When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to close a vital airbase used by American forces, he wasn’t bluffing, and Washington should take his threats at face value, or risk losing a NATO ally, analysts say. [...]

Dozens of people were injured and hospitalized in Beirut during street battles between thousands of anti-government protesters and armed police amid a worsening political and economic crisis in Lebanon. Protesters hurled debris, bottles and fireworks while police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the crowds on a second night of unrest in the capital this past weekend. [...]

As the US braces to slap sanctions on European firms building the last leg of the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a senior MP in Berlin argues that formal protests don’t work anymore – but a strong response could. [...]

The Chinese tech giant has made strides to replace American-made hardware, software and technology in its 5G internet and smartphone divisions after being placed on a US Commerce Department blacklist earlier this year. Huawei has begun manufacturing 5G base stations – the towers facilitating wireless communication between mobile devices and internet networks, without the use of parts made in the [...]

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara will not abandon the Russian S-400 air defence systems in order to buy American Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a statement that Ankara may insist that the US leave Incirlik air base if Washington goes ahead with the sanctions it has threatened in response to Turkey's purchase [...]

In mid-October, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported that fresh security requirements for telecommunications networks in Germany does not contain a clause to keep Huawei from taking part in the construction of 5G infrastructure. Washington has repeatedly warned Berlin over Huawei taking part in developing Germany’s 5G infrastructure. [...]

Washington has repeatedly threatened to sanction Turkey over its decision to buy the Russian air defense system, and moved to halt the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara over the purchase earlier this year. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has passed the 'Promoting American National Security and Preventing the Resurgence of ISIS Act', which includes sanctions against Turkey over its dec [...]

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl was left impressed with Russian President Vladimir Putin's gallant behavior after the two waltzed at Kneissl's headline-grabbing wedding last year. "President Putin is an old-school gentleman. He has a special kind of manners that we don't see enough today, including in Central Europe," the diplomat told TASS on Monday. [...]

The military aircraft, created in 1964 still remains faster than any other fighter plane even from the fourth and fifth generations. The world's fastest fighter jet, the MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) frightened the US and its NATO allies when it was designed by the Soviet Union, according to the military-themed portal We Are the Mighty. [...]

US House Democrats have repeatedly accused Donald Trump of trying to obstruct their impeachment probe by ordering officials not to cooperate. Trump, in turn, slammed the investigation as a biased "witch hunt" and as an illegal blow against him ahead of the election. Democrats running the impeachment probe into US President Donald Trump have revealed two articles of impeachment accusing him of abus [...]

The US government has dropped all charges against Max Blumenthal, after arresting the journalist over a dubious 5-month-old warrant. But the Grayzone editor says the case is far from closed. Blumenthal was detained for nearly two days after police raided his Washington, DC home in October. The month-old warrant for his arrest listed the journalist as “armed and dangerous,” and police carrying [...]

Russia’s leading aircraft manufacturer has said it is developing a new type of an aircraft complex based on high-speed drones that can be used in concert with advanced MiG-35 lightweight fighter jets and other warplanes. Russia's MiG Aircraft Corporation, which marks its 80th anniversary on Sunday, said that it has been working on a brand new type of unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that ca [...]

Russian military forces have delivered food and provided medical assistance to the residents of Raqqa in the first such humanitarian mission aimed at helping civilians who are struggling to survive in the city scarred by war. The first column of Russian military trucks loaded with food and medical supplies entered the capital of Syria's northern province on Monday. [...]

The Paris talks on Ukraine have enabled Putin and Zelensky to meet for the first time. But they have agreed only to kick the can down the road, to agree to disagree, while seeking progress on issues other than the war in Donbass. It would be difficult to exaggerate the weakness of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s position. He is a political novice facing perhaps the most experienced and [...]

The Russian stock market has delivered the biggest returns to investors around the world this year. Global rate cuts and increased dividend payouts have been driving investor interest in Russia. The MSCI Russia Index which tracks the 23 largest Russian publicly-listed companies has surged 44 percent since the start of the year, according to Sberbank analyst Cole Akeson. [...]

€œWe Are On The Verge Of A Recession Making 2008 Look Like Nothing How will Russia's new hypersonic missile affect global arms race? Wind of change? Putin's visit to Austria may show major shift in EU-Russia relations How will Russia's new hypersonic missile affect global arms race? /* */ /* */ /* */ [...]

Seventy is normally considered a ripe old age at which people should be enjoying retirement. The NATO alliance, which meets to celebrate its anniversary in London, should have been pensioned off long ago. The French president, who told the Economist in early November that NATO was “brain dead”, seems determined to jolt the alliance and its members out of their collective coma. [...]

The Australian taxpayer will foot the bill for a $85 million (AUS$125 mn) Growler fighter jet that burst into flames on the runway due to an engine fault. The US Navy will not reimburse Australia for the “dud” warplane. [...]

Hong Kong’s violent anti-government movement continues to rage. It has won the world’s attention and the support from politicians in the West. But what’s really fueling the chaos? Through exclusive interviews and copious research, RT America’s Michele Greenstein, who was an eyewitness to the violence, paints a comprehensive picture of the protests. [...]

President Donald Trump has approved legislation backing Hong Kong’s ‘pro-democracy’ protest movement, disregarding Beijing’s repeated warnings for Washington to mind its own business and stop meddling in China's internal affairs. Dubbed the 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,' the bill blazed through both houses of Congress earlier this month with virtually unanimous consent from la [...]

Washington officials are reportedly demanding that Turkey “destroy or return” its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to get back in the good books and rejoin the F-35 fighter program – but Ankara has no intention of complying. [...]

Professional journalists are losing touch with the moral code that once galvanized the profession, a new study shows. But what truth-slinger wouldn’t be having an existential crisis in an industry where facts no longer matter? Ideology, speed, and novelty have nudged veracity and honor out of the way at the ethical core of the journalist’s trade. ​ [...]