China has caused irreparable harm to the ecosystem of the Spratly Islands and breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights, the Hague Tribunal has ruled. Beijing has ignored the ruling, saying its islands come with exclusive economic zones, where Chinese people have had activities for 2,000 years. The court said in the 497-page ruling that “There was no legal basis for China to claim historic... 

Vladimir Putin said about Western intelligence agencies’ preparations for autumn elections to the Russian State Duma at the meeting with the Russian Federal Security Service. According to the documents, there are indications that our enemies abroad are getting ready to these elections. “Thus, everybody should know that we will work hard on the defence of our interests in accordance with... 

The North Korean leader has said the country now has a hydrogen bomb, according to the N. Korean central news agency, and is capable of using it along with nuclear warheads to defend its sovereignty. “We managed to become a great nuclear power capable of defending the independence and national dignity of our homeland by mighty nuclear and hydrogen strikes,” N. Korean leader Kim Jong-un was cited... 

The Iraqi government has demanded that Ankara withdraw the more than 100 Turkish forces that entered Iraq with tanks and artillery for alleged “training” of troops near Islamic State-occupied Mosul. Baghdad stressed the unsanctioned move was a breach of its sovereignty. The Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement early on Saturday that the Turkish troops were acting in violation of the country’s... 

Like a vengeful Mafia don Recep Tayyip Erdogan shot down a Russian plane and nudged the Middle East a step closer to all-out war. A few hours after the attack Obama climbed up on his soap box and said Turkey has a right to protect its national sovereignty. Erdogan’s attack, however, had nothing to do with sovereignty or airspace. It was retaliation for Russia messing with his family business. The... 

The President of France has come up with a very creative way of solving the European debt crisis. On Sunday, a piece authored by French President Francois Hollande suggested that the ultimate solution to the problems currently plaguing Europe would be for every member of the eurozone to transfer all of their sovereignty to a newly created federal government. In other words, it would essentially be... 

South American countries have denounced the US airstrikes on ISIL militants in Syria as the violation of the country’s sovereignty. In a Foreign Ministry statement, Ecuador described the air raids as a “violation of the state of Syria’s sovereignty and a threat to its territorial integrity.” “The actions they carried out go against international rights, for they have not been recognized... 

Moscow will respond to NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders, President Vladimir Putin said at the emergency Security Council meeting in Moscow. Here are his key quotes on Russia’s defense, Western sanctions, and violence in eastern Ukraine. NATO forces have been increasing military presence in Eastern European countries bordering Russia and sending warships to the Baltic and Mediterranean... 

US President Barack Obama has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of backing Ukraine’s pro-Russian fighters, threatening Moscow with more sanctions. “If Russia continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and to back these separatists,” President Obama said on Monday, then the country will “further isolate itself from the international community and the costs for Russia’s behavior will... 

Crew members of NATO warships deployed to the Latvian port city of Ventspils are behaving like occupying forces, who don’t consider local laws apply to them, the mayor of the city charged. This discredits the alliance in the eyes of Latvians, he added. “NATO sailors in Ventspils were behaving like pigs, ignored Latvian laws and municipal rules,” Aivars Lembergs told LETA news agency. “Drunk,... 

Gibraltar, one of the British Overseas Territories, is on the UN list of areas awaiting decolonization. Spain has sent a survey ship into Gibraltar’s territorial waters amid continuing tension with the UK government over the sovereignty of the breakaway island nation. The Ramon Margalef, a 50-meter oceanographic survey ship defied repeated orders from British Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Sabre... 

Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks The founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks says the US spy agencies pose a threat to the sovereignty of Latin American nations as the countries depend on US-based telecommunication technologies. Julian Assange said speaking via videoconference at Uruguay’s University of the Republic that Latin America’s reliance on hardware... 

The EU is forcing states to give up their national sovereignty The European Commission’s latest proposals have heightened skepticism about the effectiveness of government measures to curb “welfare tourism” by migrants from other EU countries. The proposed regulations aim to facilitate easier movement for EU citizens across member states, challenging national governments to establish... 

Argentinians gathered in capital Buenos Aires after a nationwide campaign was launched to collect one million signatures against a UK-backed referendum on the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands, Press TV reports. People of all walks of life including war veterans, students, and artists gathered at the Obelisk monument to say that South Atlantic territories seized by the UK centuries ago, belong to... 

Catalan separatist merchandise is displayed at a stall in Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain. The parliament of Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia has approved a declaration of the region’s sovereignty as a major step towards its independence from Spain. The non-binding resolution was passed on Wednesday by 85 votes in favor, 41 against, and two abstentions, the Associated Press reported. The...