One Love Unit Tz

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Nobody’s Sure How or Why an American Plane Ended Up in Iran

On Tuesday, a New York Times reporter in Tehran spotted an American plane at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, an extremely unique sight given the harsh sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and other Western nations.

For an American plane to enter Iran legally, a number of hoops would need to be jumped through. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control needs to give approval for an American aircraft to travel to Iran—they gave a “no comment” to the Times. Complicating things further, the jet’s engines are made by General Electric, meaning that the Commerce Department would also have to sign off on allowing American-made equipment to enter the isolated country.

So whose plane is it? The plane’s tail number is N604EP, which records show is owned by the Bank of Utah (it also has a small American flag on its tail). This means almost nothing. As the Times notes, the Bank of Utah is a relatively small community bank with 13 branches in the state. However, the bank is a trustee for 1,169 planes, “more planes than just about any other bank.”

Owning the plane through a trust allows the owner privacy. A bank employee said that the bank has no operation control or financial exposure to the planes. They're owners by proxy.

There is one slight clue though. The jet was spotted in Zurich, Switzerland on January 22, 2014, right around the time of the World Economic Forum in Davos. That probably narrows the list down to 2,633 powerful people.

The plane was also in Accra, Ghana on January 3 and in Luton, England on October 1 of last year and February 16 of this year.

If you own a Bombardier Challenger CL-604 with the tail number N604EP, or know somebody who does, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe slams Europe's 'homosexual nonsense'

Zimbabwe ruler Robert Mugabe gives his official address during celebrations held to mark the country's 34th independence anniversary on April 18, 2014 in Harare

Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwe's strong man ruler Robert Mugabe lashed out at Europe's "homosexual nonsense" and condemned the refusal of its leaders to accept his grip on power in his latest marathon tirade on Friday.

"The Europe of yesterday is gone, we have a Europe of today which has no principles at all," the 90-year-old told a crowd of thousands gathered in a Harare stadium to mark 34 years since the country's independence from Britain.

Mugabe, who has been Zimbabwe's ruler since independence, faces EU sanctions as a result of his authoritarian rule. He refused to attend an EU-Africa summit earlier this month after his wife was denied a visa to enter Europe.

"The Europeans will never ever accept a ZANU-PF government in this country," referring to the political party he dominates.

"What is natural is made unnatural. And what is unnatural they want to say it is natural," he said in the speech, which lasted an hour and a half.

Mugabe repeated his claims that Europe is trying to force gay rights on Africa.

"(Europe says) If you pass a law that rejects homosexual marriages we will punish you like they are doing to Uganda and us," he said.

"Let Europe keep their homosexual nonsense there and not cross over with it here."

Mugabe, who once said gays and lesbians are worse than pigs and dogs, warned Western diplomats in Zimbabwe against preaching gay rights, saying they would be deported.

His election victory last year was rejected by many Western countries amid claims of widespread rigging and intimidation.

But a defiant Mugabe has refused to brook any dissent, and threatened the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, saying its plan to lead protests over the deteriorating economy and high unemployment would not be accepted.

"We shall never tolerate acts of violence," he said.

Monday, April 14, 2014

The forgotten man who almost became president after Lincoln

On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died from his assassin’s wounds. But if John Wilkes Booth’s plot were entirely successful, a little-known senator may have been thrust into the White House.

Lafayette Sabine Foster

Booth’s full plot included killing Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward. General Ulysses Grant was another possible target. But only two attacks took place on April 14, 1865, with Seward surviving an assassination attempt and Lincoln suffering from Booth’s single gunshot

Police spokesman Frank Mba says Monday's blast destroyed 16 luxury coaches and 24 minibuses.

There was only believed to be one blast with secondary explosions as vehicle fuel tanks ignited and burned.

Reporters saw rescue workers and police gathering body parts as ambulances rushed the wounded to the hospitals. (AP)

Israel minister warns Kerry over 'surrender' to Iran

Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's intelligence minister Monday slammed as unacceptable comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry on negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme which he said indicated a "surrender" to Tehran.

"We watch the negotiations with concern. We are not opposed to a diplomatic solution but we are against a solution which is entirely a surrender to Iran and which leaves it a threshold nuclear state," Steinitz said."The things Kerry said in the Congress are worrying, they are surprising and they are unacceptable," Yuval Steinitz, who is also strategic affairs minister, told public radio.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region, U.S. military officials said Monday.

In the first public account of the incident, the officials said the Russian Fencer made 12 passes, and flew within 1,000 yards (900 meters) of the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet (150 meters) above sea level.

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