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'Euroleaks': Varoufakis' recordings of secret Eurogroup bailout talks

(ECB)
© Reuters/Ralph Orlowski
The European Central Bank (ECB) logo.
The former finance minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis, has released a cache of audio files, secretly recorded in 2015 during the bailout talks with the Eurogroup - a powerful group of eurozone's finance chiefs.

The recordings and their transcripts were released by Varoufakis on the website of his 'pan-European' DiEM25 party on Saturday. The files -dubbed 'Euroleaks'- were recorded between February and July 2015, when cash-strapped Athens was entangled in painful talks with its creditors.


Comment: Varoufakis was told "the Eurogroup does not exist in law", therefore he could have no objections to whatever its dominant members decreed. Of course they do not want their dealings on record. 'We rule, you comply. We pillage, you submit.'

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Gift

US to China: Drop dead and we get our jobs back. China's richest man to US: Here's 1M masks, 500K test kits

Jack Ma
© Reuters/Charles Platiau/Reuters/Andrew Kelly
Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma • MAGA wear
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has in one fell swoop seemingly forgiven the US for its treatment of China in the dark days of its coronavirus epidemic and one-upped the capitalist system with a donation of much-needed supplies.

The Alibaba billionaire announced a donation of 1 million face masks and 500,000 coronavirus test kits on Friday, releasing a statement calling for "all humankind" to work together to fight the recently-declared pandemic. Signing off with "united we stand, divided we fall," Ma managed to make the US government, which all but congratulated itself on the increased business opportunities presented by thousands of Chinese drowning in their own phlegm, look like bumbling (and cruel) idiots.

Star of David

NYT: Netanyahu is 'appealing to racists'; continues discounting Palestinians

Netanyahu
© Screenshot/Twitter feed
Benjamin Netanyahu shows the number of votes cast for Jewish Zionist parties, in saying that Palestinians are not part of the equation in Israel.
At first, today's New York Times article, on the role of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the endless post-election maneuvering, there looks like an improvement. But on closer inspection, the report maintains most of the paper's chronic bias.

There are some positive signs. There's a valuable quotation from Yuval Diskin, a former head of Israel's security agency, who criticizes Benjamin Netanyahu's use of anti-Arab racism against the Joint List, the political grouping that represents Arab citizens and just won 15 parliamentary seats in the latest election. Netanyahu has been trying to torpedo efforts by the centrist Blue and White alliance to form a coalition government against him with outside votes of the Joint List, the 3rd-largest political force in the country. Diskin says:
"Dismissing more than half a million citizens by rendering the 15 members of the Joint List illegitimate, coupled with incitement against anyone who engages with them, crosses a red line."
Diskin's former position gives his words greater impact; if the 15 Palestinians were truly a security threat, he would know. Times reporter David Halbfinger also quotes Dan Meridor, an old political warhorse from Netanyahu's own party, who says flatly that the prime minister is "appealing to racists." Unfortunately, on balance the Times article is still biased.

Comment: The New York Times rarely calls out its own and Israeli injustices are nuanced for impression management. Not surprising the NYT article has a certain amount of white-washing, opaque reporting and fancified BS. The real story remains in what was not said.


Handcuffs

Afghan government delays release of Taliban prisoners

Jawed Faisal
© Social Media
Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan National-Security Adviser's office
Afghan authorities say they have delayed the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, throwing a precarious peace process into deeper crisis.

Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan National-Security Adviser's office, said on March 14 that the government needed more time to review the list of the prisoners. "We have received the lists of the prisoners to be released. We are checking and verifying the lists, this will take time," Faisal said. He also said the authorities "want guarantees that they will not return to fighting."

There was no immediate response from the militant group to the delayed prisoner release.

The announcement came despite President Ashraf Ghani's decree on March 11 promising the start of the releases on March 14 as a "goodwill gesture" to get intra-Afghan talks started.

Arrow Up

Trump 'strongly considering' Michael Flynn pardon, points at FBI 'conveniently losing' his records

Flynn and Trump
© REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
Donald Trump and Michael Flynn walk through Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he is "strongly considering" pardoning former adviser Michael Flynn after the FBI and Justice Department "destroyed" his life, seemingly confirming the long-standing rumors.

The Mueller investigation may be in the past for many, but Trump put the two-plus year probe back into the spotlight on Sunday by directly answering reports he would pardon Flynn, one of a handful of advisers to face criminal charges from Robert Mueller.

After saying the FBI and Justice Department were "destroying" the lives of Flynn and his "wonderful" family, the president claimed the departments "lost" the former general's records.

"How convenient," he tweeted, adding, "I am strongly considering a full pardon!"

Star of David

Convenient: Gantz now ready to partner with indicted Israeli PM Netanyahu for unity government to fight COVID-19 outbreak

gantz netanyahu campaign poster
© Associated Press / Oded Balilty
The Blue and White alliance along with Yisrael Beiteinu previously dismissed the idea of forming a unity government with Netanyahu citing accusations against him for breach of trust, bribery and fraud, but didn't rule out an alliance with Likud with another leader.

Leader of the Israeli opposition Blue and White alliance, Benny Gantz has expressed readiness to negotiate a unity government with Likud even if its head, Benjamin Netanyahu, will lead the first rotation of the government as prime minister. Gantz explained that his new position on coalition talks was due to the necessity to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"The scenario whereby we join a unity government where Netanyahu starts [as prime minister], is on the table. We will see what happens with the negotiations", he said.

Comment: Sputnik also reports Bibi is getting a virus screen:
Benjamin Netanyahu has been tested for coronavirus, but showed no symptoms before the check, which was precautionary, according to an official statement. There is no mention of the results.

The statement comes after the prime minister stated that Israel would use counter-terrorism technology to detect coronavirus patients and those who skip mandatory quarantine.

All foreigners entering the country have been required to self-isolate for 14 days, while all schools, restaurants, cafes, gyms, and most of businesses have been shut.



Chess

Oil Price War: Putin unleashes strategic hell on the U.S.

Putin Judo
© Kremlin.ru
I am an avid board game player. I'm not much for the classics like chess or go, preferring the more modern ones. But, regardless, as a person who appreciates the delicate balance between strategy and tactics, I have to say I am impressed with Russian President Vladimir Putin's sense of timing.

Because if there was ever a moment where Putin and Russia could inflict maximum pain on the United States via its Achilles' heel, the financial markets and its unquenchable thirst for debt, it was this month just as the coronavirus was reaching its shores.

Like I said, I'm a huge game player and I especially love games where there is a delicate balance between player power that has to be maintained while it's not one's turn. Attacks have to be thwarted just enough to stop the person from advancing but not so much that they can't help you defend on the next player's turn.

Comment: See also:


Wolf

Poking the Bear: Ukrainian nationalists fire flare gun at Russian embassy in Kiev, threaten to storm diplomatic mission

flare gun russian embassy kiev ukraine
© Reuters / Gleb Garanich
Ukrainian radicals light flares during a rally outside the Russian embassy in Kiev, Ukraine March 14, 2020
Ukrainian radicals have shot a round from a flare gun at the Russian embassy in Kiev, hitting the building's roof as they staged a rally outside the mission. Despite a heavy police presence, officers apparently stood idly by.

Russia's diplomatic mission in Kiev suffered the assault late on Saturday as a crowd of mostly far-right radicals gathered in front of the embassy and pelted its premises with flares and smoke pellets. At one point, someone also fired a flare gun round, which hit the building's roof to loud cheers from the crowd, which was chanting anti-Russian slogans, a video published on social media shows.

The radicals failed to set the building on fire but they desecrated a Russian flag by tearing it apart in front of the mission.

Comment:


Caesar

Chechen leader Kadyrov urges public to stop panicking over coronavirus: 'Don't be in a rush to die, you'll die anyway'

Kadyrov Chenya
© Sputnik / Said Tsarnaev / File
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov
With hysteria over the coronavirus on the rise, Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov has urged his people to keep calm, not to shun traditional medicine, and worry less about what is beyond their control - after all, everyone is mortal.

Kadyrov, the long-time head of his majority Muslim Republic, has offered his take on today's biggest issue - the coronavirus pandemic.

Arguing that the fears over the disease that manifests itself with flu-like symptoms have been blown out of proportion, Kadyrov called on the public to come to their senses and stop overthinking the problem.

Comment: The Russians and their friends have the right idea, including making use of simple natural remedies everyone can access. Keeping up a good attitude also strengthens the immune system. The rest of the world could take a page from them.


Star of David

Bibi gets ANOTHER reprieve: Israeli PM's corruption trial postponed due to coronavirus crisis

gavel and cash
© Getty Images / alfexe
According to recent statistics, there are at least 200 people diagnosed with coronavirus in Israel, but no fatal cases have been reported so far. In the meantime, the number of coronavirus cases in the world has surpassed 155,000, with over 5,800 confirmed fatalities.

The Israeli Justice Ministry has postponed the beginning of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, Reuters reported, citing local media. The trial initially set to open on 17 March will begin on 24 May "due to developments related to the spread of the coronavirus".

Comment: Never waste a good crisis . . . .