Today In International News: December 18, 2017

Courtesy of Al-Jazeera

• The United States further isolated itself when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to be withdrawn.

• President Donald Trump unveiled a new national security strategy, calling for Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorism and saying Washington had to deal with the challenge posed by North Korea’s weapons programs.

• US President Donald Trump’s administration said that Russia interferes in the domestic political affairs of countries globally, but stopped short of accusing Moscow of meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

• US President Donald Trump has outlined his new national security strategy, labeling China and Russia the primary threats to US economic dominance.

• Myanmar continued to destroy Rohingya villages just days after signing a refugee resettlement deal.

• Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack near a spy agency training facility of Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency in the capital, Kabul.

• Russia poses an increasing threat and is willing to use propaganda, subversion and cyber-attacks to undermine Britain and the rest of Europe.

• Honduras' beleaguered elections commission officially declared incumbent Juan Orlando Hernandez as president-elect amid ongoing opposition cries of fraud 3 weeks after election day.  It is reported that Hernandez received 42.95% of the vote, while Opposition Alliance candidate Salvador Nasralla received 41.42%.