An American Nobel Prize winner has spoken out against US president Donald Trump's global trade war at a Chinese conference on international development. The keynote speaker heavily criticised his country's protectionist stance, stating that trade wars would hurt Americans as much as others. [...]

In early August, the United States announced a new round of sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in UK's Salisbury in March. US President Donald Trump has given the Department of Treasury the authority, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), to impose sanctions on Russia, the White [...]

Israel doesn’t want to allow the public to witness what’s happening in Gaza, the head of an EU Parliament delegation told RT, after being barred from entering the enclave. He called Israel’s actions there “a war crime.” The group from the European Parliament was scheduled to arrive in Gaza on Thursday but was denied access. [...]

The biggest holder of US Treasury bills, notes and bonds – China – has dropped $7.8 billion worth of US sovereign debt as a large-scale trade conflict, launched by Washington earlier this year, breaks new ground. The latest statistics released by the US Treasury Department showed that China’s share of US sovereign bonds hit a six month low of $1.171 trillion in July, from $1.178 trillion in [...]

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States on September 24 plans to sign in Vienna the certification that will allow Russian surveillance aircraft to operate in US territory under the Open Skies Treaty, a State Department official told Sputnik on Wednesday. "On September 18, the United States informed all states parties via formal treaty mechanisms that it will approve the certification of the Russi [...]

ST.PETERSBURG Israel is unlikely to freely use Syrian airspace in the wake of the crash of a Russian Il-20 military aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, Yakov Kedmi, a former high-ranking Israeli intelligence official, told Sputnik. "There was an agreement between Israel and Russia that the actions of Israel in Syria's airspace would not endanger lives of Russian troops. [...]

What is the bigger story? The West Against the Rest or The West Against Itself? The Illiberal Quartet of Xi, Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan is in the line of fire of haughty homilies about Western “values.” Illiberalism is arrogantly and provocatively depicted in the West repeatedly as a Tartar Invasion 2.0. But closer to home Illiberalism is responsible for the social, civil war in the U.S. as Tr [...]

One question as we head to the November midterm elections, a referendum on the president, is: Could Donald Trump be a one-man version of either Enron or Lehman Brothers, someone who cooked “the books” until he implodes? asks Nomi Prins. Once upon a time, there was a little-known energy company called Enron. In its 16-year life, it went from being dubbed America’s most innovative company [...]

A Norwegian state report says the officials “had very limited knowledge” of what was going on in Libya, but promptly decided to join the US-led intervention, turning the once thriving North African nation into a terrorist hotbed. [...]

The Russian military's conclusion that the missile that brought down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 contained Ukrainian serial numbers is important information that should be considered in the international probe, analysts told RT. On Monday, the Russian military announced that the serial numbers found on debris of the Buk missile that downed MH17 over eastern Ukraine show it was produced in 198 [...]

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Tariffs imposed by the US government on metals and other imported goods are causing widespread pressures for manufacturers and businesses in the United States, the Federal Reserve said in a report. "All Districts noted fairly widespread input price pressures, particularly for construction materials and freight transportation," the report released on Wednesday said. [...]

The recent growth in the Russian currency has helped the ruble-traded MOEX index reach an all-time high on Tuesday. The index rose to 2,390 points for the first time in history after the ruble strengthened to 67.7 against the dollar and 79.1 against the euro. Earlier in September, the Russian currency had suffered a deep plunge against reserve currencies amid a new US sanctions threat. [...]

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Mexican President-Elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday held talks with Russian Ambassador to Mexico Viktor Koronelli and discussed bilateral Russian-Mexican relations, local media reported. According to the Quadratin news portal, Lopez Obrador and Koronelli discussed possible cooperation projects, including in infrastructure. [...]

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Iran is seeking to extend or renew a $1 billion oil deal with the Swiss giant Vitol Group ahead of the promised return in November of crippling US sanctions, media reported. The US administration in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which eased sanctions on the Islamic Republic. [...]

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Refusal to provide accreditation to certain diplomats to fill a vacant position in diplomatic missions is common practice, fueling a diplomatic scandal is senseless, Russian Ambassador to Switzerland Sergei Garmonin told Sputnik. [...]

Head of the German domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maassen previously faced harsh criticism after he expressed doubts over the authenticity of the footage showing alleged attacks by right-wing activists on migrants in Chemnitz. [...]

Volkswagen-owned premium brand Audi has unveiled the E-Tron, a battery-powered crossover, which is just about to hit dealerships, making the market of electric vehicles rather more choiceful for eco-friendly enthusiasts. E-tron, Audi’s first electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV), debuted in San Francisco on Monday night. [...]

The Russian military says an Israeli raid on Syria triggered a chain of events that led to its Il-20 plane being shot down by a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile. Moscow reserves the right to respond accordingly. On Monday evening, four Israeli F-16 fighter jets attacked targets in Syria’s Latakia after approaching from the Mediterranean, a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tue [...]

Change is coming, Charles Ortel, a Wall Street analyst, told Sputnik, commenting on the growing discontent with Brussels policies among Europeans and the increasing popularity of nationalist conservative parties. According to the analyst, the EU's swollen bureaucratic apparatus remains a stumbling block in the way of Europe's development. [...]

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has landed in Pyongyang for the historic summit with Kim Jong-un as part of the ongoing reconciliation process and talks on denuclearization of the peninsula.  President Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook were welcomed by the North Korean leader, and Kim's sister, Yo-jong, as well as hundreds of locals for a three-day trip to Pyongyang that began on Tuesday morning [...]

India has cleared the way for its biggest deal yet with Russia, with Delhi reportedly set to sign a deal to purchase $2.2 billion worth of Russian ships. It comes despite US sanctions aimed at deterring business with Moscow.  After revitalizing defense ties with the US earlier this month, India has now turned to Russia to acquire four new warships for its Navy, sources quoted by the Economic Time [...]

The serial numbers found on debris of the Buk missile which downed Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine show it was produced in 1986, the Russian military said. The projectile was owned by Ukraine, they added. There are two serial numbers found on fragments of the missile, which shot down the passenger airliner in June 2014 according to an international team of investigators led by [...]