Puppet MastersS


Cell Phone

Russian tally: 1M+ evacuated within a month, telephone bomb scares continue

St Petersburg
© megapolisonline.ru / Global Look PressSt. Petersburg shopping mall evacuation
As bomb threat calls continue to inundate public locations across Russia, the number of evacuees has already hit over a million people since the start of the worrying trend a month ago, a source in the emergency services revealed.

Some 1.04 million people had to be evacuated starting from September 11, an unnamed source in emergency services revealed to RIA Novosti the scale of the epidemic, deemed 'telephone terrorism' by the authorities. Telephone calls have caused mass disruptions in 170 Russian cities, with bomb threats targeting more than 2,400 sites, the source said.

On Monday alone, nearly 80,000 people were affected by the alerts in seven cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Airports, railway stations, educational facilities, hotels, shopping malls and offices have been targeted by the spate, with none of the threats turning out to be real.

As first calls started to flood Russian Far East, they quickly spread over to Siberia and the western part of the country. All 15 Russian cities with populations over 1 million have suffered from the evacuation epidemic, according to numbers by Meduza news outlet. The mass disruptions have cost an estimated 300 million rubles ($5.1 million) in economic damage over the first days of the calls, according to Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Aleksandr Bortnikov.

Comment: Whether there are real bombs or not, these threats take their toll. Craziness is spreading on a global scale.

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Handcuffs

Madrid threatens Catalan leader: Alludes to predecessor's fate of jail and execution

Carles Puigdemont
© RTECarles Puigdemont, Catalan leader
Just ahead of a highly anticipated speech in which the Catalan leader is expected to declare the region's independence from Spain, the Spanish ruling party has resorted to making threatening allusions to a previous independence bid.

"History should not be repeated. Let's hope that nothing is declared tomorrow because perhaps the one who declares it will end up like the one declared it 83 years ago," spokesman for Spain's ruling People's Party (PP) Pablo Casado said on Monday. The statement came less than 24 hours ahead of Carles Puigdemont's address to the Catalan parliament, where he is widely expected to defy the Madrid authorities and declare the region's secession from Spain.

Casado was apparently referring to Lluis Companys, president of Catalonia in the 1930s who proclaimed a 'Catalan State within the Spanish Federal Republic' in 1934. Companys had to flee after the Spanish Civil War to France, where he was later captured by the Nazis and handed over to Franco's regime. In 1940, Companys was tried for military rebellion and executed.

The comparison that came from a central government official has fueled tensions between Madrid and Barcelona. Casado's statement drew controversy and condemnation from Spanish and Catalan officials alike.


Comment: According to the given figures: "90.09% of the 2.26 million Catalans who voted, voted in favor of independence." The region has 5.3 million voters, which means 3.04 M potential voters outright did not vote. To say 90.09% were in favor gives the impression that this decision to secede was a slam dunk.


Stock Up

McAfee: World governments fear Bitcoin - they can't tax it

McAfee
© Jorge LopezSoftware pioneer John McAfee
Cryptocurrencies have captured the attention of investors and world governments alike, especially given Bitcoin's meteoric rise over the past 12 months. Cybersecurity expert John McAfee believes they may encompass the sum of all fears for governments the world over.

The blockchain technology that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are built on helps to solve the problems that plague traditional banking, by cutting out the middleman, thus reducing fees for consumers, while also decentralizing and securing transactions.

With no centralized exchange to control or influence, national authorities around the world will find it increasingly difficult to determine a given citizen's income and thus their income tax owed, undermining a critical source of government revenue, according to technology pioneer and head of MGT Capital Investments John McAfee.

"Our income taxes are the greatest source of revenue, but if everybody's using Bitcoin, the government doesn't know what your income is. They can't tax it, and if you choose to say I didn't have anything, they cannot prove otherwise," McAfee told CalvinAyre.com.

"It will eventually frighten every nation state, but it doesn't matter what they do, there's no way you can create a law or to legislate something that will stop Bitcoin or any cryptocurrency because technically, you cannot," he added.

Comment: A 'bit' of advice from someone who knows...to 'coin' a phrase.


Pirates

Erdogan: 'Western shadow' behind all terrorist groups, Daesh, al-Qaeda, PKK...

Erdogan
© AFP2017/STR/Turkish Presidential Press OfficeTurkish President Erdogan
A day after the Turkish president announced a new military operation in Syria's Idlib, he again lashed out at the West over its alleged "support" of terrorist groups.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the "West's shadow" is behind terrorist groups, including Daesh and al-Qaeda. He yet again accused the US-backed Syrian Kurds, Ankara believes to be linked to the PKK (outlawed in Turkey), of attempts to create a "terrorist corridor from Afrin to the Mediterranean" on the border with Turkey and vowed to defend his country's security.

"Islamic State [Daesh, ISIS, banned in Russia], al-Qaeda, PKK - behind all these organizations you will see the shadow of the West. All of them find refuge in the West. Where is FETO? Also in the West. They receive very serious financial support," President Erdogan said as quoted by RIA Novosti on Sunday, speaking to activists of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Commenting on the upcoming military operation by the Turkish army to support Free Syrian Army rebels' fight against al-Nusra Front in Idlib, Erdogan said that the situation on the border with Syria is a threat to Ankara and "if we didn't take our measures, bombs would fall on our cities," referring to a deal on the creation of a de-escalation zone in the area brokered by Moscow, Tehran and Ankara.

Our efforts in Idlib are going on, in cooperation with the Free Syrian Army, without problems at the moment," he said, adding that Ankara's actions are in line with decisions made at the last round of the Astana talks on the Syrian settlement backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Comment: Have to give Erdogan credit for his reality check, changing Turkey's alignment and loyalty.

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Headphones

Moscow: Radio Liberty may be deemed 'foreign agent' to counter US crackdown on Russian media

RFE/RL
© The Daily Signal/RFE/RLAmerican propaganda outlet.
Several services of the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) might be restricted in Russia, the Russian Justice Ministry has warned the broadcaster, saying the measure comes in response to Washington's recent moves against Russian media in the US.

Russian authorities have warned the Washington-funded organization that its activity falls under Article 2 of the Russian Federal law on NGOs, which regards its operations as those of a foreign agent.

By law, Moscow "might impose restrictions" on the activities of the broadcaster in Russia, RFE/RL reported Monday, citing a letter from the Justice Ministry.

Several services of the broadcaster, including its Russian-language network Current Time television, run in cooperation with Voice of America, as well as RFE/RL's Russian service Radio Svoboda, might be subjected to certain restrictions.

"Current Time, Radio Svoboda, and Idel Realii [website run by RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir service] are journalistic organizations. We trust we will be able to continue our work," the broadcaster's vice president and editor-in-chief, Nenad Pejic, said in a statement Monday.


Comment: Media Wars: US demanded RT register as a 'foreign agent; or leave the country. Russia has responded in kind. Turn-about is fair play. Is this just bad posturing duels or are there stories the US trying to hide?

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Attention

Rousseff: Trump's interference in Latin America 'criminal', may cause civil war

Rousseff
© Ueslei Marcelino / ReutersFormer Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff
Washington's attempts to interfere in politics in South America, including in Venezuela, are "extremely dangerous" and "may lead to civil war," former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has told RT. She added that the US has already made mistakes in the Middle East, which only led to the strengthening of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

"Our continent has been living in peace for 140 years. Any attempt to interfere in the legitimate constitutional process in Venezuela, including by forcing a presidential election, is extremely dangerous, as it might lead to a civil war," the Brazilian politician said in an interview with RT in Moscow.

Venezuela has been subjected to new sanctions from Washington under President Donald Trump, who has called its government a "dictatorship." Amid massive opposition protests in the Latin American state, the US claims the Venezuelan government is cracking down on democracy. In August, the US leader also mentioned a "military option" against the Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro.

Caracas has in turn accused Washington of meddling in its internal affairs, calling the US an "aggressor" wanting a regime change in a foreign country through "political and psychological terrorism."

Comment: Rousseff has spoken from an informed perspective, having had outside influence cause disruption within her country, which ultimately lead to her early departure as president. The meddling of the US in Venezuela's affairs is a condition with which she is all too familiar.


Attention

UK inquiry told that Cyril Smith abused kids for perverted amusement, MI5 may have covered it up

Cyril Smith
© REXA number of allegations of child sex abuse emerged after MP Cyril Smith's death.
The late Liberal Party politician Sir Cyril Smith treated a children's home as his "personal fiefdom" where he abused residents for "perverted amusement," an inquiry has heard, as it is claimed top-level officials lied to protect him from prosecution.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is examining how Smith was able to carry out his alleged offences at a number of institutions, including the Cambridge House children's hostel and Knowl View residential school, of which he was a governor.

Laura Hoyano, representing eight alleged victims, said at the second day of the hearing on Tuesday that the late Liberal MP was a "puppet master" who escaped justice, according to the BBC.

She said MI5 intelligence on the allegations "raises a spectre of collusion" over his activities. A dossier of information held by MI5 on Smith, including claims that prosecutors had lied to the press about the existence of a Smith child abuse file, was disclosed to the hearing on Monday.

Hoyano asked in her opening statement to the inquiry: "Why was MI5 involved at all?"

Comment: More on this monster:


Dig

With friends like this...: Obama mocked "special relationship" with Britain in private

obama
© Reuters
Former US President Barack Obama thought his country's "special relationship" with Britain was a joke and would slip Falklands references into press conferences to mock the UK, one of his ex-aides Jeremy Shapiro has claimed.

Shapiro said Donald Trump would not be any kinder to Britain, saying the new President is "playing" with Prime Minister Theresa May to get a better trade deal. He said Trump is "willing to exploit" the UK.

Speaking to a crowd at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Shapiro said the special relationship is far more important to Britain than to the US. He said it is "unrequited" and cruelly mocked when the cameras were turned off.

"From my perspective it was very important for us to mention the special relationship in every press conference that we had when the UK were here.

"But really we laughed about it behind the scenes. Typically, I would try and slip in a reference to the Malvinas or something to spoil it."

Arrow Up

Moscow, Tehran, Ankara: A new, united anti-western front - calling out U.S. terrorism

iran russia turkey
"Using an analogy from the field of medicine, it can be said that the countries of the 'Trio' make it clear that they intend to fight first of all with the cause of the disease, and not just with its symptoms."

Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara have opened an anti-Western front. In Iran, the possibility has been raised of recognizing the US armed forces as a terrorist structure, just like the organization "Islamic State" (IS) banned in Russia. Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Ali Jafari, speaking at a meeting of the corps leaders, warned that in case the IRGC is recognized as the terrorist organization in Washington (as has been stated in Washington), Iran will treat the US Army as a combatant.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that Donald Trump planned to announce the annulment of the nuclear agreement with Iran this week and would present a comprehensive strategy for Tehran. In light of this, Jafari stressed that the adoption of any new restrictive measures against Iran would in fact mean the US withdrawal from the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

According to Jafari, new sanctions from Washington will rule out the possibility of further cooperation between the two countries.

Camcorder

President Erdogan struggles to stay awake during press conference with President Poroshenko

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Petro Poroshenko
The Turkish president has been caught on camera battling a severe case of drowsiness during a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart. Recep Erdogan yawned and his head drooped as Petro Poroshenko was speaking.

Comment: A senior Republic of Crimea official has dismissed the Turkish president's statement supporting 'the territorial integrity of Ukraine', describing it as a manifestation of 'political flexibility' & noting that it cannot affect Crimea's current status.
"A demand for this was demonstrated primarily by [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan was simply playing along," Deputy Prime Minister of the Crimean government Georgiy Muradov said in an interview with RT.

"We can see from Erdoğan's other trips and meetings that he is not very fond of making such statements on his own initiative. He simply needed to keep afloat what is left of relations between Turkey and Ukraine," Muradov added.

The comment came on Monday during President Erdoğan's official visit to Kiev, when he said that Turkey will continue to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.