Jenny Leonard, Ian King, Jennifer Jacobs
BloombergFri, 09 Aug 2019 04:00 UTC
© Global Look Press / ZUMA Press / Andre M. Chang
The White House is holding off on a decision about licenses for U.S. companies to restart business with Huawei Technologies Co. after Beijing said it was
halting purchases of U.S. farming goods, according to people familiar with the matter.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, whose department has vetted the applications to resume sales, said last week he's received 50 requests and that a decision on them was pending.
American businesses require a special license to supply goods to Huawei after the U.S. added the Chinese telecommunications giant to a trade blacklist in May over national-security concerns.
The U.S.
decision rattled stocks, bonds, currencies and even soybean prices around the world. Huawei suppliers Micron Technology Inc. and Western Digital Corp. declined as much as 2.2% after
news of the delay in license approvals, while Qualcomm Inc., Xilinx Inc. and NeoPhotonics Corp. all fell more than 1% in after-hours trading. Huawei's dollar bond spreads
widened by 10 to 15 basis points Friday morning, while the Australian dollar and offshore yuan weakened versus the greenback and the yen gained.
Yuliya Talmazan, Tom Winter and Jonathan Dienst
NBCSat, 10 Aug 2019 13:26 UTC
'We're gonna get to the bottom of this. Oh wait, nevermind...'
Jeffrey Epstein, the millionaire financier and accused sex trafficker, is
dead by suicide, according to three officials familiar with the matter.
The officials told NBC News he was found at 7:30 a.m. ET at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York and that he hanged himself.
He was transported Saturday morning from the Metropolitan Correctional Center to a hospital in Lower Manhattan. Upon arrival, he was in cardiac arrest, people familiar with the matter say.
Epstein, 66, was being held on federal sex trafficking charges.
He was arrested July 6 in Teterboro, New Jersey, as he returned from Paris on a private jet.
He had pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.
Comment: Recall that he was also found with ligature marks on his neck a few weeks ago, then put on 'suicide watch'.
Just in the last few days, documents were introduced into his trial concerning
British royal Prince Andrew, his London 'socialite girlfriend'
Ghislaine Maxwell, and connections were made between his brother and Clintonistas Adam Schiff and
Debbie Wasserman Schultz. And that's not all. RT
reports:
According to court documents unsealed a day before his death, another alleged victim claims that Epstein trafficked her and other girls to some of the world's wealthiest and most powerful men, including British Prince Andrew, billionaire investor Glenn Dublin, and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. The victim's list also includes "another prince," a "foreign president," a "well-known prime minister," and the owner of a French "large hotel chain."
Like we said when he was arrested, Epstein was a dead man walking...
In a way, it's amazing they didn't do this before now, because for the last month or so there's been an unusually intense spotlight on the US, UK and Israeli elites Epstein worked for...
See also:
Mega Group, Maxwells And Mossad: The Spy Story at The Heart of The Jeffrey Epstein Pedo Scandal
Twitter was ablaze with the news, with many questioning the 'suicide'. Some are convinced the Clintons are behind Epstein's death...
UPDATE 21:00 CET
From the Daily Caller:
Bill Barr Says Epstein's Death 'Raises Serious Questions'
Attorney General Bill Barr said Saturday he was "appalled" to learn of Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide and promised an investigation into the circumstances of Epstein's death.
The convicted sex offender and financier was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell Friday night at the age of 66.
"I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody," Barr said in a statement. "Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered."
The attorney general added that the FBI was investigating Epstein's death, and that the inspector general would open a separate investigation as well.
"In addition to the FBI's investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death," Barr said.
Barr's statements echo the sentiments of several politicians and pundits who have expressed exasperation that Epstein was able to commit suicide just weeks after being placed on a suicide watch list following a failed attempt.
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said "We need answers. Lots of them," to which Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz agreed, calling on House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler to prioritize an investigation into Epstein's death over investigations into Russia and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Meanwhile, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough called the apparent suicide "bullsh*t" and "predictably Russian," while left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore said "I guess they think a country dumb enough to elect Trump is stupid enough to believe Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide."
The
New York Post published photos purporting to be Epstein being taken to hospital:
Paramedics frantically tried to revive convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein early Saturday morning after he was found unresponsive in his cell in downtown Manhattan, exclusive photos shot by The Post reveal.
© William Farrington
EMTs attempt to revive Jeffrey Epstein as he's wheeled into New York Downtown Hospital.
A call was placed to first responders around 6:30 a.m. as MCC staff tried to revive him, said the FDNY and Bureau of Prisons.
© William Farrington
Jeffrey Epstein is wheeled into New York Downtown Hospital.
The images show a drawn, ashen face with closed eyes, and EMTs using a breathing apparatus in an attempt to revive the multi-millionaire convicted pedophile.
Epstein was later declared dead at the hospital.
While Breitbart reports that several sources said Epstein had been
removed from suicide watch:
Sex offender and accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death, according to several reports.
Prison officials found the disgraced billionaire dead in his jail cell early Saturday morning. Multiple reports are calling his death an apparent suicide via hanging, although it has come with suspicion, as Epstein was believed to be on suicide watch. However, officials told the New York Post that Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death.
According to the New York Post:
Department of Justice spokesman Lee Plourde told The Post that Epstein, 66, was not "currently" on watch in his cell at the Manhattan Correctional Facility while he awaited trial on child sex-trafficking charges.
Plourde refused to say whether that meant Epstein had been taken off additional monitoring or whether he had never been getting special attention to make sure he did not kill himself.
"I'm not going to discuss his previous medical status," he said.
The Associated Press also reported that the billionaire was taken off suicide watch:
A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Epstein had been taken off suicide watch. The person wasn't authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. It wasn't immediately clear when he was taken off suicide watch.
NBC News had a similar report:
Epstein, 66, was in his federal jail cell in downtown Manhattan but was not on suicide watch at the time of his death, multiple people familiar with the investigation told NBC News. He had apparently hanged himself, and was found unresponsive at around 6:30 a.m. ET.
The latests documents to be
unsealed may have been the final straw in the Epstein scandal, but for whom? RT reports:
The files were unsealed on Friday as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre against the businessman's ex-girlfriend and so-called "madam," Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre alleges Epstein and Maxwell forced her into sex, and trafficked her to other wealthy and powerful men.
In a deposition included in the unsealed records, Giuffre said she was ordered by Epstein and Maxwell to give erotic massages and have sex with men, ranging from Prince Andrew, billionaire investor Glenn Dubin - whose wife claimed to be "100% comfortable" with having Epstein around her children - and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has admitted to meeting with Epstein on his Zorro Ranch once in 2002, but denies Giuffre's charge.
Also on the list is modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, whose MC2 agency was allegedly used to recruit and traffic girls as young as 12 to Epstein and other wealthy men. Giuffre mentions "another prince," a "foreign president," a "well-known prime minister," and the owner of a French "large hotel chain," but seems frustrated she can't "recall all of the people," largely because there were so many of them. "I was told to do something by these people constantly," she testifies, explaining, "my whole life revolved around just pleasing these men."
Their whole entire lives revolved around sex.
Epstein allegedly told another of his accusers that he required "three orgasms a day" - that "it was biological, like eating." Another claimed his anatomy was deformed - "egg-shaped," to be exact. The unsealed documents also included photographs, including nude snapshots of prepubescent girls. Giuffre said she was made to watch as Epstein and Maxwell indulged in "illegal sexual acts with dozens of underage girls."
In perhaps the most disturbing disclosure, the documents also contain a receipt indicating Epstein bought books pertaining to sadomasochism and sexual slavery, including the titles SM 101: A Realistic Introduction,SlaveCraft: Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude and Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners. Giuffre's attorneys say the purchases support her account of sexual exploitation at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell.
While the documents reveal that both President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton had dealings with Epstein - whether on his private jet or on one of his luxurious properties - Giuffre noted in the deposition that Clinton had no involvement in the sex-trafficking ring, and that Trump "didn't partake in any sex" with underage girls.
Giuffre first sued Maxwell in 2015 for her role in Epstein's sex ring, and later filed a second defamation suit after Maxwell accused her of lying. The records released Friday have been under seal as part of that case, for which Maxwell failed to obtain a summary dismissal in 2017.
Paul Joseph Watson comments:
UPDATE Aug 11 12:4500 EDT
"I question whether or not it was a true suicide attempt that Mr Epstein was involved in in jail or whether or not there may be some powerful people who just don't want him to talk. If he goes on trial, everyone he's been in contact with will ultimately be fair game. There's no doubt in my mind that no jail will protect you when there's powerful people that want to reach you - wherever you are. If he's going to implicate anyone in power that has the ability to reach in and somehow get to him - his life is definitely in jeopardy.
"I do question whether it was a true suicide attempt. I mean how do you choke yourself? It doesn't make any sense. There are reports someone came after him but that could just be because he's a paedophile. Those types of individuals don't last long in prison. If Epstein is in general population or anywhere available to the general population I believe his life is in jeopardy. They will have to seal him down in the jail. But even there there are still people who can get to him, ultimately."
- The Sun, 'IN DANGER' Jeffrey Epstein's life 'in jeopardy' as powerful pals 'don't want their secrets out', victim's lawyer claims
From the
Daily Mail:
A separate source revealed to DailyMail.com that Epstein actually told prison guards and fellow inmates that he believed someone had tried to kill him in the weeks before his death.
The insider, who had seen the disgraced financier on several occasions during his incarceration at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, also claims that the normally reserved Epstein seemed to be in good spirits.
'There was no indication that he might try to take his own life,' the source told DailyMail.com
'From what I saw, he was finally starting to adjust to prison. I think he was comforted by the rigidity of his new life.'
CNBC
reports:
He was, by all accounts, the kind of inmate that should have been under the closest possible supervision.
Instead, Epstein was taken off suicide watch in the days before he took his own life, officials told NBC News, a decision that baffled former wardens and veterans of the federal prison system.
"For them to pull him off suicide watch is shocking," Cameron Lindsay, a former warden who worked at three federal facilities, told NBC News. "For someone this high-profile, with these allegations and this many victims, who has had a suicide attempt in the last few weeks, you can take absolutely no chances. You leave him on suicide watch until he's out of there."
...
The conditions would have required him to be moved to a special bare-bones cell where he would be outfitted in a tear-resistant one-piece smock and receive stepped-up observation from a staffer or inmate posted outside, according to Lindsay and sources familiar with Epstein's case.
But Epstein's status was changed sometime in the last two weeks for reasons that remain unknown, officials told NBC News. The decision would normally have to have been authorized by the jail's suicide prevention program coordinator, who is ordinarily the institution's chief psychologist, and approved by the warden.
"Once an inmate has been placed on watch, the watch may not be terminated, under any circumstance, without the program coordinator or designee performing a face-to-face evaluation," according to the federal Bureau of Prison official guidelines issued in 2007.
...
"It's too early to say what I think should happen, but if this did occur as we believe that it did, some staff are going to have some hard questions to answer, I'm afraid," said Lindsay, who served as warden at the nearby Metropolitan Detention Center from 2007 to 2009.
Bob Hood, a former federal Bureau of Prisons chief of internal affairs and former warden at the ADX Florence "supermax" prison in Colorado, said he also was perplexed by the decision to remove the suicide safeguards.
"Under the circumstances, I would have a staff member sitting there or have a camera on him 24/7 while he was in my custody, purely to cover my butt," said Hood. "I know that sounds tacky, but this is not your average inmate."
...
Jack Donson, a former longtime federal Bureau of Prisons case manager, told NBC News that suicide watch in federal lockup "usually only lasts a few days to week" due to the amount of manpower the 24-hour surveillance entails.
"It requires staff to do overtime shifts," Donson said, and is "not considered a good use of resources."
Federal staff members will "make an assessment" about when they believe that "imminent danger" to the inmate has passed, and then the warden and chief psychologist make a determination about what to do with the inmate, Donson said.
...
Epstein's suicide has led some involved in his case to wonder whether he received outside help.
"It simply does not make common sense that Jeffrey Epstein was not on suicide watch," said Jack Scarola, a lawyer who represents seven of Epstein's alleged victims. "And it does not make common sense that if he was on suicide watch he could have successfully taken his own life unless he had some outside help."
© Agence France-Presse
Palestinians protest near the Gaza-Israel fence on 12 April
Like all settler-colonial ideologies, Zionism has always been obsessed with race. Having emerged at the height of European colonialism and race science, it sought to learn from both.
Zionists understood that making racial claims was foundational and essential for their colonial project, a realisation that still informs Israeli colonial and racial policy today.
RTFri, 09 Aug 2019 11:27 UTC
© Reuters / Toby Melville
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has
pleaded with Britain's most senior civil servant to prevent PM Boris Johnson ramming through a no-deal Brexit during a snap general election campaign that may take place this autumn.
Corbyn has taken to twitter after writing a letter to Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary,
accusing Johnson of plotting an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and anti-democratic abuse of power."
It comes after it emerged on Thursday that the Tory government is preparing to call an election "days after" the Brexit deadline date of October 31 - if a majority of UK MPs vote no-confidence in his administration,
according to the
Financial Times.
© Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov
Iranian FM Javad Zarif
The US decision to build a maritime coalition to patrol the key sea route across the Strait of Hormuz has prompted outrage in Tehran, predicting it will result in more instability in the region. Tensions over the issue further escalated after reports of Israeli involvement in the matter, deemed a "clear threat" by the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has apparently taken aim at Washington's efforts to build a US-led maritime coalition in the Persian Gulf, insisting that
"any extra-regional presence is by definition source of insecurity" there. He warned that
Iran "won't hesitate to safeguard its security".
"Persian Gulf is vital lifeline and thus nat'l [sic] security priority for Iran, which has long ensured maritime security. Mindful of this reality, any extra-regional presence is by definition source of insecurity - despite propaganda", he tweeted.
Comment: Given the lifelong history of Israel's lack of integrity, humility and transparency, Iran has every reason to raise defenses. Iran has been very clear in forewarning of its response should Israel and the coalition commence active patrols in the Persian Gulf. How might this stack up? Israel will call the shots and Iran will deliver as promised.
Also from
Sputnik: Iran warns Israel against joining US naval mission
Israeli media earlier reported that the country's Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz had stated at a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Tel Aviv would provide intelligence and other assistance to a US naval coalition, allegedly seeking to safeguard the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament, Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian has cautioned Israel against taking part in a planned US maritime coalition on his Twitter, warning the Jewish state that it will suffer the consequences otherwise:
"If Israel enters the Strait of Hormuz, it will be engulfed in the wrath of the region and its smoke will rise from Tel Aviv"... "Iran has a vital role in the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Any US-led military coalition in the strait is a repetition of Iraq and Afghanistan occupation and escalation of insecurity in the region."
The senior advisor's statements come in the wake of warnings, sounded by Iran's Foreign Ministry on 9 August. The ministry' spokesman stated that the country would view any external military coalition's presence in the Gulf as a "clear threat" and act accordingly.
See also:
© Unknown
Jeffrey Epstein
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has ordered the
partial release of what is expected to be approximately 2,000 pages of documents related to convicted pedophile sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The document release stems from a 2015 defamation lawsuit in New York brought by
Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Epstein's 'Madam' - Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre says Maxwell helped Epstein traffic herself and other underage girls to sex parties at the billionaire pedophile's many residences.
The case was settled in 2017 and the records were sealed - leading to an appeal by filmmaker and author Mike Cernovich, who was later joined by the
Miami Herald and several other parties including lawyer Alan Dershowitz - who has sought to clear his name in connection with Epstein's activities.
© LinkedIn
Marie Villafaña, Assistant US attorney, So. District of Florida
Something big is about to hit in the Jeffrey Epstein drama, which in recent days has quietly slipped to the last page in the local media.
Moments ago, the
Miami Herald whose reporting in 2018 reincarnated the Epstein pedogate scandal,
reported that
Marie Villafaña, the lead federal prosecutor who helped negotiate the controversial plea deal for accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein,
has submitted her resignation to the Justice Department.
Villafaña's lawyer, Jonathan Biran, confirmed her resignation to the
Miami Herald, saying that she has long planned to transition to a legal career in healthcare, and now
plans to join the federal Department of Health and Human Services, because allegedly, she handled a number of healthcare fraud cases in South Florida in recent years.
Her shocking departure comes amid a sprawling federal probe into
the role she and other federal prosecutors, including her former boss, Alexander Acosta, had in sidelining the 53-page indictment against the wealthy New York schmoozer and convicted pedophile
in favor of a state plea to minor prostitution charges in 2008.
RTFri, 09 Aug 2019 10:48 UTC
© AFP/Rakesh Bakshi
Security personnel stand guard at a roadblock ahead of Muslim's Friday noon prayers in Jammu on August 9, 2019, after the Indian government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy.
. The rebuke comes amid growing tensions over the disputed Kashmir territory.
A spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned Islamabad after it suspended the last rail line linking the two countries.
Raveesh Kumar said that Pakistan must
"accept reality" and stop taking
"unilateral actions."
"This has been done without consulting us. We've urged them to reconsider their decision. Our sense is that whatever is being done by Pakistan is to present an alarming picture of our bilateral relationship."
On Monday, the New Delhi government revoked the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir, a move that has enraged Islamabad and led to a spike in tensions.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insisted that the move would help stamp out
"the separatism, corruption and terrorism" plaguing the disputed territory.
Comment: From
RT: Pakistani FM visits China amid Kashmir escalation
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has traveled to Beijing to consult with Chinese leadership over rising tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, after India revoked the special status of Kashmir.
Qureshi arrived in Beijing on Friday morning, and is expected to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as other Chinese leaders.
Before leaving for China, Qureshi said he would brief Islamabad's "trusted friend" about the growing crisis in Kashmir. He added that he would apprise his Chinese counterparts of the "gross human rights violations" allegedly being perpetrated by India in the disputed territory.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has applauded his government's decision to revoke the special status given to Kashmir, insisting that the move would help reverse "the separatism, corruption, terrorism and family rule" that have taken root in the region.
Beijing has condemned India's actions as a threat to its own territorial sovereignty, but stressed that India and Pakistan must peacefully resolve the dispute through dialogue.
© AFP
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi (L) looks on during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (unseen) in Beijing on March 19, 2019.
From
RT: Pakistan launches 'say no to India', bans all cultural exchange
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched a "Say No to India" campaign as the government bans all cultural exchanges with its neighbor amid the continuing escalation of the Kashmir crisis.
The ban encompasses all kinds of joint ventures between the Indian and Pakistani entertainment industries, PTI reported. Pakistan's Electronic Media Regulatory Authority will also clamp down on the sale of Indian direct-to-home TV satellites.
Islamabad has also banned the screening of Indian films in the country's cinemas. "No Indian cinema will be screened in any Pakistani cinema. Drama, films, and Indian content of this kind will be completely banned in Pakistan," an adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday.
© Reuters/Akhtar Soomro
A rally in solidarity with the people of Kashmir in Karachi, Pakistan.
From
RT: Pakistani Federal Cabinet approves trade freeze, trains suspension
Pakistan's Federal Cabinet has approved the cutting of bilateral trade with India, as well as ending rail service between the neighboring nations. Islamabad announced earlier this week that it would downgrade diplomatic relations with New Delhi and suspend trade with its neighbour. Then, on Thursday, Pakistan said it would halt the Samjhauta Express, a rail line linking the two countries. The cabinet signed off on the measures on Friday.
India's lower house voted on Tuesday to downgrade the status of Kashmir from a state to a union territory, which will prevent the Muslim-majority region from formulating its own legislation.
The move sparked a major diplomatic crisis with Pakistan, which has been in a territorial dispute with India over Kashmir since 1947. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that India's decision could lead to a full-blown armed conflict between the two rivals.
© REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
People chant slogans during a rally expressing solidarity with the people of Kashmir in Lahore, Pakistan August 6, 2019.
From
RT: India calls for Pakistani artists to be blacklisted after Bollywood Ban
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) called on the Indian film industry to "put a complete stop to any association with Pakistani artists, musicians and diplomats."
The announcement, made in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated that AICWA was "demanding" a "strict 'say no to Pakistan' policy for trade and bilateral relations." The letter claims that union members have refused to resume work until the blacklist and ban are implemented.
© Facebook
See also:
RTSat, 10 Aug 2019 11:07 UTC
US Envoy to Berlin, Richard Grenell
The US must take its nukes off German soil if it is serious about relocating troops to Poland, a top opposition MP said in a
tongue-in-cheek response to a veiled ultimatum from the American envoy.
German lawmakers have reacted to threats made by the US envoy to Berlin, Richard Grenell, saying that
Berlin may use the ultimatum as an opportunity to push for the withdrawal of all American assets from Germany.
"The US ambassador is right: US taxpayers should not have to pay for US troops in Germany," Bartsch said, according to the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. He also suggested that any potential troop withdrawal should be total and complete.
"If the Americans pull out their soldiers, they also have to pull out their nuclear weapons. And of course, these must be brought back home and not to Poland because it would provoke a further escalation in our ties with Russia, which doesn't serve European and German interests."
The spat began earlier this week when Grenell demanded that Germany increase its defense spending, arguing that it was "really insulting to expect the US taxpayer to keep paying for over 50,000 Americans" stationed in the European country.
© REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo
A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005.
Last month, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Chinese oil trading company Zhuhai Zhengrong Ltd. and its CEO, Youmin Li, after a Bloomberg report accused China of circumventing tough US sanctions on Iran.
China continued its Iranian crude oil imports in July, two months after the end of US sanctions exemptions, research by three oil tanker companies showed, Reuters reported.
According to the data,
tankers discharged between July and July between 4.4 million and 11 million barrels of oil in China, and some of the oil is believed to have gone to China's strategic oil reserves.
Comment: