Putin Puts Kasparov in Check

Staff / Truthdig Apr 14, 2007 Vladimir Putin's regime, with the aid of 9,000 police officers, attempted to prevent a rally in Moscow by arresting opposition leader Garry Kasparov along with dozens of other protesters and even some journalists. The chess phenom has accused Putin of trampling on democracy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kremlin Condemns Exile’s Revolutionary Plot

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2007 It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood suspense thriller, but exiled Russian multimillionaire Boris Berezovsky seems quite serious about his scheme to oust President Vladimir Putin's Moscow government in a "violent overthrow." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Another Russian Journalist Dies Prematurely

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 Police say Ivan Safronov, a military correspondent for a major Russian newspaper, jumped out of a fifth-floor window. But the media and friends say it's likelier that he was murdered because his reporting had embarrassed Vladimir Putin's government. Thirteen Russian journalists were killed in 2006, making it the third-most-dangerous country to report from. (h/t: Largest Minority) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Blair Seeks U.S. Missile Site in Britain

Staff / Truthdig Feb 23, 2007 For months, Tony Blair has been secretly lobbying the U.S. to locate a missile defense site in Britain. Poland and the Czech Republic are also in the running. The $90-billion "son of star wars" program has performed poorly in the past, and is still under development as it's deployed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bloody Sunday

Staff / Truthdig Feb 19, 2007 A series of explosions around the world has killed more than 120 people A train bombing in northern India left at least 64 people dead, while three car bombs in Baghdad -- the bloodiest violence since a security crackdown began -- killed more than 60 and injured at least 131 A bomb also exploded at a McDonald's in St Petersburg, Russia, in an act of "hooliganism," according to police There was no indication that each nation's violence was related to the explosions in the other countries. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Putin Attacks U.S.

Staff / Truthdig Feb 10, 2007 The Russian president, normally a close ally of President Bush, used a security summit this week to lash out at American foreign policy, calling the U.S. "very dangerous." Vladimir Putin added that the United States has "overstepped its borders" and is "nourishing" a nuclear arms race. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China, U.S. May Be Preparing for Star Wars

Staff / Truthdig Jan 19, 2007 China has successfully completed a test of an anti-satellite weapon, alarming the United States and other nations, the White House said. Although the Bush administration is weary of a possible militarized space race, it has steadfastly opposed a ban on such tests in order to preserve U.S. "freedom of action in space." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

If at First You Don’t Succeed …

Staff / Truthdig Jan 17, 2007 The U.S. and North Korea may meet for a second and possibly even a third round of talks following a surprise meeting. The White House had steadfastly refused to give in to Pyongyang's desire for direct discussions outside of the six-party talks, but the recent rendezvous between the two countries suggests there may be more flexibility in Washington these days. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Truthdig Podcast: Russian Nukes, the Meaning of Christmas and More

Staff / Truthdig Dec 14, 2006 Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer sounds off on nuclear negligence, Kucinich's candidacy, the Christmas blues and more. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Politics

The Nightmare Scenario

Sergei Plekhanov / Truthdig Dec 12, 2006 A former arms control expert in the Soviet Union argues that Bush, in his obsession with North Korea and Iran's relatively minuscule nuclear threat, has effectively ignored the much more perilous threat of Russia's 10,000-strong nuclear arsenal UPDATE #2: Check out three new pieces relevant to nuclear proliferation (including one by Gorbachev) UPDATE: The Nuclear "Doomsday Clock" Ticks Two Minutes Closer to Midnight Also: Watch professor Stephen Hawking explain why the clock was moved"This week, the international crisis that started in September with US discovery of stepped-up uranium enrichment activities in Iran is expected to trigger a nuclear war between Russia and the United States" A former arms control expert in the Soviet Union lays out an all-too-plausible chain of events. Dig deeper ( 12 Min. Read )

Santa vs. Putin

Mike Luckovich / Truthdig Dec 3, 2006 Dig deeper

Mysteriously Poisoned Spy Dies, Mysteriously

Staff / Truthdig Nov 24, 2006 Alexander V. Litvinenko is dead after suffering an extensive illness he believed was caused by poisoning. A former KGB agent, Litvinenko had become critical of the Russian government. He began feeling ill after meeting in London with two Russians and an Italian security specialist. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )