Global Stockta[n]ke
COP28
...people and communities who will be most affected by this transition . . . As most of government ministers and world leaders have wrapped up their events, a sense of urgency is building...
Whatever is adopted has to be agreed on by consensus so it has to be near unanimous.
What makes this COP unique as compared to the previous COPs? First and foremost, it’s the Global Stocktake
One World Religion
...all the world's religions have sent representatives to be part of what's called the "faith pavilion", the first-ever interreligious pavilion at a UN climate change conference.
The first-ever Faith Pavilion at a United Nations climate change conference was inaugurated on December 3 in Dubai. High-profile figures such as Pope Francis and the grand imam of Al Azhar, Egypt, addressed the world via video messages, simultaneously urging peace and preserving a livable climate.
...the first time that a religious pavilion has been set up within a UN climate change conference.
Ros/Magog vis-a-vis Sheba & Dedan
Putin has begun a trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates . . . now hosting the United Nations’ Cop28 climate talks. It marked his first trip to the region since before the coronavirus pandemic...
"The UAE is Russia's main trading partner in the Arab world." "Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations," Putin added. Putin’s visit to the Middle East is rare.
As the COP28 climate talks in Dubai reached their scheduled halfway point on Wednesday, the Russian leader landed discreetly just 150 kilometers away . . . First up, Putin’s Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Then, it was over to Riyad to see Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Persia vis-a-vis Ros/Magog
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi is heading to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting comes in the wake of Putin’s trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia this week
A little [horn?] wheelin' & dealin'
...such an abrupt cancellation of the address, which was presumably agreed upon beforehand, is seen as surprising, worrying, and unclear...
G7 Leaders . . . unwavering support for Ukrainesupport...
Crimean televisions were hacked by displaying a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mocking Russian President Vladimir Putin
Most important Hanukkah of our lifetime
Temple Mount activists plan to conduct a march through the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday, with organizers saying the march aims to call for the removal of the Waqf from the Temple Mount . . . rejected claims that the march would cause tensions to flare . . . They don't need an excuse to massacre us. They want to massacre us every day.
For most of us, this is the most important Hanukkah of our lifetime
...being billed as the Maccabee March, a nod to a revolt by a small Jewish sect in ancient Judea that culminated in the rededication of the Temple . . . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the Maccabbees in a speech Tuesday night...