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Saudi Arabia plans to build $500bn high tech mega city 33 times bigger than NY
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/407677-saudi-high-tech-500-billion-mega-city/
The city, which has been named NEOM, will be built from the ground up on a massive greenfield site in northwest Saudi Arabia. It will span over 26,500 square kilometers, an area more than 33 times bigger than New York City. The city already has it’s own Twitter account and website. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the city will focus on industries including energy and water, biotechnology, food, advanced manufacturing and entertainment backed by $500 billion by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) – the kingdom’s largest sovereign fund – and other local and international investors.
"NEOM is situated on one of the world's most prominent economic arteries, through which nearly a tenth of the world's trade flows,” PIF said in a press release.
"Its strategic location will also facilitate the zone's rapid emergence as a global hub that connects Asia, Europe and Africa, enabling 70% of the world's population to reach it in under eight hours.”
France considers massive tax hike on hard liquor
Link: https://www.rt.com/business/406987-france-tax-hike-alcohol/
The price of cognac could increase significantly in France as the government plans a tax increase on strong alcoholic drinks. The proposal is part of the government's new social security budget. According to French daily Les Echos, the tax increase would affect brandy, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, and whiskeys, as well as other spirits, containing more than 15 percent alcohol.
Over 40% of citizens expect situation in Russia to become worse
Link: https://www.rt.com/politics/406834-over-40-percent-of-citizens/
According to a recent public opinion poll conducted by state-run VTSIOM, Russians have become slightly more optimistic, though the largest number of respondents expects the situation in the country to get worse. According to the poll, which was released on Monday, 41 percent of Russians think that “the worst times are still ahead,” 31 percent believe the worst has passed, and 21 percent say the present times are the most difficult they have seen in their lives.
Pot Farmer’s Dreams Go Up in Smoke During California Wildfires
Andrew Lopas’ plans to bring his marijuana business out of the black market with a legal, profitable and organic pot farm went up in smoke in the wildfires that have scorched Santa Rosa, California. After four decades of growing pot illegally, the 54-year-old saw an opportunity last year to start a legitimate business serving the medical marijuana market.
, Lopas’ cannabis farm in Santa Rosa went up in flames only days away from his first harvest.
Lost in the conflagration at Mystic Spring Farms were 2,500 pounds of cannabis worth an estimated $2 million, $10,000 in cash to pay the mortgage and workers, a farmhouse that dated back to the 18th century, trailers and farm vehicles, and 900 marijuana plants.
Fires destroyed 30 pot farms in Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa counties and significantly damaged a similar number, according to the California Growers Association.
U.S. FAMILIES IN SOUTH KOREA PRACTICE FLEEING FROM NORTH KOREA MILITARY STRIKE
Link: http://www.newsweek.com/us-families-practice-fleeing-north-korean-attack-685547
The U.S. is to practice evacuating American civilians from South Korea amid concerns that escalating tensions between the America and North Korea may have brought them to the brink of conflict.
The drill is aimed at preparing U.S. “service members and their families to respond to a wide range of crisis management events such as noncombatant evacuation and natural or man-made disasters,” U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said in a statement.
USFK stressed that the exercises were routine and not being held in response to recent events.
Russian Guard, police may get electroshock shields for special operations
Link: http://tass.com/defense/971155
The police and the Russian Guard may get universal electroshock shields by late 2018 for use in special operations, a representative of the company that has developed these devices told TASS at the Interpolitex exhibition in Moscow on Tuesday.
Company representative Yekaterina Stolyarevskaya:The electroshock shields have already undergone medical trials.
"The handle [of the shield] incorporates electronics that helps transmit an electrode and a general electric shock to the shield’s surface. This has been done to ensure that it cannot be wrested away by an aggressive suspect and an attacker can be stopped, if necessary," , stressing that the shield would be used for special operations."This item is not for operational work at some rallies but for special operations
Russia expects highest grain harvest — Putin
Link: http://tass.com/economy/969560
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin greeted the Russian agricultural sector’s workers on the Day of Agriculture and Processing Industry, noting the country expects a record grain harvest: Kremlin press service.
"Today, agriculture and the entire agro-industrial complex, is a most dynamic sector of the Russian economy," the greeting reads. "This year, we expect the record harvest - about 130 billion tonnes, and this record is made in not at all favorable weather conditions."
Russia confirms its status of a leading grain producer and takes leading positions in wheat export, The president stressed the country should develop organic products, develop deep processing, improve its positions on the global markets, use effectively the natural advantages of agriculture.
Lawsuit accuses big pharma firms of funding terrorist organizations in Iraq
Link: https://www.rt.com/usa/407049-lawsuit-big-pharma-terrorist-organizations-iraq/
More than 100 US veterans and relatives of American soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq have sued five major pharmaceutical corporations for financing Iran-backed terrorist organizations in Iraq.
A lawsuit filed in US District Court in Washington, DC on Tuesday claimsAstraZeneca, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Roche Holding financed terrorist organizations that killed hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq.
The companies have been accused of paying kickbacks to officials in Iraq’s Health Ministry when the office was controlled by the Jaysh al-Mahdi, or Mahdi Army, an Iraqi militia backed by Iran.
Jaysh al-Mahdi is not considered a terrorist organization by the US State Department, the Shia militia was backed by Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization. The lawsuit argues the companies financed the terrorist organization by paying bribes to Health Ministry officials as much as 20 percent of a total contract’s value.
The plaintiffs argue the companies paid Health Ministry officials these “commissions” by providing extra drugs and equipment deliberately packaged in “a manner conducive to street resale,” which ensured Health Ministry officials could sell them on the black market.
61,000 flee Kirkuk as Iraq says Kurdish independence ‘a thing of the past’
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/407034-kurds-flee-kirkuk-iraq/
After the Iraqi army took over Kirkuk, Baghdad has said that Kurdish independence is “a thing of the past” and the controversial referendum should be forgotten.“In the past 48 hours, the UN Migration Agency says that some 61,000 people have left Kirkuk and surrounding areas, most of them heading north and east toward the Erbil and Suleimania governorates,” Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told reporters Tuesday. “We call on all parties to ensure that civilians are protected and [that they] can leave affected areas if they choose.”
Both Iraqi and Kurdish leaders have called for a "peaceful solution" to the current crisis. However, while the Baghdad official announced the controversial referendum should be forgotten, the Kurdish leader assured his nation's efforts for independence were not in vain.
Supermarket sweep: Gang takes over Swedish grocery store and runs it for a day
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/407037-gang-takes-over-swedish-supermarket/
A gang of four men in their 20s hijacked a supermarket in Malmo, Sweden, threw out the staff, and operated the store by themselves for over 24 hours.
After several failed attempts at extorting the store’s owners, the gang decided to cut out the middleman and take over the supermarket for themselves. the gang ran the store as normal for more than a day, even restocking shelves.
They led customers to believe that everything was operating as normal by telling them the till system was not working and they could only accept payment in cash or on a payment smartphone app called Swish.
CHINA TO BUILD GIANT FACIAL RECOGNITION DATABASE TO IDENTIFY ANY CITIZEN WITHIN SECONDS
China is building the world’s most powerful facial recognition system with the power to identify any one of its 1.3 billion citizens within three seconds launched by the Ministry of Public Security.
The goal is for the system to able to match someone’s face to their ID photo with about 90 per cent accuracy.
The system can be connected to surveillance camera networks and will use cloud facilities to connect with data storage and processing centres distributed across the country.
However, some researchers said it was unclear when the system would be completed, as the development was encountering many difficulties due to the technical limits of facial recognition technology and the large population base. Similar systems operate on a smaller level, including police databases and city or provincial ID pools.
Putin green lights launch of the CryptoRuble
Link: https://www.rt.com/business/406960-russia-issue-blockchain-cryptoruble-putin/
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the issue of a national cryptocurrency, according to Communications Minister Nikolay Nikiforov, after a closed-door meeting. The minister said once the digital currency or CryptoRuble is issued other cryptocurrency mining will be banned and it will be entirely regulated by the government. All the financial operations involving the CryptoRuble will be taxed. The tax will also be applied to any appreciation in value. The national digital currency will be moved to international markets, according to the Russia's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Oleg Fomichev, stressing that there is no point in the currency circulating only inside the country.
“This mustn’t be a private currency, but the one, which is issued by the state, controlled by the state and enable to provide circulation of digital money in light of the digital economy.
Dubai Adds Hoverbikes To Its Technocratic Police State, Becoming Ground Zero for Cities of the Future - Video
The hoverbike, created in a joint project with Russian company Hoversurf, was unveiled recently at the Gitex Technology Week Exhibition; can operate for 25 minutes up to 43 miles per hour, can be remotely operated.
Ecuadorian Vice President Arrested on Corruption Charges
Link: https://sputniknews.com/latam/201710031057892727-ecuador-vice-president-arrest/
Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who is suspected of taking bribes from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, has been arrested at his residence in Guayaquil and transferred to the nation's capital Quito. The probe into Odebrecht has become one of the biggest corruption scandals in Latin America. The company is accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to politicians to secure lucrative contracts.
Companies Donate $40k Worth of Marijuana to People Displaced by California Fires
California’s largest medical cannabis manufacturer, CannaCraft Inc., is temporarily donating 12,000 square feet of its office space in Santa Rosa, as well as phone and internet service, to the American Red Cross to use as its Regional Headquarters for Northern California fire relief. There, more than 200 volunteers from the American Red Cross will coordinate 24-hour relief efforts for those displaced by the fires.
Cannacraft said Wednesday they will donate $40,000 in medical marijuana to California residents who do not have access to their medication due to the horrific wildfires that have left at least 31 dead, approximately 400 missing, and destroyed more than 3,500 homes and structures. An estimated 25,000 people have been evacuated.
Jury to decide fate of US senator in corruption & bribery trial
Link: https://www.rt.com/usa/406899-senator-menendez-corruption-trial/
The judge overseeing the corruption case involving US Senator Bob Menendez said he won’t dismiss any of the charges against the New Jersey Democrat. Menendez is facing 12 federal charges, including bribery, conspiracy and fraud.
Maltese journalist who led Panama Papers corruption investigation killed in car blast
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/406916-malta-corruption-journalist-car-bomb/
One of Malta’s most prominent investigative journalists, Daphne Caruana Galizia, has been killed in a presumed car bomb attack. She was most recently known for exposing the Maltese prime minister's offshore dealings in the Panama Papers scandal. The 53-year-old was killed when the car she was driving exploded near her home in Bidnija, near Mosta in northern Malta, the Times of Malta reports.
Caruana Galizia ran the hugely popular ‘Running Commentary’ blog, which had a track record of highlighting scandals in the Mediterranean country.
One such prominent scandal came about earlier this year, when Caruana Galizia accused Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, his wife and members of his government, of owning offshore companies in Panama – all part of the long-running Panama Papers leak.
Storm Ophelia kills 3 as hurricane-force winds spark national emergency in Ireland (VIDEOS)
Link: https://www.rt.com/news/406874-storm-ophelia-ireland-deaths/
Three people have been killed in Ireland as hurricane-force winds batter the country. Ex-hurricane Ophelia is wreaking havoc across the island, leaving 385,000 homes and businesses without power.
Earthquake rocks N. California, as burning wildfires kill at least 34 Video
Link: https://www.rt.com/usa/406657-earthquake-wildfires-northern-california/
An earthquake has hit Northern California, where wildfires continue to affect the region, bringing the death toll to at least 34. An estimated 5,700 structures have also succumbed to the fast-moving flames. On Friday afternoon, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck California’s Mendocino County, north of Napa County, according to the US Geological Survey. 1,485 missing persons have been reported, with 1,250 of them being located safe, leaving 235 outstanding cases.
Death toll rises to 40 as firefighters continue to
Link: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-california-fires-20171014-story.html
More than 10,000 firefighters from California and other states are fighting the fires in Northern California, said Dave Teter of the California Dpeartment of Forestry and Fire Protection, and officials are readying more crews in Southern California, where red flag warnings are in place through Sunday.
Firefighting efforts include 880 fire engines, 134 bulldozers, 224 hand crews and 138 water tenders, At first light Saturday, 14 helicopters were in the air conducting water drops.
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