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Pirates

Treasure hunters release photo of sunken Russian cruiser that may have huge amount of gold reserves aboard

Dmitrii Donskoi
© Shinil Group
The presumed wreck of the Dmitrii Donskoi
A South Korean firm made a splash on Tuesday after publishing, what it says, is a Russian Imperial Navy cruiser which was sunken during the Russo-Japanese War and may have had an entire flotilla's treasury on board.

The Dmitrii Donskoi was an armored cruiser in the Russian Imperial Navy's Baltic fleet which was deployed to the Pacific along with several other ships to fight in the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War. It took part in the Battle of Tsushima, which was disastrous for Russia. It fled crippled and chased by Japanese warships and was eventually scuttled by its crew to avoid surrender off the coast of what is now South Korea's Ulleung Island, or Ulleungdo.

The cruiser is a coveted target for treasure hunters. According to some historical accounts, the Dmitrii Donskoi carried the treasury of the entire flotilla, meant to cover port expenses and pay the salaries of sailors and officers. Individual gold reserves of several other ships damaged in the battle may have been transported to the warship as well. Whoever manages to find the wreck site may become a very wealthy person.

Take 2

Russiagate moron thinks Trump's tweets are being written by Russia

trump tweets
© Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Donald Trump has long been accused of colluding with the Kremlin, but one authoritative Russiagate disciple has now suggested that even Trump's tweets are linked to Russia - exemplifying the sharp analysis that permeates Twitter.

According to Leah McElrath, a writer and activist who worked as a senior writer and director of social media for Shareblue Media, Trump's tweets ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki "definitely" weren't written by him because they contained fishy vocabulary like "retribution" and "sins and evils" - huge red flags.

After "going down a rabbit hole," McElrath returned to Twitter to declare that the "very feudal, Eurasian concept" of Trump's tweets could possibly be attributed to Aleksandr Dugin - a Russian philosopher and former professor at Moscow State University.

Light Sabers

British rescue diver claims 'this isn't over' after being labeled a 'pedo' by Elon Musk

elon musk
© Brendan McDermid / Reuters
A British diver who was allegedly labelled a "pedo" by Elon Musk over his criticism of the billionaire's unexpected bid to rescue children stuck in a Thai cave using a tiny submarine, has threatened to sue.

Vernon Unsworth told 7 News Sydney that he's considering taking legal action after Elon Musk called him a "pedo guy" in a series of now-deleted tweets.

"Yes, it's not finished," Unsworth said. "I'm not going to make any further comment about him, but I think people realise what sort of guy he is."

Chess

Beijing files complaint with WTO over planned US tariffs on Chinese products

us flag
© Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Beijing has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against planned US duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products, China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.

Last week, the ministry said it would immediately file a complaint to the WTO against what it called US unilateralism. In July, Beijing responded with mirror measures after Washington imposed 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods.

After China retaliated, the US Trade Representative proposed an additional $200 billion in tariffs. The first round of the US tariffs was introduced on July 6 after Washington accused China of hurting American companies by stealing or pressuring foreign enterprises to hand over technology.

Chess

Brother of Amesbury victim claims poisoning came from perfume bottle

amesbury poisoning
© Henry Nicholls / Reuters
Police investigators arrive at a housing estate on Muggleton Road, after Amesbury poisoning was confirmed on July 6, 2018
The Novichok nerve agent which allegedly killed a woman and left her partner seriously ill in hospital came from a perfume bottle, according to the brother of a victim.

Charlie Rowley, 45, fell ill with girlfriend Dawn Sturgess in Amesbury, Wiltshire after allegedly being exposed to Novichok on June 30. Sturgess, 44, subsequently died on July 8. His brother Matthew claims Charlie told him that the source of the nerve agent was a perfume bottle which he had picked up, according to the BBC.

The incident happened near Salisbury - where former Russian double agent spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia were supposedly poisoned with a nerve agent, which British labs apparently identified as Novichok, in March.

Matthew, who made the visit to see his brother in hospital on Wednesday, said that he is "absolutely not the brother I know."

Yoda

Putin: 'Russia stopped nearly 25 million cyber attacks during World Cup'

hacks
© Reuters
Russia has come under nearly 25 million cyber attacks targeting its critical information systems and infrastructure during the FIFA World Cup tournament, Vladimir Putin revealed.

"Throughout the duration of the World Cup, we neutralized almost 25 million cyber attacks and other criminal activities against the information infrastructure of Russia, which, in one way or another, were associated with the holding of the World Cup," the Russian president said.

Speaking at a meeting dedicated to the security of the World Cup, Putin thanked the representatives of 55 special services and law enforcement agencies from 34 countries which helped ensure security during the month-long tournament.

Comment: US elites wanna talk about cyber-attacks done by Russia to the US?

Alright then, let's investigate and see who does what cyber-attacking where!


Snakes in Suits

Journalist for The Economist mocked for rehashing debunked Kremlin 'hacking' allegations against Macron

hacked
© Yuri Arcurs / Getty Images
The Economist's senior journalist Jeremy Cliffe has been mocked after rehashing the debunked story about the Kremlin 'hacking' Emmanuel Macron's campaign. Observers reminded him it was rubbished by the French secret service.

Cliffe, who runs The Economist's Berlin Bureau, tweeted about French President Macron when he was celebrating his country's victory at the FIFA World Cup on Sunday. The French leader had simply tweeted "thank you" to the French football squad right after its players claimed a spectacular win over Croatia in the final to become world champions.

The journalist, who also does punditry on channels such as BBC, CNN and NBC, used it as a pretext to write a long tweet to Macron about watching his team play in Russia in light of the Russian-hacking stories circulating during Macron's election campaign last year.

"Putin loathed Macron's liberal pro-Europeanism so much he hacked his presidential campaign to help [his then-main opponent] Marine Le Pen. But Macron laid traps, exposed the hack, became French president and is now celebrating his country's World Cup win in Russia. So let's really enjoy this moment," Cliffe wrote.

Stock Up

US suicide rate up 28% in 18 years - blame the fading American dream?

montana
Sobering statistics published earlier this month show that the annual rate of suicide in the US has risen by almost 28 per cent between 1999 and 2016.

A number of explanations have been put forward, including the 2008 economic crash, the upsurge in addiction to opioid painkillers and the migration of manufacturing jobs to other countries. But none alone explains why the suicide rate is rising so fast in the US as it falls in other rich countries. Is something uniquely American at work?

Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show the country's rate of suicide was 15.6 per 100,000 population in 2016, up from 12.2 in 1999. Of all the states, Montana fares worst, with a rate of 29.2 per 100,000. The global average rate in 2016 was 10.6, according to the World Health Organization.

For comparison, the rate for the UK in 2016 was 8.9 per 100,000, down from 9.1 in 2000, according to the latest WHO data. And although rates are much higher in Russia, at 31 per 100,000 in 2016, this is a dramatic fall from 52.6 in 2000. Clearly, the US is something of an outlier.


Comment: And clearly - contrary to American prejudice - Russia is doing something right, i.e. at least they're moving in the right direction.


Globalisation and automation, which are driving job losses in the US, may partly be to blame, but the same pressures have affected all Western economies without a similar increase in the suicide rate.

Cult

Vatican invites outrage after suggesting physical virginity is not a prerequisite to receiving a consecration of virginity

pope francis
© Remo Casilli / Reuters
Consecrated virgins have expressed their shock and outrage after a Vatican document suggested that physical virginity is not a prerequisite to becoming a so-called 'bride of Christ.'

The surprising revelation was included in a detailed guidance document on consecrated virginity, published by the Vatican earlier this month. It followed requests from bishops who reported an increasing number of women being called to the vocation.

A consecrated virgin is a woman who has never married, who pledges perpetual virginity and dedicates her life to God. Unlike a nun, the women do not live in a community and are expected to provide for themselves. There are an estimated 5,000 consecrated virgins in at least 42 countries, about 250 consecrated virgins live in the US.

Star of David

Israel toughens Gaza blockade by suspending energy supplies

Kerem Shalom crossing

Kerem Shalom crossing
Israel has strengthened the blockade of Gaza, ceasing the deliveries of energy to the territory through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, the country's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has decided to close the Kerem Shalom checkpoint for energy until the next Sunday after consultations with the head of the General Staff," the ministry said in a statement.

The checkpoint will continue to pass food and medicines, the deliveries of which will be approved on an individual basis, according to the statement.


Comment: Which means at the whim of whatever psychopath is on duty at the time. A perfect situation for targeting individuals Israel considers troublesome.


Comment: Norman Finkelstein: Gaza on the brink of collapse, residents 'caged in'