Nothing will rain on our parade! Triumphant Donald Trump promises a beautiful day as he tells his supporters: ‘I’m going to be cheering YOU’ Trump lays wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in somber Arlington Cemetery ceremony just one day before he becomes commander-in-chief Jerusalem mayor praises ‘friend’ Trump and slams Obama for ‘surrendering’ to radical Islam in video welcoming The Donald as President The mayor of Jerusalem has praised Donald Trump as a ‘friend’ while slamming outgoing U.S. president Barack Obama accusing him of ‘surrendering’ to radical Islam. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat released a video on Thursday ahead of Trump’s inauguration urging people to welcome him when he is sworn in as president.
Category: Middle East
Bishops call for prayers, support for peace ina
Bishops call for prayers, support for peace in Holy Land Bishop Oscar CantAo, of the Las Cruces Catholic Diocese, was among bishops who made pilgrimage to the Middle East Check out this story on lcsun-news.com: http://lcsun.co/2k66SKT LAS CRUCES – An international council of Catholic bishops, including Las Cruces Catholic Diocese Bishop Oscar CantAo , continues to call for an end to longtime hostilities in the Middle East. The Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land, also known as the Holy Land Coordination, concluded its annual pilgrimage Wednesday to the Holy Land.
At least 20 firefighters killed in hehran high-rise collapse
TEHRAN, Iran The scene unspooled as if in a disaster film: As firefighters fought to control a blaze in one of Tehran’s most prominent high-rise buildings, the structure suddenly collapsed Thursday in a smoldering heap of wreckage all while millions watched on Iranian state television. The state-run channel PressTV said that at least 20 firefighters were confirmed dead and that dozens of people could be trapped beneath the rubble.
With Little Room to Maneuver, Syria’s Rebels Head for Talks
Syrian rebels are sending more than a dozen representatives next week to the capital of Kazakhstan for talks with government representatives, the first such negotiations between the two sides in a year. But the loss of Aleppo, the election of Donald Trump and the pivot of Turkey toward Russia has left the opposition with very little room to maneuver.
Jewish and Israeli organizations deliver emergency aid to refugees on frozen Greek island
Rabbi Shu Eliovson receives a hug from Thanasis Voulgarakis at the Pikpa refugee camp in Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece. January 19, 2017.
Brave new Anglosphere: Israel revels in fresh support from US-UK-Australia triumvirate
It’s springtime for Israel’s relations with the Anglosphere. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loves to talk about burgeoning ties with the Arab world, but in the months and years ahead, a newly formed pro-Israel triumvirate of English-speaking countries looks set to form the backbone of international support for the Jewish state.
Prosecutors want 3-5 years jail for soldier convicted of manslaughter
Elor Azaria, an Israeli soldier who shot a Palestinian terrorist in Hebron, sits in the courtroom before the announcement of his verdict at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, January 4, 2017 Military prosecutors are likely to ask that an IDF soldier convicted on manslaughter for shooting a mortally wounded, unarmed Palestinian attacker be sentenced to between 3-5 years in prison in case that has deeply divided the nation, a television report said Thursday. On January 4 the Jaffa Military Court convicted IDF Sgt.
Turkish Parliament Nears Approval of Presidential System Sought by Erdogan
Turkey moved closer to adopting a new constitutional bill extending President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers that supporters welcome as a guarantor of stability at a time of turmoil and opponents see as a step towards an authoritarian state. Parliament ratified the first seven of 18 articles in a second round of voting, putting the assembly on track to approve the package as a whole by Friday night.
Columbia’s Rashid Khalidi Hits Back at Charges of Anti-Semitism
Rashid Khalidi admits that recent comments about right-wing influences “infesting” American and Israeli politics could have been expressed better. But the Columbia professor and Palestinian rights advocate said he was not singling out Jews.
Saudi economic agenda tied to human rights
An economic agenda in Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030, which aims to boost non-oil revenue could lead to a better human rights record, the United Nations said. According to assessments from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, most people in Saudi Arabia are “convinced” poverty has been eradicated in the country.
Mideast expects big changes under Trump
Donald Trump’s all-but-dismissal of human rights as a foreign policy principle could land like an earthquake across a Middle East landscape beset by warring factions and beleaguered governments, with some players eyeing the prospect of once unimaginable new alliances. Syria is the foremost test of Trump’s promise of a return to a hard-headed realpolitik and could quickly show whether America is truly abandoning promotion of democracy and the rule of law in a way that could reshape much of the region’s post-Cold War, post-9/11 order.
Allied forces kick ISIS out of east Mosul – ” but their corpses are killing the locals
“There is no power. No water, People are drinking from the wells here. This water is unsafe.
Haley supports moving US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
UN Ambassador-designate, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, arrives for a meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. WASHINGTON — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declared her support for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a shift firmly endorsed by Donald Trump but one that could trigger increased violence in the Middle East.
6 civilians killed in rebel strike in Yemen’s Taiz
Yemeni security officials say a rocket fired by Shiite rebels has killed six civilians in the war-torn city of Taiz.
HMC performs Qatar’s first liver transplant from living donor
The Organ Transplant Team at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Hamad General Hospital has successfully performed the first ever liver transplant from a living donor, in Qatar. Since the commencement of the liver transplant programme at HMC all transplants were performed from deceased donors.
French artist JR’s work to be showcased in Katara
Qatar Museums will showcase some of the key series that made French street artist JR gain international renowned in a major retrospective to open on March 6 at QM Gallery in Katara. JR is amongst a handful of world-famous artists that combines art and engaged actions through large-scale outdoor installations, films, photographs and videos, using the streetscape as his canvas and his inspiration, which he claims as the largest art gallery in the world.
Doha Festival City to open in March; 20 million visitors a year expected
Doha Festival City, the largest entertainment and retail development in the Gulf, is set to open its gates for public in March. The QR6.5bn mixed-use development will be home to more than 500 international and local brands along with entertainment offerings and Food and Beverages outlets.
Turkey rounds up 27 with links to suspected nightclub gunman
Turkish police rounded up 27 people linked to the suspected gunman in Istanbul’s New Year’s Eve nightclub attack and the justice minister said Wednesday that the capture of the suspect will lead to a better understanding of the Islamic State group’s operations in Turkey. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Abdulkadir Masharipov, was caught late Monday in a police operation in Istanbul.
Iraqi Forces Say IS Destroyed Historic Tomb of Jonah in Mosul
Iraq’s special forces troops advance during a battle against Islamic State militants in the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2017. Iraqi forces battling so-called Islamic State fighters this week made a grim discovery in a Mosul neighborhood, confirming reports from 2014 that the group had leveled the shrine that is said to have housed the tomb of the prophet Jonah, a key figure in the Judaic, Christian and Islamic religions.
Iraqi Forces Retake Eastern Mosul
Civilians congratulate Lt. Gen. Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, second from right, Iraqi ground forces commander as security forces patrol in the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 18, 2017.
10 Things to Know for Today
Markeith Loyd is transported from the Orlando Police headquarters to Orlando Regional Medical Center after being captured earlier in the evening in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. The suspect in the fatal shooting of an Orlando police officer was captured Tuesday night after eluding a massive manhunt for more than a week, authorities said.
Warrants issued for 243 more members of Turkey’s military
Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 243 members of the military in 54 provinces across the country, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday, in a probe following July’s failed coup. Anadolu said the suspects were being sought on suspicion they were using Bylock, an encrypted smartphone messaging app that the government says was used by the network of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric accused by Ankara of orchestrating the attempted coup.
Turkey issues arrest warrants for 243 military members in post-coup probe – Anadolu
ISTANBUL: Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 243 members of the military in 54 provinces across the country, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday, in a probe following July’s failed coup.
$2B in Aid Sought for Most Vulnerable in Yemen Civil War
About $2 billion in urgent aid is needed this year to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable victims of Yemen’s civil war, or about 10 million of the country’s 27 million people, the resident U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday. The Arab world’s poorest country has been in the grip of a civil war since 2014, when Shi’ite Houthi rebels and allied forces swept down from the north and captured the capital, Sanaa.
British air strikes destroy IS terror group’s Mosul drone base
British air strikes have destroyed a site used by Islamic State as a base for drones in the battle for Mosul, the Ministry of Defence has said. A pair of RAF Typhoons bombed the Mosul building used by the group, which the Government refers to as Daesh, on January 12, the MoD announced.
Obama Trumpets ‘Steadfast’ Defense of Israel on Iran Deal Anniversary
President Barack Obama said his administration had remained “steadfast” in countering Iranian threats to Israel in the wake of the Iran nuclear deal. Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, in their final week in office, marked the anniversary Monday of the implementation of the deal reached between Iran and six major powers led by the United States exchanging sanctions relief for a nuclear rollback.
Palestinian Shot Dead After Trying To Stab Israeli Soldiers
A Palestinian man who attempted to stab an Israeli soldier at a West Bank checkpoint was shot and killed during the attack, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The attacker drew a knife and began running at soldiers manning the checkpoint, who called for him to stop.
Yemen officials say Houthi rocket kills 6 civilians
Yemeni security officials say a rocket fired by Houthi rebels has killed six civilians, including women and children, when it hit an area in southern Taiz province. They say the Tuesday strike that also destroyed three old houses was part of broader fighting around the central city, Yemen’s cultural capital.
Syrians pay tribute to childhood artist and Russian ‘soldier’ on Ukrainian TV sparks online storm
The death of a Syrian cartoonist famous for his school text book drawings has brought Syrians together, albeit online, for a rare moment of unity amid the ongoing war within the country. Syrians might now be pointing their rifles at one another, but many of them share childhood memories of a different Syria in which characters illustrated by Mumtaz Bahra had a special place.
Iraq’s battle for Mosul has made over 148,000 homeless
The United Nations says the massive Iraqi military operation to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group has made more than 148,000 people homeless. The U.N. said in a statement released on Monday night that nearly 12,500 people were forced to flee their homes just over the past week.
Impeachment proceedings against MK Ghattas begin
Minister Ze’ev Elkin submitted to Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein the 72 signatures from MKs required to begin impeachment proceedings against Joint Arab List MK Basel Ghattas. Ghattas was arrested and indicted for smuggling mobile phones to terrorists in Israeli prisons earlier this month.
IS claims responsibility for killing of Jordan army officer
The extremist Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a shooting attack it said killed a Jordanian soldier earlier this month. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant internet traffic, quoted the IS news agency Amaq as saying that an IS “security detachment” killed 1st Sgt.
a Kibbutznika to share her reflections at Bet Haverim
Social and communal values instilled by a childhood on an Israeli kibbutz will be shared this Sunday at Congregation Bet Haverim by a Nevada City woman whose grandparents founded the kibbutz where she came of age. Sponsored by the synagogue’s Israel Peace Alternatives group, the free “Granddaughter of the Dream” presentation will take place at 2 p.m. in the Social Hall located at 1715 Anderson Road, Davis.
Robert Burns to be celebrated around world on birth date
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Oman says it accepts 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees
Oman said Monday it accepted 10 detainees from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay ahead of President Barack Obama leaving office, part of his efforts to shrink the facility he promised to close. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had accepted the prisoners at Obama’s request.
Lebanese Army refers extremist to judiciary
Lebanon’s Military Tribunal in Beirut is seen in this Thursday, June 20, 2013, photograph. (The Daily Star/Hasan Shaaban)
Kyrgyzstan: Cargo plane crash kills 37, destroys village
A Turkish cargo plane crashed Monday in a residential area just outside the main airport in Kyrgyzstan, destroying half of a village and killing at least 37 people in the plane and on the ground, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. The Boeing 747 crashed at 7:40 a.m. local time while approaching Manas airport, south of the capital, Bishkek, in this Central Asian nation.
UN agency chiefs urge access for aid to civilians in Syria-Image1
This file frame grab from video provided on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016 by Step News Agency, a Syrian opposition media outlet that is consistent with independent AP reporting, shows smoke rise from the government forces shelling on Wadi Barada, northwest of Damascus, Syria. Opposition activists and Syria’s state TV said on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 that maintenance workers have arrived in the rebel-held valley near Damascus to fix the water facility there, ending a violent standoff that has dried out the capital for weeks.
Qatar pledges $12m for Gaza’s electricity crisis
A Palestinian boy stands amidst the rubble of his home in al-Tufah, in the east of Gaza City on July 27, 2015, during a power outage. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS
Iraqi troops advance in eastern Mosul amid fierce clashes
A senior Iraqi commander says fierce clashes between special forces and Islamic State militants are taking place in two neighborhoods in eastern Mosul. The head of Iraq’s elite counterterrorism forces, Gen.