The financial scandal of a former French minister has dealt a blow to the popularity of President Francois Hollande sending his approval rating to its lowest level since coming to power. According to a poll conducted by the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, only 27 percent of participants are satisfied with Hollande, while 68 percent have expressed dissatisfaction. French Budget Minister Jerome... 

In a secret US cable published online by WikiLeaks, former ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, outlines a comprehensive plan to infiltrate and destabilize former President Hugo Chavez’ government. Dispatched in November of 2006 by Brownfield — now an Assistant Secretary of State — the document outlined his embassy’s five core objectives in Venezuela since 2004, which included:... 

It likely comes as no surprise to those who have been following the disturbing trend of mass shooters over the years, but a new Los Angeles Times report has confirmed that Holmes had been taking the prescription psychotropic drugs Zoloft and Clonazepam (Klonopin) — one of which is the same drug that the Colombine Eric Harris was on. For months now the alternative news media has been predicting that... 

A North Korean vehicle carrying a new missile passes by during a mass military parade in Pyongyang to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the late North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, April 15, 2013. The South Korean government says North Korea is likely to test-launch a missile this week. Kim Jang-Soo, director of national security for South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, said on Sunday that Pyongyang... 

One person has reportedly been killed and 66 wounded when clashes erupted outside a Coptic cathedral in Cairo after funeral prayers were held for four Christians killed in sectarian violence. There are conflicting reports on how exactly the clashes erupted. AFP, citing witnesses, writes that mourners who were chanting against the ruling Muslim Brotherhood were pelted with stones as they left the church.... 

Security forces used teargas after crowds tried to breach the Egyptian High Court building in Cairo in a 6th of April anniversary rally. The Ministry of Health puts the injury toll at 18, although eyewitnesses report much more. Thousands of protesters have joined the Cairo rally marking the birth of the 6 April movement, whilst also expressing their “dissent” against Egypt’s President Mohammed... 

Chickens are seen in a farm in Zouping, east China’s Shandong Province, April 1, 2013. China has closed Shanghai’s live poultry markets as more birds are being culled to prevent the spread of a new bird flu virus. The live poultry markets in the Chinese city of Shanghai were shut down after authorities banned the trading of birds to prevent the spread of the H7N9 bird flu, which has claimed... 

While Monsanto executives may be rejoicing behind the closed doors of their corporate offices, they have also just stabbed themselves in the heart with the blatant and cocky decision to go through with the Monsanto Protection Act. Obama’s social media profiles are being blown up with thousands of enraged activists and concerned citizens who are demanding answers. Thanks to the alternative news... 

Portuguese people protesting against austerity measures The economic crisis in Portugal is forcing an increasing number of people in the recession-mired eurozone country to turn to food banks for help. “We have more people asking for our help every year, the list is growing so fast that we had to do something that isn’t our policy: create a waiting list,” said Rogerio Figueira, a volunteer with... 

Drones aren’t conducting surveillance 24/7 in the United States just yet, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about: in Dayton, Ohio, manned airplanes might soon do the spying. Officials with the Dayton City Commission recently announced that they hope to sign a $120,000 contract with a local security company in order to give law enforcement agencies an eye-in-the-sky ability unheard... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the banking crisis in Cyprus has revealed the unreliability of Western financial institutions. In an interview on Friday with Germany’s state-owned ARD television before an April 7 visit to the European nation, Putin accused Cypriot and European Union leaders of undermining confidence in Europe’s banks by taxing deposits... 

As responders continue clearing tens of thousands of gallons of oil from a small Arkansas town after an Exxon pipeline burst, delivering a severe blow to the local ecosystem, a major NGO has named the oil giant the winner of a national safety award. Follow RT’s in-depth day-by-day timeline on the Arkansas oil spill With Mayflower, Arkansas struggling to deal with the 84,000 gallons of crude... 

In post-9/11 America, mere words can get you thrown in jail with a felony terrorism charge poised to ruin your life and confine you to a cage for years on end. Sandy Hook has amplified the insanity. Brian Davis, disabled man from Iowa, made the mistake of telling his physical therapist that he believes security at his grand daughter’s school is lacking. Now he is in the slammer charged with felony... 

South Korean soldiers man K-55 self-propelled howitzers at a military training field in the border city of Paju on April 5, 2013. North Korea has asked foreign embassies, including that of Russia, to consider the possibility of evacuation due to an upsurge of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. “A representative of the North Korean Foreign Ministry suggested that the Russian side examine the question... 

Thousands of gallons of oil have spilled from a pipeline in Texas, the third accident of its kind in only a week. Shell Pipeline, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, shut down their West Columbia, Texas, pipeline last Friday after electronic calculations conducted by the US National Response Center showed that upwards of 700 barrels had been lost, amounting to almost 30,000 gallons of crude oil. By Monday,...