Puppet MastersS


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The slowing of economic growth around the world

David J. Lynch
The Washington Post
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 06:44 UTC
Tokyo stockboard
© BloombergFILE: A man looks at a stock board in Tokyo as the Nikkei index plunged 5 percent.
A global economy that until recently was humming has broken down, a sharp contrast to the picture just a year ago when the world was experiencing its best growth since 2010 and seemed poised to do even better.

Already, builders in the United States are erecting fewer single-family homes. German factories are sputtering, and in China, retail sales are growing at their slowest pace in 15 years.

The sudden slowing has fed into a global financial sell-off that has driven several U.S. stock indexes into or near "bear market" territory with losses of more than 20 percent. Stocks fell sharply Monday near the end of what is shaping up to be Wall Street's worst December since 1931.

The economic turmoil was on President Trump's mind even on Christmas Day, when during an Oval Office appearance, he cast fresh doubt on the record of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome H. Powell, whom he has increasingly blamed for the market weakness.

"Well, we'll see," the president said when a journalist asked whether he had confidence in Powell. "They're raising interest rates too fast; that's my opinion. But I certainly have confidence. . . . I think that they will get it pretty soon. I really do."
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Stop

Ukraine: Poroshenko ends martial law, continued tensions with Russia


RFE/RL
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
Poroshenko
© Mykola Lazarenko/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/ReutersPresident of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced the end of martial law in the country's border regions that was imposed last month after Russia seized Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea.

"Today, right now, at 2 p.m. martial law ends. This is my principal decision," Poroshenko said during a military cabinet meeting in Kyiv on December 26. Poroshenko said he had reached the decision "based on an analysis of all the components of the security situation in the country."

On November 26, Ukraine's parliament backed Poroshenko's request to introduce martial law after Russian forces fired on Ukrainian ships and seized 24 Ukrainian nationals near the Kerch Strait.

The seamen remain in Russian custody and are facing criminal charges of illegally crossing Russia's border.

Comment: For more on Ukraine's Kerch Strait provocation, see below:

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Footprints

Israeli publicist: Trump's pull-out from Syria benefits Israel

Ekaterina Blinova
Sputnik
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 21:32 UTC
US soldier
© AP/APTV
There is no reason to doubt Donald Trump's determination to entirely pull out of Syria, Israeli publicist Avigdor Eskin told Sputnik. The publicist opined that the US president could bring his forces back to the region in case of emergency, though he stressed this is highly unlikely.

Tel Aviv will benefit from Donald Trump's withdrawal from Syria, Israeli political commentator and publicist Avigdor Eskin told Sputnik.

"There will be no need for any constraint in this area where the US presence was an obstacle before. Israel is not going to replace US boots on the ground in Syria but will be more active to halt Iranian military activism," Eskin underscored.

On 19 December, Trump announced that "after historic victories against ISIS" he was pulling American forces out of Syria. The political commentator highlighted that although "we do not know the reasons for this timing", the move had come as no surprise. "President Trump declared several times that he will pull out US military from Syria".

According to the Israeli publicist, the withdrawal is likely to result in the "rise of Turkish and Sunni influence which will have some immediate effect".

Comment: A military revolving door? See also:

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Attention

Turkey amasses troops at the Syrian border as operation against the Kurds is imminent


RT
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 21:48 UTC
TurkMilitary
© RuptlyTurkey amassing its military on Syrian border
Turkey has sent massive reinforcements to areas in its south, in preparations for a push into Syria's northeast. As troops roll to the border, the country's top officials have made bellicose remarks, vowing to fight "terrorism."

A large Turkish military unit has been filmed in the town of Karkamis at the Turkey-Syria border. Right across it lies the Syrian town of Jarablus, controlled by the Turkey-backed Syrian anti-government militants since mid-2016, when Turkey left the territory during Operation Euphrates Shield.

The video shows a number of mine-resistant, ambush-protected MRAPs, which are also used by the Turkish army and gendarmerie, as well as several covered self-propelled multiple rocket launchers.

Other vehicles were also present at the scene, namely army trucks with tarpaulins and shipping containers, presumably carrying troops and equipment.


Comment: Turkey's one irrefutable desire has been to eradicate the Kurds. Deals have been made. We shall see how they play out. See also:

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Footprints

Turkey is 'determined' to cross Euphrates into Syria ASAP


RFE/RL
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 10:41 UTC
Cavusoglu,
© Adem Altan/AFPTurkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu
Turkey is determined to cross to the east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria as soon as possible, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on December 25, a day after Ankara sent reinforcements to the border with Syria.

"If Turkey says that it will enter Syria, it will be so," Cavusoglu told reporters. "We plan to enter areas east of the Euphrates River as soon as possible."

Turkey said earlier this month that it would launch a new military operation in the area. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, prompting Turkey to delay the campaign until the withdrawal is completed.

Trump has said the withdrawal from Syria will be slow and coordinated with Turkey, without providing a timetable. Turkey said the two countries are coordinating to ensure there is no "authority vacuum" once the U.S. troops leave.

Comment: Turkey wants autonomy in Northern Syria to eliminate the Kurds. It is sending strong warnings to any force willing to step in and protect the YPG.

More from Sputnik:
The news comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman revealed that American military officials are set to meet with their Turkish counterparts to discuss coordination on Syria following Washington's decision to withdraw troops from the Arab Republic.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has commented on Paris' plans to remain in Syria amid the withdrawal of US troops, saying that "there will be no benefit to anyone", according to the Anadolu news agency.

Meanwhile, Hurriyet, another Turkey-based news outlet, reported that the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday the country's military is determined to enter northern Syria as soon as possible. Earlier, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Ankara had completed preparations for the operation.

The development comes on the heels of reports of the Turkish president inviting Donald Trump to Ankara, as well as reports stating that military officials of both states are set to hold a meeting to better coordinate their actions in Syria.

Subsequent media speculation suggested that Trump made the move only after being reassured by Erdogan that Turkey would eliminate terrorist remnants in Syria.


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Arrow Down

Trudeau's blunders to sink one-term wonder boy

Andre Marin
Toronto Sun
Sat, 22 Dec 2018 03:35 UTC
trudeau
© Jim Wells/PostmediaPrime Minister Justin Trudeau
When it comes to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the bloom left the peach some time ago. That is to say that voters don't see him with the same glow as before.

The youthful Trudeau, who's meagre credentials include part-time drama teacher, pulled off an admirable victory in the last election, pulling his party from third place to first place.

Carefully planned photo ops of yoga poses at work, showing off his tattoos, crashing weddings, running topless through city streets and smiling broadly for the cameras promising "sunny ways" was all it took apparently. He also promised deficits, which I thought would sink him.

But no - he prevailed through sheer charisma and by contrasting himself to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who many Canadians had grown to view as a dull and angry man.

A new Angus Reid Institute survey has some sobering news for our flash-in-the-plan PM. Trudeau's approval rating is net negative 23% (just 35% approve; 58% disapprove).

In Trudeau's magical world of wonders, all you have to do is look good and incessantly pursue ideological gender-based ideas. The deficit? Don't worry about it. It'll balance itself - which we know is pure lunacy. It's now many times larger than he promised. In the event of the predicted economic downturn in the year to come, where is our landing cushion? We have none.


Comment: Not a stunning endorsement. Will the Canadian public agree? See also:




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Gold Bar

Russian companies offered chance to mine gold in Venezuela


RT
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 13:34 UTC
Venezuelan gold
© Global Look Press
Venezuelan authorities have offered Russian companies to take part in gold exploration and gold mining in the country, according to Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Vladimir Zaemsky.

"As for Russia's participation in gold-mining or other mining projects, Venezuela has made a wide range of interesting proposals that are currently under consideration by interested Russian operators," the ambassador said.

The official added that Caracas is deeply interested in cooperating with Russia in the sector of exploration of the country's solid extractable resources, including gold, diamonds and coltan, which is used for the extraction of elements such as niobium and tantalum.

Apart from proven oil deposits, considered the richest in the world, Venezuela is considerably rich in natural resources such as diamonds, gold, iron ore, aluminum, bauxite, natural gas, and petroleum. According to a report by the World Gold Council published in June, the country has 150 metric tons of gold reserves, which makes it the 25th largest gold reserve in the world.
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NPC

Senate report on 'Russian interference' written by same disinformation scammers behind Alabama election 'false flag operation'

Dan Cohen
Gray Zone Project
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 19:46 UTC
New Knowledge team alabama facebook campaign
© GGV CapitalGlenn Soloman, Jonathon Morgan & Ryan Fox at New Knowledge Austin office
Hailed by Congress and the media as defenders of democracy, high-tech Russiagate hustlers Jonathon Morgan and Ryan Fox have been exposed for waging "an elaborate 'false flag' operation" to swing the 2017 Alabama senate race.

On December 17, two reports detailing ongoing Russian interference operations commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee were made public. They generated a week's worth of headlines and sent members of Congress and cable news pundits into a Cold War frenzy. According to the report, everything from the Green Party's Jill Stein to Instagram to Pokemon Go to the >African American had been used and confused by the deceptive Facebook pages of a private Russian troll farm called the Internet Research Agency. Nevermind that 56% of the troll farm's pages appeared after the election, that 25% of them were seen by no one, or that their miniscule online presence paled in comparison to the millions of dollars spent on social media by the two major presidential campaigns and their supporters to sway voters. This was an act of war that demanded immediate government action.

Comment: Secret election influencing experiment in Alabama senate race imitated supposed "Russian tactics" - UPDATE

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Bad Guys

'We are coming': Chilling Blackwater ad triggers fears of Trump seeking to privatize Mideast wars


RT
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 20:04 UTC
blackwater
© Instagram/firebasecsg
Blackwater, the controversial US private security firm, has flagged its intent to resume business, taking out a full-page commercial in the latest edition of Recoil magazine with a chilling message declaring "We are coming."

The resurrection within the military contractors' market of notorious Blackwater, which, after numerous scandals and several rebrandings, is now known as Academi, has analysts looking deeper into US intent to withdraw from the wars in the Middle East. The advertisement in Recoil, made public after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced his resignation, prompted concerns that president Donald Trump might be seeking to privatize ongoing American engagements in Afghanistan and Syria, following the declared troops' withdrawal from the region.

The main supporter of the idea of privatizing the US fighting in the Middle East has been Erik Prince, the former head of Blackwater. The longtime Republican sold the company in 2010 but has maintained communications with Trump, reportedly trying to lobby his inner circle to replace the US military presence in the region with mercenaries. Mattis, who served in the Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq, firmly rejected the idea.
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Yoda

Putin promises government support for Russian businesses to defy sanctions pressure


RT
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 19:58 UTC
moscow
© Sputnik
Russian businesses facing "external restrictions" can rely on government support while competitors try to hide behind the "political screen," said Russian President Vladimir Putin to the country's business leaders on Wednesday.

"The support of domestic business, increasing its capabilities is one of the most important tasks, especially today, when Russian companies are facing certain external restrictions," Putin said during the meeting in Moscow.

Referring to Western sanctions, the Russian president stressed that the Kremlin sees foreign players trying to hide behind the "political screen" that they use "in unfair competition, elimination of rivals and division of markets."

To address those challenges Russia needs to boost its industrial development and strengthen its scientific and technological base, according to Putin. He promised that the Russian government will continue to support the country's exporters, especially in non-resource sectors, like high-tech and agriculture.

At the same time Moscow is not going to build barriers for international economic cooperation and isolate itself, stressed the Russian president.
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