The US has “a very active deconfliction line” with Russia in order to not “get drawn into a fight” in Syria, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said. Mattis touched upon the ongoing operation in Syria at a press briefing on Tuesday. [...]

Washington’s attempts to derail the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to supply Russian natural gas to the European Union will definitely backfire, according to a geopolitical expert Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann. [...]

Scientists claim that consuming alcohol after studying can actually improve people’s memory. A team of researchers at the University of Exeter found that individuals who drink alcohol after studying are better at recalling information. [...]

The ongoing government shutdown in the United States could soon start to negatively impact the country’s debt ceiling, ratings agency Fitch said. The US runs a record deficit and pushes overall borrowing past $22 trillion. A shutdown of about a quarter of the US government entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with lawmakers and the White House divided over President Donald Trump’s demand fo [...]

The United States is ready to use the "full range" of its capabilities if provoked by North Korea, the country's top military officer said, noting that Washington is still hoping for a "peaceful resolution" to the crisis. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made clear on Monday that Washington is ready "to use the full range of military capabilities to defend [...]

The US president does not cease to delight online users, who closely watch his every step and wait for a chance to tear into him. Following a piece of toilet paper sticking to his shoe, numerous lapses on his Twitter account, including the almost legendary covfefe, a new mistake by Trump has let netizens cry out loud “busted”. [...]

The ACLU has declared a “historic victory” following the settlement of its lawsuit against two CIA-contracted psychologists involved in torturing suspects and developing the agency’s ‘enhanced interrogation program.' The terms are confidential. CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou told RT that while the settlement is historic, he is disappointed on three fronts. [...]

Berlin must not bow to any other countries’ “dictation” on its energy policy, the head of a German trade lobby in Russia has said, as he slammed the politicization of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. [...]

The advances of the Syrian army that resulted in the lifting of the three-year siege of Deir ez-Zor marked a real "peak of excitement" both for civilians and the troops, its governor has told RT. Islamic State terrorists resisted harshly to not give access to the city, which was "suffering in darkness." [...]

Self-proclaimed Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido could face a significant term in prison after his return to Venezuela from Colombia, where he traveled in defiance of the travel ban imposed earlier by the Venezuelan Supreme Court, Deputy Judge of the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice Juan Carlos Valdez told Sputnik on Tuesday. [...]

September 30 marks the second anniversary of the Russian counterterrorism military operation in Syria. Unlike the efforts by the United States and its international coalition, the Russian campaign in Syria is fully legitimate. It was launched at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Sputnik presents a look into the results of the Russian aerial campaign in Syria after two years   [...]

Two major accidents in less than five months, which killed a total of 346 people, raised concerns about the safety of Boeing's brand-new 737 MAX aircraft. It emerged that pilots did not practice flying these planes in simulators, because the company and authorities deemed it unnecessary. [...]

The US intelligence services enjoy three times more funding than they received before 9/11 and wield a great amount of power over the US President; if Trump were to challenge the CIA, NSA or other elements of the "deep state" it would be an unprecedented move, former US intelligence analyst Ray McGovern told Sputnik. [...]

British MPs have rejected Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement despite its separation from the rest of the deal. It’s the third humiliating defeat for the prime minister on what was supposed to be the day Britain left the EU. [...]

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. [...]

The statement follows a warning by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem that Damascus hasn't ruled out a military solution to the Golan Heights issue, which came to the fore in late March when US President Trump recognised Israel's sovereignty over the Golan. [...]

Beijing has stepped up its "railway diplomacy" by boosting its infrastructural projects simultaneously on three continents. Speaking to Sputnik, analysts highlighted China's competitive advantages and shed light on the obstacles the People's Republic is facing while implementing its initiatives. [...]

A record number of Russians say they are happy, a new survey reveals, with family, good health, and a good job making them feel that way. “The level of happiness among the Russians, based on subjective impression, stands at 86 percent,” state-run pollster VTSIOM said on Thursday. [...]

Donald Trump’s remarks on “s***hole countries” roused a righteous high-mindedness in his detractors. But a perusal of their own past quotes suggest they are quite capable of similar words – when one particular state is involved. [...]

The US military’s F-35 Lightning II stealth aircraft have a problem with spare parts, and it’s keeping the planes out of the sky, according to a new report by a government watchdog. "F-35 aircraft were unable to fly nearly 30% of the May-November 2018 time period due to spare parts shortages," according to an April report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). [...]

World’s richest 1% bagged 82% of global wealth in 2017, while poorest half got nothing – Oxfam The inequality crisis is worsening, according to a new study by global charity Oxfam, which found that the world’s richest 42 people own the same amount of wealth as the poorest 50 percent worldwide. [...]

The US government's indictment of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange on 17 additional charges under the Espionage Act has shocked and horrified journalists who are calling it an unprecedented attack on press freedom. [...]