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© Pekka Sakki / AFP
While the debate is unlikely to see Finland depart the single currency, it does show a general displeasure at the state of the country's economy. The petition demanded that a referendum should be held regarding the issue, though this is only likely to happen if parliament agrees for a vote to take place.
The petition was signed by 53,000 people and was filed by MEP Paavo Vayrynen. His main argument for leaving the euro is regarding fears that Finland might lose economic and political independence if it remains in the euro area.
"We should revive our economy by leaving the euro zone and reinstating our own currency (with a floating exchange rate). This will restore our competitiveness," said Vayrynen, adding that the idea of leaving the euro is very popular.
© AFP 2016/ LOUAI BESHARA
Speaking on Wednesday after the UN Security Council meeting, Staffan de Mistura said the legacies of both President Putin and President Obama were linked to the success of the peace process in the country.
He added that the latest round had been overshadowed by a substantial and worrisome deterioration of hostilities. Major differences on fundamental issues remain unsolved, including the political fate of President Assad. During the session, the participants have come up with a handful of alternatives to resolve the deadlock.The ideas included transferring Assad's powers to several deputies, forming a new ruling council comprised of both Syrian military officials and moderate rebel leaders or electing a new Syrian leader.
© USAID Inma / YouTube
In order to close a huge gap in once prosperous $2.9 billlion oil trading scheme, the Islamic State (IS, Daesh, formerly ISIS/ISIL) has now increasingly relies on running a network of fishing farms in hundreds of lakes north of Baghdad generating millions of dollars a month, a report by Iraq's central court of investigation said. The new revenue stream also comes from the captured car dealerships and factories which once belonged to the Iraqi government.
"After the armed forces took control of several oil fields Daesh was using to finance its operations, the organization devised non-traditional ways of paying its fighters and financing its activities," a report by Iraq's central court of investigation said, according to Reuters.
Comment:
© AFP 2016/Saul LoebUS President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, November 9, 2015.
On Friday, Israeli officials signaled a refusal to come to terms with the Obama administration on a military aid package billed as the single greatest offering of foreign military aid in world history.
The White House announced that they offered Israel an unprecedented $3.7 billion per year over the next ten years, an increase of $700 million per year over America's current $3 billion commitment to Israel. The Netanyahu administration summarily demanded $4.5 billion per year instead.
Sputnik News reached out to Max Blumenthal, a senior writer at Alternet to comment on the developing negotiations. Blumenthal is the son of Clinton family insider Sidney Blumenthal, who served as an aide to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
© Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev
"The Russian and US sides in concurrence with the Syrian leadership are introducing a 'regime of silence' in northern part of Latakia Province from 12:01am local time on April 30, 2016," Lieutenant General Sergey Kuralenko said on Friday as cited by TASS.
Comment: This has got to be a first: the U.S. agreeing with both Russia and Syria on something! Sure, it's only 'on paper', and the U.S. will probably just try to use it to shuffle around some of their terrorists, but still! The U.S. State Department says it wants it "to continue to last". So what's the deal? Were their Jabhat al-Nusrats in danger of getting obliterated again?
"During this period, conducting warfare and use of all types of weaponry will be forbidden," he explained.
Kuralenko called on all parties interested in the peace in Syria "to support Russian-American initiative and allow the disruption of the 'regime of silence'."
© REUTERS/ Abdalrhman Ismail
The Al Quds hospital in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo was bombed on Wednesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) said, adding that it supported the medical facility.
At least one airstrike hit the building directly, having completely destroyed it, MSF said citing hospital staff on the ground. At least 14 people were killed, including at least three doctors.
© presstv.ir
The US president, however, said that all of the parties involved in Syria crisis, including Iran, Russian and what he called the moderate opposition group, can be pressurized into brokering a transition. "But, I do believe that we can apply international pressure to all the parties, including Russia and Iran, who essentially are propping up Assad, as well as those moderate opposition that exist and may be fighting inside of Syria to sit down at the table and try to broker a transition," Obama stated.
Commenting on the campaign against Daesh terrorists, Obama said, "We can slowly shrink the environment in which they operate."
Comment: Why slowly? Shrink environment, not eliminate the problem?
Comment: Obama is backing off, not backing down. He's trying new words to convey his marching orders, phrases he hopes will soften objections. What he should have said was, "We made a horrific mistake and this is an official apology to Syria and its people, to President Bashar and to all who have lost their cities, homes, family and countrymen." It would be a start.
© Press TV
"If the US and its allies had wanted to stop the funding for Daesh, they could have done so long ago by cutting supply lines that go through Turkey and then mostly to Israel," Barrett says.The Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group was created by the US and its allies and their "ruse" in waging a military campaign to allegedly destroy the group has been exposed by Russia, says an American scholar and political analyst.
Dr. Kevin Barrett made the remarks while discussing the US-led military efforts against Daesh which started in 2014 in Iraq and Syria.
US Air Force Major General Peter Gersten, who is responsible for all US-led combat operations across Iraq and Syria, claimed this week that airstrikes by the so-called coalition against Daesh positions inside Syria and Iraq have led to the possible destruction of up to $800 million of the terror group's cash reserves.
"If the US and its allies had wanted to stop the funding for Daesh, they could have done so long ago by cutting supply lines that go through Turkey and then mostly to Israel," Barrett said Thursday.
He said it was instead the Russians that carried out the task in their anti-Daesh military campaign that started last September upon a request by Damascus.
Comment: Further reading
- Caught in the act: US plane airdrops arms intended for Daesh in Iraq
- US-led forces target Daesh in Iraq, Syria with a pathetic 14 airstrikes
- US bombs Iraqi brigade that had huge success against Daesh - leaves 30 dead, 20 injured
- Telling it like it is: Woman shouts 'it's you who created Daesh!' to Kerry at press conference in Italy
- Daesh is 'buckling under the pressure' from Russian coalition's offensive
Comment: See also: What's the deal behind Saudi Arabia's claim to have killed 800 terrorists in Yemen?...with no resistance?