Politics

A Syrian jet has reportedly been shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Aleppo Province. Islamist rebels shot down the warplane on Tuesday in an area south of the city of Aleppo where insurgents are battling the Syrian army and allied militias. The pilot ejected but was captured by the Al-Qaeda affiliated rebel group. RT reports: The Syrian Army has confirmed that an Su-22 jet was downed near Aleppo, an army representative told RIA Novosti. The pilot of the downed plane has been taken by Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front to one of its bases, according to a rebel source cited by Reuters.

By James Burgess of OilPrice

Did Italy And Malta Actually Agree To Swap Oil Rights For Refugees?

As the Syrian refugee crisis reaches a critical impasse, both in terms of European security and refugee human rights, Brussels has found itself having to deny accusations of a secret pact between Malta and Italy to swap refugees for oil exploration rights.

Armenia has threatened Azerbaijan with “full scale war” amid fresh casualties in renewed hostilities over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict could escalate as Azerbaijan threatens to expand its operations along the front line after the death of some of its soldiers fighting separatist forces, while Armenia threatens with full scale war and the recognition of the territory as an independent state. Update: Karabakh’s Defense Ministry has been ordered to cease fire and a truce has been agreed according to its press service.

As Wisconsinites head for the polls, our Beltway elites are almost giddy. For they foresee a Badger State bashing for Donald Trump, breaking his momentum toward the Republican nomination.

Should the Donald fall short of the delegates needed to win on the first ballot, 1,237, there is growing certitude that he will be stopped. First by Ted Cruz; then, perhaps, by someone acceptable to the establishment, which always likes to have two of its own in the race.

According to a new report by a former CIA agent, President Obama created ISIS as an excuse to invade Syria and oust Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.  In 2012 the CIA proposed a detailed plan to topple the Syrian leader which was vetoed by Obama. Former CIA operative, Doug Laux, told NBC News that the plan had been met with inexplicable opposition from the White House at the time.