Russia - Miscellaneous

RUSSIA Argentina #Argentina & #Russia do business - development shale field + interest in construction hydro powerplant -- http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/750696  >> Vaca Muerta shale field, the second world’s largest field Astrakhan Astrakhan (sth most #Russia city), banks of Volga, close Caspian Sea - 4th Caspian Summit / #Russia #Azer #Iran #Kazakh + #Turkman / Sept 29 >> Astrakhan on map ... ---------------------------------------- SYRIA Tartus city/ Mediterranean coast #Syria -- 2nd largest port city in Syria -- 29°C - Wed/ 4:54 pm / #Russia has permanent naval base there Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Co-op Forum 30 Sept. Putin 2 attend 11th Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum >>> LOL first read it as the 'interrogation' forum :) >> @ Kazakhstan - be there or be square - Innovation in the Hydrocarbons Sector - bilateral arrangements & EEU talk >combustible fuels /natural gas, petroleum (solid form = bitumen) - several stages crude oil production result in hydrocarbons Mother of All Gas Wars If Kremlin decides 2 hit back against European sanctions, the stage is set for the mother of all gas wars - http://tinyurl.com/pyq37o4 >> Lenders might have Gazprom by the overheads. #Russia all prev. gas-cut-offs - x4 since 1995 - disputes re gas PRICES & TRANSIT FEES w/ #Ukraine / KIEV over $5billion in ARREARS!! > src: http://tinyurl.com/pyq37o4  - $5 billion? Reckon Russia OWNS #Kiev and ought to move right in. And the f*ckers are syphoning off gas! -- & getting some back from Poland & Slovakia! C'mon Kremlin, cut 'em off TOTALLY >> South Stream (to by-pass the Kiev criminals) blocked by the #EU criminals! -- Having a fit reading this article! LOL >> #Ukraine's syphoning of gas will shut down the gas ... lol ... oh, I can't way for the fun to begin > Rest of article crap about Russia using gas for geopolitical gain or some shite ... Look @ Ukies, EU, Obama & co !! ---------------------------------------- COMMENT Oh, dear.   Get a bit carried away with the one-eyed Kremlin thing. No idea why I'm so Kremlin biased.   A weird emotional thing that I can't identify.  It's a feeling.  Some kind of affinity.  It's not a state of mind.  It's irrational.

ISRAEL - Miscellaneous

ISRAEL Denmark / EU Trade Agreement #Denmark foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard says time to reconsider Denmark's & EU's Trade Agreements with Israel http://goo.gl/2nMuP8 >> ie Cairo Gaza peace talks - If peace talks don't result in serious concessions from the Israelis “Lidegaard wants to see Israel commit to ending its eight-year blockade of Gaza and stop its “illegal settlements”. The foreign minister is also calling on Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza to lay down their weapons. “ “Opposition parties the Conservatives and the Danish People's Party immediately spoke out against the threat of sanctions, while the trade minister, Mogens Jensen, told Jyllands-Posten that sanctions should only be considered with a broad international backing. “  [ http://www.thelocal.dk/20140922/fm-calls-for-tougher-approach-to-israel ] Mossad #Israel >>> Mossad has it's own YouTube channel ... & is on a recruitment drive >> http://goo.gl/iswOSA   VIDEO >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUDRnbEnhND3zNvduaI4ruew&v=qX9ZoKO1H8E … Cybersecurity #Israel / creating new #cybersecurity authority/alleged #Iran attacks / increase in co-op b/w govt agencies, bus. & in civilian sector /RIA Obituary | Mossad  #Israel Mossad spy Mike Harari 87 died in Tel Aviv - http://goo.gl/uz1slD-  Operation Wrath of God - 'Black September' group - 1972 Munich Olympics >> reported to have had close relations with #Panama dictator Manuel Noriega / arms trade Noriega | Panama Manuel Noriega - military dictator of #Panama from 1983 to 1989 / invasion by USA / He's been to COUP SCHOOL! School of the Americas [wiki]  >#Panama > Noriega worked with CIA from the late 1950s until the 1980s/  Medellín Cartel /  Pablo Escobar / 'narcokleptocracy' >> George H. W. Bush, former CIA director / Vice President 1981-89 (President 1989-93 /close friend of Noriega [wikipedia] Reagan bypass Congress / NSC / Iran-Contra Affair of 1986–1987, facilitated contra funding thru proceeds of arms sales to #Iran! >officer Lt. Col. Oliver North in charge "The Enterprise"/+ govt  agencies, esp. from CIA in Central Am./no govt accountability http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras Hey, there's a #UN watch: "UN Watch, an Israel-linked group that monitors the multinational body for compliance to the UN charter." [Times of Israel] http://www.unwatch.org/site/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1313899/k.948D/Issues_in_Focus.htm COMMENT The stuff about Noriega, CIA, bypassing Congress, sale of arms to Iran and secretly financing Contra just blew me away. I've vaguely heard of Black September but didn't know what it was about.  Thought it was related to a foiled airport bombing in Italy. It's cool that there's someone watching the UN.

GERMANY: NSA, Energiewende, Coal, AfD etc

GERMANY #Germany - 6000 ppl ('Normale Leute') assembled to express their outrage over NSA spying - politicians & activists - http://goo.gl/cKM2gJ Germany's media has been highly critical of France, Germany's top partner in Europe / "Frankreich" / "Krankreich" / 'sick' #Germany Set 2 Miss 2022 Climate Targets As Coal Use Increases / http://goo.gl/9csdZi  >>> #environment #globalwarming #Germany aiming to shut ALL nuclear power by 2022 / electricity generated from coal in 2013 hit the highest in 24 years #Germany opened more coal-fired power plants in 2013 than any other time in the past 20 years! #Germany “Energiewende” has added more than $134 bil to power bills of households, shop owners & small factories.>> http://goo.gl/9csdZi  >> Falling coal prices >> Merkel’s govt has announced it considers coal-based power plants as “indispensable” ------------------------------------------ #German Eurosceptic party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), 3rd in poll >> making it the LEADING OPPOSITION PTY - http://goo.gl/YHTlkz >> "Mut zu Deutschland!" / 'Courage to stand up for Germany!' ... Merkel swings the other way: consensus across the EU #Germany/ Business Confidence Drops for 5th mth as after ECB stepped up euro-area recovery - http://tinyurl.com/nb8h3o4 >> German coys R embarking on biggest-ever acquisition spree in #USA, chasing deals that promise innovation & growth (equipment:  medical, automotive etc). ---------------------------------------- COMMENT Some info on Germany.  Should be self-explanatory.   Might have to come back to do a look-up on the political party.   Sitting on too much gathered information right now.   Need to backtrack and post info before the information's unmanageable.

UK: Education, Religion, Coal & Tobacco

UNITED KINGDOM #UK - Chief Rabbi leads opposition to GCSE faith plans - http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/mirvis-faith-gcse … >> What is the State even doing involving itself in religion? #UK More coal -- I could learn to love coal if this keeps up. This time Russia supplies UK w/ coal. Lots of it -- 51%. #UKPolitics - Labour party announces tax hike for tobacco firm profits - http://tinyurl.com/kdm76xm  - Now: av total tax pk cigarettes at 86%. #UK Labour 'new deal'' on water bills & pressure companies into reducing prices - http://goo.gl/9u5RB2  - will it win votes? #ukpolitics >> OMG!! -- "Last year the firms made more than £2billion in profit and handed their shareholders £1.8billion in dividends." ---------------------------------------- COMMENT Just some random UK info I came across. The state seriously has no business getting involved in religion on any level, in my view. Ideally, there would be no religious schools.  But that's not something you can outlaw, I suppose. Germany and UK have high coal needs, as does India. Poland coal mining is struggling:  hey, there's an opportunity here. Labour's not doing itself any favours trying to hike up tobacco taxes, which are already at 86%. Even though I smoke, I would rather tobacco be outlawed.  People will pay anything to maintain habits.  But if you outlaw a product, the majority would be unlikely to go to the extent of lawbreaking to obtain tobacco. But, just as there's no chance of religion being outlawed, there's no chance of tobacco being outlawed either. Oh, there's one more:  alcohol.  Get rid of it.  If I stood for election with ban religion, tobacco and alcohol, I wouldn't get a single vote.  :) Labour's giving with one hand (water) but taking with the other (tobacco)?

SYRIA / IRAQ - Is full-scale war looming?

SYRIA  /  IRAQ SYRIA  /  IRAQ Tartus city/ Mediterranean coast #Syria -- 2nd largest port city in Syria -- 29°C - Wed/ 4:54 pm / #Russia has permanent naval base there ISIS -- US-led coalition will have to resort to the engagement of ground forces -- http://tinyurl.com/nwme9j3  -- New Eastern Outlook >> ISIS is a multilateral non-uniform coalition .. serving as means to an end:  for establishing an indep/ Kurdish state in north Iraq" >>> "Israel expressed its willingness to recognize the Kurdish state" [neo] deeds of "militant organization so far is a serious blow to Islam and the Muslims" - legitimised West intervention in region. >> while appearance of enemy to West ... "group may, in fact, be supported by certain Western structures" / some blame US & Saudi Arabia "Syria’s air-defense arsenal can in no way be discounted, as was the case in Libya." - Gaddafi had the gear /not the expertise >  weakness of high-tech weapons / to maintain in operating condition, spare parts & trained technicians required >>BUT (if I understand NEO correctly) contractors, incl. those from  US & NATO, can be engaged by ISIS for pay -- & have been? COMMENT All the info regarding the above has come out of the linked article - New Eastern Outlook - here. Impossible for me to guess at out how accurate the information might be, when I don't know about the region. Not sure if I knew about the Russian military base at the port or not.  Often I'll read things and be intensely interested at the time, but then it's all forgotten ... and I'll come across the same information and be surprised all over again.   Embarrassing.  LOL Hopefully, I'm not repeating myself here. I didn't understand the last bit of the article where it looks as though the writer's saying members of US and NATO are engaged by ISIS. To be honest, I got kind of excited in the middle portion of the article thinking 'hey, I've got the hang of this', thinking I finally understand what's going on -- but by the end of the article, I was back to being confused! No clue what's going on over there.   Reading about the new organisation (in Motherjones) just spun me out, like the whole thing's a never-die monster out of a horror movie. Think the fear-mongering has got to me.

Bling Bling's Come-Back

FRANCE RT >> "Sarkozy: suspension of the investigation for corruption" [Le Parisien Poodle] >> Gee, how did that happen? - #France > Bling Bing wants 2 head UMP party : making a play for presidency in 2017 > 'love of #France' reason / not self-interest lol - on gaining presidency in econ/ downturn, first thing Bling did was give himself a 140% payrise - http://goo.gl/TZra5j - FT >> "Mr Sarkozy’s penchant for money and glitz helped earn him the nickname President Bling-Bling." - [FinTimes] >>    LEGACY:  "higher unemployment, higher taxes, inflated public debt & doubling of trade deficit"  !!  [FT] >Challenge: con ... er, convince the public ... piece of cake. media savvy, dynamic, skilled & ambitious ... bye #Hollande http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bb179a4c-4269-11e4-9818-00144feabdc0.html Suspension Graft Probe #France - Graft Probe Suspended by Paris appeals court pending study of request by Bling Bling > http://www.therakyatpost.com/world/2014/09/24/paris-court-suspends-graft-probe-sarkozy/ … > suspension & inquiry could last months COMMENT As the reporter said, this should spice things up. I'm betting on Bling Bling.  Sure winner.   Hollande's popularity is at an all time low -- and he's the one enforcing an austerity budget ... although he inherited higher unemployment, higher taxes, inflated public debt & considerable trade deficit from Sarky.

ASSANGE - MEDIA DISTORTION

ASSANGE MEDIA DISTORTION Agence France-Presse " ... international news agency headquartered in Paris. It is the oldest news agency in the world and one of the largest. It transmits news in French, English, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish & German." Not-for-profit co-operative. Source: Wikipedia - here. Other Agence France-Presse employs staff in over 160 countries around the world. >> So it's got 'embassies' all over the world? >> Editor graduate: Paris Institute of Political Studies -- study & research of contemporary political 'science'. Ooh, worked as an adviser to politician Laurent Fabius - media & culture - http://goo.gl/MRE1n7   / Fab is now Min Foreign Affairs Lebanon - Headline: Assange Extradition to U.S. 'Far-Fetched'  Swedish prosecutors seek to discredit #Assange - Political Prisoner @wikileaks – http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/148497-assange-extradition-to-u-s-far-fetched … >>> #FreeAssangeNow NSW, Australia - Headline: Assange Extradition to U.S. 'Far-Fetched' Mullumbimby paper picks up lame AFP discredit 'circular' > #Assange extradition to US ‘far-fetched’ > http://goo.gl/EXkVAh - @WikiLeaks http://www.echo.net.au/2014/09/assange-extradition-us-far-fetched/ #France - French ruling class entitled, arrogant & presumptuous? >> "French politicians are not used to being held to account by newspapers in the way British ones are." [DM] .. kinda, lol > French newspapers - weak & deferential / heavily subsidised by - thus beholden to - French state. Shackled by privacy laws! >> "As a result of all these factors, corruption in French politics is rife." [DM] - #FreeFrenchPress >> Corrupt & erring French politicians have no fear of the "poodle-like French newspapers" [DM] >> or the photo-journalists >> In #France political class essentially restrains the journalistic class — the two are often indistinguishable [DM] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2178982/Rampant-corruption-Mlud-Leveson-learn-looking-Frances-poodle-Press.html COMMENT Ecuador has granted Assange political asylum on solid grounds and the facts speak for themselves. This AFP 'circular', from the French puppet press, distorts the facts.