Merkel 2.0? Chancellor’s ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer elected to lead Germany’s CDU party
https://www.rt.com/news/445879-merkel-ally-akk-voted-cdu-leader/
‘Bears here, bears there’: Putin says he almost got SURROUNDED in Russian wilderness
https://www.rt.com/russia/445902-putin-bears-explorers-russia-wilderness/
‘Like denying the Holocaust’: Ukraine makes post-WWII nationalist fighters as privileged as war vets
Ukrainian parliament has passed a law, which gives Nazi-collaborating nationalist fighters, who fought against the Soviet Union after the end of World War II, the same status as the people who fought against Nazis during the war.
https://www.rt.com/news/445896-ukraine-nationalists-war-veterans/
Don't wanna waste a post so…
‘Respond to accusations or resign’: New ethic rules for United Russia party members
https://www.rt.com/russia/445866-united-russia-ethic-rules/
Arrests at the U.S-Mexico border in November were up 78 percent from the same time frame last year, according to figures released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The figures represent the highest level in President Trump’s tenure in the White House.
According to CBP, 51,856 individuals were arrested attempting to cross the border last month, up from last November’s total apprehensions at 29,085.
https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/420353-border-arrests-hit-highest-point-in-trump-presidency
First Artificial Intelligence Lab Opens in EU, Challenging US and China
Earlier this year, it was announced that the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems, or ELLIS, would to be established in order for the EU to be able to take part in shaping changes stemming from the research of "machine learning and modern AI".
The project received strong support from international companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Audi, Porsche, Bosch, Siemens AD, Bayer AF, and Alphabet Inc., which owns Google.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201812071070482664-first-artificial-intelligence-lab-opens-eu-challenging-us-china/
Germany: Number of firearms licences more than doubles during the migrant crisis
Germany is seeing a large surge in the number of basic firearm licences, Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reports.
While in 2014 there were 261,332 basic firearm licences, this number has grown to 600,000 this year. This equals an increase of 130 per cent.
https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/12/germany-number-of-firearms-licences-more-than-doubles-during-the-migrant-crisis/
be safe, be well.
Alles Gute!
India to switch from dollar to rupee to pay for Iranian oil
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Russian and Chinese shipping companies were pitching to facilitate India-Iran trade, the source said.
After US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran in May and re-imposed economic sanctions, he warned that any countries or companies that conduct transactions with Tehran could face secondary sanctions.
India, which is the second biggest buyer of Iranian oil, won an exemption from Washington’s sanctions as it has agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, Indian companies are allowed to import a maximum of 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil.
https://www.rt.com/business/445834-india-iran-rupee-crude/