul could prove more complicated to take than the eastern as it has many narrow streets that tanks and other large armored vehicles cannot pass through.
Jan. 23, 2017
Turkey
Headline: Turkey’s New Constitution Would End Its Democracy
With all eyes on the U.S. as it inaugurates a new leader, Turkey is preparing to amend its constitution to make its president even more powerful than the American executive. There’s nothing inherently wrong with replacing parliamentary government with a presidential system. The problem is timing and context: Turkey’s proposed changes, which will go to a national referendum after being approved by parliament, follow the unsuccessful coup against increasingly autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In practice, a revised constitution would make it much easier for Erdogan to consolidate power entirely, taking Turkey out of the democratic column and making it into a dictatorship, pure and simple. The proposed constitutional revision has lots of moving parts. But the most important is to transform Turkey’s modified parliamentary system into a presidential one. The president’s powers now are, in principle, much more limited. He governs alongside a prime minister chosen by the parliamentary majority, who in turn appoints a cabinet that’s responsible to parliament. An important practical and symbolic mechanism of parliamentary oversight of the government is the right of parliament to demand that cabinet ministers appear before it to answer inquiries — a right known as “interpellation.” The new draft would shift the basic structure of the system by abolishing the office of prime minister and giving the president the authority to appoint the members of the cabinet. As part of this change, the parliament’s right to interpellate cabinet ministers would be removed.
Jan. 22, 2017
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-22/turkey-s-new-constitution-would-end-its-democracy
Iran
Headline: Rebels appear to rule out ceasefire role for Iran
Headline: Iran becomes a major problem
Rebel fighters meeting the Syrian government for the first time in the country’s bloody six-year civil war appear to have rejected a plan for Iran to play a role in monitoring the ceasefire. Alloush said in his opening remarks that the presence of Iranian-sponsored militias alongside regular Syrian government troops made peace more difficult to achieve, and called for them to leave the country. He also called for the release of prisoners from government jails, saying 13,000 women were being held arbitrarily. Alloush insisted the political process would begin with the departure of Assad, Iran, and their militias – a set of demands that put the opposition at loggerheads with the regime. Meanwhile, the Iranians have made it clear to Moscow that they intend to maximize the implementation of Russia’s strategy in Syria and then in the entire Middle East. Iran may create a variety of problems for Russia, including those associated with the resumption of Russian-US cooperation on Syria. It appears that Iran wants Russia to choose between Iran and Turkey. Iran assumes that neither Russia nor Turkey will be able to achieve any practical results in Syria without Iran. Iran also wants Russia to choose between Iran and Washington. In a nutshell, Iran wants Russia to recognize that Teheran holds the key to the regulation of the Syrian crisis. Should Russia decide that the real strategy is built on the cooperation between Moscow and Washington, rather than Moscow and Teheran, the Islamic Republic will be “extremely disappointed.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.pravdareport.com/world/asia/23-01-2017/136679-iran-0/
Afghanistan
Headline: Taliban tells new US President Trump to quit Afghanistan
The Taliban has called on President Donald Trump to withdraw US forces from the “quagmire” of Afghanistan, saying that nothing has been achieved in 15 years of war except bloodshed and destruction. In an open letter to the new US president published on one of its official web pages, the insurgent movement said the United States had lost credibility after spending a trillion dollars on a fruitless entanglement. “So, the responsibility to bring to an end this war also rests on your shoulders,” it said. So far, Trump has had little to say publicly about Afghanistan, where some US troops remain as part of the NATO-led coalition’s training mission to support local forces as well as a separate US counter-terrorism mission. Two of his top security appointments – retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense and former General Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser – both have extensive experience in Afghanistan. The Taliban, however, warned Trump against relying on the kind of “unrealistic” reports presented to former presidents by their generals, saying: “They would emphasize continuation of war and occupation of Afghanistan because they can have better positions and privileges in war.”
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Taliban-tells-new-US-President-Trump-to-quit-Afghanistan-479355
Ethiopia & Sudan
Headline: Diplomatic row breaks out between South Sudan and Ethiopia
A diplomatic row has broken out between South Sudan and neighbouring Ethiopia following rumours on social media that President Salva Kiir accepted to allow Ethiopian rebels to open their office in the capital Juba. “Rumours have been circulating on social media that when President Kiir visited Egypt, he discussed important issues with the Egyptian officials so that Ethiopian rebels can open an office in Juba, “a senior government official who preferred anonymity told Radio Tamazuj today. “The rumours circulated that the President has accepted to allow the Ethiopian rebels to open their office in Juba and Egypt will support the Ethiopian rebels with guns, because Egypt is having differences with Ethiopia over the issue of Renaissance Dam, so this is what happened on social media,” he added. The official accused the SPLM-IO faction allied to former First Vice President Riek Machar of circulating the rumour in neighbouring Ethiopia.”The rebels now took advantage of that, and this information has already reached the government of Ethiopia,” he said. He pointed out that the government of Ethiopia has decided to cut diplomatic ties with the government of South Sudan and expel South Sudan’s Ambassador to Addis Ababa. “Even if there are differences between us, Ethiopia cannot expel our ambassador, because the ambassador is the ambassador of South Sudan to Ethiopia and at the same time he is representing us in the African Union. So, Ethiopia cannot expel our ambassador,” he said.
Jan. 23, 2017
https://radiotamazuj.org/en/article/diplomatic-row-breaks-out-between-south-sudan-and-ethiopia
Armenia
Headline: Donald Trump should broker peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia- Washington Times Commentary
President Trump has the historic opportunity to truly earn this prestigious award by using his self-proclaimed mastery of deal-making to resolve one of the world’s intractable conflicts of the former Soviet Union; namely, the “frozen conflict” between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1991, full-scale war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan and despite a cease-fire in 1994, border skirmishes and fighting has continued. Over one million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict and today close to 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory is occupied by Armenian forces. Equally important for Mr. Trump and his national security team, resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be a clear indication as to whether Vladimir Putin wants to be a partner of the United States on the world stage to resolve conflicts or he prefers to manipulate global flash points for Moscow’s strategic gain. Mr. Putin holds the key to resolution of this conflict because of the enormous leverage Russia holds over Armenia. Moscow considers Armenia as its own aircraft carrier in the increasingly strategic and energy-rich Caspian Sea region. Keeping Azerbaijan and Armenia in a state of “frozen conflict” serves Mr. Putin’s short-term ambition of denying Azerbaijan’s natural gas exports to European markets, thus keeping Europe dependent on Russian gas. By insisting on an immediate peace treaty between America’s trusted partner Azerbaijan and Moscow’s ally Armenia, President Trump can find out very soon whether Mr. Putin is a peacemaker or as his critics have charged a destabilizing force around the world. The United States, along with Russia and France, is the co-chair of the Minsk Group tasked with resolving this conflict. Russia has not only sabotaged numerous attempts at resolution of the conflict but has provided military support to Armenia thus prolonging the conflict. And sadly, Washington has been too busy with distractions in the Middle East to take a lead role in establishing a lasting peace between Yerevan and Baku. And yet, both Armenia and Azerbaijan deserve a permanent peace. Mr. Trump can deliver this dream of a new beginning to the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan by leading a robust diplomatic initiative resulting in a permanent solution that is fair to both sides. Mr. Trump’s success would signal to the world that America is back in the business of policing the world to maintain global stability.
Jan. 22, 2017
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/22/donald-trump-should-broker-peace-between-azerbaija/
Headline: Women’s March against Trump swells to 500,000 in Washington
Hundreds of thousands of women marched in Washington DC as well as in many other US states and world cities, Saturday, the day after Donald Trump was sworn in as President. Many were protesting his election and agenda. The had multiple messages for the new administration, one of which was: Women’s rights are human rights. The underlying purpose of the protest was to encourage Democrats in the US Congress to stand up to any attempted infringements of those rights.
Jan. 23, 2017
Headline: Mexico gas protests create havoc at US border crossing
Protesters took control of vehicle lanes at one of the busiest crossings on the U.S. border Sunday to oppose Mexican gasoline price hikes, waving through motorists into Mexico after Mexican authorities abandoned their posts. Motorists headed to Mexico zipped by about 50 demonstrators at the Otay Mesa port of entry connecting San Diego and Tijuana, many of them honking to show support. The demonstrators waved signs to protest gas hikes and air other grievances against the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Other protests closed southbound traffic for hours at the San Diego-Tijuana San Ysidro port of entry, the busiest crossing along the 2,000-mile border, and halted southbound traffic at one of two crossings in Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and California Highway Patrol officers closed southbound Interstate 5 to block access to the San Ysidro crossing, diverting traffic several miles east to the Otay Mesa port of entry. Inspections were normal for all travelers entering the U.S. from Mexico. CBP officials didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking more information about the impact of the protests.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/23/mexico-gas-protests-create-havoc-at-us-border-crossing.html
Headline: Nigerian Army: Boko Haram Attacks Town Previously Bombed By Country’s Air Force
Around 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed when the jihadists attacked a town in northeastern Nigeria, two days after the air force accidentally killed dozens of people there, local and military officials said. On Tuesday, the air force said it had bombed Rann in Borno state, epicentre of Boko Haram’s seven-year-long attempt to create an Islamic caliphate in the northeast. Boko Haram fighters then attacked Rann — home to thousands of people displaced by the jihadists’ insurgency — using two jeeps on Thursday night, residents said. “We battled them for almost 30 minutes,” Lieutenant Colonel Igwe Omoke, commander of the 3rd battalion based in Rann, told Reuters on Friday during a visit organized by the army. “We suddenly saw residents running towards the battalion headquarters and we quickly mobilized troops,” he said. A Reuters reporter saw six dead Boko Haram fighters lying in front of the army base in Rann where many ramshackle huts had been destroyed by the air strike. The attackers had come from nearby Cameroon, less than 10 kilometers away, officers said.
Jan. 21, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/boko-haram-attack-on-rann-nigeria/3686346.html
Headline: 10,000 Protest Romania Government Plans to Pardon Prisoners
Thousands of people marched through the Romanian capital and other cities Sunday to protest a government proposal to pardon thousands of prisoners which critics say could reverse the anti-corruption fight. More than 10,000 protesters massed in University Square, and later broke through police lines, before heading toward government headquarters. Thousands also protested in the cities of Cluj, Timisoara in western Romania, in Sibiu and Iasi, a city in the north. The protest in Bucharest ended after nearly four hours. In the capital, protesters yelled: “We want democracy, with thieves in prison.” They cheered after President Klaus Iohannis, a government critic who supports the anti-corruption drive, turned up at the protest. “A gang of politicians who have problems with the law want to change the legislation and weaken the state of law,” Iohannis said. “Romanians are rightly indignant.” Liviu Dragnea, chairman of the governing Social Democratic Party, later accused Iohannis of “inciting social disorder and violence,” suggesting his actions amounted to the start of “a coup d’etat.”
Jan. 22, 2017
Headline: Report: Two North Korea ICBMs placed in position
North Korea placed two new intercontinental ballistic missiles into position in an area north of Pyongyang, a Japanese television network reported. NHK reported Sunday two ICBMs that may be equipped with newly developed engines might have been deployed ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s inauguration Friday. A South Korean military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told NHK the two missiles can be “launched at any time.” Last week, Yonhap reported two new road-mobile ICBMs were recently captured by South Korea military intelligence. The new road-mobile ICBMs appear to be shorter than Pyongyang’s other versions, including the 19-20 meters in length KN-08 and the 17-18-meter-long KN-14, officials had told the South Korean news agency.
Jan. 23, 2017
Headline: Trump Set to Withdraw US from 12-Nation Pacific Rim Trade Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump is set Monday to withdraw the United States from the 12-nation Pacific Rim trade deal as he starts his first full week in office. The Trans-Pacific Partnership had been negotiated since 2009 during former President Barack Obama’s White House tenure, but the U.S. Congress never ratified it, with numerous lawmakers opposed to or skeptical of the deal. It would have covered trade with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile, Canada, Mexico and four other countries. Even before announcing his run for the presidency a year and a half ago, Trump said, “The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an attack on America’s business. It does not stop Japan’s currency manipulation. This is a bad deal.” The agreement would have cut more than 18,000 tariffs, including on all U.S. manufactured goods and almost all American farm products. The deal sought to end exploitative child labor and set acceptable work conditions on minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health.
***For ETRM details about the TTP please see this link:
http://endtimesresearchministry.com/prophecy-signs-for-nov-14-2013/
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/trump-set-to-withdraw-from-pacific-rim-trade-deal/3687969.html
Headline: Turkey Jails American Pastor
American Pastor Andrew Brunson has been jailed in the city of Izmir, in western Turkey, on charges of “being a member of an armed terrorist organization”. Brunson — a U.S. citizen from Black Mountain, North Carolina — has led Protestant churches in Turkey for over 23 years with the knowledge of local authorities, and has raised his family there. Brunson and his wife, Norine, were summoned to the local police station in Izmir on October 7, 2016 to discuss their application to renew their visas. They thought they would be receiving a long-awaited permanent residence card; instead, they were detained by Turkish police. While Norine was released 13 days later, Pastor Brunson was informed he would be detained until deportation, based on being a “threat to national security”. During his 63-day confinement, he was denied access to his Turkish attorney and for part of this time placed in solitary confinement. His belongings, including his glasses, phone, pen and watch, were confiscated. He was also denied a Bible. On December 8, he was taken to a counter-terrorism center in Izmir; then to court. He was questioned, then on December 9 imprisoned after being charged with “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” Pastor Brunson is now in the Sakran 3 Nolu T Tipi Prison near Izmir. The authorities there declined Gatestone Institute’s requests for comment. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represents the Brunson family, is working to secure his freedom. “He faces a serious, yet completely unfounded, charge — ‘membership in an armed terrorist organization.’ In fact, the charging documents do not present any evidence against him,” the ACLJ’s Gene Kapp told Gatestone.
Jan. 23, 2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9815/turkey-jails-american-pastor
Headline: Powerful storms kill at least 18 in southeast US
Powerful weekend storms roared through the southeastern United States, killing 18 people as violent weather left a trail of destruction, authorities said. Families in Dougherty County in the state of Georgia huddled on the side of a road Sunday, surveying the wrath of a storm that destroyed mobile homes and downed trees, according to video posted by county commission chairman Chris Cohilas.
“This is absolutely devastating,” Cohilas said in the video uploaded to Facebook. “It looks like a nuclear bomb went off.” “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The county’s emergency management agency tweeted that shelters were being set up for displaced residents. At least 14 people had died in south-central Georgia over the weekend, according to the state’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. And five were still missing according to Adel Mayor Buddy Duke, amid a scene of flattened houses and trees and cars thrown in a heap like toys. Four others died and 20 were injured on Saturday morning by a tornado that swept through southern Mississippi, according to that state’s emergency services agency.
Jan. 23, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1043156/world
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Jan 20
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Jan 18
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Headline: Palestinian Official: Two-State Solution Just Pretext for Taking Over Israel [Video]
Headline: Palestinian parties agree to form unity government
The establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank is only a pretext for Palestinians to take over all of Israel, said an official with Mahmoud Abbas’s political party, Fatah. Azzam Al-Ahmad, a Fatah Central Committee member, told an interviewer on official Palestinian Authority (PA) state TV that a Palestinian state would simply be a stepping stone to a Vietnam-style conquest in which “Palestine” would swallow up the entire country of Israel. Meanwhile, The main Palestinian parties on Tuesday announced a deal to form a national unity government prior to the holding of elections, after three days of reconciliation talks in Moscow. “We have reached agreement under which, within 48 hours, we will call on [Palestinian leader] Mahmoud Abbas to launch consultations on the creation of a government” of national unity, senior Fateh official Azzam Al Ahmad told a press conference, speaking in Arabic. After the government is formed, the Palestinians would set up a national council, which would include Palestinians in exile, and hold elections. “Today the conditions for [such an initiative] are better than ever,” said Ahmad. The non-official talks in Moscow began on Sunday under Russian auspices with the goal of restoring “the unity of the Palestinian people”. Representatives came from Fateh, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions. Abbas’ secular party Fateh and the Islamist Hamas have been at loggerheads since the latter seized Gaza in a near civil war in 2007.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://jordantimes.com/news/region/palestinian-parties-agree-form-unity-government
Headline: Obama Appoints Anti-Israel Adviser to Holocaust Museum Council
President Barack Obama appointed White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes to a post on the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s council, the White House Reported Tuesday. Rhodes was probed by Congress over revelations that he served in his sensitive position as the president’s most trusted advisor despite the fact that he had not qualified for security clearances based on FBI background checks in 2008. Rhodes, the son of an Episcopalian father from Texas and a Jewish mother, has been attacked by Jewish groups and media outlets over his role in selling the Iran nuclear to the American public. Rhodes admitted to misleading reporters regarding the actual timeline of US negotiations with Iran, saying he used young, inexperienced reporters to create an “echo chamber” in order to sway public opinion (and Democrats on the Hill) in favor of the deal. Rhodes recently raised many eyebrows when he enlightened reporters about the “tens of thousands” of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria: “Again, I think the question is going to be when history looks at these types of decisions, when people look back and they say, you saw tens of thousands of settlements being constructed, you saw as was addressed in the resolution, incitement to violence on the Palestinian side.” And so, in his characteristic manner, President Obama appointed a man with serious integrity issues to be on the board of an institution that deals daily with attacks on it veracity by forces looking to denigrate and deny the memory of the Holocaust.
Jan. 18, 2017
Headline: Israeli policeman and Bedouin killed during clashes over demolitions
Headline: Israel faces Bedouin population time bomb
Headline: Israeli Arab leaders call general strike for Thursday to protest demolitions
Two people have been killed in southern Israel during a confrontation between police and Bedouin villagers over the demolition of illegally built homes. Police said an officer was killed in a car-ramming attack in Umm al-Hiran, in the Negev desert, and that the Israeli Arab driver of the car was shot dead. They alleged he was active in an Islamist group and might have been influenced by so-called Islamic State. But locals said he just lost control of his car after being shot by police. The BBC’s Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says tensions are running high in the area. Police spokesman Supt Micky Rosenfeld said a local man had driven at speed towards officers deployed during an operation to demolish 15 structures deemed to have been built without a permit on state land. “A vehicle driven by a terrorist from the Islamic Movement intended to strike a number of officers and carry out an attack,” he said in a statement. “The officers responded and the terrorist was neutralised.” The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement was outlawed in November 2015, after the Israeli government accused it of fomenting a wave of knife, gun and vehicle-ramming attacks by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs that has killed at least 42 people in the past 16 months.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38662190
http://debka.com/article/25890/Israel-faces-Bedouin-population-time-bomb
Headline: UN warns against West Bank annexation calls
The UN’s envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, warned Israel against any plans of annexing the West Bank from Palestine on Tuesday while addressing the United Nations Security Council, which met to bring a resolution to stop Israe’s illegal settlement activities. The comments by Mladenov were sparked by several high ranking Israeli ministers calling for the annexation of Palestinian lands. “Calls have been made for the annexation of parts of or the whole of Area C…Such divisive positions risk destroying the prospects for peace,” he stressed.
Jan. 18, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/un-warns-west-bank-annexation-calls/
Headline: Trump UN envoy pick slams settlements resolution as ‘the ultimate low’
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for ambassador to the UN vowed a sharp pivot in US policy at the international body on Wednesday, questioning its bias against Israel and its inability to address the world’s most pressing crises. At her Senate confirmation hearing, Nikki Haley, who currently serves as South Carolina’s governor, slammed the Obama administration for allowing “mistreatment” of Israel in the halls of an organization with a long record of disproportionately targeted the Jewish state. She called a resolution which passed through the Security Council last month condemning Israel’s settlement enterprise– facilitated by a US abstention– “the ultimate low,” a “terrible mistake,” a “kick in the gut” and a message to the world that America’s commitments to its allies ring hollow. The resolution, numbered 2334, suggested that “being an ally of the United States doesn’t mean anything,” Haley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I will not go to New York and abstain when the UN seeks to create an international environment that encourages boycotts of Israel,” Haley said. “I will never abstain when the United Nations takes any action that comes in direct conflict with the interests and values of the United States.”
Jan. 18, 2017
Headline: Third Temple Grows Closer as Sanhedrin Discovers Rare Holy Wine in the Land
Last week, 30 bottles of wine were delivered to the nascent Sanhedrin, setting in place one more necessary element for the Temple service – and one which is specifically mentioned in prophecy as a precursor to the Messiah. In preparation for the Third Temple, Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, set out to find wine that is kosher for use in the Temple. Wine has special status in Judaism, as it is required for the Sabbath, holidays like Passover, and rituals like weddings and circumcisions. The requirements for wine to be considered kosher for everyday consumption are more stringent than for any food. The process, from crushing the grapes until bottling, must be performed entirely by Sabbath-observant Jews. Grapes are one of the seven species in which Israel is especially blessed. But the fruit has more biblical significance than many realize. The return of grapes to Israel, notably absent during Islamic rule, when alcohol was prohibited, is prophesied by Micah to herald the coming of the Messiah.
Jan. 18, 2017
Lebanon
Headline: Israel Steps up Shadow War with Hezbollah
Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) stressed in its annual strategic assessment, released January 2nd, that Hezbollah remains the most serious threat the Jewish state faces. It urged Israel’s intelligence establishment to intensity efforts to block the transfer of advanced weapons systems to Hezbollah — a process that may already be under way with a spate of air and missiles strikes against Syria. The vast majority of the arms supplied to Hezbollah from Iran pass through Syria. Hezbollah, a key force keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power amid the war in the country, is reportedly building military bases and seeking to establish a presence in the disputed Golan Heights, a strategic volcanic plateau that overlooks Israel’s agricultural heartland. Iran, Hezbollah’s patron and arms supplier, is listed as the second-ranking military threat by INSS, in part because of its distance from Israel. Combined, Iran and Hezbollah, which serves as the Islamic republic’s strategic arm in the Levant, present a comprehensive threat to Israel that far exceeds any other. This ranges from Iran’s growing ballistic missile force and the nuclear weapons Israel’s military leaders are convinced it will develop in the coming years to Hezbollah’s emerging tactical capabilities. Much of that is due to advanced weaponry it amassed in recent years despite repeated Israeli air strikes against weapons convoys and targeted assassinations in Syria and Lebanon of key figures in acquiring or developing Hezbollah’s firepower. Hezbollah is estimated — largely by Israel — to possess more than 130,000 rockets and missiles, including long-range weapons capable of destroying city blocks. In recent weeks, the covert war between Israel and Hezbollah that has dragged on for five years apparently flared again, possibly this time with higher stakes.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=80866
Saudi Arabia
Headline: Yemeni Chief: Our struggle is against Israel, not with Saudi Arabia
The president of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Saleh al-Samad, said to al-Mayadeen television that all attempts for the Saudi-backed forces to reach the strategic Bab-al-Mandeb Strait has been resisted, and that the mercenaries are fighting with the support of Riyadh and on behalf of Israel. The battle “is not with the mercenaries, nor Saudi Arabia, it is a battle with Israel, primarily,” he claimed. He added that Saudi Arabia is too weak to launch such a wide military campaign against Yemen without Israel’s support, pointing to recent meetings between Saudi officials and a number of Israelis, PressTV reported. He then accused Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Yemen’s former president who asked Saudi Arabia to launch war on his home country, of attempting to subjugate the Yemeni people by playing the economic card, in an apparent reference to the embargo that had been imposed on Yemen by Riyadh, the report continued.
Jan. 16, 2017
Egypt
Headline: Egypt Demands Hamas Hand Over Terror Suspects
Egypt has presented Hamas with a list of conditions that must be met before talks in improving relations between the two parties can take place. Egypt has given Hamas a list of 20 suspected Islamic State-affiliated (IS) terrorists it wants Hamas to hand over. Cairo has rejected Hamas’ offer to hand over 2-3 suspects, saying it insisted all of them be handed over to Egyptian authorities for questioning. In addition, Egypt is also insisting Hamas agree to tighten control of the Sinai-Gaza border, especially the network of tunnels it has dug under the border. Egypt has accused Hamas of allowing the gangs that operate the tunnels to work with Islamic State in northern Sinai. It says Islamic State uses the tunnels to smuggle activists into Gaza, and weapons from Gaza to Islamic State.
Jan. 18, 2017
Headline: ISIS storms Deir Ezzor in new bid to capture military airport
On Wednesday morning, the Islamic State launched another powerful attack in the Deir Ezzor Governorate, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) defenses at the Panorama area and Harabish District of the provincial capital. Under heavy bombardment by the Russian Air Force, the Islamic State attempted to seize more territory north of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport in order to completely besiege this installation. Despite sending several waves of combatants towards the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses, the Islamic State was unable to make any important gains near the Panorama Roundabout or Harabish District thus far. According to a military source in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Army in Deir Ezzor has managed to push back all Islamic State militants in the Harabish District, but they are still under heavy assault in the Panorama area. The Syrian Arab Army attempted to reverse the Islamic State’s gains north of the military airport yesterday; however, they were ultimately repelled after a long battle at night.
Jan. 18, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-storms-deir-ezzor-new-bid-capture-military-airport/
Headline: ISIL’s counter-offensive in western Palmyra (Homs province) ends in disaster
The Islamic State (ISIL) launched a counter-offensive in the western countryside of Palmyra on Tuesday, targeting the areas the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) recently liberated near the Jihar Crossroad. ISIL began the attack by storming the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses near the Jihar Crossroad; this resulted in a fierce battle that would last for three hours on Tuesday. Despite the intensity of the Islamic State attack, the terrorist group was unable to recover any ground near the Jihar Crossroad; instead, they lost two armored vehicles and more than 20 combatants. As a result of this failed Islamic State attack, the Syrian Arab Army launched a counter-assault to advance their front-lines around the Jihar Crossroad and T-4 Pumping Station. So far, the Syrian Arab Army has managed to capture some ground near the T-4 Pumping Station this morning; however, nothing substantial.
Jan. 18, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isils-counter-offensive-western-palmyra-ends-disaster/
Headline: Iraq military: Troops have ‘full control’ of eastern Mosul
Headline: US forces establish 4 military bases in Mosul to oversee operations against ISIS
U.S.-backed Iraqi government troops announced on Wednesday they were in “full control” of eastern Mosul, after routing Islamic State militants from that part of the northern city almost exactly three months since the major operation started. The achievement was a “big victory,” said Iraqi Army Lt. Gen. Talib Shaghati, who commands the counter-terrorism forces, describing the success of the Iraqi forces as “unprecedented.” Shaghatai, who spoke to reporters in the town of Bartella, just east of Mosul, said plans were now being drawn up to retake the western part of the city. He did not elaborate on when that part of the operation would begin. Wednesday’s advance came after Iraqi troops over the past days intensified their push into the last IS-held neighborhoods in Mosul’s eastern sector, closing in on the Tigris River, which roughly divides the city. Stiff resistance by the militants, thousands of civilians being trapped in their houses by the fighting and bad weather had in the past slowed the advances of the troops. However, skirmishes and clashes continued in some pockets along the Tigris in eastern Mosul, according to Iraqi special forces Maj. Ali Hussein who said his unit was still pushing into the Ghabat area along the river bank. Small arms fire could be heard and at least one civilian was wounded by mortar fire.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/18/iraq-military-troops-have-full-control-eastern-mosul.html
Turkey
Headline: Russia says joins forces with Turkey to bomb Syria militants
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday Russian war planes had joined forces with Turkish jets to target Islamic State militants holding the town of al-Bab around 40 km northeast of Aleppo. Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, a senior Russian Defence Ministry official, said in televised comments it was the first time the air forces of Russia and Turkey had teamed up in this way. The operation had been conducted in agreement with the Syrian government, he said. Rudskoi said the Russian air force was also providing air support to Syrian government troops who he said were trying to fight off an Islamic State assault around the town of Deir al-Zor. Russian jets were also backing a Syrian army offensive near the town of Palmyra, he said, where he warned Islamic State militants might be planning to blow up more of the ancient city’s historical monuments.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4909361,00.html
Iran
Headline: Iran Against U.S. Presence At Syria Peace Talks In Astana
Iran says it opposes the United States joining peace talks on Syria to be held in Kazakhstan next week. That goes against the position of the other two organizers of the talks, Russia and Turkey, which have said the new U.S. administration of Donald Trump should be represented at the Astana talks, which begin on January 23. “We have not invited them, and we are against their presence,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on January 17, according to the Tasnim news agency. “At this stage, we must keep the tripartite setup,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP on January 18. “Any enlargement could increase the risk of failure.” Russia, Iran, and Turkey pushed for the peace talks after government forces won a major victory last month in retaking eastern Aleppo, a key rebel stronghold through much of the war.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-syria-peace-talks-russia-united-states-turkey/28240876.html
Afghanistan
Headline: Afghanistan Cannot Be Abandoned To China-Pakistan-Russia Troika In 2017 – Analysis
Headline: Trump and Afghanistan: The Unwelcome Obligation
Afghanistan seemed to have disappeared from the United States radar in the months to the run-up to US Presidential Elections resulting in a void which the China-Pakistan-Russia Troika has exploited to US disadvantage. Strategically the United States invested heavily in Afghanistan in terms of billions of dollars and thousands of US soldiers lost to Pakistan Army duplicitous double-timing the United States while professing to be a trusted ally of long-standing. In 2017, the United States would be well-advised not to let the China-Pakistan-Russia Trilateral muscle into what rightly deserves to be called United States strategic turf. The US incoming Trump Administration’s highest priority task on assumption of office on January 2017 should be not to abandon Afghanistan .On the contrary the United States should ensure that the machinations of the China-Pakistan-Russia Troika by what initially appears only as a ‘pious’ political intervention is not allowed to morph into an eventual some sort of quasi-military Troika intervention.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://thediplomat.com/2017/01/trump-and-afghanistan-the-unwelcome-obligation/
Headline: Mexico violence: Four killed in Cancun gunfight
Headline: Teen shoots four, self at American school in northern Mexico
An attack on the government offices in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun has left four people dead, officials say. Police intervened after gunmen opened fire at the Quintana Roo state attorneys’ office. TV showed footage in which intense gunfire could be heard. One policeman and three suspected attackers died, governor Carlos Joaquin said. Five suspects were arrested. Mr Joaquin described the attack as a reaction by gangsters to his crackdown on organised crime. Meanwhile, A teenage student suffering from depression opened fire at a private American school in northern Mexico on Wednesday, injuring three students and a teacher then shooting himself in what state officials called an unprecedented attack that was caught on security video. Aldo Fasci, security spokesman for Nuevo Leon state, said the 15-year-old student pulled out a handgun inside a classroom at the bilingual Colegio Americano del Noreste and began shooting, leaving three of the victims and himself gravely injured.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38661590
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-shooting-idUSKBN152277?feedType=RSS&feedName=newsOne
Headline: Mali car bomb ‘kills at least 50 people’ in Gao
Headline: Al Qaeda-linked Islamist group claims Mali suicide bombing
At least 50 people have been killed in northern Mali in a car bomb attack on a military base, officials say. A vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a camp housing soldiers and members of rival armed groups in the region’s main city, Gao. Mali’s northern desert region has been restive since it was captured by militant Islamists in late 2012. Despite French military intervention in 2013, the region remains tense with sporadic attacks and kidnappings. A source at the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma) is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying it was a suicide attack. The victims were involved in conducting patrols in this highly volatile area under a deal backed by the UN in a bid to stop the violence there. Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has declared three days of national mourning in a tweet following the latest attack. The fight against extremist groups is one of the major challenges of Mr Keita’s government. But a new report by Human Rights Watch says the Malian government is not doing enough to protect civilians from the militants.
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38663693
Headline: Gambia Declares State Of Emergency As Leader Refuses To Cede Power
Headline: People Flee Gambia as Presidential Drama Escalates
Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month’s election. It wasn’t immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely. Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won’t allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling. “Until then, the status quo remains,” Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities. Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has “recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh’s request for an injunction blocking Barrow’s inauguration.”
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/people-flee-gambia-as-presidential-drama-escalates/3681210.html
Headline: Fort Bliss sending 400 U.S. soldiers to Europe in NATO effort
Fort Bliss said it would deploy 400 U.S. soldiers and 24 AH-64 Apache helicopters to Europe in February for a nine-month rotation as part of NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve. The troops and helicopters belong to the 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, 1st Armored Division stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas. “These soldiers will support aviation operations throughout Europe to improve inter-operability and strengthen relationships with allies and partner nations,” Fort Bliss said in a statement. The 1-501st will reinforce the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, from Fort Drum, N.Y., which was the first aviation brigade to support Operation Atlantic Resolve. “We’re looking forward to this exceptional opportunity to work with U.S. Army Europe and our Allies and partners,” Lt. Col. Chris Crotzer, commander of the 1-501st, said in a statement. “We are excited to conduct challenging training with multinational forces across several different countries and to learn about many new cultures while doing so.” In NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve, the United States has deployed troops in Europe that will train in Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia for the next nine months as a show of force to directly respond to what the alliance sees as increased Russian aggression.
Jan. 18, 2017
Headline: Britain to leave EU market as May sets ‘hard Brexit’ course
Headline: World leaders find hope for globalization in Davos amid populist revolt
Headline: Dimon Says Euro Zone May Not Survive If Concerns Are Ignored
Britain will quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday in a decisive speech that set a course for a clean break with the world’s largest trading bloc. Setting out a vision that could determine Britain’s future for generations and the shape of the EU itself, May answered criticism that she has been coy about her strategy with a 12-point plan for what has been dubbed a “hard Brexit”. May promised to seek the greatest possible access to European markets but said Britain would aim to establish its own free trade deals with countries far beyond Europe, and impose limits on immigration from the continent. For the first time, she acknowledged that those measures would require withdrawing from the market of 500 million people, founded on principles of free movement of goods and people. “I want to be clear: what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,” said May, who became prime minister in the turmoil after Britain voted in June to leave the EU. “Instead, we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement.”
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-may-priorities-idUSKBN1502H2
Headline: New drought strikes millions in Ethiopia, still reeling from El Nino
Millions of Ethiopians face a hunger crisis for a second consecutive year after drought hit sub-Saharan Africa’s second most populous nation, the United Nations said on Tuesday as it appealed for more than $900 million in aid. A strong aid response to last year’s El Nino-linked drought, has almost halved the number of Ethiopians needing food aid to 5.6 million since mid-2016, but a lack of rains once again threatens the country’s ability to feed itself, it said. “Last year, (we were)… able to mount the biggest drought response operation in global history,” Mitiku Kassa, head of Ethiopia’s National Disaster Risk Management Commission, said in a statement. “Today we need that partnership once again as we face a new drought,” he said, appealing for $948 million in aid. Aid is also being ramped up in drought-hit neighbouring Kenya and Somalia. The United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, Peter de Clercq, warned on Tuesday of “a significant risk of further deterioration to famine”, appealing for $864 million for 3.9 million Somalis. Ethiopia’s latest rain failure has mainly hit southern livestock-herding communities, unlike last year when hunger was worst in the north and west. “The impact is expected to be most dire in early 2017 among livestock, with unusually early migrations, excess mortality rates and extreme emaciation,” the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement.
Jan. 17, 2017
Jan. 12, 2017- 10,000 birds dead due to avian flu in Odessa, Ukraine
http://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Reviewreport/Review?page_refer=MapFullEventReport&reportid=22326
Jan. 12, 2017- Dead turtles found washed ashore in Chennai, India
http://www.ndtv.com/chennai-news/30-olive-ridley-turtles-found-dead-on-chennai-beaches-1647750
Jan. 12, 2017- Hundreds of tons of fish have died in Lake Toba, Indonesia
https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fdaerah.sindonews.com%2Fread%2F1170197%2F191%2Fratusan-ton-ikan-mati-di-danau-toba-1484153514&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 13, 2017- Thousands of dead fish wash up along a lagoon in Patagonia Argentina
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.minutouno.com%2Fnotas%2F1531343-preocupacion-la-aparicion-peces-muertos-una-laguna-la-patagonia&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 13, 2017- Thousands of fish die in a lake in St. Petersburg, Florida
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2017/1/12/recent_st_pete_fish_.html
Jan. 14, 2017- Mass die off of fish in the waters of Wilhelmshausen, Germany
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hna.de%2Fkassel%2Fkreis-kassel%2Ffuldatal-ort83863%2Fraetselhaftes-fischsterben-bei-wilhelmshausen-7246252.html&edit-text=
Jan. 14, 2017- Bulgaria reports virulent bird flu at over 50 farms, culling 430,000 poultry
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-bulgaria-idUSKBN14Y0HY
Jan. 15, 2017- Experts baffled as ten dolphins are found washed up dead along Cornish coast within a matter of days
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2620898/mystery-as-ten-dolphins-are-found-washed-up-along-cornish-coast-within-a-matter-of-days/
Jan. 17, 2017- Hundreds of dead fish found in a lagoon in Petrolina, Brazil
https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fg1.globo.com%2Fpe%2Fpetrolina-regiao%2Fnoticia%2F2017%2F01%2Fcentenas-de-peixes-sao-encontrados-mortos-em-lagoa-de-petrolina-pe.html&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 17, 2017- St. Petersburg mystery: Why are pelicans dying at Riviera Bay and Coffee Pot Bayou?
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/a-st-petersburg-mystery-why-are-pelicans-dying-at-riviera-bay-and-coffee/2309792
Jan. 17, 2017- Hundreds of dead fish wash up on Hindmarsh Island in Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-17/dead-carp-wash-up-along-hindmarsh-island/8186500
Jan. 17, 2017- Bird flu found in 6,000 turkey flock at East Lindsey farm close to first outbreak
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-38648058
Jan. 17, 2017- Biologists investigate deaths of 82 stranded dolphins in Florida
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-whales-idUSKBN1511IF
Headline: Plague Outbreak Hits Remote Part of Madagascar
Even for Madagascar, this is no ordinary bubonic plague outbreak. The African nation has the world’s highest incidence of the bacterial infection that earned the grim name “the Black Death” after it killed an estimated 50 million people in the 14th century. The rat- and flea-borne illness hits the island nation every year from about December to April. But this year is different, says the World Health Organization’s Dr. Eric Bertherat. This latest outbreak has popped up in a completely new area. The mountainous area of Befotaka in southeastern Madagascar has seen 68 cases — of which 27 have died — since the end of last year, according to WHO estimates. Bertherat said there also are unconfirmed reports of a nearby second cluster, of some 30 cases. “This outbreak occurred in a place where they had no plague case reported since 1950,” he told VOA from Geneva, after returning from a recent visit to Madagascar to assess the situation. Even more alarming, he says, is the fact that “it occurred in a very remote and insecure place where it’s very difficult to go. And that’s the main problem, for the time being. There is no one to control the outbreak because we are still trying to organize a kind of rescue operation to go there.”
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/plague-outbreak-hits-remote-part-of-madagascar/3681279.html
Headline: Marijuana-Related Illness Increases in Legalized States
As various states move towards the legalization of marijuana, doctors are noticing the increase of a particular illness that is associated with regular use of the drug. Emergency rooms have been seeing an influx of patients with the same symptoms – severe abdominal pain and intense vomiting – and this increase is particularly high in certain states that have already legalized the use of marijuana. While some doctors have been perplexed by these symptoms, the disease does have a name: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. The illness is believed to be caused by regular and long-term use of marijuana. There seems to be a direct correlation between CHS and states that have passed marijuana legalization measures. One study shows that CHS diagnoses nearly doubled at two of Colorado’s hospitals since 2009 – the year that it was decided that Colorado needed a state-regulated medical marijuana distribution system.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://christiannews.net/2017/01/16/marijuana-related-illness-increases-in-legalized-states/
Headline: Central Italy reels from four strong earthquakes
Four earthquakes measuring above 5 on the Richter scale hit the central Italian region on Wednesday morning, an area which was devastated by a series of quakes last year and is currently suffering from heavy snow. What we know so far : – The first three quakes came within one hour, at 10:25, 11:14 and 11:25 on Wednesday morning, each with a magnitude of above 5. A fourth major tremor was reported at around 14:33, with a magnitude estimated at 5.3. The quakes were felt in Rome along with other areas of Lazio, Abruzzo and the Marche, and as far away Umbria, Naples and Florence. No casualties or major damage has yet been reported, but there has been minor damage in Amatrice, the town at the epicentre of last August’s quake. Rome’s Metro service and the road connecting Rome and L’Aquila have been suspended
Jan. 18, 2017
http://www.thelocal.it/20170118/5-4-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-central-italy
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 ***beginning November 29, 2016, earthquakes of a 5.5 magnitude and higher will be posted
~click the photo to see ALL the maps of the large earthquakes for the current year~
Headline: What’s shaking? List & map of USGS Earthquakes~Click the shaking house~
Jan 16
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 11, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Devices
~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
Headline: Judea and Samaria Leaders Invited to Trump Inauguration
In marked contrast to outgoing President Obama’s platform that it is illegal for Jews to live in Judea and Samaria, President elect Donald Trump invited leaders of the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council to attend his inauguration on January 20. Oded Revivi, Chief Foreign Envoy of the Yesha Council, confirmed to the media on Friday that the group had been invited. Revivi told the Times of Israel that the invitation is a “clear indication” that the new administration understands the importance of his group. He says he is looking forward to working “with our new friends in the White House.” Revivi will attend the inauguration with Benny Kasriel, mayor of Ma’aleh Adumim, a city of over 37,000 residents located 4 miles from Jerusalem.
Jan. 14, 2017
Headline: Israel-Palestinian conflict: Summit warns against unilateral actions
Headline: Trump: Jared Kushner will ‘broker Mideast peace’ for the White House
Representatives of nations at a conference aimed at kick-starting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have warned that neither side should take unilateral actions. In a statement, delegates at the summit in Paris also restated their commitment to the two-state solution. But they shied away from criticising President-elect Donald Trump’s suggested US embassy move to Jerusalem. Palestinians welcomed the conference, but Israel called it “rigged”. Neither side was invited to participate in the day-long summit, which was attended by 70 nations, but they were were invited to hear the conclusions. This led the UK government to question how effective the conference, which it decided to attend in “an observer status”, could be in solving the conflict. A Foreign Office statement said it had “particular reservations” about a conference “intended to advance peace between the parties that does not involve them”, adding that it had not signed up to the joint communique. It also expressed concern about the timing of the event – just days before Mr Trump takes over as US president – and the opposition of Israel. Meanwhile, While serving as a senior adviser in the White House, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will work to “broker a Middle East peace deal,” the president-elect said over the weekend. In an interview with the Times of London, Trump said that Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s husband, would to take on the task of negotiating peace between Israelis and Palestinians– an appointment Trump has previously floated due to the fact that Kushner “knows the region, knows the people, knows the players,” Trump described in a previous interview.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38608990
Headline: EU opposes US moving embassy to Jerusalem
The Chief of Foreign Policy for the European Union (EU) expressed her opposition to plans by US President-elect Donald Trump to relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the AP reported. “It is very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, especially those that can have serious consequences in large sectors of public opinion in large parts of the world,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters in Brussels. She warned that moving the embassy to Jerusalem would inflame tensions with the Arab world. “For sure I’m worried that large parts of public opinion in parts of the world that are quite significant — the Arab world but also Africa, Asia and parts of Europe — could have in reaction of a move that for sure would not be in line with … the international consensus.” “We hope that there can be reflection on consequences of any move that is taken,” she added. “We will for sure not move our delegation. That is in Tel Aviv.”
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223373
Headline: Gaza power crisis eases as Qatar donates $12 mln to buy fuel
Headline: Gaza youth sets self ablaze to protest Hamas
An electricity crisis that has caused protests and unrest in the Gaza Strip eased on Monday after Qatar donated $12 million to buy fuel for the Palestinian enclave’s lone power plant, officials said.
For weeks, Gaza’s population of 2 million has been making do with barely a few hours a day of electricity — less than half its usual supply. The Energy Authority run by the enclave’s governing Hamas Islamist group said the Qatari-funded fuel would power a third generator at the power plant and help provide electricity in eight-hour cycles for three months. The cash injection could also ease public pressure on Hamas, whose police forces clashed on Thursday with demonstrators in Jabalya refugee camp protesting against the blackouts. The Interior Ministry said that later in the day it would free several people detained in connection with the protests.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1039781/middle-east
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223364
Headline: Anti-Assad group calls for Israeli intervention in Syria
The so-called National Salvation Front in Syria, an anti-Syrian government group comprising of mostly Syrians in the diaspora, have proposed a “roadmap” for closer relations with Tel Aviv, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Monday. SANA explained that the “roadmap” would be to recognize Israel, come to a compromise on the Golan heights that Israel currently and has illegally occupied since 1967, establish ties between the two states, and dismantle all Palestinian resistance forces in Syria. This corresponded with Fahd al-Masri, the group’s spokesman, to call for Tel Aviv to support the anti-government militants, through a set of audio and video messages.
Jan. 16, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/anti-assad-group-calls-israeli-intervention-syria/
Headline: Palestinian,17, shot dead in clashes with Israeli forces
A Palestinian teen was shot dead Monday evening during clashes with Israeli security forces in the southern West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. The IDF said the shooting occurred during a “violent riot” in which Palestinian hurled rocks at security forces in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqua, near the settlement of Tekoa in the Etzion Bloc. “Due to the extent of violence, Border Police fired 0.22-caliber rounds toward the main violence instigator, resulting in his death,” an army spokeswoman said. The Tuqua municipality identified the youth as 17-year-old Qusay Hussein Umour. The Palestinian Red Crescent, quoted by the Ma’an news agency, said Umour was detained by Israeli forces after being shot three times, and only handed over to the Palestinians for medical treatment after he had died.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian18-shot-dead-in-clashes-with-israeli-forces/
Headline: IDF tanks fire at Hamas targets in response to Gaza border shooting
The IDF fired towards Hamas positions in the southern Gaza Strip in response to shots that were fired towards the IDF vehicle earlier Sunday, the IDF Spokesperson’s Office said. According to the IDF, the rounds, fired by a tank, was in retaliation to gunfire which damaged an IDF vehicle working near the border fence earlier. Farmers in the area were advised by the army to stop working in the fields and to remain in their homes. A similar incident occurred in December when shots were fired at IDF troops near the southern Gaza Strip and IDF artillery returned fire. The cross-border incident on Sunday occurred as civilians in Gaza organized demonstrations protesting against a serious lack of electricity and gas in the Strip. Hamas is reported to have threatened to resume rocket fire against Israel, blaming Jerusalem for the crisis. “If we feel our leadership is being questioned, we will begin firing at Israel. We will not become like Bashar al-Assad, who threatens Israel but never follows through,” a Hamas spokesman said.
Jan. 15, 2017
Lebanon
Headline: Hariri stresses Palestinians’ right of return
Prime Minister Saad Hariri Sunday thanked France for hosting a one-day Conference for Peace in the Middle East, reiterating Lebanon’s backing for the right of return of Palestinian refugees. The French government hosted the conference that brought together over 70 diplomats and organizations in Paris Sunday for a one-day meeting to try to revive the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “We thank France for organizing the Conference for Peace in the Middle East today,” Hariri said via Twitter. The meeting was attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry but neither Israel nor Palestinian authorities sent delegations. “There is no solution except based on the Arab peace initiative adopted in Beirut and the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” the Lebanese Prime Minister added. He also said that Lebanon would remain committed to the unified Arab position.
Jan. 16, 2017
Saudi Arabia
Headline: IMF Slashes Saudi Arabia Growth Forecast on Lower Oil Output
The International Monetary Fund cut its growth outlook for Saudi Arabia on lower oil production, underscoring the challenges facing the kingdom as it seeks to overhaul its economy. Gross domestic product will expand 0.4 percent in 2017, the lender said in its World Economic Outlook report update on Monday, citing the impact of the recent deal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to reduce output. It compares with the fund’s October prediction of 2 percent, and a median estimate of 0.9 percent in a Bloomberg survey. The forecast reflects cuts in government spending as well as the impact of lower oil production, Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, deputy director of the IMF’s research department, told reporters on Monday. “There is a big adjustment in spending downwards,” he said. “There is an adjustment in taxes upwards, and as a result non-oil growth is not going to be as good as it was during periods of strong oil prices.”
Jan. 16, 2017
Egypt
Headline: Egypt court upholds ruling halting transfer of islands to Saudi Arabia
A top Egyptian court has upheld a ruling halting a plan to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The High Administrative Court rejected an appeal by the government against a lower court’s decision to stop it handing over Tiran and Sanafir. Cheers erupted as the judge delivered the verdict, saying the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were originally Saudi. The transfer deal, signed last April, sparked rare protests in Egypt. Tiran and Sanafir are located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. They are uninhabited apart from Egyptian troops and multi-national peacekeepers. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that Riyadh had asked Egypt to station troops there in 1950 to protect them. But Mr Sisi was accused of violating the constitution and “selling” the islands in return for a multi-billion dollar aid package announced during a visit to Cairo by King Salman.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38636222
Headline: At least six killed in attack on security checkpoint in Egypt’s Western Desert
At least six people were killed in an attack on a security checkpoint in Egypt’s New Valley province in the Western Desert, state television said on Monday, adding that an exchange of fire was still ongoing. The attack took place at around 8:15 pm (1815 GMT) in Naqb checkpoint 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) away from Kharga city, the broadcaster reported. It was not immediately clear if the checkpoint was a police or military one, nor was the identity of the attackers clear.
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: US & Russia to free Palmyra after Trump sworn in
Some of the ambiguity and mystery surrounding the nature of President-elect Donald Trump’s relations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin may disperse after the new US president takes office Thursday, Jan. 20, because one of their first joint military actions is ready to go. debkafile’s military and intelligence sources disclose exclusively that a combined US, Russian, Syrian and Jordanian force is preparing for a major operation to liberate the Syrian heritage town of Palmyra from the Islamic State. Its capture by this allied force would have important ramifications: It would isolate the ISIS forces dug in in northern and central Syria and disconnect them from the jihadists who control extensive areas in the east and the south, including the Euphrates Valley which runs from Syria to Iraq. From Palmyra, the key offensive for ousting ISIS from its Syrian capital, Raqqa, would move a sep closer. The Islamic State would also be distanced from directly menacing Jordan’s borders with Syria and Iraq. This menace came closer last week when ISIS commanders decided to make a grab for the eastern Syrian town of Deir ez-Zour, after they saw Syrian government forces leaving their bases in the town and heading north to Palmyra. Until then, ISIS had occupied part of the strategic town, while keeping the government-held part and the big Syrian air base nearby under siege for the past two years. The allied operation to liberate Palmyra will be the first joint US-Russian military venture embarked on by the Trump administration. It will be a litmus test for the ability of the new US president and the Russian president to work together.
Jan. 15, 2017
http://debka.com/article/25889/US-Russia-to-free-Palmyra-after-Trump-sworn-in
Headline: Syrian rebels to attend Astana peace talks
Syrian rebel groups have decided to attend peace talks backed by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan to press for implementation of a widely violated ceasefire, rebel officials said on Monday, in a boost for Moscow-led diplomacy. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally, set the new diplomatic effort in motion after the Syrian opposition suffered a major defeat last month when it lost the rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo. Rebel groups took the decision at meetings that are underway in Ankara, and are now working to form a delegation that will be different to one sent to peace talks in Geneva last year by a Saudi-backed opposition group. The talks are scheduled for Jan. 23 in Astana. “The factions will go and the first thing they will discuss will be the matter of the ceasefire and the violations by the regime,” said an official in a Free Syrian Army rebel group who declined to be identified because the rebel groups had yet to appoint a spokesman. A second official, Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group, said: “The majority of the groups decided to attend. Discussions will be on the ceasefire – the humanitarian issues – aid deliveries, release of detainees.”
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: Syria war: Dozens dead in IS attack on Deir al-Zour
Headline: ISIS stage fierce attack on Syrian army enclave
Headline: ISIS successfully splits Deir Ezzor enclave in two
Islamic State militants have launched a fierce assault on government-held areas in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, with dozens reportedly killed. Twelve government soldiers and 20 IS fighters were killed, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least two civilians were also killed in IS rocket fire on government-controlled parts of the city, it added. The jihadists have besieged government-held parts of the city, which borders Iraq, since early 2015. IS already controls half of the city as well as most of the surrounding province, which shares the same name. Deir al-Zour connects the militant group’s de facto “capital” in Syria, Raqqa, to territory it controls in Iraq.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38622553
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4908292,00.html
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-successfully-splits-deir-ezzor-enclave-two/
Headline: Syrian Army, Hezbollah attempt to liberate key gas fields in east Homs
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), alongside Hezbollah, continued their large-scale offensive in the eastern countryside of the Homs Governorate on Monday, striking the Islamic State’s (ISIS) defenses just south of the Jihar and Al-Mahr gas fields. Led by the 800th Regiment of the Republican Guard and Shaheen Group of the Tiger Forces, the Syrian Arab Army stormed the Islamic State’s defenses around the Jihar Junction; this resulted in a fierce battle that is still ongoing at the moment. Meanwhile, north of Tiyas village, the Syrian Arab Army’s 167th Brigade of the 18th Tank Division pushed another kilometer towards the Al-Mahr Gas Fields, killing and wounding around 15 Islamic State terrorists this morning.
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: Explosions rip through Iraq, leaving at least 21 dead
Three bombs have ripped across several areas in Iraq leaving at least 21 dead and 46 injured. A car bomb struck a checkpoint near the town of Khalis (Diyala province) killing nine people and injuring up to 20 people, including security forces. A bomb also struck central Baghdad which resulted in the death of six people with another 13 injured. In another attack in Baghdad, six people were killed and another 13 injured when a bomb hit a restaurant on Saadon Street. No group has claimed responsibility yet, however it is assumed to be have done by ISIS who are on the decline in Nineveh province and western Anbar.
Jan. 15, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/explosions-rip-iraq-leaving-least-21-dead/
Headline: Iraqi Army liberates several districts en route to Saddam Hussein’s Mosul palace
Headline: PMU believe that ISIS leader al-Baghdadi trapped somewhere near Mosul
The Iraqi Army continued their rapid advance in Mosul today, liberating a number of districts and neighborhoods after clashes with the Islamic State (ISIS) forces. The Iraqi Army began the day by liberating the Kafa’at 2 District near central Mosul, killing over 20 Islamic State terrorists in the process of this advance towards the Kindi District. Following the liberation of Kafa’at 2, the Iraqi Army attacked the Andalus District in central Mosul, capturing this area after another short battle with the Islamic State terrorists on Sunday morning.
Jan. 16, 2017
Turkey
Headline: Roadside bomb in southeast Turkey kills three police officers – security sources
Three Turkish police officers were killed and nine more wounded when a roadside bomb hit a passing police bus in the largely Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakir on Monday, security sources said. The bomb was detonated as the bus carrying riot police passed an area near the campus of Diyarbakir’s Dicle University, the sources said. Three of the wounded were in critical condition, the sources added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has previously said it was behind similar attacks on police and soldiers.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-blast-idUKKBN1501OD?il=0
Iran
Headline: Iran says it will not renegotiate nuclear deal
Headline: Gunfire rattles Tehran as drone buzzes over Iranian capital
Iran will not renegotiate its nuclear agreement with world powers, even if it faces new U.S. sanctions after Donald Trump becomes president, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday. Trump, who will take office on Friday, has threatened to either scrap the agreement, which curbs Iran’s nuclear program and lifts sanctions against it, or seek a better deal. “There will be no renegotiation and the (agreement) will not be reopened,” said Araqchi, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator at the talks that led to the agreement in 2015, quoted by the state news agency IRNA. “We and many analysts believe that the (agreement) is consolidated. The new U.S. administration will not be able to abandon it,” Araqchi told a news conference in Tehran, held a year after the deal took effect. “Nuclear talks with America are over and we have nothing else to discuss,” he added. “It’s quite likely that the U.S. Congress or the next administration will act against Iran and imposes new sanctions.”
Jan. 16, 2017
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/iran-says-not-renegotiate-nuclear-deal-154202508.html
Afghanistan
Headline: 14 clerics in Afghanistan kidnapped by ISIS
14 teachers and 2 administration staff were kidnapped by ISIS terrorists when they attacked a religious seminary in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar Province over the weekend, officials are saying. The attack involving three armed men took place in Nangarhar Province over the weekend, Mohammad Asif Shinwari, spokesman for the provincial education department, said on Monday that the storming of the seminary involved three armed men. The storming occured at the Mesher Mullah Sahib Madrassa while students were taking exams, The Ministry of Education said.
Jan. 16, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/14-clerics-afghanistan-kidnapped-isis/
Libya
Headline: Libya forces retake Benghazi district from extremists
Forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Haftar on Monday retook a district in Libya’s Benghazi from extremists after fighting that killed nine soldiers in two days, a military source said. “We now control the district of Abu Sneib” in the southwest of the city, said a commanding officer in the army headed by Haftar, who backs the parliament in the country’s east. “Our forces now completely surround the Qanfuda area” nearby, the same source said. The source said 52 troops had died in fighting since January 1 in and around Benghazi. Haftar has managed to retake a large part of the eastern coastal city from extremists since Benghazi came under their control in 2014. But extremists still control the central districts of Al-Saberi and Souq al-Hout.
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: At least two dozen dead in ethnic clashes in southeastern Congo
At least two dozen people, most of them women, have been killed over the past week in ethnic violence between Bantus and Pygmies in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a U.N. human rights official said on Monday. The Luba, a Bantu ethnic group, and the Twa, a Pygmy people who inhabit Central Africa’s Great Lakes region, have been in conflict since May 2013 in Congo’s Katanga region, known for its rich deposits of copper and other metals. Clashes have been fueled by social tensions between Bantu villagers and the Twa, a hunting and gathering people who have long been denied access to land and basic services. Attacks by militiamen from both groups have left hundreds dead. José Maria Aranaz, head of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), said that at least 24 people, including 19 women, have been killed in Moba, a town located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, since Jan. 11.
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: Bomb blasts at Nigeria’s Maiduguri University kill 5
Witnesses say two bombs have exploded at Nigeria’s northeastern University of Maiduguri, killing five people. One student said the first blast ripped through the mosque where professors were saying dawn prayers and many are feared among the victims. A university worker said the second bomb went off at an entrance gate. Both spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety. Police spokesman Victor Isuku confirmed Monday’s explosions but said rescuers are still ferrying the wounded to hospitals and evacuating bodies, making it difficult to give a toll. Maiduguri has been attacked many times but this is the first attack on the university blamed on Boko Haram — the Islamic extremist group whose name means “Western education is sinful.”
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4908097,00.html
Headline: Bahrain city hall set on fire after execution of three prisoners
Demonstrators set fire to a city hall early Monday morning after three men were executed for their role in a bombing that killed three police officers. Bahrain’s interior ministry said the fire at Northern City Hall appeared intentional. The ministry posted on Twitter, “Civil Defence extinguished a fire in the Northern Municipality building. Initial details indicate that foul play was behind the fire. Necessary measures were undertaken.” The Shia opposition has called the execution of Abbas al-Samea, 27, Sami Mushaima, 42, and Ali al-Singace, 21, politically motivated and said they were tortured. Seven others received life sentences. Hundreds of protesters participated in demonstrations Sunday, blocking roads with burning tires. The Bahrain police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds as demonstrators threw fire bombs.
Jan. 16, 2017
Headline: Philippines’ Duterte threatens martial law
Martial law could be imposed in the Philippines if the drugs problem worsens, President Rodrigo Duterte has said. The 71-year-old former state prosecutor said the aim would be “to preserve the Filipino people and the youth of this land”. About 6,000 people have been killed in six months under Mr Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdown. He says he is acting to prevent the country from becoming a narco-state. “If I wanted to, and it will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare martial law if I wanted to. No one will be able to stop me,” Mr Duterte said in a speech to businesspeople in the southern city of Davao on Saturday. “My country transcends everything else, even the limitations,” he added. Martial rule would allow Mr Duterte to use the military to enforce civilian law and detain people at length without charge. The Philippines constitution says a president can only declare martial law for 60 days and then only to stop an invasion or a rebellion. Parliament can revoke the measure within 48 hours while the Supreme Court can review its legality.
Jan. 15, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38627740
Headline: Hundreds of U.S. Marines land in Norway, irking Russia
Headline: Trump’s offer to Russia: an end to sanctions for nuclear arms cut – London Times
Some 300 U.S. Marines landed in Norway on Monday for a six-month deployment, the first time since World War Two that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there, in a deployment which has irked Norway’s Arctic neighbor Russia. Officials played down any link between the operation and NATO concerns over Russia, but the deployment coincides with the U.S. sending several thousand troops to Poland to beef up its Eastern European allies worried about Moscow’s assertiveness. U.S. troops are to stay in Norway for a year, with the current batch of Marines being replaced after their six-month tour is complete. Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will propose offering to end sanctions imposed on Russia over its annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Moscow, he told The Times of London. Criticizing previous U.S. foreign policy in an interview published on Monday, he described the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 as possibly the gravest error in the history of the United States and akin to “throwing rocks into a beehive”. But Trump, who will be inaugurated on Friday as the 45th U.S. president, raised the prospect of the first big nuclear arms control agreement with Moscow since the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed by President Barack Obama in 2010.
Jan. 16, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-usa-military-idUSKBN1501CD
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-arms-deal-idUSKBN14Z0YE
Headline: US woman dies of infection resistant to all 26 available antibiotics
Headline: Drug-resistant ‘nightmare bacteria’ show worrisome ability to diversify and spread
A US woman has died from an infection that was resistant to all 26 available antibiotics, health officials said this week, raising new concerns about the rise of dangerous superbugs. The woman, who was in her 70s, died in Nevada in September, and had recently been hospitalized in India with fractured leg bones, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The cause of death was sepsis, following infection from a rare bacteria known as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which is resistant to all antibiotics available in the United States. The specific strain of CRE, known as Klebsiella pneumoniae, was isolated from one of her wounds in August. Tests were negative for the mcr-1 gene — a great concern to health experts because it makes bacteria resistant to the antibiotic of last resort, colistin. It was unclear how the woman’s infection acquired resistance. Experts said she had been treated repeatedly in India during the last two years for a femur fracture and hip problems, most recently in June 2016. Once the bacteria was identified in Nevada, the patient was isolated to prevent the infection from spreading in the hospital.
Jan. 16, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-woman-dies-infection-resistant-26-available-antibiotics-223147289.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-01-drug-resistant-nightmare-bacteria-worrisome-ability.html
Headline: Strangers strip off and jump into bed together in a quest to find love on new reality TV show
Can undressing a stranger lead to love? Brave Australians are set to strip off and jump into bed on their first date to find out. In the new reality dating show called Undressed, the matched-up couples must undress each other down to their underwear on their first meeting. The hopeless romantics in search of their soulmate then spend 30 minutes in bed asking a series of personal questions that appear on a large screen in front of them. The social experiment pairs two strangers together, put them in a room furnished only with a bed and a TV, and gets them to undress each other. To get the conversation rolling, the couple would get a range of hot topic questions so the singles could rapidly get to know one another. Questions could include ‘are you a good kisser?’, ‘what issue do you feel strongly about?’ or ‘what was your childhood like?’ To break the ice, the couples are also encouraged to do activities set for them, such as giving a massage or having a pillow fight. In the trailer of the show, which premiers on SBS on Monday night, the strangers are seen awkwardly laughing as they undress each other. At the end of the date, each person is given the choice to stay and get to know their counterpart better – or leave.
Jan. 15, 2017
Headline: THE FUTURE OF SPYING: Earth’s atmosphere can be turned into massive surveillance system using LASERS, scientists discover
EARTH’S atmosphere can now be turned into a massive spy lens using cutting edge technology. BAE Systems are designing a directed energy laser system that could allow military commanders to spy on enemy activities from space. BAE believe that within 50 years, one of their aircraft could use an “atmospheric lens” to observe people from very long distances using the Earth’s atmosphere as a tool. The lasers temporarily change the Earth’s atmosphere into magnifying glass structures which can alter light and radio signals. This means users can listen into radio signals for thousands of miles. A spokesperson said: “Within the next 50 years, scientists at BAE Systems believe that battlefield commanders could deploy a new type of directed energy laser and lens system, called a Laser Developed Atmospheric Lens which is capable of enhancing commanders’ ability to observe adversaries’ activities over much greater distances than existing sensors.” “Working with some of the best scientific minds in the UK, we’re able to incorporate emerging and disruptive technologies and evolve the landscape of potential military technologies in ways that, five or ten years ago, many would never have dreamed possible,” added Professor Nick Colosimo, BAE Systems’ Futurist and Technologist.
Jan. 16, 2017
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 ***beginning November 29, 2016, earthquakes of a 5.5 magnitude and higher will be posted
~click the photo to see ALL the maps of the large earthquakes for the current year~
Headline: What’s shaking? List & map of USGS Earthquakes~Click the shaking house~
Jan 14
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 11, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
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~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
PRAISE: Droves of Middle East Muslims are converting to Christianity
A group supporting Christian broadcasters in the Middle East says that they’re hearing reports of thousands of Muslims converting to Christianity. The Voice For Martyrs Canada made this statement on the welcome movement: Despite the mass exodus of many Christians, the church is far from empty in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and other parts of the Middle East. God has been very faithful. There are strong Christian believers remaining, and tremendous growth is taking place in the lives of new believers who were Muslims. The presence of the church is vitally important. People are desperate and see very little hope, but the fact that there still is a church gives them encouragement and hope. VOMC says that they are hearing from broadcasters they support in Iraq of families all over the Middle East reporting conversions from Islam. “They are sharing exciting news of what God is doing in the Middle East” they happily announced. “There are thousands upon thousands coming to Christ.”
Jan. 12, 2017
Headline: Trump’s Defense Chief Says Tel Aviv is Israel’s capital, not Jerusalem
Headline: Abbas asks Putin to stop Trump from moving the embassy
Headline: PA Grand Mufti says Jerusalem embassy move an ‘assault’ on Muslims
In contrast with the stated policy of the incoming US administration, Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense said that the capital of Israel is Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, James Mattis, stated that Israel’s capital is Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. “The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv, sir, because that’s where all the government people are. Right now I stick with the current US policy,” Mattis told Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina during his confirmation hearing on Thursday at the Senate Armed Services Committee. Notwithstanding Mattis’ contention, the Knesset – Israel’s parliament – is located in Jerusalem, along with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court and many other government offices. When asked by Senator Graham whether he would support moving the US embassy from its current location in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Mattis said he would “defer to the nominee for Secretary of State.” Mattis’ remarks are noteworthy in light of the decision by Trump’s transition team to go forward with the president-elect’s plan to move the US embassy to Jerusalem despite threats from US Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian officials, including PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223249
Headline: 70 Nations to Meet in Paris Will Publicly Commit to Dividing the Land of Israel
Headline: Netanyahu says Paris peace meeting ‘rigged’ against Israel
Headline: Paris draft: 2-state solution best for Israel, Palestinians
A draft of the summary statement that will be released at the conclusion of the 70-nation conference in Paris on Sunday has been leaked. As you will see below, this communique is going to call for the division of the land of Israel, for the establishment of a Palestinian state, for the 1967 borders to serve as the basis for final negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians and for the condemnation of any officials that refuse to support a two-state solution. Of course this comes on the heels of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which many believe represented America’s greatest betrayal of Israel. Israeli government officials are publicly warning that there is a possibility the principles agreed upon at this conference may form the basis for another Security Council resolution before Jan. 20, and this is something we should all be watching for very closely. Last Friday, there was a meeting of senior diplomats from the dozens of Western and Arab countries that will attend the conference. The French delegate, Pierre Vimont, presented them with the first draft of the conference’s summary communiqué and asked for comments. According to Western diplomats, Vimont said France wants to reach a consensus among the participating states on a balanced statement that would stress the centrality of the two-state solution to the international community, but would take this month’s transfer of presidential power in the United States into account. Haaretz exclusively obtained a copy of a draft of the summary statement that will be released following the conference on Sunday, and you can read it for yourself right here.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.763974
https://www.yahoo.com/news/netanyahu-condemns-paris-summit-rigged-against-israel-113310702.html
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1038451/middle-east
Headline: Palestinian Embassy Opening in Vatican City on Eve of Evil International Decree
On Friday, just two days before 70 nations gather in Paris to vote on an anti-Israel decree, a new embassy for the Palestinian Authority will be inaugurated in Vatican City. This will be the first Palestinian embassy to be established in a European Union member nation. PA President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Pope Francis on Saturday. This will be the third time the two have met. When they met last year, Pope Francis referred to Abbas as “an angel of peace‘. When confronted, the Holy See explained that this was an error in translation and the Pope had atually intended to encourage Abbas to make peace with the Israelis. As head of the PA, Abbas has been accused of inciting violence against Jews. Abbas is also the chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) which was recognized by Israel and the US as a terror organization until 1991. The Palestinian representative office in Vatican is one of 98 Palestinian diplomatic and consular representations abroad. The Palestinian representative office is one of 86 foreign representations in the Holy See (Vatican City), and one of 86 foreign representations in Vatican City. Israel does have an embassy in Vatican City, but the Vatican Embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv. The Vatican has an embassy to Palestine located in East Jerusalem. The Vatican officially recognized a Palestinian State almost two years ago.
Jan. 13, 2017
Headline: Syria: Israel Attacked Air Base Near Damascus
Headline: Syria demands UN punish Israel over airport attack
According to the Syrian news agency SANA, on Friday morning Israeli planes attacked the Mezzeh military airport southwest of the capital Damascus. SANA cited the Syrian army, who said a cluster of missiles had been shot after midnight from the direction of the Kinneret, which hit the vicinity of the airport. It did not report whether or not there were casualties. The army warned Israel it plans to retaliate. This is the third such attack in recent months. According to AP, Damascus residents reported hearing a number of explosions that shook the city. SANA suggested the attack used the new F-35 attack planes Israel has just received from the US. The Syrian army accused Israel of helping assisting “terrorist groups” who fight the Syrian government, saying “the Syrian army command and armed forces warn the Israeli enemy of the repercussions of this blatant attack and stresses it will continue its war on terrorism.” Syria on Friday called for Israel to be “punished” for an alleged missile attack on a major military airport west of Damascus, reports The Associated Press. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the missile attack in two letters sent Friday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres and the president of the UN Security Council. Syria said in its letters that such an attack would not have occurred had it not been for the “direct support from the outgoing American administration and French and British leaderships,” according to AP.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223250
Headline: UN Middle East envoy voices concern over situation in Gaza amid electricity shortages
UN Middle East envoy said Friday that he is concerned with the situation in Gaza amid electricity shortages. UNickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that he is following with great concern the tense situation unfolding in Gaza after 2 million Palestinians have been left with just a couple of hours of electricity per day in the middle of winter, according to Eri Kaneko, associate spokesperson for UN Secretary-Gereral Antonio Guterres. Mladenov called for the full respect of peaceful protest and assembly in Gaza, said Kaneko, citing Mladenov as saying that all responsible authorities must cooperate to resolve the electricity crisis immediately. The police forces of Islamic Hamas movement rule in the Gaza Strip dispersed on Thursday night thousands of demonstrators who protested against an unprecedented electricity crisis in the coastal enclave. Witnesses said that thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in northern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Jabalia to demonstrate against the unresolved mounting electricity crisis.
Jan. 14, 2017
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-01/14/c_135981186.htm
Headline: Russian top diplomat to meet with representatives of leading Palestinian organizations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with representatives of the leading Palestinian organizations on January 16 in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. “On January 16, the Russian top diplomat will receive representatives of the leading Palestinian organizations who are expected to visit Moscow in order to take part in an informal intra-Palestinian meeting on restoring national unity,” the spokeswoman said. “We plan to reiterate our principal approaches towards overcoming Palestinian divisions.” The intra-Palestinian dialogue, brokered by the Institute of Oriental Studies of Russia’s Academy of Sciences with the assistance of the Islamic Culture and Education Support Fund, will be held in Moscow on January 15-17. Senior officials of Fatah, Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Palestinian National Initiative party and other Palestinian political forces will participate in the meeting.
Jan. 12, 2017
Saudi Arabia
Headline: Houthi forces kill several Saudi soldiers in latest Jizan attack
The Houthi forces struck the Al-Muntazah Military Base in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan Region on Thursday night, scoring a direct hit on a number of sites inside the installation. Using artillery shells and rockets, the Houthi forces managed to kill several soldiers from the Saudi royal army, while also destroying a number of armored vehicles. As a result of this attack, the Saudi Army had to temporarily abandon this base again until their air force arrived on the scene to help push back the encroaching Houthi forces. Elsewhere, the Yemeni Republican Guard destroyed a Saudi military vehicle at the Al-Faraidha military base in the nearby area, a military official added.
Jan. 13, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/houthi-forces-kill-several-saudi-soldiers-latest-jizan-attack/
Egypt
Headline: Police kill 10 terrorists involved in attacks on North Sinai checkpoints: Interior ministry
The Egyptian interior ministry said on Friday in a statement that police in North Sinai killed 10 terrorist who were involved in a number of terrorist attacks, including the attacks on security checkpoints earlier this week that left eight policemen one civilian dead. They were killed after a firefight followed a police raid on their hideout, the ministry said. On 9 January, militants attacked two checkpoints in North Sinai, including a major terrorist attack on El-Matafe checkpoint in El-Arish, according to a previous interior ministry statement. The ministry said security forces were able to “fight off the terrorist attack,” killing five militants and injuring three others. The second attack targeted El-Masaeed checkpoint on the Ring Road, killing a police conscript during an exchange of fire with security forces. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s terrorist attacks.
Jan. 13, 2017
Headline: Russia deploys more fighter jets to Syria despite announcing military scale down
Headline: Russian trained ‘5th Legion’ arrives in west Palmyra
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that it has deployed new combat aircraft to Syria, despite President Vladimir Putin earlier announcing military scale down in the country. Putin ordered a withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria in December, where they had been fighting in support of the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It followed a ceasefire between rebel forces and government forces brokered by Turkey, Russia and Iran. The defence ministry though confirmed reports that Russia had added four Su-25 jets to its airbase in Latakia. Syrian state media reported on Thursday that three rebel commanders were killed in a Russian airstrike near Idlib. A defence US official told Fox News: “[The Russians] say they are pulling out, but we have seen no evidence to support that. On the contrary, we have seen new things coming in.”
Jan. 13, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-trained-5th-legion-arrives-west-palmyra/
Headline: Assad linked to Syrian chemical attacks
Headline: Turkey: United Syria impossible with Assad
International investigators have said for the first time that they suspect President Bashar al-Assad and his brother are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by Reuters. A joint inquiry for the United Nations and global watchdog the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had previously identified only military units and did not name any commanders or officials. Now a list has been produced of individuals whom the investigators have linked to a series of chlorine bomb attacks in 2014-15 – including Assad, his younger brother Maher and other high-ranking figures – indicating the decision to use toxic weapons came from the very top, according to a source familiar with the inquiry. The Assads could not be reached for comment but a Syrian government official said accusations that government forces had used chemical weapons had “no basis in truth”. The government has repeatedly denied using such weapons during the civil war, which is almost six years old, saying all the attacks highlighted by the inquiry were the work of rebels or the ISIS. The list, which has been seen by Reuters but has not been made public, was based on a combination of evidence compiled by the UN-OPCW team in Syria and information from Western and regional intelligence agencies, according to the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. Reuters was unable to independently review the evidence or to verify it.
Jan. 13, 2017
Headline: Thousands of soldiers awaiting largest Syrian Army operation in east Aleppo
It has been over 13 months since the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has launched any-sort of military operation in the eastern countryside of Aleppo; however, with their recent success inside the provincial capital, the government forces are poised to conduct their largest operation against the Islamic State (ISIS) in this region. With the Palmyra operation on hold, the Syrian Arab Army’s High Command has mobilized thousands of soldiers from some of their most elite divisions to carry out the offensive against the remaining terrorist forces spread across the Al-Bab Plateau and Deir Hafer Plains. A senior officer from the Syrian Arab Army told Al-Masdar News on Thursday evening that the High Command does not plan on stopping their operations in east Aleppo until their forces have successfully reached the Tabaqa Military Airport. In order to reach the Tabaqa Military Airport, the Syrian Arab Army would have to take the key city of Deir Hafer, which is located along the Aleppo-Raqqa Highway. However, there are some issues that might make this military operation somewhat complicated; for one, the Kurdish-led “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) are quickly advancing to the Tabaqa Military Airport from the northwest. If the Syrian Arab Army plans to take the Tabaqa Military Airport, they will eventually run into the Syrian Democratic Forces along the Aleppo-Raqqa Road. The Syrian Democratic Forces are backed by the U.S. military, so unless the Russians and Americans are working together, this could get ugly.
Jan. 13, 2017
Headline: The Campaign for ar-Raqqah
The U.S. is proceeding with an emergent strategy to retake ar-Raqqah City from ISIS. The composition of forces and the contours of future operations to clear ISIS from the city remain undecided, despite ongoing operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to isolate the city. Both Turkey and the SDF continue to apply pressure on the U.S.-led coalition to exclude the other in any future capture and governance of ar-Raqqah City. The U.S. nonetheless moved forward with operations to isolate the city in early November to apply dual pressure to ISIS amidst an ongoing campaign to seize Mosul from ISIS in Iraq.
Jan. 12, 2017
http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/campaign-ar-raqqah-january-12-2017
Headline: Iraqi forces reach Nineveh govt building in Mosul
Iraqi forces fighting ISIS in Mosul reached the Nineveh province governance building and raised the Iraqi flag there on Friday, a senior US defense official said. Elissa Slotkin, the acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, also told a Pentagon briefing on the fight against ISIS that a US liaison team is in talks with Turkey about helping its forces near al-Bab in Syria and has provided air support and surveillance in the past. “We are engaged on an hourly basis with the Turks on counter-ISIS campaign in Syria,” Slotkin said. “We have a liaison team that’s resident in Ankara. They are engaging every single day on the full spectrum of coalition support to the campaign.”
Jan. 13, 2017
Headline: Complete battlefield map of Iraq: January 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/complete-battlefield-map-iraq-january-2017/
Headline: Iraq Situation Report Jan. 6 – 11, 2017
http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iraq-situation-report-january-6-11-2017
Turkey
Headline: US gives boost to Turkey’s fight against Daesh
Turkey’s threat to close its strategic southern Incirlik Air Base to US-led international coalition flights seem to have paid off, according to analysts. The US recently announced its decision to provide regular aerial intelligence to support Turkey in its military operation against Daesh around the Syrian town of Al-Bab. Incirlik does not belong to NATO, but is a Turkish base that remains open to the operations of NATO forces due to Ankara’s responsibilities under the alliance. The US move came after calls, made for more than a month, by Turkey’s top officials — Ibrahim Kalin, the top aide of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Mevlut Cavusoglu, the minister of foreign affairs — for Washington to support Turkish forces in their fighting against Daesh. There was also questioning over the use of Incirlik airbase by coalition forces that were perceived as not standing by Turkey as the country faced ever-mounting casualties in its Operation Euphrates Shield at Al-Bab, a critical location in the fight against Daesh.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1038301/middle-east
Headline: Cyprus peace talks end with optimism, but Turkey won’t remove troops
Headline: Erdogan: Turkey will be in Cyprus forever
Turkey on Friday said it has no plans to remove its troops from Cyprus at a conference on the reunification of the island in Geneva, Switzerland. Hopes were raised this week after talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, organized by the United Nations, suggested a reunification is attainable. The Mediterranean island was divided between Greek and Turkish spheres of influence in 1974, when Turkish troops intervened after a coup meant to unify Cyprus with Greece. “From now on, you will have to be patient,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at a press conference Thursday with Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. “There is obviously a way to go; work will continue on Cyprus. We are coming very close to it: A bi-zonal, bi-communal federal state.” He added the negotiators were not seeking a “quick fix” but a “solid and sustainable solution.”
Jan. 13, 2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/erdogan-turkey-will-cyprus-forever/
Iran
Headline: Iran approved to import additional 130 tons of uranium
The U.S. and five other world powers have approved Iran importing as much as 130 tons of uranium, Iran’s English language Press TV reported Friday. The TV quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman as saying “the Joint Commission monitoring the implementation of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 approved the purchase on the part of Iran during a meeting in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Wednesday.” Kamalvandi said that the country had previously bought 220 tons of the material, and was currently in possession of a total of 350 tons, “Given that this amounts to a valuable resource, it places us in a very favorable position”. The incoming U.S. administration and many U.S. lawmakers already skeptical of how effective the nuclear deal is in keeping Iran’s nuclear program peaceful over the long term, they might view it as further evidence that Tehran is being given too many concessions.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/13/world/middleeast/ap-ml-iran-nuclear-.html
Afghanistan
Headline: Afghanistan Disputes US Report on Taliban Gains
Headline: Deadly Kandahar Blast: Five UAE diplomats among 12 killed
Headline: 36 Afghan parliament staff killed in Kabul attack
The Afghan Government on Thursday pushed back against a U.S. Inspector General’s report that said Afghan forces are losing significant territory to Taliban insurgents and are not capable of keeping the nation secure. “These calculations are not constant,” Mohammad Radmanesh, a spokesperson for the Afghan defense ministry, told VOA’s Afghan service. “Now we have recaptured many areas from the enemy.” On Wednesday, the U.S. Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (SIGAR) reported that territory under the Afghan government diminished significantly in 2016 and that the Taliban made large gains. “The Afghan national defense and security force has not yet been capable of securing all of Afghanistan and has lost territory to the insurgency,” SIGAR reported. “Last August, the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan … said only 63.4 percent of the country’s territory was under government control — compared to the 72 percent that the military said was controlled by Kabul in November 2015,” SIGAR noted. But the Afghan government said the report does not take into account gains made by Afghan troops in retaking areas after Taliban assaults. The government said it controls nearly two-thirds of the country’s 407 districts. Afghan officials said the Taliban controls 33 districts, less than 10 percent of the national total, and a recent U.S. military assessment lists 116 districts — more than one-quarter of the country — as “contested” areas.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-disputes-us-report-on-taliban-gains/3674864.html
http://afghanistantimes.af/deadly-kandahar-blast-five-uae-diplomats-among-12-killed/
http://www.khaama.com/36-afghan-parliament-staff-killed-in-kabul-attack-02655
Sudan
Headline: President Obama lifts U.S. sanctions on Sudan
The United States will lift trade sanctions on Sudan in a shift of policy, the Obama administration announced. An executive order released Thursday noted the Sudanese government’s “positive actions over the last six months.” The North African country has made improvements in humanitarian efforts, reduced military hostilities and cooperated with the United States on anti-terrorism efforts, the order says. The new U.S. strategy for Sudan, to be revealed Friday, calls for a lifting of sanctions, which will allow Sudan to purchase sorely needed items such as tractors and parts, as well as attract investment. In return, Sudan has promised to improve access for humanitarian organizations and end the bombing of insurgent groups. The embargo can be reinstated by the United States in six months, if necessary. Although sanctions were lifted by Obama’s executive order, the sale of military supplies is still prohibited. Sudan will remain on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, with Iran and Syria, and some Sudanese individuals still face sanctions.
Jan. 13, 2017
Libya
Headline: Russian warship anchors off Tobruk in Putin’s latest move for Libyan base
Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which left Syrian waters earlier this week, arrived Thursday at the port of Tobruk in eastern Libya. The warship was visited by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, commander of an army in eastern Libya and a fierce opponent of the government in Tripoli supported by the UN. After a tour of the warship he held a video call with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss the war on terrorist organizations in Libya. DEBKAfile’s military sources: The video call between the minister and the general was unprecedented. Russia has been cultivating its ties with Hafter since his surprise visit to Moscow in November during which Russia offered to provide Hafter’s forces with warplanes, attack helicopters, tanks and various kinds of missiles.
All of these steps are intended to gain a Russian base in eastern Libya that would enable Moscow to establish a naval and air force presence in the central Mediterranean for the first time.
Jan. 12, 2017
Tunisia
Headline: Tunisian police fire tear gas at protesters demanding jobs
Tunisian police firing tear gas clashed on Thursday with hundreds of youths who tossed rocks and petrol bombs in protests over jobs and a lack of development in a town in the country’s south, residents said. Six years after their revolt ousted autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia’s central and southern regions are still flashpoints for rioting in marginalised towns where many young Tunisians see little economic progress since the uprising. Local residents said police clashed with several hundred young men in the centre of Ben Guerdane, and that protesters lobbed rocks and petrol bombs and set tyres ablaze. “Police are firing tear gas to try to disperse hundreds of youths who are protesting in the centre of the town demanding work,” Fethi Chandoul, a local resident, told Reuters. Jan. 12, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4906868,00.html
Algeria
Headline: Algeria claims Israeli spy network uncovered
Arab media outlets reported on Friday that an international spy network operating for Israel was uncovered in Algeria. According to the reports, the network composed 10 members and was based in southern Algeria. The members included operatives from Libya, Mali, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria and Kenya. Algerian security forces also seized sophisticated radios used to transmit information by the spies. Those spies arrested are being held in temporary detention under a court order that accuses them of espionage, creating anarchy in the country and harming national security. Only last month, of Mohammad al-Zawahri, a flight engineer who specialized in unmanned aerial vehicles, was assassinated in Tunisia. According to reports, al-Zawahri had been assisting Hamas terrorism efforts, and Israel was behind the incident.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4907083,00.html
Headline: 3 Suicide Bombers Kill 2 on Market Day in Northeast Nigeria
Three women suicide bombers, including two carrying babies on their backs, detonated explosions Friday at a checkpoint Nigeria’s northeastern town of Madagali where people were being searched before entering a bustling weekly market, witnesses and an official said. The blasts killed the women, the babies and two self-defense fighters who wanted to search the bombers, they said. The fighters’ challenge likely saved many lives. In December, two women suicide bombers killed 57 people and wounded 177, including 120 children, at the Madagali market. Last week, three girl suicide bombers were killed on the outskirts of the same town. Residents blamed Boko Haram Islamic extremists for the attacks. Madagali is 150 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the largest city in northeast Nigeria and the birthplace of Boko Haram’s insurgency. “They blew up themselves after they were intercepted by local vigilantes stationed at the checkpoint at the entry to town,” resident David Abawu said by telephone. “Two vigilantes lost their lives in the process.” Two of the bombers had babies strapped to their backs who also died, Adamawa state spokesman Ahmed Sajo told The Associated Press.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/13/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-boko-haram.html?_r=0
Headline: US launches ‘self-defense strike’ during raid against Shabaab
US Africa Command announced that it launched an airstrike against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, while US advisors accompanied Somali and African Union forces in a counterterrorism exercise on Jan. 7. AFRICOM described the offensive under the guise of a “self-defense strike,” as it did on nine other occasions in 2016, when it was really another skirmish in a decade-long military operation against Shabaab. According to AFRICOM, US advisors accompanied a combined force of Somali and African Union troops on a raid in Gaduud, a town just north of Kismayo in southern Somalia. The area is a known hotbed for Shabaab, which has taken over nearby towns and villages. AFRICOM said the combined military force was conducting offensive operations to “disrupt” al Qaeda’s branch in Somalia. “During a counterterrorism operation to disrupt al-Shabaab, the combined partner forces observed al-Shabaab fighters threatening their safety and security,” AFRICOM said. “The US conducted a self-defense strike to neutralize the threat, no enemy fighters were killed.” AFRICOM described Shabaab as a group of “violent extremists” who “endanger the safety and stability of the Somali people.”
Jan. 12, 2017
Headline: U.S. troops’ move to Poland unnerves Kremlin
Headline: Why Is Obama Moving Troops Into Poland And Provoking A War With Russia Right Before The Inauguration?
Poland on Thursday welcomed several thousand U.S. troops along with tanks and heavy equipment under a planned NATO operation to beef up its Eastern European allies, vexing the Kremlin, which said the troops’ presence is a threat to Russia. The largest U.S.military reinforcement of Europe in decades of around 2,700 troops, out of 3,500 planned, arrived as part of operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at showing Moscow Washington’s commitment to its allies. “The main goal of our mission is deterrence and prevention of threats,” U.S. Army Colonel Christopher R. Norrie, commander of the 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, said at a welcome ceremony in Poland’s western city of Zagan. Poland and the Baltic former Soviet Republics requested U.S. and NATO troops after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014, fearing further military operations in the region by President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin, which has previously criticised NATO for its reinforcement in Eastern Europe, said on Thursday the deployment was an aggressive step along its borders. “We consider this a threat to us,” Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin’s spokesman, told journalists on a conference call. “We are talking here about a third country stepping up its military presence in Europe near our borders.”
Jan. 12, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/news/kremlin-says-u-military-build-poland-national-security-111330103.html
Headline: South China Sea: China media warn US over ‘confrontation’
Headline: China aircraft carrier crosses Taiwan Strait amid tension
Headline: Only ‘large-scale war’ would allow US to block Beijing from S. China Sea islands, state media warns
Blocking China from islands it has built in contested waters would lead to “devastating confrontation”, Chinese state media have warned. The angry response came after secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson said the US should deny Beijing access to new islands in the South China Sea. Two state-run papers carry editorials strongly criticising his comments. The hawkish Global Times tabloid warned that any such action would lead to “a large-scale war”. Beijing has been building artificial islands on reefs in waters also claimed by other nations. Images published late last year show military defences on some islands, a think-tank says. Speaking at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Mr Tillerson likened China’s island-building to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. “We’re going to have to send China a clear signal that first, the island-building stops and second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed.” China’s official response, from foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, was muted. China had the right to conduct “normal activities” in its own territory, he said.
Jan. 13, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-38607235
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-38579559
https://www.rt.com/news/373579-china-islands-tillerson-war/
Jan. 8, 2017- Thousands of fish die suddenly in a dam in East Java, Indonesia
https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesindonesia.co.id%2Fread%2F140139%2F20170108%2F121902%2Fribuan-ikan-di-dam-irigasi-karangdoro-banyuwangi-kembali-mati%2F&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 9, 2017- Thousands of dead fish, plus dead birds found in a quarry lake in Basiglio, Italy
https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.milanotoday.it%2Fcronaca%2Fpesci-morti-basiglio.html&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 9, 2017- Hundreds of fish dying in a lake in Pozzuoli, Italy
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnapoli.fanpage.it%2Flago-d-averno-centinaia-di-pesci-morti-colpa-del-freddo-e-dei-gas-vulcanici%2F&edit-text=&act=url
Jan. 9, 2017- swans have died due to avian flu in Dorset, England
http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/80-swans-dead-at-abbotsbury-swannery-as-bird-flu-hits-herd/story-30041645-detail/story.html
Jan. 9, 2017- Hundreds of dead lobsters, starfish and crabs found washed ashore in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
http://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/2017/1/9/large-number-of-sea-creatures-that-washed-up-in-norris-point-lik.html
Jan. 11, 2017- Massive fish kill found washed up on a lake in New South Wales, Australia
http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/animal-deaths-birds-fish-end-times.html
Headline: City quarantines hundreds of cats amid bird flu outbreak
A rare strain of bird flu has swept through the Big Apple’s animal shelters — and city officials have locked up about 500 felines in a quarantine facility to stop the outbreak. So far, 386 of the purring patients have tested positive for the H7N2 virus — the first time the disease has even been found in cats, officials said. Two of the cats have died, along with the original host: a Bronx shelter adoptee named Alfred, who became sick in October. But workers have no plans to put down any of the sick cats and instead will treat them for the virus, which has baffled the medical staff. It was unclear how Alfred caught H7N2, which remains contagious for up to three weeks, officials said. Even though it is considered only slightly transmittable to humans, workers are taking no chances — wearing hazmat suits whenever they are in the room with the furballs. The cats were rounded up from shelters in all corners of the city over the last two months and taken to a makeshift facility in an industrial section of Long Island City, Queens, set up by the ASPCA. The sick felines are being tested by workers from the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and the process could take up to three months, officials said.
Jan. 12, 2017
http://nypost.com/2017/01/12/city-quarantines-hundreds-of-cats-amid-bird-flu-outbreak/
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 ***beginning November 29, 2016, earthquakes of a 5.5 magnitude and higher will be posted
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Jan 13
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Jan 11
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 6, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Devices
Jan 11
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 6, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
How to Add the Last Chronicles to your Electronic Devices
Jan 09
Bible prophecy documentary book download proving our generation will see the return of the Lord. Do you want to know what is going to happen in the future before it actually takes place? The Word of God provides you with specific details about our future and all of these things are coming to pass in this generation. If you aren’t saved yet this is a must read! The Last Chronicles of Planet Earth January 6, 2017 Edition written by Frank DiMora
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~Scroll down for all the news; be sure to CLICK on the photos next to the prophecy sign for all Bible verses & videos ~
Headline: ISIS supporter truck driver kills 4 in Israel
Headline: Obscure Palestinian group claims Jerusalem truck ramming attack
Headline: UN Secretary General condemns Jerusalem terror attack
Headline: Hamas praises Jerusalem truck attack
Headline: Hezbollah commends ‘brave’ Jerusalem attack
A Palestinian on Sunday rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers visiting a popular tourist spot in Jerusalem, killing four and injuring at least 15 people, authorities said. The driver was also killed at the location overlooking holy sites in the Old City such as the Dome of the Rock and providing one of the most spectacular views of Jerusalem. Chaos broke out at the scene when the truck ploughed through the crowd, with hundreds of soldiers having arrived there as part of a tour for troops about the history of Jerusalem. “A lone terrorist drove his truck into a group of soldiers standing on the side of the road,” said police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld. “They got off the bus and as they were getting off and getting organised, he took advantage.” Israel’s military said one of its soldiers fired on the attacker and distributed video of him saying he shot after realising it was not an accident.Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the windshield of the truck. Police only confirmed four people were dead, but a medic at the scene said they were soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged the attacker “supported” the Islamic State group, though he provided no details on what led to the finding. The attack, however, was claimed by the “Groups of Martyr Baha Eleyan” in a post on Arabic social media. The organization said it was formed by Palestinians who “have no links outside Palestine.” It said it had acted previously, giving no details, and threatened more attacks. “This is not the first operation executed by our groups and it will be followed by a flood of distinctive operations in defense of our Jerusalem and in revenge of our martyrs and prisoners,” its statement said. The group has not been heard of previously and Reuters was unable to authenticate the validity of the claim.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.news24.com/World/News/isis-supporter-truck-driver-kills-4-in-israel-govt-20170108
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/223019
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/222975
Headline: Abbas urges world leaders to prevent US Embassy move to Jerusalem
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sent letters to a number of world leaders on Monday urging them to prevent the stated goal of the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. According to the official PA news outlet Wafa, Abbas sent letters to the heads of Russia, China, France, Germany, Britain, the European Union, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Arab League secretary general, “asking them to spare no effort in preventing the US embassy from moving to Jerusalem” The PA president on Monday also sent a letter to Trump, explaining what he believes are the pitfalls of fulfilling the president-elect’s controversial campaign promise. In his letter to Trump, Abbas argued the move will “likely have a disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region, since Israel’s decision to annex East Jerusalem contradicts international law.”
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-urges-world-leaders-to-prevent-us-embassy-move-to-jerusalem/
Saudi Arabia
Headline: At least 68 killed in battles near Yemen’s strategic strait
At least 68 fighters have been killed in two days of fierce battles between Yemeni forces and Shiite Houthi rebels near the strategic Bab Al Mandeb Strait, military officials said Sunday. Government forces launched an assault Saturday, recapturing the coastal Dhubab district, just 30 kilometres north of Bab Al Mandeb which links the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Since then, at least 55 Houthis have been killed in fighting and 72 others wounded, military and medical sources said. Clashes since Saturday have also killed 13 loyalists forces, including an army general, Brigadier General Abdul Aziz Al Majidi, a loyalist commander, told AFP. They said fighting was still under way Sunday as loyalist forces were trying to retake from the rebels a key military base in Dhubab. Al Omari base is located in a mountainous region that overlooks the coastal road linking Bab Al Mandeb to Dhubab, and opens the way to the rebel-held Hudaida port on the Red Sea. The Houthis, and allied fighters, on Sunday fired two ballistic missiles that were intercepted by the Saudi-led coalition that backs the Yemen government, a loyalist military source said.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://jordantimes.com/news/region/least-68-killed-battles-near-yemens-strategic-strait
Egypt
Headline: Suicide truck hits Egypt security post in Sinai, killing 10
A suicide bomber driving a garbage truck packed with explosives rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on Monday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 22, officials said. According to security and medical officials, the attack in the city of El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula was followed by smaller explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at the troops around the checkpoint. Three floors of the police building were blown out, the officials said, adding that so far, bodies of 10 people — all but one of them policemen — have been retrieved from the rubble but that they fear the death toll could rise further. The wounded were taken to hospital. At the checkpoint, two officers survived unharmed, the officials said. There were unconfirmed reports that a number of security personnel were seized and abducted by the gunmen.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1036356/middle-east
Headline: With big gains in N. Sinai, ISIS drives south
Egyptian control of the vast Sinai Peninsula is slipping fast. After gaining virtual sway over the north and its main roads, Islamic State Caliphate terrorists are moving ahead with an ambitious plan to devour a broad stretch of land on the eastern flank of central Sinai, debkafile’s military sources report. Achieving this objective would bring the jihadists in position to directly Egyptian beach resorts along the Gulf of Aqaba coast and its celebrated tourist resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. It would also bring them up to another section of the Egyptian-Israeli border. These days, Egyptian forces move around the northern and eastern regions of the peninsula in heavily-armed convoys with tanks and air and helicopter support. Still, on Monday, Jan.9, a suicide bomber killed 13 Egyptian soldiers by blowing up a stolen garbage truck packed with explosives outside a police station in the northern Sinai center of El Arish. The blast was followed by an RPG ground attack on the checkpoint outside the building. ISIS manages to inflict terror on Egyptian security forces despite the close military and intelligence cooperation between Egypt, the US and Israel for securing the north and keeping it out of ISIS control. Egyptian forces have their backs to the wall after failing to cement their authority there – or even carve out “sterile zones” for keeping the Islamists at arms length – although the Egyptian 2nd Army responsible for security in the north has been beefed up with tanks, air and helicopter reinforcements. With northern Sinai virtually under their jackboots, ISIS is engaged in hard bargaining with local Bedouin tribes, primarily the chiefs of the Tiyaha tribal federation, to advance its plans to seize another large chunk of the peninsula.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://debka.com/article/25879/With-big-gains-in-N-Sinai-ISIS-drives-south
Headline: Blast in Syrian town on Turkish border kills nearly 50- Aleppo province
A car bomb ripped through a busy commercial district in a rebel-held Syrian town along the Turkish border Saturday, killing nearly 50 in a huge explosion that damaged buildings and left rescuers scrambling to find survivors amid the wreckage, opposition activists said. Rescuers and doctors said the explosion was so large there were nearly 100 wounded and burned. Over 50 wounded were transported to the Turkish border town of Kilis for treatment, as local hospitals couldn’t cope. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Locals said a rigged tanker caused the explosion and blamed Islamic State militants, who have carried out attacks in the town before. The militant group has been increasingly pressed in Syria and Iraq, and has escalated its attacks against Turkey — which backs Syrian opposition fighters in a campaign against the group in northern Syria. Azaz, only a couple of miles from the Turkish border, is a key town on a route used by opposition fighters moving between Syria and Turkey, and is a hub for anti-government activists as well as many displaced from the recent fighting in Aleppo city. Activists say its pre-war population of 30,000 has swelled. The bomb went off early Saturday afternoon outside a local courthouse and security headquarters operated by the opposition fighters who control the town, resident and activist Saif Alnajdi told The Associated Press from Azaz.
Jan. 7, 2017
https://www.yahoo.com/news/opposition-least-15-killed-car-bomb-syrian-town-111457837.html
Headline: U.S. special forces target terror leaders in Deir al-Zour Syria; 25 killed
American special forces were deployed in eastern Syria this weekend in an operation aimed at capturing leaders of the Islamic State terror group, military officials said Monday. The U.S. Department of Defense publicly noted several operations in Syria on Sunday. One apparently involved a raid in a small town along the Euphrates River that targeted militant leaders. The operation was initially reported by Deir al-Zour 24, which monitors militant activity in that area. The strike targeting jihadist leaders lasted for about 90 minutes and involved special forces troops arriving on helicopters. It ended with soldiers carrying away captured and killed Islamic State operators. The maneuvers were part of Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command’s campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria — which is part of a larger international anti-militant coalition. “[We] confirm a U.S. operation in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour on Jan. 8,” John Dorrian, a spokesman for the coalition, told The Washington Post. “The U.S. and the entire counter-ISIL coalition will continue to pursue ISIL leaders wherever they are to ensure the security and stability of the region and our homelands.” The Post reported the strike was carried out by the Expeditionary Task Force, an elite U.S. unit based in Iraq tasked with hunting down top Islamic State leaders.
Jan. 9, 2017
Headline: Iraqi forces capture eastern side of bridge above Tigris River in Mosul
Headline: Iraq car bomb kills 11 in Baghdad
The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service said forces advancing from eastern Mosul in the battle against the Islamic State have reached the Tigris River, which splits the city from east to west. ICTS on Sunday said forces control the eastern side of Mosul’s Fourth Bridge, which is near the middle of the city and near the Mosul Airport. Iraqi military officials said forces control more than 70 percent of Mosul’s eastern section. More than 100,000 Mosul residents have fled since the Iraqi offensive to recapture the city began on Oct. 17. The second phase of the battle to retake Mosul — which is led by Iraqi security forces and aided by the Kurdish Peshmerga, a Shiite-led militia, and the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State — began Dec. 29 after the offensive was suspended for weeks.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38546497
Turkey
Headline: Turkish FM expects Trump to end US cooperation with YPG
Headline: Turkey Hopes US to Halt Support for Syrian Kurds – Foreign Minister
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday (January 9) he believes that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will not repeat the same mistakes as the outgoing administration in relations with Turkey. “We have improved our relations with the United States under different administrations. We turned our relation into strategic partnership. Our cooperation in NATO introduces a new dimension to our relation. We want to develop our relations with the new administration based on mutual interests and understanding,” Cavusoglu said. Addressing Turkish diplomats gathered in Ankara for an annual ambassadors’ conference, Cavusoglu said Turkey expects Washington to extradite U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and to end its cooperation with the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.nrttv.com/en/Details.aspx?Jimare=11990
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201701091049394790-us-ypg-support-kurds/
Iran
Headline: U.S. says Navy ship fired warning shots at Iranian vessels
Headline: Iran to expand military spending, develop missiles
Headline: Iran set to receive huge shipment of natural uranium from Russia amid lawmakers’ concerns
A U.S. Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels after they closed in at a high rate of speed near the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday. The incident, which occurred Sunday and was first reported by Reuters, comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. In September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harass the U.S. Navy in the Gulf would be “shot out of the water.” The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the USS Mahan established radio communication with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats but they did not respond to requests to slow down and continued asking the Mahan questions. The Navy destroyer fired warning flares and a U.S. Navy helicopter also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired. The Iranian vessels came within 900 yards (800 meters) of the Mahan, which was escorting two other U.S. military ships, they said. The IRGC and Trump transition team were not immediately available for comment.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-defense-idUSKBN14T1AX
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Iran-to-expand-military-spending-develop-missiles-477881
Sudan
Headline: The conflict in South Sudan, explained
Widespread ethnic cleansing, burning villages, looming starvation, and gang rape “so prevalent that it’s become ‘normal.’” This is what UN experts found when they took a 10-day trip to the African country of South Sudan in late November. Since civil war broke out there in December 2013, as many as 50,000 people have been killed. More than 2.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Around 6 million people are currently at risk of going hungry, and 70 percent of schools have been closed due to the fighting. So what is the conflict actually about? Who is fighting whom, and why? And does the US — which did more than any other country to help South Sudan win its independence — have any realistic way of stopping the carnage?
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.vox.com/world/2016/12/8/13817072/south-sudan-crisis-explained-ethnic-cleansing-genocide
Tunisia
Headline: Hundreds protest return of militants in Tunisia
Over 1,000 Tunisians took to the streets of the capital Tunis yesterday to protest against the return of Tunisian militants from Syria, Iraq and neighbouring Libya. According to authorities around 3,000 Tunisians have travelled to the war zones with around 800 having returned since. Tunisians fear the offensives against Daesh and Daesh losing their stronghold in places like Libya’s Sirte will force the militants to return home. Protesters shouted slogans like “No return, no freedom for savage [Daesh] bands” or “No repenting, no pardon for terrorists” at yesterday’s demonstrations. Some carried photos of security forces that have been killed fighting extremists on Tunisian borders. President Beji Caid Essebsi has refused to ban the return of the militants arguing that doing so would be unconstitutional. “Tunisians need to be reassured by a real political will that makes it clear these criminals won’t be allowed to return,” 33-year-old protester and civil servant Shahnez Mili said. Tunisian authorities have arrested several dozen alleged militants in a growing crackdown on extremists in recent weeks after Tunisian Anis Amri was identified as the main suspect in last month’s attack on a Berlin Christmas market. Since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has seen an increase in attacks lead by Daesh which have killed scores of policemen and soldiers including 59 foreign tourists.
Jan. 9, 2017
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170109-hundreds-protest-return-of-militants-in-tunisia/
Algeria
Headline: Algeria announces state of emergency on Tunisia border
Algerian authorities announced a state of emergency on its borders with Tunisia yesterday, after reports that about 800 Tunisians were returning from conflict zones emerged, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported. Algerian authorities took intensified security measures in Al-Maa Al-Abyad and Al-Koweef districts across the 1,000 kilometre border. The Algerians placed monitoring cameras for vehicles and people, in addition to sitting up 20 observation points. Commenting on the situation, security expert Faisal Al-Sharif told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “The wave of social protests, which have surged in Algeria recently due to the price hikes and a new budget, were the main reason behind the announcement of the state of emergency.” He added: “The Algerian government fears these protests will expand and so they caused security problems,” noting that “terrorists” use such opportunities to carry out “terrorist attacks.” Al-Sharif also said that the return of some “terrorists” from “battlefields” to Tunisia aggravated problems in the country and pushed the Algerian authorities “to take such a decision to protect its eastern borders.”
Jan. 7, 2017
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170107-algeria-announces-state-of-emergency-on-tunisia-border/
Headline: Navy, Trump planning biggest fleet expansion to deter Russian, Chinese threats
With President-elect Donald Trump demanding more ships, the Navy is proposing the biggest shipbuilding boom since the end of the Cold War to meet threats from a resurgent Russia and saber-rattling China. The Navy’s 355-ship proposal released last month is even larger than what the Republican Trump had promoted on the campaign trail, providing a potential boost to shipyards that have struggled because budget caps that have limited money funding for ships. At Maine’s Bath Iron Works, workers worried about the future want to build more ships but wonder where the billions of dollars will come from. “Whether Congress and the government can actually fund it, is a whole other ball game,” said Rich Nolan, president of the shipyard’s largest union. Boosting shipbuilding to meet the Navy’s 355-ship goal could require an additional $5 billion to $5.5 billion in annual spending in the Navy’s 30-year projection, according to an estimate by naval analyst Ronald O’Rourke at the Congressional Research Service.
Jan. 9, 2017
Headline: North Korea says can test-launch ICBM at any time: official news agency
Headline: Pakistan test-fires first nuclear-capable submarine cruise missile
North Korea declared on Sunday it could test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, saying a hostile U.S. policy was to blame for its arms development. Kim said on Jan. 1 that his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an ICBM. “The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK,” an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the country’s name. The North is formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter said on Sunday that North Korea’s nuclear weapons capabilities and ballistic missile defence programs constituted a “serious threat” to the United States and that it was prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile launch or test.
Jan. 9, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-idUSKBN14S0JE
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1036501/world
Headline: Christian Clergy Welcomes Islam in Church, Then Bows to It
There is a disturbing and growing trend in Italy and Europe. For the first time in more than 700 years, Islamic songs resonated in Florence’s Cathedral, the Church Santa Maria del Fiore. Under the famous Dome of Brunelleschi, Islamic melodies accompanied Christian ones. The “interfaith initiative” was promoted a week after the barbaric massacre by Islamist terrorists in Paris at the magazine Charlie Hebdo, and included “Koran is Justice” and other such “hymns”. This trend goes beyond Italy. In the UK, Bishop Harries suggested that Prince Charles’s coronation service should open with a reading from the Koran. In the US, more than 50 churches, including the Washington National Cathedral, hold Koran readings. The head of the Protestant Church in Germany, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, has also called for Islam to be taught in state schools. Is there any reading of the Christian liturgy in the mosques? These interfaith shows also seem to be making us blind to more disturbing readings of the Koran in Christian churches, such as the one that recently took place in Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia: for the first time in 85 years, Turkish Muslims read an Islamic text inside the Christianity’s most beautiful Eastern church. Their goal, as attested by bills submitted to Turkey’s parliament, is clear: Islamizing the church, which had been used as a museum since 1935. Christian silence is less clear: how is it that so few Christian leaders raised their voice against this unprecedented attack on a Christian monument? Have they organized so many Koran readings in their own churches so that they now view it as normal to convert a church into a mosque? After a terror attack in a church in Normandy last July, the Christian clergy opened the doors of their churches to Muslims. This gesture was welcomed as a turning point in the relation between the two religions. But from a population of six million Muslims in France, only a few hundred Muslims participated. Was their attendance really representative of Islamic public opinion? These well-intended gestures might look like an interfaith gain, but are in fact an ecumenical loss. Would it not be better for the heads of the Catholic Church to establish a real dialogue with the Islamic communities, based on principles such as reciprocity (if you build mosques in Europe, we build churches in the Middle East), protection of Christian minorities in the Crescent and theological repudiation of jihad against “infidels”? To the Catholic clergy who opened the door of Florence’s Cathedral to Islam, Muslims will next suggest removing a painting in the basilica: Domenico di Michelino’s “Dante and the Divine Comedy”. For Muslim extremists, Dante is guilty of “blasphemy”: he included Mohammed in his poetic Hell. The Islamic State does not make a secret of its willingness to strike Dante’s tomb in Italy. Other sites on ISIS’s list include St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, both of which portray scenes from the Divine Comedy. A fantasy? Not at all. The Italian human rights organization Gherush92, which advises UN bodies on human rights, already asked to have Dante removed from school curricula because supposedly it is “Islamophobic“. In this new interfaith “correctness”, only Islam gains. Christians have everything to lose.
Jan. 4, 2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9716/christian-clergy-islam
Headline: Thailand floods: 12 dead as record rainfall persists
At least 12 people have died and many villages been submerged after heavy rains caused severe flooding in southern Thailand. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected with water levels reaching “roof-high” in some areas, Thailand’s interior ministry said. Transport services, including flights, have been disrupted and rescue efforts are under way to reach those stranded. The heavy downpour is expected to continue for at least two more days. The flash floods have also damaged hundreds of schools and toppled power cables across southern Thailand.
Jan. 8, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38541333
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 ***beginning November 29, 2016, earthquakes of a 5.5 magnitude and higher will be posted
~click the photo to see ALL the maps of the large earthquakes for the current year~
Headline: What’s shaking? List & map of USGS Earthquakes~Click the shaking house~
