Section: US & Canada
The Santa Rally Continues
Last week’s wild ride saw oil prices hit five and a half year lows for oil prices and a five year record for weekly gain on the TSX. This week might just be quieter (although let’s not make any bets), with markets in North America and Europe closed for Christmas and Boxing Day, and more closures next week for New Years. The Day Ahead...
Obama: Putin hasn’t ‘rolled me,’ economic sanctions on Russia have worked
President Obama doesn’t believe that he’s been “rolled” by Vladimir Putin, rejecting the idea that the Russian president has outmaneuvered the U.S. in a geopolitical chess match. In an interview with CNN, the president said economic sanctions on Moscow are working, crediting the American-led effort with a downturn in...
Russian minister talks up the ruble
MOSCOW (AP) — A senior Russian minister says he’s expecting the ruble to extend its recent gains and said the government is not planning to introduce currency controls on Russian companies. Igor Shuvalov, the deputy prime minister overseeing the economy, said in comments to Russian news agencies on Monday that the government “opposes”...
Belarus enjoys bonanza amid Russia-West tensions
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, there’s one country that’s reaping rewards — Belarus, whose authoritarian leader was once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by the United States and the European Union. President Alexander Lukashenko is relishing his new role as broker of the Ukraine...
Canada faces new Cold War in Europe and hot war against ISIL in Iraq in 2015
OTTAWA – It could very well be that 2014 is remembered as the year when Canada traded one shadow war for possibly two others.The flag was barely folded and put away in Kabul, marking a formal end to more than 12 years of counter-insurgency war against the ghostly Taliban, before CF-18s were dispatched to begin pounding extremist targets in...
Belarus enjoys bonanza amid Russia-West tensions
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — As relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated, there’s one country that’s reaping rewards — Belarus, whose authoritarian leader was once dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by the United States and the European Union. President Alexander Lukashenko is relishing his new role as broker of...
Nazarbaev Ready To ‘Mediate’ In Ukraine
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has stated he is ready to act as an “honest mediator” to help resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
How The US’s Syria Policy Stalled Under The ‘Analyst In Chief’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Throughout 2012, as signs mounted that militants in Syria were growing stronger, the debate in the White Housefollowed a pattern. In meeting after meeting, as officials from agencies outside the executive residence advocated arming pro-Western rebels or other forms of action, President Barack Obama’s closest...
Belarus President Offers Support to Ukraine
Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Kyiv Sunday to offer his support as Ukraine struggles with its pro-Russian separatist insurgency and to try to revive stalled peace talks. At a meeting, Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko told Lukashenko, “I would like to especially thank you for an absolutely clear position...
Coming winter is a weapon of war in east Ukraine
Ukraine says worsening humanitarian crisis will turn civilians against rebels in the east. …read more Source: USA...
