After Leak of Secret Documents, South Korea to Raise Spying Allegations With U.S.

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South Korean officials said Sunday they will “come up with our response accordingly” after revelations that the U.S. reportedly spied on its close ally and gathered signals intelligence related to South Korea‘s internal debate over weapons sales to the U.S., and Seoul‘s fears that those weapons would ultimately end up in Ukraine.

Officials in Seoul said they’ll raise the alleged spying — which came to light as part of a major leak of sensitive documents over the weekend — with their U.S. counterparts.

For both countries, the timing is delicate. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to visit Washington and join President Biden for a state dinner at the White House on April 26.

“We will review precedents and instances involving other countries, and come up with our response accordingly,” a South Korean presidential official said Sunday after being asked about the revelations, according to the country’s Yonhap News Agency.

The New York Times first reported the leak Friday. (Read more from “After Leak of Secret Documents, South Korea to Raise Spying Allegations With U.S.” HERE)

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Good Friday Crucifixions Return to Philippines After End of Coronavirus Restrictions

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The city of San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines, held its first unrestricted Good Friday crucifixion ceremony since the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic began in 2020 this week, nailing eight people to crosses as a form of penance for sin.

Among those being crucified were two long-time veterans of the practice: Ruben Enaje, 62, who was crucified for a 34th time; and Wilfredo Salvador, 66, who told reporters he had been engaging in the practice for 15 years. An anonymous woman wearing a head covering was also among the eight crucified, refusing to be identified when reporters asked.

The neighborhood of San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando has been hosting live crucifixions – devotees carry their crosses on their backs to the site of the event and are then nailed by their palms to the cross briefly before being attended by a medical team – for decades before former President Rodrigo Duterte abruptly ended the practice in 2020 as part of sweeping civil rights restrictions banning religious gatherings during Holy Week, the holiest time in the Christian calendar, allegedly to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Prior to attempting a full ban of Christian activities during Holy Week, Duterte had spent years attacking Christianity and the Catholic Church in particular, urging civilians to “kill bishops” and claiming he was molested by a priest as a child. Duterte has publicly named the priest: Father Mark Falvey, S.J., who faced prolific accusations of child sex abuse in California. (Read more from “Good Friday Crucifixions Return to Philippines After End of Coronavirus Restrictions” HERE)

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Wall Street Journal Reporter Officially Denies Russia Espionage Charges

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Jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been charged with espionage in Russia and has entered his official denial, Russian state news agency Tass reported Friday.

Tass said a law enforcement source informed the news agency that Russia’s Federal Security Service officially charged the American journalist with espionage. Tass did not specify if the action was taken during a court hearing.

In the Russian legal system, the filing of charges means the formal start of a criminal probe.

Tass quoted its source as saying: “The FSB investigation charged Gershkovich with espionage in the interests of his country. He categorically denied all accusations and stated that he was engaged in journalistic activities in Russia.” (Read more from “Wall Street Journal Reporter Officially Denies Russia Espionage Charges” HERE)

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Russia Threatens to Blow up Ukraine Grain Deal Over Western Sanctions

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday threatened to abandon a landmark grain deal with Ukraine if obstacles to Moscow’s exports remained.

Negotiated in July by Turkey and the United Nations, the agreement allows Ukraine — one of the world’s top grain producers — to export grain through a safe corridor in the Black Sea.

“If there is no further progress in removing barriers to the export of Russian fertilisers and grain, we will think about whether this deal is necessary,” Lavrov told a news conference in the Turkish capital Ankara, alongside his counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. (Read more from “Russia Threatens to Blow up Ukraine Grain Deal Over Western Sanctions” HERE)

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China Reportedly Breaks Agreement With Vatican Again

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Bishop Shen Bin has become the new bishop of Shanghai, AsiaNews and other news websites in China reported April 4. He is the head of the Chinese Council of Bishops, which is not recognized by the Holy See. His appointment to Shanghai by this body did not reportedly come with the the endorsement of Rome, which means that once again the agreement established between China and the Holy See in 2018 has been ignored.

“The Holy See was informed a few days ago of the decision of the Chinese authorities to transfer Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen to the Diocese of Shanghai and learned this morning through the media of this transfer,” said the director of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bruni, when questioned by journalists on April 4. He did not give further details.

According to Asia News, Bishop Shen Bin, until then bishop of Haimen, a diocese north of Shanghai in Jiangsu province, was installed without the approval of Rome. “Sources told AsiaNews that the appointment is ‘unilateral,’ without papal approval,” the agency said.

This would be the second violation in just over four months of the agreement on the appointment of bishops established between Rome and Beijing. Signed in 2018 and subsequently renewed in October 2020 and 2022, this agreement stipulates that the choice of new Chinese bishops must be validated by the Holy See and the Chinese authorities. (Read more from “China Reportedly Breaks Agreement With Vatican Again” HERE)

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Surprise OPEC+ Oil Production Cuts Signal That America’s Relations With Saudis Are Deteriorating

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In the latest evidence of Washington’s loss of sway over world affairs, the oil cartel that includes Saudi Arabia and Russia is announcing it will cut rates of pumping oil in a move that is bound to exacerbate inflation pressures in America and help Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.

The move, announced at Riyadh Sunday, is yet another blow to President Biden’s foreign policy as the 2024 presidential election nears. For two years, Washington has hammered Saudi Arabia, making the decades-long American Mideast ally a poster boy for human rights violations, and calling it a “pariah state.”

Now Riyadh’s de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is tightening relations with America’s adversaries, Communist China, Russia, and even Saudi Arabia’s nemesis, Iran. The Crown Prince’s turn away from America has gained pace faster than expected by Mideast watchers.

Members of the Riyadh-led Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies announced Sunday their intention to cut oil production by 1.15 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia and Russia would each cut production by half a million barrels a day, while other members of OPEC+, including Russia and other allies, would make cuts as well. (Read more from “Surprise OPEC+ Oil Production Cuts Signal That America’s Relations With Saudis Are Deteriorating” HERE)

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UN: Risk of Nuclear War at Record High. Please Engage in Peace Talks, Russia and Ukraine.

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Well, folks, don’t look now, but the “risk of a nuclear weapon being used is currently higher than at any time since the depths of the cold war,” according to the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

The war in Ukraine — obviously — is what is driving that risk. Based on reports made during the UN’s security council on Friday, that war isn’t ending any time soon — as if there were any doubt of that. Americans should know it is not going to end any time soon, our commander-in-chief has said that our tax dollars and equipment will be supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russia for “as long as it takes” — whatever that means. The Swamp wants this war to continue — and so it will.

While Biden has been banging the war drums, Putin has been chatting with its neighbors and new BFF Belarus. Now, reports indicate that Russia will be stationing non-strategic nuclear weapons within Belarus territory. According to the UN, those will be in place for aerial use by July. . .

“We are pursuing cooperation with Belarus without violating obligations,” Russian ambassador and Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday. “We are not transferring nuclear weapons. We are talking about the retrofitting of airplanes and training teams in the construction of a storage facility on the territory of Belarus.”

Yet he did make sure to note that Russia would respond to any “provocative measures” as it saw fit, while adding, “A nuclear war cannot be won.” (Read more from “UN: Risk of Nuclear War at Record High. Please Engage in Peace Talks, Russia and Ukraine.” HERE)

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US Lays Claim to Ammo Seized From Iran, Alleges ‘Sophisticated’ Iranian Smuggling Operation

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The U.S. is seeking to keep fuses, fuel and more than one million rounds of ammunition seized from Iran in December, according to a Justice Department (DOJ) forfeiture complaint released Friday.

On Dec. 1, U.S. 5th fleet forces operating routinely in the Middle East discovered more than one million rounds of ammunition, nearly 7,000 proximity fuses for rockets and over 2,100 kilograms of rocket propellant disguised aboard a fishing trawler headed from Iran to Yemen, according to a statement. Friday’s forfeiture action, which means the U.S. will confiscate the weapons, is part of a larger investigation into a “sophisticated scheme” to “clandestinely ship weapons to entities that pose grave threats to U.S. national security,” DOJ said in a statement.

“The United States disrupted a major operation by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to smuggle weapons of war into the hands of a militant group in Yemen,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the statement. “The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable those who break our laws and threaten our national security.”

Providing weapons to the Houthi militants in Yemen violates international law and United Nations resolutions, according to the Navy. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have been waging a civil war against the Yemeni government and a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed international coalition since 2015, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of striking civilian targets and contributing to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The Houthis have in turn struck civilian sites in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, jeopardizing U.S. interests, according to the DOJ and U.S. military.

(Read more from “US Lays Claim to Ammo Seized From Iran, Alleges ‘Sophisticated’ Iranian Smuggling Operation” HERE)

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Xi World Order: China, Brazil Strike Deal to Ditch Dollar for Trade

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The governments of Brazil, now under the leadership of radical leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and communist China announced an agreement on Wednesday to no longer use the U.S. dollar to conduct trade, instead relying on the Chinese yuan and Brazilian real.

China is Brazil’s largest trade partner, meaning the deal will significant decrease Brazil’s use of the dollar generally. The deal is one of several between the two countries planned to be announced this week, when Lula was expected to travel to Beijing for meetings with dictator Xi Jinping. Lula, 77, was forced to cancel his travels after being diagnosed with influenza-induced pneumonia this week.

The move follows aggressive efforts in the past five years by China to limit the influence of the U.S. dollar and slowly convince the world to use commerce using the yuan. Beijing has long counted on Brazil as an ally and friend – and fellow member of the BRICS economic and political coalition, whose members have pushed for the eradication of the dollar in global trade – even through the tepid relations with conservative former President Jair Bolsonaro. Towards the end of his term last year, Bolsonaro administration officials stated they had a “great interest” joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global debt trap plan to erode poorer nations’ sovereignties through predatory loans meant for infrastructure development.

According to the Brazilian news outlet G1, China and Brazil will create a “clearing house” mechanism with the power of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to rapidly exchange reals into yuan and vice versa, eliminating the need for the dollar. Currently, any trade between Chinese and Brazilian businesses, including loans and purchases, requires each side to convert their national currency into dollars to send to the other side. G1 noted, citing Lula administration officials, that China has already established similar “clearing houses” in Chile and Argentina, countries that have officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative. (Read more from “Xi World Order: China, Brazil Strike Deal to Ditch Dollar for Trade” HERE)

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Zelenksy Says May Be Forced to Negotiate Peace Deal if Ukraine Loses Bakhmut

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine may be forced to start peace talks if it loses control of Bakhmut, in a two-day conversation with AP journalists on March 28-29.

In Moscow, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned colleagues that they should get ready for a possible “forever war” according to a report in The Guardian.

The battle for Bakhmut has been going on for seven months with neither side gaining much advantage, leading some analysts to ask why Kyiv is expending so many resources to maintain control of the relatively strategically insignificant town. Zelenskiy told the AP journalists that if Ukraine gives up the town it may be forced to sue for peace.

He predicted that if Russia defeats Ukraine in Bakhmut, Putin would set out to “sell” a victory to the international community.

“If he will feel some blood, smell that we are weak, he will push, push, push,” Zelenskiy said during a two-day train trip with the journalists (video here), adding that the pressure would come not only from the international community but also from within his own country. (Read more from “Zelenksy Says May Be Forced to Negotiate Peace Deal if Ukraine Loses Bakhmut” HERE)

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