"Ah non credea mirarti... Ah non giunge" - La Sonnambula: "EU 'Sleepwalked' Into Crisis With Russia..."




Uploaded on Sep 16, 2007
TRIBUTE TO MARIA CALLAS

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of her death, I made a slideshow with some of her most beautiful photos accompanied by her haunting interpretation of Amina's Mad Scene:

"Ah non credea mirarti... Ah non giunge"

1957
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Translation into English by Elise Curran (added 1998-10-04)

Ah! non credea mirarti, Amina's aria from La Sonnambula

Ah,non credea mirarti           Oh, I didn't believe to see you
si presto estinto, o fiore;           so quickly extinct, o flowers;
passasti al par d'amore,            you have passed away like love
che un giorno sol(o) duro.           that one day only lasted.

Potria novel vigore               Perhaps new life
il pianto mio recarti        my tears will bring to you
ma ravvivar l'amore              but to revive love
il pianto mio, ah no, non puo.      my tears, o no, cannot.

Ah, non giunge uman pensiero     O, inconceivable human thought
al contento ond'io son piena:       a wave of contentment I am full:
a miei sensi io credo appena;       In my feelings I can hardly believe
tu m'affida o mio tesor.             you assure me, o my treasure(darling).

Ah, mi abbraccia, e sempre insieme,    O, embrace me, and always together,
sempre uniti in una speme,           always united in a single hope,
della terra, in cui viviamo          of the world, we live in
ci formiamo un ciel d'amor.         we will make a heaven of love.

Translation by Elise Curran (RossiniSop@aol.com)


Report: EU 'Sleepwalked' Into Crisis With Russia 

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A new report says the European Union “sleepwalked” into the current crisis in Ukraine, because of “catastrophic misreading” of the mood in Russia. 

Ukraine Live Day 368: Kiev Reports Attacks, Russian Convoys, Recon Flights Near Mariupol 

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Yesterday’s live coverage of the Ukraine conflict can be found here. An archive of our liveblogs can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast.
Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making a donation towards our costs.

For links to individual updates click on the timestamps.
For the latest summary of evidence surrounding the shooting down of flight MH17 see our separate article:Evidence Review: Who Shot Down MH17?

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Russia tensions could trigger all-out war: Britain's top NATO commander warns ... - Daily Mail

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Daily Mail



Russia tensions could trigger all-out war: Britain's top NATO commander warns ...
Daily Mail
Britain's top Nato commander today warned that current tensions with Russia represent an 'existential threat to our whole being' and could escalate into all out war. During a speech in London, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, said that Russian President ...
NATO, not Russia, threatens Baltics: MoscowPress TV
Russia's shadow war testing NATO's patience and readinessToronto Star 

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Redefining Russia: Putin’s Agenda 

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Does Vladimir Putin have an ideology? And if so, what does it tell us about his goals for Russia? Whatever Putin’s agenda or the ideas that drive it, Russian aggression in Ukraine has stirred up tensions not seen since the Cold War in ways that are redefining Russia and its relations with its neighbors and the world. Veteran journalist turned scholar, Jill Dougherty, returned from a recent trip to Russia and provides insights into the developing situation. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

Phone Chipmaker Gemalto Probes Hacking Report

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Gemalto said on Friday it was investigating a report U.S. and British spies had hacked its systems to steal the privacy-protecting encryption keys in the chips it makes for mobile phones. Citing documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, the report said the hack allowed the agencies to monitor a large portion of voice and data mobile communications around the world without permission from governments and telecom companies. Gemalto's shares sank as much as 10 percent in huge volumes in early trading after the news website Intercept reported the hack by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). "We take this publication very seriously and will devote all resources necessary to fully investigate and understand the scope of such sophisticated techniques," the company said in a statement. The hack by the National Security Agency (NSA) and UK's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) allowed the agencies to monitor a large portion of voice and data mobile communications around the world without permission from governments and telecom companies, according to the report. The breach was detailed in a secret 2010 GCHQ document, Intercept said. Franco-Dutch company Gemalto makes smart chips for mobile phones, bank cards and biometric passports and counts Verizon, AT&T Inc and Vodafone among its 450 wireless network provider customers around the world. "If these attacks were to be confirmed and did allow access to various communications, it would be very damaging for Gemalto's reputation," a Paris-based trader said. Gemalto officials declined further comment on Friday but in an emailed statement earlier a spokeswoman said: "From what we gathered at this moment, the target was not Gemalto, per se – it was an attempt to try and cast the widest net possible to reach as many mobile phones as possible." A spokesperson for Britain's GCHQ said the agency did not comment on intelligence matters. NSA could not be immediately reached for comment. Published by First Look Media, Intercept was founded by U.S. documentary maker Laura Poitras, investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill and Glenn Greenwald, who made headlines with his reporting on U.S. electronic surveillance programs.

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Putin Aide Linked to Maidan Killings 

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Staunton, February 20 – In the classic film about Watergate, All the President’s Men, Deep Throat warns that in unmasking a conspiracy, it is important not to go too fast but rather to build from the outer rings into the center. Otherwise, the conspirators will feel protected, and the possibility that anything will be done to those really responsible is diminished.
And while it is just as obvious now to those with eyes to see that Vladimir Putin has orchestrated the attack on Ukraine and Ukrainians as it was that Richard Nixon organized the break-in and cover-up, it is important to build the case against the Kremlin leader in the same way as it was built against the disgraced American president.
That is now happening.
Valentin Nalivaychenko, the head of the Ukrainian intelligence service, said last night that his officers had statements from those suspected of shooting Ukrainian demonstrators during the Maidan were being directed by Vladislav Surkov, Putin’s closest aide. (See here and here.)
In addition, Dmitry Muratov, the editor of Novaya Gazetasaid on Ekho Moskvy that his paper now has in its possession a document which confirmed that “the plan of war in Ukraine was developed in the administration of the president of Russia,” that is, by Putin’s entourage.
The “document shows, Muratov said, that this plan was developed in the Kremlin between February 4 and February 15 of last year, that is before Viktor Yanukovych fled from Kyiv. And it specifies that Russia must intervene in Ukraine lest it lose control of gas pipelines and a major market.
The Kremlin document specifies that Moscow should exploit “the centrifugal strivings of various regions” of Ukraine “with the goal of initiating in one form or another the unification of its eastern regions to Russia.” First among these, the document says, according to Muratov, should be Crimea and Kharkiv.
And the Kremlin plan also outlines Russia’s diplomatic strategy. Moscow must insist on talks to “resolve the crisis,” even though it will have been the source of the problem. Moscow must “demand federalization or even confederalization” of Ukraine to block pro-Western groups in that country.
Then, the document says, Crimea and other portions of southeastern Ukraine must then be integrated into the Moscow-dominated customs union and the last step must be their “unification” with Russia, because Russia, its diplomats will argue, “is the only guarantor of economic development and social stability.”
At the very least, these developments in the latest “case” should become the occasion for a dramatic expansion in the list of Russian officials who should be prevented from travelling to Western countries. But more than that, it should be the end of those who try to present Putin as an innocent as far as Ukraine is concerned.
As the Watergate case showed 40 years ago, Putin will still have his defenders much as Nixon did his. But the noose is tightening, and it is long past time to recognize that Putin is guilty as charged whatever his supporters say and that like Nixon he must be stopped before he does any more damage.
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Memo issued to Madrid metro staff warns ticket inspectors to keep an eye on 'homosexuals'

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An investigation has been launched by the Madrid metro after an internal memo ordered ticket inspectors to keep an eye out for suspect groups including “gays, musicians and beggars”.
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Chip Maker to Investigate Claims of Hacking by N.S.A. and British Spy Agencies 

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The American and British intelligence agencies were said to have stolen the encryption codes to chips manufactured by Gemalto, the world’s biggest manufacturer of SIM cards.






​Russia ratifies $100bn BRICS New Development Bank - RT

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RT



Russia ratifies $100bn BRICS New Development Bank
RT
(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma join their hands at a group photo session during the 6th BRICS summit ...

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One Year After Revolution, Ukraine Still Mired in Corruption

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KIEV - The former power company executive yanked up his trouser leg to show the electronic bracelet round his ankle that would alert police if he tried to make a run for it from Kiev.

Бурная жизнь в подъезде активистки Екатерины Мальдон

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Неизвестные разрисовали подъезд на лестничной клетке, где находится квартира оппозиционной активистки...
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David Cameron: Britain's armed forces are equipped to keep UK safe - video 

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David Cameron, the prime minister, says he is confident that the UK has the necessary resources to keep itself safe following an incident on Thursday in which two Russian Bear bombers flew past the Cornish coast, and were escorted away by jets from RAF Coningsby. Cameron says the incident demonstrates the strength of UK's air defences Continue reading...

Бои без правил 

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Под патронажем Кремля создаются уличные бандитские группировки. Российские города ожидает разгул насилия....
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FSB Sets the Stage For New Crackdown Across Russia

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Staunton, February 18 – The head of the FSB in Crimea says that “anti-Russian risings do not yet threaten” the peninsula but that Western intelligence services are creating the basis for them, a claim that the Russian security services are likely to invoke as justification for a sweeping new crackdown.
And one commentator with whom KM.ru spoke, Leonid Savin, the editor of Geopolitika, says that the US was focusing this effort on Crimea because that region had only recently become part of Russia but that in fact, Washington is preparing anti-Russian movements in the North Caucasus and elsewhere.
At the behest and under the direction of the United States, Viktor Palagin, the head of the FSB in Crimea, says, Ukraine has developed more than a dozen projects to destabilize the situation on the peninsula and elsewhere, most of which are designed to get “highly educated” people to support Ukraine and oppose Russia and to use them for “sabotage.”
As a result, the FSB officer adds, his officers and those of other law enforcement agencies in Crimea consider their “main task” to be “not to allow the destabilization of the situation in the republic,” something that could happen if even a small number of these subversive groups took shape.
Palagin provides few details about these groups in Crimea, but Savin suggest that the situation there while perhaps more promising to the West than are other parts of the Russian Federation is hardly unique and implies that the FSB needs to focus on destabilizing efforts everywhere.
“In the North Caucasus,” for example, the West can seek “an escalation of mutual distrust between peoples” and thereby promote a new outbreak of “conflict between Ossetians and Balkars” or “between Ossetians and Ingush. In each Russian region, it is possible to find a basis for internal conflicts with the potential” to grow into threats.
At present, Savin continues, “of course, there are no objective signs that these risings will occur. Yes, the West has been acting as if it has ‘forgotten’ about Crimea: this theme was in general not raised in the course of the ‘Norman quartet’ discussions in Minsk.” But that does not mean that the West isn’t still trying to exploit internal divisions in Crimea and elsewhere.
Therefore, he says, the FSB’s concern is completely understandable given that provocations are always possible and can be more easily countered earlier rather than later. It would thus be “impermissible” for the Russian security agencies to “underestimate the potential danger” of even the smallest such developments.
But as KM.ru points out, while the FSB may be right to do so, its expression of concern about the situation in Crimea calls into question Moscow’s constant reference to growing stability there and its invocation of polls suggesting that Crimeans are pro-Russian. Both things, the media outlet says, cannot be true at one and the same time.
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A Checklist of Ten Russian Developments Worth Watching

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Staunton, February 19 The situation in and around Russia is now changing with such dizzying rapidity that it is all but impossible to keep up, given the overriding need to focus on Vladimir Putin’s continuing aggression in Ukraine. But many, small and large, are worth watching because of the potential each of them has to produce major changes in the future.
Below is a checklist of ten:
1. The real incomes of Russians fell by 29 percent last month as a result of the recession and the collapse of the ruble, and more than a third of Russians expect that they will lose their jobs or see their wages cut in the coming months (see here and here).
2. The economic situation in Russia’s rural areas has deteriorated to the point that people from there are flooding into Moscow and other major cities in the hopes of finding work, possibly replacing Central Asian labor migrants who have left and not come back and forming a new and volatile class in many places (see here and here).
3. Russians are increasingly aware that if they are arrested, they may face more than punishment: they may die at the hands of their jailors, a pattern that some have called “death by arrest” given how widespread it has become.
4. Ethnic Russians are indeed leaving the Baltic countries, but they are going to Europe rather than returning to Russia, a reflection of the opportunities they have even if they are not citizens to travel and work in the EU and their lack of interest in responding to Putin’s appeals to become part of his “Russian world.”
5. Russian officials in the regions, facing their own economic problems, are putting pressure on refugees from the war in Ukraine to leave, and Moscow is imposing new and far more restrictive rules on people living near the Ukrainian border regarding transit (see here and here.)
6. Ethnic conflicts are intensifying in the Russian armed forces with commanders and prosecutorsforced to take the nationality of those under their command into account whenever they impose punishments and probably in many other cases as well.
7. The Russian communications ministry is calling on publications to cut honoraria for freelancers, a step that it says reflects the worsening economic situation of these outlets but one that will give Moscow yet another whip hand in controlling the media.
8. GONGOs, “Government-Organized Non-Government Organizations,” are making a comeback and being used as political weapons by the government against opposition figures and political parties.
9. Despite economic problems, many regions are doing more to promote regional identities and branding. The latest example: Hard-pressed Siberia has announced plans for a new Siberian historical encyclopedia of more than 50 volumes.
10. And although they have received little attention in recent months, the problem of company towns continues at a low boil, creating problems for Moscow to the point that one author says there is now “a Russian city that even Moscow fears” because of what problems there could mean for the entire country.
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Дежавю. Бои без правил - 20 февраля, 2015

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Под патронатом Кремля создаются уличные бандитские группировки. Российские города ожидает разгул насилия. В программе Александра Подрабинека «Дежавю» Алексей Маслов, Китти Сандерс, Константин Залесский, Леонид Кацис. Видеотрансляция в пятницу в 18:30



Download audio: http://realaudio.rferl.org/RU/2015/02/20/20150220-153000-RU-program.mp3

Video: French reporter swept off her feet by giant wave live on TV

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A French weather forecaster became a victim of the harsh seas pounding the French Atlantic coast today, when a massive wave swept her away live on television.

АНБ США и их коллеги из Великобритании, GCHQ, взломали крупнейшего производителя сим-карт - Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ

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АНБ США и их коллеги из Великобритании, GCHQ, взломали крупнейшего производителя сим-карт
Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ
Издание Intercept опубликовало данные, полученные от Эдварда Сноудена, относящиеся к деятельности американской и британской разведки в области связи в 2010-ом году. Intercept пишет, что спецслужбы проникли во внутреннюю сеть голландской компании Gemalto, крупнейшего в ...

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Not fit to serve: Vladimir Putin exposes UK defence industry failings 

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Britain's Army is outgunned by Russia, and so is our defence industry, as Vladimir Putin sends his bombers into UK airspace








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Poroshenko Says Evidence Shows Kremlin Aide Surkov Directed Snipers in Kiev 

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Friday that police evidence showed that a top Russian presidential aide, Vladislav Surkov, had directed "foreign sniper groups" who shot and killed protesters in Kiev a year ago.

Mystery Swirls as Fatal Shots Fired in Queens Echo in Italy and Beyond

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William Klinger traveled to the United States last month, lured by a dream of a better life than the one he had in Europe. Instead, he wound up dead in a New York park.






Украина и ЛНР подписали план отвода тяжелых вооружений - РБК

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РБК



Украина и ЛНР подписали план отвода тяжелых вооружений
РБК
Представители Вооруженных Сил Украины и самопровозглашенных республик согласовали план отвода тяжелых вооружений. Луганские ополченцы и украинский генерал уже подписали его. Танк ополченцев вблизи Углегорска, 18 февраля 2015 год. Фото: AP. В этом сюжете.
Отвод тяжелых вооружений в Донбассе: Дебальцево признано территорией ДНР и ЛНРМосковский комсомолец
СЦКК: Дебальцево по плану отвода вооружений - территория ЛНР и ДНРРИА Новости
СЦКК признал Дебальцево частью ЛНР и ДНРГазета.Ru
РБК Украина -Первый канал -Главред
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President Obama Calls for $1 Billion for Central America

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[...]
In his latest budget President Obama is asking Congress for $1 billion to help those countries improve security, education and the economic health of the region. It may sound like a measly sum given the $4 trillion budget, but it's almost three times the amount the U.S. generally provides to Central America.

У Олланда нет доказательств присутсвия российской техники в Донбассе - Комсомольская правда

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Комсомольская правда



У Олланда нет доказательств присутсвия российской техники в Донбассе
Комсомольская правда
Подтверждения присутствия российской военной техники на востоке Украины нет. В этом президент Франции Франсуа Олланд признался в ходе совместной с канцлером ФРГ Ангелой Меркель пресс-конференции. "Мы не можем подтвердить, что российские танки вошли на Украину.
Меркель призвала "сойти с пути санкций"Правда.Ру
Олланд не смог подтвердить ввод российских танков на УкраинуАргументы и факты
Олланд ничего не знает о российских танках на ДонбассеИА REGNUM
Газета.Ru -Российская Газета -Интерфакс
Все похожие статьи: 1 784 »

Life In A Debaltseve Bomb Shelter

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Some residents of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine have spent more than a week in a cellar, hiding from shells and bullets as Ukrainian government troops and Russian-backed separatists battled over the town. On February 19, they described their desperate situation. (RFE/RL's Current Time)

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Vladimir Putin Says Russia's Military Might Has No Match - NBCNews.com

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NBCNews.com



Vladimir Putin Says Russia's Military Might Has No Match
NBCNews.com
The belief in Russia that the NATO alliance is a "hostile military threat, and successive rounds of NATO's eastern enlargement have ... brought it threateningly close to the Russian border," should have been been part of European decision-making ...
Putin: Russia's military strength is unmatchableBusiness Insider
Russia tensions could trigger all-out war: Britain's top NATO commander warns ...Daily Mail
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Vladimir Putin gives decorated Russian tank colonel another medal 

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Valentin Gavrilov, retired colonel who fought at Stalingrad during the Second World War, has yet another medal pinned to his chest at Kremlin ceremony








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Gulf States Coordinate Policy as Regional Violence Grows

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Qatar's neighboring Gulf monarchies are backing the emirate in its dispute with Cairo over Egypt's military intervention in Libya. Analysts say this suggests the Sunni monarchies are now offsetting their own rivalries and trying to speak on foreign policy with a more unified voice, as threats in the region multiply against them - from the emergence of the jihadist Islamic State to the growing clout of Iran. The oil-rich Sunni monarchies of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have been bankrolling Egypt’s military-backed government since the 2013 ouster of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Until this week they had disapproved of Qatar’s criticism of the toppling of Morsi, and bridled at the emirate’s support of political Islamists. But as the diplomatic spat between Cairo and Doha heated up this week over Egypt’s airstrikes in Libya, the regional Gulf Cooperation Council has come to Qatar’s defense. The GCC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia, is likely to cut back on financial assistance to Egypt, Gulf diplomats say. Since the overthrow of the Morsi government in July 2013, the Gulf states have given nearly $11 billion - credited to Egypt in non-interest-bearing accounts - to help support Cairo's foreign-exchange reserves and discounts on oil. Egypt’s intervention in Libya followed the mass execution last weekend of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Libyan militants affiliated with the so-called Islamic State. Since then Doha and Cairo have exchanged acrimonious charges, and Qatar has recalled its ambassador to Egypt. Egyptian officials accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism - an allegation vehemently denied by Doha. Qatari officials say Cairo should have consulted broadly before launching retaliatory raids. Egypt 'defies truth' Late Wednesday, Abdul Latif al-Zayani, secretary-general of the GCC, warned Egypt that it "defies the truth" in its accusations against Qatar, which has been sponsoring one of two rival governments in Libya. “These accusations do not help to consolidate Arab solidarity at a time when our Arab countries are subjected to major challenges to their security, stability and sovereignty,” he said. However, the GCC tempered its criticism of Cairo by issuing a second statement praising Egypt’s homeland-security measures. Saudi Arabia has long disapproved of Qatar’s independent-mindedness and its backing of the Muslim Brotherhood across the Middle East. The UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia all withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar last year. But in recent weeks, following the death of Saudi’s King Abdullah and the succession of Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, there have been increasing signs of rapprochement between Riyadh and Doha. Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Qatar returned to his post in Doha in November, ending a seven-month break in diplomatic relations. Qatar has also had a recent change of leadership. Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani abdicated a year ago, handing off power to his 33-year-old son to rule the tiny but super-wealthy emirate. The new monarch has expelled from Qatar several political exiles affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. In December, the Saudis tried to improve relations between Doha and Cairo by arranging a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and a top Qatari envoy - the firwst high-level encounter since the Egyptian leader took office last summer. Despite being spun publicly as successful, the meeting didn’t diminish Cairo’s frustration with Doha, which it accuses of encouraging Islamist opposition to President Sisi via the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera television channel and other media outlets controlled by the emirate’s royal family. Iran power play in Yemen The decision to side with Qatar in its diplomatic clash with Cairo is a reflection of the Gulf leaders' rising alarm about expanding Iranian power - the latest sign of that coming with the overthrow of the Sunni-dominated government in Yemen, Saudi’s neighbor. Analysts say the Shia rebels in that takeover were heavily supported by Tehran. David Weinberg with the the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a U.S.-based think tank, says the convergence between the Saudis and the Qataris should be seen in the “context of the disaster in Yemen, which the GCC states also attribute to direction by Iran.” He adds: “ The Saudis are also deeply concerned about having the Islamic State on their northern border. Further, reports continue to suggest that Saudi Arabia's new king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is less interested in destroying Qatar's ally, the Muslim Brotherhood, than the late King Abdullah [was]." Gulf political analyst Mubarak Fahad al Duwailah says, “Developments in Yemen are another indication of what the Iranians are capable of. Whoever thinks that it is a struggle between Yemenis is not familiar with the larger picture.” With Shia Iran gaining a foothold in the Arabian Peninsula, he arguers that the GCC has had to “reconsider internal and external policies.” The reconsideration appears to include ensuring that the Sunni monarchies cohere more - and make that a priority higher than their relations with Cairo. Since Iraq came more into Iran’s orbit following the U.S.-led ouster of Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf monarchies have been increasingly alarmed at the risk of Iranian power. Baghdad's reliance on Shia militias now to fight Islamic State militants, and the dependence of Syria's Assad regime on Tehran, has fueled the fears of the Sunni monarchies. Even before the civil war in Syria, according to widely leaked diplomatic cables, the Saudis were raising their fears about Tehran with U.S. officials. In one cable describing a meeting between the current Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and then-U.S. homeland security adviser John Brennan, the Saudis warned that the “Shia crescent has become a full moon.” “Getting closer with Qatar naturally could involve some costs for Saudi Arabia in its relations with Egypt,” says analyst Weinberg. “The Saudis are trying to have it both ways, but Qatar and Egypt will no doubt push Riyadh to lean one way or the other.”

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· · · ·

The Guardian view on the lessons of Ukraine: eyes wide open | Editorial 

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Russian aggression means western Europe must have a much-needed debate about defence options
From now until the general election in May, David Cameron has few if any foreign travel plans. Following his visit to Barack Obama in the White House a month ago, the stay-at-home prime minister intends to maximise his time electioneering in this country, making only the briefest of brief foreign forays to essential European summits. What Mr Cameron seems to be running is not so much a front-porch campaign – the American tactic of staying at home and waiting for supporters to come cap in hand – as a back-yard campaign, in which he ostentatiously busies himself with local bread-and-butter issues in a venue near you, rather than bothering himself with larger global questions.
In general election year, this has an obvious logic. But it embodies something very disturbing – Mr Cameron’s willingness to pretend drawbridges can be pulled up against the world. This pretence – not the same thing as the delusion that Britain could or should solve the world’s problems – has been marked in the Ukraine crisis and in the Greek debt row, on which eurozone ministers were locked in talks on Friday. Two weeks ago Sir Richard Shirreff pointedly asked: “Where is Britain?” This week the issue resurfaced in the House of Lords EU committee’s report on Russia and Ukraine, with equally quotable comments that Britain and Europe have been “sleepwalking into this crisis”, have misread the situation “catastrophically” and that the UK has not been “as active or as visible as it could have been”.
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«Россия хочет силой перекроить границы Европы»

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Европейские политики – о будущем ЕС и Украины Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/media/video/europe-borders/2652109.html.
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Барак Обама: «Мы все находимся в одной лодке»

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В Вашингтоне завершился саммит по противодействию экстремизму Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/media/video/anti-terror-s...
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Ukraine accuses Russia over Maidan 2014 killings - BBC News

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BBC News



Ukraine accuses Russia over Maidan 2014 killings
BBC News
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Russia of direct involvement in the sniper fire which killed dozens of protesters in central Kiev a year ago. He was speaking as the capital marked the first anniversary of the clashes between protesters ...

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Russian expansionism may pose existential threat, says Nato general 

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British general Sir Adrian Bradshaw says Nato needs to develop fast-reacting conventional forces and capacities to counter Russian propaganda
Russian expansionist ambitions could quickly become “an obvious existential threat to our whole being”, the most senior British military officer in Nato has said in a strongly worded speech.
General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, appointed last year as Nato’s deputy commander of forces in Europe, said the alliance needed to develop both fast-reacting conventional forces and capacities to counter Russian efforts at coercion and propaganda, as seen in Ukraine.
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The Saturday Profile: A French Education Minister Who Knows Immigrants’ Struggle 

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Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the first woman in her post, is a product of France’s schools whose family history is familiar to many disaffected youths.

Russian expansionism may pose existential threat, says Nato general - The Guardian

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The Guardian



Russian expansionism may pose existential threat, says Nato general
The Guardian
General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, appointed last year as Nato's deputy commander of forces in Europe, said the alliance needed to develop both fast-reacting conventional forces and capacities to counter Russian efforts at coercion and propaganda, as seen in ...
Vladimir Putin Says Russia's Military Might Has No MatchNBCNews.com 

Russian tensions could escalate into all-out war, says Nato generalTelegraph.co.uk
NATO-Russia jet scrambling hysteria: Who is the real threat?RT (blog)
Business Insider
 -Reuters- Daily Mail
all 816 
news articles »

Kiev accuses Russia of sending more tanks to east Ukraine

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Military equipment and ammunition have been sighted crossing from Russia into Ukraine, Ukrainian military says

«Оскар» как предчувствие 

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Разговор с кинокритиком Лесли Комбермэил Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/media/video/oscar-predictions/2652088.html.
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В Евросоюзе обсуждают новые санкции против России. - BFM.Ru

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УНИАН



В Евросоюзе обсуждают новые санкции против России.
BFM.Ru
Лидеры Европейского союза обсуждают возможные дополнительные санкции против России. Об этом заявил председатель Европейского совета Дональд Туск, передает Reuters. «Я сейчас провожу консультации с лидерами Евросоюза о дальнейших шагах», – сказал он. Туск отметил ...
Председатель Евросовета Дональд Туск обсуждает с европейскими лидерами следующие шаги в ответ на нарушение режима прекращения огня в ...Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ
Туск проводит консультации с лидерами ЕС по ДонбассуУНИАН
Евросоюз начал обсуждение новых санкций против РФБиржевой лидер
Lenta.ru -ЛІГА.net -РИА Новости Украина
Все похожие статьи: 105 »

Псаки обвинила Россию в гибели украинцев - Вести.Ru

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Вести.Ru



Псаки обвинила Россию в гибели украинцев
Вести.Ru
В Вашингтоне особенно озабочены новыми столкновениями в районе Мариуполя, отметила на брифинге представитель американского госдепартамента Дженнифер Псаки. Вместе с тем, она признала, что наблюдатели ОБСЕ зафиксировали уменьшение интенсивности боев в ряде ...

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France, Germany: More Ukraine Sanctions Possible

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France's president Francois Hollande and Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday more sanctions are possible if there is no end to violations of the Minsk peace accord.  U.S. diplomats in Washington quietly endorsed the Europeans' view, saying there would be "additional costs" for those who ignore the Minsk agreement. Speaking at a joint news conference, ahead of next Tuesday's meeting of French, German and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Paris, Hollande and Merkel said they were working hard to ensure the latest agreement between Russia and Ukraine is respected. The two leaders met as the Ukrainian government and separatist rebels traded accusations Friday of violating a cease-fire agreement that was supposed to begin last Sunday. Hollande was asked if he could confirm reports of Russian tanks entering Ukraine. He said he had no imemdiate confirmation. That does not mean it did not happen, he said, but that he had not been formally notified. He said there is a risk of escalating violence, and that is all the more reason for both sides to fully respect the cease-fire agreement and withdraw heavy weapons. Hollande also said those who violate cease-fire terms agreed in Minsk risk further sanctions. He added that the goal is not more sanctions, but rather securing peace in Ukraine. Merkel agreed it is vital to respect the peace deal agreed to in Minsk. If not, she also suggested the European Union may re-examine the sanctions question. Earlier this week, the EU expanded its sanctions against Russia, adding new names to a list of people facing restrictive measures. A British parliamentary report published Friday has sharply criticized the European response to the Ukrainian crisis. UN concerned Meanwhile, the U.N. Human Rights Office expressed grave concern at the fighting in eastern Ukraine, which it says is taking a heavy toll on civilians caught in the line of fire.  The agency also accused pro-Russian rebels of preventing European monitors access to Debaltseve, seized by the separatists in the last few days, despite a cease-fire. The U.N. Human Rights Office reports nearly 5,700 people have been killed and over 14,000 wounded since mid-April of last year. While these numbers are dramatic, Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville says they represent a very conservative estimate. "The Human Rights monitoring unit in Ukraine, our team and WHO who jointly gather these statistics believe the actual number may be considerably higher.  And, a further increase in those figures is anticipated in the coming days because the reporting of the casualties, especially military casualties - both during the pre-cease-fire period and especially in recent days in Debaltseve have been considerably delayed and we do not think we have anything like the full picture of casualties from Debaltseve," said Coleville.   He says his agency remains deeply worried about the fate of civilians and captured or wounded Ukrainian servicemen in the Debaltseve area who were caught in the fighting.   The U.N. Human Rights Office is issuing a separate appeal on behalf of Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who has been detained in Moscow since last July. It notes that she has been on a hunger strike for 70 days and that her condition is deteriorating. It is calling on Russian authorities to release her on humanitarian grounds. Lisa Schlein contributed to this report from Geneva.

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Novel HIV Vaccine Prevents Disease in Monkeys

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US researchers are calling it a "Big Deal." Next year, human clinical trials could begin on a novel AIDS treatment that alters DNA, turning cells into HIV fighters.  The treatment has completely protected monkeys from a primate version of the immune disorder.   Researchers are engineering healthy muscle cells to induce them to crank out genetic instructions that could potentially neutralize HIV, the virus that causes AIDS in humans. Scientists at Scripps Research Institute used the technique to completely protect rhesus macaque monkeys whose immune systems were repeatedly exposed to simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV, a primate version of HIV. After treatment, Scripps researcher Michael Farzan says the macaques never became infected despite the challenge. “We continued to administer the virus, doubling the dose each time.  We’ve now gone with ..six doses that were capable of infecting control [untreated] animals. We’ve gone to 16 times that," said Farzan. The findings were reported in the journal Nature. Traditional vaccines train the immune system to recognize and destroy microbial invaders.  But experimental AIDS vaccines fail because the virus is continually changing its appearance to evade destruction. Farzan, the study’s lead investigator, says the new approach tricks HIV into revealing a key viral surface protein. The compound targets the portion of the virus that is always mutating to avoid the immune system. Once bound, a second protein makes the virus self-destruct so it never has a chance to infect cells. “Because HIV is fooled into thinking it’s binding the cell, it undergoes the changes that it would normally do when it’s ready to enter a cell. And those changes, if it’s not near a cell, inactivate the virus," said Farzan. The muscle cells continually pump out decoys that fool the virus into destruction. Farzan says the compound has the potential both to protect against infection with HIV and to fight the virus in infected people. The team wants to begin clinical trials in patients who cannot tolerate antiretroviral drugs.

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Greek Debt Is Vastly Overstated, an Investor Tells the World

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Paul Kazarian, a large investor in Greek bonds, is trying to convince others that the country’s debt is not as burdensome as it might appear.






Любовь к сильной власти 

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Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/media/video/dictators-exhibition/2652116.html.
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EU must act in unison against Russia

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In the face of Putin’s aggression, the 28-member bloc has to stand firm

Pro-Russia victors vow to ignore deal for ceasefire in Ukraine

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EU leader warns of ‘further action’ if diplomacy fails as rebels’ leadership vacuum imperils peace efforts
As the sun set over the cratered fields around Debaltseve, a group of pro-Russia Cossack fighters were retrieving boxes of anti-tank artillery rounds and two armoured vehicles left by Kiev’s forces on the side of the Rostov-Kharkiv highway, which was littered with mangled cars and turret-less tanks.
Shattered petrol stations and garages attested to weeks of intense fighting for the strategic town. Two troop transport trucks that had crashed into each other, scattering boots and clothing, spoke of the Ukrainian forces’ rushed, chaotic retreat this week.
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Ukraine crisis: ‘One miscalculation, and Britain faces an existential threat to our whole being...’

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The West faces a new and dangerous era of “constant competition” with Russia that carries a possible “existential threat to our whole being”, Britain’s most senior commander in Nato has warned.

Порошенко требует от США и ЕС усилить антироссийские санкции - BFM.Ru

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Комсомольская Правда в Украине



Порошенко требует от США и ЕС усилить антироссийские санкции
BFM.Ru
Петр Порошенко настаивает на том, что если ситуация на востоке Украины не улучшится, то США и ЕС должны ввести дальнейшие санкции против России и принять меры для усиления обороноспособности Украины. Об этом он сказал в телефонном разговоре с вице-президентом ...
Порошенко обсудил с Байденом возможное размещение миротворцевРИА Новости
Порошенко призвал ввести новые санкций против РоссииРБК
Порошенко и Байден обсудили ситуацию на ДонбассеУкраинское национальное информагентство
Взгляд -Русская Служба Новостей -СЕГОДНЯ
Все похожие статьи: 54 »

Report: EU 'Sleepwalked' Into Crisis With Russia 

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A new report says the European Union “sleepwalked” into the current crisis in Ukraine, because of “catastrophic misreading” of the mood in Russia. Regional analysts say unless Brussels takes a more pragmatic view of the Kremlin’s agenda, tensions between Europe and Russia will only increase. Lord Tugendhat, chairman of the British parliamentary committee that published the report, says Europe didn’t fully understand the extent of Russian hostility toward plans between the EU and Ukraine to form closer economic ties. “On the European side, there was a certain lack of sensitivity about the implications, as far as the Russians would see them, of the trade talks we were entering into,” says Tugendhat. Brussels opened talks with Ukraine in 2013 aimed at liberalizing trade between Europe and Ukraine. Moscow said the influx of EU goods to Ukraine would ruin many Russian producers, because of the close economic ties between the two countries. The crisis began when Ukraine’s then-leader, president Viktor Yanukovych, gave up on an EU agreement, in favor of strengthening ties with Russia. That led to widespread protests in Ukraine, which eventually forced him out of office. Shortly after that, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea and pro-Russian militias began fighting to seize territory in eastern Ukraine. Last week, a cease-fire agreement was reached in Minsk, although fighting continues in eastern Ukraine. False reading of Russia Sam Greene, director of the Russia Institute at King’s College London, says tensions between Russia and the EU will not be resolved, regardless of the outcome of the peace process. "Coming to a cease-fire and a resolution [on the frontlines] is not going to solve the contradictions that Europe has with Russia. There is going to need to be a much longer and more strategic process of creating a new basis for a new relationship," says Greene. He says since the end of the Cold War, Europe has incorrectly assumed that Russia has been on the road to democracy, capitalism, and liberalism. Member states have failed to reappraise the relationship and to adapt to the realities inside Russia. Greene says if the European Union does not believe it can bring change in Russia, it will have to realize there is going to be competition with Russia, and that competition will need to be carefully managed. “The reality is that Russia saw the EU as a geopolitical threat and acted on that perception in Ukraine, and Europe has to come to terms with that,” says Greene. Margot Light, an expert on Russia at the London School of Economics, says the committee's report may have little effect on the crisis in Ukraine. But, she says, it’s an important shift, and could begin a longer-term process of better understanding between Europe and Russia, even though Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has a reputation for being unpredictable. “They ought to understand better that what he tends to do is dig his heels in when punitive tone or punitive measures are adopted against him. One doesn't need to understand Putin, one only needs to observe his behavior to see that,” says Light. The report recommended that the EU should renew and tighten sanctions against Russia in the short term if there is no progress on the Minsk Protocol and the situation in eastern Ukraine continues to deteriorate.

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Obama Calls Chicago's Pullman District a 'Milestone' in US Journey 

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President Barack Obama and others are trying to preserve U.S. historic sites and ecologically important areas so the lessons of the past can inform future generations. This week, he gave national monument status to the Pullman Historic District in Chicago, where Pullman luxury rail cars were made in the late 1800s and early 1900s. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports.

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США обвинили Россию в поддержке ополченцев - Аргументы и факты

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Аргументы и факты



США обвинили Россию в поддержке ополченцев
Аргументы и факты
Официальный представитель госдепа США Джен Псаки заявила, что «поддержка Россией ополченцев на Украине» подрывает «международную дипломатию», пишет ТАСС. Вопрос-ответ. Кто контролирует Дебальцево? По словам Псаки, это нарушает «основы глобального порядка».

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В горящем поезде во Франции оказались заблокированными 600 человек - Lenta.ru

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Lenta.ru



В горящем поезде во Франции оказались заблокированными 600 человек
Lenta.ru
В поезде, который направлялся из столицы Франции Парижа в Гренобль, произошел пожар. В результате около 600 человек оказались заблокированными внутри состава, сообщает телеканал TF1 в пятницу, 20 февраля. Возгорание произошло около 18:30 (20:30 по московскому ...
Пожар в поезде вызвал коллапс на железной дороге "Париж - Гренобль"Российская Газета
Сотни людей заблокированы в горящем поезде во ФранцииBFM.Ru
Около 600 человек оказались заблокированы в горящем поезде во ФранцииКомсомольская правда
RuNews24.ru - круглосуточная служба новостей -Медийно-новостной портал 24smi.org -7 новостей
Все похожие статьи: 24 »

White House Fights to Block Deportation of Illegal Immigrants

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U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is fighting another round in a legal and political squabble over deporting illegal immigrants. White House officials said they will ask for a "stay" of a judge's order to overturn Obama's executive actions that would protect many immigrants from legal action. The stay would keep the executive actions in place until the issue is appealed to a higher court. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration expects to win on appeal because "there is a solid legal foundation for the president to take the steps that he announced to reform our broken immigration system." The executive action bypassed Congress and angered many Republicans who took the issue to court. Executive turnabout On Tuesday, the White House had said the Justice Department would comply with, but also appeal against a ruling handed down by a judge in Texas that temporarily blocked the president from protecting as many as five million undocumented immigrants from deportation.   That ruling came in the midst of a contentious fight in the U.S. Congress over funding for the country’s homeland security agency, which oversees immigration procedures and border controls. The department's funding is due to expire late next week.   A spending measure already approved by the House would block Obama’s immigration changes, but the legislation has been stalled in the Senate, where efforts by the chamber's Democratic Party minority bloc has so far thwarted the Republican majority. Most Democrats continue to support Obama’s expansion of immigrant rights. The House minority leader, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, said the president’s immigration actions are similar to those undertaken by previous U.S. presidents, including Republicans. States opposed Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in favor of 26 states, including Texas, that had filed a lawsuit seeking to permanently stop Obama's order. The states argued that the president had exceeded his constitutional authority and would impose undue financial burdens on them. The president's executive order included expansion of a program that protects young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. The program was to begin receiving applications on Wednesday. The president's order would also protect parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for at least five years, and had committed no serious crimes.

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Russia cut to 'junk' by Moody's - Business Insider

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Business Insider



Russia cut to 'junk' by Moody's
Business Insider
APRussian President Vladimir Putin heads a cabinet meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015. Moody's has cut its rating on Russia to "junk," and says Russia's economy is headed for a "deep" recession in ...
Moody's Downgrades Russia to Junk StatusWall Street Journal
Moody's Downgrades Credit Rating on RussiaABC News
UPDATE 1-Russia finance minister says Moody's downgrade had 'political ...Reuters
The Guardian-Bloomberg-Nasdaq
all 38 
news articles »

Ukraine crisis: Seaside town living under the shadow of a rebel advance 

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Dispatch: Developing battle in Shirokino stokes fear Mariupol, an economically valuable port city, could be the next target for an offensive by rebels






Ukraine crisis: Oligarchs' militia braced for next assault

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The threat to the seaside town of Mariupol could be a ruse designed to tie down Ukrainian forces. But the coming days and weeks will provide the test, writes David Blair













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