Trump’s pick for Israel envoy signals break on US policy

Donald Trump’s selection of a hard-line pro-Israel advocate as his U.S. ambassador to the Jewish state could signal the end of decades of American support for the establishment of an independent Palestine. The president-elect’s transition team already has asked the State Department to assess how to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, according to one official, underscoring Trump’s commitment to back Israel in ways no American leader has before.

Clinton mega donor George Soros leads line-up of liberal…

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend a private Christmas with the Middleton family rather than joining the Queen at Sandringham Michelle bites back: The First Lady steps up the Obamas’ war with Trump as she tells Oprah Americans have no ‘hope’ now that he’s weeks from the Oval Office and suggests a ‘grown up’ should be in charge Russian-speaking hacker known as Rasputin breached US agency in charge of monitoring voting machines and tried to sell the info to ‘a Middle Eastern government’ Prove it or shut up, Russia tells CIA: Putin’s spokesman accuses US of being ‘extremely scurrilous’ over hacking allegations Trump is urged to enact Muslim surveillance program to prevent Islamic terrorism: ‘We can’t worry about political correctness,’ says GOP congressman Republican elector who plans to vote against Trump is a ‘9/11 faker’ whose claim to be a first responder at the Pentagon is FALSE … (more)

Trump’s pick for Israel envoy signals break on U.S. policy

Donald Trump’s selection of a hard-line pro-Israel advocate as his U.S. ambassador to the Jewish state could signal the end of decades of American support for the establishment of an independent Palestine. The president-elect’s transition team already has asked the State Department to assess how to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, according to one official, underscoring Trump’s commitment to back Israel in ways no American leader has before.

Shipbuilder Ecovix, units file for bankruptcy protection in Brazil

Dec 16 Ecovix Engevix Construcoes Oceanicas SA and five subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy protection in a federal commercial court, succumbing to a debt burden of 8 billion reais and a plunge in shipbuilding. In a statement on Friday, Ecovix said Banco Brasil Plural SA and law firm Felsberg Advogados will advise it on bankruptcy protection proceedings, which will take place in a court based in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Pentagon demands China return intercepted Navy underwater drone

The Pentagon demanded that China immediately return a U.S. Navy underwater drone that was captured in the South China Sea, in a confrontation certain to exacerbate tensions in a region where the government in Beijing has sought to assert greater control. China “unlawfully seized” the unmanned underwater vehicle Thursday while it was being recovered by a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship during routine operations 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, according to a Defense Department statement.

2016 Re/insurance Industry Disaster Losses Put At $49bn By Swiss Re

Insurance and reinsurance industry losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disaster events during 2016 are expected to come out at around $49 billion by Swiss Re , up by 33% on 2015 but slightly below the 10-year average. The gap between total losses and the amount covered by insurance and reinsurance is again wide, highlighting the much-discussed protection gap, as economic losses from natural catastrophe and man-made disaster events in 2016 hit $158 billion, an increase of 68% on 2015’s figure.

Military aims to stop ISILa s a spillagea outside of Iraq, Syria

Two Canadian military teams are in Lebanon and Jordan as the international community searches for ways to keep the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from spreading once the city of Mosul falls. Senior military commanders have warned that victory in Iraq’s second-largest city will not mark the end of ISIL as a threat, but that the group will instead go underground and resort to suicide attacks and similar tactics.

UN rights chief urges Gambian leader to respect results of presidential election

“This is deeply worrying, given the record of human rights violations in The Gambia, including excessive use of force against demonstrators, arbitrary detention and deaths in custody, as well as allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said . The High Commissioner also urged the Gambian authorities to allow people to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, association and freedom of expression.

Sundance Screenwriters Lab Unveils 15 Writers It Will Support

Making the cut is Iranian writer-director Massoud Bakhshi true story ‘Yalda,’ which centers on a woman convicted of killing her husband who agrees to appear on a popular TV show to ask her husband’s daughter for forgiveness. The Sundance Institute has selected the 15 emerging screenwriters and their 12 feature film projects that it will support through the 2017 Screenwriters Lab.

Donald Trump picks pro-settlements lawyer as his Israel envoy

US president-elect Donald Trump has picked lawyer David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements and other changes to Washington’s policies in the region, as his ambassador to the Jewish state. Mr Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem”, even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.

Donald Trump picks pro-settlements lawyer as his Israel envoy

US president-elect Donald Trump has picked lawyer David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements and other changes to Washington’s policies in the region, as his ambassador to the Jewish state. Mr Friedman said he looked forward to carrying out his duties from “the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem”, even though the embassy is in Tel Aviv.

Darian MacKinnon: Four points from six would change the mood at Accies ahead of winter break

HAMILTON midfielder Darian MacKinnon is targeting four points from the club’s next two games as to clear the air before 2017 begins. With the Accies are separated only by goal difference from Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership, there were jeers aimed in the direction of manager Martin Canning in the wake of the 3-0 defeat to a ten-man Celtic side on Christmas Eve.