In other words, the combined population of the SCO powers or already well over 1.5 billion has virtually doubled at a single stroke.
Puppet Masters
In other words, the combined population of the SCO powers or already well over 1.5 billion has virtually doubled at a single stroke.
© Amir Cohen / Reuters
Kushner, who is on the last leg of his Middle East tour, spoke to the popular Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds, claiming he is "ready to work" with leader Mahmoud Abbas, who, in his turn, is refusing to meet with Kushner as long as Washington is "changing the rules of the game" midway.
"If President Abbas is ready to go back to the negotiations table, then we are ready to participate in the discussion, but if it's not the case, then we are going to make the plan public," Kushner said, according to Reuters. He was referring to the US "deal of the century" on how to forge peace in the Middle East. Without shedding any additional light on its details, the adviser said that the deal will bring " large investments in the infrastructure from both the private and the public sectors" to improve the Palestinian economy. Kushner pointed the finger at Abbas, as the party that is unwilling to take up negotiations.
"I question President Abbas' ability, or desire, to finish the deal. He has the same talking points that haven't changed in the past 25 years. A peace hasn't been achieved during that period," he said.
US reportedly tells rebels not to count on its help as Syrian army advances into country's southwest
© Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
In a letter to the commanders of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a loose umbrella group of armed rebels, Washington wrote that they should not base their decisions "on the assumption or expectation of a military intervention by us."
The message, which was reported by Reuters on Sunday, calls on the group to decide for themselves on their response to the rapidly-advancing Syrian forces that continue their assault eyeing to reclaim the swathes of land along the border with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
"We in the United States government understand the difficult conditions you are facing and still advise the Russians and the Syrian regime not to undertake a military measure that violates the zone," the message states.
Comment: Southern Syria is definitely heating up as reported by Southfront:
© Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Rand Paul (Ky.), James Lankford (Okla.) and Jim Inhofe (Okla.) requested the probe in a letter Wednesday to the NSF inspector general, saying the grants are "not science - it is propagandizing," NBC News reported.
The letter states that the foundation has "issued several grants which seek to influence political and social debate rather than conduct scientific research." The senators say that issuing the grants might violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from taking public political stances, as well as NSF's mission, according to NBC News.
The federal program, called Climate Central, has been in place for six years and has taught more than 500 meteorologists about global warming, NBC News reported.
Climate Central CEO Ben Strauss pushed back against the GOP senators' claims.
"Climate Central is not an advocacy organization, and the scientific consensus on climate change is not a political viewpoint," Strauss said in an email to NBC News.
Specifically, modular weapons that can easily swap in and out of different ships - with the most well-known example being Club-K anti-ship missiles hidden inside shipping containers, which Russia offers for sale to export customers. Any coastal defense force on a budget can have a well-camouflaged warship killer hidden in a civilian port.
But Russian developments in this regard are more extensive including anti-submarine warfare and anti-aircraft modules and their accompanying sensors.
The Kremlin wants a wide variety of naval hardware to be easily portable - and transportable - given the military's strapped resources and multiple fleets: Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific. This is a historic problem that has prevented Russia from concentrating its naval forces going back to the Russo-Japanese War.
Comment: Meanwhile, the U.S. is sinking billions into poorly designed weaponry. The manufacturers have no incentive to produce good weapons as long as the face no competition and are grossly overpaid. Russia doesn't have those problems, and the result is that with a smaller military and a vastly smaller budget, their military capability is giving the U.S. a run for its money.
© Aleksey Vitvitskiy / Sputnik
Russia and Saudi Arabia energy ministers, Aleksandr Novak and Khalid Al-Falih.
Russia and Saudi Arabia energy ministers, Aleksandr Novak and Khalid Al-Falih.
Riyadh has invited Moscow to join OPEC as an observer, the Saudi energy minister says. The announcement follows an agreement between OPEC and non-members led by Russia to increase crude oil output by a million barrels per day.
The announcement was made on Saturday during the 4th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna.
"We've invited Russia to join [OPEC] as an observer, an associated member. We believe they are considering it," Khalid Al-Falih said at a press conference. "I can assure that the entire membership of OPEC would welcome Russia."
© Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
During an interview on Mike Huckabee's program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Trump was asked whether he trusts Kim, who he met on June 12 during a historic summit in Singapore.
"Yes. I think that I've had a very good relationship, we have a good chemistry together...and I really believe he's...looking to do the right thing," Trump said.
Comment: Further reading: Trump And Kim Sign Declaration of Peace in Singapore (Because The Alternative is Too Expensive)
© REUTERS / Alaa al-Marjani
When speaking at the a news conference in the Shiite holy city of Najaf where Muqtada Sadr lives, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced a political alliance with the prominent Shiite cleric.
On Thursday, Abadi called on the winning political blocs to hold a meeting to form a new government, which, according to the prime minister, may happen after the celebration of the end of the Muslim holy month Ramadan.
Comment: Further reading: Terrorism and US invasion pushes Iraq closer toward Iran as Shiite parties win Parliamentary victory
© AP Photo/Peter Dejong
The OPCW's missions in Syria violate the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Major-General Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, said on Friday.
"The remote nature of investigations as well as the collection, analysis and use of the documents obtained without specialists' trips to the alleged sites of chemical weapons use, is in direct contradiction to the Convention's provisions," Kirillov told reporters at a joint press briefing of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia's Defense Ministry.
He noted that the West seeks to grant the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) the right to issue guilty verdicts against certain countries and their leaders.
© Mission Lifeline / AFP
Migrants on an inflatable boat rescued boarding the 'Lifeline' sea rescue boat at sea on June 21, 2018
Migrants on an inflatable boat rescued boarding the 'Lifeline' sea rescue boat at sea on June 21, 2018
"Italy indeed faces a migration emergency and it's partly because France keeps pushing back people at the border. Macron risks making his country Italy's No.1 enemy on this emergency," Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Luigi Di Maio wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday. The comments made earlier by Macron clearly showed that the French president was out of touch, Di Maio added.
Macron drew the wrath of Italy by stating that "Europe is not experiencing a migration crisis of the same magnitude as the one it experienced in 2015." Those EU countries, which "massively voice their national selfishness when it comes to migrant issues," should not expect to receive benefits from the EU, Macron said, effectively threatening them with financial sanctions.
Comment: A group of European leaders will gather on Sunday in Brussels in a yet another bid to settle the three-year-long migration crisis, which remains among the union's most pressing problems.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced on June 20 he was "convening an informal working meeting on migration and asylum issues in Brussels on Sunday, in order to work with a group of Heads of State or Government of Member States interested in finding European solutions ahead of the upcoming European Council."See also: Italian deputy PM Matteo Salvini: Very existence of United Europe to be decided within the year
...
The agenda of the meeting was not disclosed as well.
"This is an informal meeting. There will be no news conference after it," a European Commission official said.
Comment: It appears this plan will be 'destined to fail' since Kushner has close ties with Israel: