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How durable are China-Russia relations? - Reuters Blogs (blog)
Washington Post |
As Obama Plays China Card on Trade, Chinese Pursue Their Own Deals
New York Times WASHINGTON — President Obama has toured Nike's headquarters and busy American ports in recent weeks to try to convince Democrats that rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade deal that he envisions as a crucial part of a legacy of ... US & China's geopolitical power struggle: How the latter is trying to gain ...Economic Times all 326 news articles » |
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
A spokeswoman for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority says there’s no indication that the incident is related to the derailment.
SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams says they don’t know what the projectile was. It broke the engineer’s window around 9:25 p.m. Tuesday near SEPTA’s North Philadelphia station. No injuries were reported.
Williams says the Trenton-bound commuter train was stopped and the incident was being investigated when the Amtrak derailment happened about 3 1/2 miles away.
Williams says Amtrak dispatches SEPTA’s Trenton line and was aware of the incident.
Six people were killed and dozens more were injured in Tuesday night’s Amtrak derailment.
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During his “Talking Points Memo” segment on Tuesday, “The O’Reilly Factor” host Bill O’Reilly explained that Americans have changed their stance on a number of issues, including immigration and Christianity and that has been to the detriment of the United States.
Transcript as follows:
A changing America, that’s the subject of this evening’s “Talking Points Memo”.Interesting poll from the Associated Press about immigration. When asked do you favor or oppose providing a legal way for illegal immigrants already in the U.S.A. to stay in the country legally: 50 percent favor, 48 percent oppose. When asked do you favor or oppose providing a way for immigrants who live in the U.S.A illegally but whose children are U.S. citizens or permanent residents to say legally: 57 percent favor; 40 percent oppose. The poll was taken among American by adults.Another finding: three-quarters of Republicans say they would prefer a candidate who would undo President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. So there is a big split between Democrats and Republicans. But the majority, according to the A.P. poll, would consider policies that are beneficial to illegal aliens. That’s a change.On the religious front: another poll very provocative. According to a Pew Research study of 35,000 American adults Christianity is on the decline. 2007: 78.4 percent of Americans describe themselves as Christian. Last year 2014 that number drops to it 70.6 percent. Among the non- Christian faiths, Jewish Americans up slightly; Muslims up half a percentage point to just under one percent of the population.However the biggest growing segment of religion, those who reject it – – atheists, agnostic, nothing, up 50 percent to 22.8 percent of the population now. So what’s happening?There is no question that people of faith are being marginalized by a secular media and pernicious entertainment. The rap industry for example often glorifies depraved behavior and that sinks into the minds of some young people, the group that is most likely to reject religion. Also many movies and TV shows promote non traditional values.Truth is if you are a person of faith the media generally thinks you are a loon. The prevailing wisdom especially among young Americans is whatever is good for me is good, period. The overall good be damned — pardon the pun.We see that reflected in the attitude on drugs. There is a strong move to legalize them and decriminalize even the sale of poisons like heroin and cocaine. Any student of history knows that when a nation turns inward toward the pursuit of individual gratification, the country is in trouble. Rome — the best example. The citizens there ultimately rejected sacrificing for their republican — for their republic, I should say — and the empire collapsed.“Talking Points” believes the same thing is happening in America today. But it can be fixed if the electorate finally wakes up. That is a big if. The main reason Christianity is on the decline is poor leadership and corruption within the Catholic Church. The priest scandal devastated the Catholic landscape in America.Although the founding fathers wanted freedom of religion, they did not want a secular nation. That’s clear in the writings of Jefferson and Madison. The founders believing that a strong moral code put forth by religion protects people from harm and avarice.On the immigration front chaos is simply overwhelming. Americans remain essentially a fair people. They know the system is broken. And they know our leaders are playing politics with people’s lives. There is a fair way to deal with illegal immigration and Americans want that put into place.Adding it all up, there is no question the country is changing for the worse. And that’s why the upcoming election is, perhaps, the most important presidential vote in our lifetime.And that’s the memo.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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 STRATFOR |
In Sochi, US-Russia Negotiations Remain Inconclusive
STRATFOR The White House on Tuesday dispatched U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to the Black Sea resort town of Sochi for a "frank" discussion with Russian leaders. Not only did both RussianForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin ... Obama's Petulant World War II Snub of RussiaCenter for Research on Globalization all 2,807 news articles » |
 Los Angeles Times |
House bill targets NSA's power to hold phone data
Los Angeles Times Eric H. Holder Jr. and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper expressed their support in a letter to Leahy. The legislation “preserves essential… capabilities” and is a “reasonable compromise that enhances privacy and civil liberties and ... and more » |
The head of the North Korean Armed Forces was publicly executed by a firing squad using antiaircraft fire, according to a briefing by South Korean intelligence officials. Representatives from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told reporters in Seoul last week that the execution took place on April 30 in the courtyard of a military academy in North Korean capital Pyongyang.
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A priority task for Russia is to keep pace of its Armed Forces modernization, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the development of the defense sector on Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State John met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday in the resort city of Sochi, in Kerry's first visit to Russia since relations soured over sharp disagreements on Ukraine and Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in their first meeting since the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels fighting in east Ukraine sparked the worst tensions with the West since the Cold War. But, the tone of Tuesday's meeting was conciliatory.
More than 350 American soldiers and 80 US Army vehicles will begin a 400 kilometer 'cavalry march' across Romania, with cover from US Air Force, on their way to multinational exercises, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.
Tensions in the South China Sea just became a lot more heated. According to a US official, the Pentagon is drafting plans to begin military patrols around China's land reclamation projects in the Spratly Archipelago.
Fighter pilots from Hungary and Sweden flew Gripen jets to the Čáslav air base in the Czech Republic ahead of a multinational drill slated to run until May 24, Czech radio reported Monday.
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France has offered to supply Poland with submarines and missiles that were requested by the country's Defense Ministry.
The United States and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will announce plans to integrate ballistic defense capabilities after the US-GCC summit meeting at Camp David on Thursday, National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes stated during a press call.
Saudi King Salman’s last-minute cancellation of his White House summit with US President Obama was seen as a calculated snub for the president’s Iran and Mid East policies. Obama was forced to call off the Gulf summit scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 at Camp David, when two senior Gulf rulers, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isaa Al Khalifa and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, also opted out. The US bid to break Middle East resistance to its nuclear deal with Iran was thus aborted. Its success would have isolated Netanyahu.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said Tuesday that the US navy is monitoring the Iranian warships accompanying an Iran-flagged cargo vessel carrying humanitarian aid for delivery to Yemen during the five-day ceasefire beginning Tuesday night. He called on the Iranian ships to change course for Djibouti where the UN has set up a Yemen aid center and warned Tehran not to stage an “sort of stunt” that would sabotage the ceasefire.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told President Reuven Rivlin when they met in Berlin Tuesday that the current reality shows no promise of a nuclear deal between the world powers and Tehran. She said Iran’s nuclear technology had advanced considerably over the last decade, but if a comprehensive accord could be reached, it might prevent further development. Germany rolled out a red carpet for the Israeli president's visit to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Germany remains completely committed to the safety and security of the state of Israel, said the Chancellor.
This week, Israel and Germany signed an agreement for the purchase from Germany of four new naval vessels to protect Israel’s Mediterranean offshore oil and gas rigs.
John Kerry urges both sides to abide by ceasefire after apparently conciliatory meeting with Vladimir Putin
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 Зеркало недели |
В центре Одессы подорвали железнодорожный мост
Газета.Ru В центре Одессы в ночь с 12 на 13 мая прогремел взрыв на железнодорожном мосту, сообщает издание «Таймер». Как сообщается, взрыв произошел на железной дороге в районе улицы Маловского. На месте взрыва образовалась метровая воронка. В 50 метрах от эпицентра взрыва ... В Одессе подорвали железнодорожный мостРБК В Одессе снова сообщают о взрывеУкраинское национальное информагентство Все похожие статьи: 240 » |
В центре Одессы подорвали железнодорожный мост
Газета.Ru В центре Одессы в ночь с 12 на 13 мая прогремел взрыв на железнодорожном мосту, сообщает издание «Таймер». Как сообщается, взрыв произошел на железной дороге в районе улицы Маловского. На месте взрыва образовалась метровая воронка. В 50 метрах от эпицентра взрыва ... и другие » |
 UDF.BY |
Очередной «западный крен» Лукашенко: чего ждёт Россия?
ИА REGNUM За последние полтора десятка лет трудно вспомнить период, который напоминал бы происходящее в настоящее время в Белоруссии. Пожалуй, еще никогда не было ситуации, чтобы белорусско-российские отношения находились более чем в спокойном состоянии, и параллельно с эти ... На Белоруссию посыпался дождь из юанейНезависимая газета Обзор важнейших событий 12 мая 2015 годаБелаПАН На 9 мая Путин преподносит Си Цзиньпину Россию — ПортниковПоследние новости России и Украины, главные новости дня. inoСМИ.Ru Все похожие статьи: 9 » |
 USA TODAY |
The awkward gifts the US and Russia give each other
Washington Post (blog) When diplomats meet, sometimes they bring gifts designed to showcase their country and welcome their counterpart. For U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, however, these gifts sometimes appear to send ... Kerry, Russia say cease-fire in Ukraine must continueUSA TODAY Softer Tone but No Breakthroughs in US-Russia TalksWall Street Journal Nemtsov Report Says More Than 200 Russian Soldiers Killed In Ukraine WarRadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty CNN-Vox- Telegraph.co.uk all 2,366 news articles » |
 Reuters Blogs (blog) |
How durable are China-Russia relations?
Reuters Blogs (blog) This week's joint naval exercise between Russia and China in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, along with President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow last week, highlight the growing ties between Eurasia's two great powers. Though they share key economic ... How China and Russia are teaming up to erode American dominanceTelegraph.co.uk First Russia-China naval war games underway in MediterraneanLos Angeles Times China-Russia drills in Med show shifting strategiesBBC News The Globe and Mail -International Business Times -The Hill all 138 news articles » |
A state-owned Russian bank is paying for the legal defense of an employee charged with posing as a banker in New York while secretly spying for Moscow, his lawyer confirmed.
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 СЕГОДНЯ |
Керри объявил, что страны НАТО хотят сохранить санкции против России до конца года
Росбалт.RU ВАШИНГТОН, 13 мая. Руководитель Госдепартамента США Джон Керри заявил, что сохранение санкций против России не является целью американских властей. Слова Керри прозвучали перед началом саммита глав МИД стран НАТО в турецком городе Белек (провинция Анталья). Киев и Вашингтон согласовали совместные действия по ситуации на УкраинеРБК Киев рассчитывает на создание новых фондов с НАТО по поддержке ВСУРИА Новости Киев надеется создать с НАТО трастовые фонды для поддержки украинской армииГазета.Ru Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ -РИА Новости Украина Все похожие статьи: 113 » |
 RT |
'Nuclear war our likely future': Russia & China won't accept US hegemony ...
RT The White House is determined to block the rise of the key nuclear-armed nations, Russia and China, neither of whom will join the "world's acceptance of Washington's hegemony," says head of the Institute for Political Economy, Paul Craig Roberts. and more » |
Russia's foreign minister gave the US secretary of state a basket of spuds on Tuesday 
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Swedish peace group trolls Russian submarines with gay defence system by Hannah Jane Parkinson
In a response to rogue Russian submarines thought to be in Swedish waters, one peace group has taken an innovative approach to defence
Forget Britain’s Trident, or Israel’s Iron Dome – peace-loving Sweden has come up with a much more innovative, and inclusive, system of defence.
The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS) is to deal with encroaching Russian submarinesin Swedish waters with a device emitting anti-homophobia Morse code.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for a halt to fighting around the Ukrainian coastal town of Shyrokyne on Wednesday as NATO backed his demand that Russia fully implement a Ukraine cease-fire agreement.
US Officials Alarmed at New Syrian Rebel Allianceby webdesk@voanews.com (Jamie Dettmer)
Battlefield gains by insurgents in northern Syria, in an alliance dominated by an al-Qaida affiliate, and hardline Islamist militias are presenting the Obama administration with a dilemma — whether to support the new insurgent momentum against President Bashar al-Assad or to have nothing to do with it, U.S. officials say. While the victories last month and this month over forces loyal to Assad in Idlib province west of Aleppo may mark a turning point in the fortunes of the rebels in the long-running, bloody civil war that has left more than 200,000 dead, U.S. officials say they are alarmed at the composition of the alliance known as Jaish al-Fata, or the Army of Conquest, announced on March 28. They fear a further erosion of Western-backed “moderate” militias as fighters join the new force and they worry about the rise of another jihadist emirate in Syria to match the caliphate of the Islamic State in the eastern part of the country. The alliance has pulled off a string of significant gains in northern Syria, pulling the rebels out of the doldrums, getting northern rebel militias away from sitting defensively in their half of Aleppo and being barrel-bombed by Assad’s air force. And it has opened up the battlefield in the North, analysts say. “For the first time in two years, major insurgent victories appear to signal that the battle for Syria has shifted into the opposition's favor,” said Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center. “While we do not yet seem to be anywhere close to witnessing the actual collapse of the Assad regime, several important shifts have taken place inside and outside Syria that have induced the power shifts currently under way,” he wrote in a research paper. “We now find ourselves in a period of critical importance. Lingering dangers from al-Qaida and the haunting reality of IS' covert expansion into southern Syria present substantive threats to the balance of power between insurgents with a Syria-limited focus and those with far broader objectives in mind," he added. The offensive in Idlib comes at a time that tensions and disputes over tactics appear to be mounting between Assad’s army and the mainly Shite militia the National Defense Force. The Syrian government is coming under a redoubled offensive in the south and Turkey and Saudi Arabia last week announced a pact burying their differences over which militias should be supported, analysts say. No-fly zones Rebel commanders say their momentum in the North would be advanced, if the United States imposed a no-fly zone in northern Syria — something Khaled Khoja, leader of the Western-backed political opposition alliance the Syrian National Coalition, urged the Obama administration to do during talks last week in the U.S. But a senior U.S. State Department official told VOA on the condition of anonymity: “No-fly zones, safe havens, just are not happening.” One major factor pulling against any U.S.-enforced no-fly zone is the Obama administration’s concern of being dragged militarily into the conflict. And the emergence of the new alliance and its recent victories, despite the military opportunity presented, is making the administration more cautious. At least two U.S.-backed rebel brigades have been cooperating with the new alliance, although not part of the formal command and control structure. According to their commanders, U.S. officials have not asked them to back away yet from the new alliance — as happened with other moderate militias earlier this year who were deemed too close with Islamist brigades in Aleppo and Idlib. But the Obama administration remains highly skeptical that it can work with Jaish al-Fata, the State Department official said. “Jabhat al-Nusra is a designated terrorist organization, we are prevented by U.S. law from working with the group.” He added: “Aside from that, other militias in the Army of Conquest like Ahrar-Sham may not be designated terrorist organizations and we may consider them more gray, but it is a gray which is pretty close to black.” He said American officials are not in direct contact with the new military alliance’s leaders but indirectly they are via the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition. “We are in data-collection mode,” the official said. Rebel commanders express frustration with the U.S. position. “The U.S. should impose a no-fly zone if just to help the civilians who are being bombed by Assad,” says Abu Jaseem, commander of the First Regiment, a semi-autonomous militia within the Aleppo-based Liwa al Tawhid brigade. Last week, Pentagon officials told reporters in Washington that the first 400 volunteers have been vetted for a U.S.-backed force to fight the Islamic State. They said more than 3, 000 others have volunteered for the train-and-equip force and are currently being vetted. But there are still disputes between the Turkish government and Washington over the force’s role, when it is eventually formed. Turkish officials have said publicly they want the force to fight the Assad government as well as the jihadist Islamic State. And U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about what air cover the force will get from the United States when it is introduced into Syria. A senior U.S. administration official says a “safe corridor for the force to enter Syria is in the cards with U.S. warplanes ensuring the force doesn’t come under attack from Assad.” He asked not to be identified for this article as he does not have permission to talk with the media about Syria policy. Getting “train-and-equip” off the ground is not being helped by the emergence of the new military alliance in Idlib. Fighters who may have considered volunteering are more attracted to joining the military coalition in Idlib that is notching up victories, rebel commanders say. They also would prefer to be focusing on Assad. U.S. officials have acknowledged that getting the train-and-equip program off the ground has been a challenge. Most of those recruited so far come from eastern Syria, from villages the Islamic State overran last year.
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 Bloomberg |
Shrinking Russia Jet Fleet Threatens Airbus-Boeing Order Backlog
Bloomberg Russia's fleet of Airbus Group NV and Boeing Co. jets is shrinking for the first time in 15 years as carriers hand back leased aircraft -- raising the specter of a wave of order cancellations if the economy continues to stutter. The number of Boeing ... |
Акция "Бессмертный полк", похоже, переходит из рук в руки. Главный редактор еженедельника "Собеседник" о том, как отпраздновали 70-летний юбилей Победы. С чем к нему пришли, и с чем вышли. Ведущая Елена Рыковцева.
From Russia With Love: The Moscow-Ankara Energy Affair
Forbes Last week's deal between Turkey and Russia to launch the Turkish Stream gas pipeline by December 2016, may spell a new era in Turkey and Russia's energy and political relations. Coming just after a case brought by the EU Commission against Gazprom ... and more » |
Russian land forces will join troops from China, India, Mongolia and Belarus in a series of joint military training exercises during the second half of this year, President Vladimir Putin's office said Wednesday.
Evidence Mounts That Russia Supplied Buk Missiles To Ukraine Separatists by noreply@rferl.org (Robert Coalson)
Pro-Ukrainian citizen journalists have posted photographs they say document a massive Russian military convoy -- including Buk antiaircraft systems -- moving from Russia to Ukraine in June 2014, just weeks before a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine with the loss of nearly 300 lives.
 Financial Times |
Estonia ready to deal with Russia's 'little green men'
Financial Times If Russian agents or special forces enter Estonian territory, “you should shoot the first one to appear,” Gen Terras said. “If somebody without any military insignia commits terrorist attacks in your country you should shoot him ... you should not ... Anti-Russia Hysteria Prompts Baltic States to Depend Less on NATOSputnik International all 9 news articles » |
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The Iraqi Defense Ministry says the second-in-command of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group has been killed in a U.S.-led coalition air strike in the country's north.
Staunton, May 13 – Ten years ago today, the Uzbek security services opened fire with automatic weapons on a demonstration in Andijan (Andizhan), killing more than 500, arresting more than 200 and driving another 500 into emigration, first into Kyrgyzstan and then into Europe, Australia and the United States.
Tashkent continues to insist, and some governments and observers to accept, that it was facing an Islamist insurgency and thus was fully justified in using force to put it down, a position all independent investigations have shown to be so exaggerated that it constitutes an outright falsification — unless one believes that any actions by Muslims are by definition extremist.
(For background on what actually happened in Andijan, read the 2005 OSCE report here and for its continuing and spreading fallout, see the numerous reports listed here and here.)
But the failure of the international community to challenge the official Uzbek explanation of what happened ten years ago in Andijan not only has allowed Islam Karimov to increase repression at home and spread fear among Uzbek refugees abroad but also has contributed to the growth of real Islamist groups like ISIS across Central Asia.
That is because the extremists can plausibly and convincingly argue that there is no possibility for dialogue with regimes like Karimov’s and the only way forward is to use violence, a view that those who went into the streets in Andijan ten years ago did not have but that an increasing number of people in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia now do.
And thus those who are prepared to support authoritarian actions taken in the name of stability not only are harming the human rights of those who live under such regimes or are within the reach of their diplomatic representations abroad but also are doing more to spread Islamist radicalism and instability than ISIS or its allies could ever achieve on their own.
Those are some of the conclusions suggested by Alisher Ilkhamov, an Uzbek émigré in London and the author of one of the most comprehensive early reports on the Andijan violence, , in a comment to Fergana.com timed to coincide with this anniversary.
Ilkhamov says that he remains convinced that neither Akram Yuldashev nor the community around him were extremists, as the Uzbek authorities have insisted. Their doctrines were and remain directed to the gradual transformation of society rather than to the establishment of an Islamic state or Caliphate.
He suggests that most of the people involved have views that resemble European social democracy, although Ilkhamov points out that the teachings of the group stress socialism more than democracy. He adds that there is even “a definite resemblance” between this group and the Mormons.
The stress on gradualism reflects the repressive nature of the Uzbek state, he suggests, and the stress on social issues reflects the anger many of those who were involved with the Andijan events feel about the massive corruption that they and other Uzbeks encounter in their daily lives.
Ilkhamov cites with approval the conclusions of Sarah Chayses’ new book, “Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security” (NY: Norton, 2015) and in particular the entire chapter she devotes to the way in which corruption played a key role in the Andijan protests of 2005, prompting Tashkent to defend itself by accusing the group of Islamist extremism.
Those who remain in Andijan and in Uzbekistan more generally are victims of Karimov’s corrupt and repressive regime. Many are afraid to speak out lest they be subject to persecution. But tragically, even those who have fled abroad have not been able to entirely escape the long arm of Tashkent.
Some who fled have become more political at least to the extent of issuing reports and cooperating with other Uzbeks. But many who want to return home or who have relatives there have been effectively depoliticized out of fears that anything they say could have consequences for their relatives and friends at home.
Immediately after the Andijan massacre, “Uzbek embassies and special services began active work, acting according to the principle of carrots and sticks to seek to neutralize the influence” of those who had been involved in the protests and who then fled abroad, Ilkhamov writes.
Tashkent has had some success. In the US, it managed to get 53 people to agree to return, providing them with money and tickets. But this effort was clouded by the fact that two who did so died in mysterious circumstances just before leaving, many who went could not find work, and some were sent to prison. Seventeen members of this group then fled to Kazakhstan.
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Russian Suspects In Koran Burning Said To Be Neo-Nazisby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL)
A lawyer for a man accused of burning a copy of the Koran in Russia says that the suspects in the case are believed to be members of a neo-Nazi group that authorities have blamed for several killings and other crimes against ethnic minorities.
Night Wolves Biker Gang Gets Crimean Giftby noreply@rferl.org (Crimean Desk, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
A Russian nationalist biker gang has been awarded a free plot of the land taken from Ukraine.
A Swedish peace organisation explains why it has installed an underwater 'Singing Sailor' sign sending out a Morse code that says - 'this way if you are gay'. The Swedish peace and arbitration society (Spas) say they hope the subsurface sonar system will deter future submarine incursions in Swedish waters, such as the one last autumn that triggered the country's biggest military mobilisation since the Cold War Continue reading...
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