RUSSIA - The West is becoming an Orwellian version of itself in its desperate attempts to cling to power, Russia’s foreign intelligence chief said. If this continues, the West may face a similar fate to that of Biblical figure Goliath. Sergey Naryskin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), delivered the strongly-worded message at an international security conference in Moscow on Wednesday. He accused the West and the United States in particular of failing to acknowledge that they can no longer dictate their will to the rest of the world. Western nations “cannot and will not face the truth and acknowledge that their own influence, which used to be unchallenged, is now diminishing.”

USA - We’ve known for years now that the media industry in America has become highly consolidated by mega corporations, giving a very small group of people incredible influence over what the nation thinks. “The conglomerates are: General Electric, News Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner and CBS.  All are corporations that have their own shady histories, dealings and suspicious actors. Disney being widely regarded as an occult enterprise aimed at warping the minds of children with disturbing subliminal imagery. One of these companies is also the 12th largest US military defense contractor, so it’s no surprise that so much of our entertainment centers around the glorification of war and violence.

PHILIPPINES - Temblor hits at a depth of 61 km (38 miles), about 128 km (80 miles) east of the island’s key city of Davao. An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which hit at a depth of 61 km (38 miles), about 128 km (80 miles) east of the island’s key city of Davao.

EUROPE - The Croatian president thanks Argentina for taking in notorious pro-Nazi war criminals after World War II. In Bulgaria, a top politician calls the country's Roma minority "ferocious humanoids." And Hungary's prime minister declares the "color" of Europeans should not mix with that of Africans or Arabs. Ever since WWII, such views were taboo in Europe, confined to the far-right fringes. Today they are openly expressed by mainstream political leaders in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, part of a populist surge in the face of globalization and mass migration. "There is something broader going on in the region which has produced a patriotic, nativist, conservative discourse through which far-right ideas managed to become mainstream," said Tom Junes, a historian with the Human and Social Studies Foundation in Sofia, Bulgaria.

ITALY - Italy’s Lega Nord leader Matteo Salvini has declared that he would put an end to the “absurd” EU sanctions against Russia if he were to be appointed as prime minister of the country. Mr Salvini responded on Twitter: “I hope, from the government, to soon meet the appeal of the president of Confindustria Russia: stopping these absurd sanctions that are causing incalculable damage to the Italian economy! No more servants of this European Union! Italians first.”

USA - American stocks saw the worst start in April since the Great Depression, as Chinese retaliatory tariffs spooked investors in the world’s largest economy. The S&P 500 index fell 2.2 percent after the first trading session in the second quarter. This was only ever worse 89 years ago, when it fell by 2.5 percent. Back then, it was a selloff that triggered the Great Depression – the worst economic crisis in US history. On Monday, China introduced additional tariffs of up to 25 percent on 128 US products including frozen pork, wine and certain fruits and nuts, in response to Washington’s duties on imports of Chinese aluminum and steel. Beijing has also pledged to introduce a “proportional” response in case the White House decides to impose a new round of tariff hikes against Chinese goods.

UK - Key monetary indicators in the US, Europe, Japan, and China are flashing signals of an economic slowdown later this year, raising fears of a global recession in 2019 and a stock market slump without a shift in policy. Monetarist experts warn that the global money supply is slowing much faster than widely appreciated, suggesting that the shift away from quantitative easing by the major central banks is already starting to have profound consequences. The data appear incompatible with forecasts by the International Monetary Fund and other global bodies for a synchronized global upswing this year.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - The wars will never stop - millions flee bloodshed as Congo falls apart. The vast central African country has been hit by waves of violence, rebellions, protests and political turmoil in recent months, leading to worries about a new civil war like that which killed five million people between 1997 and 2003.

CHINA - Beijing has sent a delegation to Russia to show Washington the unity of Russian and Chinese military forces and “support” Russia at the 7th Moscow Conference on International Security. Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe voiced strong support for Russia during the talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu. While stressing “the united position” on the international arena, the minister said that one of the main goals of the visit was to send a message to Western powers. “The Chinese side came to let the Americans know about the close ties between the Russian and Chinese armed forces,” Wei said.

REUNION ISLAND - A volcano on Reunion Island has begun ferociously erupting, causing a gigantic, one mile-long crack to splinter across the Piton de la Fournaise volcanic crater. The Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion Island, one of the most active in the world, began erupting this morning for the first time since July 2017. One scientist warned of a “seismic crisis” after the eruption caused a crack in the crater stretching one mile across the French island, which is located in the Indian Ocean. The eruption was so strong its effect could be seen by satellite, with experts warning it is continuing to “intensify”.

EUROPE - Big Tech is facing a perfect storm of political resistance, but there are many cross-currents and hidden motives. TN expects that anti-trust legislation will ultimately be invoked to break up several of the largest semi-monopolies like Google and Facebook. What the EU is doing at this point is cut off the free consumer data that is the lifeblood of the industry. Expect a lot of chaos, lobbying, back-stabbing and corruption to follow. ⁃ TN Editor

UK - London has surpassed New York City's murder rate for the second month in a row, due mostly to a spike in knife crime and shootings which left 15 Londoners dead in February - nine of whom were age 30 or younger, and 22 dead in March vs New York City's 21, according to the Sunday Times. While both cities have around 8.5 million people, NYC's murder rate has dropped by around 87% since the 1990's, while London's has grown approximately 40% in just three years - not including deaths from terrorist attacks. Experts have credited the NYPD's zero-tolerance policing model driving down the homicide rate in NYC from around 2,000 deaths in 1990 to 230 last year.

CHINA - China has turned off the tap on crucial goods for North Korea in a bid to pile on economic pressure as South and North Korean leaders prepare for an unprecedented diplomatic summit this April, and hopes for May talks between the US and the isolated country mount.  

PAKISTAN - Pakistan and Iran could soon become major strategic allies after representatives from both countries met and agreed a trade deal, it has been reported. Dr Kamal Kharrazi, Iran’s Head of the Strategic Council of Foreign Relations and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has said the two counties have close religious and cultural bonds and should continue to work together.

PAKISTAN - While the United States enters a low period in its relationship with Pakistan, China is quietly but steadily building goodwill in the country — symbolized by a gleaming new port it helped build in the southern city of Gwadar. Set against soaring white cliffs and the sparkling blue sea, the Gwadar Port feels like it’s located somewhere in the Mediterranean, not Pakistan. Boasting newly-paved terminals and freshly-painted blue-and-orange shipping cranes, the multi-purpose port is owned by Pakistan’s Gwadar Port Authority and operated by the state-owned China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd. The port and four square miles of land have been leased to China until 2059, to set up tax-free businesses and build an economic free zone.