In accordance with a law passed last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia has officially declared nine US-backed media outlets to be foreign agents, according to the BBC.
Following the launch of the "largest ever" US-South Korean aerial military drills, and Pyongyang's latest, most impressive, missile test, the Russian foreign ministry issued a warning that "the situation on the Korean Peninsula is on the brink of war," adding that "Kim seeks to raise the stakes before any talks."
Walking Into Armageddon
Paul Craig Roberts
Dear Readers: It is December and time for my quarterly call for your support of your site. I do this site for you. I have no ego reasons for the website. In fact, it uses up my retirement years when I could otherwise relax.
After warning that he could officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital by the end of the week - an announcement that drew vociferous objections from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, who both warned that such a declaration would irreparably damage US ties with the Muslim world - Palestinian sources are reporting that President Donald Trump told Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas that the US intends to eventually move its embassy to Jerusalem - a contested city that is claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The US trade balance surprisingly blew out in October, increasing from $44.9 billion to $48.7 billion, as unexpectedly exports decreased and imports increased despite the ongoing dollar weakness, missing estimates of $47.5 billion. October's number was tied for the widest deficit going back to early 2012...
... and marks a stark divergence with the recent dollar weakness which would suggest an improvement in US trade data.