The US presence in Syria is a violation of the law, and a reflection of US frustration said military analyst Kamal Alam. The only way for Washington to be part of the endgame is to keep its forces in the country, he adds. The UN Charter recognizes only two justifications for the use of military force in a foreign country. The first is having the permission of the Security Council, and the second i [...]

The gradual acceptance of digital currencies, with major exchanges about to launch bitcoin futures trading, may prompt some oil producing nations to ditch the US dollar in crude trade in favor of cryptocurrencies, an oil analyst says. Russia, Iran and Venezuela have more than one thing in common. All three are major oil producing nations dependent on the dollar since the global crude market i [...]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out against Israel Sunday, calling it a ‘terrorist state’ that ‘kills children.’ Erdogan promised to fight to the bitter end against Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. [...]

US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was roundly denounced by the UN General-Secretary and even US allies in Europe including Germany, France and the UK. But the sharpest rebukes came from Muslim leaders. [...]

US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has sparked protests in Gaza and Istanbul. Turkish groups say this is only the beginning. Trump managed to unite the entire Muslim world after he announced the US's decision to acknowledge Israel's claim that Jerusalem is its capital city and move the US embassy there. T [...]

The US Department of State claims that Russia's mirror response to the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act is "inappropriate". The United States calls on Russia not to apply the newly adopted law concerning foreign media, the US Department of State said in a press release. [...]

A Russian Su-30 fighter's intercept of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea has given rise to concerns in the Pentagon, which complained about the Russian jet's "unsafe" behavior. Military observer Vladimir Kozin opined on what the Pentagon might do to avoid such incidents in the future. [...]

One of the oldest people on the planet, Appaz Iliyev from the Russian republic of Ingushetia, has got his sight back thanks to a successful surgery. One of the oldest people on the planet, 121-year-old Appaz Iliyev from the Russian republic of Ingushetia, has got his sight back thanks to a successful surgery. Born in 1896, the man still works daily in his garden in the North Caucasus mountains. [...]

The US is being pushed out of the grain market as Russia's bumper wheat harvest has dragged down prices to record lows. Russian agricultural exports are booming thanks to a weaker national currency and massive investment. [...]

After threatening Pyongyang with a military option US President Donald Trump turned to Russia and China calling upon them to join his efforts to solve the North Korean dilemma, analysts told Sputnik, explaining what is behind the new US sanction policy targeting the world's financial institutions that work with North Korea. [...]

It is highly unlikely that Washington would manage to convince its European allies as well as Russia and China to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal, RIA Novosti contributors Vladimir Ardaev and Igor Gashkov noted, adding that the unilateral reintroduction of the sanctions regime may leave the US further isolated. [...]

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit as part of his five-nation tour of Asia. Sputnik looks at how the relationship between the US and China has changed Richard Nixon's historic eight-day trip in 1972. [...]

The US’ obsession with “proving” alleged “Russian meddling” in the 2016 election and America’s subsequent institutional destruction as a result will go down in history as representing the suicide of this former superpower’s soft power. [...]

The international financial system needs to balance which is why there is no place for a dominant currency, said Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev. “The balanced system of financial relations should be based on the use of various reserve currencies, various forms of settlement. There should be no domination of any one currency,” said Medvedev, speaking at the regular Russia and China heads of govern [...]

Hungary has signaled its readiness to develop closer ties with the new Austrian government. Speaking to Sputnik, Norbert Freiherr van Handel, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, called for full-fledged cooperation between Vienna and the member states of what was once known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. [...]

It looks that the Israeli “demonstration of power” during the recent visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has turned into a total failure. On October 16, Shoigu arrived Israel for meetings with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The sides were reportedly set to discuss the situation in the region, including Syria, the fight a [...]

As a result of US President Donald Trump’s belittling attacks on “Rocket Man” Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang is refusing to hold discussions with the US. "Multiple US government and congressional officials" told NBC that they have been warned by Joseph Yun, US envoy to North Korea, that Trump's insults won't help them bring North Korean officials to the negotiating table. [...]

The Russia-NATO collaboration could be in jeopardy over the US' recent moves to enhance its military presence in Europe. "The United States is doing everything to push Russia to withdraw from the agreement. [...]

The second largest operator of Russia's SSJ100 airliners expressed hope for joint venture with the plane's manufacturer after signing a document on further development of cooperation between the two companies. [...]

Speaking to participants of the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the future technology he believes can prove to be more terrible than nuclear weapons. [...]

The Russian Defense Ministry "has questions" about the sudden move of the anti-Daesh coalition to help civilians in Raqqa. "[The only explanation of this] is an aspiration to quickly cover up the tracks of the barbaric bombings of the United States and the coalition's aircraft that have buried thousands of civilians liberated from the Islamic State [Daesh] under the ruins of Raqqa," Russian Defens [...]

Poland may lose its last EU ally over its unwillingness to vocally protest against the Ukrainian discriminatory education law, Polish independent commentator Janusz Niedzwiecki told Sputnik, adding that Warsaw is bowing to Washington's will. Meanwhile, Brussels is running out of patience over Kiev's failure to implement the Minsk accords. [...]