Politics

Obama 2013: How low can you go?
No doubt 2013 will go down as Barack Obama'€™s annus horribilis. The President of the United States (POTUS) currently faces a 55 percent disapproval rating on "€œthe way he is handling his job,"€ according to the latest Washington Post-ABC poll. [...]
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US the biggest threat to world peace in 2013 €“ poll
The US has been voted as the most significant threat to world peace in a survey across 68 different countries. Anti-American sentiment was not only recorded in antagonistic countries, but also in many allied NATO partners like Turkey and Greece. [...]
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Not Socially Acceptable: NSA boss video “most hated”€™ on YouTube in 2013?
A YouTube video in which NSA boss Keith Alexander tries "€œto set the record straight"€ on the agency's spying antics has nosedived. The half-hour interview triggered a wave of criticism from users, branding it the "€œmost hated"€ video on YouTube. [...]
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Israeli PM slams US spying activities as “€˜unacceptable”€™, demands investigation
Israel'€™s Prime Minister has condemned the US spying on Israeli leaders, saying such things are "€œunacceptable"€ and "€œmust not be done"€ between close allies. Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded investigation into the matter. [...]
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“€˜I already won”€™: Snowden is helping the NSA though it brands him a traitor
Edward Snowden has said he feels satisfied and a winner despite the espionage charges confronting him. Denying claims he is a traitor, Snowden said he is working to improve the NSA, something that US spy chiefs do not realize. [...]
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€˜”It’€™s a crime what’€™s happening at Fukushima”
It is beyond tragic that people resettling near Fukushima have to figure out how bad the contamination there is, with Japan's government allowing it to happen, Kevin Kamps, a nuclear waste specialist from the Beyond Nuclear organization, told RT. [...]
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“Lie of the Year”€™ prize goes to Obama
It€'s probably not the kind of recognition he wanted to receive, but President Barack Obama has been awarded PolitiFact'€™s "Lie of the Year"€ for 2013. The infamous prize, handed out annually by the fact-checking website PolitiFact, was given to Obama because of his statements claiming that Americans would be able to keep their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act if they liked th [...]
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Spirit of deal “€˜violated”: Iran quits nuclear talks after US sanctions move
Iran has halted fraught nuclear talks with the West, saying that Washington has acted contrary to the spirit of a "landmark agreement"€™ established last month. The US has widened its blacklists, adding further people and companies under current sanctions. [...]
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Putin: Russia not aspiring to be superpower, or teach others how to live
Russia does not seek the role of a regional or global hegemony, but will defend its core values and interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. All attempts to impose on other nations have failed, he added. [...]
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Denver legalizes marijuana for use on private property
The City Council in Denver, Colorado voted on Monday to permit residents to smoke marijuana on private property, even if others can see them doing so from the street or sidewalk. [...]
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Uruguay legalizes sale and production of marijuana
Uruguay has become the first country in the world to legalize both the sale and production of marijuana. President Jose Mujica has championed the measure as a way of combatting the illegal drug industry that has decimated parts of Uruguay. [...]
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“Not real James Bonds”: Assange explains why “small publisher” WikiLeaks beat the Pentagon
WikiLeaks'€™ major achievement is in weakening the authority of US intelligence, according to the whistle blowing website founder, Julian Assange, who has just marked three years under virtual house arrest in the UK. [...]
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Mandela’€™s sharp statements rarely cited in mainstream media
As the world remembers Nelson Mandela'€™s legacy as South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon, he was also deeply skeptical of American power, the Iraq invasion, and was a key supporter of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. [...]
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US deploys newest surveillance aircraft to Japan amid tensions with China
As tensions mount over China'€™s declaration of a new air defense zone, the United States Navy has deployed next-generation surveillance aircraft to Japan. [...]
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“Revolution!”Thousands pour in for pro-EU rally in Ukraine, storm govt buildings
Thousands of demonstrators chanting "€˜Revolution!"€™ have flocked into 'Maidan' square in Kiev despite a court-imposed ban on rallies. The protesters have reportedly taken several government buildings. [...]
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UK, EU growing hostile to each other, poll finds
A four nation poll has revealed a widening gap between the UK and rest of the EU, with attitudes on both sides of the channel hardening as UK public opinion becomes increasingly hostile towards Europe. [...]
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Cyber Command and NSA breakup looming over Snowden leaks – report
The fallout over the Snowden affair hits "critical stage" as Washington continues the push to separate Cyber Command, which oversees cyberspace operations, from the National Security Agency. [...]
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Ukraine refused to “€˜sign a suicide note”€™, sending the EU’s “€˜geopolitical project”€™ onto the rocks
Joining an old European geopolitical and ideological project would have been catastrophic for the Ukrainian economy, political expert John Laughland told RT, noting that it was actually the EU, not Russia, blackmailing Ukraine into signing a suicide note. The European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Ukraine's U-turn is indeed a major disappointment. [...]
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Scuffles with police as thousands of Ukrainians protest shelving of EU trade deal
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of several Ukrainian cities in protest at Kiev’s decision to suspend the EU trade agreement. A major rally for Euro integration with sporadic clashes is taking place in Kiev. Ukrainian police had to use teargas after a group of protesters tried storming government buildings in Kiev. [...]
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“Historic mistake”€™: Netanyahu says world is “more dangerous place” after Iran deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the international deal over Iran's nuclear program, branding it a "€œhistoric mistake."€ He accused the P5+1 of allowing Tehran a step further "towards obtaining the world's most dangerous weapon." Netanyahu condemned the deal at a cabinet meeting on Sunday and said the world has become a more dangerous place. [...]
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Merkel demands clarity on NSA’€™s role in Germany
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded that Washington give Germany clarity over the future of the NSA in the country, stating that the practice had put transatlantic ties "€œto the test.-€œThe allegations are grave,"€ she said. Merkel kicked off the session by tackling the controversial issue of the US tapping her personal phone calls and the “millions” of associated NSA data int [...]
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Despite repeated warnings, US “€˜subsidizing”€™ Afghan companies with ties to terrorism – report
American taxpayers have unwittingly paid more than $150 million to companies throughout the Middle East that are known to have helped finance terrorist attacks on US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, according to a new internal US government report. [...]
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