Iran sanctions 15 US firms, citing Israel ties and ‘human rights’
Iran has imposed sanctions on 15 US companies for alleged human rights
violations and cooperating with Israel, the state news agency IRNA
reported on Sunday. The agency quoted Iran’s foreign ministry as saying
the companies had “flagrantly violated human rights” and cooperated with
Israel against the Palestinians. It was not immediately clear if any of
the companies, which included defense technology firm Raytheon, had any
dealings with Iran or whether they would be affected in any way by
Tehran’s action…
Israel’s coalition heads aim to end crisis
The heads of the parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
coalition will meet on Sunday in an effort to resolve a crisis over the
fate of public broadcasting. Netanyahu has threatened to initiate
elections over the issue…But the other party heads in the coalition
oppose taking that step…“It is Kahlon who is forcing elections, and if
he does not agree, yes, we will go to elections,” Bitan said. “He is
leading us to a situation we don’t want. We expect Kahlon to go toward
us.”
Hamas closes Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel
The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry closed the Erez crossing until
further notice on Sunday, a ministry spokesman said, a day after Hamas
accused Israel of assassinating a senior member of its military wing,
the Izzadin Kassam Brigades. “The closure of the Beit Hanoun crossing
[Erez] comes as a part of the steps being taken by the security
apparatus following the crime of assassinating Mazen Fuqaha,”
Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry Spokesman Iyad Bazm said in a
statement published on the ministry’s website.
Militia fighters decapitate 40 police officers in DR Congo
Militia fighters in DR Congo have decapitated about 40 police officers
in an ambush in the central province of Kasai, local officials say.
Fighters from the Kamwina Nsapu group attacked a police convoy. Six
policemen who spoke the local Tshiluba were freed, but the rest were
killed, Kasai Assembly President Francois Kalamba said.
Sylhet blasts kill four amid Bangladesh militant raid
Six people – two police officers and four civilians – have been killed
in twin bombings in north-eastern Bangladesh, officials say. The blasts
in Sylhet occurred near an apartment building where commandoes have been
trying to flush out a group of suspected Islamist militants. Earlier
many civilians were evacuated from the block of flats. The suspects have
refused to surrender.
Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader, arrested in Moscow
Russia’s main opposition leader, Alexei Navanly, has been arrested at an
anti-corruption protest he organised in the capital, Moscow, witnesses
say. Protesters tried to prevent a police van from taking him away.
Navalny is known for his anti-corruption campaign, which targeted senior
officials close to the Kremlin.
Cincinnati nightclub shooting: One dead, 14 injured, police say
One person has been killed and 14 injured in a shooting at a nightclub
in Cincinnati, Ohio. At least two gunmen were involved in the incident
at the Cameo Night Club, according to the Cincinnati Police Department.
There was no indication the shooting was terror-related, Assistant
Police Chief Paul Neudigate said on Twitter.
Witches to cast spell on Trump … again!
Among the angry liberals who refuse to accept the 2016 presidential
election results that put Donald Trump in the Oval Office are witches
who will be gathering at midnight on Sunday to cast spells. Again. They
already tried last month to conjure up magic to remove him from office.
Witches, exorcists and occultists say they again will cast a “binding
spell” designed to “bind Donald Trump and all who abet him.”
China Vice Premier Sees `Unstoppable Momentum’ of Globalization
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli told a gathering of Asian leaders that
the world must commit to multilateral free trade under the World Trade
Organization and needs to reform global economic governance…“The river
of globalization and free trade will always move forward with
unstoppable momentum to the vast ocean of the global economy,” Zhang
said. China will remain a strong force in the world economy and for
peace and stability…
Anti-Semitism expressed by a quarter of the German population
“20-25% of the German population expresses anti-Semitism when it comes
to criticism of Israel,” says Dr. Andreas Zick of Bielefeld University.
Dr. Zick has been conducting surveys on xenophobia for years…”There is a
rise in anti-Semitism, especially in the right-wing, populist
movement,” said Dr. Zick to Ynet. “However, we are also seeing the
differences between traditional anti-Semitism, which is quite low, and
modern anti-Semitism, especially with regard to criticism of Israel,
which is on a big rise.”
Israel-Lebanon maritime dispute heats up
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, called Israel’s
proposed legislation to annex a section of disputed maritime territory a
“declaration of war.” In an interview with Lebanese media, Berri said,
“This will be the Shebaa Farms conflict at sea, which will open a
situation with many dangerous possibilities.”…Yedioth Ahronoth learned
that the Israeli government is planning to pass the Maritime Areas Bill,
which will define Israel’s economic waters and include the disputed
maritime territory between Lebanon and Israel.
OPEC, non-OPEC committee recommends extending oil output cut by six months
A joint committee of ministers from OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers
recommended extending by six months a global deal to reduce oil output,
it said in a statement on Sunday. OPEC and rival oil-producing countries
were meeting in Kuwait to review progress with their global pact to cut
supplies. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and 11
other leading oil producers including Russia agreed in December to cut
their combined output by almost 1.8 million barrels per day in the first
half of the year.
Iran denies harassing U.S. warships in Gulf, warns of clashes
Iran denied on Saturday U.S. accusations that its fast-attack boats were
“harassing” warships at the mouth of the Gulf, and said Washington
would be responsible for any clashes in the key oil shipping route. U.S.
Navy commanders earlier accused Iran of jeopardizing international
navigation by “harassing” warships passing through the Strait of Hormuz
and said future incidents could result in miscalculation and lead to an
armed clash.
Erdogan says Turkey may hold referendum on EU accession bid
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Turkey may hold a second
referendum on whether to continue with European Union accession talks,
following a planned vote on April 16 that could give him sweeping new
powers.
“They’re Like The Praetorian Guard” – Whistleblower Confirms NSA Targeted Congress, The Supreme Court, & Trump
“Inside NSA there are a set of people who are… are targeting and
looking at all the members of the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Congress, both House and Senate, as well as the White House”
McCain: “The New World Order Is Under Enormous Strain”
In a “new world order under enormous strain” and in “the titanic
struggle with forces of radicalism … we can’t stand by and lament, we’ve
got to be involved,” said John McCain who quoted by the EU Observer. “I
trust the EU,” he said, defending an opposite view from that of US
president Donald Trump, who said in January that the UK “was so smart in
getting out” of the EU and that Nato was “obsolete.”
Iraq suspends Mosul offensive after coalition airstrike atrocity
Iraqi military leaders have halted their push to recapture west Mosul
from Islamic State as international outrage grew over the civilian toll
from airstrikes that killed at least 150 people in a single district of
the city.
There Will Be Those Who Perish In The Next Crisis, And Those “Who Survive In Underground Luxury”
The Oppidum is billed as “the largest billionaire bunker in the
world.” This top-secret facility, once a joint project between the
former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and
Slovakia), was built over 10 years beginning in 1984. The premiere
apocalypse dwelling is a place that billionaires can live out the
horrors of the apocalypse- be it zombie or other- in luxury with every
amenity you could ever hope for.
Air Force’s Mysterious X-37B Space Plane Breaks Orbital Record
The ongoing mission of the U.S. Air Force’s robotic X-37B space plane is
now the longest in the clandestine program’s history. As of today
(March 25), the X-37B has spent 675 days on its latest Earth-circling
mission, which is known as Orbital Test Vehicle-4 (OTV-4). The previous
record was 674 days, set during OTV-3, which lasted from December 2012
to October 2014.