(Reuters) – British voters get to decide on Thursday who they want to rule the world’s fifth-largest economy in a tight election that could yield weak government, propel the United Kingdom towards a vote on EU membership and stoke Scottish desire for secession.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives and Ed Miliband’s opposition Labour Party have been neck and neck in opinion polls for months, indicating neither will win enough seats for an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament.
“This race is going to be the closest we have ever seen,” Miliband told supporters in Pendle, in northern England, on the eve of the vote. “It is going to go down to the wire.”
Cameron said only his Conservatives could deliver strong, stable government: “All other options will end in chaos.” (more…)

• *Greece has signaled its willingness to default on its upcoming IMF payment
• *Sets in place a plan to shift from Euros to a new issue of Greek controlled Drachmas
• *Tspiras boards a plane for Moscow
• *Seeks alternative creditors in Russia and China
• *A “Grexit” would be the de facto end of NATO and shift alliances in the Aegean from Europe to Russia
• *IMF formally withdraws staff from Athens….

Greece arrives at an existential fork in the road:  which way to turn? Continue to go West or strike out for an unknown path heading East ——————————————————————————————————————————–

The far-Left Syriza party of Greece, contrary to assertions of the European Monetary Union (EMU) has not agreed to further “austerity” measures, but has decided to double down on its threats to default on its IMF payments and align itself with Russia.

The Telegraph explains some of the backstory for Syriza’s popularity and rejection of “austerity” measures that don’t include significant debt write-offs (forgiveness).

“…One might righteously protest at what amounts to open blackmail by Mr Tsipras, deeming such conduct to be a primary violation of EU club rules. Yet this is to ignore what has been done to Greece over the past four years, and why the Greek people are so angry…

An apartment building for “middle class” Athens residents, in a “decent” part of Athens, 1 block from our 4 star hotel  (Jan 2015).  According to local social workers, 50% of the population of Greece has migrated from the countryside to Athens in an effort to find work and pool resources with other like-impoverished family members. (Click to embiggen detail)

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(more…)

Bloomberg News doesn’t call it that, they call it: “Obama’s Next Move May Be Lifting U.S. Protection of Israel at UN”.

(Bloomberg) — While the world remains fixated on the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, the Obama administration is facing another foreign policy showdown in the United Nations Security Council.

The administration has signaled that it might abandon the decades-long U.S. policy of protecting Israel at the UN and back a Security Council resolution laying out terms for a two-state solution to the almost 67-year-old dispute between the Jewish state and the Palestinians. (more)

However, make no mistake – it is the Power Doctrine. We could burn another thousand words explaining it again, but, well, honestly, few would accept it until it actually comes to pass. And it will come to pass.

President Obama is a fellow traveler and ideological compatriot of Samantha Power. It’s not a matter of “if”, it is entirely a matter of “when”. (more…)

We are beginning to assemble the trail of what has factually taken place within the backstory of the Iranian nuclear negotiations. The dots are all over the place, but essentially the construct looks very familiar.

♦ The White House Team constructed the political “talking points” approximately 2 days ago 3/31/15 (photo above).  [Note subsequent to this meeting not a single media interview by the State Department team]

♦ Those White House points are based on domestic political needs and influenced by increasing domestic backlash.  Goal = Historic, Magnificent, Amazing, etc.

♦ The State Dept. Team in Switzerland (Kerry et al) told to keep quiet as the White House talking points are constructed/finalized. (link) 4/1 and 4/2 absolute silence.

♦ A deal is reached by the Secretary of State team with the Iranian team which does not align with the White House construct (talking points). [The actual deal doesn’t really need to line up with the talking points because that’s not the most important aspect – Think “Tax” VS. “Mandate” in ObamaCare].

♦ The White House talking points are used by President Obama in the Rose Garden.  (link) [Note not a “joint” statement – a pure construct of the White House]

♦ The Iranian team then points out those talking points don’t align in fact with the deal reached by the negotiation teams.  Subsequently calls them “LIES” (link)

Politically the White House now has options: (more…)

The update is at the bottom of the page – we knew it was coming. Zarif accuses the Obama Administration of lying in the White House fact sheets being promoted by President Obama, Ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett, Denis McDonough. Secretary Kerry appears caught between the Truth and the White House.

Thankfully someone captured this video as it was being shared on live CNN TV.

This is Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif describing the deal. Note the nuances and divergences between Zarif and President Obama’s explanations. Understanding these is critical.

CNN abruptly stopped broadcasting the Iranian press conference at the conclusion of this segment – and cutaway to panel discussion in the middle of the presser.

The transparency of the CNN decision to hide the Iranian perspective is obvious, it undercuts the Obama explanations completely. (more…)

Agreement leak = Two-Thirds of Iran’s Nuclear Program will be suspended for 10 years with “monitoring”.     Wow, based on Zarif’s statements Iran got everything they wanted and the U.S. and allies got a bunch of promises.  This is incredible one-sided victory for Iran.

Update: From a VERY HAPPY Minister Zarif statement.

•  Iran keeps Frodo underground facility and will build centrifuges within it – but will not activate them.
•  Iran will continue nuclear enrichment in other facilities.
•  Iran will be allowed to develop more heavy water facilities.
•  ALL UN and U.S. Sanctions will be lifted.
•  UN sanctions lifted immediately.
•  U.S. as soon as legally possible.
•  Iran promises to wait 10 years until it builds a nuclear bomb.

[scribd id=260720986 key=key-hDp0iaPOHZOLyIZxXIOH mode=scroll]

Pres Obama says he has instructed aides to fully brief Congress and the American people on the substance of the deal. pic.twitter.com/5UpHJPJISt

— TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) April 2, 2015

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From Lausanne: At 1:37AM, Secretary Kerry ends meeting with French and German Foreign Ministers; resumes US-EU talks with Iran.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 1, 2015

…US Secretary of State John Kerry postponed his departure from the talks for a second time and will remain through Thursday morning, the State Department said

Switzerland – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius is leaving the marathon negotiations that have gone into overtime led by the United States between world powers and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear technology activities.

A French official told France 24 today (Wednesday, April 1) that Fabius was leaving the talks and would return from France when it was “useful.”

Speaking at a joint news conference with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, French President Francois Hollande said it would be better to have no deal than a bad deal – the same opinion expressed last month by Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu while speaking to the U.S. Congress. (more…)

Two European media outlets, Bild and Paris Match, have combined their legal and financial resources around their possession of a micro SD (data memory card) recovered from the Flight 9525 crash site.

According to reporters who have watched the content.  The data card contains a short video showing the “chaos within the cabin” moments before the flight crashed. The video appears to have been taken from a cell phone belonging to a passenger who was on board the plane.

Bild/Paris Match are not saying how they came into possession of the fingernail sized data card. However, it is generally assumed someone picked it up from the crash site.

After Bild and Paris Match released a description of the video the initial crash investigative authority denied its authenticity. However, today the French authorities are walking back their doubtful statements and instead requesting the European media turn it over to them.

(Via The Telegraph) French police tell Paris Match and Bild to “hand over” what the two media claim is a “genuine” mobile phone video taken inside the Germanwings plane

[…] French authorities initially firmly denied the existence of the clip, which allegedly relays in a “few seconds” scenes of chaos and passengers screaming “My God” in several languages. But they are now calling on anyone in possession of such a film to “hand it over to investigators”. (more…)

Germany’s Bild News is reporting a cell phone “SIM card” (Micro SD, Memory card) has been recovered from the wreckage of Germanwings flight 9525. According to reporting by the German media outlet there is video on the SIM card showing what was taking place in the cabin prior to, and up to the moment of, the crash.

Bild is reporting the video appears to be taken from the rear of the passenger compartment, possibly by a cell phone, and shows absolute panic as the passengers on board were aware of the crisis. Passengers are reported to be crying out to God in numerous languages and shouting throughout the video.

There are three distinct sounds which accompany the video – appearing to be attempts by the pilot and others to break down the cockpit door. Massive panic and confusion is visible amid the passengers, then the sound of metal scraping – then the video stops.

From the report via google translate: Paris – were from the last moments on board German Wings flight 4U9525 there is a video that BILD and the French magazine “Paris Match” view. (more…)

I knew immediately Lufthansa Airlines was sketchy as soon as I saw the CEO, Carsten Spohr, on television being interviewed about the U.S. FAA regulation for two people in the cockpit at all times.  Mr. Spohr said he was unaware of the rule and it sounded like a “carrier specific” guideline. One would think the CEO of an international airline, who is discussing his own co-pilot intentionally crashing a plane – and killing 149 people, might be a little more up to speed on that aspect. I digress…

Unbelievable. The authorities are now stating Andreas Lubitz, the mass murderer who flew 149 people into the French Alps, was previously diagnosed with “Suicidal Tendencies”. He was also currently having psychological treatments for depression; and the transcript of the flight plan being discussed that morning shows him saying “hopefully we make it” and “we’ll see” when discussing landing path requirements into Dusseldorf….. Yet the authorities are scratching their heads trying to identify a motive.

Go Figure.

Note to self – avoid Euro airlines unless flying with Captain Obvious.

(Via CBS) German prosecutors said Monday that Germanwings Flight 9525 co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately flew his Airbus A320 into French mountainside last week, was treated years ago for suicidal tendencies.

The prosecutors in Duesseldorf said Lubitz received psychotherapy “with a note about suicidal tendencies” for several years before becoming a pilot. (more…)