Putin’s defiant, nationalistic Russia is inviting comparisons to the former Soviet Union. But it’s still open for business.
Is Russia reverting to Cold War form? No. Even though some troubling developments may give that impression: President Vladimir Putin clearly plans to remain the puppet master for years to come, whether or not he gives up his [...]

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U.S. companies doing business in the European Union, China, Russia and other countries could face retaliation if a bill aimed at pressuring Iran to give up nuclear weapons becomes law, industry officials said on Wednesday.
The bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month by a vote of 397-16, strengthens rarely used U.S. sanctions [...]

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A Russian military resurgence bolstered by booming oil wealth is raising some concern here about where Moscow is headed, US defense officials and outside experts say.
Threats by Russia to withdraw from key arms control treaties, reaffirmed by President Vladimir Putin last week in Moscow with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert [...]

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WHAT did Iran’s leaders see when they looked into Vladimir Putin’s eyes? Apparently somebody to do business with. As outsiders watched carefully for signs of Russia’s intentions regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, Mr Putin arrived in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and appeared to show support for the country’s nuclear efforts. “The Iranians are co-operating with Russian nuclear [...]

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The letters, according to DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources, have been posted to Jewish families in Tehran (where the community numbers some 13,000), Isfahan (under 2,000) and Shiraz (some 4,000). They are captioned: Danger! Danger! Danger! and tell recipients to try and reach the West with all possible speed. Iranian Jews like the rest of the population [...]

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The summer of 2007 was marked by threats and warnings of an imminent terrorist attack against the United States. In addition to the well-publicized warnings from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and a National Intelligence Estimate that al Qaeda was gaining strength, a former Israeli counterterrorism official warned that al Qaeda was planning a simultaneous [...]

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Who cares about Vicky? Well, young women like Vicky are reeking demographic havoc all over the planet. These party girls are too busy to have a family, and all of us will ultimately pay the price.
Her friend Vicky Yang is hunched over a borrowed laptop, downloading an e-mail from a pesky client on her cell [...]

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In its first admission by a state official, Syria’s ambassador to the UN confirmed that an air raid carried out by Israeli fighter jets deep in Syrian territory on September 6 was, indeed, an attack on a Syrian nuclear facility, Israel Radio reported Wednesday morning.
The Syrian envoy disclosed the nature of the target during a [...]

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has offered qualified support for Iran’s nuclear programme on a visit to Tehran.
Mr Putin told journalists that “peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed” and cautioned against using force to resolve the dispute over Iran.
But he was evasive when asked whether the Bushehr nuclear plant Russia is building would be finished on [...]

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Japan and China led a record withdrawl of foreign funds from the United States in August, heightening fears of a fresh slide in the dollar and a spike in US bond yields.
Fears of dollar collapse as Saudis take fright
China threatens `nuclear option’ of dollar sales
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: This bear is not capitulating
Data from the US Treasury [...]

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