Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

Japanese newspaper reports former S. Korean President Park plotted to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:55 UTC
Kim Jong Un
© KCNA / Reuters
Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye was making plans to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to Japan's Asahi Shimbun national newspaper.

Ex-president Park, who was impeached due to a corruption scandal, signed a document approving a "leadership change" in North Korea back in 2015, the national daily reported on Monday citing unnamed sources. South Korea's intelligence agencies were to prepare operations to carry out the plan.

The report notes that the plotters considered arranging accidents, with a car accident or the derailment of a train carrying Kim Jong-un on the table. Park's administration also reportedly considered staging a coup in North Korea.
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Clipboard

Theresa May and the Tories strike a deal with the DUP


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:19 UTC
theresa may and DUP
© Daniel Leal-Olivas / Reuters
Prime Minister Theresa May has finally reached an agreement with the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) allowing her to officially form a minority government.

May was pictured with the DUP leader Arlene Foster, while their respective Westminster chief whips, Gavin Williamson for the Conservative Party and Jeffrey Donaldson for the DUP, signed the deal.

The DUP took a total of 10 seats at the general election on June 8.

The Conservatives reduced their share in the House of Commons to 317, falling short of the 326 needed for a majority.

The Tories now hope to be able to pass policy through the Commons with the tactical support of the DUP.

The PM said the DUP and her party "share many values" and the agreement was "a very good one." Foster added she was "delighted" with the result of the two-party negotiations.

Comment: Un-"strong and stable" Theresa May meets with lunatic fringe DUP to thrash out coalition terms preserving Tory power

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Wall Street

Italy to pay up to €17bn to rescue two failing Venetian banks


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:50 UTC
Veneto Banca building
© Reuters
Rome has released €5.2 billion in emergency funding on Sunday to wind up the failing Banca Popolare di Vicenza and Veneto Banca, with the country's finance minister saying the total bailout costs might reach €17 billion.

"The total resources mobilized could reach a maximum of 17 billion euros - but the immediate cost to the state is a little more than 5 billion," said Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan. He assured Italians that on Monday "there will be normal operations at the teller windows."

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni defended the move as a vital "burden-sharing, not a bail-in," aimed at saving "account-holders, savers, of these two banks, in favor of those who work in these banks, and in general in favor of the economy of the territory, one of our most important."
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Wall Street

Barclays bank in discussions with regulators about bringing bitcoin 'into play'


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:15 UTC
Barclays bank
© Andrew Winning / Reuters
British multinational bank Barclays has been in discussions with regulators about bringing digital currencies like bitcoin into service, CNBC reported citing the bank's UK chief executive Ashok Vaswani.

"We have been talking to a couple of fintechs [financial technology firms - Ed.] and have actually gone with the fintechs to the FCA [Britain's Financial Conduct Authority - Ed.] to talk about how we could bring, the equivalent of bitcoin, not necessarily bitcoin, but cryptocurrencies into play," Vaswani told CNBC.

According to him, it's an "obviously new area we've got to be careful with..."
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X

Czech Republic's next likely Premier says 'no to Brussels & no to the euro'


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:15 UTC
Andrej Babis
© David W Cerny / ReutersAndrej Babis
Billionaire businessman Andrej Babis, whose ANO party is likely to win the October general election in the Czech Republic, says keeping the koruna would insulate the country from crisis.

"No euro. I don't want the euro. We don't want the euro here," Babis said in an interview with Bloomberg.

"Everybody knows it's bankrupt. It's about our sovereignty. I want the Czech koruna and an independent central bank. I don't want another issue that Brussels would be meddling with," he added.
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Attention

US destroyer failed to respond to warnings before fatal collision - Philippines cargo ship captain


RT
Mon, 26 Jun 2017 12:01 UTC
Ship
© U.S. Navy / ReutersThe U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald returns to base after a collision off Yokosuka.
A US warship struck by a Philippines container ship in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take action before the collision took place, according to a report from the cargo ship's captain.

The Philippines ship ACX Crystal signaled to the USS Fitzgerald with flashing lights after the US warship "suddenly" changed course to one crossing the container ship's path, Captain Ronald Advincula's report to Japanese ship owner Dainichi Investment Corporation states, according to Reuters.

The container ship steered to avoid the warship, but hit the Fitzgerald 10 minutes later, according to the report.

The US Navy has declined to comment on the report, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the captain's account.
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Magnify

Bernie and Jane Sanders, under FBI investigation for bank fraud, hire lawyers

John Bat
CBS News
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 00:00 UTC
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Jane Sanders
© Unknown
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and his wife, Jane Sanders have hired prominent defense attorneys amid an FBI investigation into a loan Jane Sanders obtained to expand Burlington College while she was its president, CBS News confirms.

Politico Magazine first reported the Sanders had hired lawyers to defend them in the probe. Sanders' top adviser Jeff Weaver told CBS News the couple has sought legal protection over federal agents' allegations from a January 2016 complaint accusing then-President of Burlington College, Ms. Sanders, of distorting donor levels in a 2010 loan application for $10 million from People's United Bank to purchase 33 acres of land for the institution.

According to Politico, prosecutors might also be looking into allegations that Sen. Sanders' office inappropriately urged the bank to approve the loan.
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Pistol

A shell company targets @RamZPaul Video on #SethRich with fake DMCA claim

Charles C Johnson
gotnews.com
Fri, 23 Jun 2017 00:00 UTC
Seth Rich and Ramz Paul
© Facebook & YouTube
A shell company Tekoso filing fraudulent Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) claim against popular vlogger Paul Ramsey—known as RAMZPAUL—is run by a social justice warrior who endorses the assassination of Republican congressmen.

Tekoso.com issued a copyright notice against Ramsey on June 1st after Ramsey posted a January 4 video about former Democratic National Committee employee Seth Rich's murder. YouTube warned Ramsey that his account could be permanently disabled:
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Info

US urges Qatar and Gulf States to sit at negotiating table


RT
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:18 UTC
Doha, Qatar
© Reuters
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has welcomed Qatar's reaction to the list of demands put forward by the Gulf States in an ultimatum and called on "each of the countries" involved to sit down at the negotiating table to resolve the issue.

Tillerson said that the "series of requests presented by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE" at least partly provides "a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution."

He urged the sides to continue negotiations by saying that it would be a "productive step," adding that the US believes its allies are "stronger when they are working together." Tillerson also reiterated that the common goal of the US, the Gulf States and Qatar is "stopping terrorism and countering extremism" and added that "each country involved has something to contribute to that effort."

Comment: For more analysis on the Qatar situation:

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Info

Philippine army pauses counter-terrorist op in Marawi for Muslim holiday


RT
Sun, 25 Jun 2017 21:12 UTC
Philippine National Police Special Action Force
© Jorge Silva / Reuters Members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force in Marawi City, Philippines June 24, 2017.
The Philippines army has paused its military operation in the southern Philippines to allow the country's Muslim population, including residents of the terrorist-held parts of Marawi, to observe Eid-al-Fitr, the religious feast marking the end of Ramadan.

The eight hour "humanitarian ceasefire" in Marawi City, where government forces are battling a pro-Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) insurgency, took effect at 6am Sunday to allow Muslims to honor Eid-al-Fitr, signaling the end of the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Command chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez said the temporary halt of hostilities on the island of Mindanao is a "gesture of our strong commitment and respect to the Muslim world, particularly to the local Muslims of Marawi City."
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