War

Following yesterday's deadly terrorist attack, in which a truck driver rammed into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring 48, the German mood has been dour, deteriorating further this morning when the interior minister of the German state of Saarland said on Tuesday that Germany is in a state of war. "We must say that we are in a state of war, although some people, who always only want to see good, do not want to see this," the minister, Klaus Bouillon, told German broadcaster SR.

The Vatican has announced that 2017 is likely to be year of ‘catastrophe’ and ‘doom’ after a yearly blood ritual failed.  The dried blood of Saint Januarius failed to liquify in a ceremony in Italy on Saturday, which the Vatican say usually signals an omen of ‘disastrous events’ to come. Businessinsider.com reports: The ceremony of the blood of Saint Januarius, or San Gennaro, is performed several times a year. The blood is kept in special ampules and liquifies during the ceremony. The miracle has been regularly recorded since 1389.

After a violent trifecta of a day, in which terrorist attacks left at least 9 dead and 50 injured in Germany after a truck plowed through a crowded Christmas market (see "Truck Ploughs Into Berlin Market Killing Nine, Over 50 Injured; US Condemns 'What Appears To Be A Terrorist Attack'"); three more people hurt in a shooting at an Islamic Center in Zurich, Switzerland; and the Russian Ambassador to Turkey murdered on live television (see "Russian Ambassador In Turkey Murdered In Terrorist Attack By Shooter Screaming "Allahu Akbar" - Live Feed"), president-elect Trump dares

Saudi Arabia has admitted using banned cluster bombs during its airstrikes against Yemen. The Saudi’s have finally admitted that they used British-manufactured cluster bombs against Houthi rebels in Yemen, increasing pressure on the UK government which has repeatedly refused to curb arms sales to Riyadh. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have on several occasions reported the use of illegal cluster bombs by the kingdom in Yemen.

In order to identify the likely motives of the 22 years old Turkish police officer who assassinated the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, we must keep in mind the backdrop that the Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers are en route to Russia to find a solution to the five years old Syrian conflict for the first time without the participation of the US.