A Dublin court has sent three former senior banking executives to jail for committing "sham transactions" in an effort to deceive customers and shareholders during the 2008 financial crisis."The trio will be among the first senior bankers globally to be jailed for their role in the collapse of a bank during the crisis," as Reuters reports. [...]

On the two-year anniversary of Russia's counter-sanctions against Western food products, its agricultural industry is going from strength to strength. On August 7 2014, Russia imposed counter-sanctions on food products from Western countries which had imposed sanctions against some Russian individuals and entities in March 2014, following Crimea's decision to join the Russian Federation in the [...]

The joint Syrian-Russian humanitarian operation to save civilians trapped in militant-held territories in Aleppo has struck a severe blow to US policy in the country, says former diplomat and Middle East expert Vyacheslav Matuzov.   [...]

Commenting on the recent developments in the Syrian conflict and the agreement between Russia and the US on the coordination of bombing missions in the country, many media sources now agree that Moscow has the upper hand in the conflict and its agreement with the US will grant it and its ally Iran the final victory. [...]

Italy may very well be joining the US anti-Daesh operation in Libya, having offered Washington the use of Sigonella air base in Sicily for USAF raids into the North African country. Sputnik spoke to Italian military journalist Mirko Molteni about why Italy has once again allowed itself to become involved in a NATO air war over Libya. [...]

Russia has invited NATO’s military experts to Moscow in September and offered a “positive program” for developing relations with the military alliance — but is reconciliation really what NATO is interested in? Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said the proposal was aimed at decreasing tensions and that Moscow was ready for a constructive approach, despite differences betwe [...]

The leaders of Germany’s liberal Free Democrats and Austria’s far-right Freedom parties have both drawn parallels between the Turkish president’s post-coup crackdown and the abuse of power which allowed Adolf Hitler to exert Nazi rule. A failed military coup attempt to oust and potentially kill elected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan resulted in a hard-line response, with the Turkish par [...]

The 9/11 attacks opened a bloody chapter of American history, “justifying” U.S. attacks on multiple countries but not on the one most connected to the terrorism, U.S. “ally,” Saudi Arabia. Why is that, asks Lawrence Davidson. On Nov. 27, 2002, a bipartisan commission was established by Congress to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. [...]

Washington’s foreign policy mavens are thwarting President Obama’s moves to work with Russia to resolve the Syrian war and reduce other tensions, so the new Cold War can proceed under Hillary Clinton, says ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke. “Yes, as we are all too aware, Hillary Clinton was officially anointed this week as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee for the upcoming e [...]

A stress test conducted a few days ago by the European Banking Authority confirmed a poor condition of many credit institutions in Europe. Italian banks and Germany’s Deutsche Bank are doing the worst. In recent months, Deutsche Bank shares have lost 25% of their value, French bank Société 23% [...]

Russian political analyst Victor Sumsky has commented to Sputnik on the recent avoidance of the Southeast Asian Nations to make any direct reference to their territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea by saying that they have refused to 'commit suicide' despite US pressure and have 'demonstrated their wisdom.' [...]

For over two years, Ukrainian authorities have been making claims of a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine involving thousands of regular troops. Now, a sensible voice in Ukraine's own parliament is asking authorities to provide evidence for the oft-repeated claims. [...]

Civil wars in Syria and Ukraine, the threat of ISIS, and now protests in Hong Kong. So far the UN has prevented a war from breaking out between super powers since the end of World War II, but recently the US has not gotten its way in the UNSC. By way of financial flows and sanctions, Western powers have ultimately started a world proxy war. CrossTalking with Rodney Shakespeare, Patrick Hennings [...]

After Austria suggested putting an end to EU membership talks with Turkey, Ankara hit back, labeling Vienna the “capital of radical racism.” The Austrian foreign minister suggested Turkey should moderate its wording and “do its homework.”   [...]

Britain will have to pay the European Union a hefty sum if it is to follow through with Brexit, with claims that an estimated €25 billion is owed to the bloc in unpaid bills. An outstanding total of €200 billion (£170 billion, $221 billion) has been shifted around by the EU for years, under what Brussels’ mandarins call the “reste à liquider.” [...]

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, well-known Gaullist and leader of the France Arise party, believes that his country's leaders are losing the war against radical Islamic terrorism. Worse yet, he says, France is losing because it is being led on a string like a puppet to the interests of Brussels, Berlin and Washington. In a cutting op-ed, published by Le Figaro, Dupont-Aignan warned that unfortunately, t [...]

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has called on the Western mainstream media to refrain from double standards in reporting on the Syrian conflict and cover the crimes committed by the US-backed groups in the country, while former US diplomat explains why the American people know nothing about such atrocities. [...]

Russia plans to deploy one of its best air defense systems, the S-400 Triumf to Crimea in August. The regiment that will protect the skies over the Black Sea peninsula from NATO's "air hooligans," as Crimea's Vice Premier Ruslan Balbek put it, will be stationed in the port town of Feodosia. The S-400 complex will become a welcome addition to Crimea's multilayered air defense structure that cont [...]

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has urged the EU to halt membership talks with Turkey following Ankara’s crackdown in the wake of the failed July coup. Turkey’s EU affairs minister said the statements were “disturbing” and “similar to the far right.” [...]

The “Empire of Chaos” has Russia backed into a corner and Putin says we are on the brink of WWIII. Darrin McBreen talks to Paul Craig Roberts about NATO’s deployment of anti-missile systems surrounding Russia. [Elite_video_player id="1"]   To Email, or Share This Video Page on Social Networks...   Use this Short Link: https://mtic.us/?p=13601   [...]

German former CDU politician and Vice-President of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Willy Wimmer told Sputnik Deutschland that he fears NATO involvement in the downing of Russia's Su-24 bomber over Syria last November. [...]

The launch of a joint humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo by Russia and the Syrian government has “switched all the trump cards out of US hand”, according to Reuters, and here is why. Moscow has forestalled the US operations in Syria by launching, together with the Syrian government, a joint large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo, establishing three corridors for civilians [...]