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As President Putin weighs using military forces in a Ukraine plunging deeper into political turmoil, Alexander Mercouris, international law expert, tells RT that the presence Russia’s forces could be a restraining factor for all the parties involved. RT: From the point of view of international law, from the point of view of that perspective, where does Russia’s approval for the use of armed force actually stand then? If it does indeed send forces to Ukraine?Alexander Mercouris: The Russian position is based on an agreement which was made between Mr. Yanukovich and the opposition leaders as they were on the 21st...

Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russia's Parliament signed off Saturday on President Vladimir Putin's request to send military forces into Ukraine, raising the stakes in a quickly escalating game of brinksmanship between the two countries. Putin cited the "extraordinary situation in Ukraine" in his request, adding that the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel based in southern Crimea had been threatened, a claim Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied. The move prompted world diplomats to call for a de-escalation of tensions that have put the two countries on a possible path to war and roiled relations between Russia and the United...

In contemplating the outfall of the Ukraine situation, notwithstanding the merits of the contestants -- quite frankly I have not taken the time to sort it out -- given the postures of the two "leaders" of the US and Russia, especially given Soetero's preemptive capitulation, one thing has become crystal clear. Their President is a Putin. Our President is a putz.

In case violence spreads to Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Russia has right to defend its interests - Putin to Obama Putin said to President Obama that in case if the violence in Ukraine and Crimea spreads, the Russian Federation reserves the right to protect its interests and the interests of the Russian-speaking citizens. In a statement posted online, the Kremlin said Obama had expressed concern about the possibility of Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Barack Obama by telephone that Moscow reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in...

Putin points out to criminal actions of ultranationalists in Ukraine in conversation with Obama - Kremlin In a conversation with US President Barack Obama on the situation in Ukraine, Russia's President Vladimir Putin drew attention to the criminal actions of the ultranationalists, who were actually encouraged by the incumbent authorities in Kiev, according to the Kremlin. Here is the full statement from Putin’s office on his call with Obama: In response to the concern shown by Obama about the plans for the possible use of Russia’s armed forces on the territory of Ukraine, Putin drew attention to the provocative, criminal...

Ukraine nationalist leader calls on 'most wanted' terrorist Umarov 'to act against Russia'. A leader of the Ukrainian radical group Pravy Sektor (Right Sector), Dmitry Yarosh, has called on Russia’s most wanted terrorist Doku Umarov to act against Russia in an address posted on Right Sector’s page in VKontakte social network. Voice of Russia, gazeta.ru, vk.com

The last time Oleg Tyagnibok was a member of Ukraine’s Parliament, his colleagues kicked him out over a fiery speech in which he described how Ukrainians, during World War II, bravely fought Muscovites, Germans, Jews “and other scum,” and then used slurs to refer to the “Jewish-Russian mafia, which rules in Ukraine.” Eight years later, Mr. Tyagnibok is preparing to return to Parliament, not as a lone member of a broader coalition, as he was when he was ejected, but as the leader of Svoboda, the ultranationalist, right-wing party that will control 38 of 450 seats, or about 8.5 percent...

<p>Thousands of pro-Russian demonstrators across eastern Ukraine and Crimea are protesting against the new government. Helga Zepp LaRouche is a German journalist and politician, founder of the Schiller Institute said in an interview with the VoR that the current Ukrainian authority is a result of the Nationalist intervention, and has no legitimacy.</p>

US President Barack Obama's warning that Russia would have to pay for a planned military intervention in Crimea is "a direct threat," a deputy head of Russia's upper house of parliament said on Saturday, saying Obama has "crossed the red line and insulted the Russian people." "Yesterday we heard from various media sources that the US president, Obama, had said Russia would pay dearly for its policy. We know that Maidan militants who were active in Kiev, and not only there, had been trained in Lithuania and Poland. Now they want to spread their influence with their activities to eastern...

If the most disturbing, if underreported, news from yesterday, was Obama's "modification" of NSA capabilities, which contrary to his earlier promises, was just granted even greater powers as phone recording will now be stored for even longer than previously, then this latest development from the Supreme Court - one which some could argue just voided the Fourth amendment - is even more shocking. RT reports that the US Supreme Court has ruled that police may search a home without obtaining a warrant despite the objection of one occupant if that occupant has been removed from the premises. With its 6...

The Tampa Bay Times organization faces financial strains. The company is shedding assets and looking to lease bureau buildings, and took out a $28 million short-term loan to pay down debt and fund operations. Times Holding Company Revenue: (in millions) 2009 $274 2010 $159 2011 $151 2012 $151 2013 Not disclosed Financial Moves: $28 million loan due in December 2016 Bureau building in Clearwater: Sold Employee Cafeteria: For Lease or Sale Bureau building in Port Richey: For Sale Bureau building in Brooksville: Half of space for lease 30,000 square feet in headquarters: For Lease The Tampa Bay Times bills itself...

February 20, 2014 New Obama initiative tramples First Amendment protections Byron York The First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…" But under the Obama administration, the Federal Communications Commission is planning to send government contractors into the nation's newsrooms to determine whether journalists are producing articles, television reports, Internet content, and commentary that meets the public's "critical information needs." Those "needs" will be defined by the administration, and news outlets that do not comply with the government's standards could face an uncertain future. It's hard to imagine a project more at...

SOCHI, Russia. Shani Davis was bristling with frustration and trying to keep it in check, talking about how this Winter Olympics will haunt him for the rest of his life. Brian Hansen's coach was starting to weep as she spoke of the catastrophic turmoil that turned a bunch of predicted gold medals into a collective and embarrassing failure. Joey Mantia tried to find a polite way of saying that his colleagues have yet to grasp that there is no "I" in the word "team," and coach Ryan Shimabukuro was dismissing the avalanche of criticism as nothing but the talk of...

I will be a guest of the Progressive Host Thom Hartman on the RT Network this evening at 7pm EST.

MSNBC has become the Pravda of the US media, the loyalist outlet that clings to discredited government propaganda even long after the government stopped repeating it. If Chris Matthews put on a uniform, he could be Baghdad Bob. In Chris Matthews’ world, time never moves forward. The old lies are still good enough.CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO MATTHEWS: This is my problem Joy with that interview and the questioning from O’Reilly, and I’m not a media critic. But the information’s out there that Susan Rice told the truth. It was a spontaneous attack on our facility in Benghazi… In...

Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- An 80-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ stands atop of a hill overlooking the Syrian Christian town of Saidnaya, about a 40-minute drive from Damascus. The statue is part of the ancient Cherubim Monastery in the Qalamoun Mountains, a quiet, spiritual place that's very important to Syria's Christians. But these days, there is a gruesome sight at the feet of the statue of Christ the savior. About 30 mutilated and charred bodies lie in piles near a footpath that leads to the monastery. The dead are rebel fighters who tried to storm the monastery but were killed...

The Syrian Improvised Chemical Munitions that Were Used in the August 21, Nerve Agent Attack in Damascus Have a Range of About 2 Kilometers. The UN Independent Assessment of the Range of the Chemical Munition Is in Exact Agreement with Our Findings. This Indicates That These Munitions Could Not Possibly Have Been Fired at East Ghouta from the “Heart”, or from the Eastern Edge, of the Syrian Government Controlled Area Shown in the Intelligence Map Published by the White House on August 30, 2013. This mistaken Intelligence Could Have Led to an Unjustified US Military Action Based on False Intelligence....

Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned during a meeting in Damascus on Wednesday with Iran's foreign minister that Saudi Arabia's political and religious ideology is "a threat to the world," state television reported. He was referring to Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim tradition which is predominant in Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Syria's revolt against Assad. "President Assad warns during his meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of the threat posed by Wahhabi thinking to all the world, not just to the region," the report said. "The Syrian people and some peoples in the region...

A heated debate in Turkish parliament relating to a massive corruption scandal turned into a full-on melee today with punches, flying kicks, and thrown tablet computers. Turkey has been rocked in recent weeks by allegations of graft that have beleaguered Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party. [Click link for video]

In recent decades, Russia has undergone vast political and social reforms underscored by a return to religious roots, the end of Soviet Communism, and new existential threats (among them domestic Islamic radicalism). All of these changes have necessarily resulted in political transformation. As Russia has changed, its former adversary - the United States of America - has also changed, with breakneck speed. America is in rapid moral and institutional decline - fueled by lawless government leaders and a seismic move away from God (at least the Judeo-Christian God that underpins Russian and Western societies), as well as the parallel rise...