Tourists Held in China Over Terror Video Say They Watched Genghis Khan Film
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Nine foreign tourists detained by Chinese authorities for allegedly watching terror propaganda videos were merely viewing a BBC documentary on the ancient Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan, a spokesman for two of the travelers said.
Havana will raise its flag over a limestone mansion in Washington on Monday and officially reopen its U.S. Embassy.
Iran’s adversarial relationship with the U.S. won’t change because of the nuclear deal it reached with six world powers, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
The Klan is protesting over the Confederate flag's removal in South Carolina, as black activists highlight racial inequality.
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, says Iran will continue to oppose the US and it's foreign policy, regardless of the results of ongoing nuclear talks. The leader also withheld his judgement on the deal. Khamenei led Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Imam Khomenei in the capital Tehrani in a state TV broadcast on Saturday Continue reading...
 ABC News |
Drones Delay Efforts to Fight North Fire in Southern California
ABC News Efforts to battle a fast-moving wildfire that swept across a Southern California freeway -- destroying more than a dozen vehicles and sending motorists scampering to safety -- were delayed because of five drones flying in the area. Firefighting planes ... and more » |
Progress Seen in Stemming Flow of Foreign Fighters to ISby webdesk@voanews.com (Jeff Seldin)
Efforts to stem the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria may be starting to have impact, though there are concerns some would-be jihadists are now looking to join the battle elsewhere. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said this week that an estimated 25,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries had traveled to take part in the conflict, including more than 4,500 from Western countries. Both numbers are up from the previous estimates, released in March,...
UN: Victims of ISIS Abuse Need Supportby webdesk@voanews.com (Margaret Besheer)
The U.N. envoy fighting sexual violence in conflict is warning girls thinking of joining the self-proclaimed Islamic State militant group that it is a “one-way ticket” and the biggest mistake of their lives. In an interview with VOA’s United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer, Zainab Hawa Bangura spoke of meeting women and girls who have survived unspeakable abuses at the hands of ISIS fighters.
Russia's Stake in Iran Nuclear Dealby webdesk@voanews.com (Jonas Bernstein)
U.S. President Barack Obama said Russia was a "help" in securing the deal to limit Iran's nuclear program. In addition to that praise, printed in the New York Times, Obama talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone Wednesday, thanking Putin for Russia's role in the negotiations. Simon Saradzhyan, a researcher at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, said Obama was underestimating the role Russia played in securing the agreement. For starters,...
One octopus may signal its intent to fight with changes in color and posture.
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 The Indian Express |
In phone call, Netanyahu and Abbas express peace wishes
Washington Post JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have spoken by phone, a rare exchange amid years of paralyzed peace efforts. Netanyahu's office says the Israeli leader wished Abbas a happy Eid ... In rare gesture, Benjamin Netanyahu phones Mahmud Abbas, wishes him happy ...The Indian Express Netanyahu Wishes Abbas Happy Eid, Speaks of PeaceOutlook Israel: Netanyahu and Abbas Talk by Phone After YearNew York Times all 32 news articles » |
 Dispatch Times |
Donald Trump to address Arkansas GOP
Dispatch Times Donald Trump leads the Republican presidential field in a new Fox News poll released on Friday morning with 18 percent support. Indeed, it is always invigorating to hear someone say the things you've been thinking or feeling, maybe just a little, but ... What's Donald Trump's plan for undocumented immigrants living in America? It's ...Washington Post (blog) Donald Trump: Downgraded, Compared to the Kardashians by HuffPoRapid News Network Immigrants group decries Trump visitArkansas Online New York Times-Salina.com all 2 news articles » |
Hindu Business Line |
Ayatollah Khamenei, Backing Iran Negotiators, Doesn't Fault Nuclear Deal
New York Times TEHRAN — In his first speech since his country's nuclear agreement with world powers was announced, the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, voiced support for the negotiators and did not criticize any details of the agreement. Speaking on ... Nuclear deal doesn't mean aligning with Iran: UK PM CameronHindustan Times Iran leader vows opposition to US despite nuclear dealeuronews Iran's Stance Toward US 'Won't Change'RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty The Straits Times all 356 news articles » |
 Los Angeles Times |
More than half of new driver's licenses go to immigrants in US illegally
Los Angeles Times More than half the new driver's licenses issued in California during the first six months of the year have gone to immigrants in the country illegally, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reported Friday. lRelated Black Caucus members seek name ... Most new California licenses go to drivers in US illegally Paradise Post all 69 Inland Empire News all 20 news articles » |
The three young Yazidi women were abused on a regular basis including being tied up, gang raped and burnt with cigarettes. They have given a talk in London to dissuade young Muslims from joining ISIS.
Divorce papers obtained by Daily Mail Online show that Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez's father Youssuf was accused of abuse and violence by his wife who tried to divorce him.
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al-Baghdadi is said to have sent a letter to all of his media offices saying they were no longer allowed to show graphic, violent scenes in the depraved videos they have become famous for.
Kafka’s tale of a man who wakes to find he has changed into a giant insect still has the power to shock and delight a century after it was first published. Many regard it as the greatest short story in all literary fiction
1. What need a modern reader know of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung) – arguably the most famous, also greatest, short story in the history of literary fiction?
2. Of its stature, for example, Elias Canetti wrote that the story was something Kafka “could never surpass, because there is nothing which Metamorphosis could be surpassed by”. As endorsements go, the bar could not be set higher.
Continue reading...
Supreme leader says in televised speech that US policy in the Middle East not in line with Tehran’s strategy, but says further talks may be possible in future
Iran’s supreme leader said on Saturday that the historic nuclear deal with world powers struck this week would not change Iran’s policy towards the United States.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech that US policy in the Middle East was not in line with Tehran’s strategy. Iran would continue to support its allies in the Middle East including the Lebanese Hezbollah, Palestinian resistance groups and the Syrian government, he said.
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Like so much of American culture with African slave roots, the early Klan history is conveniently forgotten
Why do the Ku Klux Klan wear white robes that look like bedsheets? We have been told that this silly uniform used to represent ghosts of the Confederate dead, but that’s not the whole story. The Klan’s hooded masks are one of the most warped cases of cultural appropriation in American history.
Across the Southern Black Belt – named for the extent of cotton cultivation and a black majority – different masking traditions survived the suppression of African cultures and spiritual traditions. FromJohn Canoe in Virginia and North Carolina to Christmas masquerades and Mardi Gras celebrations along the Gulf of Mexico and lower Mississippi Valley, African Americans preserved hooded colorful costumes in imitation of those found along the coasts of West Africa.
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19 police officers accused of downgrading or misreporting crimes, making precinct seem safer
 USA TODAY |
Saudi Arabia consents to nuclear deal with Iran
Fox News Latino Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir met Friday with President Barack Obama to discuss security in the Middle East and the nuclear accord with Iran, the White House said. The Saudi representative welcomed the agreement reached by the United States ... Obama, Saudi foreign minister welcome Iran nuclear dealReuters Obama meets with Saudi diplomat amid gulf qualms over IranChicago Tribune Obama meets with Saudi foreign minister about Iran dealCBS News The Guardian -Fox News -NPR all 342 news articles » |
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CBS News |
Obama meets with Saudi foreign minister about Iran deal
CBS News Last Updated Jul 17, 2015 2:20 PM EDT. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir met with President Obama Friday at the White House to talk about the Iran nuclear agreement. It was the president's first meeting with a key Arab ally since the six-nation ... Barack Obama meets with Saudi minister to discuss landmark Iran dealThe Guardian How the Iran Nuclear Deal Stands to Inflame US-Saudi TensionsWall Street Journal (blog) White house says Saudi King requested Obama meeting with Saudi ministerReuters seattlepi.com -Voice of America all 295 news articles » |
 Fox News |
Republicans fuming over UN voting on Iran deal before Congress
Fox News Republican lawmakers are fuming that the Obama administration is asking the U.N. Security Council to endorse the newly struck Iran nuclear deal before Congress gets a chance to have its say. A vote on the agreement before the Security Council already ... White House: Congressional vote against Iran nuclear deal would be 'devastating'Washington Times Morning BitsWashington Post (blog) Our next Iranian challenge: David IgnatiusOregonLive.com all 114 news articles » |
Andy Burnham: men convicted for being gay should get automatic pardons by Patrick Wintour Political editor
Labour leadership contender’s proposal would mean up to 50,000 convictions for acts that would be not be illegal today could be quashed
An automatic legal pardon should be given to all men convicted under historical homosexuality laws without the need for families or individuals to apply to the government, the Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham has proposed. His pledge, following consultation with Sir Keir Starmer, the former director of public prosecutions and current Labour MP, means it would be possible to quash up to 50,000 convictions for acts that would be not be illegal today.
Burnham, who currently shares roughly the same number of constituency nominations as Jeremy Corbyn, said he will press prime minister David Cameron to make a relatively simple change to the law, but if he does not do so, it would form part of the first legislative programme of a Burnham-led government. The move comes two years after the royal pardon granted to second world war codebreaker Alan Turing.
Continue reading...Questions Surround Kyrgyz Counterterrorism Raidby support@pangea-cms.com (Bruce Pannier)
Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) is crediting itself with having headed off two terrorist attacks in and near the capital, Bishkek, that could have resulted in mass casualties.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian Kurdish militia said on Saturday the Islamic State jihadist group had used poison gas in attacks in late June in northeastern Syria.
Hackers accessed servers at UCLA's hospital system, records on 4.5 million people put at risk
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A 120-millimeter mortar shell struck fortifications at a Kurdish military position near Mosul Dam in June, causing several Kurdish fighters near where it landed to become ill.
Homeland Security Chair: Chattanooga Shooting 'ISIS-inspired'by webdesk@voanews.com (Cindy Saine)
Members of Congress have expressed emotional reactions to Thursday's shooting at two military facilities in the southern city of Chattanooga, Tennessee that left four U.S. Marines dead an one U.S. sailor wounded. A number of lawmakers, including Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Minority leader Nancy Pelosi say that no U.S. servicemember should ever have to face violence on U.S. soil. Many lawmakers offered their prayers and condolences to the victims' families and to survivors of the attacks. McCaul: 'ISIS-inspired attack' House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul held a news conference during a previously scheduled visit to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. McCaul told reporters the investigation is still ongoing, but he said, based on his judgment, the Chattanooga murders were inspired by the self-proclaimed Islamic State. McCaul said terrorists based in Syria send out directives through social media to people in the United States, calling on them to attack U.S. military personnel and law enforcement officials. McCaul said there are are investigations into Islamic State-related incidents going on in all 50 U.S. states, and that the terrorist ideology is "permeating society." McCaul said the United States needs to do more to counter the terrorist message. He is sponsoring legislation in Congress to create a new federal agency to counter violent extremism on U.S. soil. McCain: military personnel need protection Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said the attack is "a heartbreaking reminder that our men and women in uniform can be targets here at home, as they often are abroad." He added, "Long before the Chattanooga attack, we had been working to clarify a post commander’s authority to allow carrying of personal firearms." McCain said U.S. servicemembers in the United States should be able to carry a gun to defend themselves, and that he will work to make that happen. Other Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates said that guns should be allowed in military recruitment centers. Army Chief of Staff Gerneral Ray Odierno told reporters Friday that the Army is reviewing security at military recruiting centers. He said it was too soon to say whether the facilities need security guards or other protection, and he warned that arming troops in those offices could cause more problems than it might solve.
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Prosecutors: Islamic State Ordered Failed Attack on Franceby webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)
A thwarted attack on military targets in France attempted by three suspects currently in detention followed an order made by a Syria-based member of Islamic State, French prosecutors said in a statement on Friday. It said the three suspects were now being investigated on charges of preparing a terrorist act. French authorities said this week they had arrested individuals suspected of preparing an attack in January 2016 involving the beheading of a senior military official in the south of France.
 NEWSru.com |
Андерс Брейвик поступил в Университет Осло
РБК Он будет проходить обучение, оставаясь в одиночной камере. «Он отвечает требованиям приема. Мы придерживаемся наших правил, и он будет допущен», — заявил агентству ректор Университета Осло Оле Петтер Оттерсен. Он отметил, что заключенные имеют право обучаться до ... Норвежского террориста Андерса Брейвика приняли на обучение в университет ОслоРадиостанция ЭХО МОСКВЫ Брейвик станет политологом, не выходя из тюрьмыПравда.Ру Террорист Брейвик поступил в университет на политологаКомсомольская правда Вести.Ru Все похожие статьи: 63 » |
 День |
Ярош созвал «Правый сектор» на экстренный съезд в Киев
Газета.Ru Лидер «Правого сектора» Дмитрий Ярош созвал членов организации на экстренный съезд в Киев. Об этом сообщается на сайте телепрограммы «Подробности». «Те акции, которые проходят сейчас, будут продолжаться в другой форме, мы инициируем проведение чрезвычайного ... Ярош: нужно говорить об отставке президента УкраиныРИА Новости Ярош заявил, что «Правый сектор» будет защищать своих бойцовBFM.Ru Ярош хочет амнистию для мукачевских бойцов в обмен на вступление "Правого сектора" в ряды армииУНИАН Московский комсомолец -Взгляд -СЕГОДНЯ Все похожие статьи: 128 » |
Racism in US Harder to Spot, Even Harder to Combatby webdesk@voanews.com (Carolyn Presutti)
In the 21st century, extreme bigotry – once expressed openly at events like Ku Klux Klan rallies – can often go unseen. “We moved from a very overt kind of racism to covert racism, which is dangerous and insidious because it’s harder to call it out, and it’s harder to acknowledge it, and it’s easier not to acknowledge it," said University of Maryland sociologist Kris Marsh. The Internet offers those with extremist views a largely unmoderated place to vent their hate. On websites and social media, people rail anonymously against blacks, Asians, Hispanics, the government, Jews, and more. But sometimes that hatred goes beyond angry text on a screen, occasionally with tragic consequences. Dylann Roof, the man who police say gunned down nine black parishioners in a Charleston, South Carolina church last month allegedly posted a racist manifesto online. In it, he describes reading about “black on white crime” on the website of a white supremacist group. “I have never been the same since that day,” Roof wrote. Experts say the web helps extremists find others who share their views, and that can reinforce and even motivate them. “There are very few things that are more powerful than having people tell you they agree with what you believe or your worldview,” said J.M Berger, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who has written extensively on extremists and their use of social media. But even those who subscribe to those radical views may not know when someone is likely to go from online ranting to real life violence. “I’ve seen members of supremacist groups say, for example, 'we can’t just tell one nut who is ranting and raging on the internet from one nut who will pick up a gun the next day and go and kill someone',” said former FBI profiler Clint van Zandt. Changing the conversation Elyssa Morris, who grew up in a multicultural environment, said one solution is to get people to leave those online spaces where everyone shares a similar point of view. “If they stopped sitting behind their screens and started talking and got out there and were really open to seeing the world, maybe they would have different views,” she said. Cornell Brooks, the president of the NAACP, the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization, said racism must also be fought at institutional levels of U.S. society “It’s not enough for us to talk at a kind of grand theory level. We have to get down to a level of battles,” he said. “How to address bias or bigotry in the school system. What specific ways can we address that? What specific ways can we address employment challenges?” In his eulogy for one of those slain in the June 17 massacre at the Charleston church, President Barack Obama said that race relations will not improve “overnight” no matter what solutions are discussed and proposed. “People of goodwill will continue to debate the merits of various policies, as our democracy requires -- this is a big, raucous place, America is,” he said. “And there are good people on both sides of these debates. Whatever solutions we find will necessarily be incomplete.”
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Media Feature
July 17, 2015
Belfer Center Programs or Projects: The US-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism
Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for July 10-17, 2015
I. U.S. and Russian priorities for the bilateral agenda.
Nuclear security agenda:
- No significant developments.
Iran nuclear issues:
- The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote for first thing Monday morning on a resolution endorsing the Iran nuclear deal. (CBC News, 07.17.15).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 17 held a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council, his press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. "[The attendees] touched upon the subject of the Iranian nuclear dossier and emphasized once again that the finalizing of the agreement became possible largely thanks to the leading role and constructive position of the U.S.," Peskov said. (Interfax, 07.17.15).
- Asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin of Russia was a help or a hindrance in concluding this deal, U.S. President Barack Obama said: “Russia was a help on this. I’ll be honest with you. I was not sure given the strong differences we are having with Russia right now around Ukraine, whether this would sustain itself. Putin and the Russian government compartmentalized on this in a way that surprised me, and we would have not achieved this agreement had it not been for Russia’s willingness to stick with us and the other P5-Plus members in insisting on a strong deal.’’ (New York Times, 07.16.15).
- U.S. President Barack Obama said: “I want to thank our negotiating partners — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, as well as the European Union — for our unity in this effort, which showed that the world can do remarkable things when we share a vision of peacefully addressing conflicts. We showed what we can do when we do not split apart.”(New York Times, 07.14.15).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama discussed by telephone on Wednesday the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and agreed it was in the interests of the world as a whole, the Kremlin said. "The President thanked President Putin for Russia's important role in achieving this milestone, the culmination of nearly 20 months of intense negotiations," the White House said in a statement. Asked if the fact the two recent telephone conversations between the presidents of Russia and the United States held over the past week could be seen as a thaw in Moscow-Washington relations, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said., "So far we can rather positively assess the very fact of dialogue." (Interfax, 07.16.15,Reuters, 07.16.15).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the six powers that reached the Iranian nuclear deal made a firm choice in favor of stability and cooperation. “The world can now breathe a sigh of relief," Putin said in a statement on the Kremlin website. "Despite attempts to justify scenarios based on force, the negotiators have made a firm choice in favor of stability and cooperation." (Reuters, 07.14.15).
- U.S. President Barack Obama said: “In the agreement, we've set it up so we can override Iran's objection, and we don't need Russia or China in order for us to get that override. And if they continue to object, we're in a position to snap back sanctions and declare that Iran's in violation and is cheating.” (Washington Post, 07.15.15).
- "In the next five years deliveries of arms to Iran will be possible, under the conditions of the relevant procedures, notification and verification by the U.N. Security Council,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “We and China had been calling for (the arms embargo) to be among first restrictions to be lifted while the West wanted to keep the arms embargo for eight or even 10 years,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. (Kommersant, 07.15.15, Reuters, The Moscow Times, 07.15.15).
- Russia and Iran are holding talks over Russia supplying the Islamic republic with Sukhoi Superjet passenger planes, Russia's Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said on Wednesday. (Reuters, 07.15.15).
- “Prices on oil have fallen even without the Iranian deal. We have been observing only an insignificant decline (of these prices). The market will par this,” a source in Russian state structures said in reference to increase of oil exports by Iran. “In the meantime Russia can not only boost cooperation with Iran in the military-technical sphere, but also to actively develop the trade and economic relations with it,” the source said. (Kommersant, 07.15.15.).
- Chairman of the Russian State Duma's International Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov dismissed suggestions that the agreement with Iran would harm the Russian economy by putting a downward pressure on oil prices. "In my opinion, this factor should not be overestimated too much. This is just three or four per cent of the global oil consumption. Russia should not be afraid," he said. He also said that "the agreement (with Iran) practically rules out a military scenario in the Middle East” and those other countries of the region could no longer argue that they need to develop nuclear weapons. (BBC, 07.15.15).
NATO-Russia relations:
- Among the guests invited to observe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s biggest military exercise in more than a decade will be the Russians. British Gen. Phil Jones said the number of countries who signed up for the NATO Response Force’s exercise, called Trident Juncture 2015, swelled. Currently some 36,000 troops from 30 nations are scheduled to take part. The last exercise of a similar size involved 40,000 troops and was held in Norway in 2002. (Wall Street Journal, 07.15.15).
- U.S. Air Force Gen. Paul Selva — President Barack Obama’s pick to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he “would put the threats to this nation in the following order: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and all of the organizations that have grown around ideology that was articulated by al Qaeda,” offering the same list delivered last week by Obama’s nominee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford. Russia takes the first prize because its military might presents an “existential threat to this country should they choose to be,” Selva said. (Foreign Policy, 06.14.15).
- White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the administration was mindful of Russia's destabilizing activity, but Gen. Joseph F. Dunford’s comment reflected "his own view and doesn't necessarily reflect the ... consensus analysis of the president's national security team." "The secretary doesn't agree with the assessment that Russia is an existential threat to the United States, nor China, quite frankly," U.S. State Department Deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said. "You know, these are major powers with whom we engage and cooperate on a number of issues, despite any disagreements we may have with them," he added. (Washington Post, 07.13.15, Reuters, 07.10.15).
- Head of the U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno said he wants to put in position an additional brigade's worth of heavy equipment in Germany in what would supplement an earlier decision, announced by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, to build up smaller sets of equipment in Eastern Europe. While the equipment in Eastern Europe would be used regularly by smaller units for training exercises, the larger stockpile of heavy equipment in Germany would more likely be used for a crisis. That would allow a heavy brigade of some 3,500 soldiers to fly quickly to Europe. (Wall Street Journal, 07.11.15).
Missile defense:
- "We all remember when in April 2009 in Prague President [Barack] Obama said that if the Iranian nuclear issue was settled, there would be no need in creating an air defense system in Europe. That is why today we have drawn the attention of our US colleagues to this fact. We shall be waiting for the reaction,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. (Sputnik, 07.14.15).
Nuclear arms control:
- No significant developments
Counter-terrorism agenda:
- Kyrgyz authorities say that alleged militants killed and detained in Bishkek on July 16 were members of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group receiving support from Syria. The militants were planning several terrorist attacks, including one against the Russian military base at Kant, in Kyrgyzstan's north, and a terrorist attack during mass Eid al-Fitr prayers in Bishkek. (RFE/RL, 07.17.15).
- Forty-five foreigners have been arrested in Turkey after allegedly trying to enter Syria illegally to join the Islamic State militant group, Turkish media said. The Dogan news agency said the majority of the foreigners were Tajik nationals, but it didn't give exact figures.(RFE/RL, 07.13.15).
- Russian man Irek Hamidullin's charged with leading a Taliban attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan has lost his bid to avoid trial in a federal court in Virginia. (RFE/RL, 07.14.15).
- Sixteen jurors were selected on July 13 on the first day of a U.S. trial of Uzbek refugee Fazliddin Kurbanov charged with supporting a terrorist organization. (RFE/RL, 07.12.15).
Cyber security:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off Tuesday on the so-called “right to be forgotten” law, which requires search engines to remove Internet users' personal information from their results in certain cases, the Kremlin announced in a statement. (The Moscow Times, 07.14.15).
Energy exports from CIS:
- Gazprom is halving capacity for its Turkish Stream pipeline, which extends from Russia to Turkey and then to southern Europe. The Russian natural gas monopoly has cancelled a deal with an Italian contractor to lay Black Sea pipelines. (RBTH, 07.17.15).
- Russia and OPEC Secretary-General Abdullah al-Badri will discuss oil markets and the Iran situation in Moscow on July 30 amid sliding oil prices, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said.( Reuters, 07.17.15).
- Russia says it is examining the possibility of direct supplies of energy to Greece in an effort to bolster the country's foundering economy. (RFE/RL, 07.12.15).
- India’s Essar Oil has signed a 10-year crude purchase agreement with Russia's largest oil exporter Rosneft, which will also take a 49% stake in the Indian refiner. The deal will meet roughly half of Essar Oil's import requirements and gives Russia a captive market for its crude exports in India for the first time. (Wall Street Journal, 07.16.15).
Bilateral economic ties:
- No significant developments.
Other bilateral issues:
- U.S. President Barack Obama said: “I do agree that we're not going to solve the problems of Syria unless there's buy-in from the Russians, the Iranians, the Turks, our Gulf partners.” (Washington Post, 07.15.15).
- Donald Trump said in a speech Saturday that if he ascends to the White House in 2016, U.S.-Russian relations will improve, as he and President Vladimir Putin would get along "very, very well." (Reuters, 07.12.15).
- Igor Girkin, the former commander of pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, has been formally accused in a U.S. lawsuit of orchestrating the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. (RFE/RL, 07.16.15).
- The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has asked Deutsche Bank for detailed information on possible money-laundering transactions by some of its clients in Russia that could exceed $6 billion in total, a source familiar with the matter said. (Reuters, 07.14.15).
II. Russia news.
Domestic politics, economy and energy:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law adjusting Articles 5 and 102 of Federal Law on Elections of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, shifting the elections of the parliament lower house from December to September 2016. (Interfax, 07.15.15).
- Russia's Constitutional Court has ruled that officials can ignore judgments by the European Court of Human Rights if they are found to contravene the Russian Constitution. (RFE/RL, 07.14.15).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Wednesday a decree eliminating the Ministry for Crimean Affairs. (Interfax, 07.16.15).
- President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved a proposal by the prime minister to have the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service absorb the Federal Tariffs Service. (The Moscow Times, 07.15.15).
- Mutual funds investing in Russia and China were the top emerging equity performers in the first half of 2015. Moscow stocks rose 18 percent in dollar terms between January and June after last year's 40 percent drop, a rise that was driven mainly by oil’s 45 percent bounce in this period.(Reuters, 07.13.15).
- While the S&P 500 SPX, -0.09% is up only about 2% this year, the Market Vectors Russia Index ETF RSX, -0.61% is actually up more than 20% in the same period. (Market Watch, 07.16.15).
- Moscow has overtaken Paris to become the European capital with the most shopping center space. (Reuters, 07.13.15).
- Russian regions will need to cough up about 400 billion rubles ($7 billion) to service their commercial loans and bonds this year, according to ratings agency Standard & Poor's. Total regional debt, excluding federal aid, rose from 22 percent of the regions' income in 2009 (excluding federal aid) to 34 percent, or 2.4 trillion rubles ($42.3 billion), at the end of last year. (The Moscow Times, 07.15.15).
- A slump in real wages probably continued in Russia for an eighth month in June, falling off at a pace unseen until recently during President Vladimir Putin’s 15-year reign, a Bloomberg survey showed. Data due this week will also show retail sales in Russia fell 8.9 percent from a year earlier, near the worst showing in 2015, according to the median of 19 estimates. (Bloomberg, 07.15.15).
- After years of little government action, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed off on plans to raise traffic through the Northern Sea Route by 20 times to a staggering 80 million tons of freight annually by 2030. (The Moscow Times, 07.12.15).
- Only 13 percent of over 1,500 people polled by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research said they would like to leave Russia. (Interfax, 07.13.15).
Defense and Aerospace:
- The share of modern weapons currently in service in the Russian military ranges, depending on the branch of the armed forces, from 30.5 percent to nearly 78 percent, according to military figures Russian President Vladimir Putin quoted during this week's video conference. (The Moscow Times, 07.17.15).
- The Russian military is failing to meet its plans for this year on re-equipping its armed forces with modernized weapons because of Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine and a decline of domestic industries, a deputy defense minister told President Vladimir Putin. (The Moscow Times, 07.17.15).
- Russia is already working to relaunch production of the powerful Soviet-designed Tupolev Tu-160 supersonic nuclear bomber. (The Moscow Times, 07.10.15).
- The Military Council of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces has met to review results of 2014-2015 inspections of safety of nuclear weapons at RVSN units. "The results of the checks showed that the command of forces, large units and military units provides for the fulfillment of current requirements to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons at all stages of maintenance," the press service and information department of the Defense Ministry said in a statement. (RIA Novosti, Interfax, 07.15.15).
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law On the State Corporation for Space Activities Roscosmos. (Interfax, 07.13.15).
- Russia has disposed of over 90 percent of its chemical weapons stockpiles since starting the process in 1997, making it the world leader in chemical weapons reduction, Russia's senior chemical weapons control official told news agency Interfax on Monday. (The Moscow Times, 07.13.15).
- A section of a Russian military barracks has collapsed, killing 23 soldiers, near the Siberian city of Omsk, officials say.(BBC, 07.13.15).
- A Russian Tu-95 “Bear” strategic bomber crashed during routine training in Russia's Far East on Tuesday, marking the second loss of a Tu-95 bomber and the sixth loss of a Russian military aircraft in a little over a month. (The Moscow Times, 07.14.15).
- The Defense Ministry says it is investigating four soldiers on suspicion of having gone AWOL from their base in southern Russia, but denied reports that the number of troops who had allegedly fled the base to avoid being sent to fight in Ukraine had reached several dozen. (The Moscow Times, 07.13.15).
Security, law-enforcement and justice:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order reducing the maximum number of staff on the Interior Ministry payroll by 110,000, or about 10 percent, according to a document posted on a government website on Monday. (Reuters, 07.13.15).
- Ilya Goryachev, leader of an ultranationalist Russian gang was found guilty Tuesday of five murders, organizing an armed extremist group and weapons possession. (The Moscow Times, 07.14.15).
- Ilya Ponomaryov, a lawmaker in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has been placed on the international wanted list in connection with the Skolkovo Foundation embezzlement case, an investigator said in the Basmanny District Court in Moscow on Friday. (RAPSI, 07.17.15).
Foreign affairs and trade:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin Russia called for an end to the use of punitive financial and economic sanctions around the world, saying they should be ''excluded from the international economic vocabulary.'' (New York Times, 07.11.15).
- Russia says President Vladimir Putin has lambasted his Finnish counterpart over Helsinki's barring of Russian officials. (RFE/RL, 07.15.15).
- Russian leaders are hoping to sell rocket engines to China as part of a wide-reaching effort that includes increased cooperation on space matters between the two countries, according to Russia’s state-run media. “These above all include rocket engines,” Dmitry Rogozin, the deputy prime minister of Russia said. “China is especially interested in it.” (Space News, 07.16.15).
- Russia says a London bank account held by its state-owned media behemoth Rossiya Segodnya has been “closed” by British authorities in a move it linked to Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the EU. (RFE/RL, 07.13.15).
- Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov said Wednesday that Russia intends to sell Thailand more than $160 million worth of weapons in exchange for an amount of rubber valued at around the same price. (The Moscow Times, 07.15.15).
- Plans to build a Russian nuclear reactor in Finland suffered a setback on Thursday after the government said its probe into the ownership of a Croatian investor pointed to Russia. (Reuters, 07.16.15).
Russia's neighbors:
- Ukrainian parliament gave preliminary approval to a law that would give greater autonomy to areas in eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed separatists. The bill, which would amend the constitution to give local governments greater autonomy from Kiev, has to be approved by the constitutional court and sent back to parliament for approval by at least 300 votes before coming into effect. The law didn't specify what powers the rebel-held areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions would be given, and separatists and the Kremlin have accused Kiev of not doing enough. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland met with a number of Ukrainian parliamentarians in Kyiv on July 15 to try to persuade them to support the bill. French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angel Merkel have also called on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to ensure partial self-rule for the pro-Russian separatist east. (RFE/RL, 07.10.15, Wall Street Journal, 07.17.15, Kyiv Post, 07.16.15).
- Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to call local elections on October 25. But the bill passed on July 17 by the Verkhovnaya Rada said the elections would not be held in the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in March 2014, or in rebel-held eastern districts. (RFE/RL, 07.17.15).
- U.S. officials concluded Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was struck by a missile and shot out of the sky. A final report from investigators has yet to be released but CNN has learned new details from the draft investigative report for the July 17, 2014 incident. Dutch accident investigators say, evidence points to pro-Russian rebels as being responsible for shooting down MH-17, according to a source who has seen the report. Five countries have asked the UN Security Council to establish an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the downing of the airliner. (The Moscow Times, 07.14.15, CNN, 07.15.15.)
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says he won't accept a proposal for the U.N. Security Council to set up a criminal tribunal over the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. He said a “thorough and objective" international investigation had to finish before countries took any decisions on how to punish those guilty of the crime. The Russian Investigative Committee said it has information that MH17 was shot down above Donbass with air-to-air rocket and experts suppose it was not Russian-made. (RFE/RL, 07.16.15, Interfax, 07.16.15, Wall Street Journal, 05.17.15).
- Kyiv said on July 15th Russian-backed rebels have launched one of their fiercest attacks in the Ukraine’s east since the signing of a February deal on a cease-fire, killing eight Ukrainian soldiers and wounding 16 over the preceding 24 hours. Ukraine’s president will hold a conference call on Friday with the leaders of Russia, Germany and France after violence intensified in his nation’s easternmost regions. (RFE/RL, 07.15.15, Bloomberg, 07.17.15).
- The fighting broke out between police and members of Right Sector the paramilitary group in the Ukrainian town of Mukachevo, near the borders with Poland and Slovakia. Mustafa Nayyem, a member of Parliament, told the local news media that Right Sector was involved in cigarette smuggling, and that a fight with rivals for control of the illegal cigarette business set off the shooting. Two policemen were hurt Tuesday in explosions at two police stations in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, the Interior Ministry said, linking the cases to a deadly weekend standoff between Right Sector, and the police (New York Times, 07.13.15, 07.15.15).
- The United States could begin training regular Ukrainian Army troops starting as soon as November, according to Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the commander of U.S. Army Europe. Hodges said that 15 wounded Ukrainian troops would be coming to the United States for continuing medical care after sustaining wounds at the front. (Washington Post, 07.13.15).
- When asked how much warning the U.S. would have if Putin did try and attack, U.S. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges’s answer was blunt. “The amount of indicators or warning that we'd have is not sufficient to let us know well ahead of time," Hodges said. "[The Russians] have demonstrated an ability to move very quickly. (Washington Post, 07.13.15).
- An indictment against jailed Ukrainian pilot and parliament member Nadia Savchenko has been sent to the Donetsk Town Court in Russia's Rostov region. (RFE/RL, 07.13.15).
- In a joint statement, Ukraine and a committee of four creditors who hold about $9 billion of the country's debt said Thursday they made progress in negotiations to restructure the country's debt but gave no further details. Ukraine is inching closer to a July 24 deadline for $120 million in coupon payments. Ukrainian officials say that skipping the payment would be a “technical default" and just a minor bump in the road for an already hard-hit economy. (Wall Street Journal, 07.14.14, RFE/RL, 07.16.15, Wall Street Journal, 07.16.15).
- During his visit to the United States on Monday Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk reassured U.S. President Barack Obama that his embattled government was making important progress in overhauling the country's troubled economy and meeting the terms of a shaky cease-fire with Russia. (New York Times, 07.14.15).
- "Russia’s trying to undermine the stability and the sovereignty of Ukraine by any means it can, including its attempt to create conditions that will cause Ukraine to economically collapse,” U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told U.S. and Ukrainian officials and business leaders in Washington on July 13. (RFE/RL, 07.14.15).
- Rosatom has rejected Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's claim that the Russian company failed to honor agreements on construction of a nuclear fuel fabrication facility and completion of units 3 and 4 at Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant. (World Nuclear News, 07.10.15).
- The Ukrainian Foreign Minister has declared the acting consul of the Russian Federation in Odessa persona non grata. (RBTH, 07.17.15).
- Ukraine and the United States begin the final stage of joint disposal of solid missile fuel of intercontinental ballistic missiles RS-22 at the Pavlograd chemical plant in eastern Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Region. (Interfax, 07.16.15).
- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a free trade agreement with Ukraine July 14 as its Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited Quebec. (RFE/RL, 07.15.15).
- Georgian authorities have expressed concern over recent demarcation activities by Russian troops in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia that appear to leave a 1,605-meter portion of the strategic Baku-Supsa oil pipeline outside Tbilisi's control. The EU has warned of increased tensions amid claims that Russia has redrawn a section of Georgia's de facto border with South Ossetia. (RFE/RL, 07.14.15,BBC, 07.17.15).
- Azerbaijan told hospitals to be ready for war and started what it called “intense” military exercises, raising the risk of an escalation in its conflict with Russian ally Armenia over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. (Bloomberg, 07.16.15).
- Armenia has made public parts of the proposed constitutional changes that would transform the current national political system into a parliamentarian form of government. (RFE/RL, 07.16.15).
- A closed uranium mine was pinpointed as the culprit behind the outbreaks of a mysterious sleep-inducing disease that has plagued the residents of two villages in Kazakhstan since 2013. (Russia Today, 07.11.15).
Back issues of Russia in Review are available here. If you wish to either unsubscribe from or subscribe to Russia in Review, please e-mail Simon Saradzhyan atsimon_saradzhyan@hks.harvard.edu.
For more information about this publication please contact the The US-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism at 617-496-0518.
For Academic Citation:
"Russia in Review.", July 17, 2015.
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July 17, 2015
Russia in Review: a digest of useful news from U.S.-Russia Initiative to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism for July 10-17, 2015
A year after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 went down in eastern Ukraine, video from an Australian news outlet seems to show pro-Russian separatists amid the wreckage.- Get link
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