Free Republic

VLADIMIR Putin appeared confused and out of breath as he wheezed his way through his latest speech, threatening the West with nuclear weapons. The Russian president seemed to struggle to catch his breath and paused several times during the address to politicians, stumbling over his words and looking exhausted. At one stage, he appears breathless and stuttering, while on two other occasions, he seems to take quick gasps for air.

Since April of 2016, Obama's campaign organization has paid nearly a million dollars to the law firm that funneled money to Fusion GPS to compile a dossier of unverified allegations against Donald Trump. Former president Barack Obama’s official campaign organization has directed nearly a million dollars to the same law firm that funneled money to Fusion GPS, the firm behind the infamous Steele dossier. Since April of 2016, Obama For America (OFA) has paid over $972,000 to Perkins Coie, records filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show.The Washington Post reported last week that Perkins Coie, an international law firm,...

British lawyers linked to $1m payment for favours at US Congress By Philip Sherwell in Washington and David Harrison in London (Filed: 08/01/2006) A British law firm is at the centre of the investigation into America's biggest influence-buying scandal in decades. The London-based solicitors, James & Sarch, channelled $1 million (£565,000) into a conservative United States pressure group linked to Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist. The firm, which was dissolved in 2000, made the payment by a single cheque in June 1998 to the US Family Network, a now-defunct organisation that had close ties to the embattled Republican Congressman, Tom...

It is the ultimate mini-break. But for $1m, it should be. Being in Washington for George Bush's inauguration on January 20 will not come cheap. Even the bargain deals cost $10,000. Whether the $1m (£522,000) offer will give value for money is a moot point. Those prepared to pay will get a four nights in the Jefferson hotel, four blocks from the White House, return travel from any city in the US, chauffeur and butler on 24-hour call for the duration, tickets for two to an unspecified inaugural event attended by Mr Bush, his-and-her diamond watches and designer outfits, spa...

US paid $1m for 'useless intelligence' from Chalabi By Andrew Buncombe in Washington 30 September 2003 Information from Iraqi defectors made available by Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress before the US invasion was of little or no use, a Pentagon intelligence review shows. The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) said defectors introduced to US intelligence agents by the organisation invented or exaggerated their claims to have personal knowledge of the regime and its alleged weapons of mass destruction. The US paid more than $1m for such information. In 1998, Congress provided $97m to the Iraqi National Congress (INC), the...

Iraq oil output tops 1m barrels By Adam Jay (Filed: 28/07/2003) Iraq's oil production has risen to more than a million barrels a day, it emerged yesterday, as the country signed new crude export contracts with foreign oil companies, mainly from the US. An Iraqi oil ministry official said that daily production, which has been steady at 800,000 barrels since the end of the war, has now increased. "Production in the south is between 600,000 and 700,000 barrels a day and production in the north is at 500,000 barrels a day," the official said. "Production in the south could reach...

Wanted: nickel with a $1m price on its head By David Usborne in New York 31 May 2003 Americans are being asked to rummage in their attics and pockets for a single coin, which, should they find it, could make them very wealthy indeed. The Liberty Head Nickel may have a face value of only five cents, but it could be worth US$1m (about £610,000). A New Hampshire gallery, Bowers and Merena, which specialises in precious coins, has issued a $1m reward for the nickel, one of only five minted 90 years ago under clandestine circumstances. From 1883 until 1912,...