(2020-03-11). Russia passes bill allowing Putin to stay in power past 2024. thecanary.co 
The Russian parliament has approved a sweeping constitutional reform that will allow president Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 12 years after his current term ends in 2024.The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, endorsed a set of amendments to the constitution and a provision resetting the term count for Putin. A nationwide vote on the proposed amendments is set for 22 April.Kremlin critics condemned the move as a cynical manipulation and called for protests.The Russian Duma passed amendments to the constitution (AP/Pavel Golovkin)Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer, has ruled Russia f…
(2020-03-11). Tanker rates soar as Saudi Arabia & UAE get ready to open oil taps. rt.com 
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have unveiled plans to ramp up both crude supplies and production capacity as soon as the oil deal with Russia expires. The move has sank oil prices and sent freight rates higher. | After Russia did not agree to new production cuts with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the oil cartel's leader Saudi Arabia set the course for flooding the already oversupplied oil market. On Wednesday, state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco revealed that it would boost production capacity for the first time in more than a decade to 13 million barrels per day (bpd)…
(2020-03-11). Moscow calls on Afghan political forces not to obstruct reconciliation process. rt.com 
Moscow has called on the opposing political forces of Afghanistan to focus on reaching national reconciliation, instead of taking steps that exacerbate disagreements, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. | Commenting on the two parallel presidential inauguration ceremonies that took place in Afghanistan, it urged all responsible political actors in the country "to adhere solely to common national interests." | The national reconciliation process "should lead to end of the civil war and to the rebuilding of a peaceful, united and independent state, free of terrorism and drug-related crime," the ministry s…
(2020-03-11). Only C MINUS grade: Putin rates Russia-US relations as more bad than good. rt.com 
Since first reaching the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin has dealt with four different US presidents, and is well placed to judge the status of Russo-American relations. It's hardly surprising that his evaluation is rather negative. | "[On a scale from one to five] I would give it a three," Putin said, in an interview with Russian news agency
(2020-03-11). Zoya Romanenko, survivor of the siege of Leningrad, will be glad to receive your letters. https: 
Zoya Romanenko was 16 when Russia entered World War II. She lived near Leningrad, where she survived the deadliest winter of the siege. She held her father in her hands when he died of starvation. Then her mother and grandmother passed away, too. Zoya Romanenko enrolled in the Red Cross program and later worked as a nurse in a field hospital. She was with the Red Army throughout the war and when Victory Day came, she was in Germany. | If you are moved by her story, you can write her a letter for May 9. | Please, send it to RT, 3/1 Borovaya street, Moscow 111020, Russian Federation, marked 'To Zoya Pavlovna Rom…
(2020-03-11). Russian security services detain 4 members of Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist group in Crimea — FSB. rt.com 
Russian security services have busted a cell of the Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist group in Crimea and detained four of its members, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. | Members of the terrorist cell "were engaged in unconstitutional activities in pursuit of the concept of creating a so-called worldwide caliphate, destroying the institutions of secular society and overthrowing the current government by force," the FSB said in a statement on Wednesday. | The cell reportedly held covert meetings to propagate their ideology among local Muslims and recruit them. During the searches, large amounts of banned lit…
(2020-03-11). Julian Assange's mother, doctors warn he is at heightened risk due to coronavirus. wsws.org In comments to the WSWS, Dr Stephen Frost warned that "the UK government is effectively playing Russian roulette with Julian Assange's life" and demanded that he be released from Belmarsh Prison immediately.
(2020-03-11). How Black Swans Are Shaping Planet Panic. globalresearch.ca Is the planet under the spell of a pair of black swans — a Wall Street meltdown, caused by an alleged oil war between Russia and the House of Saud, plus the uncontrolled spread of Covid-19 — leading to an …
(2020-03-11). Nukes: The Unmentionable Election Issue. counterpunch.org One of these days, national security policy will get a few minutes of campaign debate time. And when that day occurs, perhaps—just perhaps—attention will turn to a matter of some urgency: the continuing threat posed by nuclear weapons. As both the US and Russia pursue MADness (mutually assured destruction) with steep investments in nuclear weapons,
(2020-03-11). How Turkey Lost a Battle of Wills, and Force, to Russia. globalresearch.ca When the history of the Syrian conflict is written, the fighting that took place between the Syrian Army and its allies on the one side, and the Turkish military and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels on the other, from early February through …
(2020-03-11). Joe Biden Personifies Democratic Party Failures Since the Cold War. thenation.com Joe Biden Personifies Democratic Party Failures Since the Cold War…
(2020-03-11). Japanese PM Abe & Capitalist Governments Helped Escalate Coronavirus Epidemic. indybay.org The Organizing Committee of March 11 Anti-Nuclear Power Plant Fukushima Action has warned that the Coronavirus outbreak is a man made disaster which is being used by the reactionary Abe government to prevent mass testing of the population. It has also stopped testing the people of Fukushima.
(2020-03-11). Upper House of Russian Parliament Approves Bill on Constitutional Amendments. sputniknews.com Earlier in the day, the lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, approved the presidential bill on the amendment to the national constitution.
(2020-03-11). Russia Registers 2 Ceasefire Violations in Syria Over Past 24 Hours – Military. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian side of the Russian-Turkish commission monitoring the implementation of the Syrian truce has registered two ceasefire violations in Syria over the past 24 hours, while the Turkish side has recorded three breaches, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
(2020-03-11). Russian Energy Minister Believes Saudi Arabia's Oil Production Increase 'Not Best Option'. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday he believes that Saudi Arabia's plans to boost the national oil production were not "the best option" in the existing market conditions.
(2020-03-11). Russia's Zircon Hypersonic Missile to Be Test-Launched From Underwater — Reports. sputniknews.com The Zircon, a scramjet-powered maneuverable anti-ship cruise missile capable of accelerating to speeds of up to 11,100 km an hour, is one of half-a-dozen or so strategic systems being developed by Russia's military to help ensure global strategic stability.
(2020-03-11). Putin on Current Global Markets Turmoil: It Creates Not Only Problems, But Also Opportunities. sputniknews.com Monday's stock market drop was the worst correction since the 2008 financial crisis, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average seeing its largest-ever single day point drop in history, and oil futures shedding 20 percent amid jitters over coronavirus and OPEC+'s failure to reach a deal on production cuts.
(2020-03-11). Turkey working to broker permanent cease-fire in Idlib. yenisafak.com Turkey is working to extend the temporary cease-fire in Syria's opposition-held province of Idlib to a permanent one, the country's foreign minister said Wednesday."Currently, efforts are being made to make this temporary cease-fire permanent," Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in the capital Ankara.He said that Turkey is discussing with the visiting Russian military delegation ways to ensure safe movement of traffic on the strategic M4 highway in Idlib, where the two countries are set to start joint patrols.To a question on how the cease-fire is holding up, Cavusoglu said there was harassing fire two days ago but…
(2020-03-11). European Weightlifting Championship postponed to June. yenisafak.com The European Weightlifting Championships scheduled for April 13-21 was postponed to June as concerns grow about the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to an official statement on Wednesday."The European Weightlifting Federation through the full support of the Executive Board, due to the spread of the Coronavirus on the continent, has decided to postpone the European Senior Championships scheduled in Moscow, Russia 13-21 April," the International Weightlifting Federation said in a statement on Wednesday.The competition will be held in Moscow in June 13-21.As the world struggles to contain the rapidly sprea…
(2020-03-11). NATO to break off Arctic drill as coronavirus spreads. yenisafak.com Norway has decided to halt a NATO military exercise in its Arctic region in response to the coronavirus outbreak, public broadcaster NRK reported on Wednesday.Some 14,000 troops from 10 countries were gathered for NATO's Cold Response drill near the Atlantic alliance's northernmost border with Russia.
(2020-03-10). 75 years after Russia & America worked TOGETHER to defeat Hitler, Trump SNUBS Putin's Moscow celebrations invite. rt.com 
While the 'Russiagate' hoax kept millions entertained in the fantasy world of US cable news, it also had plenty of real-world consequences. Now another can be added to the list: the White House's absence from Moscow on May 9. | US President Donald Trump has rejected Vladimir Putin's invitation to the Russian capital to mark the 75th anniversary of the World War II victory over Nazi Germany, according to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov. | Trump's non-attendance, which could be seen by many in Russia as an extraordinary affront to Soviet Russia's disproportionate sacrifice in annihilating fascism, marks an incre…
(2020-03-10). The Battle for Idlib: Did Erdogan Capitulate to Putin in Moscow? mintpressnews.com 
There was a celebration in Syria when Russia announced a ceasefire agreement with Turkey on March 3 following a six-hour meeting between Presidents Erdogan and Putin in Moscow. Under the agreement, Erdogan agreed to pull back Turkish forces and not to contest territory that Syria had recently reclaimed from terrorist groups in eastern Aleppo and southern Idlib provinces. In fact, Turkey agreed not to intervene against Syrian troops in any of the areas from which it pulled back, in effect allowing Syrian forces to reclaim even more of its territory from terrorists in southern Idlib. | The agreement appeared to be…
(2020-03-10). 'Western ideologists will go crazy': Putin leaves door open to run for president again. rt.com 
Putin's speech to the Russian parliament Tuesday seemed to be one of his most sincere: he argued that stable leadership is good for a country in turbulent times but does it mean we'll really see him in power beyond 2024. | Putin said Tuesday that he will seek a new term when his current one is up "only if it's approved by the Constitutional Court and if citizens support such a proposal" when they vote for constitutional amendments on April 22. | He addressed the issue during a speech in parliament after MP and the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, called for his tenure to be reset so that he would be…
(2020-03-10). Contaminated water at nuclear plant still an issue ahead of Tokyo Olympics. thecanary.co 
Work to deal with contaminated water at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant continues as the Olympic Games approach.Inside a giant decontamination facility at the destroyed plant, workers in hazmat suits monitor radioactive water pumped from three damaged reactors.The decontamination process is a key element of a contentious debate over what should be done with the nearly 1.2 million tons of still-radioactive water being closely watched by governments and organisations around the world ahead of this summer's Tokyo Olympics.The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or Tepco, says it needs to free up sp…
(2020-03-10). Saudi Arabia's Oil Price War Could Very Easily Backfire. globalresearch.ca Russia's rejection of its OPEC+ partners' request to further reduce oil production in response to slumping demand prompted Saudi Arabia to unwisely initiate an oil price war over the weekend as revenge, one which the Gulf country is ill-equipped to …
(2020-03-10). Russia's Rejection of OPEC+ Was the Result of Cold Geostrategic Calculations. globalresearch.ca Russia rejected its OPEC+ partners' request late last week to further curtail its oil production next month because it understood that doing so would make its American shale rivals more competitive, which would in turn empower the US to continue …
(2020-03-10). 1983 CIA Document Reveals Plan to Destroy Syria, Foreshadows Current Crisis. globalresearch.ca As the Syrian crisis enters its ninth year, the Donald Trump administration is looking more and more like the Obama administration every day. With the Trump regime refusing to open useful dialogue with Russia regarding Syria, it's obvious anti-Iran and …
(2020-03-10). Russia: Lower House Approves 169 Constitutional Amendments. telesurenglish.net Russia's Lower House of the Federal Assembly Tuesday unanimously approved 169 amendments to the Constitution, which were proposed by RELATED: | During the debate, Alexander Karenlin, a lawmaker of the ruling party United Russia (UR), proposed advancin…
(2020-03-10). Why nuclear power must remain outlawed in Australia. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-03-10). Russia Provoked Oil Price Fall to Protect its Markets from US Frackers, which could Collapse. iranian.com Last weekend, OPEC Plus, an expanded cartel of petroleum exporters, considered a plan for members to cut back on their oil production so as to support prices in the face of a slowing world economy owing to the novel coronavirus. The Russian Federation rejected the plan put forward by OPEC, insisting on continuing to export …
(2020-03-09). Daily Beast's Russian TV watcher says RT spreads 'conspiracy theories' about Biden, fails to mention any. rt.com 
The Atlantic Council's Julia Davis has accused RT of promoting conspiracy theories about Democrat frontrunner Joe Biden. If only she could mention at least one… | Davis, a "Russian media monitor" for the Atlantic Council, has been giving Daily Beast readers weekly updates about what Russians think about the American election. (In short, Russians like Trump, and like Bernie because Bernie can't beat Trump, and hate Biden because Trump can't possibly beat Biden.) | Her pieces are mostly about what Russian TV tells Russians, but the latest installment had a few words reserved for RT, which, "actively promotes c…
(2020-03-09). Trump says crashing markets good for consumers, blames Russia, Saudi Arabia and Fake News. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump can't seem to decide whether a sudden, massive drop in oil prices is good or bad for the country, so he's hedged his bets on Twitter, suggesting it's "Good for the consumer" but bad for markets. | Blaming the "market drop" on "Saudi Arabia and Russia…arguing over the price and flow of oil" in a Monday morning tweet, the president whipsawed around and – within the same minute! – bragged that the resulting chaos was "good for the consumer," because gas prices would go down. | Saudi Arabia and Russia are arguing over the price and flow of oil. That, and the Fake News, is the reason for…
(2020-03-09). Chernobyl to Katrina: Pundits scramble to compare Trump's handling of coronavirus to previous catastrophes. rt.com 
Media are comparing US President Donald Trump's (mis)handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic to high-profile historical disasters, from the Chernobyl nuclear accident to Hurricane Katrina…and even the fall of Rome. | Pundits eager to see the end of Trump have rushed to compare what they view as his failure to properly deal with the coronavirus outbreak to legendary disasters from recent and ancient history, regardless of how well those disasters reflect current events. | The president himself retweeted a meme that was quickly interpreted as comparing himself to Emperor Nero, who supposedly fiddled whil…
(2020-03-09). Fire and Brimstone at the O.K. Corral, known today as the Democratic Party. dissidentvoice.org Yes, Putin's hackers would love to see Trump reelected. And it's also true that unknown to us there may be a new Giuliani-led team of huckster guerrillas sealing dirty deals behind the scenes in order to bring the Democratic Party (DP) down. But no matter how true these things are, responsibility for the party's current …
(2020-03-09). Atomic agency cites concerns over Iran testing sites, offers COVID-19 assistance. news.un.org Iran's nuclear capabilities moved back into the international spotlight on Monday as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that it had concerns about possible "undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities" in unregistered locations there.
(2020-03-07). A "win-win" over Afghanistan and Syria. iranian.com Two peace agreements within a week are a bit too much. Hot on the heels of the US-Taliban peace agreement signed in Doha on February 9, Russia and Turkey have signed a peace agreement over the Syrian conflict in Moscow on March 6. On the face of it, the two are unconnected events but they …
(2020-03-07). Nuclear Programs, Negotiations, and Naivety — Podcast Episode 12. iranian.com Episode Description: This week, Reza breaks down why advocates of abandoning the Iran nuclear deal now own the consequences, how America can help shape a peace deal in Afghanistan while still withdrawing its troops, and why Trump's effort to push China out of regional integration in Asia won't work. Siamak Naficy, Senior Lecturer at the Naval …
(2020-03-06). The New Idlib Ceasefire Forces Turkey-Backed Extremists to Fall Back. mintpressnews.com 
Putin and Erdogan met in Moscow in a last-ditch effort to strike a deal over the escalating violence in Idlib, Syria. Steven Sahiounie weighs in on who prevailed and what likely comes next.
(2020-03-06). Headlines for March 6, 2020. democracynow.org 3,500 Cruise Ship Passengers Quarantined Off California Coast over Coronavirus Fears, Seattle Area Residents Urged to Work from Home as Coronavirus Spreads Across U.S., World Health Organization's Coronavirus Warning: "This Is Not a Drill", Stocks Tumble as Coronavirus Rattles Global Economy, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Suspends 2020 Presidential Bid, Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally Disrupted by Protester with Nazi Flag, Russia and Turkey Agree to a Ceasefire in Syria's War-Torn Idlib, Israel Accused of Collective Punishment After Demolishing Palestinian Homes, Israeli Opposition Parties Bidding to Unseat Netanyahu After…
(2020-03-05). Nuclear non-proliferation treaty an essential pillar for peace and security. news.un.org Countries meeting in New York next month to review progress on nuclear non-proliferation are being urged by the UN Secretary-General to use the opportunity to strengthen global peace and security.
(2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."
(2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
(2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.
(2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."
(2019-12-22). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
(2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …