The response of Western governments and of the Western media to the Russian air operation in Syria was unanimous. All of them condemned it and all of them said it would fail. In the US there was much gloating talk — joined in by President Obama himself — about how the Russians had landed themselves in a quagmire. [...]

A Russian TV crew has managed to obtain video proof of Turkey’s increased military presence on the Syrian border, as it filmed fortifications and tanks on the frontier. The lodgments are heavily fortified by tanks and self-propelled guns, REN-TV crew reported from the scene. [...]

Three Russian airports share first place in the best European airport rankings by Airport Service Quality (ASQ), ahead of London’s Heathrow, Vienna and Zurich. The award winners are Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo and Sochi Airport in Adler. [...]

If western banks respond to Russia's bond offering, which will become an additional source of revenue for its economy, it will be a fatal signal for the West and a political fiasco for the US and EU, according to western media. Russia has announced plans to issue sovereign bonds worth $3 billion and has invited European, Chinese and US banks to bid for the issue. [...]

Russia’s military have stopped all airstrikes on those areas and armed groups which joined the ceasefire in Syria, the General Staff has said at a briefing. "Russia has fully stopped carrying out airstrikes in the green zone - those areas and armed units that have sent us requests for a ceasefire," the chief of the main operations department of the Russian General Staff, Sergey Rudskoy, has t [...]

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has lashed out at remarks recently made by the US State Department’s deputy spokesman, who urged Russia to “put up or shut up” over Syria’s truce, calling them rude and offensive. [...]

Researchers at Russia’s Altai State University have reportedly finished the second stage of testing of what may prove to be a viable longevity treatment. The scientists told media that the new medicine stimulates the body’s stem cell production, reinvigorates tissues and maintains them at levels which correspond with those of a biologically young organism. [...]

With the Syrian ceasefire set to take effect on Saturday, journalist Steven Sahiounie tells Radio Sputnik’s Loud & Clear about the situation on the ground, and describes Syrians’ hesitations about the United States’ true intentions. "There is hope, but on one condition: that the American government and their allies put pressure on Saudi Arabia and Turkey to stop their militants on the [...]

A report by influential US-based think tank the Atlantic Council says NATO’s European members can’t fight a war against Russia. Earlier, the commander of US European forces said Americans were ready to “fight and win” against Russia. The report, due to be released Friday, was [...]

Moscow is not discussing alternative plans for a political settlement in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said. The Russian-American peace initiative is going to be formalized through a UN Security Council resolution. “We’re perplexed by our Western partners, the US included, mentioning the existence of some kind of ‘Plan B,’ Nothing is known on that one, we are consi [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held phone talks on the ceasefire plan brokered by Moscow and Washington with the Syrian president and Saudi king, as well the leaders of Israel and Iran. Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad held a phone conversation on Wednesday and “discussed various aspects of the Syrian crisis in the light of realization of the Russian-American declaration on cessation of [...]

While terrorists rage in Syria and beyond, with many countries trying to unite their efforts in the fight against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), Ankara's blame game looks more like an untimely joke, Moscow says. "Mr. Davutoglu [Turkish Prime Minister], are you serious or is it just the way you joke? [...]

The Syrian ceasefire accords, signed in Munich, have laid bare the impotence of Washington regarding the ongoing civil war, and have proved that resolving the almost five-year conflict depends on Russian interests in the region, international affairs observer Marc Champion wrote, in an opinion column for Bloomberg View. [...]

A part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) will not participate in the ceasefire deal unless al-Nusra Front is involved, a commander of Ahrar ash-Sham militants said Tuesday. On Monday, Russia and the United States announced an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad and the armed opposition factions had been reached. The agreement will come into [...]

The era of the US global sea dominance – ensured by its 10 giant aircraft carriers – may come to an end, a study by respected Washington-based think tank warns. Russia, China and Iran can make the mammoth vessels useless by new weapons, tech and tactics. Aircraft carriers are at the heart of the US Navy's global reach capabilities, and a symbol of American military might. [...]

By adopting terms for a cessation of hostilities together with Russia, the US showed Turkey it is not going to support Ankara’s efforts to send troops into Syria and NATO won’t come to rescue them later, former US diplomat Jim Jatras told RT. How confident can we be that this new agreement will hold?   [...]

The Syrian government has accepted the terms of a ceasefire deal announced by the US and Russia, a foreign ministry source said, as cited by Sana news agency. But Damascus wants the fight against terrorists such as Islamic State to continue. [...]

The deployment of Russia's super-maneuverable multirole Su-35S fighter jets in Syria immediately grabbed global headlines, which touted the warplane as "one of the world's most dangerous fighters." Russia's deployment of four state-of-the-art Su-35S fighter jets to Syria swiftly hit international headlines, [...]

A spate of atrocities over the past week suggests that the Erdogan regime in Turkey is desperately trying to goad Washington into a wider Syrian war. Who’s giving the orders here? The evidence points to Washington losing control over its regional underlings. That in turn makes the situation all the more volatile and dangerous. [...]