4339-ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? | View Thread

Israel admits to a working relationship with Saudi Arabia

It turns out that something can bring two adversaries together: Iran

(Credit: Abir Sultan, Pool via AP)

JEREMY BINCKES
11.17.2017 • 9:55 AM

The political situation in the Middle East is now, officially, a lot more complex than initially thought.

Israel is openly admitting that the country has been working with Saudi Arabia in military matters. The two countries, which don't have diplomatic ties, have found that there's a common adversary to deal with: Iran.

Israel's military chief told a Saudi newspaper that Israelis and Saudis were in agreement that Iran was the "largest threat to the region," per the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The news isn't surprising to anyone who has closely followed Middle East politics. Israel and Saudi Arabia both have a common enemy in Iran. Israel has claimed that Iran causes an existential threat to its existence — Iran has funded the anti-Israel group Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization — while Saudi Arabia has been fighting a proxy war with Iran in Yemen, which until recently, has had American consent.

For two countries that have had a long history of tensions between them, notice of an alliance, no matter how small, represents a big step. As NBC noted, there's significant risk of blowback, especially for Saudi Arabia, which has claimed to be the standard-bearer for a strain of Islam that has spread through the world:

An Israeli-Saudi alliance would also be vastly unpopular on the Arab street given the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

"An alliance with Israel will definitely hurt the Saudis and their allies," said Hassan Hassan, an author and Middle East expert with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington. "It makes sense for them on the geopolitical level but not internally or on the social level."

"The paradox is that Saudi Arabia and others want to counter Iran through an alliance with Israel, but failing to stand up to Iran and then align with Israel is ticking all the boxes of a bad policy" . . .

The stakes are much higher for Saudi Arabia than Israel. The Saudis remain reluctant to publicly acknowledge or accept that relations are, indeed, improving. It's unlikely that any relationship will be formalized in the absence of Palestinian statehood — a condition the Saudis have demanded for years. But under the table, both sides agree that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.

(salon.com)

Bay water has turned red in an Italian port city, due to alarming rates of industrial pollution. Local activists are desperately appealing to the Italian government for help.

"Look at these pictures, gentlemen of the government of 'this' Italy, and be ashamed," a group of activist from the southern Italian port of Taranto wrote in an open letter to Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, as well as Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda and Minister of Environment Gian Luca Galletti. The photos attached to the letter, published by the group Genitori Tarantini (Parents of Taranto) on its Facebook page, show the most vivid examples of pollution the city is facing.

One picture shows a pool of water that has entirely turned rust red while another one demonstrates rust-colored dense fog billowing over the city streets. "Here in Taranto, [even] wind and rain are frightening," the letter says.

The photo of the pool of red water was earlier published by another group of local activists, Solo A Taranto (Only in Taranto). It was allegedly taken near one of the quays of the Ilva steelworks - a giant plant located within the city boundaries.

Heavy rainfall in the area is believed to be the reason behind this particular incident, as they carried iron oxide from the steelmaking process into the local waters. However, a local member of the Italian metalworkers' union, Francesco Maggio, told La Repubblica daily that such incidents are not uncommon in Taranto.

"For us, it is common to see [red] powder or red water covering the whole area," he said. Local residents have long complained about the negative effects of the Ilva steelworks on their health, which is partially blamed for an alarming rate of cancer among local children - some 30 percent higher than the Italian average.

According to reports of the Italian Association of Cancer Registries (Airtum) based on data collected between 2006 and 2011, children under 14 living close to the Ilva plant have not only higher chances of getting lung or bronchial cancer but also are three times more likely to suffer from asthma or respiratory problems than their peers.

Ilva was nationalized in 2015 after its former owners were accused of negligence over toxic emissions. In June 2016, the plant was taken over by the global steel giant ArcelorMittal. A court also ordered the new management of the plant to build special rainwater collectors as well as to isolate conveyors transporting iron ore from the port to the plant to decrease pollution.

However, only two-thirds of the necessary work has been completed, according to La Repubblica, and some 20 kilometers of the plant's transport facilities remain exposed to the elements. In late October, schools located in Tamburi, the district of Taranto closest to the plant, were closed by the city mayor for health-related reasons. The move was sparked by strong winds blowing from the side of the plant that carried toxic dust to the city.

Following the latest incident, the company operating Ilva said that it "reacted swiftly" and requested assistance from "an authorized company" in extracting the polluted water. "In just one day... about 100 tons [of water] were removed," it said, La Repubblica reported. The Italian government has not yet commented on the issue.

A bright bolide (extremely bright meteor) exploded over northern Finland at 18:40 on November 16, 2017, the latest of several meteor fireball events this week including France, Germany, Spain, United States, and Argentina.

The aforementioned meteor fireball that flew over Germany on Nov 14^th has been confirmed as the most reported fireball event from Europe , with 1962 reports so far, since the AMS and the IMO launched the international version of the AMS fireball form.

According to local media, there were also reports of 'heavy bangs' in an area of a few hundred kilometers radius. Other recent reports of 'mysterious booms' include those in Alabama, Florida, San Diego, New Jersey and British Columbia, which could be attributed to exploding space rock fragments.

Aurora Service Tours, a tourism company operating in Utsjoki, northern Finland captured the phenomena, which momentarily turned night into day, on video from a webcam that is commonly used to promote the Northern Lights. It was described as, "Huge meteor burn up. I was sat about 10 metres to the left of the camera and felt a huge shockwave. It shook the cottage."

US ready to ‘fight for justice’ in Syria without UN approval – Haley

Published time: 18 Nov, 2017 11:02Edited time: 18 Nov, 2017 14:29

“With the unity of this council, or alone, unrestrained by Russia’s obstructionism, we will continue to fight for justice and accountability in Syria,” Haley said, blasting Russia’s vetoing of the draft resolution on the extension of the Syrian chemical weapons probe on Friday.

A meeting of the U.N. Security Council at the United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., November 17, 2017. © Brendan McDermid

The draft, proposed by Japan, envisioned the “technical extension” of the probe for another 30 days. Explaining Russia’s decision to block the resolution, Russian UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya said that there is no sense in prolonging the mission if some glaring flaws in its work are not amended.

"There can be no other way after the JIM’s [the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism] leadership disgraced itself with its fictitious investigation into the sarin use incident in Khan Shaykhun and signed off on baseless accusations against Syria,”he said.

Haley went on to accuse Russia of showing no flexibility in negotiating the conditions of the probe, claiming that Moscow had only “dictated and demanded” while the US had “incorporated elements of the Russian draft” into its own in the hopes of reaching a consensus.

Russia vetoed the US draft on Thursday, with Nebenzya calling it “unbalanced” and solely designed to discredit Russia and its role in the Syrian settlement. Haley subsequently accused the Russian mission of ignoring the US delegation's attempts to contact it before the vote.

Haley’s remarks on the impossibility of reaching the Russian mission provoked an angry reaction from Moscow, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling it “fake diplomacy.” Lavrov said that "it seems we are witnessing a new phenomenon in international relations, as now, apart from fake news, there is also fake diplomacy."

The rival draft was co-sponsored by Russia and China, and “aimed at the extension and qualitative improvement”of the fact-finding mission, according to Nebenzya. However, it also failed, gaining the support of only four Security Council members.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis © Aaron P. Bernstein

While both Russia and the US used their veto powers on the respective resolutions, Haley accused Moscow of obstructing the work of the UNSC and its efforts to find “the truth.”

Russia has repeatedly criticized the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM)’s report on the chemical incident in Khan Shaykhun as being filled with “omissions, inconsistences and contradictions.” It also says it does not follow standard procedures for an impartial inquiry as it relies on questionable testimonies provided by rebels and NGOs, some of which are suspected of links to terrorists. In particular, it pointed to experts’ refusal to visit the site of the attack despite security guarantees.

In 2011, the US intervened in the region to curb the violence in the ongoing civil war in Libya. Under the pretext of a UN mandate to establish a no-fly zone in the country and save civilian lives, the US-led NATO coalition waged a full-fledged campaign that eventually resulted in the slaughter of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and multiple civilian deaths, the number of which varies from 72, according to Human Rights Watch, to more than 1,000 in unconfirmed reports. The country is still in tatters and the war involving tribes and militants is ongoing.

Despite the UN not giving the greenlight for a full-fledged campaign in Syria, US Defense Secretary James Mattis claimed that the organization sanctioned action there, justifying it with the struggle against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists. Damascus has repeatedly blasted the US for operating on Syrian territory without its consent and in violation of international law, and views the US presence as an invasion.

(RT)

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 11/18/2017 4:29:28 PM
	Israel admits to a working relationship with Saudi Arabia It turns out that something can bring two adversaries together: Iran (Credit: Abir Sultan, Pool via AP) JEREMY BINCKES 11.17.2017 • 9:55 AM The political situation in the Middle East is now, officially, a lot more complex than initially thought. Israel is openly admitting that the country has been working with Saudi Arabia in military matters. The two countries, which don't have diplomatic ties, have found that there's a common adversary to deal with: Iran. Israel's military chief told a Saudi newspaper that Israelis and Saudis were in agreement that Iran was the "largest threat to the region," per the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The news isn't surprising to anyone who has closely followed Middle East politics. Israel and Saudi Arabia both have a common enemy in Iran. Israel has claimed that Iran causes an existential threat to its existence — Iran has funded the anti-Israel group Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization — while Saudi Arabia has been fighting a proxy war with Iran in Yemen, which until recently, has had American consent. For two countries that have had a long history of tensions between them, notice of an alliance, no matter how small, represents a big step. As NBC noted, there's significant risk of blowback, especially for Saudi Arabia, which has claimed to be the standard-bearer for a strain of Islam that has spread through the world: An Israeli-Saudi alliance would also be vastly unpopular on the Arab street given the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. "An alliance with Israel will definitely hurt the Saudis and their allies," said Hassan Hassan, an author and Middle East expert with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in Washington. "It makes sense for them on the geopolitical level but not internally or on the social level." "The paradox is that Saudi Arabia and others want to counter Iran through an alliance with Israel, but failing to stand up to Iran and then align with Israel is ticking all the boxes of a bad policy" . . . The stakes are much higher for Saudi Arabia than Israel. The Saudis remain reluctant to publicly acknowledge or accept that relations are, indeed, improving. It's unlikely that any relationship will be formalized in the absence of Palestinian statehood — a condition the Saudis have demanded for years. But under the table, both sides agree that the enemy of your enemy is your friend. (salon.com)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 11/18/2017 5:47:49 PM
	11/16/2017 06:19 pm ET Updated 18 hours ago Woman Dies After Cleaning Scene Of Son's Suspected Drug Overdose Theresa Plummer, 69, is believed to have accidentally come in contact with the same drug that killed her son. By Nina Golgowski A Pennsylvania mother caring for her son after his suspected drug overdose is believed to have accidentally overdosed on the same substance while cleaning his home, leading to her death. Theresa Plummer, 69, was rushed to a Cambria County hospital last week after attempting to clean a bathroom where her son was found unconscious the day before,West-Central Pennsylvania station WJAC reported. Plummer, who had been visiting her son in the same hospital’s intensive care unit following his Nov. 5 overdose in Portage, died shortly after. Her son, Ronald Plummer, 45, died the next day. FACEBOOK Ronald Plummer, 45, and his mother both died from suspected drug overdoses. It’s still too soon to confirm what substance the mother and son may have come in contact with, as toxicology tests are expected to take weeks to complete, Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees told Pittsburgh-based station WPXI. Local authorities also told the station that they couldn’t immediately identify the drugs involved in the case. The Portage Borough Police Department, which handled the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Drugs like fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, needles or the mucous membranes, potentially leading to life-threatening symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns. Skin contact, if brief, is unlikely to lead to an overdose, according to the CDC. But as little as 2 milligrams of the drug ― which has been found mixed into cocaine or other drugs, sometimes without its user realizing ― can kill a person, according to Dr. Nora Wolkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. HAILSHADOW VIA GETTY IMAGES Fentanyl, which is an extremely potent opioid that’s capable of killing someone in small amounts, can be absorbed by the skin or through inhalation.In an incident in May, an Ohio police officer suffered a near-fatal drug overdose after he tried to brush what was believed to be powdered fentanyl off his shirt with his bare hand following a traffic stop. That officer required four doses of the antidote Narcan to be revived, police officials said at the time. Authorities hope the Pennsylvania family’s tragedy will serve as a warning to others. “My strong advice to any family that may have this happen to them is to call law enforcement to have them or EMS services come back and remove the substance or material that may have been left behind,” Coroner Lees told WPXI. According to an online obituary for Theresa Portage, she leaves behind three grandchildren and three adult children ― two of whom are engaged to be married. “She enjoyed rescuing animals and spending time with her family and grandchildren,” it reads. Both the mother’s and son’s obituaries asked for donations be made to the Cambria County Humane Society in lieu of flowers. Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify the exposure routes by which fentanyl is most likely to cause an overdose. (huffingtonpost.com)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 11/18/2017 5:56:43 PM
	Sea waters turn red in Italian port city (PHOTOS) RT Thu, 16 Nov 2017 13:05 UTC © Alfonso Di Vincenzo / AFP A general view shows the Ilva steel plant in Taranto Bay water has turned red in an Italian port city, due to alarming rates of industrial pollution. Local activists are desperately appealing to the Italian government for help. "Look at these pictures, gentlemen of the government of 'this' Italy, and be ashamed," a group of activist from the southern Italian port of Taranto wrote in an open letter to Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, as well as Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda and Minister of Environment Gian Luca Galletti. The photos attached to the letter, published by the group Genitori Tarantini (Parents of Taranto) on its Facebook page, show the most vivid examples of pollution the city is facing. One picture shows a pool of water that has entirely turned rust red while another one demonstrates rust-colored dense fog billowing over the city streets. "Here in Taranto, [even] wind and rain are frightening," the letter says. The photo of the pool of red water was earlier published by another group of local activists, Solo A Taranto (Only in Taranto). It was allegedly taken near one of the quays of the Ilva steelworks - a giant plant located within the city boundaries. Heavy rainfall in the area is believed to be the reason behind this particular incident, as they carried iron oxide from the steelmaking process into the local waters. However, a local member of the Italian metalworkers' union, Francesco Maggio, told La Repubblica daily that such incidents are not uncommon in Taranto. "For us, it is common to see [red] powder or red water covering the whole area," he said. Local residents have long complained about the negative effects of the Ilva steelworks on their health, which is partially blamed for an alarming rate of cancer among local children - some 30 percent higher than the Italian average. According to reports of the Italian Association of Cancer Registries (Airtum) based on data collected between 2006 and 2011, children under 14 living close to the Ilva plant have not only higher chances of getting lung or bronchial cancer but also are three times more likely to suffer from asthma or respiratory problems than their peers. Ilva was nationalized in 2015 after its former owners were accused of negligence over toxic emissions. In June 2016, the plant was taken over by the global steel giant ArcelorMittal. A court also ordered the new management of the plant to build special rainwater collectors as well as to isolate conveyors transporting iron ore from the port to the plant to decrease pollution. However, only two-thirds of the necessary work has been completed, according to La Repubblica, and some 20 kilometers of the plant's transport facilities remain exposed to the elements. In late October, schools located in Tamburi, the district of Taranto closest to the plant, were closed by the city mayor for health-related reasons. The move was sparked by strong winds blowing from the side of the plant that carried toxic dust to the city. Following the latest incident, the company operating Ilva said that it "reacted swiftly" and requested assistance from "an authorized company" in extracting the polluted water. "In just one day... about 100 tons [of water] were removed," it said, La Repubblica reported. The Italian government has not yet commented on the issue. Comment: It's possible that this is man-made pollution, but having rivers and lakes turn red is not a localized phenomena and can't always be explained away as the result of pollution: 'China's Dead Sea' turns blood red River turns blood red overnight in The Netherlands! Lake turns bright pink in Melbourne, Australia Yet another European river turns 'blood' red overnight, this time in Northampton, UK (sott.net)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 11/18/2017 6:24:07 PM
	Incoming! Bright bolide explodes over northern Finland (VIDEOS) Sott.net Fri, 17 Nov 2017 07:06 UTC © YouTube/Aurora Borealis LIVE! (screen capture) A bright bolide (extremely bright meteor) exploded over northern Finland at 18:40 on November 16, 2017, the latest of several meteor fireball events this week including France, Germany, Spain, United States, and Argentina. The aforementioned meteor fireball that flew over Germany on Nov 14^th has been confirmed as the most reported fireball event from Europe , with 1962 reports so far, since the AMS and the IMO launched the international version of the AMS fireball form. According to local media, there were also reports of 'heavy bangs' in an area of a few hundred kilometers radius. Other recent reports of 'mysterious booms' include those in Alabama, Florida, San Diego, New Jersey and British Columbia, which could be attributed to exploding space rock fragments. Aurora Service Tours, a tourism company operating in Utsjoki, northern Finland captured the phenomena, which momentarily turned night into day, on video from a webcam that is commonly used to promote the Northern Lights. It was described as, "Huge meteor burn up. I was sat about 10 metres to the left of the camera and felt a huge shockwave. It shook the cottage." Finland resident Johannes Karhula Lohtaja also uploaded a video of the event to YouTube. Comment: Could these recent events be part of the Taurid meteor shower which peaked this past Saturday? According to the American Meteor Society (AMS) website: Associated with the comet Encke, the Taurids are actually two separate showers, with a Southern and a Northern component. Both branches of the Taurids are most notable for colorful fireballs and are often responsible for an increased number of fireball reports from September through November. The first analysis conducted by former IMO president Dr. Juergen Rendtel of the Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam from the raw data shows that the events that occurred over Arizona and France cannot be linked to the Taurids: the Arizona event was moving from North-West to South-East while the French event was moving from North-East to South-West. However, the events over Germany and Ohio fit the Taurids direction (East->West) and the low inclination angle at the time of the sightings! Note that the East-West direction is related to the Taurids only because the fireball occurred in the local evening. Later in the night or towards the morning the direction is different, of course. Even NASA's own space data supports citizens' recent observations, namely that meteor fireballs are increasing dramatically. For more information on meteors, comets, Oort cloud, Electric Universe model, Nemesis - Sol's dark companion - and much more, see Pierre Lescaudron and Laura Knight-Jadczyk's book, Earth Changes and the Human-Cosmic Connection. Perhaps 'something wicked this way comes?' (sott.net)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 11/19/2017 1:16:28 AM
	US ready to ‘fight for justice’ in Syria without UN approval – Haley Published time: 18 Nov, 2017 11:02Edited time: 18 Nov, 2017 14:29 U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. © Brendan McDermid / Reuters The US does not consider itself constrained by the United Nations Security Council and might seek “justice” in Syria on its own terms, the US representative to the UN, Nikki Haley, has said. The US took similar action in Libya in 2011. READ MORE: Russia vetoes 'unbalanced' US resolution on Syrian chemical weapons, but its draft fails “With the unity of this council, or alone, unrestrained by Russia’s obstructionism, we will continue to fight for justice and accountability in Syria,” Haley said, blasting Russia’s vetoing of the draft resolution on the extension of the Syrian chemical weapons probe on Friday. Read more 'Fictitious probe, baseless accusations': Russia blocks new extension of Syria chemical inquiry The draft, proposed by Japan, envisioned the “technical extension” of the probe for another 30 days. Explaining Russia’s decision to block the resolution, Russian UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya said that there is no sense in prolonging the mission if some glaring flaws in its work are not amended. "There can be no other way after the JIM’s [the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism] leadership disgraced itself with its fictitious investigation into the sarin use incident in Khan Shaykhun and signed off on baseless accusations against Syria,”he said. Haley went on to accuse Russia of showing no flexibility in negotiating the conditions of the probe, claiming that Moscow had only “dictated and demanded” while the US had “incorporated elements of the Russian draft” into its own in the hopes of reaching a consensus. Russia vetoed the US draft on Thursday, with Nebenzya calling it “unbalanced” and solely designed to discredit Russia and its role in the Syrian settlement. Haley subsequently accused the Russian mission of ignoring the US delegation's attempts to contact it before the vote. READ MORE: ‘Full of systemic deficiencies’: Russia slams OPCW report on Idlib chemical attack at UNSC Haley’s remarks on the impossibility of reaching the Russian mission provoked an angry reaction from Moscow, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling it “fake diplomacy.” Lavrov said that "it seems we are witnessing a new phenomenon in international relations, as now, apart from fake news, there is also fake diplomacy." The rival draft was co-sponsored by Russia and China, and “aimed at the extension and qualitative improvement”of the fact-finding mission, according to Nebenzya. However, it also failed, gaining the support of only four Security Council members. Read more Lost in reverie: Mattis claims UN let US intervene in Syria, although it never did While both Russia and the US used their veto powers on the respective resolutions, Haley accused Moscow of obstructing the work of the UNSC and its efforts to find “the truth.” Russia has repeatedly criticized the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM)’s report on the chemical incident in Khan Shaykhun as being filled with “omissions, inconsistences and contradictions.” It also says it does not follow standard procedures for an impartial inquiry as it relies on questionable testimonies provided by rebels and NGOs, some of which are suspected of links to terrorists. In particular, it pointed to experts’ refusal to visit the site of the attack despite security guarantees. In 2011, the US intervened in the region to curb the violence in the ongoing civil war in Libya. Under the pretext of a UN mandate to establish a no-fly zone in the country and save civilian lives, the US-led NATO coalition waged a full-fledged campaign that eventually resulted in the slaughter of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and multiple civilian deaths, the number of which varies from 72, according to Human Rights Watch, to more than 1,000 in unconfirmed reports. The country is still in tatters and the war involving tribes and militants is ongoing. Despite the UN not giving the greenlight for a full-fledged campaign in Syria, US Defense Secretary James Mattis claimed that the organization sanctioned action there, justifying it with the struggle against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorists. Damascus has repeatedly blasted the US for operating on Syrian territory without its consent and in violation of international law, and views the US presence as an invasion. (RT)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

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Israel admits to a working relationship with Saudi Arabia

It turns out that something can bring two adversaries together: Iran

Woman Dies After Cleaning Scene Of Son's Suspected Drug Overdose

Theresa Plummer, 69, is believed to have accidentally come in contact with the same drug that killed her son.

Sea waters turn red in Italian port city (PHOTOS)

Incoming! Bright bolide explodes over northern Finland (VIDEOS)

US ready to ‘fight for justice’ in Syria without UN approval – Haley

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