With Pakistan keeping the supply routes to Afghanistan shut the US is facing growing pressure to resolve its disputes with its troubled ally. Journalist Gareth Porter believes Pakistan may soon start opposing the US and should prepare to live on its own. Porter told RT that relations between the US and Pakistan are at a [...]
Tag: pressure
December 16, 2011
December 16, 2011
Ex-Moscow mayor’s wife fears return to Russia
Yelena Baturina, the billionaire wife of former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov, told web-based Dozhd television on Thursday she fears not being allowed to leave Russia if she returns from her current home in London. However, Baturina said she would come to Russia if the situation changes. “When do I think it would be possible to [...]
December 12, 2011
Christmas gifts for Greece that Europe cannot afford
Eurocrats, freshly humbled by a diplomatic failure at their Brussels summit, have been joined by bankers bearing the same old gifts of austerity, bailouts and instructions on what to do next. Is it all just feeding the flames under the Euro-kettle? Running a business is never easy, even a small one, like this German company [...]
December 8, 2011
Putin’s campaign team to be modeled on Popular Front
Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has suggested modeling his presidential campaign team on the Popular Front movement, and has invited a well-known film director, Stanislav Govorukhin, to head it. “I would like your most humble servant’s campaign staff not to be some kind of a technologically administrative structure, but rather be of an open nature,” [...]
December 5, 2011
December 4, 2011
Povetkin knocks Boswell out to defend WBA belt
WBA heavyweight champion Aleksandr Povetkin has successfully defended his title after knocking out US challenger Cedric Boswell. Povetkin was never in danger during the bout in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. The Russian was the more active man in the ring, increasing his pressure on Boswell with every round. The American tried to counter-attack, but was [...]
December 3, 2011
Russia observes ‘day of silence’ ahead of general election
A national “day of silence” kicked off at midnight on Saturday in Russia prior to parliamentary elections on December 4. An election silence period is in effect to prevent any pressure on voters ahead of Sunday polls. During this period no active campaigning by the candidates, or polling, or political advertisement in the media are [...]
December 2, 2011
Russian election watchdog unfazed by government ‘squeeze’
Russia’s independent election monitoring group Golos will deploy 3,000 observers during Sunday’s parliamentary elections despite what it sees as a squeeze put on it by authorities, the organization said on Friday. Golos, which casts itself as the only organization that can ensure independent election monitoring, said it has been coming under mounting government orchestrated pressure [...]
November 29, 2011
Russia opposes arms embargo on Syria – Lavrov
Russia is against imposing an arms embargo on Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow following his meeting with Arab ambassadors to Russia on Monday, Lavrov said lessons should be learnt from the situation in Libya, where an embargo on arms supplies was “only applied to [...]
November 29, 2011
Syria welcomes Russia as intermediary in reconciliation talks
Syria is ready to accept Russia’s role as intermediary in the settlement of the current political crisis in the country, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Monday. Moscow earlier offered to help the opposing sides in the Syrian political crisis to start a reconciliation dialogue. “If Russia is willing to [become an intermediary], we [...]
November 27, 2011
‘West should give way to regional players in Syria’
More casualties are being reported in Syria as armed rebels and government troops continue to clash in the country’s eastern region. The violence continues amid increased pressure from other Arab nations and from the West. The Arab League’s ultimatum demanding that Damascus admit foreign observers or face sanctions, expired without a response on Friday. The [...]
November 23, 2011
UN condemns Syria crackdown
The UN Assembly’s human rights committee has agreed on a resolution condemning Syria for its eight month crackdown on protesters, in which 3,500 civilians have been killed by the country’s security forces. Damascus called it “a declaration of war”. The decision and the adoption of a resolution by the UN human rights committee is more [...]
November 23, 2011
NGOs Inspect Driving Schools
NGOs Inspect Driving Schools By Galina Stolyarova The St. Petersburg Times Published: November 23, 2011 (Issue # 1684) With more than 370 people having been killed on the roads of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast during the past six months, drivers’ qualifications are being scrutinized as a reason for the staggering numbers of casualties. [...]
November 20, 2011
Assad defiant as Syrian party HQ hit by RPGs
The headquarters of the Syrian ruling party in Damascus has been shelled with propelled grenades on Sunday. The new violence erupted just hours after the Arab League ultimatum for the Syrian leadership to stop the crackdown on protesters expired. At least two rocket propelled grenades were fired at the Baath Party headquarters in Damascus early [...]