Puppet MastersS


Rocket

US officials - Iran attempts submarine cruise missile launch


RT
Wed, 03 May 2017 13:52 UTC
ballistic missile
© Mahmood Hosseini / ReutersA ballistic missile is launched and tested in an undisclosed location, Iran, March 9, 2016.
Iran has attempted to launch a cruise missile from a submarine in the Strait of Hormuz, but the test failed, according to US defense officials.

The attempt was made by an Iranian Yono-class "midget" submarine operating in the Strait of Hormuz, which borders Iran, US officials told Fox News on Tuesday.

It is not clear if Tuesday's test was the first time that Iran had attempted to launch a missile underwater from a submarine. In February, Iran claimed it was successful in a similar test.
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Bad Guys

Iran's Foreign Ministry: Saudi Arabia 'supports terrorism, seeks destructive regional policies'


RT
Wed, 03 May 2017 13:40 UTC
Saudi Flag
© Morteza Nikoubazl / Reuters
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting terrorism and of seeking confrontational policies in the region. He was responding to comments by the Saudi deputy crown prince who earlier ruled out dialogue with Tehran.

Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud, the kingdom's defense minister, said it was impossible to mend relations between his country and Iran due to Tehran's "extremist ideology" and ambitions to "control the Islamic world," he said in an interview with MBC television, broadcasted by Saudi media.


Comment: Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.


"How can I come to an understanding with someone, or a regime, that has an anchoring belief built on an extremist ideology? What are the interests between us? How can I come to an understanding with this?" he said, according to AP.
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Heart

Princess Diana's memory honored in landmine speech given by Prince Harry

Gina Vivinetto
Today
Thu, 04 May 2017 13:07 UTC
Prince Harry landmine
Prince Harry remembers Princess Diana's legacy in powerful speech against landmines
Prince Harry is championing a cause near and dear to his late mother's heart.

Princess Diana made the world aware of the dangers of landmines in the 1990s, and now, 20 years after her death, her youngest son continues her work.

Harry honored Diana during a keynote speech at the Landmine Free 2025 reception at Kensington Palace on Tuesday. The prince spoke on behalf HALO Trust, the world's oldest and largest landmine clearance organization.

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Chess

Le Pen promises to boost ties with Africa

Translated by Samer Hussein
Fort Russ
Thu, 04 May 2017 12:05 UTC
Marine Le Pen
© Alain Jocard / AFP
French right-wing presidential candidate Marine Le Pen yesterday promised that she would allocate at least 0.7 percent of the French gross domestic product to cooperation with Africa.

The words were said yesterday during a meeting in Paris which was dedicated to discuss African issues. The meeting was attended by approx. 50 people who were either French citizens of African descent or were nationals of various African nations, living in France.

"The African countries need help, and our development assistance has declined significantly. Before 2022, I pledge to devote at least 0.7 percent of the French GDP for cooperation with Africa and we will ensure the correct use of that amount", Le Pen was quoted saying.

Comment: Further reading:

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Star of David

'The Trump opportunity': Palestinians optimistic about Abbas visit to White House

Philip Weiss
Mondoweiss
Thu, 04 May 2017 12:05 UTC
donald trump
© REUTERS/ Joshua Roberts
Last night an old friend told me that Donald Trump is at once so disruptive and so keen to make the ultimate deal that some Palestinians are looking to President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to the White House as presenting real hope for a breakthrough in the 70 year impasse on the world's promise to give self-determination to the Palestinian people. Yes I know this will strike many as laughable. But I am just passing along what some are saying.

That optimism is expressed foremost by Jibril Rajoub, a Fatah leader, in Newsweek: Let us not miss the Trump opportunity!
President Trump, speaking at a press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah on April 5, reiterated his hope to "be successful in finally finding peace between the Palestinian people and Israel."

We are therefore convinced more than ever that, with impartial support from the US, this peace is still possible, however distant it may seem today.
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Chess

Tillerson: US & Russia have 'no trust, need to stabilize relations'


Xinhua
Thu, 04 May 2017 12:05 UTC
Putin- Tillerson
© Unknown
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that the United States and Russia have "almost no trust" between each other at the moment.

In his second address here to the U.S. State Department since taking office, Tillerson also said the U.S.-Russian relationship was the lowest since the Cold War.

"I characterized to President Putin (of Russia) our relationship was the lowest since the Cold War," said Tillerson. "He did not disagree."

Comment: Further reading: Reconciliation back on the table? Lavrov & Tillerson to meet next week

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Calendar

German Defense Minister cancels U.S. trip to investigate army officer in suspected terrorist cell


RT
Wed, 03 May 2017 21:58 UTC
Ursula von der Leyen
© Gregor Fischer/AFPGerman Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Germany's defense minister has canceled a visit to the US to focus on the arrest of an army officer suspected of planning a racially motivated attack. Authorities believe the man was part of a network of up to five people, according to German media.

Ursula von der Leyen was scheduled to travel to New York and Washington DC on Wednesday and Thursday for meetings with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and UN officials. However, she canceled the trip to focus on the arrest of a German army officer referred to as Franco A., who is suspected of planning a right-wing terrorist attack.

Germany's chief federal prosecutor's office said on Tuesday there were "preliminary indications of preparations for a serious attack against the state."

The 28-year-old officer was arrested in the German city of Hammelburg last week, on suspicion of hiding a gun in a bathroom at Schwechat airport in Vienna.

Investigators later discovered he had used a fake identity to successfully register as a Syrian refugee, despite not speaking any Arabic, raising concerns that he was attempting to carry out an attack to frame refugees.
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TV

Macron and Le Pen clash in heated French pre-election TV showdown

Michel Rose and Ingrid Melander
Reuters
Wed, 03 May 2017 21:30 UTC
French presidential election debate
© REUTERS/Eric Feferberg/Pool
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron clashed over their vision of France's future and ways of handling terrorism in an ill-tempered televised debate on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's run-off vote for the presidency.

The two went into the debate with opinion polls showing Macron, 39, maintaining a strong lead of 20 percentage points over the National Front's Le Pen, 48, in what is widely seen as France's most important election in decades.

For Le Pen, the debate, watched by millions, was a last major chance to persuade voters of the merits of her program which includes cracking down on illegal immigration and ditching the euro currency.
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Camcorder

Macron campaign games - accuses RT of spreading 'fake news,' dodges requests for clarification


RT
Sat, 29 Apr 2017 15:34 UTC
RT accredation Macron
© FreeWest MediaRT journalists refused accreditation to Macron campaign events
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's campaign team, which rejected accreditation and accused RT of spreading fake news, has literally hung up on the request to clarify why they refuse to honor freedom of the press.

Macron's spokeswoman did not last on the phone for a minute, and hung up the moment she discovered she was being asked for a comment from the political movement's apparent arch-foe, RT, which En Marche! a day earlier called a "two-headed entity" engaged in state propaganda and fake news.

Refusing to speak to RT, the spokeswoman asked to send her an email and patiently wait for their comment - despite being told that several previous letters from RT were left without an answer. Seconds later, she hung up under the pretext of being outside of the office and having bad phone reception.

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Eye 2

Ex-Sun editor MacKenzie's comments regarding Corbyn seen to 'incite hate, violence'


RT
Wed, 03 May 2017 20:08 UTC
Kelvin MacKenzie
© Simon Ford / Global Look PressAuthor and former newspaper editor Kelvin MacKenzie.
Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid the Sun, has sparked outrage after saying one fake headline Britain would be pleased to see is: "Jeremy Corbyn knifed to death by an asylum seeker."

MacKenzie made the comments about the left-wing Labour Party leader during an interview with Katrin Bennhold, a New York Times journalist examining how the media portrays different Brexit-related issues. The controversial former editor, who is currently suspended as a columnist after allegedly making "racist" comments about Everton footballer Ross Barkley, is reported to have called Bennhold the following morning, asking her to tone down his remarks.

He said that in light of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in the run up to the Brexit referendum, the headline would be seen in "poor taste." He asked her to use "Jeremy Corbyn Defrauded by Asylum Seeker" instead.


Comment: So just worry over the optics, not any sort of regret for a heinous remark.


Cox was shot and stabbed to death by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair last year.

Following his comments about the Labour leader, MacKenzie was attacked on social media, branded a "degenerate lowlife" and a "rat."
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