A U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire in southwest Syria was holding several hours after it took effect according to Reuters, the latest international attempt to restore peace in the six-year Syrian war. The truce, which took effect on Sunday at noon extends to Syrian government forces and rebel groups in the provinces of Deraa, Quneitra, and Sweida.

The US message was clear enough: “North Korea’s actions are a threat to our allies, partners and homeland,” Gen. Terrence O’ Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, said in a statement. “Let me be clear, if called upon we are trained, equipped and ready to unleash the full lethal capability of our allied air forces.”

Violent protests continued in Hamburg for the second day as the G20 summit kicked off in the city. According to local press, at least 159 police officers have been wounded in clashes. For the second day, police had to resort to water cannon to disperse protesters while dozens of were set on fire in the suburb of Altona, where stores were vandalized and banks were burned.

A day after a Russian fighter allegedly flew within 5 feet of a US reconnaissance plane traveling over the Baltic Sea, Reuters reports that a NATO F-16 fighter jet returned the favor when it tried to improperly approach a plane carrying the Russian defense minister, prompting a near intervention from a Russian Su-27.

Every day brings another scary headline from the Middle East — which makes it easy to treat them as background noise rather than a clear and present danger. But the latest batch is reminiscent of the Balkans circa 1914, which means it may be time to tune back in.

As Venezuela’s oil industry goes down in flames, it’s looking like it may just take Cuba down with it.

At the end of the minute, Australian fans loudly booed the Saudi team as they ignored the show of respect from the other team.

“What I saw: injured pedestrians, first responders, armed police, people running north. What I heard of: stabbings, injured”

In what has been dubbed a “watershed moment” Angela Merkel speaking at a rally in Bavaria, said that Europe “must take its fate into its own hands” as it can no longer rely on the US and UK. “The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I’ve experienced that in the last few days.”

“At the moment we are in the face of an escalating threat, the numbers are going up, I am worried about how the numbers will continue to grow when people go to work and turn their machines on Monday morning,” warned Europol Executive Director Rob Wainwright

Venezuela, a country with only $10 billion left in reserves to run on, is in trouble. As the currency hyperinflates to new record lows against the dollar…

“Saudi discrimination against women is gross and systematic in law and in practice. Every Saudi woman must have a male guardian who makes all critical decisions on her behalf, controlling a woman’s life from her birth until death. Saudi Arabia bans women from driving cars,” he continued. “Why did the UN choose the world’s leading promoter of gender inequality to sit on its gender equality commission?”

“All I have is hunger – I don’t care if the people protest or not… With what strength will I protest if my stomach is empty since yesterday?”

Soon after a month-long hiatus from publication, the central bank said late on Friday the total amount of local currency in circulation, M2, as of March 24 was 13.3 trillion bolivars, up 202.9% from a year earlier.

While NATO-Russia headlines have been all doom and gloom recently, there are some signs the situation may take a turn for the better.

One day after the US announced it had dispatched the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group in the contested South Chine Sea on “routine” patrols, China responded in a statement by the foreign ministry, Beijing said on Tuesday that it opposed action by other countries “under the pretext of freedom of navigation” that could “threaten and damage” its sovereignty, a clear reference to US patrols in territory that China considers its own.

Iran has removed a powerful missile from a launchpad east of Tehran within the past few days, Fox News reported, amid rising diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Iran, as the two nations continued trading public barbs about the Islamic Republic’s missile tests.

On Friday US officials announced they had moved a Navy destroyer, the USS Cole, off the coast of Yemen to protect waterways from Houthi militia aligned with Iran, according to Reuters, citing heightened tension between Washington and Tehran.