by rail to the military training area . For the Georgian military , the exercise has become a source of prestige . " We are proud to have them here and it ’s a unique opportunity to train with these advanced troops and this advanced equipment , " Lt . Col . Beka Ambroladze said .
They shadowed two Su-27 Flanker fighters and an IL-20 Coot - A reconnaissance aircraft north of Estonia before two more Su-27s were detected and met , the MoD said . A spokesman said the Russian aircraft “ were operating without transmitting recognised identification codes , nor were they communicating with regional air traffic control centres ” . It comes after an incident on Friday when Typhoons from Amari air base in Estonia intercepted three Russian transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadaircraft approaching the Baltic in similar circumstances . Four RAF jets were last month deployed to join the Baltic air policing mission – which sees Nato members help others who do not have their own policing capabilities – and will remain there until the end of August . Michael Fallon , the defence secretary , said : “ We will continue to secure the Baltic skies on behalf of Nato and our allies . ”
This article was originally published by EurasiaNet.org . Russia has announced the details of a new shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof arms it is sending to Armenia , a relatively rare move likely connected with Russia 's ongoing tension with Turkey . Last week , the Russian government announced that it would be providing Armenia with a $ 200 million credit to buy equipment including multiple - launch rocket systems , anti - tank missiles , handheld antiaircraft missiles and upgrades to tanks . The credit was announced last year , as an apparent concession by Russia amid large - scale street protests in Armenia against the country 's Russian - owned electricity company .
[ Washington ’s foreign policy elite breaks with Obama over Syrian bloodshed ] If so , Obama ’s successor will inherit an array of unattractive options . Critics of the proposal to increase arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadwarn that it would only worsen the violence in Syria without fundamentally changing the outcome . But inaction has its own risks — increasing the likelihood that Aleppo will fall , that tens of thousands of CIA - backed fighters will search for more - reliable allies , and that the United States will lose leverage over regional partners that until now have refrained from delivering more - dangerous arms to Assad ’s opponents . The proposed expansion of the agency program — dubbed “ Plan B ” because it was seen as a fallback for failed diplomatic efforts — still has supporters , including CIA Director John Brennan and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter .
And then it turns out that Secretary of State Hillary played a role in transferring 50 percent of our nation ’s uranium output to Russia ’s government . With the Hillary - led State Department authorizing numerous deals , several countries in the Middle East ( Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Kuwait , United Arab Emirates , et al . ) received arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadfrom the United States . These dictatorships ( some even having ties to terrorist organizations ) donated somewhere between $ 50 and $ 150 million to the Clinton Foundation . The FBI , already investigating Hillary ’s unsecured e - mail transmissions , has reportedly opened up a second investigation looking into the possibility that she accepted funds and delivered political favors .
Qatar denies the claims . The BBC says the row is actually a culmination of a complex regional schism that puts Doha on the side of Saudi Arabia 's rival Iran , which ironically represents a branch of Islam that is opposed to both IS and Nusra . Qatar , a member of the Opec oil cartel , relies on the Strait of Hormuz waterway , says the Daily Telegraph , and as that passes through both Iranian and UAE waters , regional shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadcould be disrupted , which would have consequences for global oil supply . The oil price has long been in the thrall of supply trends : Brent crude fell below $ 50 a barrel last week over doubts that supply cuts by Opec , Russia and others would be enough to rebalance the market . Oil price drops below $ 50 as ' game of chicken ' starts again
Rio de Janeiro 's governor has declared a " state of public calamity " and requested urgent financial help less than two months before the city hosts the Olympics . A decree in the state 's Official Gazette warns emergency measures are needed to avoid " a total collapse in public security , health , education , transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadand environmental management " . : : Russian Athletes Could Compete In Rio As Neutrals It authorises the state to " adopt all necessary emergency measures to ration essential public services in order for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to take place " .
Everything is black or dark . There is very little traffic . Occasional trucks , transportingmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadoil tanks , drive through the city on their way to other ISIS areas or the Turkish border . It was one o'clock in the afternoon .
In Arizona , a state that has voted Democratic once in nearly 70 years but has a growing Hispanic population , his lead has slipped to 44 % to 42 % . Marco Rubio : women with Zika should not be allowed abortions Read more Trump ’s broader polling numbers have plummeted in a period during which , among other controversies , he again refused to release his taxes , insulted the family of a war hero , claimed that Russia had not invaded Ukraine – two years after it had , said his daughter should “ find another company ” if sexually harassed and briefly claimed to have seen a nonexistent video of cash shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadto Iran . Republicans have tried to tie Clinton ’s foreign policy to that money , $ 400 m owed to pre - revolutionary Iran for a failed arms deal in the 1970s , describing it as “ ransom ” for hostages who were freed in January , around the time of delivery and sanctions relief for a nuclear arms deal . Clinton began tentative nuclear talks with Iran but the money dispute predated her and was concluded by her successor as secretary of state , John Kerry , who also oversaw the hostage release .
to train rebels trying to oust Mr. Assad . The decision was made in part to try to gain control of a chaotic situation in which Arab countries were funneling arms into Syria for various rebel groups with little coordination . The Qataris had paid to smuggle shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof Chinese - made FN-6 shoulder - fired weapons over the border from Turkey , and Saudi Arabia sent thousands of Kalashnikovs and millions of rounds of ammunition it had bought , sometimes with the C.I.A. ’s help . By late 2013 , the C.I.A. was working directly with Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and other nations to arm and train small groups of rebels and send them across the border into Syria .
Roughly 40 % of the crude imported from Iran was refined at Essar Oil 's massive refinery in the state of Gujarat . Now that the refinery is under new ownership , it 's likely to be processing more shipments from Russia . Lalit Kumar Gupta , Essar Oil 's chief executive officer , told Bloomberg in August that shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadfrom Iran would decline if Rosneft bought a stake in the Indian firm . " When they are on board we will see how much to buy , what to buy , " he said . Now , Iran might need to find new buyers in a global market already saturated with supply .
Left : March 23 , 2002 , a relatively clear day . Right : April 8 , 2002 , a day of extremely dusty skies . Storms transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadmineral dust from the deserts of China and Mongolia over great distances , as well as pollution from agriculture , industry and power generation . Asian dust has been detected as far away as Colorado . Thick clouds of dust block substantial amounts of incoming sunlight , which in turn can influence marine phytoplankton production and have a cooling effect on regional climates .
China is constructing a modernized version of the old silk roads , with the intent not only of integrating the region under Chinese influence , but also of reaching Europe and the Middle Eastern oil - producing regions . It is pouring huge sums into creating an integrated Asian energy and commercial system , with extensive high - speed rail lines and pipelines . One element of the program is a highway through some of the world ’s tallest mountains to the new Chinese - developed port of Gwadar in Pakistan , which will protect oil shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadfrom potential U.S. interference . The program may also , China and Pakistan hope , spur industrial development in Pakistan , which the United States has not undertaken despite massive military aid , and might also provide an incentive for Pakistan to clamp down on domestic terrorism , a serious issue for China in western Xinjiang Province . Gwadar will be part of China ’s “ string of pearls , ” bases being constructed in the Indian Ocean for commercial purposes but potentially also for military use , with the expectation that China might someday be able to project power as far as the Persian Gulf for the first time in the modern era .
Oil price back above $ 50 as Arab states cut off Qatar 05 June AM Brent crude is back above $ 50 a barrel this morning after a diplomatic row in the Middle East raised concerns over oil shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunload. The international oil price benchmark rose 0.5 per cent to hit $ 50.18 a barrel , while its US counterpart West Texas Intermediate was up 0.6 per cent to $ 47.92 following the news that several countries have severed ties with Qatar . Saudi Arabia has closed its land borders with the peninsula and cut all air and sea contact , a move also seen from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates .
Armaments on the Spectre include 40 mm and 105 mm cannons . The Spooky adds a 25 mm Gatling gun . Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos : In the U.S. Air Force fleet C-17 Globemaster transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunload– The four - engine jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1993 with a primary mission of troop and cargo transport . Each plane can carry up to 102 troops or 170,900 pounds of cargo . The Air Force has 187 C-17s on active duty , 12 in the Air National Guard and 14 in the Reserve .
Reports of Iskander - M missiles being moved to outpost between Poland and Lithuania fuels fears that Russia is seeking to expand control of Baltic Sea Estonian officials have said that Russia appears to be moving powerful , nuclear capable missiles into Kaliningrad , a Russian outpost province sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania along the Baltic coast . The Iskander - M missiles , which have a range of over 500 km , are reportedly being transportedmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadby ship from the St Petersburg area . It had previously been reported that the Russians might seek to place the Iskander - M missiles in Kaliningrad but not until 2018 - 19 . If confirmed , the move would be seen by western governments as another sign that Russia is seeking to establish facts on the ground , from eastern Europe to the Middle East , before a new US president takes office in January .
Polar bear hunting is illegal in Russia , so shooting the bears was n't an option . " We had to stop some of the meteorological observations , " he said . He appealed for a new shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof flares to be sent , somehow , to the distant outpost . The next supply ship was n't scheduled to visit the island for another month . The head of the Sevgidromet State Monitoring Network , which owns the station , told TASS it would make sure the supply ship is stocked with new dogs as well as flares , but that it was n't sure if it would be possible to send any supplies sooner .
It also comes after several gestures by Russian President Vladimir Putin that seem to aim at defusing East - West tensions despite NATO 's summit last weekend in Warsaw . There , the alliance agreed to deploy a multinational force to the Baltics and Poland and to take over a U.S.-built missile shield that Russia sees as hostile . Putin agreed to Wednesday 's meeting of the NATO - Russia Council , only the second since mid-2014 , while also recently allowing a U.N. resolution authorizing the EU to intercept arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadto Libya in the Mediterranean . Putin has talked by telephone U.S. President Barack Obama , German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland in recent days . " BACK TO THE COLD WAR "
Acrimony within the group could undermine these efforts to rebalance the market . Phin Ziebell , of National Australia Bank , told Market Watch : " Qatar may have little reason to keep the production quota and if that happens , it might encourage other Opec members to cheat too . " In addition , if the row rolls on , it may prove difficult to keep oil shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadmoving along the strategically important Strait of Hormuz waterway . Oil price back above $ 50 as Arab states cut off Qatar 05 June AM
The first U.S. LNG shipment will soon arrive in Europe , marking a new era for energy on the continent . Cheniere Energy ’s newly completed Sabine Pass facility on the U.S. Gulf Coast recently sent a shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof American liquefied natural gas , which should arrive in Portugal within a few days . “ LNG coming out of the U.S. is probably the single most important thing that will transform the future LNG market , ” Melissa Stark , energy managing director at Accenture , told Bloomberg . “ It heralds the arrival of a global market . ”
President Barack Obama authorised the covert arming programme in April 2013 , after more than a year of debate inside the administration about the wisdom of using the CIA to train rebels trying to oust Assad . The decision was made in part to try to gain control of a chaotic situation in which Arab countries were funnelling arms into Syria for various rebel groups with little coordination . The Qataris had paid to smuggle shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof Chinese - made FN-6 shoulder - fired weapons over the border from Turkey , and Saudi Arabia sent thousands of Kalashnikovs and millions of rounds of ammunition it had bought , sometimes with the CIA 's help . By late 2013 , the CIA was working directly with Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and other nations to arm and train small groups of rebels and send them across the border into Syria . The specific motives behind the November shooting at the Amman police training facility remain uncertain , and it is unclear when the FBI will officially conclude its investigation .
But it just bought a bunch of American crude . A ship carrying half a million barrels of oil that was pumped in the U.S. docked at a terminal owned by Venezuela last week , according to oil data research firm ClipperData . The shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadwas sent to a facility located on the Dutch island of Curacao in the Caribbean . The fact that Venezuela is importing American oil is raising eyebrows because Venezuela has 298 billion barrels of proven oil reserves , according to the Energy Information Administration . That 's more than Saudi Arabia , Russia or Iran and eight times the reserves of the United States .
It is manufactured by Lockheed Martin . The US official told the AP that Lockheed was authorised to export the dummy missile for a Nato training exercise . The official attributed the shipping error to Lockheed ’s freightmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadforwarders , and said the US was working with Lockheed to get the device back . The official said the US did not want any defense technology to remain in a proscribed country , whether that country can use it or not . The official said there is greater concern that Cuba could give more technically advanced countries access to the dummy .
In May of this year , China introduced its first homegrown maglev line in Changsha , transporting passengers from the south railway station to the airport at a not terribly impressive top speed of 100 km / h . This all must come as quite the disappointment after a Chinese research team unveiled a prototype for a maglev train that could possibly reach 1,800 km / h back in 2014 . In less ambitious news , CRRC also announced plans to develop maglev trains that travel at just 200 km / h , hoping to provide a more energy conscious form of medium to high - speed transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadaround the globe , as well as high - speed trains that can run at 400 km / h and alternate between different track gauges , making crossing borders a breeze , Xinhua reports . Currently , China leads the world with over 20,000 kilometers of high - speed track . That is projected to expand to 30,000 km by 2020 and then grow to 45,000 km by 2030 .
Investors from local farmers to billionaire tycoons are pumping money into the business . Russian wheat has crowded out U.S. supplies in Egypt , the world ’s biggest buyer , and is gaining footholds in some other countries , such as Nigeria , Bangladesh and Indonesia . That ’s four decades after the Soviet Union turned to U.S. shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof wheat and corn to offset shortfalls in its own harvests . Over the last decade , Russia has been the biggest single source of growth in wheat exports , vital to meeting surging global demand . “ Russia will be among the top exporters for a long time , especially given the potential advances in productivity there , ” said Tom Basnett , general manager at Market Check , a Sydney - based commodity consultant .
Each were in turn arrested and jailed for their expose . Recently , several were released by order of the Turkish Judicial system , at which time the President of Turkey responded with a statement that he does not recognize the authority of the Turkish Justice Department , Judges or court rulings . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton charged her Ambassador to Libya , Chris Stevens , with the job of securing the shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof weapons seized by the US government , which were formerly the property of the government of Libya . Once USA and NATO had completed the disposing of the former leader of Libya , Muamar Qadafi , his government ’s weapons became official US property . Clinton ordered the shipments of weapons to go from Benghazi to Iskenderun , Turkey .
Despite his forces being part of the truce , President Assad vowed to take back the country from " terrorists " - a term used to describe all opposition groups . Israel has largely remained on the sidelines of the fighting along its border , but has carried out reprisals on Syrian positions when errant fire has previously landed in Israel . The IDF is also widely believed to have carried out airstrikes on arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloaddestined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah , a close ally of Assad . Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six Day War of 1967 , before Syrian forces led an unsuccessful counter - offensive in 1973 , and Israel effectively annexed the vast majority of the occupied territory in 1981 . The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force ( UNDOF ) was set up to monitor a ceasefire established in the region but fighting between the Syrian regime and rebels has frequently spilled over into the demilitarised area since 2012 , sparking Israeli air strikes in Syrian territory .
Aid deliveries to besieged areas were a key part of the cessation of hostilities deal brokered last week . Supplements were delivered to the besieged town of Talbiseh in Homs province on Monday , the Red Cross said . But most aid shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadwere still waiting to go in . The UN said it had received government approval to reach all the besieged and hard - to - reach areas where it sought to bring aid . But access to many areas was still constrained , it said , because of fighting , insecurity and administrative delays .
US reportedly reverses policy to allow shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof man - portable systems to Syria , in response to intense bombardment of city Manpad systems are effective against low - flying aircraft such as helicopters ( AFP ) The US has resolved to prevent the fall of Aleppo and is preparing to allow its Gulf allies to flood the city with shoulder - fired , anti - aircraft missiles , according to a source with close contacts to rebel forces .
Automobile products , wine and agricultural products made in France are expected to be imported to China via the train . Catering to the Belt and Road Initiative , the train is expected to further promote China 's cooperation with Eurasian countries . Several Chinese cities including Chongqing , Wuhan , Zhengzhou , Changsha and Shenyang have rail freightmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadservices to Europe .
A quarter of the town 's 20,000 people work at the Crimea Titanium chemical plant , riding in dozens of identical green passenger buses to the factory from the town each morning , and back again in the afternoon . When Crimea was controlled by Ukraine , goods and services were affordable , and the plant 's workers were able to treat themselves now and then , they say . But after Kiev blocked freightmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadsupplies last year prices soared . " I can only buy food and it 's hard to buy clothes , " said Pavel , a technician , who said he was paid 17,000 rubles ( $ 265 ) a month . That is only around half the average monthly income in Russia .
But it will be too late for at least 23 men , women and children who have already starved to death , while photos show emaciated people resorting to eating leaves and grass in desperate attempts to stay alive . Madaya , a former holiday resort in mountains near the Lebanese border , has been under siege by the Syrian army and allies from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia for six months . Around 40,000 people remain trapped and reliant on next week ’s shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof food and medical supplies . Weakened , cold and starving to death in Syrian town As part of the pact , aid will also be allowed into the nearby town of Zabadani , which is also under siege , and Kefraya and Fua - two villages in Idlib province that have been surrounded by Islamist rebels since March .
The bedroom - sized pod offers a new way of living in space and on other planets A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship delivered the first inflatable room for astronauts to the International Space Station on Saturday , two days after launching from Cape Canaveral . Astronauts , including the UK ’s Tim Peake , orbiting 250 miles above Earth used a robotic arm to capture the Dragon , which holds three tonnes of freightmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadand had as part of its payload a soft - sided compartment built by Bigelow Aerospace . The pioneering pod , packed tightly for launch , should swell to the size of a small bedroom once filled with air . It has been attached to the space station but wo n’t be inflated until May.
All 298 people on board , most of them Dutch , were killed . The conclusions were based on thousands of wiretaps , photographs , witness statements and forensic tests during more than two years of inquiries into an incident which led to a sharp rise in tensions between Russia and the West . Among the key findings were : the plane was hit by a Russian - made Buk-9M38 missile ; the missile was fired from the rebel - held village of Pervomaysk in eastern Ukraine ; and the launcher was transportedmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadinto Ukraine from Russia . " This Buk trailer came from the territory of the Russian Federation , and after the launch it was returned again to the territory of the Russian Federation , " said Wilbert Paulissen , chief investigator with the Dutch national police . The Ukrainian government said the findings pointed to Russia 's " direct involvement " .
Gandhi was blunter – if anything , less tactful than Nixon . Kissinger later wrote that her tone was that of “ a professor praising a slightly backward student , ” which Nixon received with the “ glassy - eyed politeness ” that he showed when trying to muscle down his resentment . She ripped into US arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadto Pakistan , which had outraged the Indian people , despite her efforts to restrain her public . She hammered away at Pakistan ’s “ persistent ‘ hate India ’ campaign , ” which she blamed for the two previous India - Pakistan wars . Then she gave an expansive denunciation of Pakistan .
Washington has sold weapons and provided training , targeting information , and aerial refueling support to the Saudi - led coalition fighting in Yemen . It has also sold Riyadh millions of dollars ’ worth of cluster bombs in recent years . Asked about the hold on the shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunload, a senior U.S. official cited reports that the Saudi - led coalition used cluster bombs “ in areas in which civilians are alleged to have been present or in the vicinity . ” “ We take such concerns seriously and are seeking additional information , ” said the official , who spoke on condition of anonymity . The hold applies to CBU-105 cluster bombs manufactured by the U.S.-based firm Textron Systems , a subsidiary of Textron .
He added there would be a comprehensive approach to training experts and specialists able to work in crises . The minister noted that regions of Russia have enough material and other resources of civil defense to respond to large massive disasters swiftly and efficiently . ' The Emergency Ministry , federal executive authorities and regions have material and other resources to ensure uninterrupted operation of transportmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunload, power supply and communication systems . ' It has proven efficient in the past three years . ' We are restoring roads , building temporary bridges and handle many other problems .
Ties are one thing , policy and statements are another . Here is where the links get interesting . The one time Trump ’s aides intervened in the drafting of the Republican National Convention ’s platform , it was to push for the deletion of a passage endorsing arms shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadto Ukraine soldiers fighting to stave off incursions from Russian forces . And of course , many of Trump ’s statements on foreign policy , such as his isolationist impulses and jarring statement , in a New York Times interview , that he might not come to the aid of a NATO ally in the event of an invasion , must be sweet whisperings to Putin ’s ears .
“ We are aware of the reports and are closely monitoring the situation on the Korean peninsula in coordination with our regional allies , ” said Commander Bill Urban , a Pentagon spokesman . North Korea fires missile volley into sea after UN ratchets up sanctions Read more The UN sanctions target mineral exports and other key sectors of the North Korean economy , as well as requiring member states to inspect cargo shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadto and from the North that go via their ports . The measures , passed on Wednesday , are designed to limit North Korea ’s ability to earn foreign currency , which it then uses to fund its nuclear and missile programmes . On Friday the Philippines coast guard announced it had detained a North Korean cargo ship that docked at the port of Subic Bay after arriving from Balembang , Indonesia .
China 's imports of North Korean coal are up 11.7 percent for the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year , slightly below the 12.4 percent gain for total coal imports . So far , the big winners among coal exporters to China are Mongolia , with a 50.1 percent year - to - date increase and Indonesia at 18 percent . Top supplier Australia is down 3.6 percent for the first eight months of the year , as higher coking coal exports have n't been enough to offset lower thermal coal shipmentsmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunload. It 's difficult to ascertain why China has decided to allow its coal trade with North Korea to continue , and indeed to grow . About 90 percent of Pyongyang 's trade is with China , and coal accounts for nearly 40 percent of that in value terms , according to a Sept. 24 report in the Nikkei Asian Review .
Moore believes we do not fully comprehend the damage caused by plastic pollution , largely as the gyres where it collects have been ignored . " The gyres are 40 % of the world ocean -- one third of the planet , " says Moore . " But these areas are not part of any exclusive economic zone , they are not used for the shipmentmovement.transportartifact.bringcarryunloadof goods , they are not harvested for marine resources , and their welfare is no one 's concern ... I 'm convinced we have n't scraped the surface of the damage being done . " From his own research , the volume of plastic has tripled in the gyres since the turn of the century , and plastic is disproportionately consumed by fish at the bottom of food chains , leading to rapid and deadly proliferation .