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Ruth King

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At Least 38 Dead, 150 Wounded in Istanbul Two bombs exploded outside soccer stadium in major Turkish cityBy Margaret Coker

By on December 12th, 2016

ISTANBUL—Turkey declared a day of mourning after two suicide bombers killed at least 38 civilians and police officers deployed to guard a Saturday evening match by Istanbul’s Besiktas soccer team.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts that occurred two hours after the game outside the team’s stadium on one of Istanbul’s major waterfront thoroughfares and urban parks. But Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Sunday that evidence suggested the blasts were the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which Turkey, the U.S. and Europe deem a terrorist group.

Turkey has been rocked by several terrorist bombings this year by attackers believed to be members of Islamic State and by splinter groups of the PKK, which has been fighting for decades against Turkish security forces for autonomy in the country’s Kurdish-majority southeastern regions.

The Interior Ministry said early Sunday that at least 13 people had been detained in relation to the weekend bombings that also wounded more than 150.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the nation in a televised address that Turkey would fight “the scourge of terrorism to the end,” and promised that the attackers would pay a “heavy price.”

Most spectators had already left the sleek Vodafone Arena when the blasts occurred around 10:30 local time Saturday night. Large numbers of police routinely assigned to the normally sold-out matches remained in the area, however, as did many die-hard fans enjoying the unusually mild late autumn weather.

The force of the explosions shook buildings almost a half mile away from the stadium along the heavily traveled road that leads from Istanbul’s waterfront road to Taksim Square, and could be heard across the Bosporus, according to witnesses.

The first attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a group of riot police who had assembled on the west side of the stadium to wait for transport back to their barracks.

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Bomb at Egypt’s Main Coptic Christian Cathedral Compound Kills Dozens Largest attack on a Christian house of worship in Egypt since 2011 By Dahlia Kholaif and Tamer El-Ghobashy

By on December 12th, 2016

CAIRO—A bomb exploded at Cairo’s main Coptic Christian cathedral compound on Sunday morning, killing at least 25 people and wounding another 49, in the largest attack on a Christian house of worship in Egypt since 2011.

The blast went off on the women’s side of the worshiping hall in the small church of St. Peter and St. Paul, attached to the Coptic cathedral in the capital’s Abassyia district, state media reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was quickly condemned by the Egyptian government and the head of Cairo’s Al-Azhar mosque, the seat of Sunni Islamic learning and one of the world’s oldest institutions of religious teaching.

Survivors described the church as being packed with worshipers during a national holiday to celebrate the anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth. The blast shattered the silence of the hall as those gathered listened to a sermon partly honoring a deceased church member.

“The turnout was bigger than normal,” said Tahani Gabriel, 65 years old, who sat in the third row of the church. Her cousin Souad Atta, the widow of the man mourned, was in the first row and was killed, Ms. Gabriel said.

The death toll is expected to increase, and most casualties were women, Deputy Health Minister Sherief Wadee told state television. Egypt’s top prosecutor ordered all nearby surveillance cameras be reviewed as part of a criminal investigation, state media said. CONTINUE AT SITE

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Living Off the Fat of Washington If Trump is going to ‘drain the swamp,’ he might start with wasteful ag subsidies. By James Bovard

By on December 12th, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to “drain the swamp” in Washington could begin with the Agriculture Department. Federal aid to farmers is forecast by the Congressional Budget Office to soar to $19 billion in 2017. Farmers will receive twice as much of their income from handouts (25%) this year as they did in 2013, according to the USDA. Whoever Mr. Trump names as his agriculture secretary should target wasteful farm programs for spending cuts.

Here are a few of the most egregious examples:

• Cotton. Incredibly, the U.S. government has paid $750 million to subsidize Brazilian cotton production since 2010. This is the result of a 2002 World Trade Organization complaint brought by the Brazilian government claiming that the U.S. unfairly subsidized cotton producers and depressed world cotton prices. The WTO justifiably ruled against the United States. To deter Brazil from imposing penalty tariffs on U.S. exports, the U.S. paid a king’s ransom to Brazil so it could perpetuate handouts to American farmers.

The federal cotton program was revised in 2014, but farmers continue reaping roughly $1.5 billion a year in aid—more than 40% of the market value of U.S. cotton production, according to a 2015 study by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development. The same study estimated that the U.S. program suppresses world cotton prices by up to 7%, costing foreign cotton growers up to $3 billion a year.

• Sugar. The U.S. maintains a regime of import quotas and price supports that drive U.S. sugar prices to double or triple the world price. Since 1997 Washington’s sugar policy has zapped more than 120,000 U.S. jobs in food manufacturing, according to a 2013 study by Agralytica. More than 10 jobs have been lost in manufacturing for every remaining sugar grower in the U.S.

• Peanuts. In 2002 Congress abolished the quota system that required farmers to possess a federal license to grow peanuts. Yet rather than trust free markets, Congress created a new price-support program. In 2014 Congress sharply increased peanut subsidies. Federal peanut outlays are forecast by the USDA to increase eightfold between 2015 and 2017, reaching almost $1 billion a year. As a result, the USDA is drowning in a sea of surplus peanuts that farmers dump on the government. CONTINUE AT SITE

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A Banner Terrorist Weekend ISIS retakes Palmyra in Syria and jihadists strike four other cities.

By on December 12th, 2016

The Journal is reporting that the Pentagon is putting together options for the Trump Administration to intensify the campaign against Islamic State, and right on time. ISIS jihadists re-entered the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, driving out Syrian government troops despite Russian bombing. President Obama asserted last week that the campaign against Islamic State is making steady progress, but the militants have other ideas.

Meanwhile, terrorists struck no fewer than four cities around the world in an especially murderous weekend. The carnage began Saturday afternoon in the Yemeni port of Aden. A suicide bomber detonated his vest near a barracks where troops had gathered to pick up their paychecks, killing 48. A pair of suicide bombers attacked Istanbul’s Vodafone Arena in Turkey the same day after a soccer match. At least 38 died, most of them police officers guarding the arena. A pair of suicide bombers, almost certainly the work of ISIS’s Boko Haram affiliate, maimed 17 in Nigeria on Sunday. And in Egypt, a nail-bomb at Cairo’s St. Mark’s Cathedral killed at least 25 Coptic Christian worshippers. Though no one had taken credit as we went to press, Egypt is besieged by more than one Islamist group. The Trump Administration is inheriting a dangerous world.

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Russian Hackers and American Hacks The CIA that misjudged Putin for years is now sure of his motives.

By on December 12th, 2016

Somewhere in the Kremlin Vladimir Putin must be laughing. The Russian strongman almost certainly sought to undermine public confidence in American democracy this year, and as the Obama Administration leaves town it is playing into his hands.

That’s the real story behind the weekend reports that U.S. intelligence services have concluded that Russia intervened to assist Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The stories are attributed to “senior administration” officials who won’t go on the record but assert murky details that are impossible to verify without seeing the evidence.

Mr. Trump is denouncing the claims with his usual subtlety, but he has a point about their timing and nature. “I don’t want anyone hacking us,” Mr. Trump said on Fox News Sunday, while blaming the leaks on Democrats. “I think it’s ridiculous” and “I don’t believe it.”

Democrats are still in shock from their defeat, and many want to add the Kremlin to FBI Director James Comey, fake news and the Electoral College as excuses that cast doubt on the legitimacy of Mr. Trump’s victory.

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ISRAEL, WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Israel’s economy defies BDS Ambassador (Ret.) Yoram Ettinger

By on December 12th, 2016

1. In December, 2016, Israel is unprecedentedly integrated into the global economy, highlighting the successful battle against BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions), while rejecting pessimism and fatalism.

2. According to a Bloomberg study: “An examination of foreign capital flow into Israel shows a near tripling from 2005 when the so-called BDS was started…. Israel’s economy is expected to grow 2.8% in 2016, compared with 1.8% for the US and the EU. In 2015, Israel’s industrial high-tech exports rose 13%, from 2014, to $23.7BN….”

3. 2016 is already a record year for total (mostly foreign) investments in Israel’s young high tech companies, exceeding the $4.4BN invested in 2015. For instance, Israel’s NeuroDerm, which develops drugs for central nervous system diseases, is expected to raise $75MN, on NASDAQ, by December 12, 2016. Some of the recent investments were made by the US-based Johnson & Johnson’s Development Corporation, the Australian Stock Exchange, the German medical equipment giant B. Braun Melsungen AG, China’s Internet giant Alibaba and Japan’s Sun Corporation.

4. A trilateral cooperation agreement has been concluded between Israel’s Mobileye – a collision avoidance sensor developer – Delphi Automotive, the UK-based global automotive parts manufacturer and the Silicon Valley-based Intel, aiming to manufacture a self-driving car by 2019. A similar partnership was struck between Mobileye, Intel and the German car giant, BMW.

5. A wave of acquisitions of Israeli companies by global giants persists, as evidenced by the November, 2016 acquisition of Israel’s valve repair device company, Valtech Cardio Ltd., by the Irvine, California-based Edwards Lifesciences Corp., for $340MN in stock and cash, in addition to $350MN in milestone payments over ten years and $300MN for Valtech’s research and development program. Just like 200-250 other (mostly US) major global hightech companies, Edwards has leveraged Israel’s brain-power by operating a research and development center in Israel, since the 2004 acquisition of Israel’s PVT for $90MN and milestone payments.

6. The London-based mega-billion-dollar Chinese/European XIO Group has acquired Israel’s Meitav-Dash Investment House for $400MN. In 2015, XIO acquired Israel’s medical device company, Lumenis, for $510MN. China’s telecommunications giant, Xinwei, is negotiating the acquisition of Israel’s Spacecom Satellite Communications for $190MN, reflecting the surging Chinese interest in the Israeli market and the significantly expanding Israel-China trade balance from $50MN in 1990 to $11BN in 2015, in addition to $15BN in acquisition of Israeli companies. The Hong Kong-based Rightleder Holding Group aims to acquire Israel’s sewage recycling (water purification) company, Advanced Membrane Separation. Also two Chinese capital funds, CDH and ZZ explore the acquisition of ironSource, Israel’s largest Internet company, for $1BN.

7. The Israel-India trade balance surged from $200MN in 1992 – when diplomatic relations were normalized – to $3BN in 2009 and $5BN in 2015, accompanied by a rise in two-way-tourism, paving the road to a negotiated free-trade-agreement, and highlighting India as one of Israel’s fastest growing trade partners in the commercial and defense areas. New Delhi has become the top customer for Israel’s defense industries, in addition to a series of co-development and co-production initiatives with Israel – in the face of joint economic and national security challenges – while Israel has become the number two/three exporter of military systems to India, following Russia and the USA.

8. On November 16, 2016, India signed $1.4BN contracts with the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), purchasing two additional Phalcon/IL-76 Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems and ten Heron unmanned aerial vehicles. IAI has submitted a proposal for the co-development, in India, of an advanced version of the Heron. The growing Israel-India defense ties are demonstrated by the recent Indian procurement of Rafael’s Gil anti-tank missiles, upgrades of Indian tanks by Elbit Systems and a joint development of the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile.

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GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL: MICHAEL ORDMAN

By on December 12th, 2016

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Key enzyme discovery in fight against cancer. Israel Technion researchers have found that the ubiquitin enzyme RNF4 binds to oncogenic proteins to give cancer cells longer lives. Increased levels of RNF4 have been found in colon and breast cancer patients. Removing or inhibiting RNF4 leads to the death of cancer cells.
http://www.technion.ac.il/en/2016/12/crucial-enzyme-for-tumor-development/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC53-lREHQg

Success in Sickle-Cell Disease trial. Israeli biotech Gamida Cell published positive results in its Phase I/II trial of NiCord, for the treatment of Sickle-Cell Disease (SCD). All the patients that completed the trial were free of SCD symptoms.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-gamida-reports-positive-nicord-results-1001165382

Full remission in Leukemia treatment trial. Israel’s BioSight has reported that in treating patients with its Astarabine leukemia treatment, three patients with late-stage leukemia achieved full remission to date. Good results were also reported for older patients over 80.
http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-biosight-completes-successful-cancer-drug-trial-1001165482

Sleep disorder treatment for autistic kids. Israeli biotech Neurim (featured Nov 20) has signed marketing agreements for its new Rx PedPRM treatment for sleep disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders and neurogenetic diseases. Kuhnil will market Rx PedPRM in Korea; Aspen in Australia and New Zealand.
http://www.neurim.com/news/2016-12-06/neurim-pharmaceuticals-paediatric-prolonged-release-melatonin-pedprm-to-be-marketed-by-kuhnil-pharmaceutical-in-south-korea/

Portable blood test for malaria. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Sight Diagnostics (SightDx) (see here) in collaboration with the US Army Medical Research Directorate Kenya (USAMRD-K) is developing a portable malaria and complete blood count (CBC) reader. It will be calibrated and tested in clinical trials at the USAMRD-K Field Station in Kisumu, Kenya. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sight-diagnostics-ltd-and-the-united-states-army-announce-a-joint-collaboration-598337901.html

14 more hearts mended in Tanzania. Israeli surgeons from Save a Child’s Heart were back (again) in Tanzania, fixing another fourteen young, faulty hearts. The Israelis worked with a German team from Berlin’s Deutsches Herzzentrum during the five-day medical mission.
http://www.israel21c.org/israeli-german-medical-team-gives-14-children-gift-of-life/

Device to keep track of insulin doses. Israel’s Insulog is a device to help diabetes patients keep track of their insulin doses and prevent accidental overdoses. It snaps onto most types of disposable insulin pen, monitors and logs the dose and sends data to a smartphone app. It displays details of the last dose to the user.
Insulog is funding on Indiegogo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vscMWDcjlA
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-smart-tracker-aims-to-keep-tabs-on-insulin-shots/
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/insulog-the-smart-snap-on-insulin-tracker-health–2#/

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ON THIS DAY-DECEMBER 11, 1941

By on December 11th, 2016

December 11, 1941, the United States Congress declared war upon Germany hours after Germany declared war on the United States after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The vote was 88–0 in the Senate and 393–0 in the House.

Whereas the Government of Germany has formally declared war against the Government and the people of the United States of America: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Government of Germany which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Government of Germany; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

(Signed) Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House of Representatives
(Signed) H. A. Wallace, Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate
Approved December 11, 1941 3:05 PM E.S.T.
(Signed) Franklin D. Roosevelt

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ANCHORS AWAY: THE NAVY’S “STEALTH” SHIP

By on December 11th, 2016

First and foremost is the truly one-of-a-kind American stealth watercraft designed to provide a swift, supportive role in the open seas. It is the first ship that is virtually undetectable by radar. At only 60 feet long, this is not a battleship by any means, but its size offers the advantage of very quick, evasive movement and has the capacity to attack at these high speeds.Juliet Marine Systems, Inc. Announces the First Super-Cavitating Ship, GHOST
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. —July 2011 For the first time, Juliet Marine is able to release photographs of GHOST, the first super-cavitating craft, to the public. GHOST was designed and built by US citizens for the US Navy at no cost to the government to protect US sailors, servicemen and servicewomen.
Juliet Marine Systems, Inc. Announces the First Super-Cavitating Ship, GHOST

Development of the first-ever, super-cavitating craft, in many ways, is as difficult as breaking the sound barrier. GHOST is a combination aircraft/boat that has been designed to fly through an artificial underwater gaseous environment that creates 900 times less hull friction than water. GHOST technology adapts to manned or unmanned, surface or submerged applications.

Any Navy possessing GHOST technology could operate in international waters undetected and would have an overwhelming advantage against conventional ships. GHOST is specifically designed for Fleet Force Protection at its present size. GHOST technology is scalable and JMS is currently discussing a plan to build a larger corvette-sized vessel (150 feet) by partnering with a large international defense company.

The US Navy could reduce its naval footprint and financial exposure by deploying a squadron of GHOSTs from Bahrain, which would free up larger assets, such as destroyers and cruisers, saving costs in manpower and maintenance. GHOST is ideal for piracy patrols and could be sea-based to provide protection from pirate attacks that cost our government an estimated $1.5 billion each year. The world-wide shipping industry could be provided with substantial fuel savings using JMS hull friction reduction super-cavitation.

A squadron of GHOSTs would not be detectable to enemy ship radar and sensors. GHOST can carry thousands of pounds of weapons, including Mark 48 torpedoes, and would be virtually unstoppable. The GHOST platform and technology could reduce the need for LCS completely with the capability to travel long distances and conduct the same missions. GHOST could make LCS a defensible platform for combat – LCS is not currently rated for combat. Today, Iran has the capabilities to stop the US Navy from operating in the Straits of Hormuz, a critical passage for most of the oil our country uses.

The Navy compares GHOST to an attack helicopter with regard to its capabilities for force protection. GHOST can deliver forces to any beach location quickly and quietly with enough weapons to conduct a hot extraction. GHOST is designed to provide military game-changing advantages for the USA.

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Taiwan Is America’s Friend, and Trump Was Right to Speak with Its President A first line in the defense of democracy, its existence depends on American support. By Josh Gelernter

By on December 11th, 2016

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442937/taiwan-china-united-states-democracy-diplomacy-donald-trump-tsai-ing-wen

The Taiwan strait has unexpectedly become a major news story this week; generally, it’s the world’s least-talked-about world war waiting to happen. President-elect Trump took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, who herself was just elected, this past May. As NRO readers are doubtless aware, this was somewhat scandalous: The U.S. has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, having chosen instead to accept, officially, that Taiwan remains part of China and that Beijing is the legitimate seat of China’s government.

Of course, as secretary-of-state short-lister John Bolton said, “China doesn’t tell us who we can talk to.” More than that, we already have extensive unofficial relations with Taiwan — and for good reason: Taiwan is one of our best friends in the world, one of our friends most deserving of support and most in need of it. Taiwan is the Israel of East Asia, a first line in the defense of democracy, a country whose existence is threatened by looming bellicose tyrants.

I had the pleasure of being in Taiwan not too long ago. This was not long after investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann reported that roughly 100,000 practitioners of neo-Buddhist Falun Gong had been arrested and murdered, and had their organs harvested. In Taipei, I saw several groups of Falun Gong peacefully meeting in parks, doing tai chi–type meditative exercises. I saw other groups of Falun Gong protesting China’s treatment of their coreligionists outside tourist attractions popular with Chinese visitors. None of the Falun Gong I saw was attacked, beaten, tortured, or murdered — because, of course, Taiwan has freedom of religion and freedom of assembly. These protests directed at Chinese tourists are a source of embarrassment to the Taiwanese government, which knows that every provocation of China might end in war. Nonetheless, I saw a policeman outside the skyscraper Taipei 101 eye a few Falun Gong protesters and then go back to his work with an implied shrug of the shoulders. Taiwan, of course, has freedom of speech.

While I was in Taiwan, I had a chance to talk to two students who had been part of the Sunflower protests of fall 2014; they had marched in opposition to a proposed cross-strait agreement with Beijing that many Taiwanese felt would make Taiwan too beholden to China. They succeeded in getting the new pact postponed, and not a single protester was run down by a tank, or thrown into a labor camp without trial. Because, of course, Taiwan has an independent judiciary.

Partly because of the sentiment of the protests — opposition to increased closeness with Beijing — the majority party that negotiated the tentative deal became the minority party. Because, of course, Taiwan has free elections. While I was there, I had a chance to attend a pre-election presidential press conference, where then-president Ma Ying-jeou was asked by a (rude) Taiwanese reporter about his very low approval numbers. The reporter wondered if Ma was bothered by people making fun of him. President Ma gave a polite politician’s answer; the reporter was not arrested or dressed down. Because, of course, Taiwan has a free press.

Our American free press is having a conniption over President-elect Trump talking to President-of-Taiwan Tsai. They foresee dire consequences — ruined diplomatic relations, treaties sunk, maybe even war. What they don’t understand is that Taiwan doesn’t exist just as bargaining chip to be played against Beijing. We support Taiwan not because it’s in our interest (though frequently it is) but because it’s the right thing to do. General James Mattis said we pay a price in the Arab world for supporting Israel. He’s right, and it’s a price worth paying. When Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin asked LBJ why the United States chose to side with tiny Israel against 80 million Arabs, Johnson said, simply, “Because it is right.” There are only two true, liberal democracies that, without American support, might be obliterated tomorrow. The other is Taiwan.

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