Grenade hurled at refugee center

GRENADE HURLED AT REFUGEE CENTER (Source Zero Hedge) Zero Hedge detailed the dramatic increase in Google search queries for gun permits in Germany. Specifically, since January 1, the number of Germans Googling “gun permits” has risen more than 1,000%. Meanwhile, sales of non-lethal weapons such as tear gas pistols have skyrocketed, as Germans look to protect themselves against what many see as a hostile foreign invasion. But while most Germans are (for now) content to counter the perceived threat from hostile migrants with non-lethal arms, at least one citizen decided to deploy a more deadly weapon in the “battle” to preserve German society: a grenade. “Unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade at a shelter for asylum seekers in southern Germany but the device did not explode and no one was injured,” AFP reports. The pin was pulled, but for whatever reason, it didn’t explode. Police later detonated it in a controlled explosion. Although no one was harmed in this particular attack, it underscores just how precarious the situation has become. Refugees probably thought the days of having grenades lobbed at them were over once they escaped the war-torn Mid-East. They were wrong. Meanwhile, a new poll by In so much how just how fed up Germans have become with Berlin’s refugee policy. According to the survey – which was conducted for Focus magazine – 40% of the country believes Angela Merkel should resign.

Kremlin slams White House over Putin corruption claim

Kremlin slams White House over Putin corruption claim (Source AFP) The Kremlin on lashed out at the White House after it backed up an allegation from the US Treasury that President Vladimir Putin is corrupt. US Treasury acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Adam Szubin said in a BBC documentary that Putin was a “picture of corruption”. White House spokesman Josh Earnest backed up that line, saying that the Treasury’s assessment “best reflects the administration view.” The Kremlin has already dismissed the US Treasury claim that it said amounted to an “official accusation”, but ratcheted up the rhetoric after the White House got involved. “We consider this statement outrageous and offensive,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.”We really need further explanation because such a statement is absolutely unprecedented.” Ties between Moscow and Washington have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia’s meddling in Ukraine. The two sides, however, are currently engaged in an international peace push on the conflict in Syria, although they support different sides in the civil war. Peskov accused Washington of firing the starting gun on attempts to discredit Putin ahead of Russia’s next presidential elections in 2018, even though he insisted Putin has not yet decided to run. In a sign that the allegations could further damage ties between the two countries, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raised the issue with his counterpart John Kerry in a phone call. “Lavrov expressed outrage at the contrived and unforgivable allegations against the Russian leadership,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “It was emphasised that the blame for the deliberate whipping up of tension in bilateral affairs falls squarely on Washington,” the statement said.

Russia shows military might in Syria ahead of peace talks

Russia shows military might in Syria ahead of peace talks (Source AP) Helicopter gunships sweep low around Russia’s air base on the Syrian coast and air-defense missile systems tower at the base’s edge as warplanes take off one after another. The sound is deafening. Russia’s heavy airstrikes in Syria continued days ahead of the hoped-for start of talks on how to end one aspect of the country’s five-year-old war, where government forces fight rebels, and militants including the extremist Islamic State have seized substantial stretches of territory. Even though the front line is dozens of miles (kilometers) away and the area around the base is tightly controlled, the Russian military methodically patrols to make sure there is no ground threat. Two heavy transport planes were parked near the main terminal as soldiers toting assault rifles stood guard. Since Russia launched its bombing campaign in Syria on Sept. 30, its warplanes have flown 5,700 missions. The number is remarkable for a force comprising just a few dozen warplanes. Since The Associated Press first visited the Hemeimeem base in October, the Russian military has put a second runway into service and has deployed powerful S-400 air defense weapons. Asked how long the Russian air campaign may last, Konashenkov said only that Russia’s goal is to strike extremist infrastructure in support of Syrian government troops. Russian ordnance includes bunker-buster bombs capable of piercing seven meters (23 feet) of rock to destroy underground facilities, Konashenko said. Some of the bombs are laser-guided, but all Russian warplanes at the base are equipped with a sophisticated targeting system, allowing them to use even regular bombs with pinpoint accuracy, he said.

The Flint Water Crisis and the Criminality of American Capitalism

The Flint Water Crisis and the Criminality of American Capitalism (Source globalresearch.ca)

After hailing record profits for the Michigan-based Big Three auto companies and touting the supposed “turnaround” of Detroit in a year the city emerged from bankruptcy, Snyder came to the subject of the Flint water crisis. The millionaire former corporate executive gave an empty apology to the people of Flint and asserted that it was “now time to tell the truth about what we have done,” promising to release his emails concerning Flint the next day. After the obligatory “the buck stops here” declaration, he evaded any responsibility for decisions that have permanently disabled thousands of Flint residents, including infants and children, and will likely result in an unknown number of early deaths. His effort at cover-up and damage control involved striking a pose of contrition (“The government has failed you”) and acknowledging that various officials had made “mistakes”—meaningless statements that were meant to evade any real accountability.

Snyder pled ignorance concerning the 17 months between April 2014, when his handpicked Flint emergency manager switched the city’s water supply to the highly polluted Flint River to cut costs, and September 2015, when he claims he first learned of the crisis. In the future, he admonished, such things “had to come to his desk immediately, with no excuses.” He omitted the fact that immediately after the water was switched, Flint residents complained of its foul smell, color and taste and the spread of rashes and sickness. Even after a “boil only” warning had been issued by city officials, tests by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) showed lead levels to be acceptable under the federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, Snyder maintained. In May 2015, the governor continued, Dr. Mona Hannah-Attisha of Hurley Medical Center found alarming levels of lead in blood samples of city children, but “DEQ failed to reach the same conclusions.” Again, Snyder neglected to note that his office targeted Dr. Hannah-Attisha with a slander campaign, saying she was “splicing and dicing” data and needlessly causing hysteria. With consummate cynicism, the governor asked the doctor to rise to the applause of state legislators. While Snyder claimed that he was first briefed in September 2015, his chief of staff wrote a July 2015 email to the Department of Health and Human Services expressing concern over the stonewalling of Flint residents.

Balance of Asia-Pacific Military power shifting against U.S.

Balance of Asia-Pacific military power shifting against U.S.: report (Source Reuters) The balance of military power in the Asia-Pacific is shifting against the United States, as China and North Korea challenge the credibility of U.S. security commitments and the Pentagon faces spending limits, according to a study released on Tuesday. Researchers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which conducted the study for the U.S. Department of Defense, were left “concerned” that President Barack Obama’s “rebalance” of U.S. interests toward Asia might not be sufficient to secure U.S. interests in the region. Congress required the Department of Defense to commission the report under the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. “Chinese and North Korean actions are routinely challenging the credibility of U.S. security commitments, and at the current rate of U.S. capability development, the balance of military power in the region is shifting against the United States,” the study said.

Hemp Eats Radiation, Cleans Toxic Metals From Soil

HEMP EATS RADIATION, CLEANS TOXIC METALS FROM SOIL (Source globalresearch.ca)

It appears the uses of hemp are endless. In addition to myriad industrial products such as paper, construction material, clothing, food and fuel, hemp is also known to draw out toxic substances from the soil. In other words, not only does hemp provide humans with innumerable products, it also helps to clean the environment of the mistakes we have made in the past. It has already been discovered that hemp may be extremely useful in the removal of cadmium from the soil and other toxic metals, as well as radiation. In fact, hemp has been seen as so successful in removing radiation from the soil that it is even being considered for use in Fukushima for the purposes of drawing out radiation. the process by which hemp cleans polluted soil is called phytoremediation – a term given to the process of using green plants to clean up the environment or “remediate” soil or water that has been contaminated with heavy metals and excess minerals. Two plants that are members of the mustard family as well as sunflowers have been known to do the same for many years. And hemp is now finding itself in the same category.

Russia shows military might in Syria ahead of peace talks

Russia shows military might in Syria ahead of peace talks (Source AP) Helicopter gunships sweep low around Russia’s air base on the Syrian coast and air-defense missile systems tower at the base’s edge as warplanes take off one after another. The sound is deafening. Russia’s heavy airstrikes in Syria continued days ahead of the hoped-for start of talks on how to end one aspect of the country’s five-year-old war, where government forces fight rebels, and militants including the extremist Islamic State have seized substantial stretches of territory. Even though the front line is dozens of miles (kilometers) away and the area around the base is tightly controlled, the Russian military methodically patrols to make sure there is no ground threat. Two heavy transport planes were parked near the main terminal as soldiers toting assault rifles stood guard. Since Russia launched its bombing campaign in Syria on Sept. 30, its warplanes have flown 5,700 missions. The number is remarkable for a force comprising just a few dozen warplanes. Since The Associated Press first visited the Hemeimeem base in October, the Russian military has put a second runway into service and has deployed powerful S-400 air defense weapons. Asked how long the Russian air campaign may last, Konashenkov said only that Russia’s goal is to strike extremist infrastructure in support of Syrian government troops. Russian ordnance includes bunker-buster bombs capable of piercing seven meters (23 feet) of rock to destroy underground facilities, Konashenko said. Some of the bombs are laser-guided, but all Russian warplanes at the base are equipped with a sophisticated targeting system, allowing them to use even regular bombs with pinpoint accuracy, he said.

Man uses Microchip implanted in hand to pass through airport security

MAN USES MICROCHIP IMPLANTED IN HAND TO PASS THROUGH AIRPORT SECURITY (Source Telegraph) A man who implanted a microchip containing his airline booking details into his hand was able to use it to pass effortlessly through security to his flight. Andreas Sjöström, vice president of digital for technology consulting company Sogeti, had the near-field communication chip (NFC) about the size of a grain of rice injected into his hand with a syringe, before using it at Stockholm Arlanda Airport to pass through security and board his plane. The technology has been used before to make digital payments, control a mobile phone and unlock doors, in the same way contactless payment cards work. All it requires is a scanner to link up to that is compatible with the NFC. Sjöström uploaded his Scandinavian Airlines EuroBonus member ID to the xNT implant and using NFC readers in the Swedish airport was able to register his boarding pass and passport by simply pressing his hand to a scanner.

Iran says it will not moderate its plans to boost oil exports

Iran says it will not moderate its plans to boost oil exports (Source Reuters)  Iran is determined to raise its oil output by 500,000 barrels per day as soon as sanctions on its oil industry are lifted, Iran’s national representative to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mehdi Asali, said on Saturday. “We have not moderated our plans regarding increasing output when sanctions are lifted. It will be increased by 500,000 bpd, and by another 500,000 bpd shortly after that,” Asali was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. His comments came ahead of the expected lifting of international sanctions on Iran later on Saturday as part of a landmark deal between major powers and Iran to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.

Russia’s Military Buildup Continues with Big New fighter Jet Order

Russia’s Military Buildup Continues with Big New Fighter Jet Order (Source The Fiscal Times)

Russia’s military buildup shows no signs of slowing. Moscow recently ordered 50 twin-engine Sukhoi Su-35S multirole fighters to bolster the country’s air force. The new order, first reported by TASS Defense, is valued to be somewhere between $788 million and $1.4 billion, according to trade press reports. The Kremlin ordered 48 of the aircraft in 2009; most of the aircraft have now been delivered, with some spotted late last year flying near the disputed Kuril Islands. Sukhoi also recently inked a $2 billion agreement with China for 24 Su-35S jets and reached a deal to produce another dozen for Indonesia. Last week the company signed an agreement with Algeria for 12 Sukhoi Su-32 tactical bombers, concluding eight years of negotiations. The lucrative contracts have helped boost Russia’s economy, which has been walloped in recent years by economic sanctions over the nation’s actions in Ukraine and the dramatic tumble in the price of oil. The deals, particularly the one with China, also allows Russian President Vladimir Putin to poke his thumb in the eye of the U.S. and its NATO allies at a time of great global tensions, including those in the South China Sea where Beijing is creating man-made islands in an effort to expand its military footprint in Asia. As for the Su-35 itself, the jet is an updated version of the Su-27 (NATO code name: Flanker), a workhorse of the Russian Air Force. Many analysts compare the Su-35 to the F/A-18 Super Hornet made by Boeing. The Su-35 can carry guide air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, among other arms. The updated plane has a new integrated control system that improves the fighter’s handling and maneuverability, better engines and improved stealth radar, according to Sukhoi’s website.