Russian activists are requesting permission to install a monument near the US embassy in Moscow dedicated to the genocide of American Indians. A member of the Russian Public Chamber says the move could soon get official support. The activists have launched a petition in support of the monument on the change.org website. [...]

A video of a well-built male doctor knocking out a patient in a hospital in the Russian town of Belgorod has emerged online. The man died, while his companion, who tried to stand up for him, was also brutally beaten by the doctor. The incident happened on December 29 last year in municipal hospital of Belgorod in southwestern Russia. The violent attack was captured by the hospital security came [...]

There is a longstanding tradition of EU leaders turning a blind eye to the behavior of the Ukrainian leadership even though it doesn’t correspond to what is called Western values, said French economist Jacques Sapir. Moscow has accused President Poroshenko's advisor Yuri Biryukov of using Nazi rhetoric. In his post on Facebook Biryukov said he was “squeamish” about Russians and compared [...]

Russia would make a much better ‘world gendarme’ than the US, according to Austrian media. During the course of human history Russia often acted as a force of righteousness, according to Austrian author Thomas Roth. And as today many people across the globe turn to Russia for assistance, it's possible that level-headed Moscow would make a better ‘world’ gendarme than egotistical Wash [...]

Crimea's authorities are ready to assist Limp Bizkit's vocalist Fred Durst finding somewhere to stay on the peninsula, according to Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea Dmitry Polonsky. Earlier Durst expressed his desire to own a house in Crimea, and also said that he "wouldn't mind getting a Russian passport." [...]

The 12th annual Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Russia's Sochi has focused on international armed conflicts. Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking part in its final plenary session devoted to the crisis in the Middle East. Russian President Vladimir Putin says a number of "mistakes" committed by the US, Russia and NATO following the break-up of the Soviet Union has led to the current det [...]

Russia has started supplying the southern Ukrainian city of Henichesk with natural gas at the request of local authorities amid severe frosts in the region, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Monday. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Henichesk Mayor Alexander Tulupov, in view of cold weather conditions in the region, has addressed the Russian side with a request to supp [...]

The European Union follows the United States when it comes to foreign policy, and isn't using any pressure to make Ukraine implement the terms of the Minsk Agreements despite its claims, a political analyst told RIA Novosti. The European Union isn't using its influence on Kiev when it comes implementing the Minsk Agreement to resolve the conflict in the south-east of the country, the deputy dir [...]

The Ukrainian authorities' drive to further spoil relations with Russia is fraught with disastrous consequences for Kiev, according to Radio France International. Kiev's determination to continue to spoil ties with Moscow may have a "disastrous impact" on Ukraine in the end, Radio France International (RFI) reported. [...]

Russian combat aircraft carried out over 300 missions in Syria since the beginning of 2016, hitting about 1,100 terrorist targets in ten provinces, the Russian General Staff said Monday. "With the help of the Russian aviation the Syrian Democratic Forces under the command of Ayman Flyat al-Ganim continue the advance on the Daesh capital — Raqqa. They have taken control over al-Salhiya, Rdzhem [...]

Step-by-step Russia, China and other emerging economies are taking measures to reduce their dependence on the US dollar, F. William Engdahl notes, referring to Russia's crude oil benchmark initiative; the move could deal a dramatic blow to the "petrodollar's" dominance. [...]

The U.S. mainstream media excludes almost all reporting and analysis that challenges the neocon/liberal-interventionist “group think” about the supposed Russian threat, but once in awhile a backhand acknowledgement of reality slips through, as Gilbert Doctorow was surprised to find. [...]

Former US president Bill Clinton said Russian President Vladimir Putin had "enormous potential" in a conversation with former British prime minister Tony Blair, The New York Times reports citing newly-released documents. The documents transcribe phone calls between Clinton and Blair from May 1997 to December 2000. [...]

I’m feeling more and more in recent months that, as difficult as it may be to believe, our world is moving away from seemingly endless wars. Make no mistake, we haven’t seen the end of wars at all. The dynamic and the war energy is changing, however. Not without a frenzy of self-conceit does the so-called Western World throw forks, china, pots, pans, rolling pins–anything it can get its b [...]

The 28-member western military bloc has once again “categorically” denied that it poses any threat to Russia, arguing that its ongoing enlargement is “not directed against anyone”. The comments are just the latest in the war of words between NATO and Russia, but it’s another example of how nonsensical the alliance’s conflicting talking points are. [...]

Russia and China have achieved remarkable success in their efforts to develop advanced navies, which presents a challenge to America's naval supremacy at a time when the US Navy is trying to adapt to the changing security environment, US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said. [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been on fire lately – he not only managed to push through a Russian strategy in the Middle East, but also made both the United States and Saudi Arabia finally accept his point of view on finding a peaceful solution in Syria, French journalist Eric Verhaeghe wrote for Atlantico. [...]

Three months ago, on September 30, at the request of Syrian leader Bashar Assad Russia launched a military operation against terrorists of Daesh (Islamic State). The very next day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the first results of the offensive. [...]

As part of Russia’s anti-terror campaign in Syria, the Kremlin has deployed sophisticated air defense systems to protect its aircraft. According to the Pentagon, those units have effectively grounded US aircraft. [...]

In an attempt to sum up the major accomplishments in the Middle East throughout 2015, Middle East expert Hussein Ibish has come to the conclusion that it is Russia, who gained the most, while the US has abandoned its role as the guarantor of the Middle Eastern political order, perhaps irrevocably. [...]

In an interview with newspaper Die Welt, a German economist argues that the ruble has the potential to become a currency of global significance and strengthen by about 20% by the end of 2016. Experts making forecasts for 2016 should take into account such currencies as the Russian ruble because the currency markets may soon face surprising developments, the newspaper wrote. [...]

Wishing others a peaceful New Year would seem to be a straightforward greeting for people of goodwill. Not if you’re a top US government official. Peace? Yeah, well, it’s complicated. This week US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly phoned Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to firm up the forthcoming peace negotiations supposedly aimed at bringing an end to the Syrian conflict. [...]