Special to WorldTribune.com A new twist on the Panama Papers bombshell posits that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the mastermind behind the leaked documents. Clifford Gaddy, an adviser to the Russian finance ministry in the 1990s, contends that Putin will ultimately emerge unscathed from the revelations in the documents and that major American names […]
Special to WorldTribune.com The Panama Papers have impacted officials at the top of China’s hierarchy which has spent the past year purging top rivals of President Xi Jinping on charges of corruption. At least three of the seven people on the Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee, the Chinese Communist Party’s most powerful committee, including Xi […]
Special to WorldTribune.com by Geostrategy-Direct Chinese PLA’s chief of staff has officially proposed a Central Asia military alliance that excludes Russia. The proposal was advanced by Gen. Fang Fenghui last month in Kabul, Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani spoke positively about the proposal after Gen. Fang promised $70 million in military aid. Beside China and Afghanistan, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that missiles, not negotiations, are the key to his country’s future. Khamenei’s remark, posted on his official website on March 30, came as Western powers called for the UN Security Council to consider possible action in response to Iran’s […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) claimed its Russian affiliate set off two explosions in Dagestan on March 29 that killed 10 Russian soldiers. The ISIL affiliate, Caucasus Province, launched the attack on the city of Kaspiysk in the southern Russia republic of Dagestan. “The Caliphate’s soldiers managed to explode two […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Russia is in the midst of a gold rush. A recent spending spree by Moscow’s central bank has made Russia the world’s top gold buyer. Moscow added 356,000 ounces of the precious metal to its reserves in February, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Russia continued to hoard gold […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Syrian forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, claimed a major victory on March 27 as they drove Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) from the historic ancient city of Palmyra. “After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra – both the ancient site and the residential […]
Special to WorldTribune.com A former Ukrainian pilot was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted for allegedly taking part in the murder of two Russian journalists. Nadezhda Savchenko burst into song and chanted “Glory to Ukraine!” upon hearing the verdict. Ukrainian spectators in the court, in the Russian town of Donetsk near the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com The budding friendship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin apparently hit a pothole on March 16. The Kremlin has said that a new campaign video from the GOP front-runner “demonizes” Russia. The video shows Putin throwing an opponent to the floor in a judo match, followed by a clip of him laughing, which […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Russia’s withdrawal from Syria “should not be taken at face value,” a former senior Israeli military official said. While President Valdimir Putin announced the pullout earlier this week, Moscow has decided to maintain major combat platforms in Syria, including the S-400 air and missile defense system. “We should remember the difference between […]