The death of Helmut Schmidt genuinely marks the end of an era. The 96-year-old former German Chancellor and celebrated media pundit was a voice of reason in an increasingly self-destructive Europe. In a country renowned for both conjuring and vigorously applying rules, Germany’s smoking laws have been a modern day aberration. [...]

As October ended, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest announced that the U.S. would be sending "less than 50" boots-on-the-ground Special Operations forces into northern Syria in an “advise-and-assist” program for Kurdish rebels and their (essentially nonexistent) Arab allies. Only days before, in yet another example of twenty-first-century mission creep, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter h [...]

Elite Syrian army units have broken the siege of Kweires airbase, following weeks of intense fighting against Islamic State and other jihadist forces. The base, which opens up routes for offensives against Raqqa and Aleppo, had been encircled for nearly two years. [...]

Amid intensifying U.S. military operations in Iraq and Syria, a group of 35 bipartisan House lawmakers issued an open letter on Friday calling for Congress to fulfill its responsibility by voting "as quickly as possible" on whether to authorize a war that is well over a year old. [...]

At no time in history has the persecution of Christians been as intense and widespread as it is at the moment. There is a global war on Christians, which has escalated in scale and intensity since the US invasion of Iraq. After the deliberate destruction of nation states and government structures all over the Middle East, Islamist groups have seized the opportunity to wage war on and persecute [...]

A Belgian court has given Facebook 48 hours to stop tracking the online activities of non-Facebook users in Belgium unless they have their explicit consent or face a daily fine of €250,000. The internet giant has pledged to appeal the decision. [...]

Reiterating his prior ruling which found the U.S. government's surveillance of civilians' telephone records to be unconstitutional—"Orwellian," even—a federal judge on Monday ordered the National Security Agency to halt its bulk collection program. [...]

In November 2014, Arkansas voters approved a ballot measure that, among other reforms, barred the state’s elected officials from accepting lobbyists’ gifts. But that hasn’t stopped influence peddlers from continuing to provide meals to lawmakers at the luxurious Capital Hotel or in top Little Rock eateries like the Brave New Restaurant; the prohibition does not apply to “food or drink avai [...]

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter claims Russia and China are challenging something he describes as the “international order.” What he really means is that Russia and China refuse to bend the knee to US domination and hegemony.   [...]

I think there is no ‘love lost’ between Netanyahu and President Obama: they dislike each other at a personal level. But for reasons of politics they will shake hands and smile, says Professor James Petras of Binghamton University. [...]

The US is not interested in defeating ISIS but would want to control its movements to create a geopolitical balance on the ground and provide the US-led coalition with leverage at the Vienna talks, said Middle East geopolitics analyst Sharmine Narwani. [...]

Media claiming Russian airliner attack likely an "inside job" Alex breaks down the "inside job" and the Orwellian language culture surrounding the mainstream media's use of the term. /* */ [...]

On Nov. 9, we’re staging the largest-ever civil disobedience for racial, climate, and immigrant justice. Here’s why, by YONG JUNG CHO, WALEED SHAHID, DEVONTAE TORRIENTE AND SARA BLAZEVIC   Its election season. [...]

Young people from across the country to sweep Washington, D.C. with direct action 'to demand justice on race, climate change, and immigration' Buoyed by President Barack Obama's fresh rejection of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, thousands of young people from across the country are preparing to unleash on Monday what they say will be the "largest-ever civil disobedience for racial, climate, [...]

Although the US military “do not seek” a new Cold War, it is determined to oppose the rising global powers – Russia and China – in order to protect the US-dominated “international order,” US Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said. [...]

“The Great Silence.” That’s how the London Times newspaper (back then Britain’s newspaper of record and not a crude neo-con propaganda sheet), described Britain’s first Armistice/Remembrance Day, which took place on November 11, 1919. [...]

The US-led coalition has been "unbelievably" inefficient in fighting the terror group Islamic State, possibly because some members have their plans for the terrorists, Iraq's former PM told RT. [...]

Alex Jones talks about Russian president Vladimir Putin and how despite his numerous faults, Putin does want what is best for his country and is doing what he can to prevent the destruction of Russia. Help us spread the word about the liberty movement, we're reaching millions help us reach millions more. Can Putin stop the New World Order? About America, the most honest 3 minutes of tel [...]

Today we welcome former Congressman Ron Paul to break down his view on the upcoming election cycle and his son Sen. Rand Paul's bid for the presidency. https://twitter.com/RonPaul http://ronpaulinstitute.org/ Help us spread the word about the liberty movement, we're reaching millions help us reach millions more. Share the free live video feed link with your friends & family: http://www.i [...]

Brutal monster, tyrant and sadist or modernizer, victor and reformer - it's hard to find a more controversial figure in Russian history than Joseph Stalin. And while successive Russian leaders have approached his legacy differently, it remains as divisive today as ever. Can Russia come to terms with its dramatic past and is it possible to achieve closure, considering the mark this towering fig [...]

Ankara is worried about possible Kurdish-American collaboration after the backing the Kurds got from Moscow, says Dr. Jamal Wakim, Professor of History and International Relations at Lebanese University. Turkey says it will carry out a military operation against ISIS in the near future, without specifying when. [...]

In an interview with Swedish media, whistle-blower Edward Snowden opened up about CIA torture, ISIS, and mass surveillance. Two-and-a-half years after revealing the NSA’s mass surveillance tactics, he says he’s “very comfortable” with his choices. [...]