Armon Jay is a member of Chris Carrabba’s Dashboard Confessional band.  He has recently released his third solo album, “The Dark Side of Happiness.”  The new album offers an intimate glimpse into his own inner conflicts and handling depression.
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The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a rule change that would require television and radio broadcasters to publicly disclose if any of their content is sponsored by foreign governments.The “American people deserve to know when a foreign government has paid for programming, or furnished it for free, so that viewers and listeners can better evaluate the value and accuracy of such programming,” the proposal, which was released Monday, reads.According to the new requirements, broadcasters would be required to reveal foreign government sponsorship, directly or indirectly, at the time of the broadcast. Current rules do not give guidance as to when or how such foreign sponsorship should be disclosed, according to the Reuters news agency.“Right now, we are awash in reports that foreign actors are attempting to influence our political process and democratic elections in the United States,” said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, in a written statement. “But it’s mind boggling that the FCC has yet to update its policies…to ensure that the public knows when foreign actors who may wish to do us harm are paying to access our airwaves and influence our citizens.”Last month, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said content sponsored by China and Russia provide a reason “to update our rules and shed more sunlight on these practices.”“Today we begin to fix this situation,” Rosenworcel said. “We propose to adopt specific disclosure requirements for broadcast programming that is paid for or provided by a foreign government or its representative. This is about basic transparency, and it frankly shouldn’t have taken us so long.”She added that Democrats in Congress have been pushing for the rule changes for three years.
 
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With one week until Election Day, Republican U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, headed Tuesday to political battleground states in a frantic push to shore up critical support to win a four-year term in the White House.Their travel plans reflect the state of the race, with polls showing Biden ahead of Trump by seven to nine percentage points nationally and about half that in contested states that are likely to determine the overall outcome.On Tuesday, Trump is on defense, headed to three midwestern states he won in his upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 — Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska – and likely needs to capture again to win a second term.  But polls show him trailing in Michigan and Wisconsin and, while he is ahead statewide in reliably Republican Nebraska, he trails in the race to win a single elector in an Omaha-based congressional district that could play a role in deciding next week’s national winner.  Meanwhile, the seemingly confident Biden is on offense, headed to two stops in the southern state of Georgia, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1992. Pollsters show Biden and Trump locked in a tossup to win the state’s 16 Electoral College votes.Typically, all of a state’s Electoral College votes go to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in that state. Both Trump and Biden are looking to piece together state-by-state victories to get to a majority of 270 in the 538-member Electoral College, where the most populous states hold the most sway.Trump lost the national popular vote four years ago and is likely to again this time, but he retains a chance to win the presidency a second time in the Electoral College if he can claim wins in key battleground states he is visiting in the final days of the contentious campaign.
Four years ago, Trump narrowly won three northern states – Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin – that traditionally have voted for Democrats. He likely needs to capture at least Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes, along with holding other key states he won in 2016, in order to remain the U.S. leader.Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives to speak with supporters outside a voter service center, in Chester, Pennsylvania, Oct. 26, 2020.Forecasts show Biden has numerous paths to 270 votes in the Electoral College, including recapturing Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin while holding on to all the states Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Currently, polls show Biden ahead of Trump in all the states she captured, making Trump’s climb to winning even steeper.Later in the week, Biden is headed to another state Trump won last time — the Midwest farm state of Iowa. Biden’s vice-presidential running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, is visiting two more 2016 Trump states — Arizona, where polling shows Biden narrowly pulling ahead, and populous Texas with 38 electors, where Trump is maintaining a slight advantage.But the former vice president is also mindful of Clinton’s downfall at the end of the 2016 campaign when she shunned a last-minute stop in Wisconsin. Biden is visiting there later in the week, as well as Michigan and the pivotal southeastern state of Florida, Trump’s adopted home state where he maintains a mansion along the Atlantic coastline.On Tuesday, Trump, fresh from presiding over Monday night’s White House swearing-in ceremony for newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is heading to a rally in the Michigan capital of Lansing and a stop in the small city of West Salem, Wisconsin, before leaving for the visit to Omaha, Nebraska’s biggest city.At large outdoor rallies, Trump has contended that he successfully helped build the American economy before it was decimated this year by the onslaught of the coronavirus, and that he can restore the economy again.Trump has several times this week said the national news media continue to report extensively on the devastation the pandemic has wrought on the U.S., which has recorded a world-leading 225,000 deaths and 8.7 million infections, according to the Johns Hopkins University.In all caps, Trump tweeted, “ALL THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IS COVID, COVID, COVID. ON NOVEMBER 4th, YOU WON’T BE HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT IT ANYMORE. WE ARE ROUNDING THE TURN!!!”ALL THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IS COVID, COVID, COVID. ON NOVEMBER 4th, YOU WON’T BE HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT IT ANYMORE. WE ARE ROUNDING THE TURN!!!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2020But Biden has regularly assailed Trump’s handling of the virus, saying in a statement that the moment “required presidential leadership – and when we needed it, President Trump panicked. He froze. And today, eight months into this crisis, he still has no plan to get the virus under control, no interest in listening to the scientists, and no ability to lead our country through this moment.”More than 66 million Americans have already cast early ballots, two-thirds of them by mail and one-third in person at polling stations. Many voters say they are looking to avoid coming face-to-face with others in the expected long lines of people waiting to cast ballots next Tuesday.    
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На українському міжбанківському валютному ринку долар знову наближається до річного максимуму щодо гривні, вже зафіксованого раніше цього місяця (на 6 жовтня НБУ встановлював офіційний курс 28 гривень 40 копійок за долар, це був рекорд майже за два роки, від листопада 2018-го).

За даними Finance.ua, станом на 12:00 котирування сягнули 28 гривень 36,5–38 копійок за долар (із ранкового рівня 28 гривень 34–35,5 копійки за одиницю американської валюти).

«Фінансисти і клієнти зараз обмірковують основне питання: вихід регулятора (в другій половині дня 26 жовтня НБУ вийшов на торги з пропозицією долара по 28,34 гривні – ред.) – це довгостроковий сигнал, що його влаштовує рівень близько 28,35 гривні за долар або все ж таки вчора це була разова акція, щоб не дати розгойдати ринок у перший день після місцевих виборів. Поведінка регулятора сьогодні (його виходи або невиходи на торги) дозволять учасникам ринку отримати більш точну відповідь на це питання», – інформували перед початком сесії аналітики сайту «Мінфін».

Національний банк України встановив опівдні 27 жовтня довідкове значення курсу 28 гривень 36 копійок за долар.
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З Фонду боротьби з COVID-19 витрачено 52% коштів або 34,1 мільярда гривень із загалом 66-ти мільярдів, повідомили у пресслужбі Міністерства фінансів України.

Згідно з оприлюдненою інформацією, на охорону здоров’я з фонду витрачено 5,8 млрд грн (або 35% із передбачених 16,3 млрд грн). На закупівлю апаратів штучної вентиляції легенів витрачено 21 млн грн, на забезпечення лабораторій МОЗ і закупівлю засобів індивідуального захисту для медпрацівників – 624 млн грн, на субвенцію місцевим бюджетам для забезпечення лікарень киснем – 571 млн грн, а на підвищення надбавок і доплат медпрацівникам – 2,7 млрд грн. з передбачених 6 млрд грн.

Мінфін уточнив, що кошти, виділені на придбання обладнання для приймальних відділень опорних лікарень, поки що не використовувалися.

Повідомляється, що на відновлення видатків, які були скорочені при створенні Фонду, передбачено 524 млн грн, з яких використано 165 млн грн, або 31%.

В Україні станом на ранок 27 жовтня зареєстровано 6677 нових випадків зараження COVID-19 за попередню добу. За ту добу померли 126 людей із таким діагнозом, одужали 2799.

 
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Violent protests erupted in more than 15 cities across Italy after the government announced new measures to rein in a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Italian leaders are rushing to stave off criticism with a financial rescue package for struggling businesses.
 
Angry protesters took to the streets of some of Italy’s largest cities but also smaller ones from the north to the south of the country to show their discontent with the new nationwide COVID-19 restrictions.
 
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italians he was well aware “this is a complex moment as this is a pandemic that is harshly challenging us, causing anger, frustration and new inequalities. Aware of how many businesses are suffering, Conte said the government had worked out a plan.
 
He said that compensation has already been earmarked for all those who will suffer under the new restrictions.
 
Government officials hope the measures will be enough to quell the anger.  
 
Italians were the first to face a widespread outbreak of the virus earlier this year and were hit with one of the world’s toughest lockdowns, which did serious damage to the country’s economy.  
 
At the time, they complied with the government’s rules and the tough action managed to rein in the virus by the summer.Police officers are seen in front of a garbage bin set on fire during a protest against new government restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, in Turin, Italy, Oct. 26, 2020.This time, reactions were far from measured and it appeared not everyone in the country was ready to adhere to the government’s guidelines and rules. Far-right groups and organized crime also appear to be behind the recent clashes.
 
In cities like Turin, Milan, Naples and Rome, hundreds of protesters ransacked stores, vandalized trams and set garbage cans on fire. Groups of young people threw glass bottles and chanted “freedom, freedom.”
 
Many opposition politicians and even some members of parliament of the ruling coalition government voiced their disapproval of the tough new measures saying the already battered economy would not be able to cope. Far-right leader Matteo Salvini announced he was launching a legal challenge to the government’s decisions.
 
Business owners are in despair saying some will have to close forever. But some scientists say the measures adopted until November 24 still do not go far enough and that beds in intensive care units of hospitals are quickly running out.
 
Up for approval Tuesday was a package of up to $6 billion  to support businesses in the restaurant, sports and entertainment sectors, hard hit by the new restrictions.
 
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At only 19 years old, Tony Chung should be focusing on his college studies or choosing a career path. But in today’s Hong Kong, like many other young pro-democracy activists who have been arrested, Chung’s focus is elsewhere.Since last summer’s protests exploded across the city, Chung is now under scrutiny for his activities during the widespread demonstrations.The former leader of “Studentlocalism”  had overseen communications and decision-making for the pro-democracy activist group. His activism for further freedoms in Hong Kong goes back to when he was 14 years old. Then, he took to the streets to participate in a demonstration for the first time.Fast forward to July 29 of this year, Chung was the first political figure to be arrested under the National Security Law, facing charges of “inciting secession.”  Chung told Voice of America he is concerned about the fairness of the judicial process.“I have always advocated the independence of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government does not allow opposition to appear, so I am more worried,” Chung said.Hong Kong Security Law Prompts International Organizations to Consider Relocating Many NGOs in Hong Kong are making plans to move staff and projects to more favorable location in the regionChung was again arrested on Tuesday by Hong Kong police’s national security team only meters away from the U.S. consulate where he reportedly was about to seek political asylum.  He had been reported “missing” by his former group on social media since early morning. According to local reports, Chung is now being detained at Hong Kong’s Central Police station after initially being led away by officers who were enforcing the national security law.Chung is also facing previous charges, and possible prison, stemming from the widespread demonstrations of last year. He had been charged with “criminal damage” prior to the new security law becoming active.”My lawyer representative will apply for changing the charge to ‘insulting the national flag” and “illegal assembly.” But my lawyer thinks if I choose not to plead guilty, I may face a sentence of four to six months in prison,” Chung told Voice of America.Despite facing jail time, Chung is more concerned about the charges against him under the National Security Law.  “It’s not the same as the previous common law in Hong Kong. The National Security Law is closer to the Chinese law, and it’s more difficult to provide evidence showing that no crimes were committed,” he said.Since Beijing imposed the National Security Law upon Hong Kong, critics worldwide have slammed the decision, saying it withdraws Hong Kong’s unique freedoms.Under the ‘one country, two systems’ agreement signed by Britain and China in 1997, after the city was transferred back to Chinese rule, Beijing promised that Hong Kong would retain a ‘high degree of autonomy’ until 2047.After last year’s pro-democracy protests, Beijing implemented the National Security Law for Hong Kong that came into effect on June 30, 2020. Among other things, it prohibits secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, and its details can be widely interpreted.Critics Wary of Beijing’s Pick to Enforce Hong Kong Security LawAppointment of official known for harsh response to protests and media could signal hardline approach in Hong Kong, experts sayMainland China operates under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), where methods of trials and its judicial system are different from those in the former British colony. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the new security law has “stopped violence and restored peace” to the city, adding that Hong Kong’s economy will only recover if stability is upheld. The new law has certainly affected dissidents within the city. Pro-democracy activist Nathan Law fled to Britain shortly after the new law came into effect. Another high-profile activist, Agnes Chow, was arrested under the law. On the ground, protests have waned, partly out of fear of ramifications of the law, and a popular slogan used by demonstrators, “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our Times,” has been banned from use within the city.The Hong Kong police offered no comment for this report when contacted by Voice of America.Looking to the future, Chung is understandably pessimistic. Operations for “Studentlocalism”  in Hong Kong have ceased and he is prohibited from leaving the country while awaiting trial.“My situation is only in a giant prison. I don’t have many choices at all. Now I only have to walk around.” But despite an uncertain future, Chung is still determined to stay in Hong Kong.“The problem is that many people want to live again after leaving Hong Kong and forget what has happened. This is something I cannot accept. For me, I still want to be with Hong Kong people,” he said. 
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The shockwaves from Monday’s major losses on Wall Street are reverberating throughout Asian financial markets Tuesday. The Nikkei index in Tokyo lost eight points, but was unchanged percentage-wise.  Sydney’s S&P/ASX index dropped 1.7%. The KOSPI index in Seoul lost 0.5%, and Taipei’s TSEC index was 0.2% lower.  Shanghai’s Composite index gained 0.1%. In late afternoon trading, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index is down 0.5%, while Mumbai’s Sensex is up 0.3%.  Global markets fell Monday as investors appeared increasingly uncertain about the outlook of the global economy due to a resurgence of coronavirus cases across Europe and the United States. The Dow Jones lost a staggering 650 points, or 2.2%, while the S&P was 1.8% lower.   In commodities trading, gold is selling at $1,907.10 per ounce, up nearly one-and-a-half points, but unchanged percentage-wise. U.S. crude is selling at $38.82 per barrel, up 0.6%, and Brent crude is selling at $40.73 per barrel, also up 0.6%. All three U.S. markets are trending positively in futures trading. 
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У листопаді ціни на газ для населення зростуть, повідомила компанія «Нафтогаз України».

«Ціна на природний газ в листопаді в рамках тарифу «Місячний» складає 6,33 грн/куб.м з ПДВ (без вартості розподілу). Для тих клієнтів, які у листопаді підключать тариф «Річний», ціна газу на наступні 12 місяців становитиме 6,45 грн/куб.м з ПДВ (без вартості розподілу)», – розповіли в «Нафтогазі».

Клієнти, які підключили тариф «Річний» в попередні періоди, продовжуватимуть сплачувати за газ по ціні, яку зафіксували при переході на річний тариф.

У «Нафтогазі» заявили, що до 31 жовтня «Нафтогаз» може підключити тариф «Річний» по ціні 5,24 гривні за кубометр з ПДВ.

У жовтні ціна на газ у межах тарифу «Місячний» становить 4,7 грн грн/куб.м. з ПДВ, без вартості розподілу (доставки), у межах тарифу «Річний» – 5,24 грн/куб.м. з ПДВ, без вартості розподілу (доставки).

«Нафтогаз» пояснив зміну цін сезонним фактором та збільшенням оптової ціни на газ.
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A powerful bomb blast inside an Islamic seminary in northwestern Pakistan early Tuesday, killed at least seven people and injured more than 70 others. Police officials say an improvised explosive device ripped through the packed seminary in Peshawar city during early morning classes. Mobile phone footage showed a cleric was teaching verses from the Muslim holy book of Quran when the bomb went off at the Jamia Zubairia madrassa (seminary). 
 
A senior police officer, Mansoor Aman, told reporters the explosive device was hidden in a bag someone left at the madrasa.Pakistani rescue workers and police officers examine the site of a bomb explosion in an Islamic seminary, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Oct. 27, 2020.Witnesses and rescue workers said mostly young children were among the victims. 
 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the deadly bombing. 
 
Hospital officials expected the death toll to rise. 
 
Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, has for years been the scene of militant attacks blamed on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban outfit. 
 
However, Pakistani security forces’ sustained operations against the group has significantly brought down the violence over the past several years. 
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Some 60,000 people fled their homes near Los Angeles on Monday as a fast-spreading wildfire raged across more than 7,200 acres (3,000 hectares), blocking key roadways and critically injuring two firefighters. The so-called Silverado Fire erupted early in the morning in the foothills of Irvine, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, and quickly spread with no containment, fueled by dry conditions and erratic winds that prevented firefighting aircraft from flying. “It’s nuts — even inside the car, my eyes, my nose and my throat stung,” said Frederic Tournadre, a French man whose company in Irvine sent all its employees home. The inferno nearly quadrupled in size by afternoon, jumping a highway and covering the area with a huge plume of smoke and ash.   About 20,000 homes were evacuated along with several public schools that were set to remain shut on Tuesday.  The National Weather Service warned that the combination of low humidity, dry vegetation and strong winds had created “the most dangerous fire weather conditions” this year.   It said the region will remain under a red flag warning — signifying a high risk of wildfire — through Tuesday evening. “New fire ignitions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties will likely have very rapid-fire growth, extreme fire behavior, and long-range spotting, resulting in a significant threat to life and property,” the Weather Service said.   Officials said the two injured firefighters sustained second- and third-degree burns and both had to be intubated at an area hospital.   “I got an opportunity to talk to members of their families and spend time with both firefighters in the emergency room while they were being treated, but they were not in a position where they could speak with me,” Orange County Fire Authority chief Brian Fennesy told reporters.   He added that winds of 20 to 40 miles per hour (mph), with gusts up to 60 mph, had made it extremely difficult for the 500 firefighters trying to control the flames. Dry conditions, high winds”Any time winds are that bad you can’t fly, and that certainly has an impact on both hand crews and bulldozers and firefighters at the end of those hose lines,” he said.   Meanwhile another blaze in Yorba Linda, located about 17 miles north of Irvine and dubbed the Blue Ridge Fire, erupted in early afternoon Monday, scorching more than 1,100 acres and also forcing evacuations.   The Silverado and Blue Ridge fires were burning as California and much of the US west are under major fire risk because of dry conditions and strong seasonal winds.   More than four million acres have been devoured this season by flames in California alone, where 31 people have died in some of the largest fires in the state’s history. Evacuations have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic which has hit the Golden State hard and hampered the work of firefighters. The state fire agency Cal Fire said Monday that more than 4,000 firefighters are battling 22 wildfires, with 34 million people under red flag warnings. It said that wind gusts upwards of 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were expected in mountain areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The critical fire weather prompted Southern California Edison to shut off power to hundreds of customers in the two counties in a precautionary move to avert any electrical equipment from sparking blazes. 
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Trailing in the polls, President Donald Trump has seized upon recently disclosed emails allegedly from the son of Democratic candidate Joe Biden as an “October Surprise” that could alter the race. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on how this development compares to past October Surprises.Producer: Brian Padden
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The United States is confirming the death of a high-ranking al-Qaida official in Afghanistan – only it appears the dead terrorist is not the group’s second-in-command, as has been reported. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of al-Qaida’s Abu Muhsin al-Masri, saying U.S. forces provided support during the Afghan-led operation in the country’s Ghazni province. Later Monday, the White House offered praise for the Afghan operation, calling the successful raid against al-Masri “welcome news.” We commend the Afghan forces for their successful operation against al-Qa’ida senior leader Abu Muhsin al-Masri. His removal is welcome news in the fight against Al-Qa’ida and denying it a safe haven in Afghanistan.— NSC (@WHNSC) October 26, 2020Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) first announced al-Masri’s death in a Tweet late Saturday. قتلت قوات الأمن الوطنی الشخص الثاني في تنظيم القاعدة أبو محسن المصري، القائد الأعلى للقاعدة في شبه القارة الهندية ، خلال عملية خاصة في ولاية غزنة. pic.twitter.com/tuT8IAFUaX— NDS Afghanistan (@NDSAfghanistan) October 24, 2020In subsequent tweets, the NDS and Afghan officials described al-Masri as the number two official with the al-Qaida affiliate, al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The NDS also said al-Masri was close to al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, and that he had been living in Afghanistan under Taliban protection. In response to the tweets from Afghanistan’s NDS, U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Director Christopher Miller told the Reuters News Agency the killing of al-Masri “is a major setback” for al-Qaida. He also said al-Masri’s loss “highlights the diminishing effectiveness of the terrorist organization.” But multiple U.S. and international counterterrorism officials tell VOA, that while still significant, al-Masri’s death is not the blow that has been depicted in some accounts. Specifically, they say reports that indicate al-Masri was second in line to Zawahiri are wrong, confusing him with another al-Qaida official who sometimes uses the al-Masri alias. They say the al-Masri killed in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province is Abu Muhsin al-Masri, also known as Husam Abd al-Ra’uf, a senior leader who most recently had been assigned to work with the Taliban on operational cooperation and the coordination of safe havens for al-Qaida fighters. These officials say al-Qaida’s number two official, and possible successor to al-Zawahiri, is another al-Masri, Abu Muhammad al-Masri, also known as Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah. While both men have been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, the State Department is offering up to a $10 million reward for information that brings Abu Muhammad al-Masri to justice. In a series of tweets Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani praised Afghan forces for the raid that killed Abu Muhsin al-Masri. But Ghani warned the operation shows “terrorism still remains a huge threat to Afghanistan, the region and the world and that Taliban has not cut off their ties with other terrorist networks including Al-Qaida yet.” President Ghani stressed that the death of a key member of Al-Qaida by our heroic forces proves that terrorism still remains a huge threat to Afghanistan, the region and the world and that Taliban has not cut off their ties with other terrorist networks including Al-Qaida yet.— ارگ (@ARG_AFG) October 25, 2020Some United Nations counterterror officials have warned the U.S. is underestimating al-Qaida’s strength in Afghanistan.  Concerns Mount as US Seen Downplaying Al-Qaida Threat in AfghanistanInternational counterterrorism officials fear the White House, bent on bringing troops home from 19 years of war, is failing to recognize al-Qaida’s strength and influence A U.N. report issued this past July warned the group “is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces,” adding it likely commands 400 to 600 fighters.” The report said AQIS is believed to have up to another 200 fighters at its disposal, many providing support to the Taliban.  
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft touted recent U.S.-brokered breakthroughs in normalizing relations between Israel and three Arab countries on Monday, and urged her U.N. Security Council colleagues to shed their “decades-old approaches” to Middle East peace and reconsider President Donald Trump’s proposal. “The conversation in the region is changing,” said Craft. “As the president said, a new chapter is beginning.”   She pointed to the Sept. 15 signing at the White House of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and two Arab Gulf countries — the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. They were the first such agreements between Israel and an Arab state in 25 years.  U.S. President Donald Trump is seen on the phone with leaders of Israel and Sudan in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington.On Friday, Trump announced that the U.S. would take Sudan off the list of state sponsors of terrorism after the transitional government agreed to financially compensate American victims of terror and their families and to normalize relations with Israel. Craft said these developments show that a different approach is needed to forging regional peace.  “We encourage our regional partners and the members of this body to thoughtfully consider the United States Vision for Peace and to play a constructive role in encouraging direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians on its basis,” she said of Trump’s plan.   The Palestinians have dismissed the proposal outright, but have left the door open to negotiations with Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also rejected the recent peace deals between Israel and the Arab Gulf countries and urged others not to follow suit “at the expense of Palestinian rights.” Then-Israel Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is seen as he receives Italy’s interior minister at a hotel in Jerusalem on Dec. 11, 2018.Israel’s new U.N. envoy, Gilad Erdan, told the council in his first appearance at their monthly Middle East meeting that while their talking points have not changed for decades, the region has. He criticized the Palestinian leadership for their reaction to the peace deals. “The fact that the Palestinians attack those who make peace with Israel demonstrates that for years, the council has been applying pressure to the wrong side,” Erdan said. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki reiterated his call for an international conference early next year to reinvigorate the stalled peace process.  “The international community must act to salvage peace, or we will all bear the consequences,” he told the virtual meeting.  Several council members supported the idea of an international conference on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Craft said the U.S. does not object but does not see how it would be any different than past meetings.  “We cannot keep doing what we have been doing and expect things to change. We are failing the Israeli and Palestinian people,” she said. Many council members on Monday also expressed concern about Israel’s Oct. 15 announcement that it is advancing 5,000 settlements. The U.N. said about 85% of the units are in settlements in outlying locations, deep inside the West Bank, and all are in areas that would impede the contiguity of a future Palestinian state. “While the location of these units is particularly worrying, I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law and remain a substantial obstacle to peace,” Nickolay Mladenov, U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East Peace process, told the council from Jerusalem. In addition to Bahrain, the UAE and Sudan, Jordan and Egypt also have diplomatic relations with Israel.  
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