Tag Archives: wall street

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Europe enforces oil sanctions against Iran. Iran prepares to close Hormuz Strait. Iran creates $14 billion fund to expand oil industry! More examples of Chock Full o’Crap western media!

“There is a bill prepared in the National Security and Foreign Policy committee of Parliament that stresses the blocking of oil tanker traffic carrying oil to countries that have sanctioned Iran.”-Ibrahim Agha-Mohammadi,  Member of Iranian Parliament

02 July 2012, in a move that seems counter to the European Union (EU) oil sanctions that went into effect on 01 July 2012, Iranian lawmakers say they will block oil shipments to Europe by closing the Strait of Hormuz.

It’s also meant to show that Iran does not need European countries for its oil business.  As of Sunday, 100 of the 290 members of Iran’s parliament have signed the bill.

Also today, Iran created a $14 billion USD fund to expand its oil industry: “The $14 billion fund can create a remarkable momentum in the oil industry and indicates that despite sanctions there is no problem in the trend of the country’s development and production in the oil sector.”-Mohammad Reza Farzin, Managing-Director of Iran’s National Development Fund

Also today, South Korean news media reported that South Korean oil refiners and Iranian oil companies have reached an agreement that would allow South Korea (a U.S. ally/puppet) to resume Iranian oil shipments without violating the European sanctions: “Korean oil refiners and the Iranian side have been in consultations over the matter of using Iranian flagged oil tankers to resume oil shipments.”-unnamed South Korean official

For insurance reasons South Korea will use Iranian tanker ships, which turns out to also be a loop hole in the European oil sanctions!

Also today, Iran’s Oil Ministry announced that despite the 01 July 2012 European oil sanctions, Iranian exports of refined gasoline for European customers will actually increase: “The daily production of euro4 gasoline will reach 24 million liters [6.3 million U.S. gallons] by the end of the current [Iranian] year.”-Alireza Zeiqami, Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister

But who’s the biggest buyer of refined Iranian fuels?  Why the U.S. occupied country of Afghanistan!  In 2011, Afghanistan bought $51.6 million USD worth of Iranian fuels.

On 01 July 2012, corrupt British bank Barclays revealed that a certain type of Iranian oil will escape any attempt at sanctions. It’s called “bunkers” (aka vital blending components).  Bunkers are blended fuels for ships, and the international shipping fleets will need at least $145 billion USD this year, according to Bloomberg.  But here’s the rub for U.S. and EU sanctions: “This is a problem we didn’t foresee. We don’t know how much Iranian oil is already blended in.”-Peter Sand, Baltic and International Maritime Council, which represents 65% of ship owners

Reports also show that Iran really does not need the U.S. or EU as customers, demands from Asia and Africa are growing rapidly. Currently Iran is supplying 100% of Sri Lanka’s petroleum needs, 51% of Turkey’s, 25% of South Africa’s, 11% of India’s and China’s, and 10% of Japan’s and South Korea’s demands.

Oh, by the way, did you know that at the end of June the U.S. government exempted China from the latest sanctions, for the next 180 days?

Full o’Crap western news media continue to claim U.S. led sanctions have hurt Iran’s economy.  The U.S. has imposed sanctions for decades, yet Iran has become one of the richest countries in the region, and not just because of oil!

Iran’s mining industry, excluding petroleum, is now the seventh largest in the world: “We have now achieved self-sufficiency in mining and heavy industries by over 70% in the last four years, while we were once totally dependent (on foreign countries) in these sectors.”-Hassan Polark, Iran’s Industry, Mines and Trade

“The richest gold mines in Venezuela, for instance, have been discovered by the young Iranian engineers.”-Hamid Safdel, Iran’s Industry, Mines and Trade

Iran and Iraq have increased trade to close to $10 million USD so far this year, and they plan to do more: “The volume of the trade exchanges between Iran and Iraq amounts to $9.7 billion which shows an 8% growth compared with the last year.”-Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Iran’s Interior Minister

Also: “We are also ready to build new power plants in order to increase the capacity of power exports to Iraq. The [Karkheh-al-Emara] power line has increased the capacity of Iran’s electricity exports to Iraq to 1,200 megawatts [daily].”-Majid Namjou, Iran’s Minister of Energy

I could go on and on, like Iranian construction contractors building apartments in the South American country of Venezuela.  Belorussian tractor companies making joint production deals with Iranian tractor companies. Iranian automobile manufacturers reporting increased production, for yet another year in a row.

And to prove Iran is making money despite U.S. and EU sanctions, on 02 July 2012, Iranian officials announced they were able to buy two million metric tons of wheat: “The government has so far been able to import two million tons of wheat into the country despite financial restrictions and sanctions. Such a (large) volume of imported wheat is for supplying the country’s strategic reserves.”-unnamed Iranian official

Iran buys wheat from several sources.  Pakistan is a top source, but India is reportedly offering to beat Pakistan’s prices to win orders from Iran.  India is now the second largest producer of wheat in the world.

Iran also buys wheat from Kazakhstan.  Iranian reports say imports of Kazak wheat could increase by 5 million metric tons next year!

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Japanese government collasping over tax increases! DPJ turning against their own Prime Minister!

02 July 2012, 52 members of Japan’s Diet (parliament) have resigned over the sales tax increases called for by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

The prime minister and the lawmakers who quit are part of the same political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).  One of the lawmakers to resign is Ichiro Ozawa, who helped found the DPJ. He’s forming a new political party to challenge the government.

The members who left occupied positions in both houses of the Diet.  If the DPJ were to lose 55 members in the more powerful Lower House, then the DPJ would not be able to stop any recall of the prime minister.  The Lower House of the Diet appoints the Japanese prime minister, he is not elected by the general public.

Yoshihiko Noda is the sixth prime minister in the past six years.

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

Global Class War: Hungary taxes potato chips last year, now adds cell phone calls! Nebraska already suffering with highest cell phone tax rate in United States!

In September 2011, Hungary joined several countries placing extra taxes on snacks like potato chips.  Full of crap western news media said it was an effort to fight obesity, but a recent Japanese report straight up said it was a way for the Hungarian government to raise more money to pay its out of control debts!

In May 2012, Hungary also passed an extra tax on cell phones calls!  It’s called the voice-traffic levy.  The Hungarian government hopes the new phone tax will create at least $133.6 million USD this year.

NHK (nippon housou kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reporting that Hungary was forced to create the extra tax under demands from the European Union.  But some people have switched to using smartphones which can make calls through the internet.  Hungarian officials did not tax internet based calls.

Here in the U.S. state of Idaho, groceries are already taxed.  It’s fun to watch people from out of state go into shock when they find out they have to pay tax on groceries.

Idahoans are not happy about the decades old grocery tax.  Political leaders have tried to throw us a bone by allowing a grocery credit on the end of year tax filings.  But woe to them that try to add extra taxes on snacky foods in the name of forcing us to be healthy, when in reality they just want to steal more of our increasingly limited money.

But wait, there’s more!  According to a 2011 Money article, Nebraska leads the U.S. with the highest cell phone tax rates!  Combined federal, state and local cell phone tax rates amounted to 23.69% in 2011!!!

Idaho’s state and local tax rate was 2.2% (not counting federal taxes).

“Cellphone users are overtaxed relative to consumers of other goods, and at risk of double taxation. Additionally, the wide number of taxing authorities and the wide variety in rates makes tracking problematic and burdensome.” -Joseph Henchman, Tax Foundation Director of State Projects

The reason this is class warfare is that these kinds of taxes do not affect the elitist wealthy, they target the overwhelming majority of citizens who are not rich!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

LIBOR: Evil British Empire banks forced businesses to take on loan insurance, while they jacked up international interst rates! More proof the Too Big To Fails caused the economic crisis! More proof of Trilateral Commission operations!

29 June 2012, British news media reporting the LIBOR scandal isn’t over.  Not only was Barclays (and other British and U.S. banks) involved with manipulating international interest rates, but they also forced smaller businesses to buy loan insurance, “mis-selling” it as a way of protecting themselves from those high LIBOR interest rates!

Recently Barclays settled with the U.S. government over manipulation charges.  Barclays is the tip of the British banking empire LIBOR scandal iceberg, which dominates western economies.

Investigators say the LIBOR fixing took place from 2005 to 2009.  The scandal involved too big to fail banks in North America, Europe and Japan (the regional members of the Trilateral Commission).

 

 

Technology

Overwhelming proof that printer ink gives you Cancer

For at least a decade now there have been cancer cases, and studies from around the world suggesting that printer ink, and other chemicals used for printers, cause cancer.

Recently the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in Japan, announced they are now studying the high rate of cancer among people who work in printing operations.

This came after several researchers revealed that people in one factory were dying from an unusually high rate of bile duct cancer.

According to Shinji Kumagai, an associate professor at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, the cancer rate at this particular printer company is 600 times higher than the average Japanese man who dies from bile duct cancer.

University researchers began looking into the situation last year, when a former employee died of bile duct cancer.  He claimed that many of his coworkers had the same cancer.  He had quit the factory five years prior, saying “The work environment is bad, with organic solvents in the air.” 

Four people recently died from the cancer in Osaka, in western Japan.  Another person died in Miyagi Prefecture, in northern Japan.  A former printing company worker in Tokyo has been diagnosed with bile duct cancer.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, says they are now investigating at least 500 printing companies throughout Japan.

In 2007 an Australian study showed that printer ink can get into the air when printing.  Printer inks contain Carbon Black, which causes cancer.  There was also concern with other toxic chemicals in the inks.

In 1996, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that many studies through out the 90s revealed “significant” increases in cancer rates among people involved with all kinds of printing, from newspapers to silk screen.  The cancers studied were of the lung, oropharynx, bladder and kidney, and Leukemia.

However the IARC downplayed the dozens and dozens of studies by prefacing the case reports with “…studies did not provide clear patterns of results.”,  “…poor specificity of exposure information.”  and “…the findings are not strong or consistent enough to be evaluated.”

2018 Update, here’s a list of main stream articles and/or studies concerning cancer and inks:

UrduPoint News: Ink When Mixes With Oily Foods Can Cause Cancer

Cure Today: Think Before You Ink 

U.S. National Library of Medicine (PebMed): Tattoo ink particles can spread into lymph nodes

ScienceAlert: Ancient Chinese Ink Could Hold a Surprising New Way to Kill Cancer

Science Daily: Ink from ancient Egyptian papyri contains copper

SafeCosmetics:  Carbon black is a dark black powder used as a pigment in cosmetics  … been linked to increased incidence of cancer and negative effects on organs.

Karger:  Carbon Black Nanoparticles and Other Problematic Constituents of Black Ink

Emerging Technologies: Nanoparticles in tattoo ink could cause cancer

OnLineLibrary: Risk of lung cancer following exposure to carbon black, titanium dioxide and talc: Results from two case–control studies in Montreal

Cancer related Blind Bat News: HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? BLACK, WHITE OR ASIAN? OR, WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CANCER WITH YOUR TEA OR ENERGY DRINK?

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 23 June – 27 June. Oil starts flowing, Iran joins oil production, Uzbeistan interferes. More U.S. led troops die. Afghans accuse U.S. led troops of stealing their money, Israeli style. Cops poisoned. Cops join Mujahideen. More girls poisoned.

27 June 2012

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stated that two U.S. led occupying personnel were killed by an explosion in eastern Afghanistan.

“It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”

iCasualties.org reports 217 occupying forces killed so far this year.

In Ghazni Province, local officials report gun battles between locals and supposed Mujahideen/Taliban. They believe the shootout was the result of people refusing to join a specific organization.

In Paktiya Province, local officials claim that 28 Mujahideen were killed in battles there. The battles were between Mujahideen and Afghan government forces backed up by U.S. led occupying forces.

ISAF claims 10 Mujahideen killed and 21 captured in battles in Ghazni, Logar, Nangarhar, Parwan and Wardak provinces.

26 June 2012

In Helmand Province, five family members were assassinated.  The family had just accepted agricultural seeds from the local government.

In Takhar Province, a suicide bomber was captured before he blew himself up.  Afghan police say he is connected with the Jendullah Group of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

ISAF claims seven Mujahideen killed and six captured in Ghazni, Khost, Paktika and Wardak provinces.

25 June 2012

In Badghis Province, Mujahideen claim 15 local cops defected to them.  Local government officials admit cops did defect, but not that many.

In Logar Province, locals are complaining that U.S. led occupying forces are taking their money and government identification documents. It’s happening during night time raids on homes (Israeli style).  Some people also say the occupiers are taking electronic items like computers.

One unnamed occupying official said items, including money, are taken because U.S. led forces believe such things will be used against them (same excuse the Israelis use when they steal stuff from the Palestinians). ISAF Brigadier General, Carsten Jacobsen, claims that people are given paperwork which allows them to get their money/items back, but many Afghans say they are still waiting months later, with no response from ISAF.

In Uruzgan Province, at least six cops were killed by an explosion, three others were wounded after the explosion when Mujahideen open fired on them.

An Italian occupying troop was killed, two wounded, in eastern Afghanistan when a police shooting range was bombed.

Dozens of people killed when Afghan Mujahideen attacked Pakistani border patrol forces.  Mujahideen released a video of the beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers (who says Pakistan isn’t doing enough for the United States?).

In Helmand Province, about 40 cops were poisoned. It happened at the police academy. The cops recovered.

In Sar-e-Pul Province, at least 90 Rahmatabad high school girls were poisoned. They have recovered.

Afghan security officials are claiming they have proof that Uzbekistan is trying to stop oil production in the Amu River basin.  China’s National Petroleum Corporation was awarded the oil extraction contract last December.

An unnamed security official said U.S. puppet General Abdul Rashid Dostum (accused of the Dasht-i-Leili massacre where hundreds of unarmed prisoners were murdered) has been hired by the Uzbek government to interfere with the Amu River oil project.

Iran announced a oil pipeline project between Iran and Afghanistan. The proposed pipeline will bring Afghanistan refined petroleum products.

24 June 2012

ISAF announced two U.S. led occupiers were killed in a traffic accident, in southern Afghanistan. Another occupier died from a non-combat incident in eastern Afghanistan.

In Ghazni Province, one person was killed, another wounded, after explosives planted on a “cycle” exploded.

In Bamiyan Province, local officials claim they captured a Mujahideen leader.

In Sar-e-Pul Province, extraction of oil from the Amu River Basin officially begins.

Afghan Attorney General officials announced investigations regarding General  Dostum’s interference in oil field production.

ISAF claims to have captured Mujahideen explosives expert in Paktiya Province.

23 June 2012

ISAF reports one U.S. led occupier killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

In Sar-e-Pul Province, about 116 people, mostly girls, were poisoned at the Hazrat Imam Zada Yahya high school.

In Parwan Province, a Mujahideen leader, and a woman he was involved with,  were killed by fellow Mujahideen.  Mujahideen claim the leader and the woman were actually double agents for the Afghan government.

In Nangarhar Province, an explosion near a Hindu owned CD shop left two people dead, and two people wounded.

In Logar Province, a local police boss was assassinated.  Local cops say one body guard was killed, one wounded, and two Mujahideen killed in the attack.

In Kandahar Province, an Australian occupying force CH-47 Chinook helicopter force landed.  It happened while providing close support to ground troops. One crewman was injured: “One of the aircrew was injured and has been treated on site. All other personnel onboard underwent precautionary health checks following the incident.”-Major General Stuart Smith

In Uruzgan Province, three people killed, one wounded, when they drove over a mine.

In Faryab Province, a local cop and four members of his family were assassinated.

Afghan officials claim 11 Mujahideen killed, seven wounded and 51 captured, in battles in Kabul, Nangarhar, Baghlan, Balkh, Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, Khost, Paktia, and Ghazni provinces.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Operation al-Farouq! Saudi Arabia puts military on high alert, buying 800 top-o-the line Leopard tanks

A letter dated 27 June 2012, and signed by Saudi King Abdullah, shows that Saudi Arabia’s military was ordered on high alert.

The supposed top secret order is calling the operation al-Farouq.

The king claims the move is to prevent “foreign or terrorist attacks.”  For some reason the U.S. main stream news media are ignoring the developments.

Speculation that this could be a move to defend against the growing revolutionary movement calling for the end of the U.S./U.K. puppet Al Saud Royalist regime.

Also, there are problems with the royal family in that heirs are dying off, and there is infighting over who will become the next ruler.

This news comes as a Reuters report revealed that Saudi Arabia has increased its order for German made Leopard 2A7 tanks, to 800!  The original order was for 300, and some in Germany’s parliament tried to stop the sale on grounds that it violated the German constitution.

Reuters was citing a German newspaper: “The Saudi order could secure the future of German tank-makers Krauss-Maffei Wegman and Rheinmetall, which urgently need new markets because of the restructuring of the German army.”-Bild am Sonntag

It’s interesting that last year German officials originally denied such a military sale was being made!

Fukushima

One Year Later: Record level radiation at Reactor 1, Fukushima Daiichi! Proof of near full blown melt down!

27 June 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) reporting highest radiation levels yet inside Reactor 1 of the GE (General Electric) designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power factory.

Using endoscopes and dosimeters on 26 June 2012,  TEPCo employees detected 10,300 millisieverts per hour inside the reactor!  That level will kill you in less than an hour!

That level of radiation was picked up 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) from a pool of water.   At 4 meters (13 feet) above the water 1,000 millisieverts per hour was detected (which is ten times more than Reactor 2 or 3).

TEPCo officials say the high radiation levels from Reactor 1 are because the reactor was closer to a full blown runaway melt down, than any of the other reactors.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

LIBOR: More proof the Evil British Empire controls unAmerican Corporate America & the Western Capitalist World, and more proof the too big to fails are to blame!

27 June 2012, a major bank in the United Kingdom, Barclays, settled with U.S. and U.K. regulators, over charges it was manipulating key international interest rates, specifically the LIBOR.

The settlement is for $451 million USD, which is a pittance when you consider the havoc Barclays wreaked on economies throughout the western world. Barclays is the forth largest bank in the world.

Barclays is a major player in the setting of the LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate).  This is an interest rate charged to other banks, and is done on behalf of the British Bankers’ Association in London, England.  As of 2008 there were 60 international banks beholden to the LIBOR.

U.S. and U.K. investigations have revealed that not only are British too big to fail banks involved in manipulating interest rates, but so are U.S. banks. It’s not just interest rates, but currency valuations as well.

Besides Barclays the following banks are also being investigated for market manipulation: Citigroup Inc. (C), Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, UBS AG (UBSN), ICAP Plc (IAP), Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY) and Deutsche Bank AG are part of at least 18 possibly criminal banks being accused.

Swiss based UBS decided to cooperate with investigators in exchange for legal immunity!

And don’t think this settlement means Barclays, or any other bank, will straighten up and do the right thing, as one law professor said: “It’s [settlements for breaking laws & regulations] become the cost of doing business.”-Jerry W. Markham, former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Cyprus joins growing list of European countries asking for a bailout!

25 June 2012, the small island country of Cyrus has asked the European Union (EU) for a bailout.  It’s the fifth country to do so, after Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal.

The economy of Cyprus is directly tied to Greece, and the economic disaster there has dragged down banks in Cyprus.

Fitch just downgraded the Cyprus’s sovereign credit (bonds) grade by one notch to a junk status of BB+.  Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s also rank Cyprus at junk level.