The West continues to rapidly lose its clout, which had been based on democracy and human rights, according to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel. Tagesspiegel columnist Malte Lehming believes that even though Western countries are still full of ambitions, they are swiftly losing their power, which had previously based on their adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights, RIA [...]

The Ukrainian people remain hostage to the deceitful Kiev regime, but no one is ready to welcome them into Europe, the head of the State Duma’s Committee for Security and Countering Corruption, Irina Yarovaya, has told reporters. [...]

Canada has used up all of its gold reserves. For the first time since 1935 the country is out of gold. The volume of gold reserves in Canada has declined steadily over the past 50 years. In the mid-1960s, Canada’s gold reserves exceeded 1,000 tons. By 1985, half had been sold. In 2015, the reserves were down to three tons and now the country has no gold left. [...]

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has attacked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying he poses “a threat to peace” as well as “economic development.” In February, Trump criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for her refugee policy. The German vice chancellor took aim at Trump and also right-wing politicians in Europe, saying they were all a threat to “social cohesion. [...]

As the world's media attention is currently fixed on the conflict in Syria, and to a lesser extent Ukraine, there has been an ongoing economic conflict occurring against Russia. Economic sanctions against Russia have turned out to be a double edged sword, hurting European exporters and manufacturers as much as Russian importers and consumers. [...]

The Russian task force in Syria has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and professionalism, according to a German magazine citing confidential NATO analysis. The limited Russian contingent operating in Syria is outperforming the more widespread groupings of the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition, according to Germany’s FOCUS media outlet who came by the classified NATO document, which was pr [...]

The US-Chinese standoff in the South China Sea is heating up, with Washington dispatching a small armada to the area following reports that Beijing had reinforced a key island with fighters and air defenses. Much has been said and written about the dispute, with Russian analysts left pondering: if push comes to shove, what will Russia's role be? [...]

Oh, Canada! A recent survey found that only 38% of Americans could name the Prime Minister of their northern neighbor, but that didn’t stop Justin Trudeau from declaring, in an interview for CBS’s "60 Minutes," that "it might be nice if Americans paid a little more attention to the world." Unfortunately for Trudeau, it might also be nice if the 62% of Americans who don’t know who he is wo [...]

Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorists have pitched their camps right next to the border and receive regular supplies from the Turkish side, Syrian Kurdish forces told RT’s Lizzie Phelan, who traveled with YPG to investigate suspicious activity there. [...]

Certain people in America’s defense establishment believe that only governments that do Washington's bidding are “truly legitimate.” Others have ideological reasons to stir up tensions with Russia. This fuels discord and creates an unstable world. Imagine if a major Russian media outlet carried an article with the headline, “How We Can Defeat Obama.” [...]

According to latest research conducted by Russian state-owned agency VTSIOM the share of Russians who express willingness to vote for Putin in the nearest presidential polls is the largest in four years. “Seventy-four percent of Russian citizens say that they are ready to vote for Vladimir Putin at the nearest presidential elections, due in the beginning of 2018. [...]

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. [...]

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has blamed Germany's open door policy as well as a lack of cooperation between EU member states on the refugee crisis and has said that Austria will no longer be a ‘distribution hub’ for refugees. [...]

As the British gear up for a referendum to decide whether or not to remain in the EU, the most important fact about the EU is never mentioned. This is the overwhelming influence the US exerts on it. Britain’s politicians and media completely ignore this, focusing instead on Germany. Wild claims are even made the EU is a “German empire” [...]

Turkey’s “provocative” military buildup on the border and shelling of the Syrian territory could thwart the truce and disrupt the peace process in the Arab Republic, said the head of the Russian ceasefire monitoring center Lt. Gen. Sergey Kuralenko. [...]

Facing an increase in domestic terrorism, Turkish President Erdogan's government is scrambling to fine-tune its terrorist prevention methods and plans to purchase a number of new intelligence and surveillance systems. Last October, suicide bombers killed over 100 peace activists in Ankara. In January, a radical Islamist killed ten in Istanbul. Earlier this month, an attacker killed nearly 30 pe [...]

Political instability arising from European states’ crippling debt burdens may lead to the Eurozone’s implosion, ex-Bank of England (BoE) governor Mervyn King has said. The former central banker and staunch Euroskeptic made the prediction in his latest book, The End of Alchemy: Banking, the Global Economy and the Future of Money. [...]

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair kept members of his cabinet and numerous high-profile Whitehall officials in the dark over his plans to create a “regime change” in Iraq and oust Saddam Hussein, a new memoir has revealed. “Broken Vows,” a new book about the former PM by investigative journalist Tom Bower, reveals that Blair had decided as early as 2002 that Saddam Hussein should be remo [...]

The Obama administration, eager to assuage Saudi Arabia’s anger over the Iran nuclear deal and the failure to achieve “regime change” in Syria, has turned a blind eye to Riyadh’s savaging of Yemen, even though that is helping Al Qaeda militants expand their territory, writes Jonathan Marshall. For nearly a year, the Obama administration has turned a blind eye to the humanitarian catastr [...]

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. [...]