(SERVICE WHEN ABLE WITH FINAL POSTING SUNDAY NIGHT 1130 PM-12 MIDNIGHT EASTERN US TIME)
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The vote count continued today in the Irish election but first...
LATE NEWS TONIGHT:
At least two dead and 42 injured in a bus crash in southern France. The bus carrying passengers from Spain hit a mountainside near the Spanish border...NOS Netherlands (Translation Prompt)
TONIGHT JOE BIDEN PARDONING HIS SON HUNTER IN CONNECTION WITH HIS CONVICTIONS ON GUN AND TAX CHARGES.
HUNTER BIDEN WAS SET FOR SENTENCING LATER THIS MONTH...BBC NEWS BLOG
IN ISRAEL INDICTMENT OF FOUR PEOPLE INCLUDING A RESERVE BRIGADIER GENERAL IN CONNECTION WITH FIRING FLARES AT PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S CAESAREA HOME...ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS
President-Elect Donald Trump appointing Massad Boulos as an adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Boulos is the father-in-law of Mr. Trump's daughter Tiffany.
He is a Lebanese-American businessman who helped the Trump Campaign to win support among Arab-Americans...Ynet News
IN GEORGIA PROTESTS CONTINUING TONIGHT WITH THE CEREMONIAL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY URGING PRESSURE ON THE COUNTRY'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT IN THE CITY OF BATUMI...TASS RUSSIA...(MORE ON THIS STORY LATER IN THE SUMMARY)
An election in Iceland this weekend with the Social Democratic Party winning 15 of the 63 seats a gain of nine seats...WIKIPEDIA 2024 ICELANDIC PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION...RUV Iceland
(UPDATED) THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN SAY THEY ATTACKED A US DESTROYER AND THREE MERCHANT VESSELS IN THE ARABIAN SEA SOUTHEAST OF YEMEN. 16 MISSILES AND DRONES SAID TO HAVE BEEN USED...TASS RUSSIA....
UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME TRADE OPERATIONS REPORTING AN INCIDENT OFF THE SOUTH COAST OF YEMEN EARLIER TODAY. NO DETAILS GIVEN...UNITED KINGDOM MARITIME TRADE OPERATIONS "X"...
LATE TONIGHT US CENTRAL COMMAND ACKNOWLEDGING THE ATTACK SAYING NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES OCCURRED...US CENTRAL COMMAND "X"
Israel's air force intercepting an Iranian plane over Syria and turning it back. The plane thought to be ferrying weapons to Hezbollah...Times of Israel
THE DEATH TOLL IN FIGHTING BETWEEN SHIA AND SUNNI MUSLIMS IN NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN IS NOW 130.
FIGHTING HAS RESUMED AFTER THE GOVERNMENT NEGOTATING A TRUCE BETWEEN THE FACTIONS LAST WEEK...NOS NETHERLANDS (TRANSLATION PROMPT)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel is closely monitoring the conflict in Syria.
Mr. Netanyahu also speaking of strict enforcement by Israel of the ceasefire in Lebanon...Times Of Israel
THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA
(NEWS, COMMENT AND ANALYSIS)
(UPDATED WHEN ABLE)
Syrian ruler Bashar Assad says his forces will defeat the jihadists invading the northwestern parts of Syria regardless of who their sponsors are...Tass Russia...
Russian and Syrian air forces intensifying attacks on the jihadist forces that invaded northwestern Syria...Tass Russia...
The Syrian army saying it is on the counterattack after thousands of jihadists poured into the northwestern parts of Syria from an enclave on the border with Turkey.
One convoy of armored vehicles said to have been destroyed by an airstrike on the M5 Aleppo-Damascus highway...RIA Novosti Russia (Translation Prompt)...
They have penetrated portions of the city of Aleppo and moved in the direction of the city of Hama...RIA Novosti Russia (Translation Prompt)...
Russian Aerospace Forces launching air strikes in support of the Syrian military...(Tass Russia)...
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani spoke by phone Saturday night with Syrian President Bashar Assad expressing his willingness to support Syria in the fight against terrorism...Mehr News Agency Iran...
Assad also speaking with the leader of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed who stressed his support for Syria...Israel National News...
Many extreme claims have been made about the situation in Syria during the weekend via social media postings.
They speak of a coup in Damascus and President Assad and his family leaving the country.
Syrian State Televison remains on the air providing news programming all day long and showing military videos during overnight hours into Sunday...Link... but internet access to the Syrian Arab News Agency has been blocked since last Thursday.
The White House out with a statement this weekend denying any US involvement in the jihadist attack in northwestern Syria.
The statement also insisting that the US will defend its numerous military outposts in Syria saying they are a bulwark against ISIS...OSINTdefender "X"...
The US blaming Russia and Iran for the jihadist attack.
In the past the US, UK and other Western nations clearly supported the jihadists now known as HTS as they conducted the civil war in Syria from 2011 under names like the "Al Nusra Front" which emerged as a Syrian branch of Al Qaeda.
PROTESTS IN GEORGIA
IN THE NATION OF GEORGIA NEXT TO RUSSIA STREET PROTESTS AGAINST THE ELECTED GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED FRIENDLY TO RUSSIA UNDERWAY.
POLICE DISPERSING DEMONSTRATORS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY'S PARLIAMENT IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF TBILISI...TASS RUSSIA...
THE PRO-EUROPEAN UNION NATO DEMONSTRATORS FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE CEREMONIAL LEADER OF THE COUNTRY PRESIDENT SALOME ZOURABICHVILI.
ZOURABICHVILI REFUSING TO LEAVE OFFICE WHEN HE TERM EXPIRES FOLLOWING AN ELECTION OF A NEW PRESIDENT DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH...NOS NETHERLANDS (TRANSLATION PROMPT)...
SHE IS ALSO DEMANDING NEW ELECTIONS...BBC NEWS...
THE US STATE DEPARTMENT THIS WEEKEND ANNOUNCING A SUSPENSION OF US STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES WITH GEORGIA...OSINTdefender "X"
BALKAN TENSIONS
Tensions in the Balkans this weekend with an explosion at a canal that feeds water to two major power plants in Kosovo.
The incident in northern Kosovo near the border with Serbia.
Kosovo's Prime Albin Kurti pointing a finger in the direction of Serbia with Serbia's government denying any involvement...AFP France-Digital Journal...
Eight arrests of Serbs in Kosovo made by the Kosovo authorities those arrests denounced by Serbia...NOS Netherlands (Translation Prompt)
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP WARNING THE BRICS NATIONS OF 100 PERCENT TARIFFS IF THEY TRY TO REPLACE THE US DOLLAR.
TRUMP DEMANDING A PROMISE FROM BRICS NOT TO REPLACE THE DOLLAR WITH ANY OTHER CURRENCY...Truth Social Post
THE IRISH ELECTION
(NEWS, COMMENT AND ANALYSIS)
(UPDATED WHEN ABLE)
The counting of votes this weekend in Friday's Irish election. The ruling liberal capitalist parties (Fianna Fail and Fine Gael) appear to be losing some support. Their coalition partner the Greens appear to suffering steeper losses.
The Leftist Sinn Fein party claiming success in the election although the party only running 71 candidates to contest 174 parliamentary seats preventing any possibility of gaining a majority.
New political parties drawing disaffected Irish nationalists including newly formed Independent Ireland and the socially conservative Aontu party.
The counting of the votes will continue Monday as of Sunday evening at least 132 of the 174 seats have been decided...
THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
(UPDATED WHEN ABLE)
US CITIZEN HOSTAGE HELD IN GAZA URGES TRUMP TO PUSH FOR DEAL
A video of US citizen and Gaza hostage Edan Alexander released by Hamas this weekend.
In the video Alexander who is an Israeli soldier asks for President-Elect Donald Trump to work for his release. He criticizes the lack of action by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...Times Of Israel
In other news...
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP SELECTING AIDE KASH PATEL TO HEAD THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI).
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FLORIDA SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER NAMED TO HEAD THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION...BBC NEWS
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP NOMINATING CHARLES KUSHNER AS US AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE.
MR. KUSHNER IS THE FATHER OF MR. TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER.
THE ELDER KUSHNER PARDONED BY TRUMP IN DECEMBER OF 2020 IN CONNECTION WITH HIS CONVICTIONS ON TAX EVASION AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION CHARGES...TIMES OF ISRAEL
THE UKRAINE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA
(UPDATED WHEN ABLE)
CHILD KILLED IN DRONE ATTACK ON RUSSIA
A child killed and a building destroyed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Bryansk Region...RIA Novosti Russia (Translation Prompt)
