Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Putin’s spokesman, has reported that Russian Defence Shoigu has informed President Putin that Palmyra has been fully liberated from ISIS and is once more under the control of the Syrian army.
This follows reports yesterday that the Syrian army was in the process of storming Palmyra and that the ISIS fighters in the ancient city were fleeing.
On 14th February 2017, in the aftermath of the resignation of General Flynn, The New York Times published a sensational story claiming on the basis of anonymous sources that there had been ‘multiple contacts’ between persons associated with Donald Trump and his campaign and individuals who the US intelligence community says are Russian intelligence agents.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the French election that Francois Fillon – the standard bearer of France’s right wing Republicans and until recently the front runner in the French elections – has now been charged over illegal payments to his family.
There is a strong possibility that Fillon has indeed broken the law though he denies it.
With the coal blockade still underway, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have acted on their threat and have effectively nationalised all remaining Ukrainian owned factories and economic facilities on their territories, though it is being described as a taking of the enterprises into ‘temporary administration’.
Multiple news agency reports confirm that the Syrian army – heavily backed by the Russian air force and with the assistance of Russian Special Forces – is engaging in what increasingly looks like its final assault on ISIS positions in Palmyra preparatory to the complete liberation of the ancient city.
Donald Trump’s first Speech to Congress focused mainly on domestic policy, with the President using the speech to set out the broad contours of his highly ambitious programme for re-industrialising America.
The speech nonetheless did make some important points on foreign policy, and in this article it will be those which I shall discuss.
As promised Russia voted against the latest attempt by the Western powers to use the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Syria, this time in connection with Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
This is the seventh occasion that Russia has wielded its veto on Syria’s behalf.
China also voted against the resolution, the sixth time China has voted against a Western sponsored resolution concerning Syria.
The Russian Interfax news agency is reporting that Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s point man in the Ukrainian conflict, has today issued a warning to Kiev that Russia will take unspecified action unless the coal blockade is lifted.
This follows warnings from Moscow that Russia will not allow a humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbass and from the authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics that they will enact a wholesale nationalisation of all Ukrainian owned plants and businesses within the Republics’ territories on 1st March 2017 unless the blockade is lifted.
A constant theme of media criticism of Donald Trump is that his approval rating (currently 42% according to Gallup) at this stage in his Presidency is the lowest amongst US Presidents.
This is to repeat a mistake made during the Presidential election. It is a mistake to think of Donald Trump as an unpopular President, just as it was a mistake to think of him as an unpopular candidate for the Presidency during the election. A far more correct way of describing him is as a deeply polarising President, just as during the election he was a deeply polarising candidate.
The Oscars once again proved how out of touch with the everyday American the hollywood lefty elite truly are.
The entire night was spent either bashing President Trump, lecturing “peasant” Americans on values, or blathering on about how “special” it is to be a movie star.
Here are 4 Oscar 2017 moments that showcase hollywoods hypocrisy and snobbery…
