A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Monday the Taliban should “enter serious talks” with his government, as both the Taliban and Washington’s top envoy touted significant progress during unprecedented negotiations in Qatar last week.

A months-long diplomatic push by the United States to get the Taliban to talk to Kabul culminated in six days of meetings between the U.S. and the insurgents in Doha, but the Taliban have long refused to negotiate with the government of Afghanistan to end the 17-year conflict, branding them as “puppets.” Even while engaging in the talks with the U.S., the militants have continued to stage deadly attacks on Afghan security forces.

Both the Taliban and the U.S. cited “progress” over the weekend, and the U.S. envoy to the talks has said a “draft of a framework” for a peace deal has now been reached — though the details still need to be filled in, and agreed to by Kabul. [ Source: CBS News (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The Trump administration is closely eyeing efforts in Europe to set up an alternative money payment channel to ease doing business with Iran and avoid running afoul of sanctions the US has levied on the Islamic Republic.

The White House is putting the Europeans on notice, saying that if they try to do an end-run around US sanctions on Iran, they will be subject to stiff fines and penalties. Unfazed, the European Union is marching forward with the plan, which, if implemented, could further strain trans-Atlantic relations.

A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said preparations for the alternative system were “at an advanced stage.” [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi stressed Monday that the country would never negotiate over its missile program, saying that the country will continue to boost its deterrence power “to protect national security.”

“Our policy on missiles is clear and the issue as part of our country’s defense sector cannot be negotiated,” he was quoted by Iran’s Tasnim news agency as saying.

The missile program is in line with efforts to protect the country’s security, Qassemi said, adding that Iran does not want to have difficulties acquiring weapons if needed. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Muslim policemen on Saturday (Jan. 19) beat and arrested a Christian man on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya in retaliation for refusing to recant Christianity, sources said.

Accompanied by two Muslims of Somali descent who had attacked him previously, the policemen arrived at the home where Hassan (surname withheld for security reasons) lives with his widowed mother, and the officers along with the two others punched, kicked, trampled and struck him with blunt objects, relatives said.

“The police arrived and carried Hassan away with blood flowing from his body,” his mother told Morning Star News, adding that one of the officers was a Muslim relative of Somali descent who has habitually joined other Somali Muslims resident in Nairobi in attacking her son. In Saturday’s attack, Hassan lost teeth and suffered leg, chest and back injuries, she said. [ Source: Morningstar News (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, newly released figures regarding Israel’s survivor population show that the number of those remaining has dropped off by 8,500 people in the course of one year.

The statistics published by the Central Bureau of Statistic show that 220,800 people were eligible for survivor benefits at the end of 2016 in comparison with 212,300 survivors a year later, according to the data provided by the Holocaust Survivors Benefits Authority in the Finance Ministry.

The numbers will only drop off more steeply in coming years as survivors are increasingly dying off: Israel expects the number of survivors to plummet drastically to 167,000 by next year, 102,000 by 2025, and to just 53,000 by 2030 who will all be over the age of 90. [ Source: i24 News (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The United States pressed all nations on Saturday (Jan 26) to “stand with the forces of freedom” in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described Maduro as part of an “illegitimate mafia state” responsible for Venezuela’s economic collapse.

With mounting protests over Venezuela’s crisis in which more than two million have fled shortages of basic food and medicine, Pompeo asked all nations to follow the US in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president. [ Source: Channel News Asia (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – A pair of Russian supersonic, nuclear-capable bombers buzzed North America Saturday, forcing American and Canadian fighter jets to scramble and intercept them, the U.S. military said.

The two Russian Tu-160 Blackjack bombers “remained in international airspace,” but were escorted by two U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets and two Canadian CF-18 jets, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, better known as NORAD.

The U.S. jets flew from an Air Force base in Alaska. [ Source: Fox News (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – The chief of the Hezbollah terror group on Saturday warned it could respond to Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeting mainly Iranian positions and what Israel says are weapons shipments.

Hassan Nasrallah said the alliance between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, Iran, and his Lebanese Hezbollah movement could end its policy of not responding to the Israeli strikes.

“At any moment the Syrian leadership and the axis of resistance can take a decision to deal with the Israeli aggression in a different manner,” Nasrallah said in a wide-ranging interview with Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen TV network. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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(Worthy News) – Newly analyzed satellite imagery may suggest that Saudi Arabia is advancing its ballistic missile development at a suspected testing facility in the country’s center.

Experts at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in northern California reviewed satellite images taken by Planet Labs Inc. at the end of last year and found evidence that Saudi Arabia may be manufacturing technologies it has consistently criticized its enemy Iran for developing.

Last year, the Kingdom’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, said that his government would respond in kind to Iran’s brazen development of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to targets across the world. [ Source: i24 (Read More…) ]

From bone-saws to ballistic missiles. Satellite images taken by @planetlabs seem to show that Saudi Arabia has constructed a solid-fuel missile plant. Story by @PaulSonne. Analysis by yours truly, @missile_manyak and @DaveSchmerler.https://t.co/wGJgHWdSPV pic.twitter.com/eMhSnBiexE

— Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk) January 23, 2019

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(Worthy News) – Iran’s military chief of staff indicated on Sunday that Tehran was preparing to adopt offensive military tactics to protect its national interests.

“Among the country’s broad strategies, there is a defensive strategy. We defend the independence and territorial integrity and national interests of the country,” Gen. Mohammad Bagheri was quoted as saying by Press TV.

He said Iran did not intend to seize foreign territory, but “to protect our national achievements and interests, we may adopt an offensive approach.” [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]

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