September 29, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient
The specially designed missiles use sharp blades and blunt force, rather than explosive warheads, to kill terrorist leaders. U.S. Special Operations forces, with no fanfare, killed a top Qaeda leader in northwest Syria in an unusual drone strike nearly two weeks ago.
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September 29, 2020 Balkans, Eurasia
The prosecutor’s office revealed yesterday that two Russian diplomats carried out intelligence activities on the territory of Bulgaria. According to Bulgarian news agency, it is about the deputy trade attachés at the Moscow representation in Sofia – Sergei Nikolashin and Vadim Bikov.
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September 29, 2020 Eurasia
The Russian Ministry of Defense has published the results of the latest missile tests for the 9A53-S Tornado multi-lead missile launcher [modernized BM-30 Smierch]. This system uses GLONASS satellite navigation and will be able to effectively hit targets at a distance of up to 200 km.
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September 29, 2020 Eurasia
‘Chung chung!’ He froze. He knew the sound of a double-action pump. You never went into a room after you heard that sound. – Michael Crichton, Next, (New York: Harper), 2007, p. 500 Donald Trump has called armed, right-wing militias, like the fascist Oath Keepers “great patriots.” Attorney General Bill …
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September 29, 2020 Eurasia
The longstanding involvement of the United States in the conflict in Yemen is facing renewed scrutiny. On September 16, State Department officials testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about whether the State Department misled Congress — and the American people — by circumventing controls designed to limit arms sales …
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September 29, 2020 Eurasia
Julian Assange is not on trial simply for his liberty and his life. He is fighting for the right of every journalist to do hard-hitting investigative journalism without fear of arrest and extradition to the United States. Assange faces 175 years in a US super-max prison on the basis of …
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September 26, 2020 Eurasia, Middle Orient, Turkey
Heated debates about heritage management in Turkey over the Mosque reversions of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Museum, and the planned demolition of the Bomonti beer factory expose the tensions that exist between conservation, ownership, use and accessibility.
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September 26, 2020 Albania, Balkans, Eurasia, Montenegro
Nik Gjeloshaj tells BIRN that Montenegro’s national minorities can fight for their goals better inside the government, signaling an end to years of cooperation with the once-ruling Democratic Party of Socialists
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September 26, 2020 Balkans, Eurasia
The daring few involved in cryptocurrency and blockchain in the Balkans say the benefits could be big, if the regulatory framework is put in place. Cash may still be king in the Balkans, but growth in online payments – particularly in the era of COVID-19 – is fuelling optimism among …
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September 26, 2020 Balkans, Eurasia, Middle Orient
Belgrade’s decision to declare Hezbollah in its entirety ‘a terrorist organisation’ is a purely diplomatic move – and does not reflect any previous security assessments, experts told BIRN.
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