The U.S. dollar index, a collection of the dollar versus other big currencies, dropped a massive 0.5 percent in less than 15 minutes at around 3:10 pm ET following President Trump’s tough words on the dollar, considered strange from a leader on their own country’s currency. The index stayed lower by about 0.5 percent in late-afternoon trading. The euro peaked a high of 1.0658 against the dollar, its highest since April 7.

This moves comes as Russia and China are colluding to move against the dollar.

[RELATED: CHINA RUSSIA MOVE FOR GOLD AGAINST DOLLAR MAKES THEM A TARGET BY TRUMP]

Days before meetings of Finance Ministers across the globe in Washington, President Trump revealed a policy U-turn, claiming that the US government would not officially label China as a currency manipulator, despite his aggression towards China in his campaign bid.

It can be assumed that Trump is unwilling to provoke China amid high tensions with North Korea so as not to stir unnecessary side conflicts. though this is debatable.

Regardless, Trump’s comments pertaining to the strength of the US dollar and US monetary policy convey that America’s strong dollar policy, enacted in 1995 by Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin when the dollar was near post-world war 2 lows, is now transforming.

Trump commented: a strong dollar “sounds good”, but added that “our dollar is getting too strong…it is very, very hard to compete when you have a strong dollar and other countries are devaluing their currency”. He also said that he “likes a low interest rate policy.”

Steven Moore, a keen economic adviser to Trump during the campaign, added he was not worried about Trump’s U-turns over China. In hindsight, few typical voters feel too strongly about the Export Import Bank, and Trump’s words on China are still likely to satisfy the majority of his voter base, whether China is labelled as a currency manipulator or otherwise. Moore believes that fulfilling his promises on the border wall, reducing taxes, and reversing Obamacare are all greater risks and problems facing Trump than whether China will be labelled.

“Look, what made Trump so attractive to so many of the Trump voters was this idea that. . . he wasn’t just a standard politician who says one thing and does another thing, so he’s got to be careful about that,” Moore said. At the same time, he added, “It’s the big promises that matter most.”

Why would Trump criticize the strength of the dollar?

Due to Trump’s backsliding over targeting China, no longer intervening in Syria, and repealing Obamacare quickly, allegations that he is merely another globalist in disguise have become commonplace.

However, it is well known that the US dollar, and petro dollar respectively, represent the core of US hegemonic efforts across the globe – owning the strongest currency gives them economic dominance, and the global price on oil keeps western interests and the power of the oil tycoons enforced.

Knowing this, why would President Trump criticize the dollar, to the degree of calling it too strong? Such rhetoric would be strange for a typical globalist, so what could Trump be thinking behind those controversial words?

The post President Trump: ‘US Dollar Too Strong’ appeared first on We Are Change.

Footage taken near the site of the explosion that killed 100 people at the moment the bomb went off #fuah_kafraya_massacre #Syria pic.twitter.com/sPj94VBEAZ

— Walid (@walid970721) April 16, 2017

While the mainstream is silent, reports from onlookers and independent media suggest at least 100 people were killed at the moment of the explosion on Saturday.

The attack was suspected to be carried out by US-Backed Al Qaeda militants in Syria. Al-jazeera reports that the militants targeted a Syrian evacuation convoy that was getting refugees out of Rashidin and Aleppo. The mainstream media has not made any effort to report on this awful atrocity.

Express your solidarity with the victims of #Kafaria & #Fouaa by sharing this photo.#Syria #Fuah_Kafraya_massacre pic.twitter.com/rMEnnm9wNG

— JoJo????? (@PhantomHunter_x) April 15, 2017

ABNA reported on Friday, that at least ‘5000 Shias of Al-Fou’aa, Kafraya’ were to leave Idlib on the targeted evacuation convoys.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that most of the dead were the targeted evacuees. However, they also suspect that several rebels who had been guarding the buses at a transit point in Rashidin were killed. They added that the attack targeted residents evacuated from the northern towns of Fuaa and Kafraya under a deal reached between Bashar Al Assad’s regime and Syrian rebels.

A reporter in rebel-held Rashidin claimed to have seen several bodies, dismembered body parts and blood across the ground.

“The suicide bomber was driving a van supposedly carrying aid supplies and detonated near the buses,” the Observatory said. It warned that the death toll was likely to rise given the “several dozen wounded” at the blast site.

The evacuation was agreed upon by regime ally Iran and rebel backer Qatar. It aims to free more than 30,000 in two stages. The deal had assessed that in the first stage, 8,000 people, of which there were 2,000 loyalist fighters, would leave the two towns.

Assad’s regime had successfully recaptured key rebel bases, including eastern Aleppo. This opportunity came after Russian military intervention in September 2015.

Syrian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan said in a statement to RTE:

“The bomb attack on evacuees in Rashidin in Syria is a heinous crime.It seems like an attack designed to provoke and to undo even limited local progress. It is an attack on people at their most vulnerable. I condemn it and call for those responsible to be brought to justice.”

While Twitter has exploded in solidarity for the atrocity and numerous independent and local media outlets are covering the attack, the majority of mainstream organisations CNN, BBC and the like — are all sickeningly silent.

Strangely, the mainstream media jumps to report on attacks with no concrete perpetrator, such as the chemical attack claimed to be carried out by Assad’s regime days after the Trump administration’s Rex Tillerson stated ‘Assad Can Stay.’ However, they are strangely silent on a large scale atrocity such as this. Selective reporting, or intentional saber-rattling against Assad’s government?

The post Syrian Rebels Bomb Evacuation Bus In Idlib, MSM Silent appeared first on We Are Change.

North Korea has caused dramatic tensions around the world with their nuclear weapons testing and made enemies of many Western nations. After the recent U.S. airstrike on Syria, North Korean officials condemned the actions, saying that “the US missile attack against Syria is a clear and intolerable act of aggression against a sovereign state and we strongly condemn it.”

President Donald Trump has juggled with many ways to deal with Kim Jong-Un, including an assassination plot, and stockpiling nuclear armaments in South Korea. Trump opted to send the US’ top war fleet, the USS Carl Vinson – led by an aircraft carrier – to the peninsula.

In response to North Korea’s recent activity, a US Navy source said: “We feel the increased presence is necessary.” The Navy strike force will sail from Singapore toward the Korean peninsula, according to the anonymous official.

Tensions between North Korea and NATO have all but disintegrated due to North Korea’s numerous nuclear tests and sabre-rattling comments on their nuclear capability. Tensions hit their lowest after the assassination of the late Kim Jong-nam, who was allegedly killed to consolidate Jong-Un’s power base.
[RELATED: Malaysia PM: North Korea Responsible for Death of Kim Jong-Nam]

In 2017 alone, Kim has fired ballistic missiles at US targets in Japan, narrowly missing the country’s coast, either as more “tests,” or as a blatant show of force of their military strength despite being a divided island nation. The country is also allegedly in possession of at least one ICBM missile, which could bring nuclear devastation to the US mainland. Japan had continued their unilateral sanctions against North Korea as a result of this infringement. Tokyo will reportedly continue its prohibition of all trade between Japan and North Korea, and cease all North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports for the next two years.

In a show of defense, Kim Jong-un has exploited the US’ recent missile strikes in retaliation for the chemical attacks in Syria as an example to prove they require nuclear defenses.

A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman commented: “The reality of today proves our decision to strengthen our military power to stand against force with force was the right choice a million times over.

North Korea was not hesitant in joining half the world to condemn President Trump’s retaliation and continued to threaten nuclear war – regardless of the strikes occurring 4,650 miles away at an airfield in Ash Sha’irat.

Un reportedly regards Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad a key ally and North Korea claims the pair exchanged “warm wishes.” They allegedly pledged to “meet such challenges as sinister actions of the world’s terrorists and encouraged Syria to successfully weather the crisis without fail”.

(This Is A Developing Story Check Back For Updates)

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At least four of those confirmed dead were soldiers guarding the census team. Twenty-two others were wounded in the bombing. A team carrying out Pakistan’s first census in just under 20 years was the primary target of the attack.

Authorities had sealed off the area on Bedian Road in the capital of the Punjab province after the blast. Rescue officials claim the attack occurred just before 8:00 am local time.

The attack on Wednesday Morning was executed amid a coinciding wave of bombings allegedly caused by Islamic radicals in recent weeks. At present no militant organisation has come forward to take responsibility for the latest attack, though Pakistani Taliban are suspected.

Khwaja Imran Nazir, the provincial health minister in the Punjab province, had recently confirmed the death toll while speaking to field reporters outside the hospital.

“The target seems to be the census team and the soldiers guarding them,” Malik Ahmed Khan, a spokesperson for the provincial government, told local television news channel Geo.

“Sacrifice of precious lives of civil enumerators and soldiers is beyond any doubt a great sacrifice,” Pakistan’s Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa added in a statement. He withheld information about the number of soldiers killed in the bombing.
“Conduct of Census will be completed at any cost,” he added.

Pakistan’s Bureau of Statistics started its first population census since 1998 last month. They worked with the military, which has deployed 200,000 troops to give security for the census. Approximately 119,000 government employees are taking part in the exercise, acting as enumerators for the activity.

This comes as the second attack in Lahore in the last two months. At least ten people were killed after an explosion tore through an upmarket area of Lahore in February. A car bomb exploded in a market in a mainly Shia area of Pakistan’s Parachinar region last week. 22 were killed, and 57 injured. This attack was claimed by Pakistani Taliban.

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Leading Social Democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected as Germany’s 12th president on February 12th, 2017. After Joachim Gauck had declined to take a 2nd term due to his age of 77 years. News.au  reports that Steinmeier took the oath of office at a joint session of both houses of parliament. He later gave his inaugural speech on Wednesday. Steinmeier was previously replaced in his post as foreign minister by Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel earlier this year.

During his tenure as foreign minister, Steinmeier was particularly critical of President Donald Trump’s campaign. Being a proponent of a transatlantic partnership, adding it: “is strong only if it is cherished on both sides.”

“We have never experienced such polarization in American domestic politics, and no one, not even [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself, can deny that Trump played a part in it too.”

Steinmeier claims to be taken back over President Trump’s alleged lack of understanding of the importance of trade stating: “Until a few days ago I could never have imagined that a French president and Chinese president would have to instruct their new American colleague about the advantages of an open world and free trade.”

Steinmeier is sure to have a greater degree of influence as the prospective future president. He will likely become a keen adviser to Chancellor Merkel, who shares a common distaste for President Trump’s dismissal of any transatlantic agreements. Before the election, Steinmeier called the now President of the United States a “hate preacher” and that Trump’s presidency marked “the end of the old world order.”

A key part of Steinmeiers’ inaugural speech was to urge Turkey’s President Erdogan to ease tensions between their countries. After, Erdogan’s Nazi-regime commented towards the German government: “Do not cut the ties to those people who want partnership with Turkey! Respect the rule of law and the freedom of media and journalists! And release Deniz Yucel.”

Despite his views, Steinmeier is favourable among the German public. A great deal of people in Germany have seen the 61-year-old politician as the icon of German diplomacy and foreign policy. He previously served as head of the Chancellery under former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He also served as a parliamentary party leader while the SPD was in the opposition.

Spokesmen of the CDU’s conservative Bavarian sister party have also praised the new president. Ilse Aigner, a member of the CSU and also Germany’s minister for food, agriculture and consumer protection, noted Steinmeier to be a memorable and efficient candidate for the president’s office. Furthermore, leading EU parliamentarian for the CSU, Manfred Weber, stated that he expects Steinmeier will give consistency in his tenure as president, adding: “Germany needs strong leadership, especially in the current situation.”

The post Social Democrat Steinmeier Sworn In As German President appeared first on We Are Change.

Share this video https://t.co/AVMJuCSgBz

— Jason Kinast (@JKinast18) March 20, 2017

The news comes amid rising tensions with Brussels over the looming negotiations over the UK’s exit. Downing Street has stated Article 50 will be processed next Wednesday. They also deny any possibility of a snap-general election before 2020, despite rumours the PM would hold one by May 4th.

There are concerns that the talks could go awry. Downing Street insists that Mrs May is ready to ‘walk away’ at any provocation that the UK will be punished for leaving. Her spokesman claimed that the EU  promised to give an initial response as soon as 48 hours from the move.

We have said we expect this to be a two year process,” he added.

The PM is in Wales today as part of a pre-Brexit tour as she battles efforts arising in Scotland and Wales to use the departure from the EU to break up the United Kingdom. Scottish Leader Nicola Sturgeon has been particularly adamant about bringing a 2nd Scottish Independence referendum to the table, especially after Brexit.

The two-year negotiation process laid out by the EU treaties can only be extended further with unanimous approval from all 27 other EU member states. Brexit Sec. David Davis added: ‘Last June, the people of the UK made the historic decision to leave the EU. Next Wednesday, the Government will deliver on that decision and formally start the process by triggering Article 50.’

‘We are on the threshold of the most important negotiation for this country for a generation. The Government is clear in its aims: a deal that works for every nation and region of the UK and indeed for all of Europe – a new, positive partnership between the UK and our friends and allies in the European Union.’

EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker added: ‘Britain’s example will make everyone realise that it’s not worth leaving. On the contrary, the remaining member states will fall in love with each other again and renew their vows with the European Union.’

Mr Juncker also stated that Britain will need to get used to being treated as an outsider to the EU. ‘Half memberships and cherry-picking aren’t possible. In Europe you eat what’s on the table or you don’t sit at the table.’

The EU is holding a summit this week to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the conception of the European Union. Theresa May will not attend this summit, in order to avoid aggravating tensions amid the Brexit atmosphere. The 27 member states are certain to declare that ‘Europe is our common future.’

The post BREAKING: Article 50 To Be Triggered March 29th appeared first on We Are Change.

UPDATE 6:00 P.M. EST – Bidhya Sagar Das has been arrested by authorities Sky News reported.

Two infants aged one-year were assaulted on Wilberforce Road on Sunday. Both victims of the attack suffered “critical injuries,” and the boy subsequently passed away in hospital. The girl remains in critical condition. The children, possibly twins, were taken to an east London hospital after the discovery at 23:10 GMT.

The BBC reports that emergency responders were called at 11:10pm Saturday to a flat on the road near Finsbury Park.

Authorities add that while the cause of injuries are still unclear, a suspect has been named. Bidhya Sagar Das, aged 33, is the primary suspect in the investigation. Bidhya also lived in Wilberforce Road.

Assisting @MPSHackney officers searching Finsbury Park for a suspect.

— NPAS London (@NPASLondon) March 19, 2017

Dave Whellams, leader of the investigation, added that Mr Sagar Das left the address before emergency services were called.

“As the hours pass the need to locate Bidhya Sagar Das becomes more pressing. He may have approached friends or family in the aftermath of the incident and I am specifically appealing to these people to come forward.”

Neighbours reported they had seen a woman running into the street screaming “my kids” late Saturday night. The infant boy was pronounced dead before 1am Sunday.

The Guardian reports that authorities believe Bidhya Sagar was present at the property where the children were discovered. He allegedly fled before emergency services arrived.

A hammer allegedly found disposed in a bag of sand near the apartment is being examined by forensics officers. The authorities would not comment on its relevance in the investigation.

A statement from Scotland Yard claimed: “The Metropolitan Police said: “Next of kin are aware. Formal identification awaits and a post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.”

Mihai Manea, a resident on the 2nd floor of the same house, added that the toddlers were twins who lived on the top floor. He claimed a colleague who also worked at the hotel discovered the children and was “in shock”.

“It’s really tense. There’s police coming and going all the time,” he added.

Police have not yet given details of how the injuries were sustained. A Met Police spokesman claimed enquiries had begun to “establish the full circumstances of the incident.” He added that no arrests have yet been made.

The post Police Arrest Man After Two UK Toddlers Attacked, One Dead appeared first on We Are Change.

The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.

The Notification of Withdrawal Bill was passed by MPs on Monday. This Bill gives the prime minister the ability to notify Brussels of the UK’s exit from the European Union, following a two year process of exit negotiations. PM Theresa May claims she will trigger Article 50 by the end of the month, though it is unlikely to happen next week to avoid coinciding with an informal summit of EU nations. This meeting will signify the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome – this established the European Economic Community, which became the European Union of today.

Queen gives Royal Assent for Brexit bill clearing way for UK PM to formally start talks to leave European Union https://t.co/PsMsP8wdDe

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 16, 2017

The bill started in the House of Commons, going through a process in which the Commons had three readings, a committee stage, and a report stage, before sending the Bill off to the House of Lords. The same process progressed, though the Lords had sent the bill back to the House of Commons over consideration of amendments, before finally being sent to the Queen for Royal Assent.

The final stage of the bill being given royal assent means that the triggering of Article 50 is now solely the responsibility of PM Theresa May. Eurosceptics have been particularly critical of leaving the EU as quickly as possible over rising developments of the EU’s wish for a transnational, unified army that would be under the complete control of Brussels.

Regardless of circumstance, this development means that Brexit is ultimately inevitable, as per the wishes of the 52% that voted leave on June 23rd 2016, unofficially dubbed the UK’s Independence Day.

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Amid a tense diplomatic debate over the murder of North Korean dictator Kim Jon Un’s half-brother at Kuala Lumpur at International Airport 2, the Malaysian government has condemned the North Korean government for the late Kim Jong-nam’s assassination. The ongoing row has resulted in travel bans from both countries. The North Korean government has prohibited Malaysian citizens from exiting the country. Malaysia has responded with a “tit-for-tat” ban amidst the rising tensions over the debate of Kim Jong-nam’s death.

“What we are facing now is the result of their action in assassinating their own citizen in Malaysia, on Malaysian soil, using a strictly banned chemical weapon,” Najib told state media agency Bernama Wednesday.

Following the murder, on Tuesday 7th March North Korea banned Malaysian diplomats from exiting North Korea in response to the investigation into the assassination of Kim Jong Nam. Authorities claim he was poisoned with VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13. The North Korean embassy has slammed the investigatory probe as “political.”

A North Korean regime source told TIME that Ministry of Stae Security officials had allegedly met with Nam in Malaysia, attempting to persuade him to return to Pyongyang in the presence of his family. This intervention supposedly occurred after officials discovered he had been approached about leading a government in-exile.

The state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday that “all Malaysian nationals in the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] will be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved”. Claims say this was to ensure the safety of its citizens and diplomats in Malaysia. Malaysians in North Korea would be able to carry on their lives as normal.

In rigorous response, Malaysian PM Najib Razak condemned the action as an “abhorrent act”, and claimed it was “in total disregard of international law and diplomatic norms.”In a statement, he added that Malaysians were effectively imprisoned in North Korea.

“Protecting our citizens is my first priority, and we will not hesitate to take all measures necessary when they are threatened.”

Malaysia’s foreign ministry claimed it housed 11 citizens in North Korea. These include three embassy staff, six family members and two others. Neither country has announced how many North Koreans live in Malaysia.

A Malaysian police investigation into the murder of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur airport last month has infuriated Pyongyang and named seven North Koreans wanted for questioning by police. Three North Koreans wanted as suspect for the killing are seeking refuge in the country’s embassy, Malaysia’s chief of police said on Tuesday. An employee for North Korea’s state airline pegged as a key suspect, and a senior diplomat called in for questioning are alleged to be inside the embassy at this time.

The post Malaysia PM: North Korea Responsible for Death of Kim Jong-Nam appeared first on We Are Change.

Juan Thompson, 31, was arrested in St. Louis on Friday in connection to the threats to Jewish Community Centers, schools, and other institutions which have swept across at least three dozen states since January 9. Thompson is accused of making at least eight of those threats, beginning January 28. He was scheduled to appear in court in Missouri later the same day, and is also facing a charge of cyber-stalking.

Thompson has made quite the explicit tweets on the matter, particularly a pinned tweet accusing his girlfriend of sending him a bomb threat.

https://twitter.com/JuanMThompson/status/835254106113593344

But police say it was all a hoax, created to make the woman look guilty. He also made threats in which he identified the woman as the culprit. Among other allegations, he is accused of sending a note to the San Diego JCC that said the woman “hates Jewish people and is the head of a ring and put a bomb in the center to kill as many Jews asap,” authorities said.

University City, Missouri, police Lt. Fredrick Lemons revealed detectives will question Thompson about the 154 headstones toppled last month at a Jewish cemetery in the St. Louis suburb. He refused to comment on Thompson being a suspect.

The Intercept added in a statement: These actions are heinous and should be fully investigated and prosecuted. We have no information about the charges against Thompson other than what is included in the criminal complaint. Thompson worked for The Intercept from November 2014 to January 2016, when he was fired after we discovered that he had fabricated sources and quotes in his articles.

One of Thompson’s initial threats was to the Jewish History Museum, Manhattan, authorities added. He fabricated an email address to make it seem like the victim was sending threats in his name, and then sent messages to Jewish schools across Michigan and Manhattan. The Council on American Islamic Relations also got an anonymous email saying his former girlfriend had put a bomb in a Dallas Jewish Center.

Thompson has a history of racially motivated comments against whites littering his twitter feed, most recently lashing out at the Oscars, claiming “The Oscars & its relation to black art is the perf def of white supremacy.”

Thompson lost his job at the Intercept because of intentionally inserting lies and fake news into his articles, the Intercept adds: he was fired after we discovered that he had fabricated sources and quotes in his articles.

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Just a day after US forces executed more than 20 air strikes in Yemen. Citizens reported this assault in the Wadi Yashbum village in the southern Shabwah province. Another 10 to 15 air strikes were carried out overnight.

Approximately three hours later, residents in the Jabal Mugan area of neighbouring Abyan province had reported air strikes in the region. Citizens reported on ground battles between American soldiers and AQAP militants. Two US officials told Reuters that the latest operations did not involve ground combat.

“None of our troops were involved in a firefight over the last period of darkness,” one of the US officials claimed, speaking from anonymity.

Yemen is one of the Arab world’s poorest countries. It has been disenfranchised by a civil war. Forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi combat those allied to the Houthi rebel movement.

Al-Qaeda has been an important and dangerous concern since its attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day of 2009. This was subsequently traced back to the terrorist group. The group has exploited the civil war between the Iran-aligned Houth rebels and the US-allied government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Amid the civil war, the radical Islamic terror organisation has grown exponentially in strength and manpower. The newest strikes this week follow an initial raid on January 29th AQAP by US commandos. This raid resulted in the death of 14 militants and a Navy SEAL, as well as civilians. The raid has divisive perceptions. US officials believe it benefited the military with intelligence on AQAP operations. Critics condemn the raid, calling it a pointless disaster that only caused unnecessary deaths.

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Both The Phillipines and Germany confirmed and condemned the Monday beheading of the elderly captive by Abu Sayyaf militants tied to ISIS. They posted a video of the execution after a deadline for his ransom passed, Reuters reports.

The video depicted a machete-armed militant who beheaded Kantner, following a plea for help in two short video messages, claiming he would be killed if the ransom was not paid. Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the Phillipine peace process, stated officials had gone through all possible methods to save Kantner, who was held on the tiny island of Jolo in the southern Sulu province.

“We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of yet another kidnap victim. There must be a stop to this killing of the innocent and the helpless,” Dureza added.

However, Dureza had made no comment on the ransom in his interview on the killing. The Phillipines’ military pledged to bring Kantner’s killers to justice, and to pursue further opportunities to save hostages taken by Abu Sayyaf. German chancellor Angela Merkel called for a global front against terrorism, condemning the barbaric act. Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert added, “the chancellor condemns this hideous attack that shows, once again, how unprincipled and barbarous terrorists act. We’ve all got to stand together in the fight against terrorists.”

Abu Sayyaf – “Bearer of the Sword” – is a radical Islamist organisation that exploits the ongoing instability within the Southern Philippines by laundering tens of millions of dollars from piracy and ransom payments. They stockpile these resources primarily into weapons, boats, and up-to-date navigational assets. Kantner was captured in November when sailing on a 53-footer yacht near Sabah, in eastern Malaysia. He was subsequently brought to Jolo. His partner was executed when she resisted the militants.

The Philippines’ armed forces have had violent encounters with Abu Sayyaf in the past. Twelve soldiers were killed by Aby Sayyaf militants in a skirmish in August 2016, also on the southern island of Jolo.

The radical militants currently hold captive 26 hostages; of which 13 are Vietnamese, seven Filipinos, one Dutch National, a Japanese, two Indonesians, and two Malaysians, reports claim. Experts believe they are unwilling to free any without ransom payments. Philippines Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay spoke to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, claiming Malina was seeking technological aid from allies to specify the hostages’ locations.

Kidnappings for ransom payments have been a long-term lucrative business in the Sulu region, and the trend has continued to rise in recent years.

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Politico’s Paul Demko on Friday presented a draft of the bill drafted by House Republicans that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. While the details of the draft are not final, it is a widespread plan that would take apart crucial aspects of Obamacare, particularly Medicaid expansion and taxes that currently fund the health care law.

Larry Levitt – senior VP at the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation added: “A substantial number of people could lose coverage because it’s no longer affordable.”

The draft also seeks to repeal the penalty for Americans who didn’t purchase health insurance. It also suggests shifting payments for expanded coverage to more block-style grants for individuals, as well as state governments. House Speaker Paul Ryan claims the repeal bill will also defund Planned Parenthood, and strip the organization of hundreds of millions of dollars of Medicaid’s financial investments – this makes up most of the organization’s state funding.

Ohio Governor John Kasich – more moderate of a Republican than Trump, stated he “completely” disagrees with the draft legislation and the size of the tax credits. He said he discussed it with President Trump in their meeting Friday.

“I just told him it was inadequate. To me, it’s not acceptable.”

By replacing Obamacare subsidies, the House bill – starting in 2020 – gives tax credits based on age rather than income. For one under the age of 30, the credit would be a sum of $2,000. This would double for beneficiaries over the age of 60. However, HHS Secretary Tom Price wants the subsidies to be less generous for most age brackets.

Key parts of the draft bill include but are not limited to:

• Penalize those who have a lapse in health coverage
• Shift tax subsidies to block grants based on age
• Eliminate Medicaid expansion by 2020
• Provide funding to states to establish high-risk pools and increase coverage
• Allow states to determine “essential health benefits”
• Appear to prohibit federal funding to Planned Parenthood and abortion providers
• Allow those on an individual insurance plan from before the ACA to continue their coverage

The draft “addresses the major issues and is a serious proposal for transitioning out of Obamacare,” said Ed Haislmaier, a senior research fellow and healthcare policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, and on Trump’s transition team.

“Clearly the details will continue to evolve and we’ll be watching as they do.”

Washington State Democrat Senator Patty Murray added: “The deeply harmful path House Republicans have laid out would spell disaster for families nationwide. President Trump, who promised families he would provide insurance for everyone, should be the first to oppose it.”

It is uncertain whether some of the aspects of the bill could be realistically accomplished by budget reconciliation alone – the Republicans’ desired method for repealing Obamacare, because it only requires a majority of the Senate. Anything passed under reconciliation is required to be tied to federal spending and revenues – eliminating federal mandates on what benefits insurers must cover and allowing insurers to charge older Americans greater sums have been said to not be possible, experts claim.

The post GOP draft of Obamacare repeal plan could leave 20 Million people without insurance appeared first on We Are Change.

DHS are also more likely to increase presence and crackdown of illegal border crossing, Washington Times reports.

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly announced this week that the DHS will be initiating a mass deportation program targeting individuals living in the United States illegally.  This comes as the Administration appears to fulfill Mr. Trump’s campaign promise of deporting illegal immigrants to nations like Mexico before considering offering them a road to amnesty.  This move was coupled by the Trump Administrations embrace of DACA and DAPA, two programs designed to exempt certain groups of illegal immigrants from deportation.

In August of 2012, the Obama Administration initiated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program allowing illegal immigrants who moved to the United States as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from being deported.  These young adult illegal immigrants, or ‘Dreamers’ as the Obama administration called them, are to remain exempted from this order.  Likewise, the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA), provided similar protections for parents of U.S. citizens living illegally in the United States.

The DHS framed the move as a move to strengthen border security and incentivize self-deportation.’ Secretary Kelly commented that those caught at the border are to be sent back immediately, and gave carte blanch to DHS agents to target all non-exempt illegals living within the U.S. He added that agents are to give priority to criminal illegals, but free to use their discretion to detail suspected illegals.

“It is not intended to produce mass roundups,” a Homeland Security official told reporters on two new memos Mr. Kelly signed Monday.

The two memos laid out by Mr. Kelly, first signed and issued Friday, will not set in immediately.  ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services are given wide latitude to interpret and implement new policies according to Kelly’s memos.

The two memos also appear to initiate other key Trump Administration immigration reforms.  These include his long-promised border wall, the hiring of 5,000 more Border Patrol agents, hiring 10,000 more ICE agents, and adding 500 more officials for the Air and Marine operations at CBP. Funding for these priorities will depend on the decision of Congress, Vox reports. To many individuals living in the United States illegally, these memos are a sign that they should not feel safe living in the country under the new Trump Administration.

New Era of Immigration Enforcement

Kelly’s memos are a direct interpretation of the Trump Administrations recent executive orders. They do not detail aggressive provisions initially included in the draft version of the memo reported by Vox on Friday focusing largely on border enforcement. The most important changes between the Kelly memo’s and the earlier draft relate to the removal of formal policies surrounding enforcement; instead they are granting wide discretions to the agencies which carry out deportation, such as ICE. Other policies in the early memo, such as a proposal to deputize state National Guard units for immigration enforcement, have been scrapped.

These changes come as a major shift in U.S. domestic policy toward tighter border security and mass deportation. These policies mark a return to the security-oriented focus of the DHS resulting from the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. The Obama Administration, which deported nearly 3 million people living in the United States illegally, appeared to ramp down its mass deportation program toward the end of the administration.

Under Trump’s administration, immigration enforcement appears to be ramping up once again, as enforcement control now has far greater leniency to arrest, detain and remove illegal immigrants from the country wherever they are found.

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How does President Trump aim to accomplish this goal?

Trump’s aim is to have humanity exploring the entire solar system by the 22nd century.

Robert Walker – former congressman – was chosen to draft Trump’s space policy during the campaign. He told Yahoo News about the administration’s plan to place “low Earth orbit” missions predominantly in the hands of the private sector – exceptions for military and intelligence satellites.

“As we look toward going back to the moon, going to Mars or further, we’ll want to have space resources that would be assembled in orbit so we could make them large enough and capable enough to do real deep-space activities.”

Axiom Space and Bigelow Aerospace have expressed keen interest in constructing commercial space stations, and to obtain technologies under development, such as constellations of satellites for Earth observation. They assess this to be profitable in the ‘low Earth orbit’ area, the region of space up to an altitude of about 1,200 miles. The International Space Station is in low Earth orbit.

Robert Walker has experienced skill in the space sector, being the first sitting member of Congress to be given NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal, their highest honor. He has also been involved in presidential commissions on the aerospace industry’s future and space exploration. Robert Bigelow – founder of Bigelow Aerospace, stated major aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin have always had a keen eye on NASA and therefore on government funding. He claimed privatizing low Earth orbit is an important opportunity for “the little guys” to survive and establish.

Walker added: “What’s the best way for us to access space in the future? And what opportunities exist if you’re truly innovative about how your approach a space future?”

Walker claims space policy should highlight that the community of space is far larger than NASA or the military – private investors should take the opportunity to take part in achieving national goals. He calls for the National Space Council – a policy-setting body closed in 1993, to be reinstated under the leadership of VP Mike Pence to set national goals for all three stakeholders in space – commercial, military and civil interest. Bigelow argues that NASA’s approximate $19 billion budget should be doubled, and recalled conversations with William H. Gerstenmaier – associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Directorate at NASA, claiming that the agency does not have the capability to return humans to the moon without assistance from the private sector.

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