Russian twins of stars (25 photos)
It's not just photos of people who are very similar to the famous Hollywood stars. In the first place is jokes about Russian counterparts on foreign celebrities. There is nothing particularly surprising (a genotype, and accordingly, the phenotype is limited to people). That is, almost everyone has a double, and this...
WSJ: Obama says Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad must go
U.S. President Barack Obama held firm that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be removed from office, saying Thursday that he doesn't believe the civil war in Syria will end while the dictator remains in power, according to The Wall Street Journal. After a meeting in Manila with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,...
‘Open the borders’ rally in Athens in Greece
Several thousand people marched through the center of Athens in Greece, calling for Europe to open its borders, according to the BBC. The march was joined by some of the migrants stranded in the Greek capital by the decision made by some Balkan countries to close the borders to them, the BBC wrote. Dutch police fired warning...
Russian proxies attack ATO forces 59 times overnight, situation tense
The combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 59 times overnight, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) wrote on Facebook early Saturday. "The situation in the Donbas conflict zone remains tense. Around noon on December 18, the pro-Russian illegal armed groups...
USA Today: Obama signs massive spending bill, tax measures into law
President Obama signed a huge tax and spending package into law on Friday following congressional votes that avoided a year-end showdown over the budget and ended legislative business until lawmakers return in 2016, according to USA Today. Lawmakers generally viewed the legislation as an imperfect but acceptable compromise...
Syria war: UN Security Council unanimously backs peace plan – BBC
The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution outlining a peace process in Syria, according to the BBC. The 15-member council reached rare agreement on the issue in a session in New York on Friday, the BBC wrote. The resolution endorses talks between the Syrian government and opposition in early January, as well...
Reuters Exclusive: NATO agrees Turkey air defense package
NATO allies agreed on Friday to send aircraft and ships to Turkey to strengthen Ankara's air defenses on its border with Syria, the alliance's chief said, according to Reuters. Diplomats said the package is partly designed to avoid more shoot-downs of Russian planes, according to Reuters. Envoys to the North Atlantic...
The Guardian: Polish military police raid NATO centre in Warsaw
Polish military police have raided a NATO-affiliated counterintelligence centre in Warsaw in the latest of a series of moves by the country's new rightwing government to consolidate its hold on power, according to The Guardian. The raid took place at 01:30 am on Friday at the temporary offices of the NATO Counter...
Bloomberg: U.S. Congress passes spending bill to end oil export ban
Congress passed a $1.1 trillion spending measure that averts a U.S. government shutdown and ends a 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports, a plan that ensures fiscal peace in Congress through most of 2016, according to Bloomberg. The Senate passed the bill 65-33 on Friday, shortly after a 316-113 House vote. The legislation,...
Macaulay Culkin is ‘Home Alone’ again as grown-up Kevin
On its surface, “Home Alone” is an adorable holiday flick about a cute little kid who defends his family’s house by making silly booby traps. A different perspective, however, could say the film is about a neglected child whose family endangers him, nearly resulting in his death at the hands of home invaders....