Politics

US deploys newest surveillance aircraft to Japan amid tensions with China
As tensions mount over China'€™s declaration of a new air defense zone, the United States Navy has deployed next-generation surveillance aircraft to Japan. [...]
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“Revolution!”Thousands pour in for pro-EU rally in Ukraine, storm govt buildings
Thousands of demonstrators chanting "€˜Revolution!"€™ have flocked into 'Maidan' square in Kiev despite a court-imposed ban on rallies. The protesters have reportedly taken several government buildings. [...]
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UK, EU growing hostile to each other, poll finds
A four nation poll has revealed a widening gap between the UK and rest of the EU, with attitudes on both sides of the channel hardening as UK public opinion becomes increasingly hostile towards Europe. [...]
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Cyber Command and NSA breakup looming over Snowden leaks – report
The fallout over the Snowden affair hits "critical stage" as Washington continues the push to separate Cyber Command, which oversees cyberspace operations, from the National Security Agency. [...]
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Ukraine refused to “€˜sign a suicide note”€™, sending the EU’s “€˜geopolitical project”€™ onto the rocks
Joining an old European geopolitical and ideological project would have been catastrophic for the Ukrainian economy, political expert John Laughland told RT, noting that it was actually the EU, not Russia, blackmailing Ukraine into signing a suicide note. The European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Ukraine's U-turn is indeed a major disappointment. [...]
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Scuffles with police as thousands of Ukrainians protest shelving of EU trade deal
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of several Ukrainian cities in protest at Kiev’s decision to suspend the EU trade agreement. A major rally for Euro integration with sporadic clashes is taking place in Kiev. Ukrainian police had to use teargas after a group of protesters tried storming government buildings in Kiev. [...]
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“Historic mistake”€™: Netanyahu says world is “more dangerous place” after Iran deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the international deal over Iran's nuclear program, branding it a "€œhistoric mistake."€ He accused the P5+1 of allowing Tehran a step further "towards obtaining the world's most dangerous weapon." Netanyahu condemned the deal at a cabinet meeting on Sunday and said the world has become a more dangerous place. [...]
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Merkel demands clarity on NSA’€™s role in Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded that Washington give Germany clarity over the future of the NSA in the country, stating that the practice had put transatlantic ties "€œto the test.-€œThe allegations are grave,"€ she said. Merkel kicked off the session by tackling the controversial issue of the US tapping her personal phone calls and the “millions” of associated NSA data int [...]
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Despite repeated warnings, US “€˜subsidizing”€™ Afghan companies with ties to terrorism – report
American taxpayers have unwittingly paid more than $150 million to companies throughout the Middle East that are known to have helped finance terrorist attacks on US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, according to a new internal US government report. [...]
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Britain allegedly spied on Merkel a mere stone’€™s throw from her desk
Britain is using its Berlin embassy to spy on the nearby Bundestag, as well as the office of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Concern was raised following the latest Snowden revelations and prompted the German FM to invite the British ambassador "for a talk." The news comes just one week after the alleged closure of an American listening "nest" just 150 meters away from the British embassy [...]
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Obama denies he made a promise that was videotaped two dozen times
Despite more than two-dozen video recordings showing otherwise, President Obama said that he never promised Americans they'€™d be able to keep their health care plans under the Affordable Care Act. Speaking to supporters in Washington on Monday, Obama claimed that in the past, he said, “You could keep [your plan] if it hasn’t changed since the law was passed.” [...]
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“I’m really good at killing people” – book claims Obama told aides
It seems that President Obama is very much aware of the effects of his drone campaign, as he reportedly told aides he'€™s "€œreally good at killing people."€ The quote comes from a new book called “Double Down,” by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, which chronicles the inside story of the 2012 election. [...]
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Fukushima taboo? Politician draws Japanese Emperor into nuclear controversy
An anti-nuclear lawmaker broke a taboo, drawing heavy criticism in Japan, by handing the Emperor a letter of concern over the issue of the growing Fukushima radiation and the impact on children’s health. [...]
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Edward Snowden says calls for reforms prove his leaks are justified
Debates about mass surveillance and calls for "€œreforms to politics, supervision and laws"€ mean leaks about US secret service were justified, a former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden wrote in his "€œManifesto for the Truth." In his opinion piece, published in German Der Spiegel news magazine on Sunday, Snowden writes that his revelations have in fact been useful and society will benefit fr [...]
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Obama stops NSA spying on IMF, World Bank headquarters – report
US President Barack Obama has called on the National Security Agency to halt spying on the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in conjunction with a review of surveillance activities, Reuters reported. A US official told the news agency that President Obama curbed the spying within the last few weeks. [...]
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Forbes ranks Putin world’€™s most powerful person, downs Obama
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been ranked the most powerful person in the world by Forbes. He topped the list of the 72 world figures that "€œmatter the most,"€ while US President Barack Obama was rated second. Putin’s Syria “chess match” that prevented the US strike, and his having the last word in the diplomatic row over the fugitive NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, didn’t [...]
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“Damage Accumulating”€™ after US Loses Trust Over Spying Activities
The White House is at a loss as it not only depended on espionage in formulating its policies, but also nobody can trust its word anymore, former US Senate foreign policy analyst James Petras told RT. The latest news on monitoring of phone calls in France, and probably German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own cellphone, brought anger from the French and German governments this week. [...]
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“Time to reform surveillance state”: Stop Watching Us rally challenges NSA spying
Twelve years after Americans were stripped of their rights in the name of fighting terrorism, thousands have gathered in Washington DC to protest unconstitutional NSA spying programs revealed by Edward Snowden, and call for repeal of the Patriot Act. [...]
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And The Question Still Remains Valid Today: What Has America Become? by Ken Huber
"What Has America Become" was the title of a letter to the editor written by Ken Huber of Tawas City, Michigan. It contains a series of comparisons and contrasts which causes one to think about the double-standards and conditions under which we now live here in America. Sadly America is in decline. [...]
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