Manpower from Iran and bombs from Russia have enabled the Syrian troops to come within a few miles of encircling Aleppo. Thousands are fleeing the area in fear of an impending siege. ISW reports: Battlefield realities rather than great power politics will determine the ultimate terms of a settlement to end the Syrian Civil War.
"We are in a serious situation and there is a high risk that there could be an attack. But the security agencies, the intelligence services and the police authorities are very alert and our goal is to minimize the risk as best we can.”
That’s from Hans-Georg Maassen head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency and it certainly doesn’t inspire much in the way of confidence.
World War 3 could be on the horizon as the Pentagon announces a quadruple increase in its 2017 budget and turns its back on promises made to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. US-NATO troops are to be positioned close to Russia’s borders. And to maintain U.S. hegemony in where half the world’s population lives, China is put under military and economic pressure by Obama’s strategic pivot to Asia.
An unexploded second world war bomb sparked a mass evacuation at Victoria station in London this morning. Commuters faced chaos during Friday mornings rush hour as Victoria Tube station was closed temporarily. Armed police were at the scene as thousands of people were ordered to leave both the Tube and the rail stations. The ‘unexploded device’ was found on a nearby building site. Officers are in attendance at a building site on Terminus Place, SW1 following the discovery of what is believed to be World War 2 ordnance.
The French government have announced plans to extend the state of emergency currently implemented across France, meaning the country faces remaining in a state of martial law for the foreseeable future. Following the Paris terror attacks last year, a temporary state of emergency was declared that allowed authorities new police-state powers, putting the nation on virtual lockdown. The new powers include allowing authorities to detain people without trial, search homes without a warrant, and block websites that authorities believe to be a problem.