(2020-01-11). Merkel in Moscow: As Trump pushes his weight around, Russia-Germany relations defrost. rt.com 
Angela Merkel's visit to Moscow is far from a courtesy call. Germany and Russia's political relations are thawing. It's good news for all Europeans. | As Iran and the United States seemingly limbered up for war, Russia and Germany, as the continent's two most powerful countries, have a special responsibility to protect it from any fallout. | Merkel's decision to travel to the Russian capital may be conceived as a signal to Washington that: | a) Berlin remains capable of mounting an independent foreign policy, if pushed, | b) the Germans won't be cowed by sanctions the US has placed on the Nord Stream 2 pipelin…
(2020-01-11). Novak Djokovic gives Daniil Medvedev the runaround as Serbia beat Russia to reach ATP Cup final (VIDEO). rt.com 
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic showed his class as he ran the legs off Russia's top player Daniil Medvedev to send Serbia through to the final of the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia. | Djokovic defeated Medvedev 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 using a clear and effective tactic in their semi-final matchup — make Medvedev run. | Djokovic's well-chosen shots forced the six-foot-five Medvedev to cover an incredible amount of ground as he was forced to chase down shots throughout their three-set encounter. | And, eventually, the Russian was simply unable to keep pace with Djokovic's powerful, precise attack as the Serbian star clai…
(2020-01-11). Extremist Ideology Has Taken Over Nuclear-Armed India, May Lead to Bloodshed – Imran Khan. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Since the passing of the controversial citizenship law in December, the Pakistani government has been urging world leaders to intervene and stop Indian authorities from "instigating violence against protesting Muslims".
(2020-01-11). Pompeo: Washington Focused on Developing 'Constructive and Productive' Ties With Russia. sputniknews.com Mike Pompeo's comments come as former deputy to the US Secretary of State John J. Sullivan is set to assume office as the head of the US diplomatic mission in Russia, succeeding Jon Huntsman Jr.
(2020-01-11). Erdogan and Putin open TurkStream pipeline after Iran strikes US bases in Iraq. wsws.org The opening of this strategic pipeline comes amid escalating conflicts over energy in the region and an esclalating conflict between the United States and Iran.
(2020-01-11). Turkey expects Russia to convince Haftar for cease-fire. yenisafak.com Turkey expects Russia to convince Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar for a cease-fire, the country's foreign minister said on Saturday."Turkey's expectation from its Russian friends is to convince general Khalifa Haftar for a cease-fire in Libya based on what was agreed upon by the Turkish and Russian presidents," said Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking at a joint news conference with his Ghanaian counterpart Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey in Istanbul.On Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin urged a cease-fire in Libya by Jan. 12 following a meeting in Istanbul.The UN-recogni…
(2020-01-11). No, Iran didn't exit the nuclear deal. And no, its nuclear announcement is not revenge for Soleimani. mronline.org 
On January 5, Iran made a major announcement regarding its nuclear program, stating that it will no longer observe limits on the number of centrifuges that it uses to enrich uranium. While the announcement is significant, it was not altogether unexpected. And it most certainly does not constitute the "harsh revenge" that Iran's supreme leader, […] | Source
(2020-01-10). The Current U.S. Approach to Nuclear Weapons Can Only Lead to Armageddon. counterpunch.org The decade ends with two major threats to humanity: global warming leading to a climate catastrophe and the threat of a nuclear war extinguishing our civilization. The U.S. has pulled out of the Paris Agreement and is wrecker-in-chief of the weak climate change agreement that all the countries had signed to limit the emission of More
(2020-01-10). US Announces New Sanctions on Iran, Refuses to Pull Out Troops. telesurenglish.net The United States government Friday announced new economic sanctions against Iran's officials and companies in response to the attack with ballistic missiles at two bases with U.S. troops. | RELATED: | Iran Denies 'Illogical Rumors' About Ukrainian Plane Crash | "These sanctions will continue until the regime stops the financing of global terrorism and commits to never having nuclear weapons," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. | The new punishments will affect eight senior Per…
(2020-01-09). Andrew Bacevich: The U.S. Needs to Abandon "Militarized Approach" to Middle East and Build Peace. democracynow.org 
We continue our conversation with Andrew Bacevich, president and co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is a retired colonel, Vietnam War veteran and author of, most recently, of "The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory." Bacevich says the crisis with Iran, sparked by President Trump's assassination of top general Qassem Soleimani, is just the latest in a long series of ill-advised American actions in the Middle East. "The only conceivable way for us to begin to extricate ourselves from this terrible mess in the region … is to abandon this militarized approac…
(2020-01-08). Trump Announces Additional 'Punishing' Sanctions on Iran. therealnews.com 
Updated 1: 15 PM ET | U.S. President Donald Trump made a statement Wednesday morning at 11: 30 AM EST and announced that Iran "appears to be standing down" following strikes on U.S. air bases in Iraq. He said there were no American or Iraqi casualties resulting from the attacks. | Trump said that while the U.S. was evaluating its options, it would "immediately impose additional punishing sanctions" against Iran until it "changes its behavior." He called Iran the "leading sponsor of terrorism" and repeatedly said that he would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Since 2017, the Trump administration has impose…
(2020-01-06). Soleimani's Death Could Galvanize Shia Coalitions Against One "Foreign Aggressor" — The U.S. democracynow.org 
Fallout continues to mount following the U.S. assassination of Iran's top military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. Iranian media reports that over a million mourners took to the streets of Tehran today for the funeral of Soleimani, who headed Iran's elite Quds Force. On Sunday, Iran announced it would suspend its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, which the U.S. pulled out of in 2018. Trump has also threatened to target 52 locations in Iran, including cultural sites, if Iran retaliates against the U.S. The targeting of cultural sites is widely viewed as an international war crime.
(2020-01-04). Trump's march to war on Iran aided by Democrats' weakness on sanctions, nuclear deal. thegrayzone.com The US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, is the culmination of three years of Trump administration…
(2020-01-02). Top 20 The Grayzone stories of 2019: From Venezuela coup attempt to Russiagate delusions, information warfare to new cold war. thegrayzone.com 2019 was a big year for The Grayzone. We traveled the world and broke many stories, exposing the empire's schemes…
(2019-12-22). Seemingly Coordinated ISIS/al-Qaeda Attacks On Syrian Oil/Gas Fields & US' Russia/Libya Hypocrisy. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/21/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-12-22). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Read more…
(2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …