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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Russia to try and narrow gaps with Russian leaders over a political transition to end Syria's civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine. [...] The trip is Kerry's second to Russia this year - he met with Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in May - but his first since frosty relations over Ukraine were exacerbated by Moscow's intervention in Syria in late September. President Barack Obama has seen Putin briefly twice since then at international summits in Turkey and France. ...

The country's top finance official, Anton Siluanov, said the government must be prepared for prices to fall further in 2016 as the global glut grows and new supply -- for example from Iran -- enters the market. "Everything indicates that low oil prices are likely to dominate next year. And it is possible that at some periods [the oil price] will be $30 per barrel," Siluanov was quoted as saying by Russian state-run news agencies. That would spell more pain for Russia. Oil and gas exports make up almost half of government revenue. Oil futures were trading at their lowest...

Ukrainian human rights activists believe that over 87 percent of Ukrainian soldiers and half the civilians who have been taken prisoner by Kremlin-backed, pro-Russian militants in the Donbas have been subjected to torture or ill treatment. Additionally, in over 40 percent of the so-called "interrogations," key roles were played by mercenaries from the Russian Federation or by people who identified themselves as Russian military personnel. The coalition Justice for Peace in Donbas has just released a report entitled "Those Who Survived Hell." The study is based mainly on a survey of 165 people, both soldiers and civilians, who were held...

Finland Busts Key Refugee Myth: They Are Mostly Male and Not From Syria The vast majority of refugees arriving in Finland are in fact male adults and not women or children, according to the country’s Ministry of the Interior. The head of Finland's Immigration Services asylum unit, Esko Repo, and communications chief Hanna Kautto told the Finnish news outlet Yle that out of the 19,632 refugees that have arrived in Finland this year, over 15 thousand are adult males. The number of female migrants totals 2,816 and there are also about 2,000 children travelling with adults as well as roughly...

Syrian President Bashar Assad's government has been buying oil from the Islamic State group, which has made over $500 million so far through the trade, a top U.S. Treasury official said Thursday. Adam Szubin added that some of the ISIS oil went to Turkey -- an allegation also made by Moscow after Ankara downed a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border late November. Szubin, speaking at Chatham House in London, said that the militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, was selling $40 million a month worth of oil, which is sent on trucks across the battlefront of...

A Russian destroyer had to open warning fire as a Turkish fishing vessel sailed on a collision course towards them and didn't respond to calls from the warship, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Following the incident, the Russian Defense Ministry warned the Turkish military attaché about "the possible harmful consequences of the reckless actions by Ankara against the Russian military contingent, involved in tackling international terrorism in Syria." "Deep concerns were voiced over another provocative action by the Turkish side against the Russian patrol ship Smetlivy in the Aegean Sea, which forced them to open warning fire...in order to avoid...

Russia says one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing vessel in the Aegean Sea to avoid a collision. A Russian defence ministry statement said the Turkish vessel approached to 600m (1,800ft) before turning away in response to Russian small arms fire.

In recent weeks one nation after another is falling over themselves, literally, to join the turkey shoot known, erroneously, as the war in Syria, ostensibly against the Islamic State or Daesh. The most wanted but most feared question is where will this war frenzy lead, and how can it be stopped short of dragging the entire planet into a world war of destruction? On September 30, responding to a formal invitation or plea from the duly-elected President of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Federation began what was an initially highly effective bombing campaign in support of the Syrian Government...

Thousands of Shiite militiamen and supporters rallied on Saturday and demanded that Turkish troops immediately withdraw from Iraqi territory, a show of strength by the country's powerful militia groups and the Shiite political rivals of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Militiamen in fatigues, supporters and onlookers gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, chanting, "No to occupation, no to Turkey." Some young men burned Turkish flags. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is the current Prime Minister's fiercest rival, walked through the square and was mobbed by supporters who snapped photos and video on their phones.

The draft of the international agreement to deal with climate change, which is being considered today in Paris by representatives from 195 countries, calls for the developed nations of the world to transfer wealth to developing nations, including through "public funds." "Developed country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties with respect to both mitigation and adaptation in continuation of their existing obligations under the Convention," says Article 9 of the draft agreement. "As part of a global effort, developed country Parties should continue to take the lead in mobilizing climate finance from a wide variety of...

In a recent article titled “Why Hitler Wished He Was Muslim,” the Wall Street Journal draws our attention to two books that reflect the historical Nazi-Islamic supremacist axis. Given the goings-on in Europe, we thought these to be poignant titles adding necessary context to a continent that appears to be a potential powder-keg. Of Stefan Ihrig’s ”Atatürk in the Nazi Imagination,” the Journal writes: Through the 1920s and 1930s, Nazi publications lauded Turkey as a friend and forerunner. In 1922, for example, the Völkischer Beobachter, the Nazi Party’s weekly paper, praised Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the “Father of the Turks,” as...

The United States comes up constantly when you talk to Russians about their country's place in the world. But the conversations tend to go a lot differently than many Americans might expect. In the US, the common view is that Russians feel aggrieved by the loss of the Soviet Union and all the respect that came with being a global superpower. Russia's acts of aggression in Europe, in this telling, are all about challenging the American-led order as a way to prove Russia's might and importance. This aggression is wildly popular among Russians, many Americans believe, because it makes them...

Saudi Arabia might just bust OPEC by keeping its taps open, but right now the Kingdom's main concern is strangling American shale production. Read: Markets had been expecting Opec to announce a new ceiling on production after last Friday's meeting, but analysts at Barclays said the lack of any curbs in its announcement was a sign of discord. "Past communiques have at least included statements to adhere, strictly adhere, or maintain output in line with the production target. This one glaringly did not. " they said. Saudi Arabia needs oil prices of $100 a barrel to balance its budget, but...

Should Daesh strengthen its presence in Afghanistan, the United States could find common ground with the terrorist group, also known as ISIL, to counter Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, Iranian political scientist Pir Mohammas Mollazehi told Sputnik. If Daesh loses control over its caliphate in Iraq and Syria, it could well try to expand into what is known as the Greater Khorasan region. "They will use Afghanistan as a launching pad" to take this area under control, the analyst said. Apparently, this process has already started. "Daesh is already present in Afghanistan. Militants have been strengthening their presence in the provinces...

Vladimir Putin has vowed Russia's military will "immediately destroy" any target threatening them in Syria, representing a strong warning to Turkey following its shooting down of a Russian warplane at the Syrian border. Speaking at a meeting with senior commanders in Moscow, Putin said the military should respond with full force to any "further provocations", adding that additional aircraft and air defence weapons have been sent to the Russian base near Latakia. "I order you to act in the toughest way," the Russian president said. "Any targets threatening the Russian groups of forces or our land infrastructure should be immediately...

War Is On The Horizon: Is It Too Late To Stop It? Paul Craig Roberts One lesson from military history is that once mobilization for war begins, it takes on a momentum of its own and is uncontrollable. This might be what is occuring unrecognized before our eyes. In his September 28 speech at the 70th Anniversity of the United Nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia can no longer tolerate the state of affairs in the world. Two days later at the invitation of the Syrian government Russia began war against ISIS. Russia was quickly successful in destroying...

As we reported earlier today, tensions between Russia and Turkey are heating up -- fast. Last month, Turkey took down a Russian jet flying over Syria and, Ankara says, Turkey. Ever since, the autocratic rulers of both countries have been at loggerheads. Russian President Vladimir Putin's initial reaction was to implement sanctions against Turkey in an attempt to hurt its economy. Next he accused the Turks of secretly funding ISIS by buying its oil. His third step to intimidate Turkey became clear today: surrounding the country with an impressive Russian military presence. Although Turkey initially tried to reach out to...

A shortlist of candidates chosen by TIME magazine*s editors for the 2015 Person of the Year was revealed on NBC*s TODAY show Monday morning. The eight contenders are, in alphabetical order:

That sounds more dramatic than it actually was. Turkey sent around 150 soldiers and two dozens tanks to Bashiqa, just northeast of Mosul in what Ankara described as an effort to replace an existing contingent of around 90 troops that have supposedly been on a "training" mission with the Peshmerga for the better part of two years. As we documented over the weekend, this is hardly the first time the Turks have entered the country. However, the circumstances are quite different this time around. That is, this isn't a anti-terror mission aimed at tracking the PKK. Over the weekend, we...

On November 30, as the Paris international climate conference was getting underway, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a long-overdue update of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. Originally established in 2005 and then greatly expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the RFS mandates increasing use of ethanol, biodiesel and other biofuels in America's cars and trucks. Two things were notable. For the first time, EPA set the overall mandate at levels significantly lower than targets Congress called for in 2007. Second, raising the hackles of the biofuel lobby, the Obama administration omitted the RFS...