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Russia bans over $500 million worth of imports from Ukraine in retaliatory sanctions


RT
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 14:38 UTC
Russian border with Ukraine
© Reuters / Alexander Demianchuk
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a ban on the import of more than 50 Ukrainian goods, worth $510 million. The move comes in response to recently prolonged Kiev's embargo on Russian products.

The list, published by the Russian government on Saturday, includes mainly industrial goods, agricultural products, raw materials, and food. The products that fell under the ban are wheat, sunflower oil, sweets, chocolate, bread, bakery, vegetables, fruits, beer, caviar, fish and canned fish, Sanctions also target engines and power generators, tractors, turbines, and some other equipment and goods.

"Russia has introduced a ban on imports of a number of Ukrainian goods. This is a retaliatory measure against Ukrainian restrictions. I signed the corresponding decree," Medvedev wrote on Twitter Saturday.
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MIB

The deep state's deepfakes and tools for political manipulation

Leonid Savin
OrientalReview,org
Wed, 31 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Pentagon’s secret project
Not a day seems to go by without the American media writing about Russia's Internet meddling in the US elections. Major international and specialist publications headquartered in the US are routinely regurgitating the myth about "Russian trolls" and "GRU hackers" without a single shred of evidence besides unsubstantiated accusations. Actually, evidence has been provided by a private company, but this evidence points to the contrary. As one Google project so convincingly shows, for example, for just $100 you can create the illusion that a Russian company is trying to influence public opinion within America. All you need to do is buy a mobile phone and a few SIM cards in Panama, choose a common Russian name and surname and use it to set up a Yandex account, then indicate your IP address is in Saint Petersburg using NordVPN. You can then set up an account with AdWords, pay for advertising using the details of a legally registered company, and place political content on the Internet that could be regarded as inflammatory. This was what was done by US citizens from Google and they didn't hesitate to report on it. So what is stopping the NSA, the CIA, or some Russophobe fanatics familiar with hacking techniques from doing exactly the same thing, regardless of whether they belong to a political party or not? Common sense suggests that this is exactly what is being done to create the appearance of Russian interference, but no one is able to provide any real evidence, of course.

Comment: See also: The only 'Russian bots' meddling in US elections belonged to Democrat-linked 'experts'

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Arrow Up

Syrian Army raises flag in Kurdish city of Manbij for first time since start of civil war


RT
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 12:51 UTC
Syrian Army
Damascus says it has deployed troops to the city of Manbij, the focal point of a tense standoff between Kurds and Turkey, as the government continues attempts to reassert control over the strategic border area in Syria's north.

The Kurdish YPG militia on Friday called on Damascus to secure Manbij, located close to the border with Turkey. Ankara earlier said it plans to conduct an "anti-terrorist operation" around the city, with the YPG being the target.

In response, Damascus said its troops were already in the north and raised the flag in the "area of Manbij." In a statement from the general staff broadcast by the Syrian media, the top brass said their army was determined to "crush terrorism and defeat all invaders and occupiers" as well as to provide security for all Syrian citizens.

Comment: The Kremlin has announced its support of the operation. TASS reports:
Moscow welcomes the reports that the Syrian government troops have gained control of Manbij earlier held by Kurdish formations, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, commenting on the corresponding report by Syria's General Staff.

"No doubt, this is a positive step towards stabilizing the situation," the spokesman said.
And, while tensions mount, high-level talks have been scheduled for this weekend. The Kremlin will host talks between Russian and Turkish officials, while Egyptian and Kurdish delegations will visit Damascus. South Front reports:
Meanwhile, reports appeared that a delegation of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate will visit Damascus soon to discuss the escalation in northeastern Syria. According to reports, the delegation, alongside with the Russians, will mediate negotiations between the Damascus government and the SDF's political wing, known as the Syrian Democratic Council.

[...]

A high-level Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, will visit Moscow this weekend to discuss the situation in northeastern Syria. Ankara is probably seeking Russian support or at least neutrality in the event of a new Turkish military operation in the region against the Kurdish-dominated SDF.


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Bomb

Manufacturing the Clash of Civilizations: Terrorist caught red-handed at Paris train station with bag of military-grade explosives... is a COP


RT
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 23:41 UTC
France train
© Global Look / Estelle Ruiz
Authorities have arrested a French policeman caught with a bag full of explosives in Paris. He may be charged with arms trafficking, according to Le Figaro, and has been suspended from active duty.

The officer aroused suspicion when he became "angry and defensive" after he was confronted by customs officers on his way through Paris' central Gare de Lyon train station the day before Christmas Eve. When his volatile cargo was discovered, he tried to escape into the holiday crowds and had to be captured and restrained by multiple agents.

He was held and interrogated for over 96 hours, then finally charged with transporting explosives, arms, and ammunition without authorization, misappropriating military goods or weapons, resisting arrest, and obstructing the duties of a customs officer.

Comment: What with the increased tensions in France right now this event is rather dubious - as was the Strasbourg attack. Also, it would be quite a win for France's ruling establishment to implicate the police in some kind of violent insurrection considering the police's recent declaration of support for the Yellow Vest protesters: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Cell Phone

Following US lead? UK expresses 'deep concerns' about Huawei assisting on 5G network


RT
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 09:47 UTC
Huawei
© REUTERS/Thomas Peter
A woman uses her phone as she walks past a Huawei shop in Beijing, China, December 19, 2018.
In the latest sign of rising UK-Chinese tensions, Gavin Williamson spoke of his "deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain," signaling that London may follow the US' lead in restricting the tech giant.

The Defence Secretary, Williamson, comments follow from warnings from the head of MI6 over the tech-firms role in the UK, and Britain accusing elements of the Chinese state to be behind the hacking of commercial secrets.

Williamson, as reported by the Times, stated: "I have grave, very deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain. It's something we'd have to look at very closely.

"We've got to recognize the fact, as has been recently exposed, that the Chinese state does sometimes act in a malign way," he added.


Reports claim that the US is pressuring allied countries into taking action against the firm. The US, Australia, and New Zealand have all already restricted Huawei's involvement in the 5G network, a move Williamson suggested the UK might take.

Huawei, founded by ex-Chinese army officer Ren Zhengfei in 1987, has consistently denied any connection to the Chinese state or involvement in cyber espionage.

Comment: See also:

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NPC

'NPC' snark storm engulfs Pelosi and Schumer after posting identical 'orange man bad' anti-Trump tweet


RT
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 04:40 UTC
pelosi Schumer NPC
© Reuters / Joshua Roberts
Nanci Pelosi and Chuck Schumer pose with their in-game avatars
Ranking Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have been accused of being Trump-hating automatons after posting identical tweets attacking the president. The curious stunt has breathed fresh life into the infamous 'NPC' meme.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi were mocked as "non-player characters" (NPCs) - a video game term that has been retooled to describe those who mindlessly regurgitate anti-Trump mantras - after tweeting identical Christmas Eve roasts of Donald Trump.

"It's Christmas Eve and @realDonaldTrump is plunging the country into chaos. The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve - after he just fired the Secretary of Defense," Schumer tweeted.
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Light Saber

Trump scores one for independent thinking, breaks generals' 50-year war record

Gareth Porter
The American Conservative
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 22:55 UTC
Trump Arlington cemetary
© he Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Flickr/CreativeCommons/DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley
President Donald Trump walks with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Howard, commander of Joint Force Headquarters, at Arlington National Cemetery, May 29, 2017. Behind them are Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and U.S. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
His national security team had been trying to box him in like every other president. But he called their bluff.

The mainstream media has attacked President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria as impulsive, blindsiding his own national security team. But detailed, published accounts of the policy process over the course of the year tell a very different story. They show that senior national security officials and self-interested institutions have been playing a complicated political game for months aimed at keeping Trump from wavering on our indefinite presence on the ground in Syria.

The entire episode thus represents a new variant of a familiar pattern dating back to Vietnam in which national security advisors put pressure on reluctant presidents to go along with existing or proposed military deployments in a war zone. The difference here is that Trump, by publicly choosing a different policy, has blown up their transparent schemes and offered the country a new course, one that does not involve a permanent war state.
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Robot

The only 'Russian bots' meddling in US elections belonged to Democrat-linked 'experts'


RT
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 23:19 UTC
russian hacking
© Global Look Press
US cyber-security experts have blamed Russia for meddling in American elections since 2016. Now it has emerged that authors of a Senate report on 'Russian' meddling actually ran a "false flag" meddling operation themselves.

A week before Christmas, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report accusing Russia of depressing Democrat voter turnout by targeting African-Americans on social media. Its authors, New Knowledge, quickly became a household name.

Described by the New York Times as a group of "tech specialists who lean Democratic," New Knowledge has ties to both the US military and intelligence agencies. Its CEO and co-founder Jonathon Morgan previously worked for DARPA, the US military's advanced research agency. His partner, Ryan Fox, is a 15-year veteran of the National Security Agency who also worked as a computer analyst for the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Their unique skill sets have managed to attract the eye of investors, who pumped $11 million into the company in 2018 alone.

Comment: Looks like Roy Moore has some serious ammunition for his inquiry.

Roy Moore sets up "election integrity fund" to prove claims of Alabama voter fraud

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Eye 2

Angela Merkel: Nation states 'must give up sovereignty'

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 08:10 UTC
Merkel,UE,soberanía
© EFE
"Nation states must today be prepared to give up their sovereignty", according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who told an audience in Berlin that sovereign nation states must not listen to the will of their citizens when it comes to questions of immigration, borders, or even sovereignty.

No this wasn't something Adolf Hitler said many decades ago, this is what German Chancellor Angela Merkel told attendants at an event by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin. Merkel has announced she won't seek re-election in 2021 and it is clear she is attempting to push the globalist agenda to its disturbing conclusion before she stands down.

"In an orderly fashion of course," Merkel joked, attempting to lighten the mood. But Merkel has always had a tin ear for comedy and she soon launched into a dark speech condemning those in her own party who think Germany should have listened to the will of its citizens and refused to sign the controversial UN migration pact:

Comment: For globalist stooges like Macron and Merkel, who obviously take their cue from similar sources, 'Europe' is a dictatorial entity serving the trans-national elites and not the citizens of the different countries which make up Europe. But if recent events all over Europe are anything to go by, people are becoming wise to politicians of their ilk: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Attention

Why General Flynn's case is more important than one man deserving vindication

Sara Carter
saraacarter.com
Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:35 UTC
flynn and wife
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Former White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and his wife Lori Andrade leave the Prettyman Federal Courthouse following a sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court December 18, 2018 in Washington, DC.
The confusion so many Americans have about the Russia collusion investigation is not due to anyone's lack of intelligence, it's done purposefully.

It was supposed to be a simple sentencing hearing.

It didn't pan out that way for former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn and his family, who were seated in the courtroom waiting for Judge Emmet G. Sullivan to enter the chamber.
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