US President Barack Obama has given an extraordinary ultimatum to the Republican-controlled Congress, arguing that they must not block the nuclear accord with Iran. It’s either “deal or war,” he says. In a televised nationwide address on August 5, Obama said: “Congressional rejection of this deal leaves any US administration that is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from getting a [...]

Emails published this week by WikiLeaks reveal that a senior State Dept. official asked the CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment for help in countering the narratives of the Russian Federation and the so-called Islamic State. Internal Sony correspondence that was leaked to the web following last year’s colossal SPE hack and now mirrored by the anti-secrecy group shows that Richard Stengel, the [...]

Travis Sanders was out with his family at a lava lake at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park last week when he was tasered to the ground for trying to take some snaps of the lava with a small toy drone. Sanders was minding his own business and flying his drone over the lava lake when he was apprehended by a park ranger who told him to land it at once. [...]

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a speech to parliament on Friday that his country cannot accept the "unrealistic" proposals set by its lenders that did not include a promise of debt relief. Tsipras said that the only offer worth considering and which held the basis of a deal with creditors was the one made by Athens earlier in the week and that other proposals set by Greece’s lend [...]

One daring feline has accidentally performed a stunt flight on a light aircraft's wing, a recent YouTube video shows. It took a while for the pilot and passenger to notice their furry passenger, but in the end, no additional kitty lives were taken. The video, aptly titled ‘Remove cat before flight’ was posted by YouTube user Romain Jantot on Sunday, who was apparently the pilot of the light [...]

Greece may take EU institutions to court to stop its creditors from pushing the country out of the Euro-zone. Athens' bailout expires Tuesday and a default could mean it is exiled by Brussels. “We are taking advice and will certainly consider an injunction at the European Court of Justice. [...]

US Vice President Joe Biden has made the latest in a series of chastening apologies, after the United Arab Emirates expressed “astonishment” at his Thursday remarks. Biden called US allies “the biggest problem” in fighting terrorism in the Middle East. Biden called Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince and Deputy Defense Minister Mohammed bin Zayed on Sunday to reaffirm the allies’ shared perspect [...]

Russian President Putin did not agree to a possible deployment of peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine, his spokesman said in response to Kiev's claims to the contrary. Moscow insists that all points of the Minsk agreement are fulfilled first. The peacekeeper initiative was discussed on Thursday in a phone conversation between the so-called Normandy Four - the leaders of France, Germany Russia and U [...]

The euro fell to a two-week low on Wednesday following a Greek government warning that it will miss the June 5 IMF payment deadline without a deal with the Troika by then. The single currency traded at $1.1115, down 0.4 percent at 11:36am MSK on Wednesday. It declined 0.71630 against the British pound and 134.34 against the Japanese yen. [...]

A cockpit-view GoPro video shot by Turkish test pilot shows an F-16 fighter jet gaining well over 4km in altitude in a matter of 45 seconds from the moment it starts rolling on the airfield, with the actual flight time to get there less than 20 seconds. The F-16 B Fighting Falcon steered by Turkish TAI Test Pilot Murat Keles and rear-seat pilot Murat Ozpala simply shoots upward vertically above [...]

Nearly one fifth of Prime Minister David Cameron’s MPs are likely to vote against Britain remaining a member of the European Union in the upcoming referendum, new research has revealed. The results show the growing divide over the European question between the prime minister and his party. [...]

Russia will supply coal and electricity to Ukraine without prepayment, Vladimir Putin's spokesman said. Ukraine is trying to cope with energy problems amid an ongoing crisis in the industrial east. This proves the president’s political goodwill and support, “particularly before New Year,” said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday, as quoted by TASS. [...]

Washington and its NATO allies have already spent over $110 million on “security assistance” to Ukraine and are considering increasing the “lethality” of the aid, a top US diplomat told a Congressional committee in an accusatory anti-Russia speech. [...]

After more than half a century at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, a World War II-era aircraft carrier potentially containing one hundred barrels of nuclear waste has been rediscovered by scientists. The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that it has once again located the USS Independence. Scientists sunk the carrier in 1951 off the California coast af [...]

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments on lethal injections for the first time in nearly a decade, following a botched execution in Oklahoma and amid a nationwide shortage of the drugs used in the procedure. On Wednesday, the state of Oklahoma and lawyers for three death row inmates there presented their arguments to the Supreme Court, where the nine justices appeared to be sharply split bet [...]

A former Goldman Sachs banker suggested Greece start legal action against his former employer over complex financial deals that helped the country hide its national debt in 2001 and continue borrowing despite its poor economy, the Independent reports. The banking giant made as much as $500 million from the transactions known as "swaps", which translated Greek debts issued in dollars and yens in [...]

With his second and final term in office nearly half-way done, United States President Barack Obama, who enjoyed record popularity after first being elected in 2008, is struggling to keep up with the ratings of wildly unpopular predecessor George W. Bush. Fallout isn’t unexpected during so-called “lame duck” sessions in which reelection is ruled out and campaigning for office is no longer [...]

Russia is set to ramp up its military presence in Crimea, the country’s envoy to the Alliance said justifying the move by NATO’s “stepping up activities” in Eastern Europe. The envoy also urged the US to pull out its nuclear weapons stationed in Europe. "Naturally, we will increase our forces in Crimea because NATO countries have stepped up their activities… in the immediate vicinity [...]

The economic burden of Western sanctions has pushed Russia to the east in search of business opportunities. Judging by the outcome of President Putin’s visit to India - 20 high-profile deals struck – Moscow’s ‘pivot to Asia’ is getting a warm welcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin achieved this during his visit to India spanning 23 hours and 15 minutes and at a summit meeting with [...]

The Russian military is putting the finishing touches to its very own heavy military UAV. The drone is part of a wider modernization effort, with the cutting-edge flagship S500 missile system coming in 2017. The drone “already exists,” according to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov. [...]

Google is facing formal antitrust charges in the EU after years of investigation and three attempted settlements. The announcement will be made at the European Commission meeting on Wednesday, EU officials told the media. If the Commission finds Google guilty, it can order the company to change its business practices and impose fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s global proceeds – mo [...]

Around 50 vessels from 17 countries, involving overall 5,600 troops, will be taking part in US-led exercise BALTOPS in the Baltic Sea starting June 5. In 15 days, NATO allies will show their eagerness and ability to protect the region. Featuring anti-submarine warfare, air defense, interception of suspect vessels and amphibious landings, the annual BALTOPS will run through June 20. [...]