The story is horrific, but chillingly consistent with similar stories that we've heard about the way the FBI operates. Yes, it's important for the FBI to try to find out information about possible terrorists, but they seem to have no concern at all for wrecking the lives of totally innocent people in their pursuit of anyone. These are the kinds of activities that you hear about from authoritarian police states. It's the kind of thing that we were always taught the US doesn't do. Whether or not it was always a lie, it's clearly not the case today.

On Monday May 5, 2014 the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin passed a Russian Federal Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" aimed at opposing attempts to infringe on historical memory in relation to events that took place during World War II(the Great Patriotic War), according to the Kremlin. This is a clear sign to fascists worldwide.

Brother Nathanael Kapner: Behind Putin’s Holocaust Denial Law

That's according to a report by Newsweek magazine. Senior intelligence officials have reportedly told Congress that Israeli's spying operations are going too far. ● The intelligence assessments were given in confidential briefings to a number of congressional committees dealing with proposed legislation that would lower visa restrictions on Israeli citizens seeking to enter the United States. The intelligence officials reportedly told Congress that Israel spies on the U-S under the cover of trade missions or as part of joint defense technology agreements. U-S officials reportedly called the extent of Israeli espionage activities shocking, far exceeding similar activities by any other close allies.

Israel 'crossed red lines' in US spying: Newsweek report ● During confidential briefings in recent weeks, senior US intelligence officials have said that Israel's spying operations in the US "go far beyond that of other close American allies, such as Germany, France, the UK and Japan,” Newsweek magazine reported on Tuesday. Tel Aviv's efforts to "steal US secrets under the cover of trade missions and joint defense technology contracts have crossed red lines," said the report. The assessments were given in confidential briefings to a number of congressional committees discussing a law that would lower visa restrictions on Israeli citizens wanting to come to the US. The US visa waiver program would exempt Israeli nationals from having to produce a tourist visa, permitting them to stay in the US for a period of up to 90 days.

Newsweek: Israel Won’t Stop Spying on the U.S.
Haaretz: Intelligence officials to Congress: Israel 'crossed red lines' in spying on U.S.

A month ago, it was alleged, that Ukraine - under cover of night - loaded its gold reserves onto a plane and shipped them off (for safekeeping) in the US, as the potential price of 'liberation'. So how ironic that, given the massive gas debts that Ukraine owes to Russia (and prepayments pending), and sizable bond maturities pending, the first thing that Ukraine's National Bank governor will be buying with his freshly minted loan from the IMF is... buy a billion dollars of gold. We presume Gazprom still gets its payment and bondholders get paid off - because that seriously impair 'investor confidence' which is, as they note below, is what is crucial to stabilize the nation's economy... but it seems the Central bank has other priorities...

Kremlin imposes unprecedented requirements on global payment systems operating in Russia in response to US sanctions. ● International credit card companies face a "severe impact" on their operations in Russia following a strict new law Moscow has adopted in response to Visa and Mastercard freezing service to banks under US sanctions. Visa described the regulations as "unprecedented" and Mastercard said it could experience difficulties, the Russian magazine Snob reported, after Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday to create a rival national payment system. The law stipulates the creation of a homegrown system to facilitate cashless transactions by 1 July, but also imposes stiff new requirements on international payment systems operating in Russia.

CNBC/Reuters: Putin tells West Russia will develop own card payment system [27 Mar 2014]

An FBI agent is being held on anti-terrorism charges in Pakistan after authorities found ammunition in a bag as he boarded a plane in Karachi, Pakistani and U.S. officials said Tuesday. ● The agent was detained by airport police in Karachi about 4 p.m. Monday when he tried to board a Pakistan International Airlines flight to Islamabad. He was in possession of 15 bullets and a magazine for a 9mm pistol, police officials said. On Tuesday, he appeared in court on charges that he had violated local anti-terrorism laws that prohibit the carrying of weapons or ammunition on a commercial flight. A judge ordered that the agent be detained until at least Saturday so Pakistani security officials can investigate the matter.

Thierry Meyssan ■ What really happened in the Trade Unions House in Odessa on May 2? The new authorities in Kiev claim that a clash between anti- and pro-Russians degenerated and 38 people were killed in a fire. But the available photos and footage tell a different story. || According to news agencies in NATO countries, violence erupted before a football championship game on Friday, May 2, between fans of Metalist Kharkiv (pro-Kiev) and Chornomorets (pro-Russia). Chornomorets supporters retreated to the Trade Unions House, where some of them allegedly shot their Metalist rivals. Ultimately, a fire broke out, probably triggered by the use of Molotov cocktails on both sides, ravaging the building and leaving forty people dead. Moscow immediately reacted by disassociating the football match from the blaze at the Trade Unions House. The Foreign Ministry strongly denounced the responsibility of the Kiev authorities and the Pravy Sektor without, however, disputing the official death toll. No images have surfaced of clashes between Metalist and Chornomorets fans, nor of the latter entering the Trade Unions House. In an earlier Euronews report, supporters of the Kiev-putsch government can be seen pelting stones at the police. However, the Western version has in the meantime lost all credibility. Certain Ukrainian sites have pointed out that, although pro-Kiev hooligans did indeed attack the police on the sidelines of the football match and beat up many pro-Federalists, no pitched battle between the two groups took place. [...] The crowd was split between those who wanted to rescue the victims trapped inside and the overwhelming majority of those who were jubilating. Some were triumphantly filming the dead. Several people fell from the top floors that were not on fire. The firefighters eventually arrived.

VoR: UN's report confirms "Kiev authorities" seriously violate human rights
RT.com: Odessa tragedy survivor: ‘Many people strangled after escaping the fire’
Barry Grey: US defends role of Kiev regime and fascists in Odessa massacre
Oriental Review (Editorial): Genocide in Novorossiya and swan song of Ukrainian statehood

Email exchanges between National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander and Google executives Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt suggest a far cozier working relationship between some tech firms and the U.S. government than was implied by Silicon Valley brass after last year’s revelations about NSA spying. Disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden about the agency’s vast capability for spying on Americans’ electronic communications prompted a number of tech executives whose firms cooperated with the government to insist they had done so only when compelled by a court of law. But Al Jazeera has obtained two sets of email communications dating from a year before Snowden became a household name that suggest not all cooperation was under pressure.