Author: RT

Turkey strikes Syrian Army positions after ‘5 troops killed in shelling’ Five Turkish troops were killed in the shelling of an observation post in Syria’s Idlib province, Ankara has said, blaming Damascus for the attack. Turkish forces then fired on Syrian Army positions. “Five of our troops were killed and five others were injured in the shelling by the Syrian regime,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Monday, adding that “return fire was opened.” It’s not the first shelling incident between Turkish and Syrian forces in Idlib. A week ago, six Turkish troops were killed by Syrian artillery fire in an incident that Russia said was a result of miscommunication. The casualties could have been avoided if Ankara properly notified Damascus that it was ...

Six months on, Russia overturns controversial ban on its scientists cooperating with foreigners When the measure was introduced last year, it was slammed as a return to Soviet-style paranoia. On Monday, Russia's new government lifted most restrictions on contacts between Russian scientists and foreigners. Valery Falkov, who replaced Mikhail Kotyukov as science and higher education minister in January, announced the policy reversal, adding that Russia is "interested in developing cooperation on the principles of open science." Falkov added that he wants "Russia and Russian scientists [to] participate in all the largest [international] scientific projects." Also on rt.com Strings attached: Why US can’t stop using ‘t...

Russian 'anarchists' jailed for planning FIFA World Cup and presidential election terrorist attacks A court in the central Russian city of Penza has handed down prison sentences of between six and 18 years to seven anarchists convicted on terrorism charges. The men, all members of the group 'Network ('Set,' in Russian), were accused of possession of weapons and drugs, and of planning attacks during the FIFA World Cup and presidential election in 2018. They were arrested in 2017, in Penza and St. Petersburg. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claims that 'Network' also operated 'cells' in Moscow, Omsk and the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Investigators asserted that Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shakursky were the leaders of the organization, and they rec...

More than 70% of Russians support Putin's constitutional changes — pollster 'Levada' Vladimir Putin caught everyone by surprise last month when he announced planned constitutional amendments to introduce more 'checks and balances' into the Russian political system. Now, with a plebiscite planned for this spring to win public approval for the reforms, the vast majority of voters look set to support the President's proposals. That's according to a poll conducted by the independent 'Levada Centre,' which shows over 70% of respondents back the moves. Read more Russian political earthquake: Putin sets out plan for Kremlin departure & Medvedev resigns Conducted at the request of the 'Civil Society Development ...

Sticking the boot in: Tunisian footballer sent off for attacking cheeky ball boy who chucked his boot into crowd (VIDEO) We're used to seeing football rivalries brew over on the pitch or in the stands but a ball boy in the Tunisian league took partisanship to a new level recently when he lobbed a visiting team player's boot into the crowd. The incident took place in a game between rivals Hammam-Lif and CA Bizertin last weekend when, with the scores tied at 1-1 with a little over 10 minutes left on the clock, the away team's Mohamed Yeken lost one of his boots near the touchline. A quick-thinking ball boy, perhaps sensing that he could give his team a swift advantage, seized the initiative and threw the player's boot into a section of the home suppor...

‘Puzzling’ virus of UNKNOWN origin with genes scientists can’t identify discovered in Brazil Scientists in Brazil have discovered a virus which appears to be almost entirely new, consisting of unrecognizable genes that have been, until now, undocumented. The Yaravirus (Yaravirus brasiliensis), named after a water deity in Brazilian mythology and folklore, was discovered in Lake Pampulha in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. Also on rt.com Сhina unveils mobile app that DETECTS coronavirus close contact In recent years, virologists and other researchers have discovered a variety of new viruses which challenge traditional thinking, including so-called “giant viruses” (named for their large protein shells, n...

Snoop Dogg insists he's 'non-violent' after calling broadcaster Gayle King 'dog-face b*tch' for asking Kobe Bryant rape question Popular US rapper Snoop Dogg has attempted to clarify a statement in which he said Gayle King should "back off b*tch, before we come get you," after the TV host commented on NBA icon Kobe Bryant's past sexual assault allegation. Snoop Dogg said that he is a "non-violent person" in an Instagram video accompanied by the caption "P. S. A. From the peoples champ now carry on and be nice to others," amid a developing furore about statements that he made about 65-year-old CBS host Gayle after she asked retired WNBA star Lisa Leslie if the 2003 allegation against the recently-deceased Bryant "complicated" how his legacy is viewed...

BBC journalist sparks anger online after 'populist' jibe in wake of historic success for Sinn Fein in Irish elections World-renowned BBC Foreign correspondent John Simpson has triggered Twitter after claiming voters had "succumbed to populism" in the Irish general election, that saw left-wing nationalist party Sinn Fein make historic gains. Simpson — who has spent his working life at the BBC reporting from a host of war zones around the world — took to social media on Monday morning to ostensibly voice his dismay at the election results. He suggested the emergence of Sinn Fein to break up the duopoly of center-right parties in the Republic of Ireland was nothing more than Irish electorate caving in to "populism." So Ireland, which has b...

Coronavirus likely to have minimal effect on Russia's economic growth — Alexei Kudrin Russian economy could feel the impact of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, but it is likely to be less damaging than expected, according to the head of Russia's Accounts Chamber, Alexei Kudrin. "It [the coronavirus outbreak] will have an impact on the economic growth rate, but it will be minor," the former finance minister told reporters on Monday. "It might be within 0.1 - 0.2 [percent of GDP]." The virus has severely affected the demand for oil, as China is one of the major global importers. This has been driving oil prices down since the beginning of the year and the demand is unlikely to fully rebound, the executive of the Accounts Chamber noted. Thus the outbr...