United States

In a world where fundamentals don't matter, everyone's attention will be on Janet Yellen who speaks at 1:15pm today in Harvard, hoping to glean some more hints about the Fed's intentionas and next steps, including a possible rate hike in June or July. And with a long holiday in both the US and UK (US bond market closes at 2pm today), it is no surprise overnight trading volumes have been dreadful, helping keep global equities poised for the highest close in three weeks; this won't change unless Yellen says something that would disrupt the calm that’s settled over financial markets.

Following the propagandist double-speak gushing forth from the Obama administration over when a "boot on the ground" in Syria is a "boot on the ground," the following photographs via Agence France-Presse confirm US special operation forces in a rural village 40 miles from Raqqa.

The Dalai Lama has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his brave and relentless crusade against ISIS in the Middle East, saying that he believes that the U.S. government are responsible for their creation.  The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader urged the Obama administration to alter America’s catastrophic foreign policies in the Middle East before its too late. Awdnews.com reports: His remarks came at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, where he inaugurated the 2nd Dalai Lama international festival dubbed “Tibet: Traditions, Art, Philosophy and Peace”.

Two US Navy Super Hornet fighter jets crashed off the coast of North Carolina into the Atlantic sea on Thursday.  The US Coast Guard confirmed that the crews on board the F-18s were recovered and taken to a nearby hospital. RT.com reports: Four people have been recovered and taken to the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot reported citing Coast Guard Petty Officer Fagal Nifin. Nifin said the extent of the crew members’ injuries is “unknown.” One of the crew had a leg injury, reported WCTI.

Authored by Pepe Escobar, Op-Ed via RT.com,

So foreign ministers from the 28 NATO member-nations met in Brussels for a two-day summit, while mighty military power Montenegro was inducted as a new member.

Global Robocop NATO predictably discussed Afghanistan (a war NATO ignominiously lost); Iraq (a war the Pentagon ignominiously lost); Libya (a nation NATO turned into a failed state devastated by militia hell); Syria (a nation NATO, via Turkey, would love to invade, and is already a militia hell).