THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICA AND THE 'FREE WORLD'?

Hamlet: Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel? Polonius: By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed. Hamlet: Methinks it is like a weasel. Polonius: It is backed like a weasel. Hamlet: Or like a whale? Polonius: Very like a whale. Taken from Hamlet...

Russia - Islam World Meet in Kuwait

Today marks the fifth meeting oft the Russia – Islamic World Strategic Vision Group, set to run until Dec 23 in Kuwait. In the last three years it has helped build trust and understanding between Russia and Islam...

Iranian Chief Nuclear Negotiator Calls for Nuclear Weapons Ban

Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator, Saeed Jalili, has called on all nations with nuclear weapons to disarm. While calling for this ban, Saeed Jalili, emphasized that nations have the right to develop nuclear...

Gazprom group to invest $2bn in Iraq

 A consortium led by the Russian oil firm,  Gazprom Neft, will invest $2 billion in developing the Iraqi oilfield it won at last weekend's oil development auction. Gazprom Neff expects to pump the first crude from Badrah within three years  Gazprom plans to...

Copenhagen: Climate Deal Highly Unlikely

Environmentalists call it the Number one issue plaguing the planet.  Detractors call it drummed up.  Whatever you believe, one thing has become obvious over these past two weeks, large events such...

China Just Broke Russia's Monopoly On Central-Asian Natural Gas

"With one flick of a switch, Russia's long-standing dominance and near monopoly over Central Asian natural-gas exports officially came to an end on Monday. The Turkmenistan-China pipeline, which will carry natural gas from eastern ...

Russia eyeing 12-14 nuclear reactors in India, says envoy

Russia dismisses concerns on transfer of nuclear technologies to India. Naturally not. This nuclear deal is an incredible economic bonanza to Russia. Russia does not believe there are any domestic laws that would prevent Russia from shipping reprocessing and enrichment...

The Importance of Climate Change Summit, Make Your Voice Count

What is the importance of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen? We may very well be at a crucial point. A critical juncture with a point of no return?  Who will be the great leaders who will rise...

Russian Winter Festival Celebrated in Moscow and London(?)

Today marks the start of the Russian Winter Festival in Moscow. Celebrations throughout town, include music, dance, food and drink, circus and puppet show for the children. This year's sculpture is 150 kg (over...

Russian Supreme Court rules against Jehovah’s Witnesses

On December 8, 2009, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation considered the appeal of a local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and upheld the earlier lower court ruling to pronounce 34 pieces of educational religious literature “extremist.” The Supreme Court...

Minus-forty-degrees days in Yakutsk, Yakutia/Siberia

In Yakutsk, the capital of Russia's Yakutia, December started with usual minus 40 degrees centigrade (-40F). Take a look at pictures I took in the morning on December 3rd and in the evening on December 5th...

Failed Russian Missile Test Caused Spiral Light Show Over Norway?

Yesterday it was reported that a strange spiral light show appeared unexpectedly for several minutes over Norway before dissipating into the night sky. Confusion reigned supreme. Everything from the Northern Lights...

More than 100 dead in Russia nightclub fire, even Putin showed up

Last week I wrote that it would be wise if the Russian Prime Minister visited the site of derailment of the Nevsky Express passenger train on its way from Moscow to St. Petersburg. That crash, which investigators...

A "Necessary War" -- for a Gas Pipeline?

What if the the war in Afghanistan was not a war on terror, but a war to protect the European and United States Strategic Interests?   In 1998, Dick Cheney, former US vice-president but then chief...

Explosion in Russian nightclub 'kills scores'

On reading the headline I first thought this was a terrorist attack. But it's thought to be fireworks. " An explosion has torn through a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm, killing at least 76 people. Another...

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