Author: 5amResearch

Chinese FM urges US to address mounting doubts over its silence on Nord Stream pipeline sabotage

By Chen Qingqing Published: Jun 13, 2023 07:46 PM The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated on Tuesday that it is crucial to conduct an objective, fair, and professional investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosion and hold those responsible accountable, after some media reported that German investigators are looking into details about the explosion orchestrated by a sabotage group and the…

UBS to impose Credit Suisse ban on new clients from high-risk countries

HONG KONG – UBS will impose strict restrictions on bankers from Credit Suisse, including a ban on new clients from high-risk countries, according to a Financial Times report, with the two banks moving to close the historic takeover as soon as Monday. A list consisting of almost two dozen “red lines” will prohibit Credit Suisse staff from a range of…

European Central Bank eyes next rate hike

FRANKFURT – The European Central Bank (ECB) will almost certainly deliver another interest rate hike on Thursday as the eurozone slides into a recession. Analysts predict that ECB policymakers will copy May’s move and again raise borrowing costs by 25 basis points, taking the closely watched deposit rate to 3.5 per cent. It would be the Frankfurt institution’s eighth consecutive hike…

George Soros’ Son Alexander Takes Over Family Empire

George Soros, a financier with a penchant for politics, has moved to hand over control over his $25 billion empire to his 37-year-old son Alexander.As some media outlets have pointed out, Soros Sr. previously appeared reluctant to let any of his five children take control of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) but has apparently changed his mind.Alexander Soros replaced his…

U.S. offering US citizenship as military recruitment incentive

Struggling to overcome recruiting shortfalls, the Army and the Air Force have bolstered their marketing to entice legal residents to enlist, putting out pamphlets, working social media and broadening their outreach, particularly in inner cities. One key element is the use of recruiters with similar backgrounds to these potential recruits. Airman 1st Class Joshua Fancisco, from the Philippines, left, Airman…

US expands China forced-labour embargo, banning two new firms

WASHINGTON – The US expanded a ban on imports from China’s Xinjiang region, placing two more companies on its so-called entity list, the first additions since a law targeting forced labour in the area took effect a year ago. Printing and imaging company Ninestar Corp and eight of its subsidiaries, as well as Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical, were added to the…

U.S. says China has had a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019

China has been operating a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, part of a global effort by Beijing to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capabilities, according to a Biden administration official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the U.S. intelligence community has been aware of China’s spying from Cuba…

Reality Winner Has Something to Say About the Trump Indictment

Reality Winner, the first person to be prosecuted in violation of the Espionage Act under the Trump administration, said she was “blown away” by the voluminous detail found in the 49-page indictment against the former president in the sprawling Mar-a-Lago documents scandal. The former intelligence contractor and Air Force linguist made the comments in a new interview with NBC broadcast Friday. In 2018, under the…

CIA Privately Attributed Nord Stream Attack to Ukraine While US Blamed Russia – Report

Western media is reporting that the CIA told its Belgian counterparts that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last September.“Shortly after the attack, our military intelligence agency ADIV received strictly confidential information that pointed to Ukraine’s likely role in sabotage,” a mainstream Belgian newspaper wrote Saturday. The publication said it “learned from well-informed…

Serbs Take To Streets In Sixth Anti-Government Protest Since Mass Shootings Last Month

Tens of thousands of people marched on June 9 in another anti-government protest in Belgrade criticizing the government’s response to two mass shootings last month in which 18 people died. The protesters called for the resignation of President Aleksandar Vucic and stuck messages to the door of the government building, including one that said, “Enough is enough.” Cardboard figures depicting…

Ukraine suffers ‘significant losses’ as long-awaited counteroffensive begins against Russian forces: US officials

Ukrainian forces have been met with strong resistance from Russian soldiers after attempting to penetrate enemy lines in the east of the country in the past couple days. US officials have described the losses, which included US-supplied MRAP armored vehicles, as “significant,” per CNN. Though Ukraine was able to push through Russian forces around Bakhmut, they were met with anti-tank…

US / SEC sues Coinbase and Binance, files motion to freeze Binance assets

The top US securities regulator sued cryptocurrency platform Coinbase on Tuesday, the second lawsuit in two days against a major crypto exchange, in a dramatic escalation of a crackdown on the industry and one that could dramatically transform a market that has largely operated outside regulation. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday took aim at Binance, the…

Raging Canada Wildfires Threaten Critical Infrastructure, Force Evacuations

Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities. Wildfires are common in Canada’s western provinces, but this year flames have mushroomed rapidly in the country’s east, making it the worst-ever start to the season. About 3.8 million hectares have burned, 15 times…

Disgruntled employer Fox News says Tucker Carlson breached his contract: Report

Fox News on Wednesday notified Mr Tucker Carlson’s legal team that the former prime-time host violated his contract with the network when he launched his own Twitter show on Tuesday, Axios reported, citing a copy of a letter obtained by the news website. Mr Carlson released the first episode of his new show on Twitter on Tuesday, weeks after being…

Saudi crown prince, US’ Blinken had ‘candid’ talks in Jeddah

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an “open, candid” conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the early hours of Wednesday about a wide range of bilateral issues, a US official said. The top US diplomat arrived in Saudi Arabia late on Tuesday for a much anticipated visit amid frayed ties due to…

Meta to let users refuse its cross-site tracking following German antitrust intervention

Meta has been dragged kicking and screaming into another notable privacy concession in Europe: The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has announced a new account center incoming which will see the tech giant provide users of its social networking services with a greater degree of choice over whether they allow it to combine data on their activity across its services…