(2020-06-21). 13-year-old girl killed amid gunfire at Kashmir border. yenisafak.com A 13-year-old girl was allegedly killed in Pakistani-administered Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday in an exchange of gunfire along the border with the Indian-administered side of the region, according to the Pakistani military.Amid heightened tensions between the South Asian nuclear rivals, the Pakistani Army accused Indian border forces of targeting civilians on the Pakistani side of the disputed Kashmir valley, claiming that the girl's mother and a 12-year-old boy were also injured due to "indiscriminate" fire."Indian Army Troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation in Hajipir and Bedori Sectors along LOC [Line…
(2020-06-21). Ulyanov underscores full commitment of E3, Russia to JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 21 (MNA) — In a tweet, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov underlined full commitment of his country and that of E3 to JCPOA and diplomatic efforts to save it.
(2020-06-21). Russia Can Play Crucial Role in Calming China-India Conflict. strategic-culture.org The timing of a Russia-India-China summit next week could not be more apt following a deadly skirmish in the disputed Himalayan region which resulted in dozens of military casualties. | The summit
(2020-06-21). Nuclear Rivals Clash in the Himalayas. strategic-culture.org Eric MARGOLIS | Last week, the world's most populous nations, India and China, both nuclear armed, clashed in the high Himalayan region of Ladakh. | At least 20 Indian troops died and 12 were reportedly taken prisoner before a cease-fire went into effect. So far, there were no reports of Chinese casualties. | Ladakh is one of the world's most remote, obscure and inhospitable places, a plateau averaging 4,200 meters altitude (about 14,000 feet) with frigid temperatures, scant oxygen, little rainfall, and howling winds. This bleak moonscape has long been called 'Little Tibet' because of its semi-nomadic ethnic Tibe…
(2020-06-20). It Will Take More Than One B-1 Bomber Run From South Dakota to Faze Russia's Black Sea Fleet. anti-empire.com 
Related:
| It has become clear that the U.S. Air Force now regards itself as an implement of sea power. Its metamorphosis is a beautiful thing to behold for any Western-leaning nautical enthusiast. In recent years, land-based warbirds have trained to
(2020-06-20). Is Kashmir a US Trap to Confront Russia and China? globalresearch.ca The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), founded in 2001 by the Shanghai Five (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) and to which Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan were later added would be the ALBA and Iran countries hard core of resistance to world …
(2020-06-20). US Military Presence Everywhere. The Arctic, the Middle East, The South China Sea, The Caribbean… globalresearch.ca Tensions in the skies. RT presented a news story of the United States intercepting a fleet of Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast. Four Russian Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by Su-35 and MiG-31 fighters jets, flew from Siberia toward Alaska where …
(2020-06-20). Russian Nurse Gets Modeling Contract After Seen Wearing Bra & Shorts Beneath See-Through PPE. sputniknews.com The nurse noted that she wasn't wearing a swimsuit, but rather a gym top and shorts, underneath her protective clothes.
(2020-06-19). Russia to assess Arctic fuel spill damage by July 1. yenisafak.com Russia's environmental watchdog will finish its assessment of the damage done by last month's fuel spill in the Arctic city of Norilsk by July 1, it said on Friday.Some 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked into rivers and subsoil on May 29 in Norilsk, home to mining giant Norilsk Nickel , in an incident that Greenpeace has compared to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.
(2020-06-19). Eight SNA soldiers martyred in YPG/PKK attack in N Syria. yenisafak.com At least eight soldiers of the Syrian National Army (SNA) were martyred in an attack carried out by the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Afrin, northwestern Syria.From Tal Rifat district, terrorists attempted to infiltrate front lines in Bassouta region in the south of Afrin province.The terrorist group continued to target Syrian National Army and civilian settlements in Afrin and Azaz provinces from Tal Rifat despite a Turkey-Russia deal that foresees their withdrawal from the region.On Oct. 9, 2019, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in order…
(2020-06-19). So It's OK to Erase Soviet Statues, but Not Western Imperialist Ones? strategic-culture.org Statues commemorating colonizers, slavers and imperialists are toppling from their pedestals on both sides of the Atlantic in the wake of mass protests over the U.S. police killing of African-American man George Floyd. The surge in anti-racist public anger has widened to target other icons seen as glorifying racism and oppression of other peoples. | In recent days, the U.S. has seen
(2020-06-19). Tipping the Nuclear Dominos. counterpunch.org 
If the Trump administration follows through on its threat to re-start 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.
(2020-06-19). Russian Deputies Introduce Bill to Un-Ban the Excellent Telegram Messaging App. anti-empire.com 
Russian Duma deputies from the minority fraction Fair Russia have conceded defeat to reality and have introduced a bill to un-ban the popular messaging service Telegram that belongs to Russian tech whizz-kid Pavel Durov. | Three deputies — Fedot Tumusov, Dmitry Ionin and Alexander Terentyev — have submitted a draft bill to the Duma to terminate the attempts to outlaw Telegram. | The company and the Kremlin clashed after the widely used service refused a request by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to hand over digital keys so the security forces could eavesdrop on conversations on the service. | Tele…
(2020-06-19). Hands off, Uncle Sam! Omsk official believes constitutional amendments will give Russia back status of Soviet era. rt.com 
If proposed changes to the constitution are adopted next week, Russians will take back control of their country from the Americans. That's according to the Governor of the Omsk region, who believes Russia is ruled by US law. | Read more | | In Alexander Burkov's opinion, the world's largest country is currently dominated by "Uncle Sam." But that could all change with the passage of the new amendments. | "Whe…
(2020-06-19). 'Destructive course': US seeks space superiority by making up threats — Russian Foreign Ministry. rt.com 
Washington's Defense Space Strategy is provoking an arms race in outer space and threatening international security while trying to blame a nonexistent Moscow threat, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has said. | "To justify the implementation of this destructive course, which provokes an arms race in outer space and destabilizes the international security situation, Washington has resorted to the usual tactics of blaming others," the MFA said in a In…
(2020-06-19). 'Adverse consequences': UK, France & Germany warn against further US sanctions on Iran, but want weapons embargo to remain. rt.com 
Britain, France and Germany have jointly warned against the US imposing further sanctions on Iran, saying it would have "adverse consequences" at UN level, though they agree an embargo on arms sales should remain in place. | "We firmly believe that any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences in the UN Security Council," their joint statement read; it was released following a meeting between the nations in Berlin. | They also said sanctions against Iran would be "incompatible" with the Iran nuclear deal, which the nations are looking to "preserve." They say th…
(2020-06-19). Foreign Troops: What Is Too Close for Comfort? ahtribune.com 
Tensions in the skies. RT presented a news story of the United States intercepting a fleet of Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast. Four Russian Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by Su-35 and MiG-31 fighters jets, flew from Siberia toward Alaska where they were shadowed by US F-22 fighters. The US and NORAD admitted that the Russian planes stayed in international airspace and did not enter American sovereign airspace. | http: //youtu.be/jmqgpkixULo | Siberia and Alaska are close. At its narrowest point the Bering Strait separates Russia and the US by only 88.5 km (55 mi), so it wouldn't take long upon leaving one coa…
(2020-06-19). Economic Ministry Forecasts Russia Won't Climb Back to Pre-Lockdown Levels Until Late 2022. anti-empire.com 
Russia's Ministry of Economy has released a fresh forecast for 2019-2022. The ministry said there will be no V-shaped recovery: after a 5% plunge in 2020, real GDP will only recover starting in mid-2022. The Ministry of Economy predicts GDP growth of 2.8% in 2021 and 3% in 2022. | The Urals price stays below the base budget price of $42, at which point the Russian budget breaks even. Urals will average $31.1 per barrel this year, rising to $35.4 in 2021 and only in 2022 will it return to the breakeven price of $42.2 when Russia Inc. goes back into profit. | That means the Ministry of Finance will rely on the Nati…
(2020-06-19). Defending History or Double Standard? strategic-culture.org 
There is no equivalence between Western imperialists, colonizers and racists and Soviet war heroes. But there is a clear double standard in how demolishing the latter statues is somehow acceptable to Western governments. Because it fits a geopolitical agenda of rewriting the history of World War II to demean Russia. | (Click the image to enlarge)…
(2020-06-19). Russia Denies that Putin Tried to Block UN Security Council Recognition of Palestine. imemc.org Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, denied that President Vladimir Putin had blocked a 2016 UN Security Council's resolution that recognizes Palestinian statehood on the 1967 border lines. Zakharov's remarks came during a press briefing on Wednesday, in which she responded to claims by an Israeli online newspaper, Israel …
(2020-06-19). EU extends sanctions on Russia: Merkel. yenisafak.com EU leaders have agreed to extend diplomatic and economic sanctions against Russia for another six months, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday. | Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, after a videoconference meeting of EU leaders, Merkel criticized Russia for not taking sufficient steps to implement the 2015 Minsk agreement, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine. | "In today's European Council meeting we decided to extend these sanctions for another six months," Merkel said. | The sanctions were first imposed in 2014 in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and were later expand…
(2020-06-19). Russia comes out of pandemic with minimal loss: Putin. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia is coming out of the coronavirus pandemic "with minimal losses".At the same time, a lot of problems related to the pandemic remain on the agenda, Putin said at a video-conference with the country's government members."The most important thing is that this situation [of pandemic] united us all, this is a fact, and it allowed us to get out of this situation with minimal losses," he said.He recalled there are some regions where the daily growth in COVID-19 cases is still high."We are now talking about positive trends and positive examples. But we must not f…
(2020-06-19). Two wanted Daesh terrorists caught in SE Turkey. yenisafak.com Two women, both Russian citizens, who were wanted by Interpol for being members of the Daesh terrorist group, were arrested in Turkey's southeast in a joint operation by Turkish security and intelligence units on Friday.After being tipped off that a group of terrorists from Syria's war zones were entering Turkey illegally, an operation was conducted in coordination with the prosecutor's office in Kilis province.In the joint operation by police and the National Intelligence Organization, two women were apprehended in the central district of Kilis.The suspects were identified by the initials S.K (29) and R.E. (33),…
(2020-06-19). Putin WWII Article in US Magazine Expected to Provoke Robust Reactions, Editor Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin's article on World War II published in a major US foreign policy magazine this week is expected to spark fresh debate and robust responses from Western audiences, the publication's editor, Jacob Heilbrunn said on Friday.
(2020-06-19). Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Urges E3 to 'State Publicly What They Admit Privately'. sputniknews.com The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a treaty covering Iran's nuclear program, included seven countries and was signed in 2015, envisaging Tehran curbing its nuclear research programs in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. However, the decision by the Trump administration to leave the agreement in 2018 put the plan at risk.
(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). 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). 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). Russian Deputy PM believes Covid-19 second wave can be avoided, Moscow denies lockdown to resume in fall. rt.com 
The dreaded second wave of coronavirus in Russia can be avoided if safety measures are observed, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who has fronted the country's response to the pandemic. | Read more | | Meanwhile, Moscow's Department of Education has firmly denied media reports that self-isolation rules will again be introduced in the capital on September 20. The department slammed such speculation as provocative and untrue. | "The depart…
(2020-06-18). Serbia will reject EU membership without some yield on Kosovo deal, Vucic says, as he meets Lavrov. rt.com 
President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday he would reject European Union membership for Serbia if it does not receive concessions in return for recognizing Kosovo and dropping attempts to stop it joining the UN. | No resolution of Serbia's future relationship with its breakaway province will be possible without Moscow's consent, Vucic said after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Belgrade, according to Reuters. | "In reply to a possible offer [to Serbia] to recognize Kosovo and that Kosovo enters the UN, and we receive nothing in return, except EU membership, our answer would be 'No,'" Vucic s…
(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 Adolf Hitler and Imperial Japan. Now, 75 years on, Vladimir Putin believes that the present global health and economic emergency requires the Second World War allies to unite once more. | In a lengthy op-ed, published in American foreign policy journal 'The National Interest' and Russian government newspaper 'Rossiyskaya Gazeta,' the Russian president discusses the reasons behind the rise of the Nazis. 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). Yeah, the Russians Have Carrier-Killing Missiles, but Can They Actually Hit the Ships? (Answer: Yes). anti-empire.com 
Anti-ship cruise missiles of operational-tactical purpose (RCC OTN) 3M55, 3M45 and 3M70 missile systems "Onyx", "Granite" and "Volcano" are rightfully considered the pride of the Russian Navy. However, there is an opinion that their outstanding flight range (500—700 km) is not provided by reliable target designation, and therefore is useless in practice. | In other words, it is generally accepted that the means of destruction available to Russia (which the media refer to only as "killer aircraft carriers") are almost meaningless in modern conditions. And all due to the fact that the Navy does not have the t…
(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). 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). 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). Moscow court sentences ex-US Marine to 16 years for espionage. wsws.org The case of Paul Whelan, which has unfolded against the background of heightened military tensions between the US and Russia and a hysterical anti-Russia campaign in the US media, is extremely murky.
(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…
(2020-06-18). Putin on WW2 Legacy, Allies, Soviet Army Contribution, History Revision Attempts. sputniknews.com World War II ended in 1945 with the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies. Pondering over the "real lessons" of the 75th Anniversary of defeating Nazism, Russian President Vladimir Putin has written an article for the US magazine National Interest.