Iran 2019: peace or war?

The signing of the JCPA treaty, the nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran, was one of the two events that in recent years have raised many hopes for peace in the Middle East and the world. The other was the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency, for the many promises made during the electoral campaign regarding both the normalization of diplomatic relations between America and Russia and the progressive abandonment of a purely aggressive diplomacy, based exclusively on the armed forces and the concept of exceptionalism. However, in reality, all the hopes of a positive evolution are now frustrated and the drums of war seem to roll stronger than ever. The JCPOA was conceived as a beautiful ... carnivorous plant, destined to block, with the seductive scent of its illusory promises, all Iranian research in the nuclear and missile field, the latter perhaps even more essential for the defense of the Islamic Republic given the objective importance of missiles in air defense, in the artillery and naval warfare. Although the official document does not refer in any way to rockets and missiles, the almost total dismantling of Iran's long-range missile program had to be contemplated in some reserved annex. Many scientists have been fired and no Iranian, mechanical or in the flesh, has orbited the Earth, as former president Ahmadinejad wanted. On the other hand, if a satellite or a human being can be placed in high orbit, a nuclear warhead can also be delivered to a distant country. Making a comparison between Iran and North Korea, it is clear that being equipped with atomic bombs and missiles to launch them is a reasonable guarantee that no invasion will be attempted. No D-Day, no disembarkation in Normandy because every American army that tried to land on the North Korean coasts would be wiped off the face of the Earth and at least a couple of American cities would see above them a gigantic and deadly atomic mushroom. Hence, the understandable fears of Western chancelleries and the angry panic of the Jewish state. One of the keys to understanding both the de facto imposition of the JCPOA on Iran and its inevitable demise lies in the incurable mutual hostility between the Islamic Republic and Israel, of which many in Tehran would like the disappearance. It certainly does not help that Israel insists on considering Palestinians less than human and refuses to consider any peaceful and humane solution to the Palestinian problem. Therefore, Israel too craves the disappearance of the Islamic Republic, replaced by some form of more manageable Chaosthan, Libya-style or worse.

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Murmansk-BN electronic suppression systems take half of the world under control

In April of 2019, Russia saw the deployment of Murmansk-BN complexes of radio-electronic suppression in the Kaliningrad region. Thanks to the move, the military command of the Russian army could hear and see a lot better in the Wester direction, having thus left competitors behind in the development of the means of electronic warfare or EW jamming technology.The Murmansk-BN is a strategic EW jamming system. No other country in the world has a system similar to this one. In our times, it is impossible to conduct either a global or a local conflict without  means of electronic warfare. Many developed countries introduce artificial intelligence technology, while the role of man in hostilities decreases.The Murmansk-BN complex performs the functions of radio intelligence intercepting enemy signals and causing interference at a distance of up to 8,000 km.In a nutshell, Russia has taken control of military radio communications in Europe. If necessary, the Russian military command will be able to disrupt communication between ships, UAVs and different classes of enemy aircraft. The complex itself looks like seven 32 meter antennae aimed at the sky. The antennae are installed on military KamAZ trucks.From the territory of the Kaliningrad region, Murmansk-BN will cover not only the whole of Europe, but also the entire central and northern Atlantic Ocean, all of Canada and half of the territory of the United States. The complex takes control of 90% of Africa in the southern direction, and in the south-east  - all of China and India.The deployment of Murmansk-BN complexes was not spontaneous. It was an asymmetric response to the American concept of the network-centric war.Now, in order for the Americans to take advantage of the Network-centric War, they will have to use wired cable systems for communication, which seems nonsensical.

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Lightning strikes Soyuz booster rocket after launch

A lightning struck the Soyuz-2.1 booster that blasted off from Plesetsk cosmodrome. All the equipment continued working regularly, the booster delivered the satellite on board into orbit as was scheduled. During the blast off, the lightning struck the head fairing and then the third stage of the launch vehicle, which was recorded in the telemetry data transmitted from the rocket to Mission Control. The natural phenomenon in no way disturbed the launch as Soyuz space rockets are protected against lightning strikes. The incident occurred during the 14th second of the flight.The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b booster rocket was conducted on May 27 at 09:23 Moscow time from launcher No. 4 of the State Cosmodrome of Plesetsk. The Glonass-M spacecraft was successfully launched into calculated orbit.

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The UK: A country in cloud cuckoo land

The Brexit vortex has seen a once-proud country tear itself apart pitting nation against nation, region against region and class against class Most Members of Parliament, including Theresa May, backed the Remain campaign in 2016. Why did they not stick to their guns? On the surface, according to the government of soon-not-to-be Prime Minister Theresa May, the United Kingdom has everything going for it - good employment figures (inside the European Union), a stable economy (inside the European Union), good Universities, a strong technological sector, an inventive workforce, competence, reliability. A collection of three countries (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) a principate (Wales), and three Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey), brimming with good music, a healthy cultural scene, great ideas, a large internal population (66.5 million). Peoples with an admirable focus on the community and voluntary work, nations of animal lovers which gave the world cricket, fish and chips, James Bond and the British Gentleman.

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American militarism destroying the future of humanity

"The culture of peace is universal. It is shared by people and nations Worldwide. Today's "culture of war" is a US hegemonic project predicated on the creation of conflict and divisions within and between countries. It is this (unilateral) project of global warfare which is intent upon destroying civilization." (Professor Michel Chossudovsky, "Towards a Culture of World Peace". Global Research: 5/16/2019). By Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

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The controversial and amazing liberation of Italian citizen in Syria

By Giovanne Giacalone Syria seems to have become the land of miracles, the only place in the world where terrorists can suddenly become life saviors, or at least that's how it is being depicted. Charles Lister, of the Washington DC based "Middle East Institute", tweeted the following news on Wednesday afternoon:

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The neverending containment of Iran

By Emanuel Pietrobon The Trump administration seems to have brushed up a dream of global hegemony called "Project for a new American century", developed in the 90s by thinkers and strategists belonging to the neocon universe, such as Robert Kagan, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and John Bolton, Trump's National Security Advisor. The ambitious goal of the think tank, now dissolved, but whose ideas continue to permeate the Republican Party, the religious right and the American exceptionalism's world, was to adequately exploit the Cold War victory to extend American hegemony on a world-level, with a particular focus on the Middle East.

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Motivational Speakers: Fascinating people

By Romer Cherubim One of the captivating things about living in a Western country is that you can experience many events, which are as informative as they are entertaining. Such an event is a motivational speaker's free presentation. A motivational speaker gives talks to large audiences in plush surroundings. He has a team of helpers at these talks, wearing T-shirts or other garments, promoting him. Before he appears to give his talk, the speaker is announced amid such fanfare that you might think that you are about to have an audience with a superhero. The motivational speaker finally runs onto his stage to applause and cheers as if he is a rock star. A motivational speaker can command fees for his performances that are so high that they would make doctors, lawyers and even some CEOs of large corporations green with envy. In short, motivational speakers are treated with almost godlike reverence. But what makes these people so special?

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American eagle and Chinese dragon: Their fate is now sealed

China and the United States are entering an active phase of confrontation. Kiron Skinner, the Director of Policy Planning at the United States Department of State, in a rude fashion declared the incompatibility of the two civilizations having in fact accused Beijing of not being part of "European culture."In fact, the foundation for the confrontation between the United States and China appeared a long time ago. Will the Trump administration succeed at ruining the relations with China and what can China do in response to the tough position of the United States? In addition to obvious arguments about an opportunity to close the Chinese sales market for America, as well as an opportunity to demand urgent repayment of debt, the Celestial Empire has other very interesting and no less significant leverage.First and foremost, China can literally paralyze the entire high-tech industry of the United States by depriving US companies of access to rare-earth metals on the territory of China. It is the People's Republic of China that mines more than 70 percent of rare-earth elements. The largest deposit is located at Bayan Obo mining district. Officially, however, China has only 23 percent of all world reserves. Currently, the global demand for this type of mineral resources makes up about 200-240 thousand tons.No computer, tablet, cell phone, fluorescent lamp, wind turbine, hard drive, laser or magnet can be made without at least several metals that belong to the group of rare-earth elements. For example,  every lithium-ion battery contains lanthanum. To polish the glass of any IT product, cerium oxide is required. China also produces scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, dysprosium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, promedium, neodymium, lutetium, thulium and some other rare-earth elements.Interestingly, Beijing had long banned the export of this type of minerals as raw materials. China exports only products received as a result of processing. It was in this connection that the Washington administration excluded rare-earth metals from the list of goods subject to duty for their  import into the United States.Donald Trump, an experienced businessman, is ought to realize that he is shooting himself in the leg. There is also an issue of control over the cargo traffic between Europe and Asia. The successful trade between the two continents is made possible thanks to the free flow of goods through the area of the Malacca Strait. Afterwards, commercial ships sail across the South China Sea. According to GTIS, this route accounts for the transportation of up to 15 million barrels of crude oil daily, which makes up about 30 percent of world traffic.Chinese officials realize that tight control over shipping in the Strait of Malacca is capable of changing the entire global economic landscape. At the same time, such measures are necessary to ensure the energy security and economic sovereignty of China. These waters are sadly famous for attacks on tankers and dry-cargo ships, while China receives the lion's share of its energy resources by sea.In July 2016, a fierce dispute sparked between China and the United States. Beijing began to expand the area of nameless islands of the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea. At present, China already uses artificial structures as transshipment bases for operations of the Chinese Navy. Three years ago, the United States saw that as an infringement of its role of the naval gendarme and sent the Pacific Fleet to the region. Beijing pretended not to have noticed the maneuvers and continued insisting on the need to recognize the status of national territory for the artificial islands, which, in accordance with international law, implies an exclusive economic zone 200 nautical miles wide.Responding to USA's saber-rattling, Beijing succinctly declared its readiness for an armed conflict, and the United States backed out.China's tough position on Spratly Islands is in a way akin to Russia's position on the Black Sea. It is hard not to notice that in either case, the US attempts to impose its will through military diplomacy methods. The USA feels it has a right to invade economic space of other countries thousands of kilometers far from its shores. In response to USA's aggressive policy on the problem in the South China Sea, Beijing announced the creation of an air defense identification zone over the artificial islands having thus taken control over airspace above the world's largest transport artery. One may assume that China will build a few bases for nuclear submarines next. Do the Americans understand that they may lose the computer industry that will wither away without rare-earth metals? In addition, China is already in a position to prevent the export of American goods by sea to Europe and Asia.Meanwhile, China is ready to launch its third aircraft carrier with a displacement of about 80,000 tons. The new ships will have electromagnetic catapults for the accelerated take off of aircraft. There is no doubt that Chinese aircraft carriers will serve in the waters of the South China Sea to  persistently defend the interests of the Middle Kingdom in the face of invaders from overseas.

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Russia's growing gold reserves may crush US dollar in a few years

The fact that Russia is buying gold is "bad" for the West, because Western currencies may lose their value in a few years, while the Russian ruble will be backed by gold, economist Valery Maslennikov believes.  In April of 2019, Russia's international reserves exceeded the country's foreign debt. As of April 1, Russia's gold and currency reserves made up $487.8 billion, a report from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation said. At the same time, Russia's gold assets make up less than 20 percent of the country's currency reserves.  Moscow has been accumulating gold and foreign exchange reserves while decreasing the share of  investment in US securities. The Russian authorities work to reduce the dependence of the Russian economy on the US dollar.

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Israeli Hardliners Dreaming of War on Iran

by Stephen Lendman  Netanyahu and fascist hardliners dominating the Knesset have been dreaming of war on Iran for decades, wanting Washington to act preemptively.  Iran is Israel’s main regional rival – yet poses no threat to the Jewish state or any others. Longstanding Israeli aims are for achieving Middle East dominance, along with Washington’s regional presence.  In 1982, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs senior advisor Oded Yinon published a document calling for regional conquest and dominance.  The Zionist plan for regional hegemony was and remains a clear statement of its longterm aims.  Based on the premise that to survive, Israel must dominate the region and become a world power, it called for partitioning regional states along ethnic and sectarian lines, wanting them controlled as Israeli satellites.  According to Yinon, “(t)he existence, prosperity and steadfastness of (Israel) depend(s) upon its ability to adopt a new framework for its domestic and foreign affairs,” based on securing its material needs through winnable resource wars and Arab world divisions — a divide and conquer strategy.  Israel pursues this strategy against Iran today, wanting the country fragmented, its oil-rich Arab area separated from the rest of the country, war the way to achieve its aim, the US to do its fighting.  As for Palestinians, former Labor party leader Chaim Herzog sounded like Sharon and Netanyahu saying:  “We are certainly not willing to make partners of the Palestinians in any way in a land that was holy to our people for thousands of years,” adding:   “There can be no partner with the Jews of this land” — dispossession and resettlement of Palestinians the only option, an entire population to be denied its fundamental rights, Arabs making room for Jews in land their leadership wants exclusively for Jewish development and use.  Longstanding US/Israeli plans call for redrawing the Middle East map, replacing independent governments with pro-Western puppet regimes, partitioning them for easier control, looting their resources, exploiting their people, and cracking down hard on nonbelievers.  Iran is their prime target. Achieving their hegemonic aims requires eliminating the country’s sovereign independence, returning it to US client state status, gaining control over its vast oil and gas resources, exploiting its people as serfs.  According to the Hebrew-language Israeli broadsheet Israel Hayom, if war erupts between the US and Iran, the Jewish state won’t get involved unless attacked. Baloney!  The US and Israel partner in all their wars. If the Trump regime preemptively attacks Iran, Israel will surely get involved as a junior partner.  Given Iran’s ability to hit back hard if attacked, including against Israeli cities, military and nuclear facilities, as well as US regional forces, bases, and warships, war is unlikely in my judgment.  Yet with warmongering extremists running Trump’s geopolitical agenda, anything is possible.  On Monday, Israeli military intelligence-connected DEBKAfile turned truth on its head, claiming a single rocket fired on Baghdad’s green zone, causing no casualties or harm, “had Iran’s signature.”  Not a shred of evidence suggests it. What possible reason would Iran have to attack the US-controlled area, including its embassy.   If otherwise was the case, the rocket would have struck a target aimed at. Instead it was nothing more than a harmless bang.  A statement from the embassy said there were no casualties or damage. If it was an attempted false flag, it was poorly executed.  DEBKAfile lied, falsely claiming Iranian responsibility for sabotage on Saudi and UAE oil tankers last week, as well as for a strike on Saudi pumping stations, while admitting the incidents caused no real harm.  Time and again, Iran is falsely blamed for things it had nothing to do with. The same goes for all US and Israeli adversaries, blaming them for crimes committed against them.  On Sunday, Trump said “I don’t want to fight,” indicating his reluctance to attack Iran or Venezuela militarily. Going this far would be foolhardy, targeting two nations able to hit back hard.  In a separate article, I stressed that Trump’s overriding objective is getting reelected in November 2020. He’ll likely pursue whatever policies serves that aim.  Preemptively launching one or more wars against nations threatening no one could cost him a second term if the toll on US forces is high.  Body bags returning home in large numbers could make him a one-term president, especially if his Dem opponent and media oppose his actions for political advantage.   War on either country would likely become quagmires like ongoing conflicts, achieving nothing but feeding insatiable military, industrial, security, media complex interests — profiting hugely at the expense of world peace and stability, ignoring the human toll.

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Weightlifter breaks his legs while squatting down under 250 kilos

Warning: Some people may find the video disturbing Russian weightlifter Yaroslav Radashkevich suffered a terrible leg fracture while squatting down during the Eurasian championship, which ended in Khabarovsk.The athlete from the city of Blagoveshchensk, who will now have to bid farewell to powerlifting, currently remains hospitalized. Doctors diagnosed him with a closed fracture of shinbones.The athlete was squatting down under the weight of 250 kilos, which was not critical for him. The man was going to squat under the weight of 300 kilos on his shoulders, but the exercise went wrong. His left leg bent inwards and broke with a terrible crunch.Prior to the competition, the athlete complained of pain in the lower leg, but he was hoping that the pain would go away. The athlete later said that he was not sure of his ability to squat under 250 kilos. He decided to take a chance, but failed.

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Venezuela loses $130 billion because of US sanctions

The losses that Venezuela has suffered as a result of US economic sanctions have totalled $130 billion, Venezuela's Ambassador to Russia, Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa said. According to the diplomat, Venezuela is waging an unequal war against the most powerful economic and military power in the world - the United States. Venezuelan funds were blocked in more than 40 banks in 17 countries. For example, Portugal's Novo Banco blocked more than $1.5 billion of the state-run Venezuelan oil company PDVSA.According to Tortosa, the money that the economy of Venezuela has lost because of the sanctions could hold the country afloat for nine years. On May 21, the Central Bank of Venezuela issued an order to abjure the use of Visa and MasterCard international payment systems in the country.The US authorities started introducing economic sanctions against Venezuela in 2015. After the beginning of the political crisis in the country in early 2019, Washington intensified the pressure of sanctions against Caracas. The US Treasury imposed restrictions against oil company PDVSA and froze the accounts of Citgo - the main foreign asset of the Venezuelan oil and gas company.In early January, Nicolas Maduro took office as president for the second time, which sparked  protests across the country. Opposition accused Maduro of consolidation of power. On January 23, the speaker of the National Assembly of Venezuela (the Parliament), Juan Guaido, declared himself interim president of the country thus establishing a dual power regime in the country. Guaido was recognized by the opposition, most of the countries of Latin America, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and many EU countries. Russia, China, Turkey, Bolivia and Cuba supported Maduro.

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How Libyan human traffickers use Facebook

By Giovanne Giacalone Libyan human traffickers use Facebook to advertise themselves. Unfortunately, it's not a joke but the sad truth. One specific case has recently caught the attention of the Italian media as an individual identified as "Haj Murad" was contacted by phone by journalists of the Italian TV show "Stasera Italia" ("Tonight Italy"). The trafficker did not hesitate to explain how each individual has to pay 1300 euros in order to board a boat bound for Italy and even stated that his boats are made of wood, with a powerful Yamaha engine and they can load up to 25 people.

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"Progress of the World's Women 2019: Families in a Changing World"

Launch of "Progress of the World's Women 2019: Families in a Changing World" WHAT: Launch of UN Women's flagship Report: Progress of the World's Women 2019: Families in a Changing World. The 2019 edition of Progress of the World's Women is an extensive assessment of the reality of families today, taking into account sweeping economic, demographic, political and social transformation. The report brings together global, regional and national data, and in-depth analysis about core issues of concern, including family laws, income and employment, unpaid care work, violence against women, and families and migration, among others.

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Zelensky will continue extermination of Russians in Ukraine - blogger

Russia convenes a meeting of the UN Security Council after Ukraine passed the law on the state language in Ukraine. Grigory Tarasenko, a blogger from Odessa, believes that Zelensky will suppress the resistance of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine. According to Moscow, Ukraine's law about the state language comes contrary to both the essence and the spirit of the Minsk agreements. However, Oleg Nikolenko, the Speaker of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, called Russia's initiative about the extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council an "act of absurdity."Ukrainian blogger from Odessa, Grigory Tarasenko, told Pravda.Ru, that the meeting of the UN Security Council will not change anything. "The UN once said that it was not good to burn people alive on May 2, 2014 in Odessa. This time, they will say that the language law is bad. It will not change anything," he said. "The Americans supported the Nazi group that settled in Kiev, and they will keep supporting it. All those pro-Russian or anti-fascist movements went underground, escaped or were jailed. It doesn't hold water when they say that people will defend their rights. The police will come, some activists will be caught and jailed, some others will simply disappear. This is how they do their business - they just kill, because Nazis cannot do otherwise," Grigory Tarasenko told Pravda.Ru.According to the blogger, many Russian-speaking people in Ukraine think that Russia simply dumped them. "Therefore, no one will either climb on the barricades or take arms in their hands," he added. The blogger believes that Ukraine's new President Vladimir Zelensky will not take effort to destroy the system. "There is a hope that he will try to minimize all this idiocy, because 73 percent of people voted for him. Yet, Zelensky will not crack down on that Nazi gang, because he does not have any support for this. The party that he is building - The Servant of the People - cannot be a support, because a half of it will be made of all sorts of Ukrainian patriots," Tarasenko said. On April 25, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the law "On the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language." As many as 270 Ukrainian MPs voted for the bill, 39 voted against it, four abstained. In accordance with the new law, all civil servants, including doctors, teachers, military, athletes, artists, must speak Ukrainian both on duty and in public. In addition, knowledge of the language is now one of the basic conditions for taking top positions in the country. A half of all Ukrainian press publications will be published in the state language. Shop assistants and restaurant employees will have to respond in Ukrainian if a customer addressed them in Ukrainian. In case of violation of the rules, citizens will bear administrative responsibility in the form of fines from 3,400 to 8,500 hryvnia (from $130 to $325). 

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Russia's Black Sea Fleet to embrace vast waters to Red Sea and Persian Gulf

On May 13, 2019, The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation turns 236 years old. The first squadron of military sailing vessels under St. Andrew's flags entered the Akhtiar Bay on May 13, 1783 - three weeks after the publication of the manifesto signed by Catherine II about the annexation of the Crimea to the Russian Empire. Over the years, the Black Sea Fleet had been divided and destroyed several times. Today, Russia's Black Sea Fleet serves as the country's main instrument of influence in the area of Black and Mediterranean seas.Over the past four years, the Black Sea Fleet has seen a major upgrade. It has received three artillery ships, six diesel submarines, two small missile ships, more than a dozen anti-sabotage and patrol boats, as well as several support vessels, including modular diving platforms and a floating crane. Before 2020, the Black Sea Fleet will get three guard ships, four missile ships and several patrol boats. A collection of new amphibious ships is being built for the fleet too. After the base in Syria's Tartus has been reconstructed and strengthened, the influence of the Black Sea Fleet embraced the Mediterranean basin. Russian navy men have learned to use Russia's state-of-the-art Caliber missiles that showed their effectiveness in Syria. Formally, Caliber cruise missiles do not belong to strategic armaments, but their appearance in the structure of the Black Sea Fleet considerably changed the regional balance of forces in Russia's favour. Almost all of Russia's new surface ships and submarines of the Black Sea Fleet are now armed with Caliber missiles. Naval aviation is reviving too. The air regiment of multifunctional Su-30SM fighters and Su-24MR bombers, formed in 2016 at Novofedorivka air base in the Crimea, has established control over the entire Black Sea area. Coastal forces have been reinforced with new Bal and Bastion systems. Several years ago, the state of affairs was a lot worse. Twenty years ago, the fleet found itself on foreign shores. The powerful Soviet strategic operational group tumbled down like a house of cards during the 1990s. It consisted of about 100,000 personnel, more than 800 warships and submarines. Naval bases and aviation airfields in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova had been sued for support. The 5th operational squadron was operating in the Mediterranean Sea, while a part of the Black Sea Fleet were patrolling the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. All that Soviet legacy was shared with Ukraine, but Russia got only a few dozen efficient ships.Due to chronic financial problems, the Black Sea Fleet was degrading and falling apart quickly. By mid-1990s, it had become inferior to its main potential rival in the region - the Turkish Navy. There were almost no submarines capable of going to sea. Warships were rusting at the docks, while their crews were losing their combat skills.The situation started improving in the beginning of the 2000s, when ships of the Black Sea Fleet would be periodically used in international anti-terrorism exercises and operations, including in the Mediterranean area. During that time, it was BLACKSEAFOR international naval operational group that was controlling the Black Sea. The group consisted of naval ships of coastal states: Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Ukraine, and Turkey.The Americans did not like such a development, because the Black Sea was formally closed to their ships, and they could not clearly substantiate the need for the presence of US warships in the Black Sea. In 2008, after the Russian operation to force Georgia to peace, the interaction in the Black Sea had reached an impasse. The coup in Ukraine subsequently put and end to the practice. In 2014, the Crimea and Sevastopol returned to Russia. Already in 2015, the fleet started receiving new ships against the growing number of NATO military exercises in the region. Today, warships of the Black Sea Fleet can conduct high-precision missile attacks from places of their deployment to distances of up to 1,700 kilometres.Russia currently considers an opportunity to expand the influence of the fleet to the waters of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf, as well as to the western part of the Arabian Sea, for which the Pacific Fleet is now responsible.To accomplish this goal, Russia will need to solve plenty of problems, such as to restore the stationary system of surface and underwater surveillance on the Black Sea coast, deploy over-the-horizon detection systems, create a reliable anti-submarine, anti-ship and anti-aircraft defense of the areas where carriers of cruise missiles are based.

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Marta Vieira da Silva appointed as Sustainable Development Goals Advocate

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Marta Vieira da Silva appointed as Sustainable Development Goals Advocate The UN Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of world-renowned soccer player Marta Vieira da Silva as one of his new Sustainable Development Goals Advocates for 2019-2020. The Advocates are 17 influential public figures who are tasked by the Secretary-General to promote the Goals, raise awareness with new audiences, maintain global commitment and call for greater ambition and scalable action to achieve the SDGs by 2030.  An icon and role model for many, Marta, as she is universally known by her fans, is widely regarded as the best female soccer player of all time. The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Women and Girls in Sport currently plays for Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League in the United States and as a forward on the Brazil national team. She is the all-time top scorer of the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament and has been named Player of the Year six times. She was also a member of the Brazilian national teams that won the silver medal at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, named one of six ambassadors for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, and expected to compete in the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup. 

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Italy: One year after the March elections

The government that rules Italy in these days has come in office more than a year ago. The League - 5 Stars alliance has produced results in accordance with its own government contract. The cutting of the pensions of the parliamentarians, the blocking of the landings of foreigners, that new form of State aid to the unemployed called "Citizenship Income" and a first adjustment of the general structure of fixed-term employment contracts are just some of the actions taken by the government. However, the existing alliance is rather tumultuous, subject to centrifugal forces that undermine its stability. The reality is that the government is not the best possible coalition but the least worst, since all the parties present in our Parliament hate each other with more or less marked nuances. On the contrary: rather than hating each other, it is a real mutual disgust to which we must add elements of escape from the reality mixed with Stockholm Syndrome, which leads the remnants of the Italian Left to invoke, with stubborn stupidity, both an infinite welcome to foreigners and more austerity in the State budgets. The evidence that behind the migratory flows there is a precise subversive and destructive project at least against Italy and the cruel uselessness of austerity policies - Greece docet - are both unconsciously neglected by the Left who would like to return to the government. If the 5 Stars are seen as annoying and inept moralizers, it is the strong man of the Northern League, Matteo Salvini, who is daily pointed out to the two minutes of hatred of Orwellian memory. What follows is a new interview with Professor Gianfranco Lagrassa regarding these issues.

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Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Doomed?

Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Doomed? On Wednesday, Iran announced the suspension of some of its JCPOA commitments, short of withdrawing from the nuclear deal altogether. More on this below. Trump's year ago pullout greatly jeopardizes the deal's sustainability over the longterm, what its hardliners aim for.

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