Puppet MastersS


USA

America first not to come: Trump will snub Macron-favored Paris Peace Forum


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:16 UTC
Presidents Trump and Macron
© REUTERS/Carlos BarriaPresidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, 73rd United Nations General Assembly.
Unlike many other world leaders, US President Donald Trump will not attend a conference hosted by France's Emmanuel Macron, the organizers said today.

The Paris Peace Forum coincides with France's program for the commemoration of the end of World War I taking place this week. Around 70 world leaders are to visit France for the event, including Trump.

But unlike people including Germany's Angela Merkel, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the US president will not attend the forum, which is touted as a new annual event aiming to "develop solutions for today's transborder challenges."

As the opening date was drawing closer, there was a lot of uncertainty about Trump's participation. But on Thursday chief organizer Justin Vaisse confirmed to AFP that the American leader will not be part of it. Earlier this week Vaisse tried to downplay the importance of Trump's presence.

The forum was given impetus by Macron as part of his agenda to keep France closely involved in international politics and to promote European integration. Trump, a self-described nationalist who adopted the motto "America first" as the quintessence of his policy, apparently found the event's goals not to his liking.

Comment: Nothing and no one should overshadow Macron's moment.
See also:
Macron worried Putin & Trump might steal limelight in Paris so he asked them not to meet

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Megaphone

Saudi Arabia planning 'imminent' execution of 12 Shiite prisoners - Amnesty


RFE/RL
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:25 UTC
nimr protest saudi
© AFPIranians protest after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr in 2016.
Amnesty International has warned that the executions of 12 Saudi Shi'ite Muslim prisoners could be imminent, after they were sent to a secretive state security body that reports directly to the king.

The men, who were sentenced to death in 2016 after being convicted of spying for Iran in a mass trial, have been transferred to the Presidency of State Security, the human rights group said. They could be executed once the king ratifies their sentences.

"The families of the men are terrified by this development," Amnesty Middle East Director Heba Morayef said.

"Given the secrecy surrounding Saudi Arabia's judicial proceedings, we fear that this development signals the imminent execution of the 12 men."

The Saudi government could not be reached for comment on the cases.
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Cult

Ukrainian President Poroshenko calls for Russian Orthodox Church to be expelled: 'Go home!'


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:50 UTC
fake patriarch Ukraine orthodox church schism
© Sputnik UkrainianSelf-proclaimed Ukrainian 'patriarch' Filaret and president Petro Poroshenko.
President Petro Poroshenko lashed out at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, telling it to "go home" in fiery comments, which the Church dismissed as "absurd" and unconstitutional.

Concerns voiced by top Russian officials about the ongoing church row in Ukraine are proof that the institution should not be in the country at all, according to Poroshenko.

"Is it normal when the Kremlin urgently gathers the Security Council, presided over by Putin, with the only issue on the table: How to protect the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine?" Poroshenko said on Tuesday. He added that "your church, your troops, your armaments" have no business in Ukraine, and urged them to "go home, back to Russia."

Comment:

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Star of David

Israeli police: Bribery evidence surfaces against Netanyahu's lawyer and ex-Navy general


Sputnik
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:41 UTC
INS Rahav sub
© AFP/Jack GuezINS Rahav,the 5th Israeli sub arrives in Haifa on January 12, 2016
In June, Netanyahu was questioned for the first time on the 'submarine affair', the reportedly corrupt deal worth $2 billion to purchase submarines and naval vessels from a German shipbuilder.

Israeli Police stated Thursday that they had substantial evidence to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lawyer and confidant, David Shimron, of mediating corruption, Haaretz reported. In addition, police stated that Netanyahu's former bureau chief, David Sharan, former navy chief Eliezer Marom, and two ex-navy generals should be charged following similar accusations linked to the 'submarine affair,' also known as Case 3000.

However, police stressed that there was a lack of proof to charge another key Netanyahu attorney, Issac Molho.

The 'submarine affair' is linked to an allegedly corrupt $2 billion deal to purchase submarines and other naval vessels from the German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp.

Comment: See also:

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Oil Well

United States oil production set to rise past 12 million barrels per day


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 08:11 UTC
US oil production on the rise
© Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
Rising shale production is putting the United States on track to hit the 12 million bpd oil production mark sooner than previously forecast, the Energy Information Administration said in its November Short-Term Energy Outlook.

Next year's US crude oil output is now expected to average 12.1 million bpd, up from a forecast of 11.8 million bpd just a month ago in the October STEO (Short-Term Energy Outlook).

US crude oil production reached a new monthly record of 11.3 million bpd in August 2018, exceeding 11 million bpd for the first time. Production in August was 290,000 bpd higher than expected in the October STEO, and it was this higher level that raised the baseline for the EIA's forecast for production in 2019.

Comparing the forecasts in the latest STEO with the October estimates, the EIA now sees US crude oil production hitting the 12-million-bpd mark in the second quarter of 2019 rather than the fourth quarter.
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Russian Flag

Smart move: Trump blames Obama for letting Russia take Crimea

Paul Antonopoulous
Fort Russ News
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:30 UTC
crimea vote
© ReutersTwo women hold flags reading "Crimea is with Russia" as people wait for the announcement of preliminary results on the referendum in the Crimean capital of Simferopol
US President Donald Trump has quite intelligently accused former President Barack Obama of Ukraine having lost the Crimean peninsula. There may be gem hidden here, as we'll have to see. So what happened?

During the press conference after the US elections, Donald Trump recalled the successful meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki this summer, adding that "many issues have been discussed - on Syria, security, Ukraine [...] about the fact that President Obama allowed a very large part of Ukraine to be taken by [Russia]. "

The journalist pointed out that "it was President Putin who annexed Crimea." But Trump responded "That was President Obama's regime. That was during President Obama. Right? It was President Obama that allowed that to happen," he said.

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Target

Trump: Investigation push by the Democrats will signal 'a warlike posture'


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 04:51 UTC
Trump
© Reuters / Kevin LamarquePresident Donald Trump
Trump's post-midterm press conference covered a range of topics but focused on the question of potential investigations by the newly empowered Democrats. If they do so, it will signal a "war-like posture," Trump said.

In a press conference following the results of the midterm elections, President Trump fielded questions for over an hour on election-related issues, border security and foreign policy, among other topics.

Some of the most heated moments were triggered by questions on whether the Democrats will use their election gains to push for more investigations against Trump, with the presumed goal of impeachment.

While Trump had tweeted shortly after the midterms saying he would endorse Nancy Pelosi for House speaker and embrace bipartisanship on certain issues, he was firm in suggesting that the Democrats drop any notion of proceeding with an investigation against him.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker replaces Sessions, to take over Mueller probe

Cristina Laila
The Gateway Pundit
Wed, 07 Nov 2018 00:00 UTC
SessionsWhitaker
© NYMag/Statenews/WordPress.comFormer Attorney General Jeff Sessions • Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker
The Gateway Pundit called it-Attorney General Jeff Sessions is OUT!

Jeff Sessions turned in his resignation Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections, at President Trump's request.

Matthew G. Whitaker will now take over as Acting Attorney General until the position can be filled permanently.

TRUMP: We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well....

Sessions' resignation puts the spotlight on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein - what will happen to the DAG now that Sessions is out?

According to reports, Rosenstein is to remain as Deputy Attorney General... for now, but his job overseeing the Mueller probe will be coming to an end.

A U.S. official said Wednesday that Matthew Whitaker, the Acting AG will take now take over the Mueller probe.

Comment: Talk of a Sessions resignation has been in the air for months. Trump's announcement, on the heels of the election, took the air out of the Dems celebration by focusing the news on this new turn of events. Timing!

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Chess

You're FIRED! Trump dumps Attorney General Jeff Sessions


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:46 UTC
sessions
© Reuters / Jonathan Ernst
US President Donald Trump has requested - and received - the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Department of Justice will be led by his chief of staff Matthew Whitaker until a permanent replacement is nominated.

"We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well!" Trump said on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, after announcing the appointment of Whitaker.

There is a potential problem with Whitaker's appointment over the head of the current deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, who has been in charge of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations of Trump-Russia "collusion" during the 2016 presidential election. Rosenstein was confirmed to his post by the Senate, whereas Whitaker was not.

Also, Whitaker would be taking over from Rosenstein the oversight of the Mueller investigation.
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Arrow Down

Trump credits himself for decline in oil prices


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:22 UTC
fire
© Global Look / Luis Souza
US President Donald Trump is taking credit for falling oil prices, attributing the drop to the Iranian sanctions waivers he announced on Friday even as market analysts blame him for driving up the prices in the first place.

Trump implied that the waivers allowing eight countries to continue importing Iranian crude were directly responsible for the price drop, even though only one percent of the drop had occurred since announcing those waivers last week. After hitting a four-year high on October 3, crude prices have dropped as much as 20 percent.

"That's because of me. Because you have a monopoly called OPEC. And I don't like that monopoly. And oil prices are coming down."

"I gave some countries a break on the oil," Trump told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. "I did it a little bit because they really asked for some help, but I really did it because I don't want to drive oil prices up to $100 a barrel or $150 a barrel."
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