“Oct 7 2023”

The Yemeni-based Houthi rebel attacks on global commerce and trade finally produced a response from the Biden administration (and the United Kingdom) in the form of targeted air strikes on Houthi military facilities, such as “command and control nodes, munitions, depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems,” according to a CNN report. A Houthi spokesman said that the strikes killed five people and wounded six others. The same spokesman stated that the strikes “would not deter further … attacks on shipping.” On Sunday, U.S. warplanes targeted a radar site with strikes, which a Houthi spokesman described as causing no “material damages” and no injuries.

As the world’s attention is focused on the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, including South Africa’s false “genocide” charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice, in Syria Palestinians are worried about a new government law that considers them “foreigners.”

By labeling the Palestinians as “foreigners,” the Syrian government is seeking to deprive them of the ability to purchase real estate. Like the majority of the Syrians, most of the Palestinians are Arab Muslims.

Hundreds of people gathered in Toronto’s streets this weekend to enjoy the company of like-minded people in celebrating — get this — the Houthi faction of Yemen, which declared war on civilian cargo ships in November and has since taken innocent crewmen hostage.

Oh nothing. Just a few peaceful demonstrators in @oliviachow’s Toronto cheering on Houthi terrorists and calling for the murder of Jews.

pic.twitter.com/T1BgNtwVXX

— Alan Fryer 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@alanfryermedia) January 15, 2024

For years, the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival has been a highlight of Vancouver’s arts scene. I once called it a “beacon of avant-garde light in the dead of winter.”

I won’t be calling it that any more. The festival has now added to the darkness of this already tragic, oppressive season.

Last week, PuSh decided to cancel its planned performances of the Canadian play The Runner at the Simon Fraser University Woodward’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. The one-person play, written by Christopher Morris, has received rave reviews, including from The Globe and Mail’s J. Kelly Nestruck in 2018.

The Health Ministry on Monday instructed members of the healthcare system not to cooperate with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, citing its perceived anti-Israel stance.

In recent weeks, senior physicians and hospital staff who treated October 7 victims and released hostages have received letters and emails from the commission, which operates under the UN Council for Human Rights. The commission requested information and interviews for its investigation of international and gender-based crimes since the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war.

King’s College counterterrorism course, on contract to MoD, dangerously downplays extremism

King’s College London is the academic centre of Britain’s military and counterterrorism training. Its counterterrorism course, under contract to the Ministry of Defence, has been designed for civil servants and other professionals involved in this work from a number of government departments.

Now, questions have been asked in parliament after an account of the course written by a former civil servant, Anna Stanley, who participated in it a few months ago and who until this month was an open-source intelligence analyst at the Foreign Office.

An MSNBC producer called condemnation of Hamas’s violence against Israeli women “tone deaf” on Sunday and accused the IDF of perpetrating similar atrocities against Palestinians.

Nicole McReynolds, an associate video producer on Ali Velshi’s MSNBC show, scolded Big Time Rush singer James Maslow over an Instagram post that described Hamas’s murder, mutilation, and rape of Israeli women on October 7.

Hamas has released a new video in which 26-year-old hostage Noa Argamani is forced to say two of her fellow captives are dead, allegedly killed by IDF strikes.

It follows a video earlier today where Hamas claimed they would reveal tonight if three hostages are alive or dead – including Argamani, whose abduction horrified the world.

🇮🇱🇵🇸 🔴‼️ BREAKING: HAMAS FINALLY RELEASED THE VIDEO

Only Nao Argamani is alive, the rest of the two hostages in the video have "Died as a result of Israeli airstrikes." https://t.co/A5r4RoRBac pic.twitter.com/9fGibbTuMu

— Lounge Digest (@loungedigest) January 15, 2024

🚨 WW3 HIGH ALERT 🚨

A US-owned cargo ship was just hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen ⚠️

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations security agency reported it as a "vessel hit from above by a missile" on its website.

According to Ambrey, a British maritime risk… pic.twitter.com/m2BanI1rzS

— Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) January 15, 2024

Hamas claimed responsibility for the combined ramming and stabbing attacks in Ra’anana on Monday afternoon, which left over a dozen people wounded and one person dead.

A terrorist stabbed a woman while another terrorist stole a car and proceeded to carry out ramming attacks in several locations, Israel Police confirmed. The terrorist swapped vehicles three times after crashing, the police stated. The terrorists were Muhammad Zaidat, 44, and Ahmed Zaidat, 24, both from Hebron and were later arrested.

🚨Breaking News🚨

A man has stabbed a car driver, took their car, stole others and rammed 20 people in Ra'anana, north of Tel Aviv. One person is dead and multiple injuries.

Believed to be Hezbollah inspired, a man AlKhalil “Hebron” and has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/g4kvudKDgX

— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) January 15, 2024