Puppet MastersS


Briefcase

Florida court sets hearing to determine whether class action lawsuit against DNC will be dismissed

Michael Sainato
Observer
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:00 UTC
The lawsuit was filed in response to evidence that the DNC favored Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton listens as U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
© Brian Snyder / Reuters
After deliberating since October 2016, a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has recently issued an order for appearance to the lawyers representing the DNC and former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the plaintiffs representing Bernie Sanders supporters, Jared Beck and Elizabeth Lee Beck. The hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. on April 25, when the judge is expected to announce the court's decision in response to the DNC's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was initially filed in June 2016 in response to the mounting evidence that Wasserman Schultz used the DNC to tip the scales in Hillary Clinton's favor during the Democratic primaries. Wasserman Schultz and her staff overtly violated article four, section 5 of the DNC Charter, which stipulates, "The Chairperson shall exercise impartiality and evenhandedness between the Presidential candidates and campaigns. The Chairperson shall be responsible for ensuring that the national officers and staff of the Democratic National Committee maintain impartiality and evenhandedness during the Democratic Party Presidential nominating process."

Comment: More information on the DNC's machinations against the Sanders campaign:

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Jet2

Russia has withdrawn nearly half of its air group from Syria's Hmeymim airbase


Sputnik
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 13:45 UTC
Russian SU-34 fighter jet
© Sputnik/ Dmitry Vinogradov
Russia has withdrawn almost half of its air grouping originally based at the Hmeymim facility in Syria, the Russian General Staff said Wednesday.

"The number of terrorist units has decreased, which allowed us to withdraw almost half of the aircraft based at the Hmeymim airbase," chief of the Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said at the VI Moscow Conference on International Security.

Rudskoi revealed that the Russian air group never exceeded 35 aircraft between November 10, 2016 and January 10, 2017. As for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), now Russia is operating about 80 drones in Syria, he added.

Comment: Updates on the Syrian war:

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Attention

'Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach': Pope warns world leaders in surprise TED talk


RT
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 13:52 UTC
Pope Francis
© TED / YouTube
Pope Francis has given his first TED Talk, warning of the dangers of wielding too much power, while also recounting his own experience as a son of immigrants.

The 80-year-old pontiff delivered a modern message of hope via videolink from Vatican City to the annual TED 2017 conference in Vancouver, Canada, Tuesday.

The surprise TED Talk was organized in secret and marks the first time his holiness has spoken at an international conference.

The pope first remarked on the theme of the conference, 'The Future You,' noting that "we can only build a future by standing together, including everyone."

"Let us help each other, all together, to remember that the 'other' is not a statistic, or a number. We all need each other."
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Info

Russian General Staff reports Daesh formations near Hama and Homs totally decimated


Sputnik
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 13:48 UTC
Syrian army and tank
© Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy
Daesh formations near Hama and Homs have been totally defeated, the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday. Moscow has managed to reverse the developments in Syria, the General Staff stressed.

"The actions of the Russian group allowed Syrian troops to reverse the situation completely. As of today, terrorist formations have been totally decimated in Hama and Homs... Government troops have also strengthened their footing in the Damascus province and on the capital's outskirts," the chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi said.
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Info

Complete control established over Palmyra, terrorists suffered serious damage


Sputnik
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 13:41 UTC
Palmyra
© Sputnik/ Michael Alaeddin
Complete control has been established over Syria's Palmyra, the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday, adding that terrorists are suffering serious damage.

"In a month and a half, the [Syrian] government forces <...> completely destroyed a Daesh terror group, advanced more than 60 kilometers and established complete control over Palmyra. The terrorists suffered serious damage," Rudskoy said.
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Bad Guys

FSB head: ISIS leaders 'negotiate merger' with other terrorist groups


RT
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 13:27 UTC
ISIS militants
© Medyan Dairieh / Global Look Press
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and other terrorist groups are changing their tactics, moving fighters to Afghanistan, Yemen and Africa in order to set up a new large-scale terrorist network, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service has stated.

"Having realized that they are being threatened with total destruction in the zone of their former domination, leaders of the largest international terrorist groups, such as Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and the remnants of the pre-existing Al-Qaeda structures, began changing their tactics. In particular, they stepped up transfer of militants over to Afghanistan, Yemen and deep into Africa, and started building support points and bases there," Aleksandr Bortnikov told participants of the VI Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday.

"We're talking about development of a new large-scale terrorist network," the FSB director said. "There are also reports of ongoing negotiations between Islamic State and other [terrorist] groups about a possible merger."
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Map

Turkish FM claims Ankara notified US 'weeks' before airstrikes on Kurdish-held areas in Syria and Iraq


RT
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:50 UTC
Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) inspect the damage at their headquarters
© Rodi Said / Reuters Members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) inspect the damage at their headquarters, Syria April 25, 2017.
Ankara notified the US and international coalition of plans to strike Kurdish-held areas in Syria and Iraq "weeks" in advance, the Turkish foreign minister said. Washington claimed the operation was "not approved by the coalition" raising deep concerns.

The Turkish Air Force hit the respective areas on Tuesday, claiming that dozens of "terrorists" were killed. The targeted territories had been allegedly infiltrated by members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey considers to be a terrorist group, according to Turkish Army statement. Local Kurdish militias the People's Protection Units (YPG) and Peshmerga, however, said the strikes had hit them instead, giving of a lower number of dead and wounded among fighters and civilians.

Comment: For more on this story: Turkish airstrikes on Kurds complicates US operations in Iraq and Syria

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Radar

USS Mahan forced to alter course after close encounter with Iranian military ship


Sputnik
Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:38 UTC
US Navy destroyer USS Mahan
© AP Photo/ Ed Bailey
A US Navy destroyer had to alter its course while in the Persian Gulf after an Iranian military vessel approached it within area of 1,000 yards, sources from the US administration said as cited by the US media.

The Mahan destroyer of the US Navy had to switch on the danger signal and change its course after it had a close encounter with the Iranian military ship in the Persian Gulf, media reported Wednesday.

The incident took place on Monday, after the Iranian ship came within area of 1,000 yards from the Mahan destroyer with its weapons manned, the US ship changed its course and fired flares, manning its own weapons, two US officials told the Fox News broadcaster.

As a result, the Iranian ship did not come closer than 1,000 yards to the Mahan after the danger signal by the US ship was switched, according to the broadcaster.
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Info

Journalist investigation reveals Obama secretly freed dangerous Iranians in historic prisoner swap deal


RT
Tue, 25 Apr 2017 12:11 UTC
Barack Obama
© Yuri Gripas / Reuters
When Barack Obama signed a prisoner swap deal with Iran, he said the released Iranians were "not charged with terrorism or any violent offenses." However, a Politico investigation claims that some were national security threats - a fact Obama ignored to keep Tehran on board with a nuclear deal.

Speaking to the American people on January 17, 2016, then-President Barack Obama called the prisoner swap - which saw the release for seven Iranians for four Iranian-Americans imprisoned by Tehran - a "one time gesture" to Iran.

He said the Iranians being released were "civilians" who had not been charged with "terrorism" or any "violent offenses."
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Info

China offering contested South China Sea oil and gas blocks

Irina Slav
Oilprice.com
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 11:57 UTC
offshore drilling rig
Last week, China National Offshore Oil Corp tendered 22 oil and gas blocks in the South China Sea, expecting bids from foreign companies that would help it develop the reserves in response to growing local oil and gas demand. It has already struck one deal, with Canada's Husky Energy, which will drill two exploration wells in block 16/25 next year.

Some might consider Husky exceptionally brave given the circumstances. A lot of the South China Sea is the object of disputes between China and its neighbors, with a court in The Hague last year ruling against China's claims and in favor of the Philippines—one of the neighbors opposing China's expansion in the basin. China however, has not acknowledged the ruling, which has heightened tensions in the area.

The South China Sea may hold 28 billion barrels of oil, according to an estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey from the mid-90s. Since then, with technology improvements, this figure could have increased substantially. Of course, low oil prices or no low oil prices, everyone wants a piece of the oil pie, and China wants the biggest one. The question is: will foreign oil companies help China take it?
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