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US ambassador creates diplomatic incident after tweeting 'exasperation' at Trump


RT
Fri, 12 May 2017 12:49 UTC
Dana Shell Smith, Defence Secretary James Mattis and Qatar's Minister of Defence Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah
© Jonathan Ernst / ReutersUS ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith, Defence Secretary James Mattis and Qatar's Minister of Defence Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah in Doha
US Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith has created a diplomatic incident after she tweeted her frustrations with the Trump administration.

Smith, who has been based in Qatar since 2014, took to Twitter early Wednesday to voice her feelings following the decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.

"Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions," Smith tweeted.
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Stop

Democrats just wish Killary fired Comey

Charles Hurt
Washington Times
Fri, 12 May 2017 12:19 UTC
James Comey
© Kevin Lamarque / ReutersJames Comey
This is what happens if you mess with the swamp. All the swamp creatures begin snapping and writhing and yowling like angry cats in the dark.

For the better part of a year now, the only thing everyone in Washington could agree upon was that now-ex FBI Director Jim Comey was an overreaching, underperforming dolt.

He fancied himself to be attorney general after he had lost all confidence in Loretta Lynch, the actual attorney general.

That was after Ms. Lynch had met privately on a jet with former President Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Phoenix. This was at a time when Mr. Clinton's wife was running for president while under investigation by the attorney general and the FBI for criminal misuse of classified emails.
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Info

Russian investigators start fresh criminal cases against Ukraine military over Donbass shelling


RT
Fri, 12 May 2017 12:13 UTC
A man near a house damaged by shelling in Kuibyshevsky District of Donetsk
© Sergey Averin / Sputnik A man near a house damaged by shelling in Kuibyshevsky District of Donetsk May 10, 2017.
The Russian Investigative Committee has launched criminal cases against Ukrainian servicemen and officials responsible for indiscriminate use of artillery in the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic that resulted in civilian casualties.

A spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee (the federal agency dealing with especially important and resonance crimes) told reporters on Friday that the criminal case had been started into the artillery raids that took place in the villages of Yakovlevka, Yasinovataya and Dokuchayevsk, as well as in the Petrovsk district of the city of Donetsk between May 1 and May 5, 2017.

"As a result of this shelling, one civilian was killed and four more, including a pregnant woman, were wounded. Criminal cases were started into the use of banned methods of warfare," Svetlana Petrenko said in comments with Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
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Info

US and China reach trade deal on beef, poultry, and gas


RT
Fri, 12 May 2017 12:09 UTC
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping
© Carlos Barria / Reuters
Relations between the world's two largest economies have hit "a new high," said US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross when unveiling a 10-point trade agreement between Washington and Beijing.

Under the agreement, China will allow the importation of US beef for the first time since 2003. In return, the United States will welcome Chinese exports of cooked poultry by July.

They also agreed to begin exporting US liquefied natural gas to China.
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Laptop

WikiLeaks #Vault7: 'CIA malware plants Gremlins' on Microsoft machines


RT
Fri, 12 May 2017 12:00 UTC
A screenshot contained in the leak shows evidence of a Dell machine being used by a user named 'Justin'
A screenshot contained in the leak shows evidence of a Dell machine being used by a user named 'Justin.'
WikiLeaks has released the latest installment in the #Vault7 series, detailing two apparent CIA malware frameworks dubbed 'AfterMidnight' and 'Assassin' which it says target the Microsoft Windows platform.

The latest release consists of five documents detailing the two frameworks. 'AfterMidnight' allows operators to load and execute malware on a target machine, according to a statement from WikiLeaks.

The malware, disguised as a self-persisting dynamic-link library (DLL), unique to Microsoft, executes 'Gremlins' - small payloads which run hidden on the machine subverting the functionality of software as well as surveying the target and exfiltration of data. A payload named 'AlphaGremlin' allows operators to schedule customs tasks to be executed on the machine.
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Snakes in Suits

Fallon fallacy: Saudi Arabia is just 'defending itself' when it bombs Yemen


RT
Thu, 11 May 2017 13:19 UTC
Royal Saudi Air Force Typhoon fighter jet
© Gordon Zammit / Wikipedia
UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has claimed Saudi Arabia is just defending itself by bombing famine-threatened Yemen, arguing the Gulf state is entitled to ask its allies for help.

Fallon had been asked if the Conservatives would consider suspending arms sales to the Saudis, given the serious concerns raised by international observers about the war in Yemen.

UK military personnel have been providing Saudi forces with airstrike and artillery training and Britain has sold billions of pounds' worth of arms to the Gulf theocracy.
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Network

'Keeping America safe in cyberspace'? Trump signs cybersecurity executive order


RT
Fri, 12 May 2017 11:52 UTC
computer screen
© Jan Woitas / Global Look Press
President Donald Trump has signed a long-awaited executive order designed to strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and the federal government's computer networks. It is the White House's first action at defending the US against hackers.

"The trend is going in the wrong direction in cyberspace, and it's time to stop that trend and reverse it on behalf of the American people," White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said at the daily White House press briefing, announcing that the president had already signed the executive order.

There are three main thrusts of the order: strengthening the cybersecurity of federal networks, of critical infrastructure and for the country overall. It contains the word "cyber" 39 times.
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Chess

Attorney Generals in 20 states call on US DOJ to appoint special prosecutor in Russia-gate


RT
Thu, 11 May 2017 20:46 UTC
Dept of Justice in DC
© WikipediaDepartment of Justice Building
Twenty state attorneys general, all Democrats, are calling on the US Department of Justice to appoint an independent special prosecutor to investigate allegations of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.

In a letter sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday, the attorneys general described Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey in the middle of his investigation "a violation of the public trust."

"The residents of our states and the American people deserve a thorough investigation that makes clear the extent of Russian meddling, any collusion by Trump campaign officials, and any cover-up," says the letter. "We urge you to appoint a special counsel immediately."

The lead signer, Massachusetts attorney general Maura Healey, was joined by her colleagues from California, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Delaware and Minnesota.


Comment: For more on the idiotic accusations of Russia meddling in the recent election, see:

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Dollar Gold

Saudis allocate $68mn for Trump's state visit, set to be garish display of opulence


RT
Thu, 11 May 2017 21:27 UTC
Donald Trump and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
© Reuters
Donald Trump's presidential term is set to reach whole new levels of extravagance when he visits Saudi Arabia this month in his first official state visit. But when it comes to lavish, the Saudis tower over the US president, known for his love of luxury.

The kingdom has allocated 257 million rials (nearly $68 million) for Trump's visit, scheduled to begin on May 19, which will reportedly be the largest reception in the kingdom's history, reports the Riyadh Herald, citing leaked documents.

Trump's extravagant streak should be sated by the visit, with the Saudi royal family known to present world leaders and high-ranking officials with everything from Rolex watches to golden sabers.
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Target

Bashar al-Assad: Syria, Russia and Iran to deter violations of de-escalation deal


Sputnik
Thu, 11 May 2017 21:21 UTC
Bashar al-Assad
© Press Service of the President of Syria
Any attempts to violate the de-escalation agreement in Syria will be countered by the Syrian army, Russian forces and Iran, with support of Hezbollah, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with BELARUS' ONT channel on Thursday.

"Any escalation will fail, because the Syrian and Russian forces, with the Iranian support, and with support from Hezbollah, will strike any move on the part of the terrorists if they attempt to violate this agreement," Assad said in the interview, translated and quoted by state SANA news agency.
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