The United States has been ramping up pressure on countries around the world in an effort to bring Iran’s oil revenue “down to zero.” Turkey will have no part in possible US sanctions on Iran, the newspaper Dunya reported, citing the country’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. “We had a US delegation here and we […] explained to them that we believe that [such moves] are a mistak [...]

Settlements in US currency could be dropped by Russia in favor of the euro if the EU takes a stand against the latest US sanctions on Moscow, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “As we see, restrictions imposed by the American partners are of an extraterritorial nature. The possibility of switching from the US dollar to the euro in settlements [...]

Scott Ritter, a former United Nations weapons inspector, states some cruical things ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Ritter suggests a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict, asserting that Israel, historically considered a dominant force in the region, has faced a significant setback, leading to a conclusion that Palestine will ultimately achieve recognition as an indepen [...]

Turkey appears to have deliberately shot down a Russian warplane as a provocation designed to escalate tensions between NATO and Russia, a ploy that seems to have sucked in President Obama as he tries to look tough against Russia to appease his neocon critics, writes Robert Parry. President Barack Obama – always sensitive to neocon criticism that he’s “weak” – continues to edge the wo [...]

Turkey is the latest target for US trade barriers, faces sanctions against top ministers and is even having its purchasing of advanced US weapons reconsidered. The Anatolian country’s leaders have indicated they are beginning to look elsewhere, feeling like the US is trying “to make Turkey surrender in all areas, from finance to politics.” On Friday, US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs [...]

An anti-terrorism probe has been opened into death threats Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz received on social media after his government announced a crackdown on hate preaching and “political Islam.” The Austrian government’s decision to close seven mosques and expel as many as 60 imams as part of their campaign against radicalization has provoked a wave of outrage online. [...]

In today's rapidly changing world, the once unshakable Western Order is on its last leg of dominance. For many years, the United States stood as the undisputed leader of the global order, but this era came at a cost for Europe. Now, a new chapter is unfolding before our eyes – the rise of the old powers of the East, led by China. As the East emerges from the shadows, the West finds itself facing [...]

The first time a NATO member has downed a Russian plane in a half-century. Turkey has shot down a Russia jet, and the two pilots were reportedly killed. What will be the fallout of this, coming at this sensitive time on the war on Syria? In this edition of the debate, we’ll discuss what possible motives Turkey would have by this act, and how this would impact the Vienna talks held over Syria [...]

India has made it clear that it is going ahead with its plan to purchase the S-400 Triumph air defense missile systems from Russia and that it will not be deterred by the US' unilateral sanctions. India has also expressed itself similarly over the US sanctions on Iran by continuing to buy oil from the country. [...]

The Syrian Army has gotten its hands on another huge cache of weapons and ammunition, including US-made TOW anti-tank missile systems, chemical warfare, minesweeping and communications equipment and even armored vehicles. Some of the supplies appear to be brand new, as if militants did not get the chance to use them against government forces. [...]

Over the course of centuries, Islam has emerged as one of the leading religious forces in the world. Introduced in the late 7th century, this religion which grew out of Arabia made very shocking in-roads into Africa, Europe, Middle-east and other parts of Asia. [...]

A mass shooting just occurred hours ago in San Bernardino, California, around 11:00am local time on December 2nd, 2015. As sad as this loss of life is, with all these events it’s important to question everything right from the start. This may be yet another false flag operation with the same old purposes of scaring the public, justifying martial law (school and hospital lock-downs) and pushing t [...]

The book says the Trump administration was seriously concerned about the possibility of Hezbollah dragging the US into a “catastrophic” Middle East war. The recently-published book entitled "Fear: Trump in the White House" says that in February 2017, early in the Trump administration, top US officials were seriously worried that Israel could not defend itself against a possible attack from Hez [...]

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Netherlands de facto dropping charges against Ukraine over the latter’s failure to close airspace over the zone of military conflict in Eastern Ukraine is a "blatant fact," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. "It is a blatant fact that the Netherlands has actually cleared Kiev of charges for not closing the airspace over the area of military actions in the Easter [...]

Has US foreign policy made the world more unstable? Should Israel seek military independence from its most trusted ally? Caroline Glick interviews author and Spiegler columnist David Goldman to discuss how America's mistakes in almost every aspect of its foreign policy (China, Iran, Ukraine, Afghanistan, etc.) has caused its power to wane globally. He also delineates the steps that Israel needs to [...]

Major defense contractors Raytheon, Oshkosh, and Lockheed Martin assured investors at a Credit Suisse conference in West Palm Beach this week that they stand to gain from the escalating conflicts in the Middle East. Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President Bruce Tanner told the conference his company will see “indirect benefits” from the war in Syria, citing the Turkish military’s rece [...]

TEL AVIV - Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin is in Moscow following Monday's crash of a Russian Il-20 aircraft in Syria, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Jonathan Conricus told Sputnik. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he sent Air Force Commander Amikam Norkin to Moscow after the incident with a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane in order to prese [...]

Jeffrey David Sachs; born November 5, 1954) is an American economist, academic and public policy analyst. He is the former director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is known as one of the world's leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty. Detroit, Michigan, U.S. [...]

In the muddled midst of last week’s mass killing in San Bernardino, California, a few words skittering across my Twitter feed gave me pause. “On this awful shooting: Is U.S. culture evil? Enemy of our civilization? Must all Americans apologize? Should we bar U.S. tourists as dangerous?” asked Simon Kuper, a columnist with the Financial Times. [...]

There are now three battalions of the advanced Russian air defense system stationed in the Crimean peninsula, which is a major strategic strongpoint for the military and the home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The third battalion of eight launchers, 112 missiles and command and support vehicles has been deployed in Evpatoria in western Crimea, the press service of the Black Sea Fleet confirmed Frida [...]

Here’s what everyone needs to understand about Ukraine: The United States has already moved on to Plan B but Biden has not issued a statement. [...]

Turkey’s two neighbors and historical adversaries Greece and Bulgaria have witnessed sporadic protests denouncing Ankara’s remorseless in the shooting down of the Russian Su-24 plane, as well as NATO warmongering in general. Several dozen [...]