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French Military to Boost Defences Against Cyber Attacks

The French defense minister announced this month that France is no less vulnerable than the United States to cyber attacks from foreign countries, adding hat the military will boost its resources in order to defend against them.

During an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated that there is a real risk of cyber attacks on French civil infrastructure such as water, electricity, telecommunications and transport as well as against French democracy and the media. The statement comes as US intelligence agencies released a report indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a cyber campaign to help Republican Donald Trump’s electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. When asked whether France was immune from such attacks, Le Drian stated “no, of course not, we should not be naïve.” He went on to say that if the US election had indeed been manipulated, it would be an unbearable interference, as targeting a country’s electoral means attacking its democratic foundations and its sovereignty.

France has been affected by cyber attacks as in April 2015, hackers knocked French TV station TV5Monde off the air. French judicial sources later disclosed that Russian hackers linked to the Kremlin could have been behind the attack. France has now said that in 2016, it was the subject of 24,000 cyber attacks against defense targets and according to Le Drian, such attacks were doubling every year, noting that thousands of external attacks had been blocked, including attempts at disrupting France’s drone systems.

France will hold presidential elections in April – May. Leading conservative challenger Francois Fillon has stated that he wants to improve relations with Russia. He has in the past been praised by the Russian leader. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen also favours closer relations with Russia. However French-Russian relations have been strained by Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 and over Russia’s role in the war in Syria. Furthermore, outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande has cancelled the sale of warships to Russia. He also played a key role in imposing sanctions on Russia over Crimea.

US Presidential Election: Inauguration Day

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45^th President of the United States of America on 20 January. Here is a look at Inauguration Day (All timings UK times).

19 January

• Wreath-laying Ceremony: Mr Trump will attend the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, expected to begin at 8:30 PM.
• Welcome Concert: The concert at Lincoln Memorial marks the official kick-off to the inaugural events. Mr Trump and his vice-President, Mike Pence, are expected to make an appearance. The concert is expected to begin at 9 PM.

20 January

• Morning Prayer: Traditionally, the day begins with a prayer, which for some presidents took place at the St John’s Episcopal Church, located across the street from the White House. This event is expected to occur at around 1:30 PM.
• White House Meeting: Mr Trump and Barack Obama will have a meeting at the White House, which is a customary courtesy from the outgoing president to the incoming one. The outgoing president leaves a brief note for his successor. Mr Obama has vowed to help Mr Trump achieve a smooth transition of power.
• Swearing-in Ceremony: Mr Trump, accompanied by his family, is expected to be sworn into office at 5 PM by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr in the ceremony in front of the US Capitol building.
• The oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.”
• Attending: Hundreds of thousands will attend the ceremony, including former presidents, the diplomatic corps and invited guests. Defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton will attend along with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. Mr Obama will attend the ceremony and will then leave by helicopter.
• Inaugural Address: After being sworn-in, Mr Trump will deliver his first presidential address.
• Inaugural Parade: At the end of the swearing-in ceremony, the parade will proceed from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. This is expected to start at 8 PM.
• Inaugural Ball: The day ends with a series of inaugural balls across Washington DC. The two main balls will be held at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre, and one at the National Building Museum. Mr Trump and the First Lady are expected to make an appearance.
• Protests: Almost two dozens group s have applied for permits for protests on or around Mr Trumps’ inauguration, ranging from anti-war associations to anarchists. The Women’s Mach, which is expected to gather some 200,000 people, is scheduled near the Capitol Building on 21 January.

Europe in the Grip of the Cold: Victims and Economic Damages Throughout the Continent

Since the beginning of January it has been an emergency in most part of the European continent as a polar cold wave has overwhelmed most countries. The bitter cold air has plunged southward into Eastern Europe from northern Russia and the Artic region, and has been stuck in place with a vortex of cold pressure causing continuous heavy snow for days. This weather is causing particular hardship among migrants, the homeless and the elderly. The freeze gripping has caused so far 61 deaths, a third of those in Poland where ten people died of cold just on Sunday. Deaths have been reported also in Italy, Serbia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Albania and Greece.

In Italy the situation is critical. The cold has made eight victims, and the lowest temperature of -24 has been reached in the northeast. The South has been particularly hit, with major railways and motorways interrupted, causing inconveniencies in the circulation. Moreover, many small town and villages are still isolated because of the snow, especially in the Apulia, Basilicata and Calabria. In the rest of south-eastern Europe conditions are even worst. In Romania the bitter cold has led to travel delays, power outages and a surge in demand for natural gas and power. Several Serbian municipalities have declared emergency measures to battle the extreme weather and dozens of villages in the south have been cut off by high snowdrifts. In Albania it snowed in the southern city of Saranda for the first time in 32 years, and six people have died so far for the frigid weather. Also three people have been found dead in the past three days in Macedonia as temperatures plunged to -20 C.

The extreme cold has also worsened the condition of thousands of migrants stuck in the Balkans and Greece, not prepared for this kind of weather whatsoever. The worst situation is registered in Lesbos Island, which is currently home to more than 4,000 people in the Moira refugee camp. Roland Schönbauer, a spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has declared on Monday this week that the organization was transferring some 120 vulnerable men, women and children, including people still living in tents, to hotels following the storm. However, according to volunteers there are still thousands of refugees living in outdoor tents in the camp, despite the Greece’s minister for migration Yiannis Mouzalas told journalists at a news conference on Thursday that “no refugees or migrants are living in the cold anymore”. Nevertheless, few cases of hypothermia have been reported in the last days, because many people don’t have proper winter clothes yet. For this reason Amnesty International is campaigning for asylum seekers to be transferred from the Greek islands to the mainland, for the temperature are expected to drop again. But transfers to the mainland are only allowed after people have completed the registration process, which has been delayed by a number of factors, including a shortage of spaces on the mainland.

The agricultural sector is the one more damaged by snowfalls and frost across Europe. In the cultivation area in the Austrian state of Styria initial estimates indicate €100 million in damages for the fruit sector alone. In Italy the Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti reported that the fruit cultivation has suffered inestimable damages from the weather circumstances. The most affected camps have been those of tomatoes, courgette and eggplants. Also grapes have been heavily damaged, especially in the region Apulia. Substantial damages to the sector have been reported also in Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia.

Iraqi Military Announces New Offensive Near Border with Syria

The Iraqi military announced late last week that it has launched a new offensive that aims to re-capture western towns near the border with Syria from the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.

The operation will involve army and federal police units along with tribal fighters who will target the towns of Aanah, Rawa and al-Qaim, which lie along the River Euphrates. The first target of the offensive will be town of Aanah, which is located about 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Baghdad. Troops then aim to advance westwards along the Euphrates towards Rawa and then al-Qaim, which is located 330 km from Baghdad and which is next to a key crossing on the border with Syria. The offensive comes as government forces continue to battle IS militants for control of the northern city of Mosul.

On 5 January, Lt Gen Qassem Mohammedi, head of the military’s Jazeera Operations Command, disclosed “our forces started advancing from Haditha towards Aanah from several directions.”

Meanwhile on 4 January, a senor Iraqi commander disclosed that 65 – 70% of eastern Mosul had been recaptured and that troops expected to reach the banks of the River Tigris in the city centre within days. Lt Gen Talib Shaghati, head of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service, has indicated that IS had carried out hundreds of suicide car bomb attacks since the assault began 11 weeks ago in an attempt to hold on to its last major urban stronghold in Iraq. A spokesman for the US-led multinational coalition supporting the offensive disclosed that troops had made significant progress since launching a new phase on 29 December, when they began synchronising attacks on three axes and the number of coalition military advisers was doubled to about 450.

Last year, government forces drove IS out of much of Anbark province, in a move that saw them retake the major cities of Ramadi and Falluja, however large parts of the vast desert region remain under the control of the jihadist group.

Celebrating Christmas in the Middle East

December 25^th is a special day in the Christian calendar across the globe, including the estimated 12 million Christians of the Middle East. Prince Charles dedicated his annual Christmas message to religious persecution around the world. He opened by quoting a Jesuit priest from Syria who told him it’s possible there will be no Christians in Iraq within five years. This Christmas brought hope and joy to some in the region, but for many across the Middle East festivities are marred by violence and destruction, bleakness and fear.

In Iraq

In Baghdad, commercial streets such as Karada, al-Mansour, Palestine and Zaytouna are adorned with Christmas trees and Santa Claus. Zawraa park in the centre of the city is home to a giant, 85-foot Christmas tree donated by a Muslim businessman to help the Iraqi people ‘forget their anguish.’ Across the Iraqi capital, Muslims are celebrating Christmas in unity with the Christians. However, amongst the seeming unity in Baghdad, Iraqi officials say separate bombings in and around the city have killed at least 11 civilians and wounded 34 others.

In the recently liberated, ancient Christian town of Bartella, Christmas was celebrated for the first time in over two years. Hundreds of Christians travelled to the city in buses, coming mostly from camps for the displaced set up in the city of Irbil. As mass was celebrated, dozens of Iraqi and US security forces were on standby to protect worshipers at the historic, battle-scarred Mart Shmony Church. The church’s priest delivered a defiant message, ‘This is a message to the entire world that we Christians… are the inherent component of this country and we are staying.’ However, across Iraq many are unable to return to their villages liberated from IS. Tens of Thousands spent their Christmas living in tents in the freezing cold. Mosul’s Christians are celebrating their third Christmas in exile.

In Syria

Demographic expert Fabrice Balanche predict there are only 100,000 Christians remaining in Aleppo, less than half living in the city before the start of the war. This year, the remaining Christians in Aleppo celebrated under a giant Christmas tree lit up for the first time in five years.

In Israel and Palestine

Thousands descended upon Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. A celebrator said ‘Christmas is for all Palestinians, regardless of religious affiliation, and is part of our national identity.’ However, the tensions within the state remained high. In Jerusalem, the rabbinate has issued a letter warning dozens of hotels in the city that it is forbidden by Jewish law to erect a tree. Meanwhile, Palestinian protesters dressed as Father Christmas were met with tear gas as they attempted to demonstrate against restrictions on movement between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Some held signs saying ‘Santa Claus stands with Palestinian people’ during clashes with Israeli soldiers at Bethlehem’s checkpoint 300. Six people were injured.

In Jordan

Fuheis is usually at the heart of Jordanian Christmas celebrations, but this year its planned seasonal events have been abandoned following the deadly shootings in Karak. Elsewhere in the kingdom, Madaba and al-Hussen’s Christmas trees remain in darkness in mourning for the victims.