Month: April 2014

‘People’s Republic Of Donetsk’ Unveils Independence Referendum Set For May 11th

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Donetsk

– “People’s Republic Of Donetsk” Unveils Independence Referendum Set For May 11th (ZeroHedge, April 30, 2014):

As we showed in the map earlier, the spread of pro-Russian-held cities is rapid across eastern Ukraine and it seems things are reaching a very dangerous head very quickly. As RIA reports, the Central Election Commission of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” has agreed to hold a referendum (covering 55 territorial election commissions, more than two thousand polling stations, and more than two million ballots) on May 11th. Citizens will answer one simple question, “Do you support the act of the proclamation of independence of the Donetsk State People’s Republic?” As RIA adds, leadership have stated that region of Donetsk will not vote in the May 25 presidential election in Ukraine if the majority of residents support independence.

RIA reports that the Central Election Commission “Donetsk People’s Republic” formed the referendum 55 territorial election commissions, and more than two thousand polling stations, published more than two million ballots, according to RIA Novosti, the CEC Chairman, “the People’s Republic of Donetsk” Roman Lyagin.

Read more‘People’s Republic Of Donetsk’ Unveils Independence Referendum Set For May 11th

Presenting Russian East Ukraine: These Are The Cities Controlled By “Separatists”

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– Presenting Russian East Ukraine: These Are The Cities Controlled By “Separatists” (ZeroHedge, April 30, 2014):

Vladimir Putin ‘confirmed’ yesterday that there were no Russian forces ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine and so it seems the daily growing list of cities that are falling to pro-Russian separatist forces throughout Eastern Ukraine – as the following chart shows – suggests an ever more divided nation is verging on civil war, despite the best efforts of the West to sanction their way to a fix. As Turchinov warned this morning, there is “real danger of the Russian Federation beginning a land war against Ukraine… our armed forces are on full military readiness.”

East Ukraine - These Are The Cities Controlled By Separatists

Source: AFP

As Reuters reports,

Read morePresenting Russian East Ukraine: These Are The Cities Controlled By “Separatists”

Meanwhile, Gazprom Sends Ukraine A New Invoice … $3.49 BILLION! And Its Due The 7th Day Of May!

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Gazprom-Logo

– Meanwhile, Gazprom Sends Ukraine A New Invoice (ZeroHedge, April 30, 2014):

As the day of the IMF’s release of funds to Ukraine draws near – solving all their problems with yet more debt, we are told to believe – Russia’s Gazprom has gently reminded the Ukrainian government that it owes them… $3.49 billion! and its due the 7th day of May!

  • *GAZPROM SAYS UKRAINE OWES $3.49B FOR GAS AS OF APRIL 30

As Bloomberg reports,

Read moreMeanwhile, Gazprom Sends Ukraine A New Invoice … $3.49 BILLION! And Its Due The 7th Day Of May!

If It Wasn’t For Obamacare, Q1 GDP Would Have Been NEGATIVE 1.0%

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– If It Wasn’t For Obamacare, Q1 GDP Would Be Negative (ZeroHedge, April 30, 2014):

Here is a shocker: for all the damnation Obamacare, which according to poll after poll is loathed by a majority of the US population, has gotten if it wasn’t for the (government-mandated) spending surge resulting from Obamacare, which resulted in the biggest jump in Healthcare Services spending in the past quarter in history and added 1.1% to GDP …

Healthcare Quarterly

… real Q1 GDP (in chained 2009 dollars), which rose only $4.3 billion sequentially to $15,947 billion, would have been a negative 1.0%!

Read moreIf It Wasn’t For Obamacare, Q1 GDP Would Have Been NEGATIVE 1.0%

GDP Shocker: US Economic Growth Crashes To Just 0.1% In Q1

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– GDP Shocker: US Economic Growth Crashes To Just 0.1% In Q1 (ZeroHedge, April 30, 2014):

Despite consensus at 1.2% growth QoQ, the “weather” destroyed the fragile stimulus-led economy of the US which managed only a de minimus +0.1% QoQ growth (the lowest since Q1 2011). However, as Steve Liesman noted on the heels of Mark Zandi’s comments “basically ignore this number” – ok then. Spending on Services, however, surged by the most since 2000 – heralded as great news by some talking heads – but is merely a reflection of the surge in healthcare and heating costs (imagine if it had not been cold and if Obamacare hadn’t saved us). As a reminder – this is the growth that is occurring as QE has run its course, as stimulus ends, and as escape velocity nears… if the “weather” can do this much damage to the US economy, should stocks really be trading at the multiple of exuberant future hope that they are?

Oops!

20140430_GDP

The full breakdown of GDP components:

Read moreGDP Shocker: US Economic Growth Crashes To Just 0.1% In Q1

US F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Can’t Evade Russian Radars

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See also:

– Money For Nothing? Boeing Says F-35 Isn’t So Stealth After All

– U.S. Waived Laws To Keep F-35 On Track With China-Made Parts (Reuters)

– Test Pilots: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Blind Spot Will Get It ‘Gunned Every Time’ (Wired)

– Pentagon Grounds F-35 Fighter Jet Fleet After Engine Crack Found (CBS News)

– F-35 (Ironically Known As ‘Lightning II’) Fatal Flaw: Lightning! (RT)

– Trillion-Dollar F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Jet Has Thirteen Expensive New Flaws

– NATIONAL SECURITY ALERT: F-35 STEALTH FIGHTER SPY COVER-UP (Veterans Today):

“AN UNPRECEDENTED DISASTER”

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (file photo)

– US stealth fighter jet can’t evade Russian radars: Report (PressTV, April 29, 2014):

The US’s newly developed radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will not be able to escape Russian radars.

“The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter… is not, in fact, stealthy in the eyes of a growing number of Russian and Chinese radars,” the Aviation Week said.

It said the jet, which the Pentagon hopes would be stealthy, is “having all sorts of shortcomings.”

The report said the jet is not even effective in “jamming enemy radar”, adding the US Defense Department is spending “hundreds of billions of dollars” for a “fighter that will need the help of specialized jamming aircraft.”

It said the F-35 is even “susceptible to detection by radars operating in the VHF bands of the spectrum.”

Read moreUS F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet Can’t Evade Russian Radars

Bavaria Joins European Network Of GMO Free Regions

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– Bayern tritt europäischem Netz gentechnikfreier Regionen bei (Top Agrar, April 24, 2014)

Dr. Marcel Huber
Bavarian Environment Minister Dr. Marcel Huber

– Bavaria Signs Agreement to Go GMO Free (Sustainable Pulse, April 28, 2014):

Germany’s Bavaria region has become the 62nd GMO Free farming area in Europe. The Munich-based Bavarian Environment Minister Dr. Marcel Huber, signed the GMO Free agreement in Brussels, with the President of the European GMO Free network, Maura Malaspina, the Environment Minister for the Marche region of Italy.

Bavaria Joins European Network Of GMO Free Regions

Source: www.topagrar.com

Bavaria is the 62nd member of the network, which includes regions from nine EU Member States, including 18 regions of France, 13 regions from Italy and all the states of Austria.

Read moreBavaria Joins European Network Of GMO Free Regions

Pentagon To Destroy $1 BILLION In Ammunition

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– Report: Pentagon to destroy $1B in ammunition (USA Today, April 28, 2014):

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to destroy more than $1 billion worth of ammunition although some of those bullets and missiles could still be used by troops, according to the Pentagon and congressional sources.

It’s impossible to know what portion of the arsenal slated for destruction — valued at $1.2 billion by the Pentagon — remains viable because the Defense Department’s inventory systems can’t share data effectively, according to a Government Accountability Office report obtained by USA TODAY.

Read morePentagon To Destroy $1 BILLION In Ammunition

National Security Insiders: NATO Is Unprepared To Counter Russia

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FYI.

– Poll: NATO Is Unprepared to Counter Russia (Defense One, April 29, 2014):

A whopping three-quarters of National Journal’s National Security Insiders said the NATO alliance is not prepared to counter a newly aggressive Russia, which has been conducting military exercises on Ukraine’s border, sparking fears it may invade.

“NATO (except for its Eastern European members) bought the whole ‘peace dividend’ idea when the Berlin Wall fell. Everyone seems to have missed a renascent Russian military force that can cause quite a bit of difficulty even if the Russian state is in serious social and economic trouble,” one Insider said. “This situation is a clear warning to NATO and the U.S. that they need to be able to handle a resurgent Russia while combating terrorism at the same time. The Pentagon clearly needs to rethink its force-shaping and budgetary plans for the next few years since [Russian Present Vladimir] Putin has already shown what he wants to do.”

Read moreNational Security Insiders: NATO Is Unprepared To Counter Russia

Hell Hole: The Shocking Secret World Inside The Walls Of Brazil’s Prisons (Video)

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Inhuman, medieval conditions are the norm in Brazilian prisons where inmates have few rights. In a country where police would rather shoot a suspect than lock him up prison conditions speak to the larger issues at play.


Added: Apr 28, 2014

Hell Hole: The shocking secret world inside the walls of Brazil’s prisons

This shocking report on the inhuman, medieval conditions experienced by Brazilian prisoners defies belief. How can such an economically stable country perpetrate such blatant human rights abuses?

“We want out! The water is yellow! It’s making us sick!”. The prisoners of the Central Prison of Porto Alegre scream out of iron-barred windows. Inside, it’s a veritable museum of horrors: crumbling stone cells designed for 8 men are crammed with 40: mattresses line the floors, corridors, and even the rancid toilets, and men are literally left to rot to death. “The situation is chaotic”, says Prison Inspector Gilmar Bortolotto. He shows us the guns, mobile phones, drugs, and other weapons that are smuggled in inside the body, or by visitors or crooked staff. He explains that prison gangs impose their own rules here: “they charge [other prisoners] to sleep, to shower, for food. It’s basically a laboratory for more criminal problems”. Building new prisons, to separate repeat offenders from first timers, and the most dangerous criminals from the minor offenders, is the only way forward. Yet attributing the lack of funding for prison reforms to “the will of the people”, Gilmar seems doubtful this will ever happen. A quote from Mandela eloquently expresses his deep sense of shame: “you don’t know a country until you know that country’s prisons.”

SBS Dateline – Ref. 4811

For downloads and more information visit: http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=60435&a…

WHooPie KeRRY…

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WHooPie KeRRY...

This bloviating bag of gaseous humdrum is a consummate loser. According to the script, he is supposed to be busy playing Neocon Tony Atlas in the Ukraine. Instead he is busy pronating himself before his Israeli masters. Called to the carpet for daring to imply Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is a form of apartheid.

Pft….

Source

Kerry To Russia: We Will Defend Every Single Piece Of NATO Territory

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Mr .’Brilliant’ Kerry at work.

Message to Kerry: Ukraine is NOT part of NATO!

So we & NATO have NO business there!

… unless we want to start WW3 …

… or better ‘have to start WW3’, because the economy and the entire financial system is collapsing.

– US to Russia: We will defend every single piece of NATO territory (PressTV, April 29, 2014):

US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin over the current situation in Ukraine, saying that “NATO territory is inviolable.”

“Putin’s Russia is playing by a different set of rules,” Kerry said during a speech at the Atlantic Council’s tribute to NATO and the European Union on Tuesday.

“Today Russia seeks to change the security landscape of Eastern and Central Europe,” he said. “Whatever path Russia chooses, the United States and our allies will stand together in our defense of Ukraine.”

“And most important, together we have to make it absolutely clear to the Kremlin that NATO territory is inviolable. We will defend every single piece of it,” he warned.

Read moreKerry To Russia: We Will Defend Every Single Piece Of NATO Territory

Why is Putin in Washington’s Crosshairs?

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– Why is Putin in Washington’s Crosshairs? (CounterPunch, April 28, 2014):

by MIKE WHITNEY

“Washington wants to weaken Moscow economically by slashing its gas revenues and, thus, eroding its ability to defend itself or its interests. The US does not want an economically-integrated Europe and Asia. The de facto EU-Russian alliance is a direct threat to US global hegemony.”

US provocations in Ukraine cannot be understood apart from Washington’s “Pivot to Asia”, which is the broader strategic plan to shift attention from the Middle East to Asia. The so called “re-balancing” is actually a blueprint for controlling China’s growth in a way that is compatible with US hegemonic ambitions. There are different schools of thought about how this can be achieved, but loosely speaking they fall into two categories, “dragon slayers” and “panda huggers”. Dragon slayers favor a strategy of containment while panda huggers favor engagement. As yet, the final shape of the policy has not been decided, but it’s clear from hostilities in the South China Sea and the Senkaku Islands, that the plan will depend heavily on military force.

So what does controlling China have to do with the dust up in Ukraine?

Read moreWhy is Putin in Washington’s Crosshairs?

How It All Will End: ‘Badly, We Guess’

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From the article:

The leaders of the Developed World have chipped away at the solidity that would ordinarily justify confidence in their leadership, markets and currencies, such that confidence can be lost at any moment. If confidence in a sound system is unfairly lost, then countertrend forces can act to stem the panic and restore stability. But a justified loss of confidence in an unsound system would generate much more damage and be, for a period of time and price, unstoppable. That result is what governments have risked by their poor policies, their lack of attention to the risks posed by the inventions of the modern financial system, and their neglect of the fiscal balance sheet. Since this combination is relatively new, particularly the enormity of Developed World debt and obligations, as well as the complexity and extraordinarily high leverage of the financial system (especially given the size of derivatives books), there is no way to tell exactly how it all will end. Badly, we guess.

Paul Singer

– Elliott’s Paul Singer On How It All Will End: “Badly, We Guess” (ZeroHedge, April 29, 2014):

Some less than pleasant observations from the billionaire founder of Elliott Management, Paul Singer, extracted from his periodic letter to clients.

AMERICA’S LIABILITIES

The budget deficit for the latest fiscal year (which ended on September 30) was reported to be around $700 billion. However, this figure would be many times higher if the government’s unfunded entitlement programs were included. Even before taking into account liabilities stemming from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which cannot even be calculated yet because so many of its assumptions are either erroneous or outright fabrications, and because many of its provisions keep getting delayed by the Administration for purposes of political advantage, the present value of the future obligations of the federal government is currently around $92 trillion. These obligations have been growing by over 10% per year since 2000, during which time nominal GDP has risen just 3.8% per year. At this rate, the federal government will owe an estimated $200 trillion on the entitlement programs by 2021 (again, excluding the effects of ACA) and $300 trillion by 2025.

These numbers are not fantasies. At present, there is no acknowledgement by a large portion of the American political establishment that this insolvency even exists. Nor have the leaders of this establishment made any concrete progress toward restoring solvency by taking up serious proposals to rein in unpayable promises. Quite the contrary: Politicians and policymakers continually tell people that such entitlement obligations will be met – a claim they must know cannot possibly be true.

Read moreHow It All Will End: ‘Badly, We Guess’

Moscow Calls US, NATO Military Buildup Near Russian Borders ‘Unprecedented’

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Related info:

– The West Prepares: These Are All NATO Aircraft Deployments In Response To The Ukraine Crisis

Russia's Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu (L) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (R)
Russia’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu (L) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (R)

– Moscow calls US, NATO military buildup near Russian borders ‘unprecedented’ (RT, April 28, 2014):

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has urged his Pentagon counterpart Chuck Hagel to help cool down the rhetoric over Ukraine and described NATO troops massing near Russian borders as “unprecedented.”

Speaking to Hagel by phone on Monday, Shoigu also denied the accusations that there are Russian agents acting in Ukraine.

“The Russian minister has called for his colleague to help cool down the rhetoric [over Ukraine] as much as possible. He also unequivocally refuted baseless accusations that there are Russian sabotage and spy teams, purportedly destabilizing the situation in the south-east of the country,” said a statement from the Russian defense ministry.

Instead, Shoigu classed the growth of NATO activity in Eastern Europe as “unprecedented”, saying it was accompanied by “provocative” rhetoric about “containing” Russia.

Read moreMoscow Calls US, NATO Military Buildup Near Russian Borders ‘Unprecedented’

Real Overpriced Counties of America: Orange County named most overpriced county in the entire United States. Fitch Ratings and Trulia point to a bubble in the OC with prices overvalued by 30 percent.

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– Real Overpriced Counties of America: Orange County named most overpriced county in the entire United States. Fitch Ratings and Trulia point to a bubble in the OC with prices overvalued by 30 percent. (Dr. Housing Bubble, April 29, 2014):

When it comes to real estate, we know that Californians enjoy drinking from the gold cup of mania. Lusting over real estate seems to be as common as traffic on the 405. People in California have a deep rooted cultural and economic amnesia. I bet half the population has very little idea regarding the history of many cities in Southern California. Heck, most don’t even know where their drinking water comes from. So trying to discuss Fed policy, skewing based on investors, or market manipulation with a large portion of people is like talking to your dog about Hemmingway. Some people only understand “real estate goes up!” and when it doesn’t, they only understand “buying is bad!” California real estate is overvalued by most economic measures. Sure, people are willing to pay insane prices but they did this as well in 2006 and 2007 and people also paid crazy prices for tech companies in a previous delusion based boom. Investors are pulling back because they simply don’t perceive value at current prices. We are now seeing more reports putting a price on how overvalued the region is. Fitch Ratings and Trulia both point to SoCal as being massively overpriced. In fact, Fitch Ratings has Orange County overvalued by a whopping 30 percent. Congratulations to Orange County for being the most overpriced county in the entire United States.

Read moreReal Overpriced Counties of America: Orange County named most overpriced county in the entire United States. Fitch Ratings and Trulia point to a bubble in the OC with prices overvalued by 30 percent.

Italian Court Upholds Ban On Monsanto MON810 Corn Cultivation

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– Italian Court Upholds Ban on Monsanto MON810 Corn Cultivation (Sustainable Pulse, April 24, 2014):

A regional court in Italy has upheld the country’s national ban on the planting of Monsanto’s MON810 corn.

Italian Court Upholds Ban on Monsanto MON810 Corn Cultivation

The ruling cites the precautionary principle, which allows governments to take protective measures without having to wait for the risks to become fully realised.

Information from GM Watch

Source: www.greenbiz.it

The court case was brought by a farmer from the Friuli region, Giorgio Fidenato, in an attempt to overturn the ban on planting MON810.

Read moreItalian Court Upholds Ban On Monsanto MON810 Corn Cultivation

A Mortuary Of 7,000,000 Foreclosures And Counting: Nation Still Faces 9.1 Million Properties That Are Seriously Underwater

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– A mortuary of 7,000,000 foreclosures and counting: Nation still faces 9.1 million properties that are seriously underwater. (Dr. Housing Bubble, April 20, 2014):

If a foreclosure happens in the wilderness, does it make a sound? It seems like people have conveniently forgotten that since the housing crisis hit we have witnessed more than 7,000,000+ foreclosures. Do you think these people believe the Fed is almighty and can stop a speeding train or turn water into wine? Apparently some people forget that the Fed failed to prevent the tech bust or the housing bust in the first place. Now, the Fed is somehow the cult leader and the leader will not let housing values fall. The nation still has 9.1 million seriously underwater homeowners on top of the more than 7 million that have gone through foreclosure. It is abundantly clear that the mindless drivel of “buying is always a good decision” is just that. Investors are starting to pull back in expensive states because value is harder to find. I see the lemmings at open houses and you can see the drool at the side of their mouths hoping for a morsel of real estate. The Fed, for better or worse, has turned us all into speculators. Simply putting your money in a bank is a losing battle because inflation is eroding your buying power. Yet wages are not keeping up. What you have is people competing with investors, foreign money, and a market with low inventory and trying to guess the next move from the Fed. Yet the tech bust and housing crash (keep in mind these happened only since 2000) were major events not prevented by the Fed.

Read moreA Mortuary Of 7,000,000 Foreclosures And Counting: Nation Still Faces 9.1 Million Properties That Are Seriously Underwater

‘ROTHSCHILDS THROUGH MONSANTO, GOLDMAN SACHS, EXXON, GOOGLE, OBAMA, NATO, RENZI AND MERKEL PUSH FOR NEW WORLD ORDER’

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Bill-Gates-Monsanto

Rothschild

The following is a comment by reader vjklmno:

ROTHSCHILDS THROUGH MONSANTO, GOLDMAN SACHS, EXXON, GOOGLE, OBAMA, NATO, RENZI AND MERKEL PUSH FOR NEW WORLD ORDER

” WTO: Global trade to gain speed in 2014 and 2015 14 April 2014
…………………
The agency’s director general, Roberto Azevedo, said that just waiting for an automatic increase in trade was not enough.
He called for new trade liberalisation agreements, in particular the negotiations known as the Doha Round. ” http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27025011

AMONG THESE NEW TRADE LIBERALISATION AGREEMENTS THERE ARE THE TTIP (TRANSATLANTIC TRADE AND INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP) AND THE TPP (TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP).

” The threat of the US-EU trade deal http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-6dea-The-threat-of-the-US-EU-trade-deal

Friday 28th Februay 2014

Read more‘ROTHSCHILDS THROUGH MONSANTO, GOLDMAN SACHS, EXXON, GOOGLE, OBAMA, NATO, RENZI AND MERKEL PUSH FOR NEW WORLD ORDER’

GMOs Present In 75 To 80 Percent Of Conventional Processed Food In The U.S.

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– Studies Show GMOs in Majority of U.S. Processed Foods, 58 Percent of Americans Unaware of Issue (PR Newswire, Oct 7, 2013):

Whole Foods Market invites consumers to know what’s in U.S. food supply

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ — On Sunday, Oct. 10, Whole Foods Market and retailers across the country will celebrate Non-GMO Day to raise consumer awareness about the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the food supply. Driven by the nonprofit Non-GMO Project, this Sunday’s events are designed to send a wakeup call to consumers across the country.

“Most Americans aren’t familiar with GMOs or aware of the extent of their use in food,” explains Joe Dickson, Whole Foods Market’s food, organic and environmental quality standards coordinator. “We invite our communities to stop by our stores and learn more about this issue. Together as consumers and retailers, we can make a difference and preserve our access to food produced without the intentional use of GMOs.”

Little-known facts about GMOs:

Read moreGMOs Present In 75 To 80 Percent Of Conventional Processed Food In The U.S.

Ukraine Crisis: EU Sanctions Target Another 15 Individuals, Bringing The Total Number Targeted To 48

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– Ukraine crisis: EU sanctions target 15 individuals (CNN, April 29, 2014):

The European Union has imposed sanctions related to the crisis in Ukraine on another 15 people, bringing the total number targeted to 48.

The EU said Monday the people are collectively responsible for actions that “undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

The targets include Dmitry Kozak, Russia’s deputy prime minister; Russian military chief Valery Gerasimov; and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, including Denis Pushilin, the self-declared leader of the “Donetsk People’s Republic.”

Read moreUkraine Crisis: EU Sanctions Target Another 15 Individuals, Bringing The Total Number Targeted To 48

US, EU Levy Fresh Sanctions On Russian Officials, Firms – Dean Henderson: Sanctions On Russia Are An Act Of War (Video)

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Added: Apr 28, 2014

Description:

In a coordinated move, the United States and the European Union impose fresh sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

The White house says that seven Russian officials as well as 17 firms linked to President Vladimir Putin have been added to the sanctions list. The EU in a similar move said it has agreed to impose sanctions on 15 Russian and Ukrainian figures. Among the targeted individuals are the head of the state oil giant Rosneft Igor Sechin, Deputy Prime minister Dimtry Kozak and senior lawmaker aleksei pushkov. Russia was quick to react saying it will give a painful response to the new western sanctions. The US and the EU accuse Moscow of interfering in the situation in Ukraine but Moscow denies the allegation.

Isolated Russia Makes Friends: To Hold Military Drill With China; Strikes Multi-Billion Deals Qatar And Iran

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china russia flags

– Isolated Russia Makes Friends: To Hold Military Drill With China; Strikes Multi-Billion Deals Qatar And Iran (ZeroHedge, April 29, 2014):

The G-8 may be no more as the G-7 throws every possible case of harsh language known to man at the Kremlin, which obstinately refuses to back down, while re-escalating sanctions against a Russia which merely has done what the US does every single time its national interest abroad is threatened, but one thing is becoming ever clearer: while the west isolates Russia with ever stricter measures, Russia has decided to make some new friends.

Such as China:

China and Russia will hold a “maritime cooperation-2014” drill in East China Sea at end-May, Voice of Russia reports on its Chinese-language website yesterday.

China and Russia will conduct reconnaissance in the area within 3 days to prepare for the drill, the report says, citing an unidentified representative from Russian navy.

Read moreIsolated Russia Makes Friends: To Hold Military Drill With China; Strikes Multi-Billion Deals Qatar And Iran

Putin: Washington Behind Ukraine Events All Along, Though Flying Low

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Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk, on April 29, 2014.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Minsk, on April 29, 2014.

– Putin: Washington behind Ukraine events all along, though flying low (RT, April 29, 2014):

The US has been behind the Ukrainian crisis from the beginning, but was initially flying low, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He added that if sanctions continue, Russia will have to reconsider who has access to key sectors if its economy.

“I think what is happening now shows us who really was mastering the process from the beginning. But in the beginning, the United States preferred to remain in the shadow,” Putin said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

Putin stated that since the US has taken a lead role in resolving the political crisis in Ukraine, it is “telling that they originally were behind this process, but now they just have emerged as leaders” of it.

Read morePutin: Washington Behind Ukraine Events All Along, Though Flying Low