(2020-01-22). 'Without it we will die': Denied expensive medication for 3yrs, Russian family fights (and wins) against rare genetic disease. rt.com 
Diagnosed with a genetic disease that slowly eats away vital organs, and brushed aside by health bureaucrats, a family in Nizhny Novgorod have fought to obtain a crucial but expensive drug — a battle they are now winning. | As millions of children across Russia prepared to open their Christmas presents, 12-year-old Ivan Lobanov, a resident of a small hamlet near Nizhny Novgorod, turned the camera on and began to speak, his voice calm and lips stiff. | "I have a serious disease, the Fabry disease. I inherited it," the pale, intelligent-looking boy is heard to say in the video. "My mother is sick, my cousi…
(2020-01-22). The thin line between fashion & bad taste: Most bizarre figure skating costumes of all time (PHOTOS, VIDEO). rt.com 
With the great variety of programs staged in figure skating, athletes' scrupulously chosen outfits are an inseparable part of the image they try to portray on the ice. But sometimes their fashion choices leave fans astonished. | RT Sport recalls the most bizarre figure skating outfits which either spiced up or completely ruined their programs, making them literally unforgettable in every sense. | OKSANA DOMNINA AND MAXIM SHABALIN: ABORIGINAL COSTUMES | Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin were one of the most remarkable ice-dancing duets of Russia, with memorable routines and perfectly matched music being their f…
(2020-01-22). New Russian government: Lavrov & Shoigu remain, but PM Mishustin appoints many fresh faces. rt.com 
Russia's new Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has announced his first cabinet. It doesn't amount to a radical overhaul, but there are new, and younger, appointees and some well-known ministers have been replaced. | Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Shoigu held on to their "big beast" positions, which suggests foreign and defense policy won't change much. The cabinet retained 12 people from the outgoing one and replaced nine positions, bringing down the average age of ministers down to 50 years. Here are the new faces of Mishustin's cabinet. | First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov (replaces Anton Siluanov) A Musco…
(2020-01-22). Polish PM 'killed own humanity' with propagandist op-ed accusing Moscow of 'Holocaust revisionism' — Zakharova. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova fired off a caustic rebuttal to Poland's prime minister after he penned an op-ed accusing Moscow of overstating its role in defeating the Nazis during World War II. | In his column, published by Politico on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki claimed that far from a "liberator" of Poland, the Soviet Union was a "facilitator" of the Nazi regime, despite sacrificing tens of millions of citizens in the war to topple fascism. | "The Soviet Union did not 'liberate' Warsaw, as Russian authorities are now claiming," Morawiecki wrote, also arguing that…
(2020-01-22). 'Obvious malicious intent': Tulsi Gabbard hits Clinton with defamation suit over 'Russian asset' smear. rt.com 
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is suing two-time White House runner-up Hillary Clinton over her claim that Gabbard was a "Russian asset," alleging that the lie hurt not just her campaign but the entire election. | Clinton "lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard… publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent" when she claimed Gabbard was "the favorite of the Russians," the campaign alleges in the
(2020-01-22). Busting Cold War propaganda: what China is really like. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Danny Haiphong, a contributing editor at the Black Agenda Report, about his recent,…
(2020-01-22). Video: Dozens Army Troops Killed, Injured in Idlib Clashes. globalresearch.ca 46 Syrian service members have been killed and 77 were wounded in recent clashes with radical militants in Greater Idlib in the period from January 16 to January 19, the Russian Reconciliation Center reported. According to the report, 57 civilians …
(2020-01-22). Tulsi Gabbard Files Defamation Suit Against Hillary Clinton. truthdig.com NEW YORK — Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard filed a defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton on Wednesday over an interview in which Clinton appeared to call Gabbard "the favorite of the Russians." | Gabbard, a Hawaii congresswoman, said in her lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan that Clinton's comments in a podcast last year in which she suggested that Gabbard was being groomed by Russia to be a third-party candidate were based on either her own imagination or "extremely dubious conspiracy theories" that any reasonable person would know to be "inherently and objectively unreliable.
(2020-01-22). Washington Desperation Drives Nuclear Proliferation. globalresearch.ca A cornered animal is a dangerous animal. For the elite in Washington, with the terminal decline of their "American Century" and the global empire it built during it, they find themselves in a most unaccommodating corner and thus have become …
(2020-01-22). Terence Hallinan: Fighter for the People and for the Legalization of Marijuana. counterpunch.org Terence Hallinan is dead at 83, but his spirit goes marching on in San Francisco and way beyond the city where he practiced law and served as district attorney for seven years. As the son of Reds during the Cold War and McCarthy years, I felt a natural affinity with Terence and also a sense
(2020-01-22). Dmitry Samarov Returns With His New Book Soviet Stamps. indybay.org The Green Arcade | 1680 Market Street | San Francisco, CA 94102…
(2020-01-21). Washington urges China to join nuclear arms talks with Russia. rt.com 
The US urged China on Tuesday to join trilateral nuclear arms talks with Moscow. President Donald Trump said last year he had discussed a new accord on limiting nuclear arms with Russian President Vladimir Putin and hoped to extend that to China in what would be a major deal between the globe's top three atomic powers, Reuters said. | China has so far refused to take part. "We think, given the fact that China's nuclear stockpile is estimated to double over the next ten years, now is the time to have that trilateral discussion," said Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador. He was speaking with reporters on the…
(2020-01-21). North Korea won't be bound by old commitments if US continues 'most brutal and inhuman sanctions' — senior diplomat. rt.com 
A North Korean envoy in Geneva has warned that denuclearization is impossible if the US maintains its "hostile policies," pushing Pyongyang to seek a "new path" from the stalled bilateral talks. | "We found no reason to be unilaterally bound any longer by the commitment that the other party fails to honor," Ju Yong-chol, a counsellor at Pyongyang's mission in Geneva, said at the UN-backed disarmament conference on Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters. | The diplomat blasted the US for making "unilateral demands" and continuing the "most brutal and inhuman sanctions." | If the US persists in such hostile policy toward…
(2020-01-21). 'When he punched me, my nose exploded': Woman says attack by Sergey Kovalev left her needing a plate and four screws in her neck. rt.com 
A woman has accused Russian boxing superstar Sergey Kovalev of punching her, saying she needed a metal plate and four screws to be inserted into her neck to repair the damage. | Jamie Frontz told U.S. gossip outlet TMZ Sports that Kovalev had struck her after she rejected his advances following an initial meeting at the opening of a boxing gym in California in 2018. | According to Frontz, the pair were making out on the couch when she felt him become aggressive, so she pulled back. | Her dog, sensing a problem, jumped between the pair to protect her, and Kovalev pushed it to the floor, then kicked it in the ch…
(2020-01-21). BRICS open to new member states joining the club, says Russia's deputy FM. rt.com 
The BRICS group of emerging economies, which is comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is open to welcoming new member countries, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. | Russia is focused on activities on the BRICS+ platform, which "makes it possible for interested countries to find ways to cooperate with the group's members," said Ryabkov, adding: "This is why it is possible to talk about the expansion of BRICS as a goal for the future." | According to Ryabkov, the Russian Sherpa in the five-nation trade bloc, "BRICS' existence is important in terms of creating new…
(2020-01-21). Climate Activists Sound Alarm on Mediterranean Natural Gas Pipelines. therealnews.com 
Activists say the environmental risks of natural gas drilling are being ignored in the rush to challenge Russia's control of the European energy market.
(2020-01-21). 'Russian spies' in Davos: A scandal or clickbait-chasing nothingburger? rt.com 
What better way to spice up a snoozy meeting of world elite at a posh Swiss resort than a story of Russian spies? And if details show it's old with nothing to it, that hasn't stopped conspiracy-mongers and attention hungry media.
(2020-01-21). US dollar collapse will happen this year, gold fund manager tells RT's Keiser Report. rt.com 
Central banks have been buying massive amounts of gold over the last 50 years, purchasing a historic high of 374.1 tons in 2019. The unprecedented shift has been seen by many as a move away from the US dollar. | The interesting thing, according to Egon von Greyerz of Russia and…
(2020-01-21). Defense, Foreign and Finance ministers retain their positions in new Russian government. rt.com 
President Vladimir Putin has approved a new Russian government after the surprise resignation of the previous cabinet last week. While there was a significant reshuffle, the defense, foreign and finance ministers kept their posts. | "The new government is a well-balanced one, although it went through a major reshuffle," Putin said during a meeting with the new cabinet. | Both Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Shoigu are political heavyweights and among the most trusted political figures in Russia, trailing only behind President Putin himself when it comes to popularity with the public. Anton Siluanov has been Russia's…
(2020-01-21). Iran Will be Changed Forever by Admitting Its Great Mistake, Unlike the West Which Ignores Its Own Misdeeds. counterpunch.org 
"In wartime," Churchill famously told Stalin, "truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." He said this on 30 November 1943 — by chance his 69th birthday — in an effort to impress upon the Soviet leader the importance of deception in the planning of D-Day. In fact,
(2020-01-21). Libyan Peace Talks and Russian Diplomacy 101. globalresearch.ca Libya stands at a precarious watershed between a peaceful political settlement — or further civil war. But at least the two main warring factions this week entered into a process of dialogue when they attended a summit in Moscow hosted …
(2020-01-21). The US and Iran's Perpetual Almost-War is Unsustainable. zcomm.org The US maximalist demands on Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missiles and regional influence effectively mean that it wants regime change or capitulation…
(2020-01-21). Iran: The EU-three Trigger Dispute Mechanism in Iran Nuclear Deal. dissidentvoice.org Why, after so many assurances to the contrary, have the three European Iran's Nuclear Deal Partner's — Germany, France, the UK — decided to go after Iran, to follow the US dictate again? The short answer is because they're cowards. They have zero backbone to stand up against the US hegemony, because they are afraid …
(2020-01-21). Iran threatens to leave nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. peoplesdispatch.org The announcement comes after the UK, France and Germany proposed the invocation of the dispute settlement mechanism in the UNSC – a move that Iran alleges is based on US diktats…
(2020-01-21). US Complains About Iran's Threat to Quit Nuclear Deal. telesurenglish.net "We think that Iran needs to end its malign behavior and sit down with the United States and negotiate an agreement that deals not only with the nuclear issue but also with the other issues that concern us like the ballistic missile proliferation and development and the malign activities around the world."
(2020-01-21). Russian Scientists Propose Manned Base on Martian Moon to Control Robots Remotely on Red Planet. sputniknews.com Academics believe a Martian moon base would be considerably cheaper to build than a base on the planet itself, while providing for the real-time control of robots stationed on Mars' surface.
(2020-01-21). Putin Begins the Transition of His Own Power. thenation.com Putin Begins the Transition of His Own Power…
(2020-01-21). A Challenger Appears? Angelina Jolie's Lookalike From Russia Steals the Spotlight Online. sputniknews.com While some social media users praise the Russian beauty's stunning good looks and marvel at her resemblance to the Hollywood celebrity Angelina Jolie, there are also those who claim that her appearance is merely a product of plastic surgery.
(2020-01-21). A Post-Brexit Britain Will Necessarily be Aggressive. globalresearch.ca On January 19th, following his brief meeting with Vladimir Putin at the Libyan peace conference in Berlin, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's press office released the following statement: | "The Prime Minister said there will be no normalization of our …
(2020-01-21). Syrian Regime uses evacuation as means of seizing Idlib. yenisafak.com The head of Syria's White Helmets (Civil Defense) Tuesday said the Syrian regime sought to capture opposition-controlled northwestern Idlib city of Syria through forced evacuations.In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Raed al-Saleh commented on the Bashar al-Assad regime and its allies' aggression on the city and violation of cease-fire agreements."The cease-fire in Idlib seems to be collapsed, it was relatively better. Those who migrated would return home, but the regime and Russia did not abide by the cease-fire same as before," Saleh said."The regime attempts to seize Idlib through evacuation," he sa…
(2020-01-21). 50 civilians killed in Syria's Idlib since Jan. 12. yenisafak.com Dozens of civilians have lost their lives in Syria's Idlib and tens of thousands of others have been displaced since Jan. 12, as the regime forces and its allies continued to violate cease-fire.According to data obtained from the country's Response Coordination Group, the Assad regime has conducted 89 airstrikes while Russian jets hit the city for 232 times during this period.The airstrikes have claimed lives of 50 civilians, including 13 children, three women and a civil defense employee.Notably, Syrians weary of airstrikes were forced to flee their homes; some 31,500 people have migrated to zones cleared of ter…
(2020-01-21). Russia lauds 'constructive' Putin, Johnson meeting. yenisafak.com The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the Berlin Conference on Libya was "brief but constructive", a Russian official said on Tuesday.The character of the contacts was different from what the U.K. premier office announced following the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in the capital Moscow."In general, the contact was brief, but at the same time, let's say, quite constructive, with elements of a conciliatory attitude. Apparently, the spirit of the contact is clearly different from the crux of the Downing Street message…
(2020-01-21). #VictoryPages: Young Russian designers create 'Endless Letter' using Instagram Stories. rt.com 
RT's historical tribute to the 75-year anniversary of victory over fascism, #VictoryPages, launches 'Endless Letter' on Instagram. Starting this January the project will run until May. | The Instagram account "Today we live, but tomorrow or in an hour, a minute you are gone," "Mom! Don't make a mistake, don't join the army, stay at home," "The city is destroyed… Sorry for Rostov" — simple and sincere words of…
(2020-01-21). Russian military engineers celebrate 319th anniversary of foundation with impressive drill (VIDEO). rt.com 
Russia's Defense Ministry has marked the 319th anniversary of the creation of one of its most technologically advanced military branches by showcasing military engineers storming an enemy hideout in an impressive drill. | A video published by the Defense Ministry on social media shows a Russian military engineers' strike team clad in state-of-the-art combined armor protective suits storming a simulated militants' mine workshop under the cover of armored personnel carriers. | The soldiers' multilayer composite armor consisting of metallic, plastic and ceramic plates covering the whole body allows them to sur…
(2020-01-20). Iran Warns of Quitting Global Nuclear Treaty If Case Goes to UN. telesurenglish.net Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Monday that Iran could leave the global nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Britain, France, and Germany pursue their "unjustifiable behavior" and send the country's nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council. | RELATED: | "If the Europeans continue their improper behavior or send Iran's file to the Security Council, we will withdraw from the NPT," Iranian news agencies quoted Zarif sa…
(2020-01-20). Moscow Hopes Iran Won't Quit Global Nuclear Pact. telesurenglish.net Moscow hopes that Iran will not withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying Monday. | "We warn the Iranian side against reckless steps in terms of maintaining the obligations of the Islamic Republic under the NPT," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying. | RELATED: | "We talk about this openly and consider t…
(2020-01-20). Russian Duma approves new prime minister. wsws.org Putin and sections of the Russian oligarchy regard Mishustin as better equipped than former Prime Minister Medvedev to carry out major attacks on the working class and to facilitate a closing of ranks in the ruling class.
(2020-01-20). MSNBC's Joy Ann Reid Invites Quack Body Language Expert on to Trash Sanders. mintpressnews.com MSNBC's Joy Ann Reid has a history of strongly racist and homophobic remarks. She was one of the chief proponents of the RussiaGate narrative and history of anti-Muslim and homophobic comments.
(2020-01-20). Best Enemies Forever: The Iran-U.S. Kabuki Show. counterpunch.org The recent conflict between the U.S. and Iranian regimes brings to mind that hilariously famous scene from Stanley Kubrick's classic, Dr. Strangelove, with the U.S. president calling the Soviet leader to warn him about a foolish mistake that had led to a hydrogen bomb heading their way from an American base. The President is amiable,
(2020-01-19). SpaceX simulated failure test: Elon Musk checks if Crew Dragon astronauts are as safe as Soyuz crews (VIDEO). rt.com 
SpaceX has simulated a rocket failure to find out if its abort system designed to save astronauts' lives in case of an accident could match that of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft's — which saved a Russian-American ISS crew in 2018. | On Sunday, SpaceX conducted an in-flight abort test — a necessary prerequisite for it to be eventually certified to fly American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The company launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets with a Crew Dragon spacecraft on top of it from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to see if the vehicle — and its crew — would survive a poten…
(2020-01-19). What's happening in Russia: Putin's proposed constitutional changes explained. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Moscow-based international affairs analyst Mark Sleboda about Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent decision…
(2020-01-19). UK, France Reiterate Commitment to Maintain Iran Nuclear Deal. telesurenglish.net British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed Sunday their commitment to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and conceded a long-term framework was needed, Johnson's office said. | RELATED: | "On Iran, the leaders reiterated their commitment to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and also acknowledged the need to define a long-term framework to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapo…
(2020-01-17). Turkey Cuts Deal with Russia, Intensifying the War for Gas in Libya. therealnews.com 
Turkey sent Syrian fighters to Libya to back the government and keep its control of offshore natural gas reserves. Egypt, Russia, ExxonMobil, Israel, and Greece are expanding Libya's civil war in a fight over control of the natural gas that Europe needs.
(2020-01-17). DOJ investigating Comey over role in classified leaks during Clinton email drama — report. rt.com 
The US Department of Justice has opened a probe into whether former FBI director James Comey leaked details about classified intelligence to reporters covering the Hillary Clinton email server scandal. | Led by federal prosecutors, the inquiry is focused on two 2017 news stories for which Comey is suspected to have been a source, divulging the contents of a classified intelligence document, according to a New York Times report on Thursday. | The pair of stories, published in the Times and the Washington Post in 2017, cited an alleged Russian intelligence document obtained by Dutch security services, which earl…
(2020-01-17). The Rumbling ESAS Methane Enigma. dissidentvoice.org The northern continental shelves of Russia, inclusive of the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea (ESAS) are some of the least researched yet most controversial subjects in climate science today. It's the one region that has the biggest potential to trigger runaway global warming because of sizeable subsea methane deposits, thereby …
(2020-01-16). Putin Proposes Sweeping Changes to Russian Constitution, Possibly Prolonging His Grip on Power. democracynow.org 
In Russia, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev resigned Wednesday along with his entire Cabinet in a move that surprised many in Moscow and abroad. The move came as Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes to expand the power of the parliament and the State Council while weakening the presidency. Critics of Putin say the proposals could help him keep power after his final presidential term ends in 2024. The Russian parliament is expected to vote today to confirm Putin's pick for new prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, a bureaucrat who runs Russia's tax service. The Russian newspaper Kom…
(2020-01-16). Prospects for Peace in the Ukraine Conflict. progressive.org The war started as a land grab, with Russia taking advantage of disarray in the Ukrainian state and armed forces in the weeks following the Euromaidan revolution.
(2020-01-16). Russia: A Groundbreaking Powershift? dissidentvoice.org In groundbreaking news President Putin announced today, 15 January, in his annual address to the Nation, major changes in his government. First, he announced that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his entire cabinet resigned and will eventually be replaced by a new PM and a new cabinet. A timeline was not given. In the meantime, …
(2020-01-16). Headlines for January 16, 2020. democracynow.org House Lawmakers Deliver Articles of Impeachment to Senate, Ex-Giuliani Associate Says Trump Knew of Ukraine Pressure Campaign, U.S. Troops Resume Iraq Operations Despite Parliament's Expulsion Order, Afghan Reconstruction Watchdog Tells Congress of U.S. "Mendacity" and "Lies", Trump Signs "Phase 1" Agreement with China, Easing Trade War, Russian Government Resigns as Vladimir Putin Seeks to Retain Power Beyond 2024, At Least 21 Killed in Idlib Amid Syrian, Russian Airstrikes, Court Blocks Trump Order Allowing Local Leaders to Refuse Refugees, ACLU Sues to End Trump's Policy of Sending Asylum Seekers to Guatemala,…
(2020-01-15). Iran's Rouhani Demands US, EU Troops Leave the Middle East or Face "Danger" theantimedia.com (ZH) — A day after European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal took took the drastic step of triggering the agreement's dispute resolution mechanism regulating conformity to the deal by formally notifying the EU Iran is in breach, seen as the harshest measure taken thus far given it means EU sanctions are possible, President Hassan Rouhani has responded with …