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TV

Watching too much TV: Nikki Haley says 'never trust Russia'


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:54 UTC
Nikki Haley
© Luiz Rampelotto / EuropaNewswire / Global Look Press
Nikki Haley, the new Washington envoy to the UN, has slammed Russia and spoken out in favor of President Trump's travel ban in her first interview in the new role.

"Take it seriously. We cannot trust Russia. We should never trust Russia," she told NBC News' Matt Lauer.

Haley also backed President Donald Trump's ban on issuing visas to travelers from six majority-Muslim countries, saying, "It's not a Muslim ban. I will never support a Muslim ban. I don't think we should ever ban anyone based on their religion. That is un-American. It is not good."
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Info

Putin: Russia-Turkey relations returning to 'mutually beneficial track'


Sputnik
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:48 UTC
Putin and Erdogan
© AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russia's relations with Turkey are confidently returning to normal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"Relations with Turkey are confidently returning to a normal mutually beneficial track," Putin said at a ceremony receiving the credentials of 18 new ambassadors to Russia.

At the beginning of 2016, Russia imposed a number of restrictive measures, including a ban on food and flowers imports, on Turkey in response to the downing of a Russian military aircraft by a Turkish fighter jet in Syria on November 24, 2015.
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Star of David

Puppets for Israel: White House proposes $3.1billion to support Israel's security in 2018


Sputnik
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:37 UTC
Whitehouse
© AFP/Paul J. Richards
The White House is proposing to allocate $3.1 billion to Israel in 2018 to support the country's security and abilities to defend itself, budget's blueprint said Thursday.

"Provides $3.1 billion to meet the security assistance commitment to Israel, currently at an all-time high; ensuring that Israel has the ability to defend itself from threats and maintain its Qualitative Military Edge," the document said.

Comment: A good place for Trump to start cutting funds would be the apartheid State of Israel.

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Info

Yahoo hack: Kremlin says Russia's FSB not involved in cyberattacks, deflection from Vault 7 leaks


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:39 UTC
Russian hacker bear
© Flickr/ Sunny Ripert
Official Russian agencies, including the Federal Security Service (FSB), have nothing to do with cyberattacks, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said responding to the US Justice Department's charging of two FSB officers over a data breach at Yahoo.

"We have repeatedly stated that there can be absolutely no question of any official involvement of any Russian agency, including the FSB, in any unlawful actions in cyberspace," Peskov said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the US Justice Department announced that two FSB officers and two Russian hackers are being charged over a mega data breach at Yahoo with criminal offenses, including computer hacking and economic espionage.
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Jet3

If Japan sends Izumo warship to South China Sea China will retaliate


Sputnik
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:31 UTC
battleship
© REUTERS/ Kim Kyung-Hoon
China will take the necessary response measures if Japan sends its largest warship, the Izumo helicopter carrier, on a three-month tour to the South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday at a briefing.

Earlier this week, media reports emerged that Japan planned to send the Izumo on a tour with stops in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka in order to test the ship's capabilities before joining the Malabar joint maneuvers with India and the United States.
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Attention

Turkey partially blocks NATO projects including political events and military drills


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:27 UTC
Turkey and NATO flags
© BELGA / AFP
Ankara has partially blocked its participation in some NATO projects, including political events and military drills, amid a diplomatic row over the cancellation of Turkish rallies in several European countries.

A spokeswoman for Ankara's mission to the military alliance said on Thursday that Turkey's withdrawal is only aimed at Austria. Last year Vienna led calls for the European Union to end Turkey's EU accession talks over Ankara's response to a failed coup. Turkish referendum rallies have been canceled in Austria.

"There have been some tensions with Austria and a resulting blockage. It is, however, only targeted at Austria, the other partners are not targeted at all," Fatma Pasaoglu, spokeswoman for Turkey's mission to NATO in Brussels, said, as cited by Reuters.
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Cards

Russia has a winning hand in the Middle East, but how should Moscow use it?

Gilbert Doctorow
Russia Insider
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 17:48 UTC
Putin
Does Russia even need good relations with Washington at this point?
Editor's Note: With hysteria about Trump's "ties" to Russia as a backdrop, Doctorow explores two interesting questions: Has Russia "given up" on Trump? (Or perhaps to rephrase it: Does Russia even "need" Trump?) Which necessitates the second question: How does Moscow intend to use its "winning hand" in the Middle East?

It would be no exaggeration to say that presently many backers of Trump's planned New Foreign Policy and détente with Russia are wringing their hands in despair over what has come to look like that policy's utter defeat in the face of the wave of media and Democratic Party attacks, abetted by maverick Republican Senators, in which "Russian contacts" and "Russian meddling" are the code words.

The signs of retreat, even rout are undeniable. Several weeks ago we heard the first of several speeches from the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley repeating the same tired anti-Russian rhetoric of her predecessor, Samantha Power. Then we heard Defense Secretary Mattis in Bonn, Secretary of State Tillerson in Brussels and Vice President Pence in Munich speaking of unwavering support for NATO and US allies that Donald Trump had questioned during the campaign, even called obsolete. And most recently there was the clarification that Russia has not been invited to attend the conference of the US-led coalition of 68 countries against ISIS being held in Washington, D.C. on March 22-23. Their exclusion would appear to contradict Trump's campaign promise to forge an alliance with Russia to combat and vanquish ISIS.
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Info

Queen gives Royal Assent to Brexit bill allowing PM Theresa May to trigger Article 50


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:21 UTC
Queen Elizabeth
© Dylan Martinez / Reuters
Queen Elizabeth II has given Royal Assent to the government's European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, clearing the way for Prime Minister Theresa May to start the official process to bring the UK out of the European Union.

The Queen signed the Bill into law after it was approved in the House of Commons and the House of Lords on Monday.

The Royal Assent was presented to both House by their speakers and is now an Act of Parliament.

The PM can now decide for herself when to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, initiating the two-year process of extracting the UK from the bloc.
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Mail

Envelope explodes at IMF offices in Paris


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:29 UTC
police Paris, France, March 16, 2017.
© Philippe Wojazer / ReutersParis, France, March 16, 2017.
A letter bomb presumably containing handmade explosives went off after being opened at the offices of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Paris on Thursday. At least one person was injured. Police said there had been telephone threats prior to the incident.

A police operation is underway, law enforcers said in a statement, adding that one person was left injured by a suspicious package with explosives inside. The IMF employee received injuries to her arm and face, BFM TV reported.

The Paris police prefect has said that the device which exploded at the IMF office was sent by post. An IMF employee suffered facial injuries, presumably caused by a handmade explosive, police said.

At least three people were at the IMF office at the time of the explosion, police said. Security services are investigating the origins of the parcel.
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Snakes in Suits

What austerity? Taxpayer-funded £369mn Buckingham Palace renovation approved


RT
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:20 UTC
uckingham Palace in London
© Darren Staples / Reuters
Funding for the renovation of Buckingham Palace has been approved by MPs, and it will cost the taxpayer at least £369 million.

Parliament backed changes to the Sovereign Grant, which funds the monarchy's official duties, by 464 votes to 56, the BBC reports.

The grant will be increased by 66 percent to pay for the £369 million ($452 million) refurbishment.

The essential work, set to take 10 years, is needed to avoid the risk of what officials call "catastrophic building failure."

Ageing cables, lead pipes, wiring and boilers will be replaced, many for the first time in 60 years, because of fears about fire and water damage.
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