jerusalempost--2020-04-16--Mexico registers 448 new cases of coronavirus and new 43 deaths

Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said last week the country might have as many as 26,500 people infected with the @ @ @

Mexican health officials reported on Wednesday 448 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 43 new deaths, bringing the country's total to 5,847 cases and 449 deaths.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said last week the country might have as many as 26,500 people infected with the fast-spreading coronavirus.
Citing government models, Lopez-Gatell said many who are infected likely did not have symptoms or were not diagnosed.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--France not planning to cut troop numbers in Iraq for now - govt source

By subscribing I accept the terms of use

France has no plans to cut its troop numbers from Iraq for the moment following the killing of a top Iranian military commander that has exacerbated tensions in the region, a French government source said on Tuesday.The source added that security around French troops would be reinforced.France provides training and logistical support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces part of anti-Islamic State coalition in the country.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Every US strike on Iranian targets will adhere International Law: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed on Tuesday that every US strike on Iranian targets will be conducted inside the International Laws of War.His comment came as a response to a question on whether it is true US President Donald Trump's claim that the US will not hesitate to strike cultural areas.Amid Iranian threats of retaliation over Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani's killing , Trump tweeted over the weekend that the United States had targeted 52 Iranian sites, some "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture" if Iran struck any American or American assets in retaliation.
....targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
"They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people and we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn't work that way," Trump said on Sunday, speaking to reporters.After Pompeo's address, Trump told reporters that he would obey international law on avoiding targeting cultural sites in military attacks, walking back on his previous threat.In his speech, Pompeo also claimed that attacks planned by Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack last week, "were going to lead, potentially, to the death of many more Americans."Pompeo made comment at a news conference where he was pressed on whether any such planned Iranian attacks were "imminent," the term that he had used on Friday, the day Soleimani was killed in Iraq "Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman, this diplomat of great order - Qassem Soleimani - had traveled to Baghdad for the idea of conducting a peace mission?" he said. "We know that wasn't true."Pompeo also held Soleimani responsible for a Dec. 27 rocket attack in Iraq in which a US civilian contractor was killed."He was continuing the terror campaign in the region. We know what happened ... in December, ultimately leading to the death of an American. So, if you are looking for imminence, you need look no further than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against Soleimani," Pompeo said."And then you in addition to that have what we could clearly see were continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorist to build out a network of campaign activities that were going to lead, potentially, to the death of many more Americans," he added.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Pompeo: Killing of Soleimani was done as a counter-measure

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a speech on Tuesday that the killing of IRGC Commander Qassem Soleimani was done as a counter-measure to planned attacks on US forces.Asked whether Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's claim that Soleimani was in Iraq as part of a diplomatic mission, Pompeo shot back "Does anyone here believe that?" Pompeo claimed Zarif's comment was a lie and the US already knew that.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Teenage British neo-Nazi jailed for planning terrorism attack

A British teenager who described himself as a neo-Nazi was sentenced to almost seven years in prison on Tuesday for planning a terrorism attack from his bedroom.The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had carried out extensive online searches for extreme race-hate and right-wing material, encouraging others to share the banned material he found.He was arrested in March 2019 when police found a handwritten list of possible areas to attack and a list of "firearms I would buy" at his home in Durham, northern England.In November, he was found guilty of six offences, including preparing to commit an act of terrorism, which the BBC said made him the youngest person to be convicted in Britain of plotting to carry out such an attack."Cases such as this highlight the dangers our young people face today online," said Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East."The negative influence and powerful manipulation that takes place by those who seek to radicalise them cannot be underestimated."The teenage boy, who was sentenced to six years and eight months in jail at Manchester Crown Court, had researched details of recent mass killings in the United States and Europe, police said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Incendiary balloon spotted near Lakhish Regional Council

Police units were called to a town within Lakhish Regional Council on Tuesday following a report on a balloon used to cause fires nearby. After inspecting it, police found it is an incendiary balloon and is currently disarming it.Police spokesperson told members of the public to be careful and not to handle such objects alone.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Four Rohingya children killed in blast in Myanmar's Rakhine state

Four Rohingya Muslim children were killed by a landmine explosion in Myanmar's western Rakhine state on Tuesday which the military and ethnic insurgents blamed on each other.Five other children and their teacher were also wounded when the group stepped on the landmine as they went to collect firewood in the village of Kyauk Yan, military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said by phone.The wounded were being treated at local hospitals and three were in a serious condition, he said.He said the landmine was laid by fighters from the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that recruits mostly from Rakhine’s Buddhist majority. A spokesman for the rebels, who want more autonomy for Rakhine state, blamed the blast on the military."One child’s head was crushed. We could only retrieve his body. We brought the bodies to their families and buried them later in the evening," said a villager who asked not to be named for fear of retribution.Last year, 143 children were killed or wounded in numerous civil wars being fought along Myanmar's porous borders, the United Nations Children's Fund said.Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in Rakhine state since fighting broke out last December.The region came to global attention in 2017 when more than 730,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh to escape an army crackdown which U.N investigators said was carried out with "genocidal intent."Several hundred thousand remain in Myanmar. They live under apartheid-like conditions, confined to camps and villages and denied access to education and healthcare.Myanmar is encouraging refugees to return from Bangladesh camps but most have refused, citing persecution and conflict.The ethnic Rakhine insurgency, believed to include thousands of rebels, poses a threat to the government of Aung San Suu Kyi.Rebels have kidnapped villagers, administrators and local officials and ordered a tax on businesses. A lawmaker from Suu Kyi's ruling party is still missing after being abducted in November, and another party official died after being kidnapped in December.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Egyptair suspends flights to Baghdad for 3 days - statement

EgyptAir, Egypt's flag carrier, said on Tuesday it will suspend its flights to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, for three days starting from Wednesday because of the instable security situation in Iraq.The suspension, which will continue until Friday, was taken "for the safety of our passengers and planes and until the security situation stabilizes in the city," the company said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Brazil's Bolsonaro to discuss Iran with foreign minister

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he will talk to the foreign minister about Iran's decision to summon Brazil's charge d'affaires over comments about the death of a senior Iranian general.Bolsonaro said Brazil will maintain trade links with Iran and that Brazil rejects terrorism anywhere in the world. (Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello Writing by Jamie McGeever.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--UK PM Johnson welcomes Cyprus court ruling to release British teen

Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the decision by a court in Cyprus to hand a suspended sentence to a British @ @ @ @ @ gang rape allegation , allowing the 19-year-old to return home , his spokesman said .
@ @ @ @ @ would work with Cyprus and other countries to ensure that such a case could not @ @ @ @ @ gained a great deal of attention in Israel as the males involved were all young @ @ @ @ @ service .
The teenagers claimed all sexual activities between the British woman and them were @ @

Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the decision by a court in Cyprus to hand a suspended sentence to a British teenager accused of faking a gang rape allegation, allowing the 19-year-old to return home, his spokesman said.
The spokesman also said Britain would work with Cyprus and other countries to ensure that such a case could not happen again.
The case gained a great deal of attention in Israel as the males involved were all young Israelis ahead of their IDF service. The teenagers claimed all sexual activities between the British woman and them were consensual.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Saudi arrests 'most dangerous wanted terrorist' in eastern province

Saudi Arabia arrested a man in Qatif, eastern Saudi Arabia, after he opened fire on a security patrol, state-run Al Ekhbariya TV said on Tuesday, adding that he was wanted for robberies on vehicles transporting cash.The Ekhbariya report described the man as the "most dangerous wanted terrorist," without providing more details.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Jury selection in Weinstein rape trial begins in wake of new charges

Hours after Weinstein 's New York trial started on Monday , Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey charged Weinstein with the sexual assault of two unidentified women in 2013 .
Weinstein , 67 , has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women in New York .
He faces life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge , predatory sexual assault .
The once-powerful film producer is known for reshaping movie-making with low-budget , critically acclaimed films such as `` The English Patient '' and `` Shakespeare in Love . ''
The Los Angeles charges come as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to arrive at court on Tuesday and fill out questionnaires to determine if they are able to be impartial .
A second phase of selection , in which a final jury of 12 will be picked , is expected to begin a week later , though Judge James Burke has called that date “ optimistic.
” Given the high-profile nature of the case , the court cast a wide net , sending out jury summonses to 2,000 New Yorkers .
Based on past experience , a court spokesman said about 500 were likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lucian Chalfen , a spokesman for the Office of Court Administration , said the number of jurors summoned for Weinstein is roughly five times the number for a typical trial .
Jill Huntley Taylor , a jury expert at the trial consulting firm Dispute Dynamics , said the new charges announced Monday in Los Angeles would increase the challenge of picking a fair jury .
`` It 's one more opportunity for jurors to be exposed to the allegations against him , '' she said .
Prosecutors need 12 jurors to back a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holdout for a hung jury .
Donna Rotunno , one of Weinstein 's lawyers , has said she is confident her team could seat a fair-minded jury .
`` Once 12 people are put in that box and they realize the gravity of it , they really want to be fair , ” Rotunno told Reuters .
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades .
Weinstein has denied the allegations , saying any sexual encounters he had were consensual .
The allegations propelled the # MeToo movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and business being expelled from positions of power following accusations of sexual misconduct .
Allegations against Weinstein first were reported in the New York Times and The New Yorker magazine in October 2017 .
The New York prosecutors have charged Weinstein with assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 .
Prosecutors say Weinstein raped the second woman , who has not been publicly identified , in 2013 .
Experts said lawyers for Weinstein and the prosecution would need to be wary of jurors who may try to mask their bias in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some jurors may seek to use the trial as a means of advancing a personal cause , a concern in a case that has become a flashpoint for ending sexual harassment .
“ They may think , ‘ I want to be the one to make sure he goes to jail .
I want to be the one to do justice , ’ ” said Roy Futterman , a New York jury consultant .
Weinstein in October lost a bid to move the trial to suburban Long Island or to Albany , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said intense media scrutiny made it impossible for jurors to give him a fair trial in Manhattan .
The defense asked at Monday 's hearing that the jury be sequestered , a request the judge denied .

Lawyers in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial will begin selecting jurors on Tuesday, a challenging process in the wake of the #MeToo movement and fresh sex crime charges brought against the former film producer.
Hours after Weinstein's New York trial started on Monday, Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey charged Weinstein with the sexual assault of two unidentified women in 2013.
Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women in New York. He faces life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault.
The once-powerful film producer is known for reshaping movie-making with low-budget, critically acclaimed films such as "The English Patient" and "Shakespeare in Love."
The Los Angeles charges come as potential jurors in New York were scheduled to arrive at court on Tuesday and fill out questionnaires to determine if they are able to be impartial.
A second phase of selection, in which a final jury of 12 will be picked, is expected to begin a week later, though Judge James Burke has called that date “optimistic.”
Given the high-profile nature of the case, the court cast a wide net, sending out jury summonses to 2,000 New Yorkers. Based on past experience, a court spokesman said about 500 were likely to show up for jury duty.
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the Office of Court Administration, said the number of jurors summoned for Weinstein is roughly five times the number for a typical trial.
Jill Huntley Taylor, a jury expert at the trial consulting firm Dispute Dynamics, said the new charges announced Monday in Los Angeles would increase the challenge of picking a fair jury.
"It's one more opportunity for jurors to be exposed to the allegations against him," she said.
Prosecutors need 12 jurors to back a conviction, while Weinstein needs just one holdout for a hung jury.
Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein's lawyers, has said she is confident her team could seat a fair-minded jury.
"Once 12 people are put in that box and they realize the gravity of it, they really want to be fair,” Rotunno told Reuters.
More than 80 women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades.
Weinstein has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters he had were consensual.
The allegations propelled the #MeToo movement, which led to men in politics and business being expelled from positions of power following accusations of sexual misconduct.
Allegations against Weinstein first were reported in the New York Times and The New Yorker magazine in October 2017.
The New York prosecutors have charged Weinstein with assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006. Prosecutors say Weinstein raped the second woman, who has not been publicly identified, in 2013.
Experts said lawyers for Weinstein and the prosecution would need to be wary of jurors who may try to mask their bias in order to serve on a headline-grabbing trial. Some jurors may seek to use the trial as a means of advancing a personal cause, a concern in a case that has become a flashpoint for ending sexual harassment.
“They may think, ‘I want to be the one to make sure he goes to jail. I want to be the one to do justice,’” said Roy Futterman, a New York jury consultant.
Weinstein in October lost a bid to move the trial to suburban Long Island or to Albany, New York state’s capital. He said intense media scrutiny made it impossible for jurors to give him a fair trial in Manhattan.
The defense asked at Monday's hearing that the jury be sequestered, a request the judge denied.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Britain says war with Iran would strengthen terrorists

`` What we 're looking to do is to de-escalate the tensions with Iran and make sure in relation to @ @ @ @ @ lose the hard won gains that we secured against Daesh , '' British Foreign Secretary @ @ @ @ @ We are concerned that if we see a full blown war it would be very @ @ @ @ @ , in particular Daesh ( Islamic State ) , would be the only winners .
@

Britain on Tuesday called for calm after the United States killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and said a war with Iran would only benefit Islamist militants across the Middle East.
"What we're looking to do is to de-escalate the tensions with Iran and make sure in relation to Iraq that we don't lose the hard won gains that we secured against Daesh," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
"We are concerned that if we see a full blown war it would be very damaging and actually the terrorists, in particular Daesh (Islamic State), would be the only winners."
"We're working with our U.S. partners, our EU partners, that is why I'm traveling out to Brussels today, to make sure we send a very clear and consistent message on the need for de-escalation and to find a diplomatic route though."


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--US renews warning about threats from Iran to vessels in Gulf

The United States Maritime Administration website has renewed its warning about threats to U.S. commercial vessels from Iran and its proxies in the Gulf and surrounding area.The notification, valid from Monday to Jan 13., is not substantially different from an initial warning issued on Friday. "There remains the possibility of Iranian action against U.S. maritime interests in the region," both notices said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Pakistan military aircraft crashes, two pilots killed

The FT-7 jet came down on a routine training mission near the central district of Mianwali , the spokesman added @

A Pakistan military aircraft crashed near an air base on Tuesday, killing two pilots, an air force spokesman said.
The FT-7 jet came down on a routine training mission near the central district of Mianwali, the spokesman added.
He named the pilots as Squadron Leader Haris bin Khalid and Flying Officer Ibaad-ur-Rehman and said a board of inquiry would look into what caused the crash.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Britain to discuss Iran crisis with France and Germany

`` The Foreign Secretary is traveling to Brussels today for talks with his European counterparts on the situation in the @ @ @ @ @ of Soleimani and on the escalating conflict in Libya , '' a spokesman said .

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab travels to Brussels on Tuesday to discuss with France and Germany the crisis sparked by the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, the British Foreign Office said.
"The Foreign Secretary is traveling to Brussels today for talks with his European counterparts on the situation in the Middle East following the death of Soleimani and on the escalating conflict in Libya," a spokesman said.
"The E3 will... meet to discuss the tensions between the US and Iran with all three pushing for de-escalation," the spokesman said. "The talks will also cover the nuclear deal following Iran’s latest announcement on Sunday that it is withdrawing from further commitments in the deal."


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Eden far from a paradise as Australia bushfires hit economy

This year , Eden is anything but a paradise for Baxter and other business owners on the town 's smoke-filled main street .
Just days after the entire town , including tourists , was evacuated in the face of fierce wildfires , most shops remained shuttered .
Dead birds and burnt leaves littered the beachfront .
`` It ’ s a seasonal town , '' Baxter told Reuters from behind the counter of her shop , adding that income was down 85-90 % .
`` This money , through this time of year , gets us through winter and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do n't know what we 're going to do . ''
The situation in Eden is playing out in other towns across Australia where huge bushfires have burnt through more than 10.3 million hectares ( 25.5 million acres ) of land , killed 25 people and left thousands homeless .
Weeks into the crisis , the economic costs are mounting , potentially wrecking the central bank 's hopes for a `` gentle turning point '' of renewed growth in gross domestic product this quarter .
`` The fires have come at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainty about Australia 's economic outlook , '' AMP 's Sydney-based head of investment strategy Shane Oliver said in a telephone interview .
Oliver estimated a minimum 0.4 % hit on gross domestic product ( GDP ) in the March quarter , which could mean growth stalled completely in the period and prompt a further interest rate cut as early as February .
`` The impact on tourism is expected to be more lasting while the impact on consumer spending is the biggest unknown , '' Oliver said .
Australia 's A $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 years of recession-free expansion as cash-strapped consumers shun everything from clothes to cars while a three-year drought has hurt the farm sector .
The downturn prompted three rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia ( RBA ) last year to an all-time low of 0.75 % .
Financial futures now imply a 50-50 chance of a fourth easing next month .
In signs of the early impact of the fires , data released on Tuesday showed a gauge of Australian consumer confidence slumped last week to its lowest level in more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their largest monthly drop in seven months in December , a fall that ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch linked to the bushfire crisis .
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he expected the full economic impact of the fires to be `` very significant . ''
`` All those businesses in those communities who have been impacted , been hit at exactly the wrong time of the year , when they 're the busiest time , '' he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .
In Eden , the reopening of the town following the weekend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any major fire damage has made little difference to businesses .
At least two cruise ships have bypassed the port in the past week as smoke blankets the waterfront .
Eric Wolske moved to the town with his partner two years ago , buying an antiques shop as an investment .
`` Well compared to last year this time , business obviously is down , '' Wolske told Reuters , adding he was banking on a cruise ship due to berth later this month .
Tourism accounts for more than 3 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resorts have suffered extensive damage , while many national parks are closed .
In the cities of Sydney , Melbourne and Canberra the smoke has dented the country 's clean and green image and led to the cancellation of some entertainment events .
Agricultural businesses have also been affected , with the sizeable dairy industry struggling to secure milk supplies .
Insurers have received 8,985 bushfire-related claims in New South Wales , Victoria , South Australia and Queensland since Nov. 8 .
The claims are estimated to have a loss value of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oliver said there was light at the end of the tunnel .

The peak summer holiday period should bring boatloads of cruise-ship passengers and other holiday makers to the Australian coastal town of Eden, with visitors thronging stores like Lynn Baxter's newsagent.
This year, Eden is anything but a paradise for Baxter and other business owners on the town's smoke-filled main street.
Just days after the entire town, including tourists, was evacuated in the face of fierce wildfires, most shops remained shuttered. Dead birds and burnt leaves littered the beachfront.
"It’s a seasonal town," Baxter told Reuters from behind the counter of her shop, adding that income was down 85-90%.
"This money, through this time of year, gets us through winter and we don’t have it now. Don't know what we're going to do."
The situation in Eden is playing out in other towns across Australia where huge bushfires have burnt through more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land, killed 25 people and left thousands homeless.
Weeks into the crisis, the economic costs are mounting, potentially wrecking the central bank's hopes for a "gentle turning point" of renewed growth in gross domestic product this quarter.
"The fires have come at a time when there was already a lot of uncertainty about Australia's economic outlook," AMP's Sydney-based head of investment strategy Shane Oliver said in a telephone interview.
Oliver estimated a minimum 0.4% hit on gross domestic product (GDP) in the March quarter, which could mean growth stalled completely in the period and prompt a further interest rate cut as early as February.
"The impact on tourism is expected to be more lasting while the impact on consumer spending is the biggest unknown," Oliver said.
Australia's A$1.95 trillion economy is already limping after 28 years of recession-free expansion as cash-strapped consumers shun everything from clothes to cars while a three-year drought has hurt the farm sector.
The downturn prompted three rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) last year to an all-time low of 0.75%. Financial futures now imply a 50-50 chance of a fourth easing next month.
In signs of the early impact of the fires, data released on Tuesday showed a gauge of Australian consumer confidence slumped last week to its lowest level in more than four years.
Job advertisements suffered their largest monthly drop in seven months in December, a fall that ANZ senior economist Catherine Birch linked to the bushfire crisis.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he expected the full economic impact of the fires to be "very significant."
"All those businesses in those communities who have been impacted, been hit at exactly the wrong time of the year, when they're the busiest time," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
SMOKE ON THE WATERFRONT
In Eden, the reopening of the town following the weekend evacuation and the fact that it escaped any major fire damage has made little difference to businesses.
At least two cruise ships have bypassed the port in the past week as smoke blankets the waterfront.
Eric Wolske moved to the town with his partner two years ago, buying an antiques shop as an investment.
"Well compared to last year this time, business obviously is down," Wolske told Reuters, adding he was banking on a cruise ship due to berth later this month.
Tourism accounts for more than 3% of Australia's annual GDP and many hotels and resorts have suffered extensive damage, while many national parks are closed.
In the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra the smoke has dented the country's clean and green image and led to the cancellation of some entertainment events.
Agricultural businesses have also been affected, with the sizeable dairy industry struggling to secure milk supplies.
Insurers have received 8,985 bushfire-related claims in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland since Nov. 8. The claims are estimated to have a loss value of A$700 million.
Still, Oliver said there was light at the end of the tunnel.
"We can see a revival from June quarter as rebuilding activity kicks in helped by insurance payouts and welfare payments," said Oliver, who still expects two RBA rate cuts this year.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iran 'ready to come back to full compliance' in nuclear deal

Iran announced on Sunday it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium , taking a further step back from commitments to @ @ @ @ @ six major powers , but said it would continue to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear @ @

Iran is "ready to come back to full compliance" with its nuclear deal with world powers, deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday, according to a tweet from the Foreign Ministry, though the post did not provide any information on possible conditions.
Iran announced on Sunday it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium, taking a further step back from commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers, but said it would continue to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Netanyahu calls Chief Rabbi Yosef's statement on Soviet Jews 'outrageous'

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef recently alleged that the aliyah to Israel of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish according to Jewish law was a conspiracy by the state to negate the electoral strength of the ultra-Orthodox community."This is an outrageous statement," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in response on Tuesday. "The immigration of people from the former Soviet Union is a blessing to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Under my leadership the government will continue to work for the immigration and absorption of our former Soviet brothers and sisters into Israel."At a rabbinical conference last week, Yosef said that “hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of non-Jews came to Israel,” under the terms of the Law of Return.“There are many, many non-Jews here; some of them are Communist, enemies of religion, haters of religion. They are not Jewish at all, [they are] non-Jews,” said Yosef.“Afterwards they vote for parties who incite against the ultra-Orthodox and against religion.”Yosef went on to claim that these immigrants “were brought to Israel so that they would be a counterweight to the ultra-Orthodox; so that when there are elections there won’t be many [Knesset seats] for the ultra-Orthodox. That’s why they were brought to Israel: total non-Jews; really, completely non-Jews.”In the mass immigration from the former Soviet Union to Israel in the 1990s following the collapse of the Communist regime, just over a million people made aliyah under the Law of Return, some 307,000 of whom were not born to a Jewish mother, meaning that they were not Jewish according to Jewish law.Under the Law of Return, the spouse, child or grandchild of a Jew is granted citizenship in the State of Israel under the so-called “grandchild clause.”Today, there are between 400,000 to 425,000 immigrants or children of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are not Jewish according to Jewish law.Yosef’s comments were lambasted by numerous public figures.Head of the Yisrael Beytenu Party Avigdor Liberman, whose electorate is comprised in the main of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, said that the chief rabbi’s comments were “racist” and “antisemitic,” and called for him to be suspended.“We are demanding his immediate suspension and will work in the future so that a chief rabbi from the religious-Zionist community will be elected who will know to include and embrace, and not to divide,” said Liberman.He also called on all other party heads to condemn Yosef’s comments.Rabbi Seth Farber, head of Itim – the Jewish Life Advocacy Center, and co-founder of the Giyur Kahalacha network of independent, Orthodox conversion courts, said that Yosef had “cast aspersions on the Jewish people and distanced people from Judaism,” and that his comments were “a mortal blow to our social cohesion as a people.”The Gesher organization said that “It is sad that the chief rabbi, whose job is to connect all sectors of the people to religion and tradition, acts without sensitivity or respect, and perpetuates erroneous stigmas and prejudices.”


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iran considering 13 'revenge scenarios' after US strike - report

`` The Americans should know that until now 13 revenge scenarios have been discussed in the council and even if @ @ @ @ @ weakest scenario carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans , '' @ @ @ @

Iran has been considering 13 "revenge scenarios" in retaliation for a U.S. strike that killed a top Iranian commander in Iraqi, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"The Americans should know that until now 13 revenge scenarios have been discussed in the council and even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans," Ali Shamkhani said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iranian official calls revenge plan 'a historic nightmare for Americans'

Iran has been considering 13 "revenge scenarios" in retaliation for a US strike that killed a top Iranian commander in Iraqi, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported."The Americans should know that until now 13 revenge scenarios have been discussed in the council and even if there is consensus on the weakest scenario carrying it out can be a historic nightmare for the Americans," Ali Shamkhani said.He threatened that if US troops did not leave of their own volition, that Iran would "make them leave in coffins," according to Israel's Channel 13.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Four Kenyan civilians killed in al Shabaab attack on telecom mast

The United States has sent more troops to Kenya to reinforce security after al Shabaab militants killed three Americans during @ @ @ @ @ in Manda Bay on Sunday .
An unknown number of militants fired at a mast @ @ @ @ @ operator Safaricom , police said .
They also fired at police who were guarding the @ @ @ @ @ base .
`` Officers manning the mast and the base together with special forces were @ @ @ @ @ '' the police said in the report .
The raid took place in Garissa county @ @ @ @ @ The attackers managed to destroy the door to the area holding the mast but did @ @ @ @ @ telecom network , police said .

Four Kenyan civilians were killed in a gunfight early on Tuesday when police engaged al Shabaab militants from neighboring Somalia who targeted a telecommunications transmission mast, the police said in an internal report.
The United States has sent more troops to Kenya to reinforce security after al Shabaab militants killed three Americans during an attack on Camp Simba in Manda Bay on Sunday.
An unknown number of militants fired at a mast belonging to Kenya's leading operator Safaricom, police said. They also fired at police who were guarding the mast at a nearby patrol base.
"Officers manning the mast and the base together with special forces were able to repulse them," the police said in the report.
The raid took place in Garissa county, which neighbors Somalia. The attackers managed to destroy the door to the area holding the mast but did not cause damage to the telecom network, police said.
"During the attack, four civilians lost their lives," they said, without providing more details. A team of police officers were pursuing the attackers, they said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Quake of magnitude 6.2 strikes near Indonesia's Aceh province

The Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency said on Twitter the quake had magnitude 6.4 and a depth of 13 km @ @ @ @ @ not have the potential to trigger a tsunami .

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck southwest of Indonesia's Aceh province on the island of Sumatra on Tuesday at a depth of 20.3 km, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The Indonesian meteorology and geophysics agency said on Twitter the quake had magnitude 6.4 and a depth of 13 km, adding that it did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.
The have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Facebook to remove 'deepfake' videos in run-up to 2020 US election

The social media giant would also remove misleading media if it was a result of technologies like AI that `` @ @ @ @ @ content on to a video , making it appear to be authentic , '' it @ @ @ @ @ : //about.fb.com/news/2020/01/enforcing-against-manipulated-media dated Jan.6 .
Last year , Facebook refused to remove a heavily edited @ @ @ @ @ U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem incoherent by slurring her speech and making it appear @ @ @ @ @ over her words .
`` This policy does not extend to content that is parody @ @ @ @ @ that has been edited solely to omit or change the order of words , '' @ @ @ @ @ did not respond immediately to questions about how it would determine what was parody or @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi video under the new policy .
Facebook has been criticized over its content policies @ @ @ @ @ spectrum .
Democrats have blasted the company for refusing to fact-check political advertisements , while @ @ @ @ @ discriminating against conservative views , a charge that it has denied .

Facebook Inc said it will remove deepfakes and other manipulated videos from its platform if they have been edited, but not content that is parody or satire, in a move aimed at curbing misinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
The social media giant would also remove misleading media if it was a result of technologies like AI that "merges, replaces or superimposes content on to a video, making it appear to be authentic," it said in a blogpost https://about.fb.com/news/2020/01/enforcing-against-manipulated-media dated Jan.6.
Last year, Facebook refused to remove a heavily edited video that attempted to make U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seem incoherent by slurring her speech and making it appear like she was repeatedly stumbling over her words.
"This policy does not extend to content that is parody or satire, or video that has been edited solely to omit or change the order of words," Facebook said.
The company did not respond immediately to questions about how it would determine what was parody or whether it would remove the Pelosi video under the new policy.
Facebook has been criticized over its content policies by politicians from across the spectrum. Democrats have blasted the company for refusing to fact-check political advertisements, while Republicans have accused it of discriminating against conservative views, a charge that it has denied.
In the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November 2020, social platforms have been under pressure to tackle the threat of deepfakes, which use artificial intelligence to create hyper-realistic videos where a person appears to say or do something they did not.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iran's FM: By killing Soleimani the US laid groundwork to end its regime

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Zarif attacked the United States in the aftermath of the US killing of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.“In eliminating Soleimani, America has laid the groundwork to end its regime,” Zarif said, as reported by The Jerusalem Post’s sister publication Maariv on Tuesday morning.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--US denies Iran's Zarif a visa to attend UN meet - US official

WASHINGTON - The United States has denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed @ @ @ @ @ Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday , a US official said .

WASHINGTON - The United States has denied a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed him to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday, a US official said.
Monday's comments by the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, follow escalating tension between the two countries after the United States killed Iran's most prominent military commander, Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Friday.


jerusalempost--2020-01-06--Pentagon says US will not violate laws of war, after Trump threats

Asked whether he was willing to target cultural sites , Esper told Pentagon reporters : `` We will follow the laws of armed conflict . ''
Pressed on whether he would then not target such sites , because that would be a war crime , Esper said : `` That 's the laws of armed conflict . ''
He did not elaborate .
Targeting cultural sites with military action is considered a war crime under international law , including a UN Security Council resolution supported by the Trump administration in 2017 and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani has sharply escalated tensions with Iran , raising fears of all-out conflict .
Washington says it killed Soleimani in self-defense , aiming to disrupt his plans to attack US personnel and interests .
Amid Iranian threats of retaliation over Soleimani 's killing , Trump tweeted over the weekend that the United States had targeted 52 Iranian sites , some `` at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture '' if Iran struck any American or American assets in retaliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roadside bombs and blow up our people and we 're not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It does n't work that way , '' Trump said on Sunday , speaking to reporters .

Asked whether he was willing to target cultural sites, Esper told Pentagon reporters: "We will follow the laws of armed conflict."
Pressed on whether he would then not target such sites, because that would be a war crime, Esper said: "That's the laws of armed conflict." He did not elaborate.
Targeting cultural sites with military action is considered a war crime under international law, including a UN Security Council resolution supported by the Trump administration in 2017 and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property.
The US drone strike on Friday that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani has sharply escalated tensions with Iran, raising fears of all-out conflict. Washington says it killed Soleimani in self-defense, aiming to disrupt his plans to attack US personnel and interests.
Amid Iranian threats of retaliation over Soleimani's killing, Trump tweeted over the weekend that the United States had targeted 52 Iranian sites, some "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture" if Iran struck any American or American assets in retaliation.
"They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people and we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn't work that way," Trump said on Sunday, speaking to reporters.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper strongly suggested on Monday that the US military would not violate the laws of armed conflict by striking Iranian cultural sites, a move threatened by President Donald Trump.


jerusalempost--2020-01-06--Top U.S. diplomat Pompeo not planning 2020 Senate run

Speculation has swirled for months over whether Pompeo , a former Republican congressman from Kansas , would run for the @ @ @ @ @ .

Speculation has swirled for months over whether Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas, would run for the seat in his home state.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday that he does not plan to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas in 2020, the New York Times reported, citing four people briefed on the meeting.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--US should expect Iran to retaliate to Soleimani killing: defense secretary

Esper declined to detail any intelligence driving that assessment or comment on Iranian military activities that could signal Tehran 's intentions .
Reuters has reported that Iranian missile forces have been put on a heightened state of alert .
`` I think we should expect that they will retaliate in some way , shape or form , '' Esper told a news briefing at the Pentagon , adding that such retaliation could be through Iran-backed proxy groups or `` by their own hand . ''
`` We 're prepared for any contingency .
And then we will respond appropriately to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said the killing of Soleimani while he was on a trip to Iraq on Friday was based on intelligence indicating forces under his command planned further attacks on U.S. targets in the region , though they have provided no evidence .
Esper spoke hours after the head of Iran 's Revolutionary Guards , General Hossein Salami , told mourners gathered for Soleimani 's funeral in the southeastern city of Kerman : `` We will take revenge , a hard and definitive revenge . ''
Iran , whose coastline runs along a Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Strait of Hormuz , has allied forces across the Middle East through which it can act .
Representatives from those groups , including the Palestinian Islamist Hamas and Lebanon 's Hezbollah movement , attended funeral events in Tehran .
As tensions rise , the Pentagon has been moving thousands of additional forces into the Middle East , including a small number of soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade .
It is also sending the roughly 3,500 soldiers from the Immediate Response Force ( IRF ) brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division .
Esper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection and said he would do more as necessary `` to protect our people , our interests and our facilities . ''
Esper cautioned that although the United States did not seek a war with Iran , `` we are prepared to finish one . ''
But with both sides trading threats and counter-threats , it was unclear how tensions might be reduced .
Asked if there was any off-ramp to avoid conflict , Esper suggested Iran would need to act by choosing diplomacy , without preconditions .
`` There is a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , and that is to de-escalate , to message us that they want to sit down and talk - without precondition , by the way - to the United States about a better way forward , '' he said .
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen steadily since May 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 international accord that put limits on Iran 's nuclear program in exchange for some relief from sanctions .
Trump said the accord reached under the previous Obama administration did not go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's activities in the Middle East .
Even if there is no further military action , the US drone strike that killed the general appears to have offered Tehran an opportunity to try to unify the country just two months after anti-government protests .
It has also amplified calls from US opponents inside Iraq for US forces to leave .
Esper has repeatedly played down an Iraqi parliamentary vote calling for US troops to withdraw , saying it was non-binding and that some lawmakers voted `` at the point of a gun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request from Iraq to withdraw the more than 5,000 US troops there .

Esper declined to detail any intelligence driving that assessment or comment on Iranian military activities that could signal Tehran's intentions. Reuters has reported that Iranian missile forces have been put on a heightened state of alert.
"I think we should expect that they will retaliate in some way, shape or form," Esper told a news briefing at the Pentagon, adding that such retaliation could be through Iran-backed proxy groups or "by their own hand."
"We're prepared for any contingency. And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do."
US officials have said the killing of Soleimani while he was on a trip to Iraq on Friday was based on intelligence indicating forces under his command planned further attacks on U.S. targets in the region, though they have provided no evidence.
Esper spoke hours after the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, told mourners gathered for Soleimani's funeral in the southeastern city of Kerman: "We will take revenge, a hard and definitive revenge."
Iran, whose coastline runs along a Gulf oil shipping route that includes the narrow Strait of Hormuz, has allied forces across the Middle East through which it can act. Representatives from those groups, including the Palestinian Islamist Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, attended funeral events in Tehran.
As tensions rise, the Pentagon has been moving thousands of additional forces into the Middle East, including a small number of soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade. It is also sending the roughly 3,500 soldiers from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Esper said the moves were aimed at force protection and said he would do more as necessary "to protect our people, our interests and our facilities."
Esper cautioned that although the United States did not seek a war with Iran, "we are prepared to finish one."
But with both sides trading threats and counter-threats, it was unclear how tensions might be reduced.
Asked if there was any off-ramp to avoid conflict, Esper suggested Iran would need to act by choosing diplomacy, without preconditions.
"There is a big off ramp sitting in front of Tehran right now, and that is to de-escalate, to message us that they want to sit down and talk - without precondition, by the way - to the United States about a better way forward," he said.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen steadily since May 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 international accord that put limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for some relief from sanctions. Trump said the accord reached under the previous Obama administration did not go far enough and did not curb Iran's activities in the Middle East.
Even if there is no further military action, the US drone strike that killed the general appears to have offered Tehran an opportunity to try to unify the country just two months after anti-government protests.
It has also amplified calls from US opponents inside Iraq for US forces to leave. Esper has repeatedly played down an Iraqi parliamentary vote calling for US troops to withdraw, saying it was non-binding and that some lawmakers voted "at the point of a gun."
Esper said he had not received a request from Iraq to withdraw the more than 5,000 US troops there.
The United States should expect Iran to retaliate over the US killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday, as a top Tehran general vowed a "hard and definitive revenge."


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Trump, Merkel discuss Iran, Iraq and Libya by phone

BERLIN - U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday discussed `` the tense situation regarding Iran @ @ @ @ @ German government spokesman said .
`` They also exchanged views on the current situation in @ @ @ @ @ to resolve the conflict in that country .
They agreed to remain in contact on @ @ @ @ @ Steffen Seibert said in a statement .

BERLIN - U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday discussed "the tense situation regarding Iran and Iraq," a German government spokesman said.
"They also exchanged views on the current situation in Libya and the political efforts to resolve the conflict in that country. They agreed to remain in contact on this issue," spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iraqi Hezbollah shoots protesters in Nasiriyah, burns protest tents

Iraqi Police arrived at the scene to take control of the situation and calm has been reportedly returned to the @ @

The Iraqi Hezbollah militia opened fire at protesters in the city of Nasiriyah in southeastern Iraq and burned protest tents on Tuesday night, according to Al Arabiya. Six demonstrators were injured and five tents were burned.
#شاهد: الميليشيات المنفلتة تعتدي على المتظاهرين العزل في ساحة الحبوبي وسط الناصرية جنوبي العراق وتصيب عدداً منهم pic.twitter.com/vxhxpj6MuH — Euro Times يورو تايمز (@Eurotimesarabia) January 7, 2020
Iraqi Police arrived at the scene to take control of the situation and calm has been reportedly returned to the area.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--No Iraqi request to withdraw U.S. forces, Pentagon says

By subscribing I accept the terms of use

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday he hadn't received a request from Iraq to withdraw U.S. troops from the country and noted that an Iraqi parliamentary resolution requesting a pullout was non-binding."To the best of my knowledge, I haven't received any communication from (Iraq's prime minister) or the Iraqi government about the legislation, or about an order or a request to withdraw U.S. forces," Esper told a news conference at the Pentagon.The United States has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq, where they are training Iraqi forces and leading a coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--France advises its nationals against going to Iran and Iraq

France on Tuesday warned its nationals against traveling to Iran and to Iraq, citing an "extremely volatile" security situation.The Foreign Ministry is also advising French nationals that could not temporarily leave these countries to be extremely cautious.It is recommending they limit travel within Iran and Iraq and avoid gatherings, the statements said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iraqi PM confirms receiving US letter, requests clarifications

Iraq has received a letter from the U.S. army concerning the withdrawal of its troops from the country, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday.The English and Arabic language versions of the letter are not identical, so Iraq has requested clarifications, he added.The Iraqi parliament backed a resolution requesting the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country after a U.S. military drone killed Iran's top military commander last Friday, igniting a regional crisis.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--NATO moving some personnel out of Iraq due to safety concerns

NATO is moving some of its trainers out of Iraq, a NATO official said on Tuesday, following fears of a regional conflagration in the wake of a U.S. drone strike on Iran's top military commander last week."We are taking all precautions necessary to protect our people. This includes the temporary repositioning of some personnel to different locations both inside and outside of Iraq," a NATO official told Reuters.The NATO Iraq mission, made up of several hundred trainers, advisers and support staff from both countries of the 29-member alliance and non-NATO partner countries, includes military and civilian personnel.


jerusalempost--2020-01-07--Iran starts burial of slain commander Soleimani - ISNA

A stampede broke out at IRGC's Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani 's funeral, killing 56 people and injuring more than 210, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing an emergency services official. Iran's ISNA news agency said the burial of Soleimani had been postponed due to the deaths and injuries, but did not say how long any delay would last.The death toll in a stampede during the funeral rose to 56 on Tuesday, Iran's ISNA news agency reported.The news agency was quoting the chief coroner for Kerman province, Abbas Amian. The funeral was taking place in the city of Kerman, Soleimani's hometown.Tens of thousands of people had gathered in Kerman to pay tribute to Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq on Friday."Today, because of the heavy congestion of the crowd, a number of our fellow citizens who were mourning were unfortunately injured and a number were killed," emergency medical services chief Pirhossein Kolivand told state television.He did not give further details.The body of Soleimani, a national hero whose death has united many Iranians, had been taken to Iraqi and Iranian cities before arriving in Kerman for burial.In each place, huge numbers of people filled thoroughfares, chanting "Death to America" and weeping with emotion. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shed tears as he led prayers in Tehran on Monday.In other developments on Tuesday, a senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering 13 scenarios to avenge his killing.In Washington, the US defense secretary denied reports the military was preparing to withdraw from Iraq, where Tehran has vied with Washington for influence for over nearly two decades of war and unrest.Soleimani was responsible for building up Iran's network of proxy armies across the Middle East, and was a key figure in orchestrating the Islamic Republic's long-standing campaign to drive US forces out of its neighbor Iraq.US and Iranian warnings of new strikes and retaliation have also stoked concerns about a broader Middle East conflict and led to calls in the US Congress for legislation to stop President Donald Trump from going to war with Iran."We will take revenge: a hard and definitive revenge," the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Hossein Salami, told the crowds in Kerman prior to the stampede.Khamenei and military commanders have said that Iranian retaliation would match the scale of Soleimani's killing but that it would be at a time and place of Tehran's choosing.Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said that 13 "revenge scenarios" were being considered, according to Fars news agency. Even the weakest option would prove "a historic nightmare for the Americans," he said.Iran, whose southern coast stretches along a Gulf oil shipping route that includes the narrow Strait of Hormuz, has allied forces across the Middle East through which it could act. Representatives from those groups, including the Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, attended the funeral events in Tehran.Despite its strident rhetoric, analysts say that while Iran will seek to avoid any conventional conflict with the United States, asymmetric strikes, such as sabotage or other military actions via proxies, are more likely.Trump has promised strikes on 52 Iranian targets, including possibly cultural sites, if Iran retaliates.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Man attacked by stone-throwing in the West Bank - report

A report was filed at the Russian Compound police station in Jerusalem by a man reportedly attacked by stones in his car in the West Bank on Wednesday.The police summoned paramedics who provided him with primary medical care due to a head injury and admitted him to hospital.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Nir Barkat says he will create 20 Bible-based tourist sites in West Bank

Former Jerusalem mayor and Likud MK Nir Barkat said he wants to create 20 Bible-based tourist points in the West Bank.Speaking at the Kohelet Policy Forum conference on Wednesday, Barkat said he did not have exact plans but hopes to get approval on the broad concept.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iran civil aviation org says will not give black box to Boeing

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there were no survivors .
`` My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of @ @ @ @ @ '' Zelenskiy said in a statement , adding that Ukraine was seeking to establish the @ @ @ @ @ the death toll .
Iranian state TV and Ukraine 's prime minister said 167 passengers @ @ @ @ @ board .
There was no official word from Ukraine International Airlines .
`` The fire @ @ @ @ @ can not ( do ) any rescue ... we have 22 ambulances , four bus @ @ @ @ @ the site , '' Pirhossein Koulivand , head of Iran 's emergency services , told @ @ @ @ @ footage showed debris and smoldering engine parts strewn across a field , and rescue workers @ @ @ @ @ of the victims .
According to air tracking service FlightRadar24 , the plane that crashed @ @ @ @ @ was flying to Kiev .
The plane was three years old and was a Boeing @ @ @ @ @

Iran's civil aviation organization has said that it will not hand over to Boeing the black box of the Ukrainian airlines flight that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeni Airport on Wednesday morning.Both black boxes were found Wednesday, Iranian state television has reported. An Iranian official was quoted as saying both boxes were damaged but that it was believed their data could still be retrieved.On Wednesday morning, engine failure was named as the cause of the crash. However, the Ukrainian embassy to Iran later issued a new statement on the crash which omitted engine failure as a cause, and saying that any previous statements on the cause of the crash had not been official. Video footage of the flight shows that it was on fire shortly after taking off, crashing shortly thereafter. All 176 people on board were killed.
✈ — UPDATE: First footage of moment the Boeing 737 Ukrainian Airlines plane crashes with 180 passengers in the Iranian capital, Tehran — No word on casualties or confirmed reason for the crash.Plane crashed moments after takeoff pic.twitter.com/VTnEXmesTK — ®BELAAZ (@TheBelaaz) January 8, 2020
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there were no survivors.
"My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of all passengers and crew," Zelenskiy said in a statement, adding that Ukraine was seeking to establish the circumstances of the crash and the death toll.
US-Iran crisis: Missile attack timeline
Iranian state TV and Ukraine's prime minister said 167 passengers and 9 crew were on board.
There was no official word from Ukraine International Airlines.
"The fire is so heavy that we cannot (do) any rescue... we have 22 ambulances, four bus ambulances and a helicopter at the site," Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran's emergency services, told Iranian state television.
Television footage showed debris and smoldering engine parts strewn across a field, and rescue workers with face masks retrieving bodies of the victims.
According to air tracking service FlightRadar24, the plane that crashed was Flight PS 752 and was flying to Kiev. The plane was three years old and was a Boeing 737-NG, it said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Both black boxes of crashed Ukrainian airliner have been found - Iran TV

An Iranian official was quoted as saying both boxes were damaged but that it was believed their data could still @ @ @ @ @ International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed earlier on Wednesday , killing all 176 people aboard shortly @ @ @ @ @ 's Imam Khomeini airport .

The two black boxes from the Ukrainian airliner that crashed outside the capital Tehran were found on Wednesday, Iranian state television reported.
An Iranian official was quoted as saying both boxes were damaged but that it was believed their data could still be retrieved.
The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed earlier on Wednesday, killing all 176 people aboard shortly after taking off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--France condemns Iranian strikes

France condemns Iranian strikes

`` France would like to highlight again the importance of continuing the fight against Islamic State , while respecting the @ @ @ @ @ said a statement from the French Foreign Ministry .

France expressed its condemnation on Wednesday of the Iranian strikes, after Iranian forces fired missiles at military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq, in retaliation for the U.S. killing of an Iranian general.
"France would like to highlight again the importance of continuing the fight against Islamic State, while respecting the sovereignty of Iraq," said a statement from the French Foreign Ministry.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Islamist group al Shabaab claims Somalia bomb attack that killed three

The attack appeared to be part of an intensified campaign over the past two weeks by the al Qaeda ally in Somalia and neighboring Kenya , which have porous borders and often ad hoc methods for sharing intelligence .
Three people were killed in Wednesday 's blast , Saleh Hassan Omar , spokesman for the city 's mayor , said in a statement .
The bombing hit Sayidka junction , a security checkpoint near the palace , the interior ministry and parliament .
Aamin ambulance service head Abdikadir Abdirahman told Reuters that 11 people were wounded , including three women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for the bombing and saying the attack showed that the government has not fully secured `` Mogadishu 's major arteries . ''
On Sunday , three Americans -- one U.S. military service member and two contractors -- were killed by Al Shabaab during an attack on a military base in Kenya near the Somali border .
The base is used by both U.S. and Kenyan forces .
On Dec. 28 , a truck bombing claimed by al Shabaab at a busy checkpoint in Mogadishu killed at least 90 people , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two years .
The group regularly carries out attacks aimed at undermining Somalia 's government , which it has been fighting to overthrow for more than a decade .
Last year , 21 people died during an al Shabaab assault on a hotel complex in Nairobi , the capital of Kenya , which in 2011 sent troops into Somalia after a spate of cross-border attacks and kidnappings .
Security analysts say that a spate of recent attacks in Mogadishu have hit unusually sensitive locations , showing the group 's continued ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it also targeted a base where U.S. special forces train Somali commandos , though no one was killed .
The group has also launched three deadly attacks in Kenya in the last week , in different areas near the border with Somalia .
The latest was on Tuesday , when four Kenyan school children were killed in a gunfight between militants and police .

Islamist militant group al Shabaab said it was responsible for a bomb blast on Wednesday near the presidential palace and other government buildings in Somalia's capital Mogadishu that city authorities said had killed three people.
The attack appeared to be part of an intensified campaign over the past two weeks by the al Qaeda ally in Somalia and neighboring Kenya, which have porous borders and often ad hoc methods for sharing intelligence.
Three people were killed in Wednesday's blast, Saleh Hassan Omar, spokesman for the city's mayor, said in a statement. The bombing hit Sayidka junction, a security checkpoint near the palace, the interior ministry and parliament.
Aamin ambulance service head Abdikadir Abdirahman told Reuters that 11 people were wounded, including three women.
Al Shabaab issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing and saying the attack showed that the government has not fully secured "Mogadishu's major arteries."
On Sunday, three Americans -- one U.S. military service member and two contractors -- were killed by Al Shabaab during an attack on a military base in Kenya near the Somali border. The base is used by both U.S. and Kenyan forces.
On Dec. 28, a truck bombing claimed by al Shabaab at a busy checkpoint in Mogadishu killed at least 90 people, in the deadliest such attack in the country in more than two years.
The group regularly carries out attacks aimed at undermining Somalia's government, which it has been fighting to overthrow for more than a decade.
Last year, 21 people died during an al Shabaab assault on a hotel complex in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, which in 2011 sent troops into Somalia after a spate of cross-border attacks and kidnappings.
Security analysts say that a spate of recent attacks in Mogadishu have hit unusually sensitive locations, showing the group's continued ability to mount sophisticated attacks.
In September, it also targeted a base where U.S. special forces train Somali commandos, though no one was killed.
The group has also launched three deadly attacks in Kenya in the last week, in different areas near the border with Somalia. The latest was on Tuesday, when four Kenyan school children were killed in a gunfight between militants and police.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iraqi PM: Dangerous crisis threatens 'devastating all out war' in world

Iran 's president Hassan Rouhani told the United States on Wednesday that Washington might have `` cut off the arm '' of General Qasem Soleimani but America 's `` leg '' in the region would be cut off in response.His comments came hours after Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles and targeted US bases in Iraq on Tuesday night in retaliation for the killing of former Iran 's Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani last week.In the early morning Israel time , US President Donald Trump responded to the incident with a tweet that read , `` all is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran at two military bases located in Iraq , '' the president tweeted .
`` Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now .
So far , so good !
We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world , by far !
I will be making a statement tomorrow morning . ''
`` We were initially hearing that there were casualties -- it was unclear how many or if they were killed or wounded -- on the Iraqi side , '' CNN 's Arwa Damon reported from Baghdad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two other sources that there may not be casualties -- that does make sense given how chaotic the aftermath of these strikes can be . ''
The Pentagon confirmed that more than a dozen ballistic missiles had been fired from Iran at a number of US military bases in Iraq , including the al-Assad airbase , which hosts both Iraqi and US soldiers .
US officials also confirmed that President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation .
`` We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement immediately following the incidents .
`` The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team .
`` The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps also confirmed that it had carried out the missile attack against US forces as part of an operation named `` Martyr Soleimani , '' and said in a statement that it was the first step of their retaliation for the killing of the Quds Force commander on Friday .
He was buried Tuesday night after the attack.Hours later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casualties .
According to CNN Iraqi officials are reporting no casualties among Iraqi security forces , although earlier the same sources had said military officials were injured .

"Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense," tweeted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif after the attacks. "We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression."Yet, hours later, Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi al-Muntafiki warned that the current crisis threatens to inflict a "devastating all-out war" in Iraq, the Middle East and the world.
He has called on all sides to practice self restraint, adhere to international agreements and respect Iraqi sovereignty, adding that he rejects any attacks waged on Iraqi soil."I hope this will be a memorable lesson for America," said Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami. "Iran's response [to any US retaliation] will be proportional to what America will do," he said, adding that Trump "has turned the [US] administration into a terrorist government."
Similarly, Hesameddin Ashena, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, warned on Twitter that, "Any adverse military action by the US will be met with an all-out war across the region," adding that, "The Saudis, however, could take a different path - they could have total peace!"
Security was increased around the White House, as the IRGC threatened to conduct attacks within the United States. Intense jet activity was reported over Baghdad.
The Philippines has ordered a mandatory evacuation for Filipinos in Iraq, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday after the attack. The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday that it would ban US carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The organization said that is closely monitoring events in the Middle East and coordinating with US airlines and foreign authorities about aviation safety after the attacks.The Philippines has ordered a mandatory evacuation for Filipinos in Iraq, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday after the attack.
Vice President Mike Pence briefed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Armed Services Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe about the attack, according to CNN. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also arrived at the White House for discussions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the attack during a meeting with Democrats on Tuesday, according to CNN. Rep. Debbie Dingell stated that Pelosi told members of the meeting to "pray." "Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq," Pelosi said on Twitter. " We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war." Former vice president Joe Biden, another candidate for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in November's presidential election, said at an event outside Philadelphia that the attack was predictable and faulted Trump's handling of the situation. "I just pray to God as he goes through what’s happening, as we speak, that he’s listening to his military commanders for the first time because so far that has not been the case," he added. Senator Lindsey Graham called Iran's move an act of war while speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Wednesday morning Israel time. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who attended the meeting with Pelosi, said that, "Nobody laments the loss of Soleimani; he was a vicious terrorist that caused a lot of loss of life. But no one ought to be surprised that when you do that, there's a response."Senator Lindsey Graham called Iran's move an act of war while speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News Wednesday morning Israel time. “The President has all the authority he needs under Article II to respond, and how he responds is yet to be determined. But he has that authority to respond," Graham stressed. "Let me say tonight, if you are watching television in Iran, I just got off the phone to the president: your fate is in your own hands in terms of the regime's economic viability. "You continue this crap, you're going to wake up one day out of the oil business," he said. “The President has all the authority he needs under Article II to respond, and how he responds is yet to be determined. But he has that authority to respond," Graham stressed. "Let me say tonight, if you are watching television in Iran, I just got off the phone to the president: your fate is in your own hands in terms of the regime's economic viability."You continue this crap, you're going to wake up one day out of the oil business," he said. Vice President Mike Pence briefed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Armed Services Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe about the attack, according to CNN. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also arrived at the White House for discussions.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the attack during a meeting with Democrats on Tuesday, according to CNN. Rep. Debbie Dingell stated that Pelosi told members of the meeting to "pray.""Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq," Pelosi said on Twitter. " We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war."
On Tuesday, Pompeo briefed Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on the attacks, the State Department said in a statement. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will cancel plans to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman this weekend, TV Asahi reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the United States should anticipate retaliation from Iran over the killing of Soleimani.
"I think we should expect that they will retaliate in some way, shape or form," Esper told a news briefing at the Pentagon, adding that such retaliation could be through Iran-backed proxy groups outside of Iran or "by their own hand."
"We're prepared for any contingency. And then we will respond appropriately to whatever they do."
Stock markets in Asia fell sharply on news of the rocket attack, while investor safe havens, including the Japanese yen and gold, shot higher. Oil prices rose by over 3.5% in the aftermath as well.
More than 5,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq along with other foreign forces as part of a coalition that has trained and backed up Iraqi security forces against the threat of Islamic State militants.
A NATO official told Reuters that it would move some of its several hundred trainers out of Iraq. Canada said on Tuesday that some of its 500 Iraq-based forces would be temporarily moved to Kuwait for safety reasons.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call on Tuesday to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, urged Tehran to avoid any actions that could worsen regional tensions.
Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with at least 10 other people, were killed in a US air strike in Baghdad last week. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, has said that 13 "revenge scenarios" were being considered, Fars news agency reported. Even the weakest option would prove "a historic nightmare for the Americans," he said.
On Sunday, Trump said that the US would strike back without hesitation if one of its bases was hit."We are the biggest and by far the BEST in the World!" the president tweeted. "If Iran attacks an American Base, or any American, we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way... and without hesitation,"The IRGC has warned that US allies that allow America to use their bases will be targeted and that "by no means" is Israel considered separate from US.According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, Hezbollah will attack Israel if the US responds to Tuesday night's attacks.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iraqi PM received word from Iran about missile attack

Tehran told Abdul Mahdi it would only target locations where U.S. forces were present but did not specify the locations @ @ @ @ @ Abdul Mahdi simultaneously received a call from the United States while missiles were falling on @ @ @ @ @ Ain al-Assad air base in Anbar province and the Harir air base in Erbil , @ @ @ @

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi received a verbal message from Iran in which it told him its response to the U.S. killing of its top general was either imminent or under way, his spokesman said in a statement.
Tehran told Abdul Mahdi it would only target locations where U.S. forces were present but did not specify the locations, his spokesman said.
Abdul Mahdi simultaneously received a call from the United States while missiles were falling on the American wing of the Ain al-Assad air base in Anbar province and the Harir air base in Erbil, the spokesman said.
There have been no reports of casualties from either the Iraqi military or the U.S.-led coalition.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iraqi Kurdish leaders calls for region to be kept out of rivalries

The leaders of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region said on Wednesday that the support of a U.S.-led military coalition in fighting Islamic State militants was vital and urged its member states not to allow the group's revival.The regional president, prime minister, and parliament speaker met on Wednesday and expressed concern at the escalating after Iran launched missiles on U.S. forces in an Iraqi air base in western Iraq as well as on the region's capital Erbil."In regards to the recent events, and in particular this morning's, the Kurdistan Region reiterates that military solution will in no way solves the problems," they said in a statement."The Kurdistan Region supports de-escalation of the situation and seeks dialogue and diplomatic solution to the problems. It also seeks stability and peace and urges all parties to refrain from dragging the Kurdistan Region into the rivalries."


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iran-backed Iraqi militia leader promises Iraqi response to US air strike

Iraq 's response will not be lesser than that of Iran 's tweeted Khazaili , who leads the Asaib Ahl @ @ @ @ @ States has designated a terrorist organization .

Iran-backed Iraqi militia commander Qais al-Khazali said on Wednesday that Iran had made its initial response for the United States killing its top general, and it was now time for Iraq to do so as well.
Iraq's response will not be lesser than that of Iran's tweeted Khazaili, who leads the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group which the United States has designated a terrorist organization.
"The initial Iranian response to the assassination of the martyred commander Soleimani has happened. Now it is time for the initial response to the assassination of the martyred commander Muhandis. And because Iraqis are brave and zealous, their response will not be any less than that or Iran's. That is a promise," he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Bennett: Gov. policy is that Area C belongs to Israel

Israel is waging a “ real war ” for Area C of the West Bank , Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday , as he swore to prevent the Palestinian Authority from creating facts on the ground that would place a Palestinian state there .
“ I declare officially that the ‘ C territory ’ belongs to Israel , ” Bennett said .
He has long advocated Israeli application of sovereignty to all of the territory .
Bennett said that a month ago he had held a meeting in his ministry to discuss the way to engage in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week the appointment of someone to a new position to head the battle .
“ A month ago , I convened a meeting and I explained the directive , that the State of Israel will do everything to ensure that these territories [ Area C ] will be part of the State of Israel , ” Bennett said .
For almost a decade , right-wing politicians and groups have argued that there is a plan put in place by former PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to ensure that Palestinians will control Area C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structures in critical areas of the territory .
The Oslo Accords , first signed in 1994 , divided the West Bank into three sections : areas A , B and C. The Oslo Accords placed areas A and B , which includes all of the Palestinian cities and major population centers , under the governmental auspices of the PA. Area C , which constitutes 60 % of the West Bank , was put under the civilian and military auspices of the IDF .
All Jewish West Bank settlements are located in Area C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fayyad plan by providing funding for illegal Palestinian structures .
He promised to work toward the application of Israeli sovereignty over all portions of Area C. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's statements about sovereignty have only included the settlements , not all of Area C .

Israel is waging a “real battle” against the Palestinians for control of Area C of the West Bank, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday, as he declared “officially" that the territory belongs to Israel.“Our objective is that within a short amount of time, and we will work for it, we will apply [Israeli] sovereignty to all of Area C, not just the settlements, not just this bloc or another,” Bennett told the Kohelet Policy Forum in Jerusalem.Bennett, who heads the New Right party, added that he intended to make that demand part of his coalition agreement to enter the new government after the elections.The second goal, Bennett said, was to ensure through the promotion of settlement construction to ensure that within a decade a million Jews will live in Judea and Samaria.In the interim, Bennett said, “We are embarking on a real and immediate battle for the future of the Land of Israel and the future of Area C. It started a month ago and I am announcing it here today.”Bennett banged his hand on the podium for emphasize as he spoke. He added, “We are not at the United Nations.”A month ago, Bennett explained, he held a meeting in his ministry with top IDF and Civil Administration officials to discuss the battle for Area C. Bennett promised to announce this week to create a new position and appoint someone to it, that would be at the head of that battle.“A month ago, I convened a meeting and I explained the clear directive,” said Bennett explaining that he told them, “the State of Israel will do everything to ensure that these territories [Area C] will be part of the State of Israel,” Bennett said.He spoke a conference called the “Pompeo Doctrine,” which was designed to explore the impact of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’s historic declaration last month that the Trump administration held that Israeli settlement activity was not inconsistent with international law.Pompeo sent a video message to the conference, which also featured speeches from US Ambassador David Friedman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . But Bennett was the only one who spoke of sovereignty. As Defense Minister he does not have the power to declare sovereignty. He does have the authority to unilaterally declare policies that would help lay the groundwork for such action and to put a halt to illegal Palestinian construction in Area C.He accused Netanyahu’s government of not doing anything to halt the decade long battle the Palestinian Authority has engaged in to ensure that Area C will be part of the final borders of its future state.“They built and we did nothing,” Bennett said, describing it as a “knock-out” victory for the Palestinians.He referred to a play he believes was put in place a decade ago by PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to encourage Palestinian building in critical areas of Area C by way of changing facts on the ground and ensuring that the territory did not become part of Israel’s final borders.Under the Oslo Accords, first signed in 1994, divided the West Bank into three sections: areas A, B and C. The Oslo Accords placed areas A and B, which includes all of the Palestinian cities and major population centers, under the governmental auspices of the PA. Area C, which constitutes 60% of the West Bank, was put under the civilian and military auspices of the IDF. All Jewish West Bank settlements are located in Area C, thus making that area a battle ground between Israelis and Palestinians.Bennett charged that the EU has supported the Fayyad plan by providing funding for those strategic illegal Palestinian structures.Bennett made sure to mention that he supported the annexation of all of Area C, not just the settlements as Netanyahu’s Likud Party has spoke of.He recalled how a decade ago, there was a freeze and everyone was depressed. Back then he would have urged everyone not to be discouraged, similarly now, he said, it was important not to be carried away by the euphoria of the US acceptance of settlement activity.Israeli building and activity “is the only thing that will be determinative, that is what we will do, and with God’s help, we will build,” Bennett said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iran oil minister: Oil price hike benefits Tehran

Iran is benefiting from rising oil prices, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying by the semi-official ISNA news agency on Wednesday following Tehran's missile attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq."The trend of oil prices is up and this benefits Iran ... Americans should stop disturbing the region and let the people of the region live," Zanganeh said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iran's response to any new US action to be proportional - defense minister


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Netanyahu: Our relationships with Arab world undergoing dramatic changes

Settlements will not be evacuated in any peace plan while I am prime minister , Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday amid talk that the Trump administration may present its peace plan within weeks .
“ I will not let any settlements be uprooted in any diplomatic plan .
This idea of ethnic cleansing ...
It won ’ t happen , ” Netanyahu said at the Kohelet Forum ’ s conference on the US decision that settlements are not illegal .
Netanyahu ’ s remarks come as diplomatic sources say the Trump administration is strongly considering releasing its plan for peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming weeks , before the March 2 Knesset election .
“ There is a window of opportunity ; it opened , but it could close , ” Netanyahu added , warning of “ weak leadership ” that will “ hit rewind , ” in an apparent reference to his election rival , Blue and White leader Benny Gantz .
Netanyahu expounded on Jewish rights to live in Judea and Samaria , pointing to its being anchored in legal documents from the 1920 post-WW1 San Remo Conference and the League of Nations .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the land .
It was seen as the heart of the land , '' Netanyahu explained .
`` We never lost our right to live in Judea and Samaria .
The only thing we lost temporarily was the ability to exercise that right.
” When Israel returned to the West Bank , “ we didn ’ t return to a foreign land , ” he recounted .
“ That is a distortion of history .
Jews lived in Jerusalem and Hebron for thousands of years , consecutively.
” The development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu added .
“ They don ’ t have an economy without it .
I say it sadly , but that ’ s the truth . ''
Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the declaration that settlements are not illegal , saying that they stood up for “ justice and the truth.
” “ The Pompeo declaration about the status of the towns [ in Judea and Samaria ] establishes the truth that we are not strangers in our own land , '' he stated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we returned ... to the land where our forefathers put down roots thousands of years ago . ''
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said regarding the legality of settlements that , “ the name Judea says it all : It is the Biblical heartland of Israel.
” “ You don ’ t need a Ph.D. or a law degree to know who has a good claim to this land , ” Friedman said .
“ The answer , with all due respect to the scholars , is just obvious .
Because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right of Israel to settle in Judea and Samaria is so obvious – the goalposts started to move.
” The goalposts were moved so far out of place , they weren ’ t even on the field , the ambassador quipped .
Friedman pointed out that the “ Pompeo Doctrine doesn ’ t resolve the conflict over Judea and Samaria , but it does finally move the goalposts back onto the field.
” This does not contradict the Palestinians ’ right to “ live in dignity , peace , independence , pride and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the Pompeo Doctrine says that Jews have the right to live in Judea and Samaria.
” Friedman also remarked on the US killing of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and the subsequent missile attacks by Iran in Iraq , saying that “ initial assessments are positive and we pray those reports are true . ''
“ We pray to God that we will prevail overwhelmingly and ... defeat the threats of our time and bring about a more just and more peaceful world , ” he said .
“ President Trump should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and resolutely , ” he said .
“ What I ’ ve said openly in the past few days , many leaders in the Middle East are thinking.
” The prime minister added that Israel “ stands completely besides the United States .
”

Settlements will not be evacuated in any peace plan while Benjamin Netanyahu is prime minister, he vowed on Wednesday, amid talk that the Trump administration may present its peace plan within weeks.“I will not let any settlements be uprooted in any diplomatic plan. This idea of ethnic cleansing... it won’t happen,” Netanyahu said at the Kohelet Policy Forum’s conference on the US decision that settlements are not illegal.His remarks came as diplomatic sources say the Trump administration is strongly considering releasing its plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians in the coming weeks, before the March 2 Knesset election.“There is a window of opportunity. It opened, but it could close,” Netanyahu said, warning of “weak leadership” that will “hit rewind,” in an apparent reference to his election rival Blue and White leader Benny Gantz.Netanyahu expounded on the Jewish right to live in Judea and Samaria, pointing to its anchoring in legal documents from the San Remo Conference and the League of Nations.“There was no West Bank separate from the rest of the land,” Netanyahu said. “It was seen as the heart of the land. We never lost our right to live in Judea and Samaria. The only thing we lost temporarily was the ability to exercise the right.”When Israel returned to the West Bank, he said, “We didn’t return to a foreign land. That is a distortion of history. Jews lived in Jerusalem and Hebron for thousands of years consecutively.”The development of settlements benefited Jews and Arabs, he said. “They don’t have an economy without it. I say it sadly, but that’s the truth.”Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the declaration that settlements are not illegal, saying they stood up for “justice and the truth.”“The Pompeo declaration about the status of the towns [in Judea and Samaria] establishes the truth that we are not strangers in our land,” he said. “In a clearly defensive war, we returned... to the land where our forefathers put down roots thousands of years ago.”Netanyahu said the declaration is the appropriate response to the International Criminal Court’s plan to examine whether it can probe Israel for war crimes.“That will not deter us at all,” he said. “Unlike some in Europe who think the Pompeo declaration distances peace, I think it will promote peace, because peace must be based on truth, not lies. Settlements are not the root of the conflict. We are standing with justice and the truth. It is a great struggle.”


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--US Ambassador to Israel: initial assessments of Iraq are positive

US Ambassador David M. Friedman has told the Kohelet Forum conference that, regarding Iraq: “Initial assessments are positive and we pray those reports are true. Our military is by far the strongest in the world and our cause is just. We pray to god that we will prevail overwhelmingly.”Friedman expressed hope that the US will “defeat the threats of our time and bring about a more just and more peaceful world," adding: “It may shock you that I am in complete agreement with Secretary Pompeo,” regarding the settlements.Friedman said the US addressed the status Jerusalem, Golan Heights and West Bank in “ascending order of complexity,” and that there was no option for a president to waive the recognition of Jerusalem in the statute passed by Congress over two decades ago.“Thank God President Trump had the courage and the wisdom to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Friedman added.Regarding Golan, Friedman said: “Obscene to think that the Syrian regime, a regime that lost the Golan after attempting to annihilate Israel and since 67 has led the world in barbarism against its own ppl and others could even compete with Israel on a claim.”As for the legality of recognizing the Golan, Friedman says UN Resolution calls for safe borders for Israel, Trump evaluated, determined no border would be safe for Israel other than retaining the Golan bc of Syria’s brutality."You don’t need a law degree to know who has a good claim to this land,” Friedman said. “The answer with all due respect to the scholars is just obvious. Because it’s so obvious, bc the right of Israel to settle in Judea & Samaria is so obvious, the goalposts started to move.”Friedman says of the Palestinians: “We wish they live in dignity, peace, independence pride and opportunity. But the Pompeo Doctrine says Jews have the right to live in Judea and Samaria.” But there was no "scoop" about how the Trump administration plans to resolve that issue, he said.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Ukraine foreign minister says 82 Iranians on board crashed plane

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on Wednesday there were 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians on board the Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran.Detailing the casualties on Twitter, he also said there were 11 Ukrainians on board including nine crew, 10 from Sweden, four passengers from Afghanistan, three from Germany, and three from Britain.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Ukrainian plane crash: 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians among those killed

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin announced that 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians were on the Ukrainian plane which crashed near Tehran airport.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--UK shares pressured as Middle East tensions flare

The FTSE 100 fell 0.4 % and the FTSE 250 shed 0.7 % following news that Iran has hit back @ @ @ @ @ of a top Iranian commander by the United States last week .
Anglo American led @ @ @ @ @ , dropping 2 % after saying it was in advanced talks to buy fertilizer maker @ @ @ @ @ shares soared 39 % to their highest level in nearly four months .

British shares slipped on Wednesday as tensions in the Middle East threatened to boil over after Iran retaliated by launching missile strikes at U.S. forces in Iraq, driving investors away from risky assets and into safe-haven holdings.
The FTSE 100 fell 0.4% and the FTSE 250 shed 0.7% following news that Iran has hit back in response to the killing of a top Iranian commander by the United States last week.
Anglo American led losses on the main board, dropping 2% after saying it was in advanced talks to buy fertilizer maker Sirius Minerals. Sirius' shares soared 39% to their highest level in nearly four months.
NMC Health slumped 18% and Finablr 12% after major shareholders of the two firms sold stakes. Finablr's unit Travelex also separately confirmed it was hit by a software virus attack.


jerusalempost--2020-01-08--Iran says missile attacks on US targets were 'legitimate self-defense'

`` Our action was a legitimate self-defense and the United States should avoid assessing it based on illusions , '' @ @ @

Iran's missile attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq on Wednesday were "legitimate self-defense", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state TV, adding that Washington's assessment to retaliate should not be based on "illusions".
"Our action was a legitimate self-defense and the United States should avoid assessing it based on illusions," Zarif said.
Iran launched missile attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's commander of Quds Force Qasem Soleimani.