Putin Seeks to Contain Chechnya's Idiosyncratic Leader

Putin Seeks to Contain Chechnya's Idiosyncratic Leader

1 Share
President Vladimir Putin has imposed the Kremlin's writ on every corner of Russia except one: the Chechnya region, whose leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, often pays little heed to the rules that govern the rest of the country. Putin is now trying to rein Kadyrov in, though alienating him would risk reigniting an Islamist insurgency that he helped the Kremlin leader defeat. A former Islamist rebel who has ruled the turbulent, mainly Muslim region in Russia's North Caucasus since 2007,...

Yazidi Women, Children Freed in IS Prisoner Exchange

1 Share
Fifty-one Yazidi women and children were released this week by Islamic State (IS) after a prisoner exchange by Kurdish forces in Syria, reports and local activists said. The  former IS prisoners were returned home to the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq where they were kidnapped by militants nearly 19 months ago, ex-prisoners told a Kurdish news agency, Roj News. “I have talked to some of them yesterday,” said Dawud Sheik Kalo, a Yazidi fighter near the Sinjar area. “There are in...

US, Russia Push for New Syrian Constitution by August

1 Share
The United States and Russia are calling for the drafting of a new Syrian constitution by August. They have also agreed to push both the Syrian government and the opposition to free all political prisoners, especially those who are vulnerable.   After a four hour meeting in Moscow on Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that U.S.-Russian cooperation had been instrumental in achieving an unexpectedly successful cessation of hostilities in...

Syria Army And IS In 'Fierce' Fight For Palmyra

1 Share
Syrian government forces are reported to have taken control of the Syriatel hill, near the historic Palmyra Castle.

John Kerry, in Brussels, Says ISIS Is Faltering in Mideast

1 Share
The secretary of state traveled to Belgium to demonstrate American support after the attacks and said backing for the Islamic State in the Middle East was eroding.

Gang Posing as Police Killed Italian Student, Says Egypt

1 Share
A gang impersonating police in order to kidnap foreigners, all four of whom were killed in a shootout on Thursday, murdered an Italian doctoral student, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said. The killing strained Italian-Egyptian relations.

Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 2

Gang Posing as Police Killed Italian Student, Says Egypt's Interior Ministry - Wall Street Journal

1 Share

Wall Street Journal

Gang Posing as Police Killed Italian Student, Says Egypt's Interior Ministry
Wall Street Journal
CAIRO—Egyptian authorities said that a gang impersonating police in order to kidnap foreigners murdered an Italian doctoral student whose body was found last month bearing marks of torture. The murder strained Italian-Egyptian relations. The Interior ...
Egypt Implicates 4 Men Killed by Police in Death of Italian StudentNew York Times
Egypt says it killed a gang linked to Italian studentWashington Post
Egypt says murdered Italian student's bag found with gangReuters 
Yahoo News-BBC News-Town Hall-Newsweek

all 45 news articles »

The complicated emotional state of the world, in 13 maps and charts 

1 Share
Happiness is a surprisingly difficult emotion to measure.















Read the whole story
 
· · ·

Arrests in Brussels after attacks

1 Share
Belgian police arrest six people in Brussels as an investigation continues into Tuesday's attacks.

U.S., allies target Islamic State in Syria, Iraq with 13 strikes

1 Share
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies staged 13 strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, according to the coalition leading the operations.
  

Vladimir Putin Pokes Fun at John Kerry for Carrying His Own Luggage 

1 Share
In America, we carry our own weight.
With the latest round of Syrian peace talks underway in Geneva, Secretary of State John Kerry was in Moscow Thursday to talk with one of President Bashar Al-Assad’s chief supporters — Vladimir Putin.
The discussion was to focus on matters that couldn’t be more consequential to Syrians: expanding access to humanitarian aid, maintaining the cessation of hostilities, implementing a political transition.
But before what became a nearly four-hour talk began, the Russian president — speaking during a joint appearance with Kerry at the Kremlin — provided a moment of odd levity: he was “frustrated and upset”…

Russian military plans buildup from West to Pacific

1 Share
Russia is to beef up its military forces all the way from its western border to the Pacific islands amid ongoing strains with the West, the military said Friday.















Read the whole story
 
· · ·
Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 3

Russia plans military buildup from western border to Pacific - Fox News

1 Share

CBS News

Russia plans military buildup from western border to Pacific
Fox News
MOSCOW – Russia is to beef up its military forces all the way from its western border to the Pacific islands amid ongoing strains with the West, the military said Friday. No financial details were disclosed but the buildup will likely be costly and...
Russia says to deploy new weapons on disputed Kurile islandsReuters

all 21
 
Russia to deploy missile systems on Kuril islands: ministerYahoo News
Russian military plans buildup from West to PacificWashington Times
Philly.com-Sky News-Nikkei Asian Review-TODAYonline
all 22 
news articles »

Putin Appoints Kadyrov As Chechnya’s Acting Head

1 Share
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to appoint Ramzan Kadyrov as acting head of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya.

Putin keeps Chechen leader on the job 

1 Share
Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated Chechnya’s regional leader for another term in office, shrugging off demands for his dismissal over an alleged role in the killing of a Russian opposition leader.















Read the whole story
 
· · ·

Russia's Putin appoints Kadyrov acting head of Chechnya republic

1 Share
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he had appointed Ramzan Kadyrov acting head of the Chechnya republic and hoped the Chechen people would recognize all that Kadyrov had achieved when they cast their vote in regional elections in September.
  

Syrians Remain Stuck On Macedonia-Serbia Border

1 Share
More than 200 Syrian refugees remain trapped on Macedonia's border with Serbia after the closing of the so-called "Balkan route". For more than 20 days, they have lived in small camping tents, in cold, wet, and muddy conditions. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)

Iraqi forces make slow progress south of Mosul

1 Share
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces made slow progress against Islamic State in the north of the country on Friday in the second day of an offensive touted as the beginning of a broader campaign to clear areas around the city of Mosul.









  
Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 4

Kerry In Brussels In Show Of Solidarity

1 Share
Visiting Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed solidarity with Belgium on March 25 after suicide bombings killed 31 people in the country's capital.

How Oil Can Be Used to Defeat ISIS 

1 Share
In the aftermath of 9/11, I had expected to see George Bush appear before the cameras and say:
“Of Course, You Know, This Means War.” Rather, he chose to resemble Yosemite Sam, running madly into the room, guns blazing, having no idea either where they would hit or where the enemy was. Ready, Fire, Aim.
Iraq was neither our enemy, nor the cause of the 9/11 attacks. But now, in the aftermath of the worst mistake in American history, the enemy has emerged, and its name is ISIS. So, if we decide, in fact, this is war, the time has come to ask the people at home to do something about it.
The first thing we should consider, therefore, is to stop, immediately, importing any and all oil from the Middle East. We are lucky it is so cheap right now, and we are also lucky that our fracking technology is so efficient that we can ramp up domestic production rather quickly.
As of the end of 2015, the U.S. imported 9 million barrels per day (mb/d). About 1.5 mb/d came from the Persian Gulf, and that would be a good place to start, or in this case, stop. (The figure rises close to 3 mb/d if you count all of OPEC.)
Would the price of gasoline rise? Probably. However, our parents and grandparents, who went to war against Hitler and Imperial Japan, would be astonished at us for thinking we could continue to drive to the mall on cheap gas and low tax rates while the fire in the Middle East was burning out of control.
Furthermore, the mantra (unconscious and unexpressed) that it is desirable to have ‘Representation without Taxation’ is completely at odds with the impulse that led to the American Revolution. Franklin, Washington and Hamilton would be aghast, as would the Bostonians John and Sam Adams.
&&&
While we are at it, let’s also tack on a carbon tax. At $40 per ton of CO2, the price of gasoline would rise by another 40 cents. Neither of these things is going to happen, but both of them should, and they should happen now. The sooner we wean ourselves from oil, not just the Persian Gulf variety but oil in general, and the sooner we electrify transport, the sooner we can extricate ourselves from religious holy and civil wars that we do not understand and have no business getting involved in.
As luck would have it, both Tesla and GM are launching EVs that can go 200 miles per charge with a sticker price at or below the average new car price in the U.S. of $35,000. This has become possible, at scale, because the price for a lithium ion battery, per kilowatt-hour, has now fallen to around $250, on its way to $100. At that price, a 60-kWh battery, which will take you 200 miles on a charge, only costs $6,000. That leaves plenty of room in the budget for things like tires, seats and a steering wheel.
If you want to defeat ISIS, buy an electric car. For now, though, we should be nice to our neighbors, Canada and Mexico, because that is where most of the oil we do not produce at home is going to come from until we transition from domestic fracking to electricity for transport – an infinitely scalable source of domestic energy, provided by multiple sources. One more thing, it will never run out. PV4EV rules (or soon will).
In his farewell address (June 10, 1963 at American University), President Kennedy, a war hero, concluded by stating that: “The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war.” Tragically, the world now knows he was mistaken. However, he did add this: “We shall be prepared if others wish it.”
And now they do, for we have awakened a nest of sleeping scorpions and filled them with a terrible resolve.
This article originally appeared on Oilprice.com
Read the whole story
 
· · · · · ·

Taliban Assassinate Afghan Army General

1 Share
Taliban suicide bombers have assassinated a senior army general and his bodyguard in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, Afghan officials said Friday. Three gunmen with explosives strapped to their bodies entered the home of General Khan Agha in the Dand districtdisguised as guests late Thursday.  The gunmen opened fire before blowing themselves up or beingkilled in a firefight with security forces, regional Corps Commander General Dawood Shah Wafadartold VOA. The...

U.S. Forces Kill Top ISIS Leader 

1 Share
American forces killed a top deputy and finance minister for the militant group ISIS in a raid earlier this month, top U.S. officials revealed.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford announced the killing of ISIS leader Haji Imam at a news conference Friday morning.
“We believe these actions have been successful and have done damage,” Carter said. “The momentum of this campaign is now clearly on our side.” He said Imam, whose full name is Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, had a role plotting terrorist attacks in addition to overseeing financing of ISIS operations.
The announcement, which come days just after a terrorist attack in Brussels that left more than 30 dead, comes as anti-ISIS forces are gaining traction in the fight against the terrorist group. U.S. forces killed another top commander, Omar al-Shishani, last week, and a number of other initiatives have weakened ISIS’s control over territory in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi trips supported by the U.S. military took back the key city of Ramadi in December and Syrian troops look poised to take back the ISIS-held city of Palmyra in Syria, which the group has held since May. In all, ISIS lost 14% of its territoryin 2015, according to conflict-monitoring firm IHS.​ Secretary of State John Kerry said this week that ISIS efforts are “collapsing before their eyes.”
The challenges ISIS faces in the Middle East may be in part what’s driving a push for terrorist attacks and guerrilla operations, Dunford suggested. The militant group has built a vast international networkand attacks in Europe act as a show of strength despite land losses.
ISIS’s growing struggles in the Middle East may be in part what’s driving a push for terrorist attacks in the West, Dunford suggested. The terrorist group has built a vast international network and attacks in Europe serve as a show of strength in the face of losses on the ground.Carter stressed the “law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security ingredient” to protecting against potential terrorist attacks and said the Pentagon would continue collaborating with partners around the world in those areas.
“Like Paris, Brussels is a strong reminder why we need to hasten the defeat of ISIL, wherever it is in the world,” said Carter, using an alternate acronym for ISIS.
Read the whole story
 
· ·

John Kerry in Brussels: ‘we will not be intimidated' – video

1 Share
US secretary of state John Kerry expresses his support for Belgians on Friday as he visits Brussels, after the attacks which left 31 dead and 300 injured. Kerry remembers Europe’s support for the US after the 9/11 attacks and vows the fight against extremism will continue
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty
Continue reading...

Kerry In Brussels: 'We Will Not Be Intimidated'

1 Share
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry offered support and solidarity with Belgium and Europe, after the deadly bombings earlier this week in Brussels. Kerry said the Islamic State militant group, which claimed responsibility for the attacks, would be destroyed. (Reuters)

Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 5

Islamic State 2nd in Command Believed Killed

1 Share
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Friday a top Islamic State commander is believed to have been killed in a raid in Syria. Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli - described as the group's second in command - was killed on Thursday, according to U.S. media reports. Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Carter said he could not elaborate on details of the raid but said it was "consistent with our strategy" to "put pressure on ISIS leadership." Carter...

U.S. Claims Senior IS Leader Killed

1 Share
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the second-in-command of the Islamic State terrorist organization has been killed in a U.S. raid.

Pamfilova Removed As Russian Rights Chief To Join Election Body

1 Share
The Russian State Duma has voted to accept the resignation of presidential human rights ombudswoman Ella Pamfilova.

Turkey Abruptly Closes Espionage Trial of 2 Journalists to Public 

1 Share
From left, Can Dundar, the top editor at Cumhuriyet, a Turkish daily, and Erdem Gul, its Ankara editor, arrived at a courthouse Friday in Istanbul for their trial on espionage charges.

Ted Cruz Calls Tabloid Report on Alleged Affairs 'Garbage' - NBCNews.com

1 Share

NBCNews.com

Ted Cruz Calls Tabloid Report on Alleged Affairs 'Garbage'
NBCNews.com
Ted Cruz called a tabloid story of alleged extramarital affairs "utter lies" and blamed Donald Trump "henchmen" for pushing the story. "This garbage does not belong in politics," Cruz told reporters while campaigning in Wisconsin. A National Enquirer ...
Internet scrambles to identify women described in National Enquirer's “bombshell” report alleging Ted Cruz had five ...Salon
Ted Cruz denies affairs, denounces `garbage' after Trump backer airs unsubstantiated rumorsDallas Morning News (blog)
Allegations of Cruz Affairs Throw Wildcard Into RaceVocativ
Patch.com -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -AL.com -Hollywood Life
all 48 news articles »

US defence secretary: ‘We're systematically eliminating Isis’s cabinet’ – video 

1 Share
Defence secretary Ash Carter, speaking at the Pentagon on Friday, says it is believed US operations have killed several high-ranking officials of Islamic State. Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, the militant group’s second-in-command and high-profile target for the US, was killed in a raid in Syria on Thursday, he says
Continue reading...
Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 6

Russia plans army buildup amid strains with West

1 Share
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announces that Russia will beef up its military forces all the way from its western border to the Pacific islands









Islamic State second-in-command killed by US 

1 Share
Twin developments capped a week of losses for Isil in Middle East even as its operatives proved they are still able to strike Europe









CDC: Birth control needed in Puerto Rico during outbreak

1 Share
NEW YORK (AP) -- Health officials say tens of thousands of IUDs and other forms of birth control are badly needed in Puerto Rico to help prevent unintended pregnancies during an outbreak of Zika, the tropical disease linked to birth defects....

29 Killed in Suicide Bombing Near Baghdad, Iraqi Officials Say

1 Share
(BAGHDAD) — Iraqi security officials say a suicide bomber has attacked a soccer stadium south of Baghdad, killing 29 and wounding 60.
The security officials say the bombing Friday took place during a match in the small stadium in the city of Iskanderiyah, 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the capital. Medical officials confirmed the death toll. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria group has been waging a campaign of suicide bombings in and around the capital as Iraqi forces and their allies battle the militants in the north and west of the country.

Iraqi security officials say a suicide bomber has attacked a football stadium south of Baghdad, killing 29 and wounding 60

1 Share
Iraqi security officials say a suicide bomber has attacked a football stadium south of Baghdad, killing 29 and wounding 60.









Ted Cruz Labels Affair Rumours 'Garbage'

1 Share
Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has rejected rumours he had adulterous affairs as "garbage".

Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 7

Brussels attacks: Suspect wounded, arrested in Belgian police operation - CNN

1 Share

CNN

Brussels attacks: Suspect wounded, arrested in Belgian police operation
CNN
Brussels, Belgium (CNN) Explosions and gunfire rang out Friday afternoon in Brussels -- the focal point in Europe's fight against terrorism following the bloody attacks there just three days ago. A police operation took place in the district of ...
Belgian police mount raids; prosecutors acknowledge missed opportunitiesWashington Post 
The Latest: Italian Woman, German Woman Among Brussels DeadNew York Times
Nails and nail varnish: Brussels bombers prepared a 'satanic' cocktailReuters
Wall Street Journal-NBCNews.com-ABC News
 -Chicago Tribune

all 493 news articles »

Islamic State Better Resourced Than Al-Qaida for Long Terror Campaign 

1 Share
European intelligence officials say they don’t know exactly how many assassins and bombers the Islamic State terror group has trained to conduct deadly attacks in Europe like Tuesday’s in Brussels. Officials fear, however, they are facing hundreds of potential assailants, either trained in camps in Syria or recruited through kinship and crime networks in Europe by returning IS volunteers. Estimates of IS jihadists ready to carry out out attacks range from as low as 200 to up to 400. “We...

Turkish journalists accused of spying will face secret trial in 'test case of press freedom' 

1 Share
The Turkish president was accepted as a complainant in the widely-criticised trial of two Cumhuriyet newspaper journalists











Read the whole story
 
· ·

Rift Grows in Islamic State Between Foreign, Local Fighters

1 Share
Foreign fighters, long welcomed by Islamic State in Syria and Iraq as essential parts of its global mission, are generating greater internal discord—even violence—just as the group pivots to target Europe and the U.S.

The Cycle of Terrorism - Huffington Post

1 Share

National Post

The Cycle of Terrorism
Huffington Post
Another terrorist attack took place in Western Europe this week. Security will now be on alert around the world. The terrorists will avoid attacks during this time because the danger of interception and failure are too high. Therefore, there will be no ...
Je Suis Sick of ThisNew York Times
ISIL's barbarity must unite Europe, not divide itQuartz
Belgium: Jihadists and the 'failed state'CNN International
Institutional Investor (blog) -Foreign Affairs -Reuters -STRATFOR
all 117 news articles »

VIDEO: What we know about Brussels terror raids

1 Share
Raids were carried out in Brussels on Friday in connection with Tuesday's bomb attacks in the city.
Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 8

Syrian Army Said to Be Closer to Retaking Palmyra

1 Share
A state news agency said the army regained control of the citadel in Palmyra after heavy fighting with the Islamic State.

The Rolling Stones in Cuba: 'It feels like history' – video

1 Share
The Rolling Stones talk about their concert in Havana, Cuba, with frontman Mick Jagger saying: ‘It feels like history’ being made. The band, who touched down in Havana on Thursday evening, are expecting hundreds of thousands of fans at their gig on Friday night, which they will be playing for free
Continue reading...

Holy Week Celebrations Around the World 

1 Share
Believers across the globe celebrated a series of holy days, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter

Ted Cruz says affair claims are 'garbage' and attacks Donald Trump's 'smear attempts' 

1 Share
Republican presidential candidate accuses Donald Trump of trying to "slime" him









Iran air ambulance helicopter crash kills seven: state TV

1 Share
ANKARA (Reuters) - An air ambulance helicopter crashed on Friday in Iran's central province of Fars, killing all seven people on board, state television reported.
  

Experts: Global Terror Threat Calls for More Coordination

1 Share
European government officials say the Brussels attacks on March 22 highlight the need to more swiftly share information among governments and intelligence services. In California, two terrorism experts also point to social media platforms used by extremist organizations, and say technology companies should be included in the effort. The analysts, who monitor hate groups from the U.S., say the threat of violent extremists has become global. The Brussels attacks, which left...

Next Page of Stories
Loading...
Page 9

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New questions arise about House Democratic caucus’s loyalty to Obama | » Democrats Stymie Obama on Trade 12/06/15 22:13 from WSJ.com: World News - World News Review

Немецкий историк: Запад был наивен, надеясь, что Россия станет партнёром - Военное обозрение

8:45 AM 11/9/2017 - Putin Is Hoping He And Trump Can Patch Things Up At Meeting In Vietnam

Review: ‘The Great War of Our Time’ by Michael Morell with Bill Harlow | FBI File Shows Whitney Houston Blackmailed Over Lesbian Affair | Schiff, King call on Obama to be aggressive in cyberwar, after purported China hacking | The Iraqi Army No Longer Exists | Hacking Linked to China Exposes Millions of U.S. Workers | Was China Behind the Latest Hack Attack? I Don’t Think So - U.S. National Security and Military News Review - Cyberwarfare, Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity - News Review

10:37 AM 11/2/2017 - RECENT POSTS: Russian propagandists sought to influence LGBT voters with a "Buff Bernie" ad

3:49 AM 11/7/2017 - Recent Posts

» Suddenly, Russia Is Confident No Longer - NPR 20/12/14 11:55 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinks | Russia invites North Korean leader to Moscow for May visit - Reuters | Belarus Refuses to Trade With Russia in Roubles - Newsweek | F.B.I. Evidence Is Often Mishandled, an Internal Inquiry Finds - NYT | Ukraine crisis: Russia defies fresh Western sanctions - BBC News | Website Critical Of Uzbek Government Ceases Operation | North Korea calls for joint inquiry into Sony Pictures hacking case | Turkey's Erdogan 'closely following' legal case against rival cleric | Dozens arrested in Milwaukee police violence protest