The law 'On the High Council of Justice' came into force in Ukraine

The idea for the High Council of Justice surfaced in Ukraine on September 30th, and it was considered a significant judicial reform for the country. However, the law "On the High Council of Justice" came into force on Thursday, January 5th. According to this law, the High Council of Justice (CHJ), which is a constitutional body of judicial self-government permanently operating to ensure the independence of judicial power, has to be created within 20 days through the reorganization of the …


Kyiv responds to Ukrainian oligarch’s suggestion to compromise with Russia

One of the richest and most influential Ukrainians, oligarch Victor Pinchuk, published an article in the Wall Street Journal in which he suggested that Ukrainians have to “make painful compromises for peace with Russia” .

What are these “painful” compromises?

Pinchuk acknowledges that Ukraine should be able to choose its future, and Russia has to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk agreements ensuring the ceasefire and the withdrawal of its troops from the Donbas.

“But this can be part …


McCain: Russia carried out cyber-attacks due to U.S. leniency on Russia's aggressive foreign policy

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Republican John McCain at a Committee hearing dedicated to cyber threats for the United States, mainly from Russia said that “the United State’s leniency on the Russian Federation’s aggressive foreign policy is what prompted the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to order cyber-attacks, intending to intervene in the presidential elections.

"We should not be surprised that Vladimir Putin could have thought that he would be able to carry …


Russia is ready to supply the Philippines with advanced weapons

Russia is ready to supply the Philippines with advanced weaponry, including submarines and aircraft, as stated by the Russian Ambassador in Manilla, Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev, Reuters reported.

Speaking during the visit of two Russian naval vessels to Manila, Khovaev stated that Russia hopes to become a “close friend” to the Philippines, a traditional U.S. ally.

"It's not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and …


150 foreign vessels illegally entered Crimean ports in 2016

During 2016, 150 merchant vessels, flying the flags of 49 foreign countries, entered ports of the occupied Crimea – Yevpatoria, Sevastopol, Yalta, Feodosia, and Kerch – violating bans and sanctions, as demonstrated by the monitoring of the information portal, BSNews, which uses an AIS (automatic identification system) vessel tracking system.

In 2016, another 40 vessels that violated the policies of the occupied territory for the first time were added to the list of old violators, which entered …