Saturday 25 January 2020

Global headlines - 24 January, 2020

## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
Carmageddon: Auto industry seen consolidating as falling demand, higher costs bite
Steep losses in China stocks hit Asia, oil tumbles as virus fears grow
The hubris, sanctimony, false sympathy and hypocrisy of the Davos Crowd is off the charts. Having stripmined the Earth and its workforce for their existing billions, now they want to add to their billions by "fixing" what they broke in the most profitable possible fashion.
Maturing junk debt hits record, posing elevated default risks, Moody’s says
Corporate America is awash in junk debt, and the situation could deteriorate substantially in the next five years as a record amount of issuance comes due.
A succinct description of the system currently plundering and ravaging the planet. Is it capitalism? You be the judge. -- RF

## Airline death spiral ##
Inside America’s First All-Biometric Airline Terminal

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Scientists move 'Doomsday Clock' to latest time in history
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists on Thursday moved up its "Doomsday Clock" to 100 seconds before midnight -- the closest it's ever come to symbolic world destruction in the gauge's 73-year history.
Venezuela intelligence agents raid Guaido offices: opposition
In the Name of “Security” Retreating US Gives Israel Billions More in Military Funding
Despite the fact that the U.S. is retreating from the Middle East, lacking strategy and future vision, lawmakers are congratulating themselves on passing yet another generous aid package to Israel.
• Iran/Iraq
How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump’s True Motives in Iraq
The U.S. is adamant that its assassination of Qassem Soleimani and refusal to leave Iraq is about protecting Americans, but a little known  Iraqi parliamentary session reveals how China increasingly strong ties to Baghdad may be shaping America’s new Mideast strategy.
Note: Israel is a non-signatory despite its nuclear arsenal. -- RF

America’s Radioactive Secret
Oil-and-gas wells produce nearly a trillion gallons of toxic waste a year. An investigation shows how it could be making workers sick and contaminating communities across America


## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##

## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
Consortium News Sends Libel Notices to Canadian Signals Intelligence Agency and Major Television Network
Consortium News has sent libel notices to a Canadian spy agency and major broadcaster after their reports said CN is part of a Russian-directed propaganda campaign targeting Canadian leaders.

## Japan ##
"The 2-Child Policy Has Failed": China's Birth Rate Hits Record Low As Growth Slows
China finally abandoned its controversial one-child policy in November 2013. But more than six years later, millions of Chinese couples are still unwilling to have a second child.
Chinese Auto Sales To Face "Big Downward Pressure" In 2020
British officials propose limited 5G role for China's Huawei - sources

## US ##
U.S. drinking water widely contaminated with 'forever chemicals': report
The contamination of U.S. drinking water with man-made “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on Wednesday by an environmental watchdog group.
Pentagon Racks Up $35 Trillion in Accounting Changes in One Year
The Pentagon made $35 trillion in accounting adjustments last year alone -- a total that’s larger than the entire U.S. economy and underscores the Defense Department’s continuing difficulty in balancing its books.

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