Author: RT

Protesters block Lebanon’s highways again, demand end to political vacuum Lebanese protesters resumed blocking major highways on Tuesday and began a “week of wrath” demanding an end to a nearly three-month political vacuum. The cross-sectarian protests fueled by a crippling economic crisis led to the government stepping down in late October, but no new one has yet been formed as political parties argue over its composition. On Tuesday morning, dozens of protesters blocked key highways in Beirut with overturned rubbish bins and burning tires, AFP reported. There were also demonstrations on Tuesday in the provinces, including second city Tripoli and the southeastern town of Hasbaiyya. The protesters are demanding a new government made up solely of independent technocrats. The co...

France, Germany, UK trigger Iran nuclear deal dispute mechanism - statement The European trio, comprised of France, Germany, and the UK, invoked a dispute mechanism under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which hangs in the balance following the US’ withdrawal from it and Tehran’s retaliatory measures. Iran rolled back its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) following the death of its most influential military leader, Qassem Soleimani, in an American drone strike. Now, a fresh joint statement by Paris, Berlin and London insists it had “no legal grounds to cease implementing the provisions of the agreement.” We have therefore been left with no choice, given Iran’s actions, but to register today our concerns that Iran is not meet...

London rejects permission for Scotland's second independence referendum demand PM Boris Johnson has rejected SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s request for a second Scottish independence referendum, claiming it “would continue the political stagnation that Scotland has seen for the last decade." Sturgeon - the first minister of Scotland - is on record as saying that she wants to hold a second referendum later this year, believing that she has a mandate following the 2019 general election that saw her party win 48 of the 59 seats in Scotland.However, in a letter to Sturgeon, published on social media on Tuesday, Johnson contended that she and her predecessor promised that the 2014 independence referendum would be a “once in a generation vote.” ...another in...

RT launches #VictoryPages – a digital art contribution to 75 years of Victory in WWII #VictoryPages is a versatile documentary project to play out on five social media platforms. It offers an opportunity to look at the historical magnitude of May 9, 1945 through the personal impressions of our contemporaries. The story will unfold predominantly in Russian on Facebook, YouTube, VK, Twitter and Instagram starting January 13, 2020 and will run until May 9 – the day Russia celebrates Victory over Nazism.  The project’s first release, a ‘smart’ font available for free download, became an essential part of the project’s design identity.This font, called ‘May’, is based on inscriptions Soviet soldiers left on the walls of the Reichstag in Berlin in spring 19...

Dozens killed as heavy snow & rain hits Pakistan, triggering AVALANCHES (PHOTOS/VIDEOS) Dozens of people have been killed and many are reported missing after heavy snow and rain hit Balochistan, Pakistan and Pakistani-held region of Kashmir. Bad weather caused traffic disruption on key highways. In Pakistani-held Kashmir, extreme winter weather claimed at least 57 lives in one day, government officials said, as cited by Reuters. Avalanches stranded many villagers in the region’s Neelum Valley following heavy rain that also triggered landslides. Scores have been reported missing and are feared dead. Terrible news coming up from valley. Massive #avalanche, several people have lost their lives, houses & shops are damaged. Ya Allah Re...

Germany’s top court hears lawsuit, mulls stricter limits on BND spy agency’s powers Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court is considering imposing stricter limits on the activities of Berlin’s foreign intelligence agency. The Karlsruhe-based court was on Tuesday due to hear a lawsuit brought by a group of journalists and a human rights lawyer against a new law regulating the powers of the BND spy agency. The court is expected to hold two days of hearings and deliver a verdict in the coming months. The plaintiffs, including Reporters Without Borders, say the 2017 law potentially exposes journalists to surveillance without due cause, such as when making phone calls with foreign colleagues, AP reports. The German government argues that additional limits on the agency’s powers would...

Germany, France & Britain to trigger Iran deal dispute mechanism ‘to save accord’ France, Britain and Germany plan to trigger on Tuesday the dispute mechanism in the Iran nuclear deal following renewed violations by Tehran of the 2015 accord, Reuters reported two European diplomats as saying on Tuesday. The decision was aimed at saving the deal by discussing with Iran what it should do to reverse decisions it had made, according to the diplomats. They said the aim was not to re-impose UN sanctions. The three powers are expected to inform the European Union on Tuesday they plan to trigger the mechanism, the sources said. Iran took a further step back from its commitments to the 2015 deal with six world powers, by announcing earlier this month that it would scrap limits on enr...