In a curious convergence of superpower opinions, earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the country to reinforce its military nuclear potential. In a speech that recapped military activities in 2016, Putin said the army's preparedness has "considerably increased" and called for continued improvement that would ensure it can "neutralise any military threat".
Russia has shut down four McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow for sanitary violations after a consumer watchdog filed a suit demanding certain burgers and milkshakes be banned on the grounds the fat, protein, carbohydrates and calories they contain “deviate widely from technical norms”. “Violations have been found that put the quality and safety of food products in doubt for the whole McDonald’s chain,” said Anna Popova, Russia’s head sanitary inspector.
In response to the latest imposition of US sanctions on Russia, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that the new sanctions would further damage relations between the two countries and that Moscow would respond with its own measures. "We regret that Washington is continuing on this destructive path," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
As a reminder, on Tuesday the United States widened sanctions against Russian businessmen and companies adopted after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the conflict in Ukraine.
The Jabhat Fatah al-Sham organization (formerly the al-Nusra Front) claimed to be responsible for Monday's murder of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov’s in Ankara. The terrorist group claimed responsibility via a letter which appeared on the Internet. The letter was written in Arabic.
Submitted by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,