France's Hollande Begins Historic Visit to Cuba
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French President Francois Hollande arrived in Cuba late Sunday, becoming the first French head of state to visit the communist nation.
President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland and his challenger, Andrzej Duda of the Law and Justice party, spoke after a combination of exit polls and early ballot counts pointed to a runoff.
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Национальная неделя полиции в США by golosamerikius
Она посвящена стражам порядка, погибшим при исполнении обязанностей, и тем, кто ежедневно рискует своей жизнью
Originally published at - http://www.golos-ameriki.ru/media/video/us-police-week/2763091.html
Beijing Lends Billions To Minskby noreply@rferl.org (RFE/RL's Belarus Service)
China has agreed to lend about $7 billion to Belarus through credit lines set to open this month.
 USA TODAY |
Kerry heads to Russia to hold talks about Ukraine
USA TODAY Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for talks on Ukraine, amid damaged relations between Moscow and Washington, the State Department said Monday. Kerry will also meet with his Russian ... John Kerry and Vladimir Putin to Hold Talks in RussiaTIME Kerry to Meet With Putin in Russia on TuesdayWall Street Journal Kerry set to meet Putin in first visit to Russia since start of Ukraine crisisThe Guardian Pew Research Center -U.S. News & World Report all 1,102 news articles » |
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Chechen Teen Marriage Scandal Highlights Kadyrov's Insecurities, Analysts Say by By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber
The Kremlin-appointed leader, whose page on the popular photo-sharing network boasts about one million followers, regularly posts snapshots and video clips touting his athletic prowess, sharing endearing family moments and documenting various milestones of a man broadly credited with having rebuilt a republic that was all but destroyed by civil unrest and two bloody wars.
US-Turkish Pact Could Slow ‘Jihadist Highway’by webdesk@voanews.com (Dorian Jones)
Washington and Ankara are close to signing a security deal to improve cooperation in stemming the threat of groups like the Islamic State (IS). In the face of strong criticism from its allies, Ankara has in the past few weeks stepped up its efforts to stop would-be jihadists from entering Syria to join the ranks of IS. But doubts remain over Ankara’s priorities. The proposed security deal between Washington and Ankara, according to U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass, is aimed at improving cooperation and information-sharing between the two countries' security forces in the battle against the IS. Ankara has faced criticism from the media and even its allies that it has allowed the country to become a "jihadist highway" to Syria. Such accusations have been staunchly denied by the Turkish government, which in turn has blamed its allies for failing to stop jihadists from leaving their home countries. But diplomatic columnist Semih Idiz of Taraf newspaper and Al Monitor website says in the past few months Ankara has appeared to change policy, by stepping up the arrest and deportation of would be jihadists. "If you ask Turkish officials, they will say, 'it's the same all along.' But I do think there is a change. I think initially they started off [with a] slight blind eye to groups like al-Nusra, assuming that these would get rid of Assad," According to reports, one of the key parts of the planned security deal is to improve intelligence sharing. Ankara has repeatedly complained of the failure of its allies to provide timely information of would-be jihadists heading to Turkey. Despite the growing number of jihadist detentions and subsequent deportations, which have been widely publicized by Turkish authorities, suspicions remain over Ankara’s commitment to cracking down on IS, says Soli Ozel, who teaches international relations at Istanbul’s Kadir Has University. "Turkey is doing a lot more than it did before, but there was this piece of news in The New York Times about fertilizer that can be used as explosives being freely sent to IS-held territories. So obviously this is not very stringent embargoing against IS at all,” said Ozel. “I don't think IS is [Turkey’s] priority. I still think there is [a] difference between the Turkish [and] American approach. I am not sure it can bridged soon," added he. Disagreement over who’s the problem Ankara remains critical of Washington over its priority in fighting the Islamic State, arguing the source of instability in the region is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The dispute has hampered the U.S.-backed project of training Syrian rebels to fight IS. Under an agreement signed in February, Ankara committed itself to hosting and helping to train and equip around 3,000 fighters. But the program was repeatedly delayed, reportedly over Ankara’s insistence the fighters should be used to fight Assad government forces as well as IS, or Daesh as it is sometimes called. When U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken was asked at a news briefing Friday about the apparent impasse, he continued to stress the importance of Turkey. "Turkey is a critical partner in that effort, and what we are seeing is very close collaboration across the board in trying to deal with the threat posed by Daesh," said Blinken. Observers say the importance of the proposed security deal could be as much psychological as well as practical by seeking to put U.S.-Turkish relations on a better footing. Diplomatic columnist Idiz says the ill feeling over differences of approach towards the region threatens to overshadow the important role Turkey can still play in supporting U.S. policy in the region. "This kind of talk is not very fruitful as far as the American side is concerned, too. Because there is a certain element of cooperation that is going on already. And this re-enforcing of ties will create an atmosphere that the two allies are working together again. This does not mean the two countries [will engage] in joint military operations in Syria or establish [a] buffer zone there that Turkey wants there. But I think it will probably mean base facilities enabling drone flights and defining these," says Idiz. Critics on both sides are likely to argue that the security agreement will not address the deep differences over policy towards Syria and the battle against the Islamic State. But if the deal can facilitate greater cooperation in areas of the agreement, observers say that will help reduce any bilateral suspicions and tensions in region.
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Syria, Iran and Ukraine Top Agenda for Kerry's Russian Meetings by webdesk@voanews.com (Mike Eckel)
The last time U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was two years ago to announce an international conference aimed at stemming the spiraling bloodshed in Syria. Fast forward to Tuesday, when Kerry is scheduled to meet with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss Syria’s continuing misery. Iran is also on the agenda, U.S. officials said, as is Ukraine. Putin may be persona non grata in many Western capitals these days thanks to the annexation of Crimea and the Russian-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Still, there’s no getting around the fact that Moscow’s influence, while diminished from Soviet days, is still important for many of the world’s tangled problems, analysts said. “This is a recognition that Russia still has a major role to play in these” places, said Angela Stent, a former National Intelligence Council officer who now teaches at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. “We may not get full cooperation, but we at least want Russia to not obstruct on these issues.” The announcement that Kerry would meet with Putin came from the U.S. State Department on Monday morning. “This trip is part of our ongoing effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed,” the statement said. Notably, there was no Kremlin announcement about whether Putin would in fact meet the U.S. diplomat. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement published Monday in Russian, mentioned only the meeting with Lavrov, to take place in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, and made an effort to swipe at the United States. “At the current time, Russian-American relations are experiencing a difficult period, caused by the purposefully unfriendly actions of Washington,” the ministry said. Isolation and Sanctions For the past year, where Russia’s been concerned, isolation and sanctions have been the order of the day for the United States and the European Union to punish the Kremlin for its actions in Ukraine. Washington and its European allies very publicly snubbed Putin this weekend by not sending leaders to Moscow for the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Yet, one day after Red Square was filled with thousands of marching soldiers, advanced weaponry and triumphant rhetoric, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Moscow meeting with Putin, scolding him for “the criminal and illegal annexation of Crimea and the warfare in eastern Ukraine [which] has led to a serious setback for this cooperation.” From Washington’s side, Syria’s chaos may offer one way to rekindle cooperation. The civil war, now in its fourth year, grinds on, with a death toll surpassing 220,000, according to United Nations estimates, and hundreds of thousands of refugees. The conflict continues to pull in radical Islamic fighters and fuels the Islamic State militant group that holds swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. The Kremlin’s patronage for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also continues, with Russia eager to retain access to the Mediterranean port of Tartus for its naval vessels. Moscow fears that the battle-hardened Chechen fighters who have helped fuel the Islamic State’s advances will return to restart the now-dormant insurgency in Russia’s North Caucasus. Add to the calculus Iran, which is both a stalwart backer of Assad and a fickle ally of Moscow. Russia has supplied lucrative nuclear technology to Tehran and recently announced the sale of advanced S-300 air defense missiles. If anything, Kerry’s visit may signal new momentum for a political resolution, particularly if the Russians push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to agree to some power sharing arrangement with the opposition, said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, a think-tank in Qatar. “The Russians have been at it for a while,” Shaikh said. Kerry’s meeting “is an indication that the United States is getting more serious about a diplomatic track, and it’s timely. “It may be a small glimmer, but it’s the basis to have a small conversation, and I do believe that Russians have been pressuring the Assad regime to allow some sort of power sharing,” he said. Russia-US Cooperation Even before the crisis in Ukraine erupted last year, Washington’s ties with Russia had been moving away from the “reset” that the Obama administration had sought in the wake of the 2008 Russian-Georgia war. At the same time, both U.S. and Russian officials emphasized overlapping interests: fighting terrorism and Islamic extremism; preventing nuclear proliferation; stemming the illegal drug trade. Syria’s misery brought the two sides closer: Washington and Moscow collaborated to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. Kerry's meeting with Putin in Moscow two years ago was to announce an international conference to try to end the war. The conference, held in February 2014, ended up foundering over the issue of whether a transitional administration in Syria would include Assad. Syria aside, Monday’s meeting may be a broader effort to reestablish working communication since bilateral ties have been driven to a dangerous low by Ukraine, said Thomas Graham, a former Russia officer with the U.S. National Security Council. Kerry is likely bringing some sort of message— oral or written— from Obama, to be conveyed to Putin, Graham said. It’s also significant that the meeting comes two days after Merkel met with Putin, he said. “Look, you have to talk to other countries even if you have serious issues with them,” said Graham, now managing director at Kissinger Associates, a New York-based consultancy group. “How are you going manage this relationship if you’re not talking to the Russians when everyone else is talking to them?” “A normal relationship doesn’t mean that you agree on everything,” he said. In the end, Kerry’s meeting likely signals pragmatism on the part of the Obama administration, analysts said. The Kremlin is looking for a way to move forward from Ukraine and re-engage with the White House. Cooperating on Syria and Iran benefits both sides, and it provides the Obama administration badly need help in untangling nettlesome foreign policy crises. “We’ve always said we’re open to an off ramp,” Stent said. “I guess this does qualify as an off ramp.”
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 Комсомольская правда |
Арестованного бен Ладена продали американцам за 25 миллионов долларов
Комсомольская правда Одна из самых знаменитых и успешных спецопераций ЦРУ – уничтожение главы террористической организации «Аль-Каида» Усамы бен Ладена, похоже, стала самой загадочной в 21 веке. По крайней мере официальная версия о доблестных американских спецслужбах, выследивших ... Власти США исказили обстоятельства смерти лидера Аль-Каиды Усама бен Ладена, заверяет известный американский журналист Сеймур ХершРадиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ Журналист обвинил власти США во лжи о смерти бин ЛаденаСлавянка Инфо СМИ: США исказили данные о смерти бен ЛаденаКоммерсантъ РЫБИНСКonLine -Globalural.com Все похожие статьи: 41 » |
Four months after Ramzan Kadyrov called Mikhail Khodorkovsky his personal enemy, the feud between the two men is intensifying.
Obama's Pick to be US Ambassador to Somalia Withdrawsby webdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press)
President Barack Obama's pick to be the first American ambassador to Somalia in nearly 25 years has withdrawn her nomination, the White House told lawmakers on Monday, an unexpected suspension in U.S. plans to deepen ties with the African nation plagued by violence and instability. An administration official said Katherine Simonds Dhanani, a career diplomat with experience serving across Africa, turned down the nomination for personal reasons and that Obama will have to find another candidate. The official spoke on a condition of anonymity without authorization to speak on the record. The U.S. Embassy closed in 1991 when Somalia's government collapsed in civil war, prompting the deployment of a U.S.-led U.N. peacekeeping mission. American troops withdrew from Somalia in 1994, months after the humiliating “Black Hawk Down” debacle when Somali militiamen shot down two U.S. helicopters. Eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed in the battle, which marked the beginning of the end of that U.S. military mission to bring stability. Last week, John Kerry became the first secretary of state to visit Somalia. He cast the move toward restoring the ambassadorship as “recognition of the progress made and the promise to come.” “I look forward, as does the president, to the day when both the United States and Somalia have full-fledged missions in each other's capital city,” Kerry said in a video message to the Somali people in connection with his historic, albeit brief, stopover in the country. Somalia has been without a truly functioning, nationwide government for two-and-a-half decades and has become infamous for its high rates of violence and the proliferation of pirates operating off its coasts. The current government continues to battle the al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabab militant group, which has staged attacks around east Africa and recently threatened shopping malls in the United States and other Western nations. Security began improving earlier this decade as international efforts against al-Shabab gained ground, and the U.S. has been working to help Somalia move toward democracy and economic development. Still, al-Shabab continues to wage a deadly insurgency against Somalia's government and remains a threat in Somalia and the East African region. The State Department had planned to post Dhanani, who was awaiting Senate confirmation after being nominated in February, in neighboring Kenya until security conditions would permit the embassy in the Somali capital of Mogadishu to reopen.
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NSA Chief Speaks Out on Surveillanceby webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
The United States must create a framework for mass data collection that can quickly yield insights while still protecting citizens’ privacy, the nation’s cyber chief said Monday. Michael Rogers, who heads both the National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command, said such a framework is vital to identifying and heading off terrorist activities. "What concerns me the most is timely access to data, because if we are going to generate outcomes in a process that takes weeks and months, it doesn't really generate the kind of value we need," said Rogers, a U.S. Navy admiral. "We need to come up with a process that lets us generate insights and access the data in a much quicker time frame," he was quoted by AFP. Rogers’ comments, at a cybersecurity forum at the George Washington University in Washington, were his first since a federal appeals court ruled last Thursday that NSA's bulk collection of telephone records is illegal. The ruling adds urgency to congressional reforms of surveillance undertaken through the Patriot Act, legislation set to expires June 1. The massive surveillance effort, exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, also has angered some of America’s European allies who were subjected to scrutiny. Last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill that would extend the controversial surveillance authority through 2020. Proponents believe the screening enables the discovery of potential terrorist activity. President Barack Obama has proposed that the government no longer collect telephone records, but that the records should be held by private telephone companies. The government would be able to query individual phone numbers upon the order of a special court. "It just can't be the government doing this all by itself" because the number of threats has never been greater, Rogers said. "Cyber is a great equalizer ... to achieve capability in cyber doesn't take billions of dollars." There’s no easy answer to balancing rights versus safety, the NSA chief said. "Information is increasingly becoming a weapon ... leading to a loss of life." He also called for more sharing of information between government and industry about cybersecurity threats.
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 Зеркало недели |
СМИ опубликовали выдержки из доклада Немцова о войне
Газета.Ru Доклад Бориса Немцова «Путин. Война», который политик готовил вплоть до своего убийства в Москве, попал в распоряжение РБК. Как отмечается, доклад «Путин. Война» — это 64-страничное исследование, объединившее в себе свидетельства, публиковавшиеся ранее в СМИ, ... Немцов узнал о 70 погибших российских военных под ДебальцевоРБК Соратники Бориса Немцова закончили его делоКоммерсантъ Под Дебальцево погибли 70 российских военных – доклад НемцоваСЕГОДНЯ Радиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ Все похожие статьи: 54 » |
Challenger Wins 1st Round Polish Presidential Poll; Runoff May 24 by webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News)
Official results in Poland's first round of presidential elections confirm that previously unknown challenger Andrzej Duda narrowly won Sunday's polls over incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski Final results, released late Monday, show the challenger with just under 35 percent of the vote, to Komorowski's nearly 34 percent. The two now face a runoff vote May 24. Analysts are describing Duda's win as one of the biggest shocks in Polish politics in recent years, given that pre-election surveys signaled a relatively easy win for the incumbent. Former punk rock musician Pawel Kukiz finished third Sunday with nearly 21 percent of the vote. Analysts are describing that strong and unexpected showing as a reflection of voter dissatisfaction with the way the country is faring under the incumbent's economically liberal and socially centrist Civic Platform Party. Kukiz campaigned on promises to introduce single member constituencies to replace the current party list system, claiming that individual candidates rather than party slates would be more transparent and responsive to voter concerns. On Monday, the campaigns of both Komorowski and Duda began wooing Kukiz supporters with promises to back changes in rules that govern how parliamentary elections are conducted.
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Officials from the two countries sought to pre-empt Russian claims of provocation in Operation Noble Partner, in which 600 troops will participate.
Kerry, Seeking Answers on Conflict in Syria, to Meet With Putinby By MICHAEL R. GORDON
The meeting represents a new attempt by the Obama administration to pursue a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Bloomberg |
Putin's Tanks Draw Cheers in Russian City Jammed Between NATO Nations
Bloomberg Tanks and ballistic missiles lumbered past thousands of spectators gathered in Kaliningrad on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe, an historic triumph forRussia that the Kremlin has used to whip up a new nationalist ... and more » |
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Yahoo News |
NATO: Russia has equipped Ukraine rebels to attack at short notice
Yahoo News BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO's chief said on Monday that Russia had built up forces on the border with Ukraine and sent more military hardware into eastern Ukraine, enabling pro-Russiaseparatists to launch attacks with little warning if they chose. NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg Says Russia Has Violated Ukraine Cease-fireWall Street Journal Ukraine Rebels Equipped By Russia to Launch Attack With Little Warning: NATONewsweek Nato kicks out Russian spies but revives Kremlin hotline amid Ukraine tensionsThe Guardian all 70 news articles » |
RT |
US Secretary of State Kerry traveling to Russia, set to meet Lavrov
RT Russia's Foreign Ministry said that Moscow is ready for the dialogue with Washington. Russia is "open for cooperation [with the US] on the basis of equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and taking Russian interests into account without ... Kerry heads to Russia to hold talks about UkraineUSA TODAY Kerry to Meet With Putin in Russia on TuesdayWall Street Journal John Kerry and Vladimir Putin to Hold Talks in RussiaTIME The Guardian- Bloomberg-The Atlantic all 1,114 news articles » |
TIME |
What's Behind the Russia-China Cyber Deal
TIME Should we be worried about the new Internet security pact between China and Russia? By Cyrus Farivar in Ars Technica. 2. Here's a roadmap for building an innovation ecosystem in Africa. By Jean Claude Bastos de Morais in IT News Africa. 3. What if junk ... |
Forbes |
As Russia's Stock Market Soars, Ukraine Stuck In 'Frozen Conflict'
Forbes If this heats up, the stock market boom that has Russia outperforming the world will be revalued in short order. The Market Vectors Russia (RSX) exchange traded fund is up 38.35% year-to-date in dollar terms. The Micex in Moscow is up 22.3%. Over the ... and more » |
Los Angeles Times |
China, Russia join forces for joint naval maneuvers in Mediterranean
Los Angeles Times Neither Russia nor China has one inch of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea, which made their decision to hold their first joint naval maneuvers in Europe's backyard all the more provocative, a pointed demonstration to the West of the global reach of a ... China-Russia drills in Med show shifting strategiesBBC News Russia-China clinch tightens with joint navy exercises in MediterraneanTelegraph.co.uk China invites Russian troops to second world war parade in BeijingThe Guardian Defense One -International Business Times all 72 news articles » |
Business Insider Australia |
US and Georgia Start Military Exercise Criticized by Russia
New York Times “If Russia were a normal country, it wouldn't be concerned by 300 guys and a bunch of Bradleys,” said Davit Bakradze, a former chairman of Georgia's Parliament and now an opposition politician, who was at Monday's ceremony. “But they think of Georgia ... The US is practicing military drills in Russia's backyardBusiness Insider Australia all 23 news articles » |
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Infotainment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Infotainment is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of information and ...
Battle Tested, Ukraine Troops Now Get U.S. Basic Trainingby By ANDREW E. KRAMER
After months on the front lines, Ukrainian National Guard members are being trained in basic skills as- Get link
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