Syria
Syrian forces make sweeping gains in eastern Aleppo cnn v
Government forces and armed paramilitary groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began a renewed push toward eastern Aleppo on November 15, backed by airstrikes following a three-week lull.
Taking the city would mark a turning point in a civil war that has raged in Syria for more than five years.
Also see Syrian rebel forces in Aleppo suffer 'biggest defeat since 2012' theguardian
Israel
Obama And Netanyahu To Meet In New York On Wednesday jewishbusinessnews
The meeting was agreed upon following talks between the Prime Minister’s Office and the White House and was confirmed after the signing of the new US-Israel military aid package. It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since November 2015 and likely be the last as Obama approaches the conclusion of his presidency.
“The meeting also will be an opportunity to discuss the need for genuine advancement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the face of deeply troubling trends on the ground,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Fraud
The Unbelievable Tale of Jesus’s Wife theatlantic v
The American Association of Museums’ Guide to Provenance Research warns that an investigation of an object’s origins “is not unlike detective work”: “One may spend hours, days, or weeks following a trail that leads nowhere.” When I started to dig, however, I uncovered more than I’d ever expected—a warren of secrets and lies that spanned from the industrial districts of Berlin to the swingers scene of southwest Florida, and from the halls of Harvard and the Vatican to the headquarters of the East German Stasi.
This is a fascinating long-form article by a reporter who set out to find the origins of a (supposed) 1,300 yr-old papyrus about Jesus' wife, and the ensuing series of lies, historical invention, and deceit of the man behind it. It's a long read, but worth it - particularly for those who've heard the Biblically unsupported "Jesus had a wife" argument. Warning: some aspects of the primary figure's personal life uncovered during the investigation are sexually graphic in nature (the article doesn't dwell TOO MUCH on them).
Israel
Controversial religious activist enters Israel’s parliament washingtonpost
For years, Yehuda Glick has pushed for greater Jewish access to Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site — promoting an ideology that has unnerved Palestinians and made him the target of an assassination attempt. Now, as a new member of Israel’s parliament, Glick is vowing to use his office to press his cause, bringing his explosive campaign to the nation’s corridors of power.
“Twenty years ago, Temple Mount activists were considered totally delusional, extreme, marginal. Today, half of the Knesset’s members agree with the basis of what I express,” Glick, 51, told The Associated Press in an interview.
Israel
[OPINION] Obama’s November surprise for Israel? jpost
Word is going around in diplomatic circles that the Obama administration is planning a November surprise for Israel. Here’s what is said to be going on.
Israeli officials and Jewish communal leaders have told me that they expect that the Obama administration will not veto the [(possible United Nations Security Council Resolution condemning Israel)] at the UNSC. Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, will not exercise the American veto.
