Puppet MastersS


Attention

Fog of war: 10 Philippine soldiers killed, 8 injured in friendly-fire airstrike battle with Islamist militants in Marawi


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 05:14 UTC
Marawi City evacuation
© Romeo Ranoco / Reuters Government soldiers evacuate residents of a village near the embattled Marawi City, Philippines, on May 31, 2017
Ten soldiers were killed and eight more injured after the Philippines Air Force mistakenly struck army positions in Marawi City partly occupied by Islamist militants, the defense minister said, adding that further airstrikes might be suspended.

"A group of our military army men were hit by our own airstrikes... 10 killed and 8 wounded," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement to the media, as cited by Reuters. "The coordination was not properly done so we hit our own people."

He suggested that "the fog of war" may have played a part in the mistake.

Lorenzana then suggested that airstrikes could be suspended as he believes the militants occupying several neighborhoods "cannot hold that long."

Comment: More on the battle in Marawi City:

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Snakes in Suits

Witch hunt widening: House intel panel issues subpoenas in probes of 'unmasking' and alleged Russian 2016 interference


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:46 UTC
Susan Rice, John Brennan, Samantha Power
© Reuters
The House Intelligence Committee has issued seven subpoenas in its probes into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election and the unmasking of the names of Trump campaign officials in intelligence intercepts, according to multiple reports.

Three of the subpoenas seek information about how and why the names of President Donald Trump's associates were revealed and distributed within classified reports by Obama administration officials during the transition period after the election, a process known as "unmasking."

The committee subpoenaed the NSA, the FBI and the CIA for information on requests for unmasking made by former national security adviser Susan Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. The three Obama-era officials did not receive personal subpoenas, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
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Chess

Putin: Russia ready to sell S-400 defense system to Turkey


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 20:52 UTC
s 400
© Sergey Malgavko / Sputnik 2.5KAnti-aircraft defense system S-400 Triumph of an air defense
Russia is ready to sell its S-400 air defense systems to Turkey, President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He added the issue was discussed earlier with his Turkish counterpart.

"We discussed the possibility of selling S-400s [to Turkey]. We are ready for this," Putin said in answer to a question from a Turkish media reporter.

Speaking about cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in assembling the defense systems in Turkey, he said it depends on the readiness of local manufacturing industry.

"At the moment, we don't produce those systems abroad," Putin added.
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Cut

Indonesia introduces death penalty and chemical castration for child rapists

Hardeep Matharu
The Independent
Fri, 26 May 2017 15:12 UTC
Indonesian President Joko Widodo
© GettyPresident Joko Widodo introduced the changes by presidential decree
Indonesia has introduced the death penalty and chemical castration for child rapists.

President Joko Widodo said the sanctions "intended to overcome the crisis caused by sexual violence against children", the BBC reports.

The maximum sentence for rape, of a child or an adult, was previously 14 years in prison.

Those jailed for child sexual offences may also be electronically tagged after their release.

The change follows public outrage over rising levels of violent crimes in the past year, including the gang-rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl as she walked home from school on the western island of Sumatra last April.
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Eye 1

Saudi Arabia arms sales 'good for industry' says Tory Amber Rudd in UK election debate

George Bowden
Huffington Post
Wed, 31 May 2017 21:03 UTC
amber rudd
© Stefan Rousseau / AFP
Amber Rudd has suggested arms sales to Saudi Arabia are good for British industry.

The Tory Home Secretary said during the live BBC Debate in Cambridge on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia "has the right" to purchase weapons.

Amid questions about the arms deal from both Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, Rudd said: "I will make no apology for being a government that wants to defend this country.

"We will make sure that our defence budget is well-funded and we will do that by having a strong economy and make sure we can do that by having a strong industry."
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Light Sabers

Putin: Russia will not sit idly by while US deploys global anti-missile system


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:25 UTC
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
© Osan AirBase / YouTubeTerminal High Altitude Area Defense
Russia sees the latest development of US anti-missile system in South Korea as a challenge and will not leave it without a response, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, explaining Russia's own military build-up in the region.

"This issue is a major concern for us and we have been constantly voicing it for decades. This disrupts the strategic balance in the world," Putin underlined while talking to foreign media on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday. "But the world is silent and nobody listens to us."
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Jet3

Russian strikes take out 80 ISIS fighters, dozens of vehicles carrying heavy weaponry on march from Raqqa to Palmyra


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:44 UTC
Russia bombs ISIS
© Ruptly
Russian jets destroyed a large Islamic State convoy attempting to escape the Syrian city of Raqqa and roll towards Palmyra. Dozens of vehicles carrying heavy weaponry manned by over 80 terrorists were hit, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

On Monday night, three Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) convoys left Raqqa heading south towards Palmyra, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a Thursday statement.

The airstrikes were called in after the movements were spotted by reconnaissance units.
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Mr. Potato

Media goes insane after Trump signals willingness to return stolen property

RI Staff
Russia Insider
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:30 UTC
Russian property seized by Obama
Russian property seized by Obama's Bolshevik land grab
It finally happened: KGB sleeper cell agent Donald Trump might reverse Obama's policy of stealing land and deporting children for no justifiable reason whatsoever.

With the Washington Post leading the charge, Respected Media Outlets are horrified that Trump might return to Russia two diplomatic compounds, near New York City and on Maryland's Eastern Shore, seized at the end of December, allegedly as "as punishment for Moscow's interference in the 2016 presidential election."

As we reported back in January:
The US government alleged the 35 diplomats and 2 compounds they used as recreation facilities were involved in espionage, but also stated that action was retaliation for the totally unsubstantiated "Russia hacked the election" story being served up by mainstream media propagandists on behalf of the scared-shitless US intel establishment in imminent fear of impending Trumpification.

How the expelled diplomats and their families, as well as the closed compounds, were supposed to be involved somehow in the alleged hacking, the White House did not make clear.
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Arrow Up

Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union can boost trade with India by 800%


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:05 UTC
India Modi
© TASS Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi arrives in St. Petersburg to participate in the XXI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The (EEU) led by Russia will begin free trade talks with India during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2017), according to an Indian official. The deal is expected to dramatically increase trade between the countries.

"I am especially pleased to address you at this moment when 175 million people of EEU countries and 1.2 billion people of India are on the threshold of a new era of economic partnership. However, despite close ties, the current volume of trade is only about $8.4 billion," Secretary of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion at India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry Ramesh Abhishek told TASS news agency.

The Indian official said a study into creating a free trade zone started in 2015.

"According to the report, in ten years the volume of trade could reach $57-62 billion," Abhishek said.

"A joint statement on the start of negotiations on a comprehensive agreement on a free trade area is likely to be made very soon," he added.

The EEU is a trade bloc established in 2015 on the basis of the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Armenia and Kyrgyzstan later joined it.

Comment: Russia and India: 70 years of friendship and progress

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Bad Guys

Duterte hits back at Chelsea Clinton over 'rape joke' criticism


RT
Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:28 UTC
Duterte Bill Clinton Chelsea Clinton
© ReutersPhilippines President Rodrigo Duterte asked Chelsea Clinton if she "slammed" her father's infidelities after she criticized him for comments he made about rape.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lashed out at Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US President Bill Clinton, for her criticism of comments the Filipino leader made about rape.

In an expletive-filled attack, Duterte asked if Clinton was critical of her father's infidelities, adding: "Be careful because you live in a glass house."

The row was sparked following a speech Duterte gave to soldiers on May 26, during which he reassured troops that they had his full backing in their fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) linked militants on the southern island of Mindanao.
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