Alternative fuel sources for a new Progressive Age!

At Hey WTF? News, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Hey WTF? News and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Hey WTF? News makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Hey WTF? News does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Hey WTF? News.
• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Hey WTF? News and other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Hey WTF? News send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Hey WTF? News has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Hey WTF? News"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

Alternative fuel sources for a new Progressive Age!

BREAKING: Sources Confirm 9 U.S. Military Commanders Fired by Barack Hussein Obama

Why has he not been arrested yet ? It’s quite obvious what he is doing and look who is sitting at his right side. I can just imagine how much can be laid at her doorstep. I can’t even say much now. This is very upsetting and his drive to destroy our Country cannot be allowed to continue. Congress better forget about what Party they’re with and start being Americans for once. They can stop him if only they would put our Nation first.

sharia unveiled

BREAKING: Sources Confirm 9 U.S. Military Commanders Fired by Barack Hussein Obama

SoftBank in talks to acquire T-Mobile, discussing funding: sources

TOKYO Tue Dec 24, 2013 9:19pm EST

• Tweet


• 
  
• 
  
• Share this




• Email


• Print






Softbank Corp President Masayoshi Son speaks during a news conference in Tokyo July 30, 2013.


Credit: Reuters/Issei Kato







TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Corp (9984.T) is in talks to acquire U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.N) and is discussing funding for a deal with financial institutions, sources close to the matter said on Wednesday.




SoftBank is talking with T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGn.DE) and hopes to take a majority stake in T-Mobile through its recently acquired U.S. subsidiary Sprint Corp (S.N) in the financial year starting next April, one of the sources said.




The Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday that SoftBank was in the final stages of talks with Deutsche Telekom about acquiring T-Mobile, the No. 4 U.S. wireless service provider.




Experts have said that a deal between Sprint and T-Mobile could face close scrutiny from U.S. regulators due to concerns about market concentration.




(Reporting by Maki Shiraki and Nobuhiro Kubo; Writing by Edmund Klamann; Editing by Shinichi Saoshiro)





FILED UNDER:


Global Deals Review: 2011 Q3


Global Deals Review: 2011 Q2






• Tweet this


• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints




We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/




Comments (0)


Be the first to comment on reuters.com.


Add yours using the box above.

Reuters: Business News

SoftBank in talks to acquire T-Mobile, discussing funding: sources

Slovenia needs up to 5 bln eur to clean up troubled banks - sources

Slovenia needs up to 5 bln eur to clean up troubled banks - sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/44f0e__p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

BRUSSELS Wed Dec 4, 2013 1:40pm EST

BRUSSELS Dec 4 (Reuters) – Slovenia is expected to need as much as 5 billion euros ($ 6.8 billion) to recapitalise its banks, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, a figure some officials say would not require an international bailout.

Slovenia’s government is determined not to seek international aid and one government official recently said that even were the bill for repair to reach 4.6 billion euros it would not trigger a request for help.

The banks are nursing some 8 billion euros in bad loans, equivalent to almost one quarter of economic output, raising speculation that Slovenia, with a population of just 2 million, might become the sixth euro zone economy to need outside help.

On Dec. 13, the government will receive the results of an external audit of the banks, which will say how much cash the government must inject to keep them afloat.

“The latest figure we have for Slovenia is 5 billion euros,” a senior euro zone official familiar with the situation told Reuters.

A second official said that 5 billion euros was likely to be the upper limit and that it could be as low as 4 billion euros. He said it was unlikely this range would require an international bailout for the ex-Yugoslav republic.

A source close to the government of Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek told Reuters last week that the country was able to cope with a gap of 4.6 billion euros.

Slovenia’s stock market suspended trade in its banks’ shares and junior bonds on Monday, until the publication of results of bank stress tests next week.

Credit-rating agency Fitch has said that under the worst-case scenario, Ljubljana will have to recapitalise its mostly state-owned banks with 4.6 billion euros – far more than the 1.2 billion euros it has set aside.

Despite the uncertainty, investors’ interest in Slovenia is increasing, with one single unnamed buyer snapping up a 1.5 billion euro bond issue in November.

But Slovenia could yet follow Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus in seeking a national bailout from the euro zone, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Slovenia’s economy was badly hit by the global financial crisis and relapsed into recession in 2012 due to a slide in exports, a credit crunch and a fall in consumer spending after budget cuts.

The government has embarked on a programme of reform including tax hikes, spending cuts and privatisations.

It is considering selling a number of state companies including Telekom. Germany’s Deutsche Telekom is a potential bidder.

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Financial Services and Real Estate

Read more about Slovenia needs up to 5 bln eur to clean up troubled banks - sources and other interesting subjects concerning Real Estate at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Pirelli, Gavio seen joining Alitalia cash call -sources

Pirelli, Gavio seen joining Alitalia cash call -sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/64ed0__p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:20pm EST

* Share issue subscription deadline ends Wednesday

* Air France-KLM decided not to participate

MILAN Nov 27 (Reuters) – Two more Alitalia shareholders are expected to subscribe to the Italian airline’s 300 million-euro ($ 400 million) share issue rights offer that ends on Wednesday, sources close to the matter said.

Shareholders have until 2300 GMT to decide whether to subscribe to the cash call, which is part of a bigger rescue package engineered by the government to keep the cash-strapped airline in the air.

Italian tyre maker Pirelli will subscribe to maintain its 1.8 percent stake, while financial holding company Finanziaria di Partecipazioni e Investimenti, part of construction firm Gavio, will subscribe up to 4 million euros, the two sources said.

Alitalia said results of the capital increase will be announced early on Thursday.

Some key investors and two large domestic banks have already pledged 240 million euros, including the Gavio and Pirelli stakes, this would bring the total so far to around 250 million euros.

This includes the investment by Italy’s state-owned postal service, which the government brought in last month to take up any unsubscribed shares in the capital increase for a total sum of up to 75 million euros.

Top shareholder Air France-KLM, with a 25 percent stake refused to take up its share of the cash call, saying Alitalia’s new business plan pledging severe cost cuts was not enough to save the stricken Italian carrier unless its creditors also wrote off some of its huge debts.

The capital increase, while keeping creditors at bay and Alitalia’s aircraft in the air, was seen as just a stopgap measure until a strategic partner could be found to help revamp the company and make it more competitive in a cut-throat airline market.

Air France-KLM’s decision to walk away from the cash call and have its stake diluted to 7 percent raises uncertainty over Alitalia’s future. The Franco-Dutch group has so far been seen as the most suitable carrier to come to Alitalia’s rescue.

Analysts said Air France-KLM could still revive its interest in Alitalia via a takeover offer next year, but only if Alitalia manages to free itself of some of its debt.

Apart from Air France-KLM, Alitalia is currently owned by a disparate group of 21 investors including bank Intesa Sanpaolo and highway operator Atlantia.

One of the shareholders, insurer Fondiaria-SAI, has already said it will not participate in the cash call, while real estate group Solido Holdings is also expected to abstain, a source said. ($ 1 = 0.7374 euros) (Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo and Paola Arosio; Writing by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by the Giles Elgood)

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Financial Services and Real Estate

Read more about Pirelli, Gavio seen joining Alitalia cash call -sources and other interesting subjects concerning Real Estate at TheDailyNewsReport.com

UPDATE 1-Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company -sources

UPDATE 1-Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company -sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/3770a__p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

Mon Nov 25, 2013 2:26pm EST

By Jessica Toonkel and John McCrank

NEW YORK Nov 25 (Reuters) – Nasdaq OMX Group Inc executive Eric Noll, the exchange operator’s top internal candidate to replace Chief Executive Robert Greifeld, is leaving to take a job in private equity, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

A spokesman for Nasdaq declined to comment. Noll did not immediately return calls.

Fox Business Network reported earlier on Monday that Noll, who heads execution services at Nasdaq, was leaving the company.

An announcement is expected on the matter after the market close. The sources wished to remain anonymous because they are not permitted to speak to the media.

Tom Wittman, a former president of the Nasdaq OMX PHLX options market and who now manages all of Nasdaq’s products and pricing for U.S. equities and derivatives, is likely to fill Noll’s position, said the two sources, who were not allowed to speak with the media.

Brian Hyndman, senior vice president of global data products at Nasdaq, could also be considered for the role, one of the people said.

The departure of Noll, who masterminded the exchange operator’s $ 750 million purchase of electronic Treasuries-trading platform eSpeed that closed in July, leaves a hole in Nasdaq’s succession planning process.

Nasdaq’s board and its executives have been working on succession planning with some urgency since early 2011 when Adena Friedman, then chief financial officer, left to go to private equity firm Carlyle Group LP.

Greifeld had been positioning Friedman as his successor, and her departure put a spotlight on the lack of depth in the management bench.

There are a host of external candidates for the top job at Nasdaq, Friedman included, though Greifeld has no immediate plans to leave the company, sources told Reuters in September.

Besides Friedman, external candidates on the list include Xavier Rolet, CEO of the London Stock Exchange ; Magnus Bocker, CEO of the Singapore Exchange Ltd ; Craig Donohue, former CEO of CME Group Inc who is taking a job at OCC, the clearinghouse for all U.S. stock options; Tom Kloet, CEO of Canada’s TMX Group Ltd ; and Chris Concannon, formerly of Nasdaq and now a partner at trading firm Virtu Financial.

Noll, an expert on market structure and former Susquehanna International Group executive, was hired by Nasdaq to replace Concannon a little more than four years ago.

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Financial Services and Real Estate

Read more about UPDATE 1-Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company -sources and other interesting subjects concerning Real Estate at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company: sources

Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company: sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/b1ace__p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

Eric Noll, executive vice president, transaction services of NASDAQ OMX, speaks during the Investment Company Institute’s (ICI) Capital Markets Conference in New York, October 10, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Carlo Allegri

Reuters: Business News

Read more about Nasdaq"s No. 2 executive to leave company: sources and other interesting subjects concerning Business at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Private equity-backed groups vie for IMG as KKR exits: sources

Private equity-backed groups vie for IMG as KKR exits: sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/bfad1__p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif

By Greg Roumeliotis, Soyoung Kim and Nicola Leske

NEW YORK Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:06pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The buyout firms bidding for talent agency IMG Worldwide Inc have all secured partnerships with other companies in the sector after KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) exited an auction seen fetching more than $ 2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

KKR withdrew last week, leaving Silver Lake in partnership with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment LLC, CVC Capital Partners Ltd in partnership with Chernin Group LLC and Carlyle Group LP (CG.O) in partnership with ICM Partners Inc as the private equity-backed groups in the race, the people said.

Private equity firms that own or partner with companies that have synergies with the companies they want to acquire have an advantage in auctions over buyout firms without a strategic angle.

KKR was pursuing IMG alone after another buyout firm, New Mountain Capital LLC, dropped discussions about a potential joint bid, the people said on Monday on condition of anonymity because details of the auction are confidential.

Final bids for IMG, whose clients include top tennis player Novak Djokovic and supermodel Gisele Bundchen and which owns the rights to numerous sports leagues, are expected by December, the people said.

It remains unclear if another party, not associated with private equity, is still involved in the process as a suitor.

Spokespeople for IMG, ICM and Silver Lake did not immediately respond to a request for comment while William Morris, KKR, CVC, New Mountain and Chernin Group declined to comment.

The sale of IMG is being driven by the trustee that runs the estate of Teddy Forstmann. His private equity firm, Forstmann Little & Co, acquired IMG for $ 750 million in 2004.

Forstmann Little has held onto IMG for longer than a typical investment period for private equity, and for years it has rebuffed overtures from prospective buyers. Buyout interest increased following Teddy Forstmann’s departure in April 2011 as IMG chairman and CEO, and his death later that year.

Buyers that had approached Teddy Forstmann included former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, who was willing to pay $ 1.5 billion in 2008. Sources told Reuters at the time that Teddy Forstmann wanted at least twice the amount.

Last month, advertising agency WPP Plc (WPP.L) CEO Martin Sorrell described IMG as an asset he would love to own but said his company cannot afford it, as a frothy auction process pushed valuation towards the $ 2.5 billion mark.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld litigation partner Mark MacDougall and corporate practice co-chair J. Kenneth Menges, Jr., are managing the wind down of Teddy Forstmann’s private equity empire. Forstmann Little tried to sell 24 Hour Fitness last year but the process has since stalled.

Sports Business Daily first reported on Friday that KKR had withdrawn its bid for IMG.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis, Soyoung Kim and Nicola Leske in New York; Editing by Krista Hughes)

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Business News

Read more about Private equity-backed groups vie for IMG as KKR exits: sources and other interesting subjects concerning Business at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Exclusive: JPMorgan plans to keep pay roughly flat from last year - sources

Exclusive: JPMorgan plans to keep pay roughly flat from last year - sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/0f6de__?m=02&d=20131121&t=2&i=813908718&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE9AK1DOR00.jpg

By Nadia Damouni and David Henry

Thu Nov 21, 2013 1:01pm EST

• Tweet


• 
  
• 
  
• Share this




• Email


• Print






A sign outside the headquarters of JP Morgan Chase & Co in New York, September 19, 2013.


Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar







(Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) plans to keep overall compensation roughly flat this year from last year, in a sign that employees will feel at least some pain from the bank’s recent legal settlements, according to two sources familiar with the matter.




Pay increases have been muted across much of the banking sector in the aftermath of the financial crisis, but JPMorgan’s decision would put the bank on the lower end of expectations for the rest of the industry.




Earlier this month, compensation consultant Johnson Associates estimated that commercial and retail bankers overall will get bonuses that are unchanged to 5 percent higher this year. It estimated bonuses across all of Wall Street, including large asset management firms, will be up 5 to 10 percent.




Options Group estimated that average pay will rise 4 percent.




At JPMorgan, bonuses were largely locked down early this week, though payouts could change in unusual situations or if there is an unexpected change in the company’s results during the last six weeks of the year, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.




About 156,000 of JPMorgan’s 255,000 employees work in retail, mortgage and credit card businesses, where pay is generally lower than in its investment bank.




(Reporting by Nadia Damouni and David Henry; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Leslie Adler)





• Tweet this


• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints




We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/




Comments (0)


Be the first to comment on reuters.com.


Add yours using the box above.

Reuters: Business News

Read more about Exclusive: JPMorgan plans to keep pay roughly flat from last year - sources and other interesting subjects concerning Business at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Exclusive: Barclays weighs index unit sale after MSCI approach - sources

Exclusive: Barclays weighs index unit sale after MSCI approach - sources
http://currenteconomictrendsandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/a6c7f__?m=02&d=20131119&t=2&i=813251634&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=CBRE9AI1FBO00.jpg

By Jessica Toonkel and Soyoung Kim

NEW YORK Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:42pm EST

A logo hangs outside a branch of Barclays bank in London July 30, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Barclays Plc (BARC.L) is exploring options for its index business after equity index provider MSCI Inc (MSCI.N) approached the British bank recently about buying the unit, according to several people familiar with the situation.

MSCI’s approach has spurred early-stage discussions at Barclays, and it has not yet decided whether it should sell the Barclays Indices platform, which includes well-known products like the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which tracks assets with a market value of $ 16.7 trillion, the sources said.

All of the sources wished to remain anonymous because they are not permitted to speak to the media.

It could not be determined how much Barclays would get if it decides to sell the unit or how much MSCI has offered.

Barclays declined to comment. An MSCI spokeswoman was not able to provide comment immediately.

Barclays lists 88 major indices on its website, but the bank offers thousands of benchmarks and indices, many of which it creates for clients.

Almost $ 2.3 trillion in exchange-traded product and mutual funds track Barclays indexes, making it the second-biggest index provider after Standard & Poor’s, according to Lipper. That does not include other pools of assets that track the indices, like institutional separate accounts and collective trusts.

The U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which Barclays bought as part of the Lehman Brothers acquisition during the financial crisis, is among the platform’s best-known offerings. With investors pouring money into fixed income, passively managed exchange-traded funds and mutual funds, Barclays could get a good premium if it decides to sell the business, industry experts said.

Since January of 2008, investors have poured $ 1.2 trillion into fixed income mutual funds and ETFs, according to Lipper.

“If you listen to the exchange-traded fund managers, they all say that fixed income is their area of focus,” said Deborah Fuhr, founding partner of ETGI, a London-based ETF consultant and research firm.

One executive at a large provider of index funds and ETFs said that their firm is always asking index providers to expand their fixed-income offerings.

“I have suggested to each and every one of them to broaden their business to fixed income,” said the executive. “MSCI would be a natural buyer for that business since they need more fixed income.”

(Reporting by Jessica Toonkel and Soyoung Kim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Nick Zieminski)

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Business News

Read more about Exclusive: Barclays weighs index unit sale after MSCI approach - sources and other interesting subjects concerning Business at TheDailyNewsReport.com

Unreliable sources

Unreliable sources
http://img.youtube.com/vi/JP37ZS0enYw/0.jpg

Sources Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013 And Fukushima Japan Still Deadly

Sources Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013 And Fukushima Japan Still Deadly

AP sources: Boehner to ask for short debt increase

WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP aides say House Speaker John Boehner will ask House Republicans to approve a short-term extension of the government’s ability to borrow to meet its bills.

The Ohio Republican is slated to urge his staunchly conservative GOP colleagues to act before the government runs out of borrowing authority next week.

Republicans have been insistent that budget cuts and other measures be added to the so-called debt ceiling legislation but the aides wouldn’t say whether he’ll seek to add other material to the measure.

The aides required anonymity to reveal the information before Boehner makes an announcement after a closed-door meeting with his GOP colleagues.

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Politics Headlines

AP sources: Boehner to ask for short debt increase

Saudi black op team behind Damascus chem weapons attack – diplomatic sources

RT
October 4, 2013

The August chemical weapons attack in the Syrian capital’s suburbs was done by a Saudi Arabian black operations team, Russian diplomatic sources have told a Russian news agency.

“Based on data from a number of sources a picture can be pieced together. The criminal provocation in Eastern Ghouta was done by a black op team that the Saudi’s sent through Jordan and which acted with support of the Liwa Al-Islam group,” a source in the diplomatic circles told Interfax.

The attack and its consequences had a huge impact on the Syrian situation, another source said.

“Syrians of various political views, including some opposition fighters, are seeking to inform diplomats and members of international organizations working in Syria what they know about the crime and the forces which inspired it,” he told the agency.

Liwa Al-Islam is an Islamist armed group operating near Damascus headed by the son of a Saudi-based Salafi cleric. The group claimed responsibility for the bombing of a secret governmental meeting in Damascus in July 2012 that killed a number of top Syrian officials, including Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, his deputy Asef Shawkat, and Assistant Vice President Hassan Turkmani.

The allegations mirror a number of earlier reports, which pointed to Saudi Arabia as the mastermind behind the sarin gas attack, which almost led to US military action against Syrian government. Proponents of this scenario say intelligence services in Riyadh needed a false flag operation to provoke an American attack in Syria, which would tip the balance in favor of the armed opposition supported by Saudi Arabia.

While the majority of Western countries say they are certain that the Syrian government carries the blame for the attack, Damascus maintains that the rebel forces must be behind it. Russia shares this conviction too, calling the incident a provocation.

Back in March US President Barack Obama said the use of chemical weapons would be a ‘red line’ for the Syrian government, crossing which would prompt America’s intervention into the bloody Syrian conflict. After the August attack, which the US believes has claimed some 1,400 lives, the president was called on his words by many supporters of the Syrian opposition both at home and outside of the US.

The plan for military action was put on pause after a Russia-brokered deal with Damascus, which agreed to join the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons. Experts from OPCW are currently in Syria preparing for the disarmament.

This article was posted: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 10:37 am

---

---

Print this page.

---

---

Prison Planet.com

Saudi black op team behind Damascus chem weapons attack – diplomatic sources

Saudi black op team behind Damascus chem weapons attack – diplomatic sources

RT
October 4, 2013

The August chemical weapons attack in the Syrian capital’s suburbs was done by a Saudi Arabian black operations team, Russian diplomatic sources have told a Russian news agency.

“Based on data from a number of sources a picture can be pieced together. The criminal provocation in Eastern Ghouta was done by a black op team that the Saudi’s sent through Jordan and which acted with support of the Liwa Al-Islam group,” a source in the diplomatic circles told Interfax.

The attack and its consequences had a huge impact on the Syrian situation, another source said.

“Syrians of various political views, including some opposition fighters, are seeking to inform diplomats and members of international organizations working in Syria what they know about the crime and the forces which inspired it,” he told the agency.

Liwa Al-Islam is an Islamist armed group operating near Damascus headed by the son of a Saudi-based Salafi cleric. The group claimed responsibility for the bombing of a secret governmental meeting in Damascus in July 2012 that killed a number of top Syrian officials, including Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, his deputy Asef Shawkat, and Assistant Vice President Hassan Turkmani.

The allegations mirror a number of earlier reports, which pointed to Saudi Arabia as the mastermind behind the sarin gas attack, which almost led to US military action against Syrian government. Proponents of this scenario say intelligence services in Riyadh needed a false flag operation to provoke an American attack in Syria, which would tip the balance in favor of the armed opposition supported by Saudi Arabia.

While the majority of Western countries say they are certain that the Syrian government carries the blame for the attack, Damascus maintains that the rebel forces must be behind it. Russia shares this conviction too, calling the incident a provocation.

Back in March US President Barack Obama said the use of chemical weapons would be a ‘red line’ for the Syrian government, crossing which would prompt America’s intervention into the bloody Syrian conflict. After the August attack, which the US believes has claimed some 1,400 lives, the president was called on his words by many supporters of the Syrian opposition both at home and outside of the US.

The plan for military action was put on pause after a Russia-brokered deal with Damascus, which agreed to join the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and destroy its stockpile of chemical weapons. Experts from OPCW are currently in Syria preparing for the disarmament.

This article was posted: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 10:37 am

---

---

Print this page.

---

---

Prison Planet.com

Saudi black op team behind Damascus chem weapons attack – diplomatic sources

INFOWARS EXCLUSIVE: Military Sources Reveal Ground Force Invasion of Libya

INFOWARS EXCLUSIVE: Military Sources Reveal Ground Force Invasion of Libya

AP Sources: Senators craft Syria alternative

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior congressional aides say a bipartisan group of senators is working on an alternative measure to a resolution authorizing U.S. military force against Syria.

The group met late Monday on a plan that would call on the U.N. Security Council to state that Syria has chemical weapons and require a U.N. team to remove them within a specific time period, possibly 60 days. If this cannot be done, then President Barack Obama would have the authority to launch military strikes.

The senators working on the proposal are Republicans John McCain, Kelly Ayotte, Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss along with Democrats Chris Coons, Bob Casey, Chuck Schumer, Carl Levin and Bob Menendez.

The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the plan.

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

U.S. Headlines

AP Sources: Senators craft Syria alternative

Cameron was behind UK attempt to halt Snowden reports: sources

Pedestrians walk past the entrance of the Guardian newspaper building in London August 20 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Suzanne Plunkett

By Andrew Osborn and Estelle Shirbon

LONDON | Wed Aug 21, 2013 7:17am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered his top civil servant to try to stop revelations flowing from the Guardian newspaper about U.S. and British surveillance programs, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

News that Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood had contacted the Guardian drags Cameron into a storm over Britain’s response to media coverage of secrets leaked by fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said on Tuesday that he had been approached by “a very senior official claiming to represent the views of the prime minister” after his paper had published a series of exposes based on the Snowden material.

The sources named the official as Heywood, who is Cameron’s most senior policy adviser. “The prime minister asked the Cabinet Secretary to deal with this matter, that’s true,” one source told Reuters.

Government supporters say information leaked by Snowden, who has obtained asylum in Russia, could threaten national security. However, rights groups have accused the government of an assault on press freedom over a series of incidents.

These include the detention of a Guardian reporter’s partner, and news that the paper had been forced to destroy computer files containing information from Snowden under threat of government legal action.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “We won’t go into specific cases but if highly sensitive information was being held insecurely we have a responsibility to secure it.”

Cameron is on holiday in southwestern England.

The government had tried to distance itself from Rusbridger’s allegation that the Guardian was made to destroy the computer hard drives, and from the detention of David Miranda, partner of reporter Glenn Greenwald who has led the paper’s coverage of the Snowden leaks.

It has argued that these were operational security matters.

On Tuesday a White House spokesman said he could not comment on the destruction of Snowden material. But spokesman John Earnest said he could not see U.S. authorities destroying an American media company’s hard drives to protect national security. “That’s very difficult to imagine a scenario in which that would be appropriate,” he said told reporters.

Britain says its security agencies act within the law and that Snowden’s leaks are a grave threat to national security.

“STOLEN INFORMATION”

Miranda was held for nine hours on Sunday under an anti-terrorism law at Heathrow airport, where he was in transit on his way from Germany to his native Brazil.

He was released without charge minus his laptop, phone and memory sticks. He had been ferrying documents between Greenwald and a Berlin-based journalist contact of Snowden.

Brazil has said Miranda’s detention had “no justification”, while Miranda has launched legal action against the police and the government, accusing them of abusing anti-terrorism powers to get hold of sensitive journalistic material.

Home Secretary Theresa May, the British interior minister, said on Tuesday police were right to detain Miranda if they thought he was “in possession of highly sensitive, stolen information that could help terrorists, that could risk lives”.

But the controversy over Miranda’s detention has been fuelled by Rusbridger’s revelations on Tuesday about events several weeks ago, when the paper came under pressure to hand back or destroy intelligence material obtained from Snowden.

Rusbridger described conversations with the official now said to be Heywood and with “shadowy Whitehall figures”, a reference to the seat of government, and said he was told: “You’ve had your fun. Now we want the stuff back.”

Later, two agents from the secretive Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) came to the paper’s offices and watched while Guardian staff destroyed hard drives containing files obtained from Snowden.

Rusbridger said he agreed to this because there were other copies of the documents elsewhere. He said neither Miranda’s detention nor the destruction of the material would stop the Guardian from publishing more of Snowden’s leaks as it could conduct its reporting work outside of Britain.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington, writing by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and David Stamp)

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Reprints

Reuters: Top News

Cameron was behind UK attempt to halt Snowden reports: sources

Fox News Reporter Due in Colorado Court over Sources in Theater Shootings

A Fox News journalist was due back in a Colorado court on Monday to fight efforts by defense lawyers to compel her to divulge confidential sources she cited in a story about accused movie theater gunman James Holmes’ plans to commit mass murder.

The hearing is largely procedural in nature, with Arapahoe County District Court Judge Carlos Samour Jr. expected to continue a subpoena for New York-based reporter Jana Winter until September.

Public defenders have accused the government of leaking information to Winter in violation of a court-imposed gag order in place at the time and are demanding that prosecutors be sanctioned, arguing that her article, published online on FoxNews.com, undermined their client’s right to a fair trial.

Holmes’ defense obtained the subpoena in a bid to force Winter to reveal her sources. Winter is fighting the subpoena, saying she is protected by Colorado and New York state reporter shield laws.

Holmes, 25, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder for the July 2012 shooting spree at a suburban Denver cinema that left 12 moviegoers dead and dozens others wounded or injured during a midnight screening of the Batman film “A Dark Knight Rises.”

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if the former University of Colorado neuroscience graduate student is convicted.

Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His lawyers have said in court filings that the California native was “in the throes of a psychotic episode” when he went on the shooting spree.

Citing unnamed law enforcement officials in a story published five days after the massacre, Winter reported that Holmes had mailed a package to his psychiatrist in advance that contained a notebook with diagrams and other entries detailing plans for the shooting rampage.

Holmes is undergoing a psychiatric examination at the state’s mental hospital, and his lawyers waived his right to appear at Monday’s proceeding.

At an earlier court hearing, several law enforcement officers who saw the package in question denied under oath that they were Winter’s sources.

Samour did rule that if Winter were to affirm under oath – without revealing her sources – that none of the officers who testified were the source, that could influence his decision on whether to quash the subpoena.

Prosecutors have been largely been silent on the issue.

© 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

Newsmax – America

Fox News Reporter Due in Colorado Court over Sources in Theater Shootings

Exclusive: Forest interested in bidding for Irish drugmaker Elan - sources

NEW YORK –  Forest Laboratories Inc is among a handful of companies interested in bidding for Irish drugmaker Elan Corp , according to two people familiar with the situation who wished to remain anonymous because they are not permitted to speak to the media.

Forest and Elan declined to comment.

(Reporting by Jessica Toonkel, Soyoung Kim)

FOXBusiness.com

Exclusive: Forest interested in bidding for Irish drugmaker Elan - sources