A startling Federal Security Service (FSB) report on the 22 July massacre in Norway states that two-days prior to this catastrophic attack Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg [photo top right with Putin] placed an “urgent” call to Putin “begging” Russia’s leader to help stop the events that left nearly 100 innocent civilians dead. According to the FSB, Stoltenberg first learned of... 

A US drone. Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has shot down a US spy drone which was flying over the central Iranian province of Qom, a lawmaker says. A member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament), Ali Aqazadeh Dafsari, said on Tuesday that the unmanned spy plane was flying near the Fordo nuclear enrichment plant in Qom province... 

Yesterday’s report that the US killed eight in a combined drone and warplane attack on a Yemeni police station in the southern town of Wadyia has been dramatically revised upwards, with reports now putting the death toll at 50. Yemeni reports say that the police station, which had been taken over by an opposition faction (which controls much of that province) and some media outlets termed all 50... 

Speaking today in Seoul, South Korea, Admiral Michael Mullen declared North Korea a ‘very real threat’ to peace, and pressed for China to move into a “leadership role” against the North Korean government. “North Korea shows no signs of relenting in pursuit of its nuclear capabilities,” insisted Mullen, who was visiting as Gen. James Thurman took over command of the 28,500 US troops in... 

Turkish relations with the European Union “will freeze” if Cyprus takes over the EU presidency in July 2012 without a solution to the divided island, Turkey’s foreign minister said Wednesday. Ahmet Davutoglu made his comments as the European Union’s enlargement chief said in a visit to Ankara that he wanted to see “a new momentum” in Turkey’s membership process now that Turkish parliamentary... 

As War Drags On, Growing NATO Acceptance that Bombing Won’t Produce ‘Victory’. In the latest shift by a NATO member nation about the war in Libya, the Obama Administration has today issued a statement saying it endorses the Russian efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Libya, provided it ends with Moammar Gadhafi stepping down. The move follows a pair of announcements from France over... 

Yesterday’s announcement that the US is withdrawing some $800 million in military aid from Pakistan looks to do more serious harm to US-Pakistani relations, but if administration officials expected the “rebuke” to be met with an act of contrition from the Pakistani military, they were mistaken. Rather, Pakistan’s military today insists that they don’t need the US military aid at all, and... 

The BBC's Will Ross describes the celebrations in the capital Juba. South Sudan has become the world’s newest nation, the climax of a process made possible by the 2005 peace deal that ended a long and bloody civil war. Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among international dignitaries attending celebrations in the capital, Juba. Sudan earlier became... 

Following yesterday’s votes, the House once again rejected an Amendment offered by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D – OH) which would have defunded the war in Libya. The vote failed 169-251 and saw solid Republican support, but coupled with overwhelming opposition from Democrats. The new vote would have conditioned any funding of the war on the President obtaining a formal declaration of war from Congress.... 

The US Senate hastily dropped plans to vote Tuesday on a symbolic resolution authorising the US role in Libya amid a Republican insurrection to demand action instead on the national debt. Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate Majority leader, said: “We’ve agreed, notwithstanding the broad support for the Libyan resolution, the most important thing for us to focus on this week is the budget.” His... 

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and the South African President Jacob Zuma. The differences between Nato and Russia over the West’s bombing campaign in Libya were laid bare yesterday after Moscow accused the alliance of interpreting a UN resolution on military intervention to suit its own ends. Tense talks between Nato and Russian officials on the sidelines of a Nato-Russia Council... 

With Prime Minister Erdogan’s Islamist AK party having seized its third landslide election victory in Turkey, many throughout the international community have been watching to see what will be next on the Turkish agenda. Now there are strong indicators in the Turkish media that Turkey is planning on literally doubling the size of its army – this coming from the nation that already has the... 

An Iranian surface-to-sea missile. Iran plans to test-fire new “supersonic surface-to-sea missiles” as part of its war games in the Persian Gulf in the coming days, says a senior Iranian military commander. Commander of the Aerospace Division of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said that the new missiles have been designed to target ships and... 

A major diplomatic scandal broke out between Russia and Romania. The reason for the scandal is the statements of Romanian President Traian Basescu, who virtually justified his country’s participation in the war against the Soviet Union on the side of Hitler. Basescu voiced the scandalous statements back on June 22. They were dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic... 

A photo of an Iranian-built naval cruise missile system. Iranian commander Brigadier General Ali Razmjou says the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has deployed short and medium range missiles in the Persian Gulf. “A considerable number of speed vessels, and vessels that can carry different kinds of missile and torpedo launchers have joined the IRGC’s Navy,” Razmjou said on Sunday. He...