The Ukrainian crisis can be viewed as being composed of several interconnected factors, from the civil war to rampant corruption, and the wider geopolitical ramifications of American confrontation with Russia. Another relatively overlooked factor is the ongoing conflict over Ukraine's natural resources.

Of particular interest to transnational corporations and their puppet local oligarchs is the 'black earth' of Ukraine. Black earth or 'Chernozem' is found in two major zones on earth, one of which encompasses sections of Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. Black earth is characterized by its very high fertility and, consequently, its capacity for producing a high agricultural output.

International corporations have long been utilizing loopholes and political lobbying in order to overturn a Ukrainian moratorium on land sales to foreigners. By leasing numerous parcels of land these companies anticipate both the Ukrainian government's desperation for money and the EU obligations to force open a goldmine of agricultural exploitation.

Israeli forces boarded and commandeered the Marianne on Monday, one of four boats that were bound for Gaza in the latest attempt to break the tight Israeli siege of the occupied territory.

At around 2 am Gaza time Marianne was surrounded by three Israeli navy boats while in international waters more than 100 miles off the coast of Gaza, organizers Freedom Flotilla III said in a press release.

"After that we lost contact with the Marianne and at 05:11 am (Gaza time) the IDF [Israeli army] announced that they had 'visited and searched' Marianne," the press release states. "They had captured the boat and detained all on board 'in international waters' as they admitted themselves. The only positive content in the IDF announcement was that they still recognize that there is a naval blockade of Gaza, despite the Netanyahu government's recent denial that one exists."

Britain's second largest police force suppressed the release of a report detailing how criminal gangs were sexually grooming vulnerable young girls, over fears its findings would spark racial tensions ahead of Britain's 2010 general election.

West Midlands Police were informed in 2010 that 139 girls - some of whom were only 13 years of age - were at serious risk of exploitation from groups of men. However, the force failed to issue a public alert or appeal for information.

This sobering revelation was first uncovered by the Birmingham Mail under Freedom of Information (FoI). The paper had submitted its request as part of a broader investigation into sexual exploitation of children.

A document dating back to March 2010, sent to the Birmingham Mail, suggests Asian gangs were targeting children's care home and schools in the West Midlands area.

Titled 'Problem Profile, Operation Protection,' the files also indicate young Caucasian girls were coerced into recruiting their peers into the gang's web of exploitation.

Allegedly produced by senior intelligence officers, the report's findings caused concern ahead of May 2010's General Election. Fears it could drum up racial tensions and cause commotion ahead of polling day allegedly led to its suppression.

The documents, released under FoI, have been heavily redacted.

Share prices slump after Athens orders banks shut until after Sunday's snap referendum, with stock exchange closed on Monday and ATM withdrawals limited to €60


Share prices slumped across Europe on Monday as Greece shuttered its banks for a week following a fateful weekend that has shaken Europe's single currency.

The Greek government decided on Sunday night it had no option but to close the nation's banks the following day after the European Central Bank (ECB) raised the stakes by freezing the liquidity lifeline that has kept them afloat during a six-month run on deposits.

In London the FTSE 100 tumbled by 150 points - more than 2% - when trading began at 8am BST. There were even sharper falls across Europe, with the French and German markets both tumbling by 4%. European banking shares were the hardest hit, suffering losses of up to 10%.

Overnight in Tokyo the Nikkei index had fallen almost 3% and in Hong Kong shares slid 2.5%.

"The Greek butterfly looks set to cause a tornado in financial markets," said Michael Hewson, chief markets analyst at CMC Markets UK. "In the process we could well also find out if this event turns out to be the equivalent of the butterfly flapping its wings in New Mexico, going on to cause a hurricane in China."

The Athens Stock Exchange will not reopen on Monday.. The dramatic move, after 48 hours of sensational developments in Greece's long-running battles with creditors, was sparked by the call on Friday night by country's prime minister, Alexis Tsipras , for a referendum on its creditors' demands. That prompted finance ministers of the eurozone to effectively put an end to his country's five-year bailout by the International Monetary Fund, the ECB and the European commission.

In a brief, televised address to the nation, Tsipras threw the blame on to the leaders of the eurozone. But he did not say how long the banks would remain shut, nor did he give details of how much individuals and companies would be allowed to withdraw once they reopened.

The Greek government has announced that banks will remain closed on Monday and restrictions on withdrawals will be introduced following the ECB refusal to provide additional Emergency Liquidity Assistance to Greece's banking system.

"The Eurogroup's decision prompted the ECB to not increase liquidity to Greek banks and forced the Bank of Greece to recommend that banks remain closed, as well as restrictive measures on withdrawals," Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the nation in his Sunday night address.

Following the explosion at a chemical factory, the Ukrainian government has urged the OSCE to monitor the levels of radiation over Donetsk. The Ukrainian government urged the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the level of background radiation after the explosion at the Donetsk factory of chemical products. The factory manages the disposal of ammunition, upgrade and repair of ammo. The factory also produces industrial explosives.

For a long time now the concentration of ammunition and explosives in the areas of the factory had reached almost critical level. For over a year the plant has been a threat to the entire region," read the Facebook statement posted by the headquarters of Kiev's special military operation in southeastern Ukraine.

It was earlier reported that an explosion that occurred at a Donetsk chemical factory on June 16 could have led to damages at the radiation storage site as it triggered the detonation of underground ammunition depots.

"This situation is causing great concern on the Ukrainian side, because there is a possibility of leakage of radioactive elements that are very dangerous to the health and life of a large number of civilians in the region," Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Andriy Taran was quoted as saying in a Facebook statement posted by the headquarters of Kiev's special military operation in southeastern Ukraine.

Mixed reactions followed the unveiling in Serbia of a statue to Gavrilo Princip, whose murder of the Austro-Hungarian crown prince triggered the World War I. Princip still divides the region, with some viewing him as a hero and others a terrorist.

Hundreds attended the unveiling of the monument on Sunday, happening on the 101 anniversary of the 1914 assassination, also the Serbian holiday of St. Vitus.

As we noted last night, for a whole lot of time nothing at all can happen under the guise of "containment"... and then everything happens all at once. Because not even two full days after Greece activated the "Grexit" emergency protocol, leading to capital controls, and a frozen banking system and stock market, moments ago the NYT reported that the default wave has jumped the Atlantic and has hit Puerto Rico whose governor Alejandro García Padilla, saying he needs to pull the island out of a "death spiral," has concluded that the commonwealth cannot pay its roughly $72 billion in debts, an admission that will probably have wide-reaching financial repercussions.

In other words, first Greece, and now Puerto Rico may be in a state of Schrodingerian default. Why the ambiguity? Because while Greece is not technically in default until July 1, Puerto Rico does not even have an option to declare outright default. But that doesn't mean that the commonwealth will service it. Quoted by the NYT, García Padilla said "The debt is not payable." He added that "there is no other option. I would love to have an easier option. This is not politics, this is math."

Lord Janner will stand trial over alleged historical child sex abuses, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced.

The decision overturns a previous ruling which saw the 89-year-old peer exempt from criminal proceedings due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

In a statement, the CPS confirmed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) Alison Saunders would pursue "criminal proceedings against Greville Janner for child sex offences."

The decision to reverse Janner's immunity came through the "recently introduced" Victim's Right to Review scheme "which allows victims to have their cases looked at again, no matter who in the CPS made the original decision not to prosecute."

Janner is expected to stand trial on August 7 at Westminster Magistrate's Court.

This trial will mark the first time Janner has faced any criminal proceedings for the 22 alleged offences which took place between 1969 and 1988.

The total charges against the peer include 14 indecent assaults on a male under the age of 16, four counts of gross indecency with a male under the age of 16, two counts of indecency and two further counts of gross indecency.


He was suspended in 1997 after the CPS produced evidence against him.

You can tell a lot about people by what they believe in. Money. Art. Jesus. Bingo. All roadmaps to the soul.

Stephen Harper has built his government and his career on information control and marketing. The nerd nobody liked is getting even; he now edits reality full-time.

As we begin the bumpy descent towards the October election (assuming it will be called), there is only one question to be answered: can Harper (assuming he runs) market his way to victory in the most important election in the country's history?