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Newcastle United’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur was suspended before half-time after a medical emergency was reported in the crowd at St. James’ Park. The game was a highly anticipated one for Newcastle fans as it was the first since a Saudi-backed consortium took over. However, with the hosts 2-1 down to Tottenham and approaching the last five minutes of the first half, play was stopped due to an apparent emergency in the crowd. Players including Tottenham’s Sergio Reguilon and Eric Dier were seen desperately gesturing for medics to attend the scene as referee Andre Marriner initially allowed the two teams […]

Basketball fans have reacted with a mix of shock and outrage after reportedly unvaccinated star Bradley Beal played at Madison Square Garden while Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving continues to be frozen out. New York City Covid protocol determines that home team players cannot ply their trade at venues such as the iconic MSG court of the New York Knicks and the Nets’ Barclays Center without at least one dose of their vaccine. An important player for the latter franchise, Kyrie Irving, has been sidelined after refusing to get the jab and will not feature at all for the championship-fancied team […]

UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been accused of physically attacking Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti after a night spent partying in Rome allegedly turned sour. McGregor is in Italy for the christening of his son Rian, which took place at the Vatican on Saturday. The 33-year-old Irish star has been seen visiting the sights and being mobbed by fans on the streets, also paying a trip to see legendary football manager Jose Mourinho, who is now in charge at Roma. However, a night out with Italian music star Facchinetti and his wife Wilma Helena Faissol allegedly ended in an altercation as McGregor […]

The world’s first state to make bitcoin legal tender, El Salvador, plans to use multiple renewable-energy sources to power its crypto-mining sites, the chief of the country’s Hydroelectric Commission announced earlier this week. “The possibilities are endless here, it’s just about willpower and that we have the means and the ability to start these projects,” Daniel Alvarez, president of the state-run Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL) revealed on Friday, stating that El Salvador has resources to generate electricity for the mining process through hydroelectric, solar, wind and tidal power projects. Also on rt.com Crypto-friendly El Salvador mines first bitcoin with […]

Instagram influencer and football agent Wanda Icardi has set tongues wagging after appearing to accuse husband and PSG striker Mauro of infidelity, also unfollowing the Argentine on the social media network. The couple have been together since 2014, with their union already embroiled in scandal before it got off the ground. Wanda was married with three children to Argentine footballer Maxi Lopez from 2008 to 2013, and their relationship broke down with each party accusing the other of infidelity as Wanda was suspected of shacking up with his former Sampdoria teammate and off-field friend Icardi.  Returning to Buenos Aires from Italy, Wanda […]

The global chip shortage is here to stay, at least for another two to three years, the president of Hisense, one of China’s largest TV and household goods makers, says. The fast-spreading shortage in semiconductors has been plaguing producers in spheres from household electronics to automobiles. According to the head of Chinese state-backed Hisense, Jia Shaoqian, the situation “could be sorted within two to three years” if there are “no big issues” with global trade disputes. Also on rt.com Apple cutting iPhone Christmas production by 10 million units due to chip shortage – media “Otherwise if sanctions of trade and economy […]

Russian diamond miner Alrosa increased production by 26% in the third quarter of 2021, according to the latest data released by the company. The company produced 8.8 million carats of diamonds in July-September this year. In total, in the first nine months of 2021 Alrosa’s diamond production grew by 1% compared to the same period last year, to 23.3 million carats. Also on rt.com Russia’s Alrosa diamond sales surge nearly 50% in one month year-on-year The growth factors in the company are said to be the seasonal increase in the processing of ‘Almazov Anabara’ sands, the increase in the processing of diamond ore at the Mining […]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday that global government debt is estimated at 97.8% of the world’s gross domestic product in 2021. That is 0.8 percentage points lower than a year before but still at record-high levels as a result of the massive fiscal responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Globally, public debt now amounts to $88 trillion, according to the IMF, but is expected to decline by about 1 percentage point of the world’s GDP per year in 2021 and 2022 before stabilizing at about 97% of GDP. In the coming years debt is “expected to remain persistently higher […]

A Russian movie crew behind the first-ever film shoot aboard the International Space Station are returning home after their pioneering endeavor. Watch RT’s special coverage of the groundbreaking cinematographic achievement. Actress Yulia Peresild and filmmaker Klim Shipenko spent 12 days in space, where they filmed footage for an upcoming drama titled ‘The Challenge’. Peresild stars in it as a cardiac surgeon who is recruited to go to the International Space Station to perform an emergency procedure on an ailing cosmonaut. The project was organized by Russia’s Channel One television and the space agency Roscosmos. RT is covering the return of the […]

The spaceship Soyuz MS-18 has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) and is on its way back to Earth. Two of the crew members were in space to film footage for an upcoming feature-length movie. The MS-18 capsule is scheduled to land in Kazakhstan later in the day. It is piloted by cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and is also carrying actress Yulia Peresild and Klim Shipenko, director of the film ‘The Challenge’. The two spent 12 days on board the ISS capturing footage for their dramatic film, the first ever to use a real orbital outpost as one of its filming […]

Pennsylvania state’s association of school boards has voted to leave the national federation for such governing bodies, saying the “final straw” was a letter to President Joe Biden that likened parents to “domestic terrorists.” The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) told members in a memo sent earlier this week that its directors had voted unanimously to withdraw from the National School Boards Association (NSBA). The state group has had a number of concerns about the NSBA’s direction in recent years, and the letter to Biden cemented the decision to quit the federation.   “This misguided approach has made our work and that […]

Police are decrying an incident in which they say passengers on a crowded Philadelphia commuter train stood by and did not even call 911 while a woman was assaulted and raped by a 35-year-old man in plain view. The alleged attack reportedly occurred around 11 p.m. on Wednesday as a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) train traveled from Philadelphia to neighboring suburb Upper Darby. SEPTA said one of its employees eventually saw the rape in progress and called police, enabling officers to apprehend the partially clothed suspect, later identified as Fiston Ngoy, near the victim. Police say the suspect, 35-year-old Fiston […]

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton told RT’s Going Underground that Moscow has chosen the wrong strategic path by building stronger ties with Beijing instead of mending relations with the US and Western Europe. “I think Russia’s greatest security lies in moving West, not moving East,” Bolton said in an interview that aired in full on Saturday. He added that it’s not in Russia’s long-term interest to ally closely with China, saying, “By splitting away from the potential for closer relations with the West that we had after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I think we’ve lost a lot […]

UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been in Rome with his family for the christening of his son Rhian in the Vatican, and also touched bases with Roma boss Jose Mourinho on a whistlestop tour of the Italian capital. The Irishman continues to recover from a horror leg break in his last octagon outing. Suffering a doctor stoppage loss in the first round of a trilogy bout with bitter rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, he has since been seen in cities such as Chicago, where he threw out a widely-mocked first pitch at a Cubs game, and Miami, where he was […]

NFL fans reacted in disbelief after it was reported that the league hasn’t found any other team or personnel that sent emails which contained racist, anti-gay or misogynistic language amid the resignation of Jon Gruden. An anonymous individual familiar with the documents revealed the news to The Associated Press. They said that the NFL didn’t “identify other areas and other individuals it has to contact at club leadership or league leadership levels”. The league hasn’t yet publicly released its findings across 650,000 emails that independent investigators gathered during an investigation into sexual harassment and other conditions in the Washington Football Team’s […]

Fans have reacted after Manchester United fell to a Premier League defeat at Leicester, with further calls for the head of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo. The trip to the King Power stadium to mid-table Leicester City could have yielded a welcome three points for United following a loss to Aston Villa and a draw with Everton in their last two fixtures. When youngster Mason Greenwood put them 1-0 up on 19 minutes, everything was going well. That was until Youri Tielemans equalized around the half hour mark, before Caglar Soyuncu then put the Foxes ahead with 12 […]

A two-person film crew, who became the first to shoot footage for a feature film in Earth’s orbit, are set to travel home from the International Space Station on Sunday. They also helped out with the regular work in space. The Soyuz MS-18 spaceship, piloted by veteran cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) at around 4.15am Moscow time (01:15 GMT). About three hours later, the return capsule is to land in a remote part of Kazakhstan, bringing home Novitsky and two historic space visitors. Actress Yulia Peresild and moviemaker Klim Shipenko were picked for […]

Protective measures will be reviewed for lawmakers during meetings with voters, the UK interior minister says. After visiting the site of Friday’s fatal stabbing of an MP, she described the incident as an attack on democracy. “All measures are being put in place for the security of MPs so that they can carry on with their duties as elected democratic members,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Saturday. Lawmakers should remain accessible to the public, she added, “to absolutely stand by the principles that we are elected by.” We live in an open society, a democracy. We cannot be cowed by […]

A protest against the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is set to be held on Sunday near St James’ Park as Newcastle United play their first Premier League match under their new Saudi ownership. Over £1,000 ($1,375) has been raised to launch the poster van protest, which intends to be a reminder of the 2018 murder and dismemberment of the former Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, which saome reports have alleged was ordered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.  Last week, the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought an 80% stake in the struggling northeast English outfit Newcastle […]

Islamic State terrorist group says Friday’s suicide bombing attack on a Shia mosque in southern Afghanistan that killed 47 people and left dozens wounded was carried out by its members. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Fatimiya Mosque in Kandahar province in a statement, distributed on social media by its Amaq news agency. The statement included the names of the two male suicide bombers, saying they first shot and killed the guards at the entrances to the site. After that, one of the attackers detonated explosives at the entrance to the mosque, while the […]

At least three people have been killed and seven others injured after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali just before dawn on Saturday, the country’s search and rescue agency has said. It was mainly felt in the Karangasem and Bangli districts on the east side of the island, causing people to flee their homes in panic. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the earthquake at 4.8, saying that its epicenter was located 62 kilometers (38.5 miles) northeast of the port town Singaraja at a depth of 10 kilometers. The initial quake was followed by a […]

There’s no point talking to Ukraine, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev says, arguing Russia should wait for a friendlier government in Kiev. The only problem is there’s almost no chance of that happening any time soon. ‘Nedogovorosposobnyi’ is a Russian word with no English equivalent, describing somebody or something that is incapable of reaching agreements. There can be many reasons why a person or an organization is like this but, whatever the cause, talking to them is a waste of time. It’s never going to get anywhere. Ukraine’s political leaders are nedogovorosposobnye, says Medvedev, who was president of Russia from 2008 to 2012 and now […]

The US military is offering “condolence payments” to a family in Afghanistan after a badly planned drone strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in the country’s capital in August, though did not provide any numbers. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby revealed the offer on Friday, stating that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a “commitment” to the Akhmadi family for compensation following the August 29 drone strike, “including offering ex gratia condolence payments” and State Department assistance in relocating family members to the United States. The offer was raised during a virtual meeting between Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl […]

The German state of Hesse has become the first to allow businesses to deny the unvaccinated access even to basic necessities, setting a troubling precedent as its neighbors wrestle with protests against vaccination mandates. Hessian supermarkets have been granted permission to deny the unvaccinated the right to buy food and other essentials, the state chancellery confirmed to German magazine BILD on Friday. Under the new policy, stores can decide whether to implement the so-called “2G rule,” which means allowing entry only to the vaccinated and recovered – “geimpft” and “genesen” in German, respectively – or the more lax “3G rule” encompassing […]

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s battle with the city’s police union over her Covid-19 vaccine mandate has escalated, with both sides suing each other in a dispute that may hinder efforts to fight rampant violent crime. The city on Thursday filed a complaint against the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and its president, John Catanzara, for encouraging officers to ignore the vaccine mandate, including Friday’s deadline to report their inoculation status. The FOP shot back on Friday with a lawsuit of its own, demanding that the issue be settled in arbitration and alleging that Lightfoot failed to properly negotiate her vaccine order […]

Covid-19 “vaccine lottery” schemes across 19 states had no noticeable effect on vaccination rates and may have squandered millions in tax dollars, according to newly published research that suggests the programs were a major flop. Published in the JAMA medical journal on Friday, the pre-print study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver showed that the links between vaccine lottery announcements and inoculation rates were “very small in magnitude” and “statistically indistinguishable from zero.” “No statistically significant association was detected between a cash-drawing announcement and the number of vaccinations before or after the announcement date, a period that included announcements of […]

Responding to Moscow’s protests over the approach of USS Chaffee to Russian territorial waters, the US Pacific Fleet called the Russian account ‘false’ and said its guided missile destroyer did nothing wrong. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that it had summoned the US military attache in Moscow to protest the incident earlier in the day, when a Russian vessel had to warn off the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Peter the Great Bay near Vladivostok.  Also on rt.com Moscow summons US military attache after Russian Navy ‘intercepts’ American warship close to country’s borders in Sea of Japan “The […]

Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who confessed to killing 14 students and three staffers at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, plans to plead guilty to all of the murders in a case that sparked a major US gun control campaign. Lawyers for Cruz, 23, told Broward County Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Scherer on Friday that their client will enter his guilty plea next Wednesday. Cruz will plead guilty to 17 counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deadliest high school shooting in US history. Unlike many plea agreements in the US legal system, Cruz’s admission of guilt will […]

The US military attache was summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry to explain the “unprofessional” incident in which a US Navy destroyer attempted to violate Russia’s territorial waters near Vladivostok, Moscow said. “The representative of the US Armed Forces was informed of the position of the Russian military in connection with an attempt by the US Navy destroyer Chafee to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in the Peter the Great Bay area on October 15,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday. Also on rt.com US warship intercepted by Russian Navy while trying to sail into […]

China sent its second manned mission to the Tiangong space station on Friday, with the crew including the station’s first female Taikonaut, Wang Yaping. The crew of the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft is set to stay on the Tianhe core module for 183 days – the longest in Chinese history – before returning to Earth in April 2022. The taikonauts are 55-year-old Zhai Zhigang, 41-year-old Wang Yaping, and 41-year-old Ye Guangfu. The last crew returned to Earth in September after three months aboard Tianhe. As the first people to live aboard the space station, they worked on maintenance and testing the living conditions […]

Panamanian authorities have reportedly exhumed several bags filled with human remains from a mass grave as the country conducts searches to identify victims of the 1989 US invasion that toppled General Manuel Noriega’s regime. The military operation, dubbed ‘Just Cause’, lasted a month – from December 1989 to January 1990 – and official estimates put the number of deaths at around 300 Panamanian soldiers and civilians. However, human rights groups have pegged the number of Panama’s dead in the thousands. Around 23 of the roughly 27,000 American soldiers involved in the conflict were killed in action. The invasion remains an open […]

More than ten people thought to be affiliated with terrorist groups have entered Lithuania through Belarus by taking advantage of the huge influx of migrants attempting to enter the EU, a senior defense official has revealed. Speaking to Vilnius-based outlet Delfi, Chairman of the Lithuanian Committee on National Security and Defense Laurynas Kasciunas reported that some asylum seekers were found to have connections to extremist groups. “As many as four such persons have already been expelled from Lithuania,” he revealed, according to TASS. “Over ten migrants suspected of having ties with terrorists have been identified.” According to Delfi sources, one of […]

The world’s most popular cryptocurrency has soared to its highest level since May on Friday, propelled by traders’ optimism about a US approval of the first bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF). Bitcoin soared to $59,920 per coin on Friday, smashing a five-month high. While it gave up some earlier gains, bitcoin was trading at above $59,000 at 11:00am GMT, showing a 2.6% increase over the last 24 hours, CoinDesk data shows. Also on rt.com How do US crypto miners plan to make the energy-intensive process more efficient? RT’s Boom Bust finds out Market analysts say that traders are optimistic about the […]

The husband of Kenyan Olympic distance runner Agnes Tirop has been arrested after apparently trying to make a desperate escape from police after the athletics star was found stabbed to death earlier this week. Ibrahim Rotich – named in some reports as Emmanuel – was detained in the city of Mombasa on the western coast and will face charges once police complete their investigations, according to officials. Police had pleaded with Rotich to surrender after Tirop was found dead with stab wounds on Wednesday at her home in the city of Iten, which is a popular training center for athletes. READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics […]

15 Oct, 2021 08:50 Follow RT on There is no evidence that Russian state energy giant Gazprom is attempting to squeeze Western Europe’s fuel supplies, the European Commission has said, amid a sharp rise in prices and fears of shortages in the lead-up to winter. Follow RT on Source link

US boxing great Claressa Shields has earned a mixed reaction after announcing she is “disappointed” that the latest incarnation of Superman is bisexual, warning that it is “confusing kids” and “pushing an agenda”. Multiple boxing title holder Shields, who is one of the most successful boxers in US history, is known for her outspoken views, including a self-lionising theory that she is second only to Muhammad Ali. The 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist could not contain her criticism when she discovered that comics giant DC has announced their new version of Superman will be coming out as bisexual. “I googled […]

Boeing’s former chief test pilot has been indicted for fraud, accused of lying to regulators about a safety problem with the 737 MAX that ultimately caused two fatal crashes, in what DOJ officials said was a bid to “save money.” Mark Forkner, 49, a chief technical pilot for the aerospace giant between 2014 and 2018, was charged on Thursday by a federal grand jury, according to the Department of Justice, which claimed he “deceived” the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aircraft Evaluation Group about a particular system on the MAX, later determined to have led to a pair of crashes that took […]

A Marine Corps officer jailed and charged over his public criticism of officials overseeing the US pull-out from Afghanistan has pleaded guilty to six counts, but still insisted on accountability from American leaders. Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller pleaded guilty to all charges during a Thursday court hearing, after he was arrested for showing “contempt” and “disrespect” toward his superiors in a series of posts and videos online. Military judge Colonel Glen Hines accepted the officer’s plea and adjourned court for the day to deliberate on sentencing, which is expected to be announced on Friday, the Washington Post reported.  Scheller was slapped […]

Ex-US President Bill Clinton is receiving intensive-care treatment after being hospitalized for an unspecified infection, a spokesperson said, noting the health episode is unrelated to Covid-19 and that he is recovering. “On Tuesday evening, President Clinton was admitted to [University of California Irvine] Medical Center to receive treatment for a non-Covid-related infection,” Angel Urena, a spokesman for the former commander in chief, said in a statement on Thursday night. Clinton is 75 years old. He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is incredibly thankful to the doctors, nurses, and staff providing him with excellent care. Citing a person “familiar” with the situation, […]

A staunch Republican has bizarrely compared the decision to exile NBA star Kyrie Irving because he has not been vaccinated against Covid to basketball icon Magic Johnson being allowed to play after testing positive for HIV. Congress candidate Lavern Spicer, an ardent opponent of the Democratic Party who has branded US president Joe Biden a ‘tyrant’ in a petition urging an end to vaccine mandates, has grabbed the headlines and earned an avalanche of derision for a baffling take on the controversy surrounding Irving. A scandal has erupted over the Brooklyn Nets’ decision to step their star player down after he decided not […]

An outside advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously endorsed a booster shot of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for seniors and those at higher risk from the virus, 3 weeks after greenlighting Pfizer jabs. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted on Thursday in favor of Moderna’s request for boosters, saying that adults 65 and older, as well as younger adults with health problems, jobs or living situations that put them at increased risk of the coronavirus should have access to them, at least six months after their initial two-shot regimen. Moderna announced Tuesday that it had […]

YouTube has backtracked on removing a video, in which Conservative MP David Davis criticized Covid-19 restrictions and vaccination certificates. That’s after Davis called it an “attack on free speech.” The video was uploaded on YouTube earlier this week by a civil liberties group called Big Brother Watch. There, Davis, who is also an ex-minister of state for Europe and a former chief negotiator for exiting the EU, slammed various restrictions imposed by the government in the name of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking at the Tory party’s annual conference, Davis called the restrictions “draconian actions” that “failed to achieve their purported […]

Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland has gone viral with a sensational three-ball trick in training. But some fan theories have attempted to show that the stunt might have been faked by the Norway striker. Top transfer target Haaland has been in scintillating form this season with 11 goals and four assists in just eight appearances. Known for his brutal finishing, the 21-year-old also has skill in abundance and is starting to show that side to his game off in casual training clips. German top flight the Bundesliga and Dortmund have both shared his latest  In full matchday kit, the imposing number 9 […]

Donald Trump’s latest statement has confused some as it appeared to call for Republicans to refrain from voting in 2022 and 2024 if the presidential “election fraud” in 2020 is not “solved.” “If we don’t solve the Presidential Election Fraud of 2020 (which we have thoroughly and conclusively documented), Republicans will not be voting in ‘22 or ‘24,” Trump declared in a public statement. “It is the single most important thing for Republicans to do.” The former president has maintained that the 2020 election was fraudulent, though this has not yet been officially confirmed or proven in a US court of […]

A Norwegian sporting legend who is one of the most successful skiiers of all time has admitted that she found the attention on her muscular physique unsettling after becoming a celebrity in the aftermath of winning Olympic gold. Eighteen-time world champion Marit Bjorgen shot to fame when she won three titles at the Winter Olympic Games in 2010, following up the four world titles she had already won by that point. The leading medalist at that showpiece and five-time Olympian says she was disturbed when she appeared on a talk show after her success in Vancouver, when she was surprised to […]

A wave of new impending sanctions aimed at Moscow will reportedly not target the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, with the Kremlin expressing hope that relations with the US could recover in the wake of negotiations. Politico reported on Thursday that Washington is likely to impose new sanctions on Russia, but the Nord Stream 2 infrastructure project, developed by state energy firm Gazprom, will escape being targeted this time around. The new underwater link, which was completed in September, can transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the Russian coast through the Baltic Sea to Germany. Despite US […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made no decisions about whether he might stand again for his country’s top job after his current term expires in 2024, and speculation about a successor could hinder the work of the government. That’s according to Putin himself, who told US TV channel CNBC on Wednesday that he has not yet decided whether or not he will run for office again, explaining that starting a race to replace him could be detrimental to the government’s work. “No, I prefer not to answer such questions, this is my traditional answer,” the president said. “There is still a […]

Prisoners languishing in Russian jails were physically and sexually abused by top officers in scenes reminiscent of a “concentration camp,” Vladimir Osechkin, the activist who published leaked clips of the torture, has said. In a statement published online on Thursday, the founder of the Gulagu.net prison news portal wrote that, at the Saratov prison hospital where the allegations have been centered, staff were explicitly involved in degrading and painful treatment. “Sadists were handed titles like ‘caregivers’ and ‘nurses.’ They carried out rounds, completely controlled prisoners and had power over them.” According to him, ranking members of the country’s prison service “beat, […]

The Taiwanese defense minister has vowed that the island won’t be the one instigating conflict amid a spike in tensions with Beijing, which recently staged beach war drills in a nearby province. Speaking on Thursday, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told a parliamentary committee meeting that the island will defend itself if attacked, but that it will not initiate conflict and seeks to maintain the status quo.  What is clearest is that the Republic of China [Taiwan] absolutely will not start or set off a war, but if there are movements we will meet the enemy full on. Chiu contended that Beijing […]

Russia has reached a historic record in international reserves, ranking fifth in the world after China, Japan, Switzerland and India, the Accounts Chamber said after an audit of the country’s gold and foreign exchange holdings. “The volume of Russia’s international reserves exceeded $618.2 billion [as of September 1]. This is a historic record – during the entire existence of the Bank of Russia, such indicators have not been achieved. Since the beginning of 2015, the amount of reserves has grown by 235 billion US dollars,” the Accounts Chamber said in its recent report. The agency notes that in recent years Russia […]

The world’s top cryptocurrency continues to rise, as bitcoin price surpasses $58,000 per coin, marking a nearly 26% surge for the month to date. Experts warn, however, that the sharp increase may lead to a sell-off. Bitcoin was trading around $58,000 as of 6:00 GMT on Thursday, up about 5% from the previous close. It dipped below $55,000 briefly on Wednesday, after trading in a tight range over the past few days. Also on rt.com Nearly 90% of bitcoin have been mined, and new coin issue unlikely after 2140 – analysts Some analysts claim the current rally is driven by increased […]

A robotics firm and a gun manufacturer have joined forces to produce what amounts to an animatronic ‘dog’ with a sniper rifle for a face, managing to terrify more than a few netizens after unveiling the new device at an Army expo. Dubbed SPUR – or the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle – the robotic canine packs a gun where its head should be, chambered for 6.5mm Creedmoor rounds, as was first reported by the Drive. The system was developed by rifle producer SWORD International and Ghost Robotics, a Philadelphia-based firm founded in 2015, and made its first-ever appearance this week at […]

Israel reserves the right to attack Iran at any time of its choosing, under the pretext of stopping it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, Tel Aviv’s FM Yair Lapid said after meeting with his American and Emirati counterparts. Addressing reporters after a sit-down with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed in Washington on Wednesday, Lapid insisted that Tehran must not be allowed to obtain the bomb, saying the issue was at the “center” of his visit. Though Iran has long maintained it has no interest in developing nukes, Lapid vowed that Israel […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t entirely buying into cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, calling them ‘too unstable’ for oil and gas contracts, even as he said Moscow is working to limit its exposure to the weakening US dollar. Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, after taking part in the 20th annual Russian Energy Forum in Moscow, Putin criticized the monetary policy in Washington as undermining the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Runaway inflation and debt at home, combined with using the dollar as a sanctions instrument abroad, are driving all countries away from the US currency, he said. Also on rt.com Putin says […]

The US has set a second consecutive record for number of deaths by drug overdose, with totals climbing 29.6% over last year’s record-setting figures. Some 96,779 Americans died of drug overdoses over the last 12-month period counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a report released by the agency this month has revealed. The record-setting number of deaths surpasses what were already record-setting figures from the year before as the nation’s drug crisis shows no signs of slowing down. Also on rt.com US overdose deaths hit RECORD high in 2020, driven by deadly fentanyl The sky-high figure represents an […]

Dear readers and commenters, We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking […]

Polling shows former President Donald Trump continues to hold massive support among Republicans, with a majority wanting to see him run and win a second term in 2024. The new Morning Consult/Politico poll found 67% of Republican respondents supportive of Trump running again in 2024, something he has said he’s made a decision on, but has not confirmed what he will do. Nearly half of conservative respondents said they would vote for Trump in a presidential primary if it happened today, and only 29% are against the idea of another run.  While he continues to hold strong sway among Republicans, Trump’s […]

Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernandez, 25, has been sentenced to six months in prison by a Madrid court for violating a restraining order related to a domestic incident between him and his then-girlfriend. France star Hernandez, who was a member of Les Bleus’ victorious World Cup squad in Russia in 2018, has been ordered to report to court in the Spanish capital on Tuesday four years after he was arrested over a violent altercation with his girlfriend, Amelia Ossa Llorente. Llorente required hospital treatment for minor injuries stemming from the incident but despite neither she nor Hernandez requesting that charges be pressed, a […]

Tory Party co-chair Oliver Dowden said on Wednesday that the backlog at the UK port of Felixstowe is “improving” after shipping companies complained the ongoing HGV driver shortage meant they couldn’t land containers. Speaking to Sky News, Dowden accepted that the country is currently facing a “challenging problem” due to the shortage of HGV drivers, but sought to reassure citizens that there is no need to start panic buying ahead of Christmas, as the gridlock is “improving.” Dowden’s remarks came after shipping giant Maersk stated that it had been forced to reroute vessels from Felixstowe to other European ports due to […]

Blue Origin’s New Shepard spaceship is making the second manned tourist flight in the company’s history, with Star Trek actor William Shatner among the four crew members. Shatner, 90, will be the oldest person to visit space, beating aviator Wally Funk, 82, who flew the previous manned mission launched by Jeff Bezos’ company in July. WATCH LIVE:  The Canadian-born actor is best-known for his role as James T. Kirk, the captain of the fictional USS Enterprise in the original 1960s Star Trek series, which sealed his legacy among generations of space-obsessed fans. He has also had a successful music and media career. […]

A surge in the cost of gas which has seen bills shoot up for households and industry is down to a shortfall in electricity generation, and not because Russia is somehow squeezing supplies, President Vladimir Putin has argued. Speaking as part of a keynote address at Russian Energy Week on Wednesday, Putin said that a fall in output from wind farms had meant electricity prices shot up, having a knock-on effect on demand for gas. Wind power makes up an increasingly large share of Europe’s energy generation, particularly in the west of the continent, he went on. “The rise in gas […]

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has registered its concern after Indian Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu visited Arunachal Pradesh province, which Beijing doesn’t recognize as part of India, calling on Delhi not to upset the peace. Speaking on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian reiterated Beijing’s position on the Indian province of Arunachal Pradesh, stating China has never recognized the unilaterally and illegally established territory.  The spokesman said China firmly opposed Indian leaders’ visits to the region, referencing Naidu’s trip to the mountainous region that borders China.  “China urges India to truly respect China’s major concerns, stop taking any actions that […]

MOSCOW, OCTOBER 13, 2021 – RT projects dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War/Second World War and a deepfake promo video released ahead of the 2020 US presidential election won six gold prizes at the New York Festivals. RT received a total of 10 awards at the prestigious international TV and film competition. RT’s promo made in the run-up to the 2020 US presidential election won gold in the ‘Special Visual Effects: Promotion/Open & IDs’ category and silver in the ‘News Promotion’ category. During the 2020 US presidential race, RT published a video imagining what Donald […]

Over 700 aircraft and 430 helicopters are expected to come off the assembly lines in Russia by the end of the decade, according to Deputy Transport Minister Igor Chalik. “Production of more than 700 aircraft and over 430 helicopters is planned by 2030,” Chalik said during a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday. The deputy minister specified that Baikal and Il-114 light aircraft are scheduled for production along with mainline MC-21 and SSJ 100 aircraft. READ MORE: Russia & China show off life-size model of jetliner that will take on Boeing and Airbus According to Chalik, the specified number of planes coincides with the […]

The top Catholic official in the US military has declared that soldiers have the right to opt out of Covid vaccine mandates on the basis of “conscience,” after some branches were accused of trying to discourage such exemptions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Timothy Broglio – Archbishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services in the US – argued that while the Vatican has determined that none of the Covid-19 vaccines in use are inherently wrong due to a tangential link to aborted fetal cells, soldiers still have the right to decline the vaccine if they believe it would “violate […]

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled in Somalia’s favor in a major territorial row over a tract of sea believed rich in oil and gas, after a years-long dispute with Kenya, which has refused to recognize the decision. In a lengthy 79-page judgement, the UN’s top court ruled largely on the side of Mogadishu on Tuesday, backing most of its claim to a 100,000 square-kilometer (38,000 square-mile) area off the East African coast, which is thought to contain large petroleum reserves. The judges determined there was “no agreed maritime boundary” set in the area, and drew a border line […]

Aerospace giant Boeing has declared that all of its American employees must show they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 by early December, saying the move is required under a White House vaccine mandate for federal contractors. “Boeing is requiring its US-based employees to either show proof of vaccination or have an approved reasonable accommodation (based on a disability or sincerely held religious belief) by Dec. 8,” the company said in a statement to media outlets on Tuesday, adding the decision is to “ensure compliance with President [Joe] Biden’s executive order for federal contractors.” Also on rt.com Boeing improves its jet demand forecast, […]

The embassy in Bogota, Colombia is reportedly looking into claims by multiple staff about the so-called Havana Syndrome, ahead of the visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and just as a new law provided money for the victims. At least five US families have come down with symptoms of the mysterious condition, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, based on “people familiar with the matter” in Bogota. The State Department declined to comment, citing privacy concerns. The ‘Havana Syndrome’ was named after the first cases of it were reported at the US embassy in Cuba, back in 2016. Among […]

A shooting at a US Postal Service office in Memphis, Tennessee left three people dead, with the gunman dying from a self-inflicted wound after killing two fellow employees, the FBI and USPS have confirmed. The shooting unfolded at a USPS facility in the Orange Mound neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon, and was first reported by the Memphis Police Department just before 3pm local time. While the PD initially offered few details, it noted that the scene had been “secured” and that there were “no active threats.” Memphis Police Officers are on the scene of a shooting at 2801 Park Ave in support […]

The just-leaked Facebook list of ‘dangerous individuals and organizations’ has over 4,000 entries. Among them are entities sanctioned by the US as terrorists, historical villains, cartels, militia groups, as well as dissidents. The 100-page document was somehow obtained and published on Tuesday by the Intercept, which noted that “nearly everyone and everything on the list is considered a foe or threat by America or its allies,” and over half consists of alleged foreign terrorists. I obtained Facebook’s secret list of banned dangerous individuals and organizations, which can’t be freely discussed on the company’s platforms, and today we’re publishing it in full. […]

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) has claimed her Twitter was “hacked” and “erased” and she knows who is responsible. Both of her accounts, however, appear normal and still functional. “I have been hacked and my Twitter account has been erased,” Waters tweeted dramatically from one of two accounts on Tuesday. The 83-year-old congresswoman added that she knows who is behind the alleged hack and she “will take care of this.” I have been hacked and my Twitter account has been erased. I know who has done this. I will take care of this. M Waters. — Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) October 12, 2021 […]

The Daily Express has retracted the claim Russia stole the coronavirus vaccine recipe from UK’s AstraZeneca, replacing it with a statement by Sputnik V’s developers. The Sun merely appended a quote and stands by its false story. In a Monday ‘bombshell,’ the Sun claimed UK spies “have proof” that Moscow’s flagship Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, was actually inspired by documents “swiped” from AstraZeneca “by a foreign agent in person.” The Express later published its own story, citing the Sun. Also on rt.com Russia STOLE formula for Sputnik V Covid-19 jab, UK’s conspiracy-loving spies allege. Moscow says if you believe them, seek […]

The recent wave of Southwest Airlines flight cancellations were not related to a Covid-19 vaccine mandate enforced on staff, CEO Gary Kelly claimed on Tuesday. In the same interview, he vowed to defy a Texas ban on such mandates. Following thousands of flight cancellations and a union lawsuit against the company for implementing mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, Kelly insisted during an interview with CNBC’s Squawk on the Street that its mandate had “zero” connection to the chaos, and that they have “no issue” with employees. “We’re urging all of our employees to get vaccinated. If they can’t, we’re urging them to seek […]

Twitter was both criticized and ridiculed after it announced that a feature to allow users to remove a single follower would soon be implemented, with many people wondering what the point was. The social network announced on Monday that the new feature, originally teased last month, was now “rolling out to everyone” – meaning people can now go into their list of followers and manually remove the ones they do not want. The button will make it “easier to be the curator of your own followers list,” the company said. The option to remove a follower is now rolling out to […]

YouTube censorship of Covid-19 debate is a “dangerous encroachment” on the freedom of speech, an editor at top German newspaper Bild said after a German court told the US-based platform to reverse its decision to delete videos. The preliminary injunction was issued by the Cologne Regional Court in response to a legal challenge filed by the people behind the #allesaufdentisch (#EverythingOnTheTable) online campaign. It’s basically a collection of interviews with various experts and public figures about the Covid-19 pandemic that the initiators touted as a “wide-ranging, fact-based, open and factual discourse” on their website. Some of them challenged the government handling […]

The Indian drugs regulator has recommended the use of Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 shot for emergency use in children aged between two and 18 years old. It will become the first shot to be used on under-12s in India. On Tuesday, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Subject Expert Committee said that the Covaxin shot, produced by Indian firm Bharat Biotech could be administered to children between the ages of two and 18. Clinical-trial data from Bharat Biotech “has been thoroughly reviewed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Subject Expert Committee and [they] have provided their positive recommendations,” the […]

The International Monetary Fund decided to keep Kristalina Georgieva as its managing director, expressing full confidence in her leadership, despite accusations she’d altered data to favor China during her time at the World Bank. Georgieva had been serving as the Chief Executive of the World Bank Group for two years before she was appointed to head the IMF in October 2019. The Bulgarian economist is the first person from a developing country to lead the institution. On Monday, the Fund’s 24-member board that represent the 190 member states held a meeting to review the allegations that Georgieva had pressured World Bank […]

Filipino ninja doctors may soon be sneaking into the homes of Covid-19 vaccine refuseniks to inject them in their sleep. At least that’s the idea proposed by the country’s trigger-happy president. The unorthodox approach to boosting vaccination rates was touted by Rodrigo Duterte during his latest ‘Talk to the People’ address on Tuesday. “I know many people are still hesitant,” the president said, as quoted by local media. So find them in your barangays (neighborhoods). Let’s enter their houses and vaccinate them while they are asleep. End of story. The president added that he was ready to personally lead the nocturnal […]

A group of Russian scientists have created a drug that may potentially revolutionize the treatment of Covid-19 by defusing the most catastrophic reaction the disease causes in patients, while not destroying their immune response. The drug, called Leitragin, was developed by the Biomedical Technology Research Center of the Russian Federal Medical and Biology Agency (FMBA), and is currently undergoing clinical trials in Russia. Although its base substance was previously known and used in ulcer treatment medicine by Soviet and Russian doctors, it was the FMBA team that discovered how to apply it for the treatment of severe cases of Covid-19 and, […]

North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un has boasted of his country’s “invincible” military during a major weapons expo, and blasted Washington for hypocritically talking of peace while driving a wedge between Pyongyang and Seoul. Speaking at the Defense Development Exhibition Self-Defense-2021 event in Pyongyang on Monday, Kim declared a “a new era of strengthening the national defense force,” saying the military would serve as an “invincible” line of defense, the country’s state media reported. “Today’s grand exhibition… is a demonstration of national power that is as significant as a large-scale military parade,” Kim reportedly said, adding that without the military, Pyongyang […]

The Czech Senate’s Constitutional Committee will hold a meeting next week to discuss President Milos Zeman’s abrupt hospitalization and whether it makes him unfit for office, the body’s chairman said. “I wish the president a speedy recovery but we are in a situation where clear procedures are needed if there is no speedy recovery,” the Senate’s Constitutional Committee Head Zdenek Hraba tweeted on Monday, as he announced that he would summon the commission. He initially said the meeting would be on October 10, before correcting himself and changing it to Tuesday the 19th. Panu prezidentovi přeji brzké uzdravení, ale jsme v […]

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) joked about ruling the world after NATO honored her with the newly introduced ‘Women For Peace and Security’ award at the parliamentary conference in Portugal. “When people ask me, ‘If you ruled the world, what one thing would you do?’ – I think about that a lot,” Pelosi said, laughing. Though the ten-second video did not show what answer she gave, the transcript of her speech, posted on the official website of the House Speaker, revealed the rest. Pelosi said she thinks “a lot” about what she would do if she “ruled the world,” during […]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an order prohibiting all vaccine mandates statewide, including at private firms, arguing that while he is in favor of the inoculations, they must never be forced on people against their will. Signed Monday, Abbott’s executive order states that “no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a Covid-19 vaccine by any individual… who objects to such vaccination” for whatever reason – whether that be religious-based objections, medical concerns or other reasons of “personal conscience” – threatening a fine of up to $1,000 for violators. “The Covid-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against […]

Critics have almost universally praised the new documentary on Dr. Anthony Fauci, but audiences have seemingly hated it, even accusing review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes of trying to hide the movie’s unpopularity. National Geographic’s ‘Fauci’ has been playing in select cinemas since September 10 and premiered on the Disney Plus streaming service last week. Trailers for the film focus heavily on Fauci and his work combating Covid-19, during which time he has become one of the more controversial figures in American politics.  The film, however, takes a positive look at Fauci and focuses more on tales about the health figure from his […]

A small aircraft has crashed near a high school in Santee, near San Diego, California, striking a number of buildings and setting them ablaze. At least two people have been killed and another two injured, fire officials said. The plane crashed down onto a residential street in Santee, a suburban area of San Diego County, early on Monday afternoon. Footage from the scene suggests that at least two buildings were seriously damaged in the crash, which occurred just blocks from a high school. ⚠️🇺🇸#URGENT: Emerging report of a plane crash into several homes near San Diego, California#Santee l #CAWitnesses report the […]

Ruslan Zakharov, who medalled at the Junior World Championships in 2017, has died after reportedly being hit by a car while jogging on the morning of his 23rd birthday in his hometown of Khabarovsk. Zakharov, who won the bronze 500m medal at the 2017 championship in Helsinki, was admitted to intensive care following the accident but never regained consciousness after the accident, which the International Skating Union says took place took place on his birthday. The Russian skater had developed a reputation as a prodigious talent early in his career, with his potential going a long way towards securing bronze at the 2017 […]

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has accused football’s governing bodies of prioritizing financial revenue over player health in a stinging rebuke of UEFA and FIFA’s handling of the global football calendar. The Real Madrid shot-stopper issued his full-throated condemnation in the wake of Belgium’s 2-1 defeat against Italy in the UEFA Nations League third place play-off, a match he described as being a “pointless” addition to an already swollen football schedule. Both teams made a number of changes to their starting lineups for the bronze medal match, with Belgium dropping stars Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku after both complained of minor injuries and […]

AstraZeneca has released new data from phase-three trials of its Covid-19 antibody injection, AZD7442, showing it reduces the risk of developing severe illness or death from the coronavirus in vulnerable people. The pharmaceutical giant’s Covid treatment has been touted by the company as a potential alternative for those unable to receive a coronavirus vaccine due to health conditions that put them at risk of adverse side-effects. The TACKLE Phase III trial found the injection reduced the risk of developing severe symptoms or dying from Covid-19 in non-hospitalized patients by between 50% and 67%, protecting vulnerable individuals and reducing pressure on health […]

Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro has again questioned Covid vaccines after claiming that he was denied entry to a football match because he had not been jabbed. Vaccine skeptic Bolsonaro, who is currently being investigated by the Brazilian Senate for his handling of the pandemic in a country where there have been more than 590,000 Covid-related deaths, wanted to watch top-flight side Santos face Gremio on Sunday while he was reportedly on holiday in Sao Paulo. Instead, the controversial head of state was filmed outside the stadium saying that he had not been allowed in because he could not show proof that he has […]

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has become Austria’s new chancellor after fellow Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) member Sebastian Kurz stepped down amid a corruption probe to save the ruling coalition with the Greens. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the office of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in the capital Vienna on Monday. During the brief event, Schallenberg pledged to faithfully observe the country’s constitution and execute his duties as chancellor to the best of his knowledge and abilities. He was then congratulated by the president on his new role. Schallenberg would be “of great use” to Austria as the chancellor […]

Three US Marines stationed at the country’s embassy in Moscow will be sent home to avoid criminal charges after allegedly making off with a punter’s rucksack at the end of a big night out in a bar, Russian officials have revealed. Diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday that authorities had made a protest to the consulate over the incident. “Given that the suspects turned out to be employees of the US Embassy and have immunity, a note was sent from the Foreign Ministry,” she said. “As part of this, the American side was given the option to lift the immunity […]

China’s embassy in Canberra has criticized former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott after he visited Taiwan and called on his country and the US to offer military help to the island if a conflict breaks out. “Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a scathing statement released over the weekend, calling the ex-PM’s speech at a conference in Taipei on Friday “a despicable and insane performance” which has “fully exposed his hideous anti-China features.” The embassy came out swinging at Abbott, who served as Australia’s PM between 2013 and 2015, after the politician said […]

A French teen has reportedly been arrested and fined for attempting to enter a hospital using the health pass data of President Emmanuel Macron, which had been leaked online. He said he impersonated the president “just for fun.” The 19-year-old presented Macron’s QR code at the door of a hospital in Marseille earlier this week, but didn’t fool security guards, who let him enter before calling the police. The teen was then arrested and taken into police custody, according to multiple reports in French media. Also on rt.com French billboard owner hit with €10,000 fine for depicting president Macron as Hitler […]

The Taliban has said that the US agreed to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, insisting it should come with no strings attached after talks in Qatar. Washington called the meeting “candid” and “professional.” In a statement released in the wake of two-day talks with US officials in Doha, Qatar, the Taliban said that the US promised to “give humanitarian assistance to Afghans” and “provide facilities for other humanitarian organizations to deliver aid.” While saying that it “welcomes” the aid, the Taliban stressed that any help “should not be linked with political issues.”  The US delegation and the representatives of the Taliban […]

Odds are both Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will have woken up with sore heads on Sunday – but the Gypsy King might be reaching for the paracetamol for entirely different reasons after partying the night away in Sin City. Just hours after Fury had dealt the telling blow in his three-fight series with American Wilder in front of a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena, the newly-reconfirmed WBC heavyweight champion found himself entertaining a very different audience altogether, after he joined world famous DJ Steve Aoki at the nearby Hakkasan nightclub. Video footage from Fury’s after-party shows the shirtless Briton dancing and egging […]

Police in the UK have dropped an investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse against Prince Andrew, telling the British media that they decided not to proceed after studying a civil case filed by accuser Virginia Giuffre. London’s Metropolitan police announced that it concluded its third review of the sexual abuse case involving Prince Andrew, and would be taking “no further action.” “As a matter of procedure MPS officers reviewed a document released in August 2021 as part of a US civil action. This review has concluded and we are taking no further action,” the MET spokesperson said, as reported by […]

Thousands of passengers that booked Southwest Airlines flights for their weekend travel have been stranded in the US airports after the airline cancelled the flights amid reports of a protest against the vaccine mandate. SouthWest, known for its relatively low prices, cancelled at least 1,018 flights on Sunday, that is in addition to 808 flights that were cancelled on Saturday, US Today reported, citing flight tracking data.  In a statement on Saturday, SouthWest blamed the abnormal rate of cancellations on air traffic control issues and “disruptive weather,” adding that they were working to “recover” the operation. ATC issues and disruptive weather […]

Moscow has lifted sanctions on Victoria Nuland, allowing the US undersecretary of state to enter the country for a summit with her Russian counterparts. The US is said to have dropped sanctions on a Russian diplomat in exchange. Nuland is expected to visit Moscow on Monday, where she will take part in three days of meetings with officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry. However, up until Sunday, Nuland was forbidden from entering Russia. “She was actually on our sanctions lists that mean that a person cannot cross the border,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told ‘Russia-1’ channel on Sunday. “[The US] […]

A Maryland nuclear engineer and his wife have been arrested and charged with espionage for trying to sell classified information on US nuclear submarines to a foreign power. Their scheme was foiled in an FBI sting operation. Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, of Annapolis, Maryland, were arrested in Jefferson County, West Virginia, by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on Saturday, according to a Justice Department press release.  The pair are accused of selling “restricted data concerning the design of nuclear-powered warships” over the course of a year to a person they assumed was the representative of a foreign power. […]

A five-day course of Merck’s new Covid-19 pill costs $17.74 to produce, but the pharma firm will charge the USA $712. With taxpayers getting bilked, MSF official Leena Menghaney told RT that generic pill production is the answer. The US government gave Merck some $29 million towards the development of molnupiravir, a drug that the company says “reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%” in clinical trials on Covid-19 patients. Despite this generous funding, Merck will still charge the federal government an estimated $712 for a five-day course of pills that costs $17.74 to produce, meaning the US […]