Epstein Secrets

ans would have been politically impossible in Germany. For the Cypriot government, however, taxing fat cats risked alienating Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose government Cyprus already owes $3.3 billion for a previous bailout. So President Nicos Anastasiades — with the inexplicable acquiescence of

risked alienating Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose government Cyprus already owes $3.3 billi

fat cats risked alienating Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whose government Cyprus already owes $3.3

he Cyprus deal fatally undermined depositor confidence, thus making bank runs in other countries more likely. Certainly Cyprus and its paymasters in the European Central Bank have broken a taboo of the common European currency by imposing controls on the flow of capital into and out of the country, albeit "temporarily."

as to show that the opposition to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's regime consists mostly of Jews (and a ha

ent: "We, Russians, don't deceive one another." The obvious intention of this anti-Semitic prank was to show that the opposition to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's regime consists mostly of Jews (and a handful of members of other ethnic groups) and that a true Russian patriot should not rock the boat but su

ch it was held that Leonid Brezhnev and his Politburo were Jews. Today's nationalists, monarchists and other "real Russians" like to point out that Putin's entourage includes people with names like Abramovich, Fridman and Rotenberg and that his first political patron was St. Petersburg Mayor Anatoly

their leaders cannot take until all other options have failed — a state of affairs that, if you ask me, Greece is rapidly approaching. Germany and the European Central Bank could take action to make that extreme step less necessary, both by demanding less austerity and doing more to boost the European economy as a who

ext round of negotiations. Russia, in turn, is opposed to forcing Assad, a longtime client, from power by any means. If Obama wants the support of Vladi-mir Putin on Iran, he may have to stick to Putin-approved measures on Syria. That leaves the administration at the mercy of Moscow: Obama is reduced to plea

posed to forcing Assad, a longtime client, from power by any means. If Obama wants the support of Vladi-mir Putin on Iran, he may have to stick to Putin-approved measures on Syria. That leaves the administration at the mercy of Moscow: Obama is reduced to pleading with a stone-faced Putin to support

ria. Instead we will wager on the moral sense of Vladimir Putin, whose memories of Beslan do not seem to h

at affordable rates. Meanwhile, their banks are hemorrhaging deposits. Up until now, broke banks could prop up broke governments by borrowing from the European Central Bank and using the cash to buy their governments' bonds. But that game is over. For there is nothing the ECB can do to stop panicky Spaniards swapping

like than Western governments." Private military companies also allow governments to disclaim involvement in politically controversial activities. "Putin is using Chechen mercenaries in Ukraine, allegedly," McFate said. "Who's going to tell him you can't do that after to years of war in Iraq and Afgh

only being kept out of the abyss by a debt restructure in 2012. And under that restructure it now owes money mainly to other European governments, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the IMF. These official creditors have slashed interest rates and stretched out maturities, but not enough. With a debt stock of 175% of G