(2020-06-18). Video: Idlib Militants Attack Turkish-Russian Patrols as Turkey Shifts Focus to Northern Iraq. globalresearch.ca On June 16, a joint convoy of the Turkish Army and the Russian Military Police became the target of a new IED attack during a patrol along the M4 highway in southern Idlib. The explosion damaged a BTR-82A armored personnel …
(2020-06-18). USAF Paints Fighter Jet Russian Color Scheme to Prepare for Dogfights. globalresearch.ca A General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon at Hill Air Force Base, located in northern Utah, recently had an exterior makeover paint scheme that mimics the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter, reported The 576th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron painted …
(2020-06-18). Trump threatens to re-start nuclear weapons tests, undoing 50 years of agreements. peoplesworld.org 
If the Trump administration follows through on its threat to restart nuclear tests, it will complete the unraveling of more than 50 years of arms control agreements, taking the world back to the days when school children practiced "duck and cover" and people built backyard bomb shelters. It will certainly be the death knell for the Comprehensive …
(2020-06-18). Putin: 75 years after WW2, new global crisis calls for victorious anti-Nazi coalition to work together again. rt.com 
In 1945, they defeated Hitler and Imperial Japan. Now, 75 years on, Vladimir Putin believes that the present global health and economic crisis requires the Second World War allies to unite once more. | In a lengthy op-ed, first published in American foreign policy journal 'The National Interest' on Thursday, the Russian president discusses the reasons behind the rise of Adolf Hitler. He also outlines the benefits of…
(2020-06-18). Berlin's threats will 'not be left unanswered' Russian ambassador says, after Germany links Chechen ex-militant's murder to Moscow. rt.com 
The Russian envoy to Germany, Sergey Nechaev, has blasted Berlin for blaming the murder of a former Chechen insurgent leader on a Russian "state entity". Such accusations lack proof and only hurt bilateral relations, he said. | "We consider the accusations leveled against the Russian authorities to be baseless and unsupported by evidence," Nechaev said in a statement, commenting on the latest indictment issued by the German prosecutors in relation to a high-profile murder that took place in Berlin's Tiergarten Park last August. | A 40-year-old man, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, was shot by a suspect identified as a…
(2020-06-18). The Empire Declares a "Maximum Pressure" War of Economic Strangulation on Devastated Syria. anti-empire.com 
The United States has imposed a sweeping set of new sanctions against any country, individual or entity that provides support to the Syrian government – a campaign that experts warn may devastate the lives of ordinary Syrians trying to survive and rebuild after nine years of war. | The Caesar Act, passed in Congress
(2020-06-18). France's Call on NATO to Stop Ignoring the "Turkey Problem". Further Divides the Alliance. globalresearch.ca The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and this calls to question why NATO still exists today. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO has militarily intervened in many sovereign countries such as Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, while also expanding …
(2020-06-18). US imposes new sanctions on Syria under Caesar Act. peoplesdispatch.org The US administration announced a new set of political and economic sanctions against Syria on June 17, Wednesday, under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection act. The act was enacted in the US in December 2019 and made part of the National Defence Authorisation act for the year 2020. | The Caesar act asks the government of Syria and its allies, Russia and Iran, to halt military operations aimed at retaking territories captured by armed militias and rebel forces supported by Turkey and the US in Syria. The Syrian government has rejected the act, saying that it cannot allow such a division of the country. | The exe…
(2020-06-18). Why Japan Cancelled Installation of American Missiles in Its Territory. US Military Presence Threatens Japan's Security. globalresearch.ca Since 1945, when the United States bombed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons, Japan has entered an era of total submission to Washington, demilitarizing and abdicating its own real sovereignty. Tokyo came under the umbrella of American …
(2020-06-18). Russia: Almost 500 doctors die from COVID-19. yenisafak.com Almost 500 doctors died due to the novel coronavirus in Russia, contracting it at work, the country's Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare announced on Thursday.Russia was not fully prepared for the COVID-19 outbreak, with problems in the beginning, including lack of protective means, head of the service Alla Samoylova said at a video-conference in Moscow.Authorities have so far managed to fix most of them, and the complaints about security flaws are "rather rare" now, Samoylova added."As of today, we say the spread of the virus is not over yet. More than half a million people in Russia are ill, over 7,…
(2020-06-18). Russian maneuvers in Libya poses risk: US AFRICOM. yenisafak.com US Africa Command (AFRICOM) revealed new evidence of active Russian aircraft in Libyan airspace Thursday, saying it poses a risk for all civilians."Russia's sustained involvement in Libya increases the violence and delays a political solution," AFRICOM head of operations US Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Bradford Gering said in a statement. "Russia continues to push for a strategic foothold on NATO's southern flank and this is at the expense of innocent Libyan lives."Two images of MiG-29 and Su-24 Russian aircrafts flying through Libya was shared by the command.In late May, AFRICOM reported at least 14 MiG-29s and sever…
(2020-06-18). Russia revises sharply higher coronavirus death toll among medics. yenisafak.com Russia has revised steeply higher, to nearly 500, the number of medical workers who have died after contracting COVID-19, illustrating the severe toll the pandemic has taken on its frontline doctors and nurses.The Health Ministry had reported on May 26 that 101 medics had died from the coronavirus, a figure that was much lower than an unofficial tally of 444 deceased medical workers compiled online by Russian doctors.Alla Samoylova, the head of a Russian healthcare watchdog, updated the official figure on Thursday to 489, the TASS news agency reported, some 6.4% of the overall nationwide death toll.Russia, which…
(2020-06-17). Israel Increases Secretive Nuclear Stockpile to 90 Warheads: Enough to Blow Up the Planet… globalresearch.ca Israel may have increased its nuclear stockpile from 80 warheads in 2019 to 90 in 2020, according to a new report by a leading global arms watchdog. | The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said in its
(2020-06-17). Israel Increases Secretive Nuclear Stockpile to 90 Warheads: Report. globalresearch.ca Israel may have increased its nuclear stockpile from 80 warheads in 2019 to 90 in 2020, according to a new report by a leading global arms watchdog. | The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said in its
(2020-06-17). Will Moscow Save The West Bank From Annexation? popularresistance.org Palestinian efforts against Israel's plans to annex Palestinian territory are being exercised on three levels. Locally, Palestinians have severed all relations, including security coordination, with Israel and the United States. Regionally, Jordan has been spearheading the Arab response to the Israeli plan, including efforts by the only two Arab countries that have a peace plan with Israel: Jordan and Egypt. | On the international level, Palestinian energy has been largely focused on three members of the Middle East Quartet — the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia. The focus is on these three in…
(2020-06-17). Towards a Baghdad-Moscow Axis? Russia's Massive Oil Projects in Iraq. globalresearch.ca In Iraq, a seldom mentioned and noteworthy oil cooperation is carried out between Baghdad and Moscow. Russian companies, namely Rosneft and Lukoil have developed new oil fields in Iraq. | A notable project is Lukoil's West Qurna-2. | West Qurna-2 field
(2020-06-17). Video: Russian Surface-to-Air Missile Systems in Syria Shoot Down Militants' Drones. globalresearch.ca Tor short-range surface-to-air missile systems have downed more than 45 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by Syrian militants, according to the chief of the Russian Air Defense Forces Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov. | "Since the start of combat duty, the calculations …
(2020-06-17). How An Internet 'Persona' Helped Birth Russiagate. popularresistance.org Four years ago today, on June 15, 2016, a shadowy Internet persona calling itself "Guccifer 2.0" appeared out of nowhere to claim credit for hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee on behalf of WikiLeaks and implicate Russia by dropping "telltale" but synthetically produced Russian "breadcrumbs" in his metadata. | Thanks largely to the corporate media, the highly damaging story actually found in those DNC emails — namely, that the DNC had stacked the cards against Bernie Sanders in the party's 2016 primary— was successfully obscured. | The media was the message; and the message was that…
(2020-06-17). Let Them Eat Weapons: Trump's Bizarre Arms Race. dissidentvoice.org 
In late May of this year, President Donald Trump's special envoy for arms control bragged before a Washington think tank that the U.S. government was prepared to outspend Russia and China to win a new nuclear arms race. "The president has made clear that we have a tried and true practice here," he remarked. "We know how to win …
(2020-06-17). A greener future? Russian energy minister predicts Covid-19 pandemic will accelerate shift away from hydrocarbons. rt.com 
Is the game up for "black gold?" Well, Russia's energy minister won't go that far but he believes its importance in the worldwide energy marketplace is set to significantly decline. This has serious implications for oil producers. | Read more | | Alexander Novak thinks the current pandemic and the growing competitiveness of renewable sources will lead to a greener market. | Speaking during an online conference of the World En…
(2020-06-17). Trump saw Venezuela as 'really part of the US,' thought invasion was 'cool' — but backtracked because of Putin, Bolton claims. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump thought it would be "cool" to invade Venezuela but was persuaded not to by "Soviet-style propaganda" from Moscow, claims former national security adviser John Bolton in book excerpts leaked to the press. | Trump said invading Venezuela would be "cool" and described the South American country as "really part of the United States," according to the Washington Post, one of three publications that were given access to some content from Bolton's memoir, 'The Room Where It Happened.' | | So Bolton says in his boo…
(2020-06-17). NATO cannot survive a second Trump term. thealtworld.com By calling out Germany for failing to pay its fair share of the cost of NATO, US President Donald Trump has challenged the legitimacy of the foundational premise upon which the alliance was built. This is a good thing. | A group of international academics, during a recent conference at the US Center for Strategic and International Studies, have concluded that a second Trump term in office could fatally weaken the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the transatlantic alliance charged with deterring perceived Russian aggression and protecting the international rules-based order that has dominated internation…
(2020-06-17). Controversy over History of World War II. Russia Marks 75 Years, Military Parade. globalresearch.ca The world celebrates the year 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism during the World War II. For the first time in history, Russia postponed its military parade traditionally held on Moscow's Red Square on May …
(2020-06-17). India and China Dispute: The World's Longest Unmarked Border. globalresearch.ca Incongruous, deadly, bizarre. Two nuclear powers engaging in a fatal skirmish over a piece of territory with no economic resources, using rocks and clubs with protruding nails. A stone-age fight in the nuclear era. | Einstein said he did not know …
(2020-06-17). Turkish ministers visit Libya, Tripoli government says. yenisafak.com Turkish government officials including the foreign and finance ministers arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday to meet Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), the GNA said in a Facebook post.Turkish support has been critical to the GNA in staving off a 14-month assault on Tripoli by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt.
(2020-06-17). Beijing, Moscow deplore US sanctions on Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 17 (MNA) — In a statement during a Security Council's session and in comments on imposing so-called "Caesar Act" by the US, representatives of Russia and China to the UN asserted that the US sanctions against Syria target the Syrian people.
(2020-06-17). Battle of Belorussia — June 1944: The Greatest Victory That Still Shapes Our 21st Century World. strategic-culture.org On June 16 this year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was removing another 10,000 U.S. troops from Germany reducing American troop levels there to a derisory 24,500. | The move came only a week before the 76th anniversary of the start of the most decisive battle of World War II, the destruction of the heart of the fearsome and monstrous Nazi war machine — Army Group Center — in the Battle of Belorussia. It was an achievement that continues to shape our 21st century world. | The COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd tragedy have at least shut up the usual childish fairy tales that flood the U.S.
(2020-06-16). Video: Al-Qaeda Factions Create New Coalition in Idlib. globalresearch.ca Early on June 14, the Russian Aerospace Forces reportedly carried out airstrikes on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near the villages of al-Bara and Deir Sunbul in southern Idlib. Since the signing of the new de-escalation agreement with Turkey on …
(2020-06-16). Cold War Bully: the Life and Crimes of Roy Cohn. counterpunch.org 
Ever since the spring of 1954, when I was a precocious 12-year-old kid who watched the Army-McCarthy hearings on TV, I have loved to hate Roy Cohen (1927-1986), Joe McCarthy's co-conspirator and dark twin. One year earlier, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg died in the electric chair at Sing Sing—the single most significant event in my
(2020-06-16). Show him 'kindness'? Moscow theater slammed after defending famed actor who killed man in drunken crash. rt.com 
One week after his deadly drunken Moscow car smash, which left an innocent man dead, the theater associated with actor Mikhail Efremov has issued a statement asking for kindness, rather than "extremes of condemnation." | Read more | | In a statement posted on the official website of Moscow's Sovremennik Theater on Tuesday, the institute explained that its week-long silence was caused by shock and time spent attempting to compreh…
(2020-06-16). WATCH Iran's Zarif remove face mask with relief during Moscow talks with Lavrov, after taking it on & off repeatedly (VIDEO). rt.com 
Social distancing's no hurdle for talks between trusted allies, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov appeared to show as he arrived to meet Iran's Javad Zarif without a face mask. Zarif was more careful, but soon opted to remove his, too. | Zarif is one of the first high-ranking foreign visitors to land in Moscow and engage in face-to-face talks with Lavrov in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown. In recent months, the Russian foreign minister has held meetings only via video call. | When the two officials appeared before the journalists, Zarif was sporting a mask, which he merely removed for a brief photoshoot. Lavrov…
(2020-06-16). Trump to Undermine Treaty That Keeps Russia From Selling Missiles to Iran to Sell Drones to Saudi Arabia. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: Trump wants to keep the missile part which is so crucial for the US to limit proliferation of missiles, but not the drone part where at the moment the US has a technology lead and there's a little money to be made for a sector that is already highly privileged in the American system. Russia has upheld the agreement, for example the range of the BrahMos anti-ship missile that Moscow developed for India was limited to 300 kilometers. |
| The Trump administration plans to reinterpret a Cold War-era arms agreement between 34 nations with the goal of allowing U.S. defense contractors to sell more A…
(2020-06-16). Senate Committee Approves Funding for Live Nuclear Testing. anti-empire.com 
The amendment says at least $10 million "shall be made available to carry out projects related to reducing the time required to execute a nuclear test if necessary." Accordi…
(2020-06-16). Convicted US Spy, Sentenced in Moscow on Charges of Espionage. globalresearch.ca On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced US spy Paul Whelan to 16 years imprisonment. | Charged with espionage, he was caught red-handed in December 2018 and arrested after accepting a flash drive with sensitive information from an undercover Russian Federal Security …
(2020-06-16). Curious Coincidence: The Birth of Donald Trump and the Struggle to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. globalresearch.ca The 45th president of the United States made his first international appearance on June 14, 1946. According to Donald Trump's Five minutes …
(2020-06-16). Does Trump Really Want to End American Interventionism? globalresearch.ca Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has achieved a position of global hegemony, acting as a kind of world police. Washington has constructed a new world order and its militaries travel the world in wars and …
(2020-06-16). Act On Dr. King's Call To Tackle Evils Of Racism, Economic Exploitation And War. popularresistance.org Martin Luther King, Jr. King called us to address "Three major evils—the evil of racism, the evil of poverty and the evil of war" to the consternation of the establishment. It is time to tell the truth about the US-Russian relationship and US complicity in driving the nuclear arms race if we are ever to reverse it as well as the race to weaponize space. Perhaps, by addressing the triple evils, we can fulfill King's dream and the mission envisioned for the United Nations, to end the scourge of war! At a minimum, we should be promoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres' call for a global ceasefire while o…
(2020-06-16). Lavrov: Russia, Turkey, Iran to hold summit on Syria. yenisafak.com Ankara, Moscow and Tehran agreed to hold a videoconference and then a face-to-face meeting on the Syrian settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Tuesday.The presidents of the three countries will discuss Syrian issues in a videoconference and then will hold a summit in Tehran, Lavrov said at a news conference following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif."Today, we confirmed the agreement of the three presidents of the Astana format countries that the summit will be held in Tehran within terms that will be determined considering the situation developing due to the c…
(2020-06-16). NATO concerned by Russia's growing presence in E.Med. yenisafak.com Russia's growing presence in the Eastern Mediterranean region is a cause for concern for NATO, the military alliance's chief said on Tuesday."NATO is also concerned about the increased Russian presence in the eastern Mediterranean in general, in Syria, but also, of course, in Libya. And we have to follow and monitor that very closely," Jens Stoltenberg said in response to a question in an online news conference ahead of the NATO defense ministers meeting on June 17-18.He said the situation in Libya was not on the meeting agenda, but could be discussed, adding: "It has a direct impact on the security of especially…
(2020-06-16). Turkish forces defuse bombs planted by Haftar in Libya. yenisafak.com Anadolu Agency teams monitored the team in Salahaddin province, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Tripoli's city center.The bombs were defused by the teams in collaboration with the Turkish Air Forces.The mines and explosives planted in the surroundings are made from a specific wire, which is very hard to detect, and are placed near houses and doorways.Some of the destroyed bombs had high explosive impact, which were used in the former Soviet countries, said the experts.Teams took extra care of securing their own lives, and keeping the buildings intact for the civilians.The Libyan army also found anti-personnel and…
(2020-06-16). Congress Should Include Provision in 2021 NDAA to Ban Nuclear Test Funding — Advocacy Group. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Congress should include a provision in fiscal year 2021 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) to ban any funding for US nuclear testing, the Arms Control Association said.
(2020-06-16). VIDEO: Iranian, Russian foreign ministers meet in Moscow. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 16 (MNA) — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday in Moscow. Zarif arrived in the Russian capital on Tuesday morning after a two-day visit to Turkey.
(2020-06-16). VIDEO: Russia, Iran sign declaration on enhancing role of intl. law. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 17 (MNA) — Moscow and Tehran signed a declaration today on enhancing the role of international law.
(2020-06-16). Barbara Lee Unveils Plan to Cut Up to $350 Billion From Pentagon. truthout.org Demanding that Congress "prioritize our safety and our future, not more war," Rep. Barbara Lee on Monday "Redundant nuclear weapons, off-books…
(2020-06-15). Israel owns 90 nuclear warheads: Report. yenisafak.com Israel is believed to possess between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday. | In a report, SIPRI said Israel continues to pursue a policy of ambiguity regarding its nuclear program. | It said that the number of nuclear warheads in Israel rose to 90, up from 80 warheads in 2019. | "The nine nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)—together possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020," the S…
(2020-06-15). Moscow protest leader Navalny faces community service & large fine if found guilty of libeling elderly WWII veteran. rt.com 
Russian authorities have opened a defamation case against Alexei Navalny, after he called a World War II veteran a "traitor" for expressing his support for Russia's proposed constitutional changes. | The protest leader has been accused of posting "deliberately false information" by the Russian Investigative Committee, and he is said to have "pursued the goal of spreading slander among a wide range of people." | On June 2, the nationalist Kremlin critic shared a video published by RT which featured various Russian people — including an Olympian, a doctor, and a mother. In the clip, the participants shared…
(2020-06-15). WATCH Russian jets 'intercept' US strategic bombers over Baltic Sea. rt.com 
US B-52H strategic bombers have again been spotted near Russian borders, forcing its Baltic Sea Fleet's Su-27 fighter jets to take to the skies and monitor their actions, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. | Video released by Moscow showed all stages of the 'intercept' — from the pilot in full gear rushing towards his jet to the Su-27s gaining on the American nuclear-capable bombers and "foreign surveillance planes" above the neutral waters. | NATO aircraft have frequently been spotted close to Russian airspace above Baltic and Black Sea frontiers in recent years. The flights, which Moscow deems provo…
(2020-06-15). Poland Is Likely to Receive Germany-based American Soldiers to Pressurise Russia. globalresearch.ca According to American media, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to withdraw 9,500 American soldiers from Germany. U.S. troop numbers in Germany will be reduced to about 25,000 at a time when Warsaw insists on the strengthening of American military presence …
(2020-06-15). This week in history: June 15-21. wsws.org 25 years ago: Chechen rebels release hostagesOn June 20, 1995, Chechen rebel gunmen released the last of more than 1,000 people held hostage for five days in the Russian city of Budyonnovsk and returned to Chechnya under an agreement negotiated with Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. At least 120 people died during the government's siege of the hospital, most of them killed when Russian troops tried to storm the building.
(2020-06-15). Turkey, Russia to continue talks for truce in Libya. yenisafak.com Turkey will continue talks with Russia to reach a lasting cease-fire in Libya, said Turkey's foreign minister on Monday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have "agreed to continue working together to establish a lasting cease-fire in Libya," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint press conference alongside his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, who is visiting the Turkish capital Ankara.Libya's government, which enjoys recognition by the UN, has been under attack by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces since April 2019, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.After launching a counter…