Democratic principles adopted in the West, including those that attempt to control elections, are not right for Belarus, the nation’s President Alexander Lukashenko said Monday. Advising his nation to “calm down over [Western] democracy,” Lukashenko implored the students and faculty of the Belarusian State Economic University to consider what is happening in Spain, Italy, France and Greece,... 

Experts believe that the rumors about the failure of the arms contract between Russia and Iraq could be provoked. As Pravda.Ru reported, Western publications referred to a representative of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki who said that Iraq had decided to terminate the multi-billion dollar deal for the purchase of arms from Russia due to concerns about corruption. Iraqi Defense Minister Sadun... 

Israel has fired warning shots into Syria after mortars launched from Syrian territory hit an Israeli base in the Golan Heights. It is the first time Israel has fired into Syrian territory since the 1973 war. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said the missile was fired as a warning shot after an errant mortar fired from Syria hit the military post. “In the midst of Syrian infighting, a mortar... 

Both Colorado and Washington have passed referendums legalizing cannabis use. However, the plant is still illegal according to federal law. Washington state and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalizing recreational use of marijuana. The outcomes for those ballot measures Tuesday were a milestone for persistent but often thwarted advocacy groups and activists who for decades... 

Scientists have been analyzing different aspects of the collapse of the classic Maya civilization for years, offering theories such as social unrest, disease, warfare, drought and deforestation. A new study shows that climate change led to the end of the Classic Maya civilization, confirming an earlier drought hypothesis. The study, conducted by an international team of researchers, was published in... 

Only days after President Obama won reelection, the US rolled out a new round of sanctions against Iran and accused it of attempting to shoot down an American drone in international airspace. ­The US State Department and Treasury announced on Thursday that the sanctions are aimed at senior Iranian officials and several related entities. US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said they are... 

Students clash with riot police during a demonstration in downtown Rome on October 5, 2012 against deep cuts in the education budget. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Italy to protest against the government’s financial policies. The protesters, who were mainly students, staged demonstrations across Italy on Saturday to express their opposition to Prime Minister Mario Monti’s austerity... 

Cyprus may lose financial support from the EU due to “suspicious ties” with Russian oligarchs. According to information published in Spiegel magazine, the German Federal Intelligence Service suspects that the loan, which the EU and the IMF may give the country, will only sweeten the life of Russian businessmen who keep their money in Cyprus. It was written in Monday’s issue of Spiegel... 

The raid on the mega upload headquarters earlier this year seems to have awakened the rebel spirit within Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s infamous founder. Since his release from jail he has made repeat promises to put “the dinosaur record industry out of business for good” and has announced the release of a website that will provide free music while paying the artists at the same time. Now he’s... 

A general view of the Greek parliament during a vote on new austerity measures in Athens on November 7, 2012. The Greece parliament has adopted an 18.5-billion-euro (23.6-billion-US dollar) austerity package amid clashes between police and angry protesters in the capital Athens. On Wednesday, the Greek lawmakers voted for the bill that cuts pensions by up to 15%, reduces some wages by a third, and... 

Barack Obama’s reelection may be bad news for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Their icy personal rapport aside, experts warn that Netanyahu’s over-involvement in the US campaign could drive apart the two nations and derail his own electoral prospects. ­Netanyahu did little to conceal his preference for who he wanted in the White House for the next four years, RT Middle East bureau chief Paula... 

Protesters hold a demonstration at the iconic Obelisk in Buenos Aires on November 8, 2012. Thousands of people have held demonstrations in Argentina to protest against the policies of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The protests on Thursday night are said to be Argentina’s biggest anti-government demonstrations in more than a decade. Demonstrators in Argentina are infuriated by the rising... 

Egyptian Salafists shout slogans during a demonstration at Tahrir Square in Cairo to demand that sharia, or Islamic law, be the basis for legislation in a new constitution being draf ted for Egypt on November 9, 2012 More than 10,000 ultraconservative Muslims staged a demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, demanding that Egypt’s new constitution be based on Sharia law. The protest reflects... 

“2001: A Space Odyssey” may have been the most famous and commented film of science-fiction, yet it is too the most ridiculous. His technical agenda has been humiliated by the time, like the whole dreams of this modern deceiving world. In 2001 we haven’t landed on Jupiter or in one of its satellites. In 2012 we are not traveling anywhere; we are not even traveling anymore. The space... 

Assad: Not a civil war, terrorism my enemy, no regrets for now In an exclusive interview with RT, President Bashar Assad said that the conflict in Syria is not a civil war, but proxy terrorism by Syrians and foreign fighters. He also accused the Turkish PM of eyeing Syria with imperial ambitions. Assad told RT that the West creates scapegoats as enemies – from communism, to Islam, to Saddam Hussein....