U.S. Officials Report that Russia’s Forces in Syria have Grown to 4,000 People

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

U.S. security officials told Reuters on Thursday that Russia has doubled its military personnel in Syria in its campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On September 30 when Russia began its recent wave of airstrikes in Syria, there was an estimated 2,000 personnel. Now, they have not only doubled their people, but have also approximately doubled the number of bases they are using. Security officials stated that an exact number of personnel cannot be known since the Kremlin has suffered combat casualties in Syria.

Russian officials have declined to comment regarding the size of their military forces in Syria and did not answer any questions that were sent by Reuters.

However, they did state that no Russian troops have been in combat in Syria, although there are advisers and trainers working with the Syrian military. Reuters also reports that Russian forces are guarding the bases in western Syria.

The Kremlin further states that since they have been in Syria, they have only lost one soldier who committed suicide. The parents of the serviceman have stated they doubt this claim.

The U.S. has criticized Russia over their recent involvement in the Syrian civil war. While Russia has stated numerous times that they are there to fight the Islamic State, numerous reports have indicated that Syrian rebels have been the main targets of their airstrikes in order to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. believes that Assad should step down from his leadership role in order for the Syrian civil war to end.

Scarlet Fever Making a Comeback and May Now Resist Antibiotics

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , ,

After nearly 100 years, the bacterial infection, scarlet fever, has made a comeback in Britain and in parts of Asia. And to make matters worse, it may no longer be an easy treatable infection as new research suggests that the infection is showing signs of antibiotic resistance.

“We have not yet had an outbreak in Australia, but over the past five years there have been more than 5,000 cases in Hong Kong (a 10-fold increase) and more than 100,000 cases in China,” said Mark Walker, one of the researchers, in a news release. “And an outbreak in the UK has resulted in 12,000 cases since last year.

The Washington Post reports that scarlet fever is caused by a group of A Streptococcus bacteria that can turn strep throat into scarlet fever. Most people who are affected are children between the ages of 5 and 12. The disease develops a red, sandpaper-like rash on the person’s body, and while it’s unpleasant, it can easily be treated with antibiotics. There is currently no vaccine.

“We now have a situation which may change the nature of the disease and make it resistant to broad-spectrum treatments normally prescribed for respiratory tract infections, such as scarlet fever,” said Nouri Ben Zakour, one of the researchers.

The idea that this new outbreak of scarlet fever could easily be treated was rethought when researches from the University of Queensland discovered that the new scarlet fever cases were resisting antibiotics. While penicillin is still effective, other treatments such as tetracycline, clindamycin, and erythromycin may not be, which poses an immediate threat to people who are allergic to penicillin.

The rise in scarlet fever could pre-empt a future rise in rheumatic heart disease, which causes permanent heart damage. Knowing this, researchers hope to continue studying the patterns of the disease and the effects it has on a person’s health, according to Science World Report.

NATO Chief Raises Alarm over Russia’s Buildup from Baltic to Mediterranean

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

NATO’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg is shouting the alarm over Russia’s recent buildup of military forces from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea and is wanting the U.S.-led alliance to respond.

Stoltenberg addressed the issue at a news conference in Portugal during NATO war games. He stated that he is worried that Russia’s military could limit access to those regions for the United States and its allies, according to Fox News.

“We have to be sure that we are able to overcome these capabilities, so we can reinforce, so we can move and we can deploy forces if needed,” said Stoltenberg.

Leaders and representatives of nine Eastern European NATO member nations met on Wednesday. Due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and threats from ISIS, NATO leaders called for an increased alliance presence in Europe.

In the past, NATO has refrained from deploying permanent substantial combat forces due to an agreement with Russia that dates back to 1997. However, this year NATO has been deploying small military units in and out of countries that they feel is at risk from Russia. NATO has been careful not to make it appear to the Kremlin as if they are deploying permanent reinforcements, according to the Associated Press. Although, Stoltenberg’s comments hint that NATO might be rethinking this agreement.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to build upon their current military presence in Syria. CBS News reports that Russia has recently brought in anti-aircraft missiles to Syria to protect their jets from being attacked or hijacked. Russian military officials did not specify how many missiles or what type of missiles were brought into Syria.

China and Taiwan Leaders to Meet for First Time Since 1949

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , ,

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday, the first time since the two governments split in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war.

Both leaders have stated that Saturday’s meeting will focus on relations across the Taiwan Straits.

Reuters reports that the timing of the meeting takes place at the same time as a rising anti-China sentiment sweeps Taiwan. With elections in Taiwan only a few weeks away, analysts believe the meeting is a sign that China is worried about the opposing party winning the election. This would ruin the currently rebuilt relations between China and Taiwan that the current Taiwanese president made a key policy since he took office in 2008. Since Ma has been president, China and Taiwan have signed 23 deals covering transit, investments, and mainly trade.

This could mean war between China and Taiwan as the Chinese government has threatened to use military force against Taiwan if the country ever tried to gain total independence, according to BBC News. China does claim sovereignty over Taiwan and believes the two will be reunited in the future.

Last year, Chinese President Xi recommended a one-country, two-system joint rule where Beijing controlled Taiwan, but Taiwan would continue to retain a political system and some autonomy.

Taiwanese officials and President Ma will hold press conferences regarding the meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

Ancient Greek Fortress Found in Jerusalem; Could Solve Archaeological Mystery

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

Archaeologists told Reuters that they believe they have found the remains of an ancient Greek fortress after a century of searching. The fortress was once a center of power in Jerusalem and a stronghold that held off a Jewish rebellion celebrated in the Book of the Maccabees.

The fortress was built more than 2,000 years ago by Antiochus Epiphanes, king of the Hellenised Seleucid empire. The location of the Acra has been long debated by researchers and archaeologists and has been one of Jerusalem’s greatest archaeological mysteries.

“It has been an open question in the archaeology of Jerusalem,” Excavation Director Doron Ben-Ami told FoxNews.com. “For hundreds of years scholars, archaeologists and historians have been looking for the location of this Acra and many, many different locations have been suggested.”

Many believed it was located behind now Jerusalem’s walled Old City or by the hilltop where two Jewish temples once stood but is now the Al Aqsa mosque compound. However, the Israel Antiquities Authority unearthed the fortress under an old parking lot located outside the walls overlooking a valley to the south. Archaeologists say the area was a place of construction for Jerusalem under King David from the Bible. Ben-Ami told Reuters that the spot was chosen for Acra in order to monitor the Jewish temple and control the city.

One area of the fortress held artifacts like coins and handles for wine jugs that suggest the fortress was present in the period of Antiochus. Bronze arrowheads and lead sling stones were also found at the dig site and were possibly used when Jewish rebels tried to take over the fortress from pro-Greek forces.

“This is a rare example of how rocks, coins and dirt can come together in a single archaeological story that addresses specific historical realities from the city of Jerusalem,” Ben-Ami said.

U.S. Satellites Detected “Heat Flash” Just Before Russian Plane Crashed

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Press Service of Russian Emergencies Ministry/Handout via Reuters

A new clue regarding the crash of Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 that killed 224 people is having investigators asking more questions rather than providing more answers.

Yesterday, various news agencies reported that a United States infrared satellite detected a heat flash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula at approximately the same time that the plane crashed, according to CNN. Intelligence analysis indicates that there may have been an explosive device on board the plane or a catastrophic malfunction took place.

Aviation analyst Paul Beaver talked with the Chicago Tribune, stating that there could still be a multitude of reasons why the plane went down.

“It doesn’t tell us if it was a bomb … or if somebody had a fight in the airplane with a gun — there is a whole raft of things that could happen in this regard,” he said.

U.S. officials told NBC News that they have ruled out the possibility of a missile bringing down the plane because the heat flash did not show the kind of tail that would’ve followed a missile or rocket. Pentagon officials also stated that it’s a possibility that the flash isn’t related to crash considering how there is regular military activity in the Sinai Peninsula, according to ABC News.

A preliminary investigation of the crash site has indicated that the plane did take heavy damage at an altitude of over 10,000 meters. It has also been reported that the crew did not send out a distress signal which leads investigators and analysts to believe that whatever did happen on the plane, happened suddenly.

A new report released from CNN Wednesday morning revealed another clue related to the crash. Russian state broadcaster Russia 24 reported that the tail of the plane was found 3 miles away from the rest of the wreckage, leading investigators to examine what could’ve went wrong with the tail, especially since it had been damaged previously.

“To me, it says (the tail) exited the plane before (an) explosive event and before the fire engulfed the plane,” said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo.

Nepal Police Clear Indian Border Checkpoint by Forcibly Removing Protesters

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , ,

Protesters along the India-Nepal border were forcibly removed by Nepalese police on Monday, allowing over 200 trucks who had been stuck there for 40 days to finally enter India.

The Agence France-Presse news agency reported that police used batons on the protestors and burned down tents that they were using to block the border checkpoint.

But while the trucks were cleared to enter India, trucks bringing fuel and other supplies to Nepal were being blocked by Indian customs officials. Nepal is currently under a severe fuel shortage that has brought the country to a virtual standstill, according to Time.

The large scale protests taking place in Nepal began in August after the country adopted a new constitution. Minority groups, including the Madhesi and Tharu, believe they have not been accurately represented in the new constitution because it divides the group into a number of states and dilutes their political power. The protests have also brought a political standoff between Nepal and India, as Nepal believes India is encouraging the civil unrest and protests and purposefully blocking their fuel supplies from entering Nepal.

Late last week, Nepal signed an agreement with China to refill their fuel reserves.

Since the protests began in August, 45 people have lost their lives, including an Indian man who was shot by Nepalese police on Monday. Nepalese officials report that the man was among a group of ethnic protesters who were attacking a police station with petrol bombs and stones, according to the Washington Post.

Monday Storm Brings Rain, Snow, Mudslides, and Flash Flooding to California

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , ,

California and other parts of the western United States – including Sierra, Nevada – saw the first winter-like storm of the season on Monday. the storm brought heavy rain and snow and even caused a 20 car pile up due to gusts of wind bringing up dust. Five people were minorly injured.

San Francisco saw an inch of rain and other Bay Area cities had an inch or more of rain thanks to the cold front from the Pacific Northwest. Traffic accidents and power outages were widespread across the region according to ABC News. Mudslides also blocked roads close to Livermore.

Mountain areas around Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border reported a foot of snow. The Sierra Nevada mountain range had storm warnings for heavy snow from Kings Canyon to Yosemite that were in effect until late night hours. Areas above 9,000 feet saw 5 inches of snow by early evening, and snow levels were expected to fall to 5,000 feet.

Yolo, Lake, and Colusa counties were issued flash flood warnings according to the weather service.

The snow in Sierra could help with the drought that has hit California. California counts on snowpack to feed reservoirs. The storm also hit areas that were burned by wildfires earlier this year.

ISIS Declares War Against “All the Jews” and Israel in Latest Video

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , ,

On Sunday, the Islamic State released a new video across social media titled “A Message to Israel.” The 40 second video shows an ISIS jihadi speaking Hebrew and stating that ISIS was declaring war on Israel and the entire Jewish people.

“My message to the [Israel Defense Force] officers and soldiers and all the Jews – we will fight you with God’s help, we will come for you from across the world and we will slaughter you like sheep, prepare for the big war, the war of stone and wood. This is be soon and not long,” the terrorist said, according to a translation by the Jerusalem Post.

The terrorist’s face was pixelated and he was shown wielding a knife while two other men stood on either side of him. He continued:

“To all the Jews, grandsons of apes and pigs, we are coming at you from all over the world. … [The war] is soon; it won’t be long, God willing, God willing,” he said in the video according to the International Business Times.

This is the second video that ISIS has recently released that has called for the annihilation of Jews. Last month, they released a similar video with a masked member of ISIS talking to a camera in Hebrew, announcing war against Israel.

“This is an important message to all Jews — the first enemy of the Muslims. The real war has not yet begun. Whatever you had previously is child’s play [in comparison]. … Do whatever you want in the meantime, until we reach you, and then we will make you pay for the crimes you have committed. … Soon, there will not be even a single Jew left in Jerusalem or the rest of the country. We will keep going until we eradicate this disease worldwide.”

Sunday’s video was released after ISIS declared they were responsible for bringing down the Russian jet that crashed into the Sinai Peninsula, killing 224 people. At this time, it is still unclear as to what brought down the plane.

The Israel Defense Force has stated that they are closely monitoring ISIS, especially along Israel’s southern border with Egypt.

On Saturday, the Democratic Forces of Syria joined forces with U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and Syrian Arab rebel groups in order to start a new offensive against ISIS. Kurdish forces will be leading airstrikes and land offensives to interrupt the Islamic State’s supply lines across the Syria-Iraq border. CNN also reports that 5,000 Yazidi fighters are gearing up for an offensive that will take back the town of Sinjar from ISIS. If they can reclaim Sinjar then ISIS would have a more difficult time resupplying their people in Mosul.

Russia Blames “External Influence” for Plane Crash in Egypt that Killed 224 People

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,

A senior airline official representing the Russian airline Kogalymavia has blamed Saturday’s Sinai plane crash on an “external influence,” according to CNN. The crash killed all 224 people that were on board.

The official added that planes don’t just fall apart in midair, but that’s exactly what happened to Kogalymavia Flight 9268 before it crashed into a remote area of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The executive did not release details on what he meant by an external influence, but an investigation is underway. Aviation experts on currently looking through the data on the airplane’s “black boxes,” but no results have been shared yet.

BBC News reports that the head of Russia’s Federal Aviation Agency stated that it is too early to know the cause of the crash, despite what the senior airline official has said.

“It is completely premature to speak about the reasons of this, as there are not grounds. And I’d like to call on the aviation community to refrain from any premature conclusions,” Sputnicknews.com quoted Alexander Neradko, the agency chief, who talked to Rossiya-25 television.

CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz said that because the plane broke into several pieces before hitting the ground, that it helps reduce to the list of possible causes, however, there are still plenty of situations that could have happened.

Here are the only facts that are concrete at this time: the airplane came apart mid air, the plane lost speed and began to descend quickly, and the crew made no attempts to contact any sort of air traffic control to report the situation.

AP reports that Russian Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov stated that the crash site would continue to be searched until all the bodies of the victims were found. Currently, 144 bodies have been sent to St. Petersburg and more are expected to arrive Monday evening.

According to CNN, 217 people on the plane were passengers and 7 were crew members. Of the passengers, 25 were children.

Russian President Putin expressed his condolences to the victim’s families.

“This is a terrible tragedy and we are most certainly with you at this time with all our hearts and souls,” Putin said.

“I want to thank the people of St. Petersburg for the way they have responded. The whole country has seen this, everyone in Russia, and I want to thank you for your words of sympathy and condolence. In such tragic hours, it is certainly very important to feel the support of those close to you and know you have the entire country’s sympathy over this terrible disaster.”

The United States, Germany, and Britain all issued overflight warnings for the Sinai Peninsula previous to the crash due to extremist violence in the area. Germany issued the warnings on October 5 while America and Britain issued the warnings on October 15.