China Launches Swaps, Forwards with Russia in National Currencies

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China launches swaps and forwards between the yuan and the Russian ruble starting Monday.

According to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), the ruble has become the 11th currency in the yuans swaps trading.
On December 26, CFETS reported on its website that swaps and forwards trading between the yuan and national currencies of Russia, Malaysia and New Zealand would start on December 29.

Earlier in December, China's Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng claimed that China could increase the usage of yuan in trade with Russia amid the ruble's depreciation.
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US Condemns Crackdown on US-Funded Broadcaster in Azerbaijan: State Dep't

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US Department of State spokesperson said that the United States is alarmed by the crackdown on the US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty by the Azerbaijani authorities.
The United States is alarmed by the crackdown on the US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) by the Azerbaijani authorities, who say raids and detentions of the RFE/RL employees are part of a tax fraud investigation, the US Department of State spokesperson said.
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After 13 Years US Military Campaign in Afghanistan Proves to Be Inefficient

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The US-led coalition has formally ended its military mission in Afghanistan. Although top NATO officials are expressing optimism regarding the results of the campaign, an Islamist insurgency is still on the rise in the region.

The 13-year US military campaign in Afghanistan formally ended on Sunday, December 28; however, the longstanding military confrontation with the Taliban has not led to a victory over steadily-expanding Islamic extremism in the region.

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Europe Beware! – WWIII could destroy Europe for the third time in a Century by Peter Koenig

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Washington is hell-bent on a war with Russia. It is part of the PNAC (Plan for a New American Century) to take over the world. After Russia, China would follow. That’s the plan. China is being encircled as we speak. Never mind that Russia and China have recently concluded a pact, a close financial and military alliance – which to defeat will be next to impossible. 

Unless – and here is the crux of the matter – unless Washington initiates an all-out nuclear war, destroying the planet, including itself – but foremost Europe. 

Why America Can't Stop

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by Mikhail Khazin 

Translated by Roobit 

Or an attempt to describe how US problems correlate with international security. 

On several past occasions I have written that the United States is deliberately destroying the entire system of international security, the same system that they had built together with the USSR. Why did they start dismantling the international security system is also understandable, in the 1990s the generation of “victors” came to power in that country, these people are convinced that they had “defeated” the USSR (as our theory explains it is obviously not so, please refer to http://worldcrisis.ru/crisis/188291 ) and because they are “victors” they may do anything they please. They decided that collective security arrangements are onerous, and that they need their own security system, the one that only they will have control over. 

Rethinking Politics: The Irresistible Lure Of Socialism

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Today I am posting a first article in what I hope will become a series about "re-thinking politics".  By that I mean the following: we are told that communism is dead.  I am not so sure at all, but maybe.  I would argue that what we think of as "European social-democracy" has died this year after a long and painful agony.  The US is only a republic or a democracy in name, in reality it is a fascist oligarchy.  Chavez in Venezuela spoke of "Bolivarian Socialism".  Arundhati Roy in India seems to think that democracy is dead and that Maoist guerrillas might have the answer to a lot of questions.  One thing is sure, Fukuyama got in wrong and history has not ended (unless some crazy idiot in the White House launches an attack on Russia then yes, history will end).

26.12.2014 Ukrainian crisis news. Latest news of Ukraine, Minsk, Russia, China

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Russia in Talks With China Over Fast Neutron Nuclear Reactors Construction

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The USS Donald Cook's presence in the Black Sea is meant to reassure and at the same time demonstrate US commitment to work closely with NATO allies in order to enhance maritime security, the ship's commanding officer, was quoted as saying in the statement Thursday.


 — The USS Donald Cook is scheduled to enter the Black Sea Friday to maintain peace and stability in the region, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa said in a statement.

US Warship Destroyer Donald Cook Enters Black Sea Second Time This Year

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The USS Donald Cook's presence in the Black Sea is meant to reassure and at the same time demonstrate US commitment to work closely with NATO allies in order to enhance maritime security, the ship's commanding officer, was quoted as saying in the statement Thursday.


The USS Donald Cook is scheduled to enter the Black Sea Friday to maintain peace and stability in the region, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa said in a statement.

Visa, MasterCard Stop Operating in Crimea Over US Sanctions

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International payment systems Visa and Mastercard said they stopped issuing and servicing payment cards in Crimea over sanctions imposed on the region.


Two major US payment giants Visa and MasterCard have stopped servicing banks in Crimea because of the recent round of US sanctions imposed over the Black Sea peninsula's decision to reunite with Russia, the companies said Friday.
Visa said it stopped issuing and servicing payment cards in the region.

According to the company's Friday statement, MasterCard halts servicing payment cards issued by banks operating in Crimea.

Russia Revises Military Doctrine, Lists NATO Buildup As Major Threat

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According to the updated Russia's military doctrine, NATO military buildup, the development and deployment of strategic missile defense systems, the implementation of the 'global strike' doctrine are among main external threats to the country's security.


President Vladimir Putin has signed an updated version of Russia's military doctrine, which highlights expansion of NATO's military capabilities among main threats to national security, the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.
"Despite a decreased likelihood of a large-scale war against Russia, some security threats continue to grow," the revised doctrine says.

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The online Campaign against the Hierarchy of The Nigerian Army

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The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication on the website of Sahara Reporters with the caption “Nigerian Army Presents Unverified “Lt Col” To Refute Petition Against Military Hierarchy”.  It is noteworthy but sad and unfortunate that Sahara Reporters has committed itself to support for terrorism and fighting Nigeria, its people, its military and particularly the Nigerian Army.

Before Sahara Reporters published their purported document described as petition from Lt Col Wende, a serving Commanding Officer, the Nigerian Army conducted a thorough investigation on the document involving other security and intelligence agencies. The process confirmed that the serving officer was not the author of the petition.  Yesterday, the officer dissociated himself from the so-called petition in a press conference he personally attended.  While reputable media organizations were on hand to engage the officer, Sahara Reporters being a faceless medium, preferred to remain faceless and was not represented. Sahara Reporters sadly, but predictably, and in fulfilment of its support for terrorism published in its website a fabrication in which it referred to the officer as “unverified”. How absurd!

Sahara Reporters has strived hard to present itself as a propaganda medium for terrorism and Boko Haram in particular.  It is with this in mind, that the Nigerian Army conducted a press conference in Maiduguri in which the officer who appeared for the press conference is Lt Col Wende, a serving officer of the Nigerian Army.  Since the officer has clearly dissociated himself from the document, it makes sense that the so-called petition is the handiwork of Sahara Reporters.  With time, terrorism in Nigeria and Sahara Reporters will be defeated by the collective will of the good people of Nigeria.

 

OLAJIDE LALEYE

Brigadier General

Director, Army Public Relations

Ukraine Civil War: 23-24.12.2014 Ukrainian crisis news. War in Ukraine, Russia, USA

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The 2014 "Saker's Man of the Year": the Russian soldier

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It's this time of the year again when the corporate media engages in the silly "man of the year" exercise and when I offer my own nominations just as a small sign of defiance towards the Imperial propaganda.  Last year, I decided that the title of "Saker man of the year" should go to the Syrian soliderwithout whom neither Russia, nor Iran, nor Hezbollah would have been able to save Syria from the NATO-Wahabi aggression.  I also listed Vladimir Putin as a "runner up" and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as honored by a "special distinction".  Looking back, I would say that these were very good nominations and I hope that this year I will get it right again.  So here we go.

23.12.2014 Ukrainian crisis news. Latest news of Ukraine, Mariupol, Russia, Abkhazia, Germany

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22.12.2014 Ukrainian crisis news. Latest news of Ukraine, Russia, Finland, Europe

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New testimony about the shooting down of MH17

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Interesting news this morning: the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaia Pravda has interviewed a man who claims to have been a witness to the take-off of three aircraft one of which allegedly shot down MH17.  Thanks to the incredible work done by Kazzura the full video with English subtitles is already available today.  Check it out:  
I will notice that there are several mutually contradictory versions circulating out there.  For example, one version spoke of a Polish pilot, this one speaks of a Ukrainian (with a very Russian last name), some versions speak of one aircraft, other of two and this one even three, some speak of a SU-25, others of a MiG-29 or even a SU-27 (such as the alleged satellite photo from the student at MIT).  There are several reasons for such discrepancies.

China openly & officially backs Russia

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Well, now we have it from the most official source possible: Foreign Minister Wang Yi who declared on Monday. “If the Russian side needs it, we will provide necessary assistance within our capacity".  Considering the US rhetoric and imperial mindset which proclaims that "you are either with us or against us" it is pretty clear what such a declaration really means: China is putting the US on notice that in the current economic war Russia will have the full backing of China.

Ukrainian civil War Soars: Mariupol railway bridge bombed by anti-Kiev partisans

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"There was bomb attack at the railway bridge across the Kalchik River in Mariupol at 1:40 am on December 23, at the 1260th kilometer of the railway leg of the route, which damaged a support structure. Train service in the direction of the railway terminal and the seaport has been suspended. There were no casualties", said official statement.

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Former French Airline CEO Claims MH370 Was Shot Down by US Military

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Marc Dugain, a reputable French author and former Proteus Airlines CEO, claims Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was shot down by US military forces near Diego Garcia Navy base.
MH370

Ekaterina Blinova — Marc Dugain, the former Proteus Airlines CEO and reputable French author claims that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 could have been shot down by the US military.
"In an article for French magazine Paris Match, he [Marc Dugain] claimed that the Boeing 777 crashed nowhere near where international search teams have been combing the ocean for wreckage, but near an American military base in the British territory of Diego Garcia," the Independent reported.
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