U.N. Council Adopts Five More Anti-Israel Resolutions

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The United Nations, through its much-criticized Human Rights Council, has moved further out on the anti-Israel limb, adopting five more anti-Israel resolutions to finish up its current meeting in Geneva.

The resolutions drew a response from U.S. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley that may not bode well for the international organization.

She pointed out, according to the Jerusalem Post, that the same national representatives passed only one resolution against North Korea, one against Iran and one against Syria, arguably among the world’s worst human rights violators.

“When the Human Rights Council treats Israel worse than North Korea, Iran, and Syria, it is the council itself that is foolish and unworthy of its name,” Haley said in the statement. “It is time for the countries who know better to demand changes. Many countries agree that the council’s agenda is grossly biased against Israel, but too few are willing to fight it.”

She explained that results such as these show the council failing “to fulfill its duty to uphold human rights around the world.” (Read more from “U.N. Council Adopts Five More Anti-Israel Resolutions” HERE)

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China Responds to Tariffs by Targeting These 128 U.S. Products

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By The Daily Wire. Early Friday morning, China responded to the Trump administration’s tariffs by revealing that they are proposing tariffs on 128 U.S. products that had an import value of $3 billion in 2017.

The proposed tariffs come in response to Trump signing “an executive memorandum on Thursday that would impose retaliatory tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese imports,” CNBC reported . . .

In a memo from the White House on Thursday, Trump revealed that he had directed “the United States Trade Representative to determine whether to investigate China’s laws, policies, practices, or actions that may be unreasonable or discriminatory and that may be harming American intellectual property rights, innovation, or technology development.”

According to the statement, the Trade Representative advised Trump that the investigation supports the following findings:

First, China uses foreign ownership restrictions, including joint venture requirements, equity limitations, and other investment restrictions, to require or pressure technology transfer from U.S. companies to Chinese entities. China also uses administrative review and licensing procedures to require or pressure technology transfer, which, inter alia, undermines the value of U.S. investments and technology and weakens the global competitiveness of U.S. firms.

(Read more from “China Responds to Tariffs by Targeting These 128 U.S. Products” HERE)

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China Responds to Trump Tariffs With Proposed List of 128 US Products to Target

By CNBC. . . .China’s commerce ministry proposed a list of 128 U.S. products as potential retaliation targets, according to a statement on its website posted Friday morning.

The U.S. goods, which had an import value of $3 billion in 2017, include wine, fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts, steel pipes, modified ethanol, and ginseng, the ministry said. Those products could see a 15 percent duty, while a 25 percent tariff could be imposed on U.S. pork and recycled aluminium goods, according to the statement.

The statement did not go into greater detail. U.S. agricultural products, particularly soybeans, have been flagged as the biggest area of potential retaliation by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration.

Beijing will take measures against the 128 U.S. goods in two stages if it cannot reach an agreement with Washington, the ministry said, adding that it could take legal action under World Trade Organization rules. (Read more from “China Responds to Trump Tariffs With Proposed List of 128 US Products to Target” HERE)

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Socialist Party Plans to Close All Religious Schools

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Catholic educators in Sweden have denounced a political party’s promise to ban all religious schools as a political maneuver capitalizing on people’s fears in order to obtain votes.

The Social Democratic Party in Sweden has proposed banning all religious schools (known as “confessional schools”) in the country, in what the party says is an attempt at better integration of students . . .

The Social Democrats have expressed concern that confessional schools contribute to the segregation of students, by religion and gender, and that they don’t teach children democratic values . . .

But Catholic educators in the country are concerned that the proposal would constitute a wide-ranging infringement on religious freedom and on already-restricted religious education in the country. Religious schools cannot charge tuition, and receive government funding.

“…there is a very negative public debate with a lot of pre-judgements against us and religion in general. We are very worried of course as the proposal is an aggressive assault against our Catholic community,” Paddy Maguire, principal of Notre Dame Catholic School in Gothenburg (located fewer than 300 miles southwest of Stockholm), and Daniel Szirányi, a board member of the same school, said in a joint statement. (Read more from “Socialist Party Plans to Close All Religious Schools” HERE)

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‘Europe Will Be Muslim’ Says Turkish Leader

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. . .“There is no remedy for it. Europe will be Muslim. We will be effective there, Allah willing. I am sure of that,” said Alparslan Kavaklıoğlu, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey . . .

He recently said: “The fortune and wealth of the world is moving from the West to the East. Europe is going through a time that is out of the ordinary. Its population is declining and aging. It has a very old population. So, people coming from outside get the jobs there. But Europe has this problem. All of the newcomers are Muslim. From Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Those who come from these places are Muslim. It is now at such a level that the most popular name in Brussels, Belgium is Mohammed. The second most popular name is Melih [Malih] and the third one is Ayşe [Aisha].”

Kavaklıoğlu’s comments were reported by Usay Bulut, a Turkish journalist now working in Washington, in a commentary at the Gatestone Institute.

The Turkish lawmaker is not the country’s first to stress the importance of population growth, the commentary explained.

“In 2009, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was prime minister at the time, called on the public to have at least three children per family. The greater our numbers, he said, ‘the stronger we will be.’ Since then, Erdoğan has been trying to encourage Turkish nationals to multiply. In 2013, he reiterated his plea: ‘We need a young and dynamic population. … Right now, the West is in trouble. But we do not want to put Turkey in the same trouble. I am calling on my country through mothers: Do not take this sensitivity of ours lightly. We need to make this widespread, in waves. We need to make this happen. The [value] of this cannot be measured with money or any other physical wealth.’” (Read more from “‘Europe Will Be Muslim’ Says Turkish Leader” HERE)

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China Ready for War

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President Xi Jinping delivered a blistering nationalist speech Tuesday, warning against any attempts to split China and touting the country’s readiness to fight “the bloody battle” to regain its rightful place in the world.

Mr Xi’s address capped an annual session of the National People’s Congress that paved the way for him to rule for life, as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong pushes through his vision of guiding the country through a “new era” of unrivalled global military and economic supremacy.

Days after President Donald Trump signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan, Mr Xi warned that Beijing would defend its “one China principle”, which sees the self-ruling island as its territory awaiting reunification.

“All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Mr Xi told nearly 3,000 delegates assembled at the imposing Great Hall of the People facing Tiananmen Square . . .

The Chinese leader’s plan to build a “world-class” military by mid-century has also raised concerns about how it plans to use its increasingly modern forces amid regional frictions over China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. (Read more from “China Ready for War” HERE)

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‘Army of Islam’ Would Be World’s Biggest Military

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When Turkey’s semi-official newspaper Yeni Safak called for urgent action in forming a 57-nation “Army of Islam” to besiege and attack Israel, a suggestion undoubtedly approved with at least a wink and nod by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it would signal the possible intent to create the largest military force on the planet – one nearly as large as the total population of the Jewish state.

The report came just ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and was published under the headline, “What if an Army of Islam was formed against Israel?” It was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

But it wasn’t a rhetorical question. It was actually a suggestion to combine the military forces of all Islamic countries to overwhelm the Israeli army in manpower, budget and equipment – even boasting with statistics.

On December 12, 2017, ahead of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak, which is close to Erdoğan and his ruling AKP party, published an article titled “A Call for Urgent Action,” which also appeared on the paper’s website under the title “What If an Army of Islam Was Formed against Israel?” The article called on the 57 member states of the OIC to form a joint “Army of Islam” to besiege and attack the state of Israel. It notes that such a joint army will greatly exceed the Israeli army in manpower, equipment and budget, and presents statistics to prove this. It also advocates establishing joint bases for the army’s ground, air and naval forces that will arrive from all over the Muslim world to besiege Israel, while noting that Pakistan, as the only nuclear country, has “a special status” among the OIC countries. An interactive map provides information on military forces stationed in various locations and the role they can play in the potential joint Muslim attack on Israel . . .

“If the OIC member states unite and form a joint military force, it will be the largest army in the world,” the newspaper report said. “These countries’ total population is 1,674,526,931. The number of soldiers in active service in these countries is at least 5,206,100. Their [overall] military defense budget, of $174.7 billion, is also worthy of emphasis.” (Read more from “‘Army of Islam’ Would Be World’s Biggest Military” HERE)

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Mattis Pentagon Goes Rogue, Defies POTUS, Backs Iran Nuke Deal

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On the heels of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s firing, due to his defiance of President Trump in support of the Iran nuclear deal, rogue Pentagon officials under Secretary of Defense James Mattis are waging their own campaign to keep the deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran.

In amazing testimony before the Senate, Gen. Joseph Votel, who serves as the leader of U.S. Central Command, told stunned senators that he, Defense Secretary Mattis, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Joe Dunford all support the nuclear deal.

“From my perspective, the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] addresses one of the principal threats that we deal with from Iran,” Votel said, adding, “So, if the JCPOA goes away, then we will have to have another way to deal with the nuclear weapons program.”

This narrative is not at all in line with the president’s policies on the Iran deal. On the campaign trail, Trump famously described the Iran deal as one of the “worst deals” negotiated in U.S. history. Yet the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense Mattis articulates talking points that more closely represent the Obama administration’s views concerning the nuclear accord.

“Right now, I think it is in our interest” to remain in the deal, Votel added, seemingly in direct defiance of the commander-in-chief’s current mission to either fix or nix the deal.

Votel’s comments came just hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was fired and immediately replaced with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

In moving Pompeo into the chief diplomatic post, the president commented:

“I think Mike Pompeo will be a truly great Secretary of State. I have total confidence in him. And as far as Rex Tillerson is concerned…we disagreed on things. When you look at the Iran deal. I think it’s terrible. I guess he thought it was okay.”

Pompeo has long been a critic of the nuclear deal and recognizes Iran as one of the major forces of terrorist support and global instability.

Secretary Mattis, on the other hand, has consistently acted as a proponent for the Obama administration’s signature foreign policy “achievement.” Last October, Mattis told Congress that he believes it’s in America’s “best interest” to “stay with” the deal.

On the foreign policy front, Mattis has held off on confronting Iran’s regional aggression. Mattis continues to talk tough on Iran, but he still has not committed to any particular strategic or tactical changes to counter the regime.

Mattis has also gone rogue on a number of other issues. While the president opposes gender engineering in the military, Mattis has fought to keep the military open to people who identify as transgender. The defense chief has consistently sought out left-wing ideologues for top Pentagon positions. Additionally, he has pushed through the sale of U.S. military equipment and aid to the controversial regime in Qatar.

The president is seeking to either scrap the Iran deal entirely or institute overarching reforms to the broken accord before May 12. He has sent a team of negotiators to Europe to work with the other signatories to the deal in an attempt to shore up the agreement. The president wants to strengthen the deal to include reining in Iran’s ballistic missile program and rolling back its financial and material support for terrorism. A U.S. departure from the deal would virtually guarantee that it would be terminated by all parties involved. (For more from the author of “Mattis Pentagon Goes Rogue, Defies POTUS, Backs Iran Nuke Deal” please click HERE)

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World Leaders Issue Warning to Putin

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Russia today denied ever making the toxic Novichok nerve agent used to strike down a double agent in Britain as it faced a wall of international condemnation.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said neither the Russian Federation or the Soviet Union had a Novichok weapons programme. He said his country destroyed the chemical weapon stocks it did hold last year. . .

In an excoriating assessment that lays down the gauntlet to Vladimir Putin, the leaders brand the incident an ‘assault on UK sovereignty’ and a ‘clear violation’ of laws on chemical weapons use.

The statement said: ‘The United Kingdom briefed thoroughly its allies that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack. . .

‘We call on Russia to address all questions related to the attack in Salisbury. Russia should in particular provide full and complete disclosure of the Novichok programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).’ (Read more from “World Leaders Issue Warning to Putin” HERE)

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China Launches New Campaign Against Christianity

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Amid an ongoing surge in Christianity that developed as communism created a spiritual vacuum in people’s lives, China has launched a new crackdown, including rules introduced last month that further restrict the activities of unregistered house churches, according to a new report.

Christians in China have been repressed ever since the People’s Republic was created in 1949, with the government’s control of churches and imposition of the Communist Party’s atheistic values.

The state’s oppressive control prompted the rise of an underground house-church movement that, combined with the growth of registered churches, will make China’s Christian population the world’s largest by 2030, according to the new report by the Council on Foreign Relations.

“Tens of millions of Chinese now identify as Christians and the number has grown rapidly, posing challenges for a government that is officially atheist and wary of threats to its power,” the report says.

The growth in Christianity became noticeable shortly after the long-repressive nation was reopened to the outside world amid the reforms instituted by Deng Xiaoping after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. (Read more from “China Launches New Campaign Against Christianity” HERE)

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Solar Storm Could Hit This Week

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A minor solar storm is traveling toward Earth and is expected to hit as early as Wednesday.

If a solar storm is powerful enough, it can damage satellites and cut power. But the incoming storm is said to be minor, even though it may create an impressive display of the Northern Lights.

A major explosion in the sun’s atmosphere known as a flare, which took place on March 6 and 7, triggered the solar storm. Charged particles from the burst are now headed straight for Earth.

Meanwhile, scientists believed the Earth’s magnetic field forms “equinox cracks” around March 20 and Sept. 23 each year. The cracks, which are said to stay open for hours, create weaknesses in Earth’s natural defenses and could leave GPS systems and commercial flights more exposed to the damaging effects of a solar storm.

But the cracks could also create amazing opportunities for stargazers to catch a better view of the Northern lights. (Read more from “Solar Storm Could Hit This Week” HERE)

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