Новости за 07.05.2019

A special Russian TV report on N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit to the Russian city of Vladivostok and planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I haven't posted on this specific subject for some time and, given the upcoming midterm elections and the meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States, I thought it was time to revisit one of the most powerful groups in the United States, the defence industry.  Thanks to Open Secrets, we have ready access to how much the defence sector has contributed to politicians and how much it spends on lobbying.  This is particularly pertinent given the hundreds of billions of dollars that... Читать дальше...

The author is a well-known academic historian of Russia and Ukraine, which he approaches from a Christian (Russian Orthodox) and nationalist perspective. He also writes widely on current affairs. Rare for contemporary Western historians of Russia, he sources original materials in Russian, pulling back the veil on much misunderstanding, ranging from modern history back to Russia’s very beginnings in the Middle Ages.

The faultline between Turkey and the Gulf States – with the US and Israel standing in the wings – has just become quite acute. The pressures on Erdogan are mounting. He is a street-fighter and likely to react with his fists. Iran – like Turkey – is subject to an all-out ‘Treasury blitz’. It too, is likely, in one way or another, to push-back against those seen to have been egging-on President Trump and his hawks, in their new belligerency.

The faultline between Turkey and the Gulf States – with the US and Israel standing in the wings – has just become quite acute. The pressures on Erdogan are mounting. He is a street-fighter and likely to react with his fists. Iran – like Turkey – is subject to an all-out ‘Treasury blitz’. It too, is likely, in one way or another, to push-back against those seen to have been egging-on President Trump and his hawks, in their new belligerency.

Russian president Vladimir Putin: The Foreign Ministry has already given a comment on Maria Butina’s 18-month sentence. I think the Ministry has made it clear that this is total lawlessness. That is what it is. I think this is a case of keeping up appearances or struggling to save face. There was nothing to indict her for.

As school children my friends and I were very interested in archeology and ancient civilizations. We read all the available books. My best friend intended to become an archeologist and to explore ancient ruins about which we imagined more than we actually knew.  

Alexey Komov is prominent Russian Christian social activist who has been a ceaseless advocate of Russian and American Christians working together on their many shared beliefs on social issues. He has been instrumental in starting a large Christian TV channel in Russia (Tsargrad).

The American foreign policy Blob’s latest worry is that Venezuela’s radical leftist government is reaching out to the Middle East for support against growing pressure from Washington.

China is spearheading the 'one belt, one road' initiative to boost trade across Eurasia. The initiative will boost infrastructure development from the South China Sea to Italy, from Moscow to Kenya. Notably absent are the US and the EU, who will take a big hit the more goods are transported along the 'New Silk Road.'

Hedges is one of the best observers on this. Worth watching this one: