Countries

Desperate Times! Kerry says US ready to turn to Iran, drone strikes, to fight ISIS
US Secretary of State John Kerry says that Washington is ready to use radical measures to halt the ISIS offensive in Iraq - including enlisting Iran'€™s help and launching air strikes. "We're open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq," [...]
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Sunni militants seize Tal Afar city of 200k citizens enlarging control of Iraq
The Sunni militants fighting to make an Islamic state in Iraq have scored another victory in their move to control more territory. They captured Tal Afar, a city of 200,000 residents in north-west of the country. The city was taken just before dawn on Monday, Mayor Abdulal Abdoul confirmed to AP. [...]
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ISIS ‘execute’ 1,700 Iraqi soldiers, post gruesome pictures (GRAPHIC)
Radical Sunni militants who have been capturing cities in northwest Iraq claimed on Twitter that they executed 1,700 Iraqi soldiers. The radicals posted graphic photos as evidence. The photographs, which were posted on the Twitter account associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS/ISIL), came with captions that described their alleged massacre. [...]
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“€˜Blair Has Finally Gone Mad!” London mayor ridicules ex-PM over Iraq
Tony Blair'€™s essay on how the Middle East should blame its own religious dynamics for its troubles -€“ instead of Western attempts at intervention - has seen London Mayor Boris Johnson launch a scathing attack on the "€œunhinged"€ former PM. Johnson’s strong condemnation is a reaction to the arguments made in the former British Prime Minister’s piece entitled 'Iraq, Syria and the Mi [...]
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Gazprom puts Ukraine on gas prepayment plan after “€˜chronic”€™ failure to pay debt
After failing to pay its gas bill, Ukraine now has to pay in advance for any natural gas from Russia, Gazprom said on Monday. Both companies have filed lawsuits against each other at the Stockholm Arbitration Court. “This decision was taken due to systematic failure of Naftogaz Ukraine to pay. [...]
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Ukrainian FM chants ‘Putin – f**ker’ at vandalized Russian embassy in Kiev
In an incident that may be a first in diplomatic history, Kiev'€™s top diplomat publicly "€˜effed"€™ the head of another state. Foreign Minister Andrey Deshchitsa chanted "€œPutin'€™s a f**ker"€ with a cheering crowd that earlier vandalized the Russian embassy. [...]
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Russia and Ukraine fail to reach gas deal ahead of cut-off deadline
Russia and Ukraine failed to resolve a gas pricing dispute during Sunday talks in Kiev. Gazprom says its demands have not changed and Kiev is expected to pay its debt of $1.95 billion by 06:00 GMT on Monday, otherwise the gas supply will be stopped. Gazprom’s position remained unchanged after EU-brokered negotiations finally ended around 2:30 a.m. Moscow time (10:30 p.m. GMT) on Monday [...]
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US preparing for direct dialogue with Iran over ISIS threat in Iraq – report
The US is getting ready for an open dialogue with Iran to discuss Iraq's security concerns and ways of responding to radical Sunni militia that have been gaining ground in western Iraq, The Wall Street Journal quoted senior US officials as saying. [...]
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Blair: Iraq invasion not to blame for rising extremism -€“ Syrian war is
Apparently, the bloody wave of Islamic extremism gripping Iraq is an internal occurrence and was in no way facilitated by the Western invasion. This is former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair'€™s version of events concerning the entire Middle East. In fact, the former prime minister describes at length how it’s necessary to rid oneself of any feeling of responsibility that the crumbling country an [...]
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€‹Russia now enemy, so we’€™ll help Ukraine build up military – NATO chief
NATO is preparing a package deal to ramp up the Ukrainian military because it "€˜must adapt"€™ to Russia viewing it as an enemy, the outgoing chief of the military bloc said. The deal would be submitted to foreign ministers of members states later this month, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told El Pais in an interview. [...]
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Self-defense forces in Gorlovka, E.Ukraine, claim shooting down Kiev bomber jet
Self-defense forces in the town of Gorlovka, eastern Ukraine, say they have downed another plane - a Sukhoi-24 bomber jet. The pilot is alive and currently being taken for questioning, witnesses told RIA Novosti reports. [...]
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49 Ukrainian troops killed as transport plane downed in Lugansk (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Forty-nine Ukrainian troops were killed when their military Il-76 transport jet was taken down by local militia forces just before it started its descent toward Lugansk Airport. Some military hardware and supplies were lost as well. [...]
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Ukrainian APC with troops breaches Russian border
At least one Ukrainian armored vehicle crossed the Russian border with Ukraine Friday overnight and stopped in the Rostov Region, according to Russia'€™s Security Service. The military abandoned the vehicle and returned to Ukraine. [...]
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“€˜Unprecedented”€™: 13 aircraft mysteriously disappear from radars in heart of Europe
A total of 13 aircraft suddenly vanished off radars for about 25 minutes on two occasions over Austria and neighboring countries, Austria's flight safety monitor said, calling for an EU probe into the "€œunprecedented" incidents. The flights vanished from air traffic controllers’ screens in Austria on June 5 and June 10 for 25 minutes each time, Marcus Pohanka of Austro Control – Austria’s [...]
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Tear gas, stun grenades: Brazilian police disperse protesters hours before WC opener
Brazilian police have used teargas and stun grenades in San Paolo clashing with about 200 protesters angry with the govt overspending on the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This occurred hours before the tournament'€™s opening game to be held in the city. [...]
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Russian nuclear-capable bombers intercepted off California coast
A spokesperson for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed this week that a fleet of Russian bombers set off alarms in the United States after coming within 50 miles of California'€™s Pacific coast. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for NORAD, told Washington Free Beacon reporter Bill Gertz that a pair of Tu-95 Bear H aircraft maintained by Russia came close to US airspac [...]
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Biden to Germans: You are xenophobic
Vice President Joe Biden undoubtedly ruffled some feathers in Germany on Tuesday when he suggested the country was "€œxenophobic"€ and much less accommodating to immigrants compared to the United States. Speaking at an event held by the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, DC, Biden gave a speech in which he described three things the United States needs to do to “keep our e [...]
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€˜”No more delays”€™: Gazprom CEO sets hard deadline for Ukraine gas payment
Gazprom will not postpone Ukraine’s gas payment deadline set for Monday, CEO Aleksey Miller said. If Kiev fails to pay and therefore causes gas transit problems to Europe, Russia will pump more through the Nord Stream and Yamal-Europe pipelines. [...]
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‘White phosphorus’ reports: Ukraine military ‘dropped incendiary bombs’ on Slavyansk (VIDEO)
Residents of Slavyansk and its suburbs were awoken overnight on Thursday by what they say were incendiary bombs that were dropped on their city by Kiev'€™s military. Witnesses and local media reports suggested that the bombs might be phosphorous. [...]
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