Nigel Farage: There is a Gathering Electoral Storm

"With 62% youth unemployment in Greece, and with Spain not far behind, it is perhaps about time we were honest and admitted we are causing it ourselves. And yet your recipe is more bureaucracy. A youth guarantee scheme, another six billion for the Youth Employment Initiative, the setting up of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships backed up by the Quality Framework for Traineeships, and the list goes on and on and on of yet more highly paid civil servants setting up organisations that will achieve nothing. Until the euro is broken up, until you reverse the social market model you will not help youth unemployment." Continue reading

Continue ReadingNigel Farage: There is a Gathering Electoral Storm

Portugal and Greece highlight eurozone fragility

"Political turmoil in Portugal and concerns about the pace of reform in Greece have raised fears that the eurozone crisis may be about to reignite. Nervous markets pushed up borrowing costs in Portugal to a painful 8 percent Wednesday (3 July) after the governing coalition of Pedro Passos Coelho saw the resignation of its finance and foreign ministers over the social and economic costs of austerity measures. Coelho's weakened position raises doubts about whether Lisbon - until recently routinely praised for putting into place a series of harsh budget-cutting measures - will be able to meet the terms of the its €78 billion bailout, agreed in 2011." Continue reading

Continue ReadingPortugal and Greece highlight eurozone fragility

Paul Craig Roberts: Lawlessness Is The New Normal

"Europe headlines are that 'NSA surveillance threatens the EU free trade deal' and 'Merkel demands explanations.' The protests are the necessary public posturing of puppets and will be regarded as such by Washington. The French government says the trade talks should be temporarily suspended 'for a couple of weeks to avoid any controversy.' However, the German government says, 'We want this free trade agreement and we want to start the talks now.' In other words, what Merkel describes as 'unacceptable Cold War-style behavior' is acceptable as long as Germany gets the free trade agreement." Continue reading

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: Lawlessness Is The New Normal

Russia chides France, Spain and Portugal over Morales aircraft incident

"Russia has blasted the European countries which barred the Bolivian presidential aircraft from entering their airspace as unfriendly action, adding that such moves could compromise passengers’ safety. Russian diplomats added that they will continue to press for unconditional observation of international rules that guarantee the personal immunity of heads of state that prevent any attempts on their life, freedom and dignity. The Bolivian presidential aircraft had to land in Vienna, Austria, and remain grounded for 12 hours as France, Spain and Portugal closed their airspace for transit over a suspicion it could have been carrying NSA leaker Edward Snowden." Continue reading

Continue ReadingRussia chides France, Spain and Portugal over Morales aircraft incident

Argentina Applies Law That Jails Hoarders as Bread Price Surges

'Interior Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno announced the measure in the official gazette today. The 1974 law allows authorities to freeze prices and obliges companies to maintain supply. Those in breach are subject to fines and imprisonment. 'If the law on supply is applied, the one who should go to jail is Moreno himself,' former Economy Minister Martin Lousteau said in an interview with Radio Mitre today. 'He’s to blame for the lack of wheat in Argentina.' Argentine wheat production has decreased since 2006, when President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s predecessor and late husband Nestor Kirchner set export quotas." Continue reading

Continue ReadingArgentina Applies Law That Jails Hoarders as Bread Price Surges

17 Dead, More than 200 Injured As Morsi Supporters Rally To Reject ‘Coup’

"It seems the turmoil in Egypt is far from over as hundreds of thousands (if not more than a million) protesters rallied on Friday to reject the military's removal and arrest of President Mohamed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Egypt's health ministry reports that 17 people were killed and more 200 were injured in clashes between pro- and anti-Morsi protesters on Friday. You can watch live feeds from the protests here, and Business Insider has a correspondent on the ground. Some of the most intense clashes came on the October 6th bridge in Cairo, where gun shots were heard and a car has been set ablaze." Continue reading

Continue Reading17 Dead, More than 200 Injured As Morsi Supporters Rally To Reject ‘Coup’

Egyptian nightmare for Erdogan

"True, the danger of a military coup in Turkey at the moment is close to zero, if only because Erdogan has locked up an entire army college (some 330 officers) on charges of plotting against him. But the parallels between the two countries run far beyond the superficial. For the record, so too did Egyptian still-President Mohammed Morsi try to purge the army last year, although he only removed a few top generals. The Turkish and the Egyptian governments - both democratically elected - have cracked down on the press, rolled back some civil liberties and planned to change the constitutions in ways many citizens found unacceptable." Continue reading

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Military Plans to Maintain Power in Egypt after Coup

"Behind the scenes, the military, led by General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, plans to continue running the show. Since it took power in a coup in 1952, the military has remained the most important political player in Egypt. Neither Mubarak's fall in 2011, nor the short rule by Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, have changed this. At 58, el-Sissi is the country's youngest general. He has never fought in a war, and only knows about conflicts with Israel from the stories of others. He belongs to a generation that was invited to receive military training in the West. In 1992 he was in Britain, and in 2006, the United States." Continue reading

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It Is Now Common Knowledge That US Drones Bomb Civilian Rescuers

"That tactic is known as the 'double tap,' which bombs multiple targets in relatively quick succession — meaning that the second strike often hits first responders. In 2007 the FBI said the tactic as commonly used by terrorist organizations such as Hamas. Last year a study by NYU and Stanford detailed the U.S. use of the double tap, providing first-hand accounts of its devastating effect on rescuers and humanitarian workers. Last June the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Christof Heyns said he considers secondary strikes to be 'war crimes.' The fact that it is now normalized as a common tactic of the U.S. drone war is stunning." Continue reading

Continue ReadingIt Is Now Common Knowledge That US Drones Bomb Civilian Rescuers

Missouri governor vetoes bill to nullify federal gun laws

"The legislation would have made it a misdemeanor crime for federal agents to attempt to enforce any federal gun regulations that 'infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms.' It also sought to invalidate some specific federal laws, including a 1934 law that imposed on tax on transferring machine guns or silencers. The measure would have made it a misdemeanor to publish the names of gun owners. Missouri's age to obtain a conceal-carry permit would have been lowered to 19 instead of the current 21, and the bill would have allowed people with concealed gun permits to openly carry firearms up to 16 inches long." Continue reading

Continue ReadingMissouri governor vetoes bill to nullify federal gun laws