United States

And just like that the narrative of Russia hacking the presidential election has escalated to the highest possible level, and has officially jumped the shark.

President Bashar al-Assad has accused the US of sponsoring terrorist groups in Syria by labeling them ‘moderate opposition’. In an interview with the Russian TV channels, Russia 24 and NTV, the Syrian Presided said the United States tried to promote the idea of so-called moderate opposition in Syria.

The Council on Foreign Relations yesterday released its annual Preventive Priorities Survey, which evaluates ongoing and potential conflict flashpoints based on their likelihood of occurring in the coming year and their impact on U.S. interests.

A NATO-Russia confrontation has been deemed a top risk by by the CFR survey, conducted by foreign policy experts. This placed it alongside the risk of a nuclear crisis with North Korea, a highly disruptive cyberattack, and a severe terrorist attack on the US among the events with the highest impact on the US.

In what some have seen as the first warning shot of retaliation against Trump's threats of protectionism and part of China's escalating trade war involving the auto industry, overnight China Daily reported quoting a senior state planning official that Beijing will soon slap a penalty on an "unnamed U.S. automaker for monopolistic behavior."

The U.S. government has granted law enforcement agencies the power to forcibly microchip disabled people against their will.  According to a recently passed bill, the reality of a microchip populace is closer than ever before. Last week, the House passed HR 4919, allowing authorities to chip people with “forms of dementia or children with developmental disabilities”.