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Trump threatens Syria, slams Iran in UN - Israel orders continuation of ops in Syria, in coordination with Russia


Sputnik
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 18:58 UTC
U.S. President Donald Trump
© REUTERS / Carlo Allegri
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 25, 2018
US President Donald Trump has wrapped up his address before the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Syria and Iran

Emphasizing the need for a "reinvigoration" of the UN-led Syrian peace process and saying that "our shared goals [in Syria] must be the de-escalation of military conflict along with a political solution," Trump threatened a US military response if Damascus deployed chemical weapons.

"We urge the United Nations-led peace process be reinvigorated, but rest assured the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime," he said.

Comment: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the move, explained that the Israeli military presence in Syria is aimed against the entrenchment of Iran.
"We will continue to act to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and we will continue the military coordination between the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and the Russian army. I have reached an agreement with President Putin that working groups ... will meet soon to achieve this goal," Netanyahu told reporters on Tuesday.
See also: But of course: US State Dept says S-300 in Syria will put 'coalition' troops at risk

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Vader

US introduces new round of sanctions, blacklisting 12 Russian companies


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:52 UTC
us flag
© Mike Theiler / Reuters
The US Department of Commerce has imposed restrictions on 12 Russian corporations that are allegedly acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the US.

The document, set to be published on Wednesday, does not specify a date for the commencement of sanctions against the entities. It states that American corporations are banned from exporting dual-use goods to the sanctioned companies.

The black list includes AeroComposite, owned by Russia's United Aircraft Corporation; tech equipment producer Divetechnoservice; Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Production Enterprise Gamma; the Vektor Research Institute; construction corporation Nilco Group; Obninsk Research and Production Enterprise Technologiya; the Okeanos Scientific and Production Enterprise; developer and builder of aircraft engines Aviadvigatel; Russia's developer of IT solutions for electric grids Infotech Group; Syrus Systems; Voronezh-based research institute Vega; and producer of radio electronics and software, Research Institute of Precision Instruments.
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Cowboy Hat

World leaders laugh as Trump boasts of accomplishments during UN speech - Trump at UNGA demands OPEC members to contribute substantially to military protection


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 18:35 UTC
US President Donald Trump
© Timothy A. Clary / AFP
US President Donald Trump prompted unexpected laughs from world leaders when he told the United Nations General Assembly that the American economy is "booming like never before".

Trump said that he had accomplished more in two years than any administration ever had, but was surprised when the boast was met with laughter from other leaders in the room.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK," he said in response.

Comment: US President Donald Trump has taken another hit at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He has demanded that member states should 'contribute substantially' for military protection provided by the US.
Trump's comments at the UN General Assembly come as oil hit a four-year high of $82 per barrel on Tuesday. Earlier, he repeatedly accused OPEC of "pushing for higher" crude prices despite the military protection provided by the US. The US president is against high oil prices, since they result in higher gasoline prices in America.

Speaking on Tuesday, Trump said that OPEC members were "as usual ripping off the rest of the world."

"I don't like it and nobody should like it. We defend many of these nations for nothing and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices... We want them to start lowering prices... we are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer," he said.

"We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good."
See also: Trump demands OPEC lower oil prices, claims US 'protects' Middle East countries

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Network

Art of the Deal: Despite tough rhetoric, Trump refers to Iranian leader Rouhani as a 'lovely man'


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:19 UTC
trump rouhani
© Global Look Press
Despite the Trump administration's hawkish rhetoric aimed at Tehran, the US president apparently thinks that Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani is a "lovely man" - and even hinted that the two could meet in the future.

"Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

The tweet's friendly tone contrasts sharply with the Trump administration's hostile posturing towards Iran - a tweet-tactic that Trump also employed with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. After lobbing numerous insults at Kim and openly threatening Pyongyang, Trump declared in May that he would be "honored" to meet with the North Korean leader. Overnight, Kim went from "Little Rocket Man" to a "smart cookie." The pair later met at a historic summit in Singapore in June.
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Bad Guys

US targets Maduro's 'inner circle' in new sanctions on Venezuela


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 16:17 UTC
pro-goverment rally Venezuela
© Marco Bello / Reuters
A pro-goverment rally in Caracas, Venezuela September 11, 2018.
The US Treasury has reported that it has issued fresh sanctions targeting the 'inner circle' of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

"President Maduro relies on his inner circle to maintain his grip on power, as his regime systematically plunders what remains of Venezuela's wealth. We are continuing to designate loyalists who enable Maduro to solidify his hold on the military and the government while the Venezuelan people suffer," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Among the figures targeted by the US are First Lady of Venezuela Cilia Flores, who used to serve as attorney general under the late Hugo Chavez, and is now a legislator. Others include Vice President Delcy Eloina Rodriguez Gomez and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, the statement said.
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Red Flag

RT's Keiser Report: Trump's economy is a corporate debt bubble blowing up


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 15:58 UTC
american flag
© Joe Drivas / Getty Images
US Initial Jobless Claims have hit their lowest level since 1969, with consumer confidence reaching its highest in decades. Things are looking pretty good until you start discussing averages, says Mish Shedlock of MishTalk.com.

He tells Max that wages are going really well (eight - nine percent) for the top people who are the ones spending a lot of money. As for the medium person and the below-medium person, they are 'getting killed.'

Housing sales are down four months in a row, mortgage rates are rising, and it's going to hurt the housing market.


"By all measures about everything but housing is looking pretty reasonable but that's always what happens at the top of bubbles. One could have said everything looked reasonable in 2000 and again in 2007," Shedlock says.

He and Max remember the dot-com bubble of 2000 and the housing bubble. They say that right now there is an even bigger bubble which is going to be in corporate bonds.

The question is when this bubble will burst, not whether or not things look good at the moment.
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Handcuffs

Iran apprehends 22 in connection to Ahvaz terror attack (VIDEO)


Sputnik
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:33 UTC
ahvaz iranian troops shelter
© AP Photo / ISNA, Behrad Ghasemi
Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on Monday that authorities have apprehended nearly two dozen in connection to the deadly attack on an Iranian military parade on Saturday that left 25 dead and 53 wounded.

"Some 22 people involved in the attack in Ahvaz have been identified and arrested... weapons, exclusive material and communication equipment were seized in the house that belonged to the five-member terrorist group that carried out the attack," a statement from the intelligence agency said, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The military reportedly vowed a "deadly and unforgettable" response to the terrorist attack which was conducted in the southern city of Ahvaz during an annual military parade.

Twelve members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) were reportedly killed after the terrorists opened fire. Children and journalists were also among the casualties, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. "Terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime have attacked Ahvaz," he wrote. "Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks. Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives."
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Bulb

State Duma passes Putin's bill criminalizing the sacking of workers approaching retirement age


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 15:53 UTC
russian women
© Alexey Suhorukov / Sputnik
Women are consulted by an expert of the Russian Pension Fund in the Russian Pension Fund's client hall in Tambov
The Russian Lower House has approved a bill introducing a legal definition of pre-retirement age, together with criminal responsibility for employers who fire or refuse to hire workers in this age bracket without a solid reason.

The pre-retirement age is described as the period of five years before the official retirement age. The latter figure will change during future pension reform, and will be set at 65 years for men and 60 for women by 2034, if the slated reform plan is fulfilled.

Once the bill is signed into law, firing or refusing to hire workers of pre-retirement age will be punished with fines up to 200,000 rubles (just over $3,000) or in the amount of the employer's income over the period of up to 18 months or up to 360 days of correctional labor.
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Ambulance

Rouhani compares Ahvaz parade attack to 9/11 as he slams US for implying Iran is to blame


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 15:43 UTC
ahvaz attack
© Morteza Jaberian / ISNA / AFP
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has compared the terrorist attack at the Ahvaz military parade to the 9/11 attacks, and lambasted US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who suggested the attack was a result of Tehran's policies.

Rouhani, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, took to Twitter on Monday to vent his outrage at Haley for pinning the blame on the Iranian government for the attack that killed up to 29 people and injured over 60 in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday.

Haley was refuting Tehran's earlier assertions that the US or its Gulf allies should be held accountable for enabling the attack, when she told CNN's 'State of the Union,' that Rouhani "needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from."

"He can blame us all he wants. The thing he's got to do is look at the mirror," Haley said.

Comment: Previously:

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Che Guevara

Evo Morales to RT: VP Mike Pence heads US campaign against anti-imperialist Latin American govts


RT
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 15:37 UTC
evo morales
The US has switched from military coups and now effects regime changes through courts and parliaments, to deal with dissident Latin American leaders and claim their countries' oil, Bolivian President Evo Morales has told RT.

"There are some serious problems in Latin America. In Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador, the presidents, who used to be the guarantors of the sovereignty and dignity of the people, are now being subjected to political persecution," Morales said.

He was referring to Argentina's Cristina de Kirchner, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff and to Rafael Correa of Ecuador, who lost power in their countries in recent years and are now facing various charges, pushed forward by new, US-backed governments.

Washington's "extensive political campaign" in Latina America is headed by US Vice President Mike Pence, the Bolivian leader said, in the run-up to his address at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
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