Puppet MastersS


X

US cancels Brexit trade talks due to ambassador scandal


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 00:06 UTC
Trump/Darroch
© Otago Daily Times/Arab News TodayUS President Donald Trump • UK Ambassador to US Kim Darroch
Long-scheduled talks between US and UK trade officials were suddenly called off amid a scandal involving British Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch and his scathing criticism of President Donald Trump revealed in private memos.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called off the planned meeting with his British counterpart Liam Fox, solely on the expectation that Ambassador Darroch would attend, a Trump administration source told the Washington Examiner. The source added that the leaks had opened a "rift" in the White House, which continues to grow.

In a string of communiques between London and the ambassador, which were made public this week, Darroch described Trump at different times as "inept,""incompetent" and "insecure." In one cable, the ambassador opined that the US administration remained "dysfunctional" and "diplomatically clumsy," among other unflattering descriptors.

The release of the memos has rocked relations between the two close allies. In response to the revelations, Trump tweeted that his administration would "no longer deal" with the British ambassador, whom he described as a "very stupid guy" and "a pompous fool."

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Arrow Down

Zarif: Netanyahu and Bolton killed the 2005 talks, 'lured' Trump to shred 2015 deal


RT
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:32 UTC
Neti/Bolton
© Flickr/US Embassy JerusalemIsraeli PM Netanyahu • US National Security Advisor Bolton
National Security Advisor John Bolton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scuppered a 2005 nuclear agreement between Iran and the west, and did the same with President Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said.

"Bolton & Netanyahu killed Paris agreement between E3 & Iran in '05 by insisting on zero enrichment," Zarif tweeted on Tuesday. "Result? Iran increased its enrichment 100 fold by 2012."

Referring to Bolton and Netanyahu as the "B Team," Zarif then said that "they've lured Donald Trump into killing JCPOA w/the same delusion," referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran Nuclear Deal.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Better Earth

China's expansion of free-trade zones is part of opening up its economy


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 08:02 UTC
Shanghai
© Reuters/Aly SongShanghai, a free trade zone
China's Ministry of Commerce has announced plans to establish six new pilot free-trade zones (FTZs), as well as the expansion of the Shanghai free-trade zone.

The move will further optimize the country's FTZ strategy, according to the ministry's spokesperson Gao Feng. He said China has been opening up more sectors of the economy as it is committed to providing better services and environment for foreign investors. Authorities have been easing market access in agriculture, mining, manufacturing industries and services.

The improvement of the business environment will help further stimulate market innovation and drive economic growth, Gao said. China's foreign direct investment surged four percent year-on-year to $139 billion in 2018.

"As China's economy is transitioning to a phase of high-quality growth, the country needs to further open up its economy," said Li Gang, director of the academic committee of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, as quoted by China Daily.

In March, the country revealed plans to set up a national offshore pilot trade area at the Yangpu economic development zone (EDZ) in South China's Hainan Province. The new offshore area will promote investment-facilitation policies in areas such as trade, finance and local currency settlement.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Nuke

US to Iran: Full normalization of relations for reversal of nuclear steps


Sputnik
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:59 UTC
Kamalvandi, Raviei, Araghchi
© APSpokesmen: Iran’s atomic agency Behrouz Kamalvandi • Iranian government Ali Rabiei • Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
The United States offered Iran the full normalization of relations in exchange for Tehran's commitment to reverse its recent nuclear steps and cease any plans for further uranium enrichment.

US Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ambassador Jackie Wolcott said in a press release on Wednesday: "The United States has made clear that we are open to negotiation without preconditions and that we are offering Iran the possibility of full normalisation of relations." According to the US, Tehran has to "reverse its recent nuclear steps and cease any plans for further advancements in the future".

Addressing the issue, the spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Behrouz Kamalvandi, criticised Washingon for withdrawing from the JCPOA. "It was a huge mistake by Americans to leave the deal ... that has caused all the problems. The European [parties to the deal] had enough time to salvage the pact", he stated.
Read More...
Mr. Potato

More Israeli insanity: Education minister says intermarriage among US Jews is like "second Holocaust"


Times of Israel
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 18:03 UTC
Rafi Peretz
© Yonatan Sindel/Flash90Deranged Education Minister Rafi Peretz arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on June 30, 2019.
The rate of intermarriage among US Jews is "like a second Holocaust," Israel's new minister of education said.

Rafi Peretz made the statement at a cabinet meeting on July 1, Axios reported Tuesday, citing three people who were in the room.

Peretz, a former chief rabbi of the Israeli army, is the leader of the Union of Right Wing Parties bloc.

Peretz said the assimilation of Jews around the world and mostly in the US was "like a second Holocaust," and also said that, due to intermarriages in the last 70 years, the Jewish people "lost 6 million people," according to the report, which added that Peretz's spokesman confirmed the account.


Comment: Because to rabbis like Peretz, a Jew choosing to marry a Gentile is the same thing as a Jew being executed by Nazis. Try to wrap your head around that one. (Warning: it is probably only possible after years of instruction in the Talmud.) It's rabbis and politicians like Peretz who are some of the real enemies of the Jewish people.


The July 1 cabinet meeting included a briefing by Dennis Ross, chairman of the board of the Jewish People Policy Institute, on trends in Jewish communities around the world, especially in North America. The topic of intermarriage came up during the briefing.

Axios reported that Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) pushed back against Peretz's remarks.

"First we need to stop disregarding and looking down on Jews in America that see themselves as Jews not only religiously but even more culturally and historically," he reportedly said.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, was among the American Jewish leaders critical of Peretz's remarks.
Read More...
Nuke

'Sad irony' that US criticizes Iran for violating 'horrible' nuclear deal that US itself pulled out of - Rouhani


Mehr News Agency
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:50 UTC
Iranski predsjednik Hassan Rouhani
© AP
"On one side, Americans described the JCPOA as the worst possible deal and withdrew from it without any excuse and on the other side, when Iran reduces its commitments to the deal, they all express concern; while all should concern about US that has violated the whole deal," said Rouhani in a Wednesday cabinet session.

"They have called for an emergency meeting of Board of Governors, asking why Iran has abandoned some of its JCPOA commitments. This is a funny story that US is following and such measures are rare in the world's political history," he added.

Upon the US request, IAEA Board of Governors will hold a meeting today to discuss the latest status of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran says US request for a BoG session is a 'sad irony' as it was the United States who ruined the deal in the first place.

Americans say that Iran's uranium enrichment is a bad measure but they don't elaborate that why they do it themselves as the sole country in the world which has used nukes, Rouhani said.
Read More...
Propaganda

BuzzFeed claims Salvini aide negotiated fuel deal with Russians 'to fund political campaign' - Salvini denies it


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:44 UTC
Metropol hotel
© Reuters / Maxim ShemetovA general view shows the Metropol hotel in Moscow, Russia, on March 30, 2016.
An aide to Italian Deputy PM Matteo Salvini allegedly met some Russian officials to discuss details of a fuel delivery, which was meant to "fund a political campaign," BuzzFeed has claimed in a report.

The meeting allegedly happened on the morning of October 18 last year in the lobby of Moscow's Metropol Hotel, coinciding with Salvini's visit to Russia. Six people were at the table, three from each country, with Salvini's aide Gianluca Savoini being the only one identified by the publication.

BuzzFeed claims the discussion was about Russia's plan to secretly fund Salvini's party Liga ahead of the European Parliament elections, although the transcript of the negotiations doesn't necessarily confirm this assertion.

The one big name mentioned by the Russian side is Vladimir Pligin, a Russian lawyer, wealthy businessman and former MP. He previously chaired the State Duma's commission on constitutional law and state building, and has a reputation as a liberal-minded politician.

The deal that was allegedly discussed involved the delivery of fuel from Russia to Europe at a four-percent discount. The Italians mention that their primary interest is "sustaining a political campaign," but it's not clear whether this referred to Salvini's campaign for May's European Parliament elections, as BuzzFeed alleges.

Comment: Don't deny it! Go all in!

'Yes we made deals with the Russians! Lots more to come!'

More on BuzzFeed:

Read More...
Chess

Brexit circus continues: Ex-Tory PM John Major threatens Boris Johnson with legal action over no-deal Brexit


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:40 UTC
John Major Boris Johnson brexit
© Reuters / Peter Nicholls ; Reuters / Rebecca NadenFormer UK Prime Minister John Major ; (R) Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson
Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major has warned Boris Johnson that he is willing to take him to court, if he doesn't rule out shutting down the UK Parliament to ram through a no-deal Brexit.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program, Major, who was Britain's PM from 1990 to 1997, insisted that if Johnson asks the Queen to prorogue parliament, he and many others would be willing to take legal action against the leadership favorite.
I for one would be prepared to seek a judicial review to prevent parliament being bypassed... I'm not going to stand by and see [parliamentary traditions] disregarded in this fashion.

Comment: Major is a upper-crust Remainer from way back, even calling for ignoring the Brexit referendum when the people came out for leaving the EU. For him, the present system is working fine.

Ex-PM John Major: 'Tyranny of the majority' can't decide Brexit terms
Yet another former prime minister has come out arguing Brexit does not necessarily mean Brexit and that the referendum result could still be overturned. Former Conservative leader Sir John Major told guests at a private dinner that Remain voters should also decide on the terms and conditions of Britain withdrawing from the European Union.

"I hear the argument that the 48 percent of people who voted to stay should have no say in what happens," Major said during a speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of David Lloyd George's premiership. "I find that very difficult to accept," he added. "The tyranny of the majority has never applied in a democracy and it should not apply in this particular democracy."


Read More...
Eye 1

Sister of Saudi crown prince tried in absentia for ordering her bodyguard to beat up a repair man

Joe Middleton
Daily Mail
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 19:58 UTC
Hassa bint Salman
Hassa bint Salman - daughter of King Salman - is accused of ordering her bodyguard Rani Saidi, who is also charged, to beat up the workman Ashraf Eid after he was seen taking a photo inside her home in September 2016.
A sister of Saudi Arabia's crown prince has denied ordering her bodyguard to beat up a decorator at her luxury Paris apartment.

Hassa bint Salman is a daughter of King Salman and a sister of powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman who is known by his initial 'MBS' and is seen by many experts as the de-facto leader of the kingdom.

She stands accused of ordering her bodyguard Rani Saidi, who is also charged, to beat up the workman Ashraf Eid after he was seen taking a photo inside her home in September 2016.

Comment: Criminality appears to be a way of life for much of the Saudi Royal family: Also check out SOTT radio's:

Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Bill Clinton's 27 flights on Epstein's jet, Google and Wikipedia whitewashing their crimes


The Gateway Pundit
Mon, 08 Jul 2019 12:00 UTC
Bill Clinton
© C BY-SA 2.0 / JayuBill Clinton
Investigative reporter Conchita Sarnoff, the author of "Trafficking" on the Jeffrey Epstein case, joined Shannon Bream on Monday night to discuss the Jeffrey Epstein's arrest.

During their discussion Sarnoff told Shannon Bream that Bill Clinton flew on the Lolita Express 27 times.

Then she dropped this BOMB!...

Sarnoff said that ALMOST EVERY TIME that Clinton was on the plane via the pilot logs there were underage girls on the plane.

Comment: RT reports that Clinton is, for now, feigning ignorance:
Bill Clinton's press secretary released a statement on Monday, saying that the former president of the United States "knows nothing" about the "terrible crimes" linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

State prosecutors earlier unsealed an indictment charging 66-year-old billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is known to have widely socialized with the political and cultural elite, with sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy, targeting dozens of victims, some of whom were no older than 14. If convicted, Epstein faces up to 45 years in prison.

The statement published on the former president's press secretary Angel Ureña's Twitter page says that "In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein's airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation."

"He had one meeting with Epstein in his Harlem office in 2002, and around the same time made one brief visit to Epstein's New York apartment with a staff member and his security detail. He's not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and he has never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein's ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida," the statement adds.


​Meanwhile, prosecutors stated that hundreds, possibly thousands, of "sexually suggestive" photographs of nude underage girls have been seized from Jeffrey Epstein's New York City mansion as part of an ongoing investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations brought against the financier.

Jeffrey Epstein appeared in a New York City federal court on Monday, rejecting the sexual abuse allegations and pleading not guilty to the charges he is facing.
RT also reports on the sudden edits to Epstein's Wikipedia bio as well as the obviously tweaks to Google's algorithm:
'Reputation managers' get to work scrubbing Clinton-Epstein connection from Wikipedia

on The internet's unofficial Ministry of Truth has been hard at work trying to memory-hole links between former US President Bill Clinton and financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was recently arrested and charged with sex trafficking.

Epstein's Wikipedia bio came in for some quick whitewashing, with one editor removing multiple references to Bill Clinton flying on the billionaire's private jet - nicknamed the Lolita Express - on Sunday morning, after the news of Epstein's arrest broke. The fact that Clinton had flown on the jet 26 times, despite being well-sourced and not in dispute, was "not relevant to [Epstein's] personal life," editor 'Joeblacko' complained, calling it "a smear toward bill Clinton."

An eagle-eyed Wikipedia reader spotted the edit, however, and called in the cavalry with a tweet comparing 'before' and 'after' versions of the article that was reposted to Reddit's The_Donald community. By Sunday evening, the material had been re-added by user 'BD2412,' who slapped a week-long "protection" on the article, preventing drive-by edits by new and unregistered users.


Clinton's denial of the "26 flights" number was added to the article on Tuesday night by user 'Soibangla,' a known quantity in the American politics topic area, who also tweaked a Clinton quote praising Epstein, noting there was "no evidence [Clinton and Epstein] were 'friends.'"
wiki epstein
Among the other editors making changes to Epstein's page was the notorious Philip Cross, a mysterious British figure who has edited Wikipedia for 15 years for the equivalent of full-time working hours, with a single-minded dedication to negatively skewing the biographies of antiwar politicians and journalists. Cross was relatively well-behaved in the Epstein article, however, restricting his actions to copy-edits and smoothing out text.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales even stopped by, to add a citation confirming the fact that Clinton had taken 26 flights on the Lolita Express. Wales has spoken at Clinton Global Initiative events and once called up Hillary Clinton's office to find out how she would prefer to be listed on Wikipedia.

"When the spotlight's off Epstein, the Clinton mentions can be edited out like they should be," editor Cramyourspam snarked on the article's talk page, referring to the usual drop-off in editor interest when a subject moves out of the news. "We're an academic/journalistic resource. With that role comes a social responsibility to soil one political side and shine another."

Google was accused of undertaking its own information warfare on Clinton's behalf, tweaking its inscrutable algorithm to return photos of Epstein with President Donald Trump when users searched "Jeffrey Epstein Bill Clinton."


The search results include multiple photos of Epstein and Trump, and the only photos of Epstein and Clinton it yields are split-screens - the two men are never shown in the same photo. A few of the results don't even include Epstein - just Trump, or Trump and Alex Acosta, the current labor secretary and former federal prosecutor in Florida who let Epstein off with a slap on the wrist when he was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution in 2008.

Google's search-tweaking shenanigans are legendary and were confirmed in a video released by Project Veritas last month, which claimed Google's "Machine Learning Fairness" algorithm was responsible. The algorithm is reportedly designed to replace results that are "factually accurate" but "unjust or prejudicial" - like an image search for CEOs that returns primarily men - with Google's ideal reality.

See also:

Read More...