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A man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit hands a souvenir to an Iraqi Muslim boy in the Shiite holy city of Najaf on December 17, 2015. AFP PHOTO / HAIDAR HAMDANI / AFP / HAIDAR HAMDANI (Photo credit should read HAIDAR HAMDANI/AFP/Getty Images)

Palestinian Jihadist: Ban Christmas Celebrations in Islamic States

Abu Omar Almaqdesi, a senior Gaza-based Islamic State jihadist, said the soldiers and supporters of the Caliphate must not permit the celebration of Christmas in Islamic countries. He went on to describe the festivities as depraved, lewd and based on the blasphemous idea that Allah had an equal in Jesus.

Syrians regime forces walk past destroyed buildings in the former rebel-held Ansari district in the northern city of Aleppo on December 23, 2016 after Syrian government forces retook control of the whole embattled city. Syrian troops cemented their hold on Aleppo after retaking full control of the city, as residents anxious to return to their homes moved through its ruined streets. George OURFALIAN / AFP

Syria Ceasefire Holding Despite ‘Minor Violations,’ Including 20 Air Raids

The headlines on Day One of the latest Syrian ceasefire, this time brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran without U.S. or U.N. involvement, is that it’s holding together despite “minor violations” — such as 20 air raids by the Syrian government against rebel positions near Idlib and ground action supported by attack helicopters in the suburbs of Damascus.

TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016. / AFP / SPUTNIK / ALEXEI DRUZHININ        (Photo credit should read ALEXEI DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images)

Zumwalt: Obama’s Russian Hacking Shell Game

It is interesting that President Barack Obama, who during eight years in office has, historically, been slow to act on international challenges, has moved quickly to impose sanctions upon Russia for alleged interference with the 2016 election. He moves well before a detailed investigation into the issue can be concluded.

Vice Chairperson Delos Cosgrove of Commission on Care testifies during a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee September 7, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing on From Tumult to Transformation: The Commission on Care and the Future of the VA Healthcare System. (Photo by

Potential Veterans Affairs Pick Supported Obamacare

Doctor Cosgrove, a Vietnam veteran and a heart surgeon, has been a supporter of Obamacare. His multibillion-dollar clinic system, in fact, was visited and cited by President Barack Obama in 2009 as one that should be a model for the nation.

China church catholics

Chinese ‘Catholic Church’ Asserts Break with Rome

The Chinese Communist party has proclaimed the independence of the nationalized Catholic church from Rome, insisting that the church adhere to a program of “self-governance.” In a statement released after this week’s National Congress of Chinese Catholic Representatives in Beijing,

AFP Photo/Mustafa Ozer

Turkey Accuses U.S. of Arming Kurdish ‘Terror Organization’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims he has proof the U.S. and its allies gave material support to the Islamic State, but his contention repeated most loudly and insistently is that America armed the Kurdish militia in Syria, which Turkey considers an offshoot of the Kurdish separatists it has been battling for decades.

A girl runs past a sign directing passengers to a shelter at Ben Gurion International airport, near the Mediterranean Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on August 21, 2014, following a warning issued by Hamas's armed wing that they will target the airport from 6 am (0300 GMT) in a bid to disrupt air traffic.

Israel Almost Never Benefits from Compromise

The painful lesson that Israelis — including those in the “peace” camp — have learned is that compromise leads to war. Now, President Barack Obama has taught them a new lesson: namely, that they cannot trust the guarantees on which compromises are made.