BATTLEFORWORLD – April 7, 2018: The long awaited trade, financial, geopolitical, psychological (fake news), etc. wars have started in force and much of the world’s population are unaware about what is going on. The people of the world should remain cautious and keep monitoring the news daily look for headlines relating to money, trade, civil matters, governments, etc. because it appears as if the power factions are unleashing retaliation effects along those lines.
Also, keep an eye on Britain, because a political feud could erupt against Boris Johnson and Theresa May if things do not unfold as previously planned with the “highly likely Skripal poisoning evidence movement”. What is badly needed immediately are sane minds in leadership positions in governments.
The Unbalancing Of The Global Order Has Shifted To A New Phase
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Expert Explains What Will Happen If UK Fails to Provide Evidence in Skripal Row
SPUTNIKNEWS – April 7, 2018: Sputnik spoke to lawyer and author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia” – Dan Kovalik on the latest twist to the former Russian spy Sergey Skripal poisoning story.
Sputnik: What did you make of the UN meeting and the comments made by the ambassadors?
Dan Kovalik: Obviously there are a huge war of words that’s going on between the UK and Russia, honestly I thought the Russian remarks seemed more reasonable to me, Russia is open to a real investigation into the incident. As more information unfolds it appears there is little or actually no evidence that Russia was behind the attack, in fact the laboratory at Porton Down in Great Britain had initially told 10 Downing Street that it was unable to conclude who was behind the attack and that got very little press as I understand it Great Britain. …I think Russia has every right to an investigation and it would participate in and it’s allowed such under the Chemical Weapons convention. …
Sputnik: There have been calls by other countries to finally see the evidence that UK claim to have, is this further evidence of the inconsistencies by UK government?
Dan Kovalik: it appears to me that they’re not going to show any evidence because they don’t have any evidence. They jumped to a conclusion very quickly without an investigation and I think 10 Downing Street are going to end up very embarrassed because it will be proven it has no evidence. …
Sputnik: What impact could this all have on international stage if this has been fabricated by the UK government?
Dan Kovalik: Well I think it will be embarrassed. I mean look Theresa May is already very unpopular in the UK and I think in fact this little ruse of hers was an attempt to distract the Brits attention from her failed Prime Ministership and if this turns out to be a ruse and to have been fabricated or exaggerated, then I think she will certainly have no credibility left and the UK will be quite embarrassed and the next time they cry wolf, people may not believe that.
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US-China trade war fears escalate as threats ramp up
YAHOO – April 7, 2018: The escalating trade confrontation between Washington and Beijing threatened to boil over Friday after President Donald Trump lashed out again and China called on the European Union to join the battle, sending global stocks into the red.
Trump remained defiant and argued the pain of the dispute will pay off in the end, while China said that his administration would only “shoot itself in the foot” if it didn’t back down from the “extremely wrong” threats.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin acknowledged there was a risk of a trade war, but said the intention is to defend US interests and the administration remains willing to negotiate.
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CHINA WARNS ‘ARROGANT’ AMERICA, and China will not hesitate with ‘major response’ to new tariffs: Ministry of Commerce
CNBC – April 7, 2018: The article highlights: “We will immediately fight back with a major response,” a Ministry of Commerce representative said during a Chinese-language briefing with reporters Friday in Beijing. “We have no other choice.” “We feel America is very arrogant. They have taken a wrong action. The result is that they will hurt themselves. If they release the list of $100 billion tariffs, China is prepared. And will not hesitate,” he added. “We have prepared with a bottom-line mindset and have planned detailed action. We won’t start a war, but if someone does, we will definitely fight back,” the representative said.
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Beijing Vows Fight to End
BLOOMBERG – April 7, 2018: The highlight of the article is that President Trump urges levies on $100 billion more of Chinese goods. And China says it doesn’t want a trade war but is ready to fight.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the current trade spat with China may hurt the markets in the short term but that America will emerge stronger from it, as a confrontation that has roiled global equities heats up between the world’s two largest economies.
“I’m not saying there won’t be a little pain,’’ Trump said Friday during an interview on 77 WABC Radio’ “Bernie & Sid in the Morning’’ program. “So we might lose a little of it but we’re going to have a much stronger country when we’re finished, and that’s what I’m all about.’’
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‘Homeland’ to compile database of journalists, ‘media influencers’
CHICAGOSUNTIMES – April 7, 2018: The Department of Homeland Security wants to track the comings and going of journalists, bloggers and other “media influencers” through a database.
The DHS’s “Media Monitoring” plan, which was first reported by FedBizOpps.gov, would give the contracting company “24/7 access to a password protected, media influencer database, including journalists, editors, correspondents, social media influencers, bloggers etc.” in order to “identify any and all media coverage related to the Department of Homeland Security or a particular event.”
The database would be designed to monitor the public activities of media members and influencers by “location, beat and influencers,” the document says. And the chosen contractor should be able to “present contact details and any other information that could be relevant including publications this influencer writes for, and an overview of the previous coverage published by the influencer.”
The request comes amid concerns regarding accuracy in media and the potential for U.S. elections and policy to be influenced via “fake news.”
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Russia mulls payments for oil in national currencies with Turkey and Iran
TASS – April 7, 2018: Russia is considering an option of payments for oil in national currencies, in particular with Turkey and Iran, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.
The parties are interested in it but there is also a matter of conversion of currencies and their further use, he added.
“There is a common understanding that we need to move towards the use of national currencies in our settlements. There is a need for this, as well as the wish of the parties. This concerns both Turkey and Iran – we are considering an option of payment in national currencies with them. This requires certain factors in financial and economic sector and in banking sector,” he said.
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Trump administration sanctioned 189 Russian-related individuals, entities in total
TASS – April 7, 2018: The US administration has imposed sanctions on 189 Russian-related individuals and entities as part of various sanction programs since Donald Trump became the US President, a senior administration official told a video conference.
“In total, this administration has designated 189 Russian-related individuals and entities under our various sanctions programs,” the official said.
In particular, 136 individuals and entities were sanctioned under our Ukraine-Russia-related sanctioned authorities.
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US sanctions really serve military industrial complex – Russian tech giant
RT – April 7, 2018: The new US sanctions are aimed at pushing Russia out of the international arms market, including those of Washington’s allies, in the interest of the US arms industry, the Russian State Tech Corporation, Rostec, has said.
The fact that Russia’s top defense corporation, Rosoboronexport, has been targeted by the latest set of US restrictions has exposed “the real aim of these sanctions,” a Rostec spokesperson told Russian media, adding that all Washington’s accusations against Moscow were “just an excuse for pushing Russia out of the global arms market.”
The Russian corporation denounced the US move as “unfair competition.” Rosoboronexport, which is controlled by Rostec, is involved in trading of a wide range of military and dual-purpose products, technologies and services, and it controls most of Russia’s arms exports.
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Iran to Replace Telegram With Homemade App for Sake of ‘National Security’
SPUTNIKNEWS – April 7, 2018: Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that in a few weeks the country is going to launch a new domestic messenger to replace Telegram.
Boroujerdi emphasized that a decision was made at the highest levels, and Telegram would be replaced by a domestic app. He said that, considering the app’s role during last year’s protests, the decision was made “in the interest of national security” and Telegram would be banned by the end of Farvardin (the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar, the official calendar of Iran. Farvardin begins on March 21 and ends on April 20 of the Gregorian calendar).
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NATO Chief Stoltenberg: US Nuclear Arsenal ‘As Relevant as Ever’
SPUTNIKNEWS – April 7, 2018: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Strategic Command on Friday that the US nuclear arsenal remains as relevant as ever as nuclear proliferation threats evolve, the NATO press office said in a statement.
“Stoltenberg stressed that the US nuclear forces overseen by STRATCOM are the ‘supreme guarantee’ of credible deterrence and Allies’ security,” the release said on Friday. “Noting that he had first visited the Command in 1980, the Secretary General said that many thought this headquarters would become less important after the Cold War; but that in the face of evolving threats like nuclear proliferation, it remains as relevant as ever.”
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