Steve Lendman – No Deal On Iran’s Nuclear Program – So Far – 31 March 2015

Reports of a deal reached over the weekend were way premature. As of Monday morning Lausanne time, key unresolved issues remain ahead of a March 31 deadline.

It could be extended days or weeks if all parties agree. Deadlines aren’t written in stone. They’re easily changed based on circumstances.

The latest as this is written comes from a senior Iranian negotiator, saying:

“No agreement has been achieved, and there are still issues which need to be resolved.”

“Instead of launching a media hype, the concerned parties should quit their excessive demands and take the strategic decision if they want an agreement or continued pressure.”

ZeroHedge – Japan “Wakes Up,” Joins China-led Development Bank (And Then Backs Out) – 31 March 2015

It’s official: the US is on its own when it comes to opposing the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (see here for full summary of AIIB developments). We suppose it was only a matter of time, but news that Japan will seek membership in a matter of months will likely still come as somewhat of a surprise to Washington, given the otherwise tenuous relationship between the two countries and considering Japan’s leadership role in the ADB. Nevertheless, the Japanese have apparently come to the same conclusion as Australia and South Korea: not joining simply isn’t an option no matter how loudly the US protests. Here’s more from FT:

Read the full story at: www.zerohedge.com / link to original article

Lavrov: Chances To Reach Iran Nuclear Deal ‘Pretty Good’ – 31 March 2015

The ongoing negotiations between Iran and six major world powers over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program have a high chance of producing a deal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. But the parties must not try to up the ante.

Lavrov interrupted his participation in the talks in in Switzerland’s Lausanne on Monday for a meeting with a delegation from Vanuatu, a small Pacific nation recently devastated by a cyclone.

Later on Tuesday he is to return to the negotiations, which are in a make-or-break last day phase.

The chances of a breakthrough in the talks are high, but success is not guaranteed, Lavrov stressed during a joint media conference with his Vanuatu counterpart Sato Kilman.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

TEPCO Vows To Release ‘All Fukushima Radiation Data’ – 31 March 2015

The nuclear operator of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has announced that it plans to disclose all data on radiation levels recorded at the site in response to criticism of lack of transparency following the catastrophe.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. TEPCO will start disclosing all data sets “as soon as they become available” for release, President Naomi Hirose told a press conference. The utility staffers aim to “break away from our tendency of covering up” information, he added.

Takafumi Anegawa, the company’s director, said the amount of data they plan to release will be around double the current level, according to Kyodo.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

ActivistPost – All’s Well With Afghanistan Opium Trade – 31 March 2015

SARTRE
Activist Post

Business is booming! “Two years after the ousting of the Taliban regime, which had cracked down ruthlessly on the cultivation of opium, production of the substance last year hit 3,600 tones, up 6 per cent over the previous year, and surveys of farmers show a further increase is likely this year.”

Read the full story at: www.activistpost.com / link to original article

Striving To Keep Up, McDonald’s Experiments With Table Service, All-Day Breakfast – 31 March 2015

Trying to bounce back from a 15 percent decline in profit last year, McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain, is trying to stay nimble in knowing customers’ changing desires with innovative ideas such as all-day breakfast and even table service.

The company plans to test offering breakfast all-day in some locations in San Diego, California starting in April. Customers have been demanding breakfast all day for a long time to keep pace with changing work habits. However, the company has previously said that it would be logistically impossible because of tight kitchen spaces at the franchises.

The pilot announced Monday will include a limited menu of popular breakfast sandwiches and hash browns, but McDonald’s has not said which items will be included.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

MH17 Investigation Going Off In ‘Wrong Direction’ Could Embarrass ‘Many Powerful People’ – 31 March 2015

There is so much political pressure over the MH17 crash in Ukraine that investigators would rather conclude that no one really knows what happened than make several powerful people look foolish, believes Robert Parry, editor of Consortium News.

More than eight months since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down above war-torn eastern Ukraine, speculation in international media is only adding fuel to the blame game, while no actual evidence to back claims has been released.

The US intelligence community is failing to share its own discoveries into the crash, fearing it will lead the investigation in the “wrong” direction, Robert Parry told RT.

RT: Are there any facts behind this suggestion that there could be some information that we’re not being told from American intelligence about what happened to MH17?

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

Mish/ Mike Shedlock – Indiana Legalizes Discrimination On Grounds Of “Religious Freedom” – 31 March 2015

Can you refuse service to gays and lesbians? You can in Indiana thanks to the “Religious Freedom” Bill.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence has signed a bill that would allow businesses to refuse service to gay and lesbian patrons on the grounds of “religious freedom”, even as some of the state’s largest business interests oppose the measure.

Mr Pence, a potential 2016 presidential contender, said he signed the bill because “many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action”.Proving that he cannot think, Pence quipped “If I thought it legalised discrimination in any way in Indiana, I would have vetoed it.”

Reporters Arrested In Ferguson Sue St. Louis Police – 31 March 2015

Four journalists are suing St. Louis police over their arrests during the Ferguson, Missouri protests last August. They claim to have been detained and mistreated by the officers even though their press credentials were in plain view.

The suit was filed Monday by US citizen Ryan Devereaux of The Intercept and three German nationals residing in the US – Ansgar Graw of Die Welt, Frank Herrmann of the Rheinische Post group and freelance reporter Lukas Hermsmeier.

“This was a very new experience,” Graw wrote following his release. He had visited many disputed areas and conflict zones, from Gaza and Georgia to Iraq and Cuba. “But to be arrested and yelled at and be rudely treated by police? For that I had to travel to Ferguson and St. Louis in the United States of America.”

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

 

Cop Who Put Eric Garner In Chokehold Sued After Allegedly Injuring Man In Crash – 31 March 2015

The behavior of the New York Police Department officer who placed Staten Island man Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold is under the microscope once again, this time for allegedly crashing a car into and injuring another man.

In a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court, Leonardo Aguirre claims that NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo crashed a police vehicle into his car while speeding on June 20, the New York Daily News reported. As a result of the crash, Aguirre says he suffered from “severe and permanent” injuries to his neck, left shoulder and knees, the lawsuit claims.

An unnamed source within the police department told the Daily News, however, that Pantaleo was the one who was hit by another car. Additionally, the source added that Pantaleo was flashing his police vehicle’s emergency lights and responding to a call at the time.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article