2020-07-28: News Headlines

_____ (2020-07-28). Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, the U.S. War Machine Presses On. strategic-culture.org Jeff MACKLER | That Russia paid the Taliban financial bounties to kill 18 U.S. and "coalition" soldiers in Afghanistan is in dispute to say the least. Both Democrats and Republicans cite various and conflicting official U.S. intelligence agencies on the veracity of this latest New Cold War episode. The July 9 New York Times reported, "The C.I.A. — as well as analysts at the National Counterterrorism Center — expressed medium or moderate confidence in that conclusion. The National Security Agency, which puts greater stock in surveillance intercepts, was more skeptical, officials have said." | As with t…

Thierry Meyssan (2020-07-28). Jean Castex's first three errors. thealtworld.com

| Without a doubt, Jean Castex is a brilliant senior civil servant. But that does not make him the right man to become Prime Minister of France. He has not thought about how to restore the social pact in the face of financial globalisation and is satisfied with measures to buy social peace in the short term. As soon as he was appointed, he showed that he did not want to reform the political class, that he was content to fight the pandemic by doing as others did, and that he supported the Maastrichian project conceived during the Cold War. | The French administration works very well on its own. In this s…

_____ (2020-07-28). US — China Conflict Puts Allies In Crossfire. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is calling for "an alliance of democracies" to confront China. It amounts to a new Cold War in which nations are being forced to side either with Washington or Beijing. | It's a classic tyrannical power-play by Washington. Such polarized demarcation of the planet as designated by Washington is impossible in a global economy which is highly integrated, from consumer and financial markets to supply chains. | A news report this week once again underscores how even the American military is reliant on China for supplies of rare earth metals used in its weapon systems. | Indeed, the en…

yenisafak (2020-07-28). Nukes guarantee N. Korea's safety, future: Kim Jong-un. yenisafak.com North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's nuclear capabilities will permanently guarantee its "national security and future," according to media reports on Tuesday.His remarks came at an event in the capital Pyongyang on Monday night to mark the 67th anniversary of the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.They were a clear signal that North Korea has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons and views them as an essential means of deterrence."Thanks to our reliable and effective self-defense war deterrence, there will no longer be war on this land and our na…

_____ (2020-07-28). Iran's Future Will Be Prosperous: A 150-Year Fight for Sovereignty From Oil to Nuclear Energy. strategic-culture.org This is Part 3 of the series "Follow the Trail of Blood and Oil".

RT (2020-07-27). US police are wearing imaginary CGI armor to appease Putin, suggests acclaimed Russiagate huckster. rt.com Commentary on Donald Trump's decision to send federal police to riot-stricken cities has taken a creative turn: according to a celebrated Russiagate disciple, Putin has "ordered" US cops to wear cyberpunk armor that doesn't exist. | Cheri Jacobus, a popular #NeverTrump Twitter pundit and Russian collusion peddler, has joined the growing chorus of outrage over the use of federal law enforcement to help maintain order in Portland, Oregon, which has seen two months of increasingly violent demonstrations. | While most critics have focused on allegations that federal officers are too militarized and use excessive f…

RT (2020-07-27). Internet searches for Tanzania increase by 65 TIMES after Russian govt announces flights will soon begin. rt.com Russian interest in the African nation of Tanzania has soared after Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova named it as one of three countries to resume flights with Russia from August 1. | According to Yandex, the most popular Russian search engine, the number of people searching for the tropical East African country shot through the roof. | "On Friday, July 24, interest in Tanzania on Yandex Search soared," Yandex said. "The number of requests about the country increased 65 times, compared to Thursday." | Yandex users were most interested in Tanzania's location, how the country looks, flight times, reviews fr…

RT (2020-07-27). American pilots can't get enough of the Black Sea! Russian jet intercepts US spy plane for 3rd time in less than a week (VIDEO). rt.com Everyone knows the Black Sea is an attractive place in summer, but this year American pilots seem especially drawn to its shores. For the third time since Thursday, Russia's Air Force has intercepted a US spy plane in the area. | A Russian Su-27 jet was scrambled to escort an American – -8–ê Poseidon surveillance aircraft above the Black Sea after it was spotted once again scanning Russia's southern borders, some 8,000 kilometers away from home. | The radar picked up "an aerial target" approaching the border over the neutral waters on Monday, Russia's Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

RT (2020-07-27). Russian reporter whose arm was broken by cop at St Petersburg polling station fined $35 for disobedience. rt.com A Russian reporter has been fined for not following the instruction of a police officer who broke his arm at a polling station, during last month's vote on far-reaching amendments to Russia's constitution. | David Frenkel, a correspondent for the alternative media outlet Mediazona, was fined 2,500 rubles ($35) by Saint Petersburg's Dzerzhinsky District Court, for a combination of interfering with the work of the election commission and for not obeying the command of a law enforcement officer. | On June 30, Frenkel was restrained by a policeman and an election observer during the country's plebiscite on propose…

_____ (2020-07-27). With Cold War Language, Pompeo Defines Plan For 'Totalitarian' China. popularresistance.org In a major foreign policy speech on U.S.-China relations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cast ratcheted-up tensions with Beijing in Cold War terms, announcing that Washington would seek to change Beijing's behavior and stopping just short of calling for regime change. | He described Beijing — and Chinese President Xi Jinping — as a generational threat to "free democracies around the world," a totalitarian and hegemonic regime that must not be treated like a normal nation. Riffing on President Ronald Reagan's famous "trust but verify" dictum about the Soviet Union, he said that when it comes to Beijing…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-27). Militarizing Space: US Plans What Russia and Most Other Countries Oppose. globalresearch.ca Longstanding US plans call for waging wars from space. | In 1985, the US Space Command (USSPACECOM) was created. | In December 2018, Trump ordered it be made a unified combatant command for war under the US Strategic Command, saying: | "Pursuant to …

Karl Grossman (2020-07-27). Ohio nuclear scandal 2020. nationofchange.org The U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI last week charged the speaker of the Ohio House of Representative and four others in a scheme to use ratepayers money to keep two decrepit nuclear power plants operating.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-07-27). Yankee McYeehaw: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com Hi I'm Yankee McYeehaw. My government assistance during the pandemic consists of $1200 and a dick pic while congress passes a $740 billion annual military budget and trillions are funneled to giant corporations, so obviously I'm very very angry at Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. | ~ | Opposing the most destructive behaviors of the most powerful government on earth should not be an unusual and controversial position. | ~ | Arguments for western interventionism always remind me of the beginning of Edward Scissorhands when he's trying to move around the suburban house and make things right but he keeps destroying eve…

yenisafak (2020-07-27). Russia says it thwarted planned mass shooting attack in Moscow. yenisafak.com Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday it had thwarted a planned militant attack in Moscow and shot dead an unnamed man it said was plotting a mass shooting in a crowded public place.State TV channel Rossiya 24 showed a picture of the man, who the FSB said was from a Central Asian country, lying face down dead on the ground with a Kalashnikov assault rifle he had apparently been using nearby.The FSB said he had opened fire on them when they had tried to arrest him on the outskirts of Moscow and that they had shot him dead.State TV showed a sports bag nearby containing three hand grenades.The FSB s…

yenisafak (2020-07-27). Germany rejects US proposal for Russia's return to G7. yenisafak.com Germany on Monday opposed Russia's return to the G7 group of nations, amid US President Donald Trump's proposal to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the group's next summit.German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas underlined that Russia's readmission to the group would not be possible if Moscow remains reluctant to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine."The reason behind Russia's suspension was the annexation of Crimea and its intervention in eastern Ukraine. As long as we don't have a solution here, I don't see a chance for this," Maas said in an interview with German daily General Anzeiger.Trump has repeat…

RT (2020-07-26). CCTV captures moment kidnapped man leaps out of trunk of SPEEDING car on Moscow highway. rt.com He had two choices: Put his life at the mercy of thugs or risk it to escape from their grasp. According to Russian TV, a Moscow man, who was kidnapped, chose the latter by jumping out of a car as it sped down a busy city highway.

RT (2020-07-26). UFC icon Fabricio Werdum proposes rematch with 'best of all time' Fedor Emelianenko following Fight Island win (VIDEO). rt.com Fabricio Werdum scored a shock for the ages when he submitted the legendary Fedor Emelianeko a decade ago and now 'Vai Cavalo' has offered the fighter he describes as the 'best of all time' a second bite at the cherry. | Brazilian heavyweight Werdum handed Fedor his first legitimate defeat in mixed martial arts competition some 33 fights after his first, submitting the Russian former PRIDE champion 69 seconds into the first round in an event under the Strikeforce banner. | It was one of the more monumental upsets in recent MMA history as the Russian sambo expert was forced to admit defeat to Werdum's triangle…

RT (2020-07-26). Russia's Zircon hypersonic missile 'proves its unique qualities' as naval tests near completion — Defense Ministry. rt.com The tests of Russia's ship-based Zircon missile — one of several hypersonic weapons introduced by the country's military — are successfully nearing completion, the Defense Ministry has said. | The recent dry runs, which were performed from aboard the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, have "confirmed the unique tactical and technical characteristics of this missile, as well as its ability to travel at hypersonic speeds," the MoD said in a statement. | The Zircon will be able to reach speeds of up to Mach 9, nine times faster than the speed of sound. It will have an operational range of 1,000km, capable of h…

South Front (2020-07-26). Video: NATO 2020: A Coalition of the Unwilling. globalresearch.ca The problem with alliances is that they ultimately either become victims of their own success, or cannot figure out what to do with themselves once the original rationale disappears. The original Cold War-era NATO was a relatively cohesive entity led …

Robert J. Burrowes (2020-07-26). The Global Elite's Coup Against Humanity. Fear and "Submissive Obedience" globalresearch.ca Any serious study of the relevant scholarly literature reveals at least four possible paths to "human extinction": nuclear war, the climate catastrophe, the deployment of 5G and biodiversity collapse. | Moreover, as I have documented previously, under cover of a virus …

R. A. Jones (2020-07-26). "The Russia Did It" Coverup. The Russian and Chinese Vaccines. globalresearch.ca The sheer magnitude of what is supposed to be news from so-called "prestigious" outlets—whether the New York Times, Washington Post, or even Reuters—or the lack thereof falling short of nothing but pure apolitical blasphemy of Russian conspiracies menacing the United …

Elijah Magnier (2020-07-26). Iran-Russia-China: a strategic alliance is born while the US loses ground and allies. thealtworld.com In 2005 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began "

Abdul Rahman (2020-07-26). Iran faces twin challenges of COVID-19 and American sanctions. peoplesdispatch.org The worst hit country in West Asia, Iran has had a tough time coping with the pandemic amid US sanctions. It has resorted to strengthening links with countries such as Russia and China towards this end…

_____ (2020-07-26). Anti-China Hysteria Drives Record 2021 US Defense Spending. popularresistance.org Anti-China hysteria has emerged as the central 'threat' designed to justify endless U.S. military spending and adventurism in the Asia-Pacific. | The 2021 Department of Defense spending bill has become contested terrain for a progressive wing of Democrats seeking to curtail endless military spending and a Republican-led bipartisan coalition focused on increasing spending to "stay competitive" with ostensible threats from Russia and China. | On July 21, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with an increase in stipulated defense spending from 2020's $658 bi…

_____ (2020-07-26). Transparency International Silent On Jailed Transparency Journalist Assange. popularresistance.org Berlin, Germany – On a cool July day, the Berlin neighborhood where Transparency International's global headquarters is situated feels a thousand miles away from London's Belmarsh Prison. But it is not just the pleasant setting a few blocks from the Spree River that makes the influential NGO seem so detached from the maximum security penitentiary's most famous inmate, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. | Transparency International has been vocal in defending jailed opposition activists in states like Zimbabwe, Russia, and Venezuela.

yenisafak (2020-07-26). Putin says Russian Navy to get hypersonic nuclear strike weapons. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday the Russian Navy would be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones, which the defence ministry said were in their final phase of testing.Putin, who says he does not want an arms race, has often spoken of a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons that he says are unequalled and can hit almost anywhere in the world. Some Western experts have questioned how advanced they are.The weapons, some of which have yet to be deployed, include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon)…

yenisafak (2020-07-26). Russia reports 5,765 new coronavirus cases in past 24 hours. yenisafak.com Russia on Sunday reported 5,765 new coronavirus cases and 77 more deaths, a steep decline from the 146 deaths reported a day earlier.The nationwide tally of infections has risen to 812,485, Russia's coronavirus crisis response centre said. The COVID-19 death toll now stands at 13,269 and 600,250 people have recovered.

yenisafak (2020-07-26). Civilian killed in Syria's Idlib by regime forces. yenisafak.com At least one civilian was killed in a mortar attack by Assad regime forces in the de-escalation zone in Idlib, northwestern Syria, a civil defense group said Sunday.Two others were also injured in the attacks targeting Ein Laruz village, the White Helmets said.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.The area, lying along Turkey's southern border, has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies.The influx of displaced civilians has increased its population to about four million in…

sputniknews (2020-07-26). Militants Continue Shelling Settlements in Syria's North, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled settlements in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, the head of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation, Alexander Shcherbitsky, said at a daily briefing on Sunday.

sputniknews (2020-07-26). US Reportedly Ramping Up Pressure on European Contractors to Stop Nord Stream 2. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United States has stepped up pressure on European contractors in order to make them abandon the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, Die Welt reported, citing informed sources.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-26). Iran to continue peaceful nuclear program: Deputy FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 27 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said that Iran will continue its peaceful nuclear program in accordance with IAEA regulations.

Aaron Maté (2020-07-25). UK 'Russia report' fear-mongers about meddling yet finds no evidence. thegrayzone.com A long-awaited UK report finds no evidence of Russian meddling, but that hasn't stopped the fear-mongering. The report claims the…

RT (2020-07-25). US plans to build nuclear reactors for the MOON & MARS to host 'sustainable human presence'. rt.com The US is planning to construct nuclear reactors for use on the Moon and on Mars that would allow humans to inhabit them for long periods of time — and it's asking for help from the private sector to do it.

RT (2020-07-25). 'Pathetic': Tory MP Lord Balfe slams Russia Report, says Brexit was down to 'basic xenophobia' of voters. rt.com The controversial 'Russia Report', which accused Moscow of meddling in Britain's Brexit referendum and last year's general election, is just "pathetic," Conservative peer Lord Balfe MP has told RT. | Speaking to RT's Going Underground on Saturday, Lord Balfe told host Afshin Rattansi that accusations the Kremlin was controlling domestic affairs in Britain were "rather pathetic, frankly," and noted it wasn't unusual for some members of Parliament to have business connections to Russia. | "Full marks for the Russian government" if they were somehow behind Brexit, he joked. "I don't think it had much to do with a…

RT (2020-07-25). Wishful thinking? Russia will NOT see a second wave of coronavirus, says Ministry of Health. rt.com While the world fears a second wave of Covid-19, Russia does not expect a significant increase in the number of infections in the autumn, according to the Ministry of Health's chief infectious disease specialist. | Vladimir Chulanov explained that the ministry does not "expect a significant rise," but warned that conditions will be created for the spread of airborne infections when students return to schools and universities, and when workers go back into the office after months of working from home. | "It's more accurate to speak not about a second wave, but about a possible rise in infections during the peri…

RT (2020-07-25). Cup upset: Zenit St. Petersburg BREAK Russian Cup trophy as they celebrate on the pitch after doing first double in decade (VIDEO). rt.com Russian Premier League champions Zenit sealed the domestic double with a late win over underdogs Khimki in the Russian Cup Final on Saturday, only to drop the trophy within minutes of receiving it at the Ekaterinburg Arena. | Three weeks after wildly celebrating by dousing each other in champagne in their locker room after winning the Russian Premier League, Zenit tasted glory again with a late win over newly-promoted Khimki that sealed their first league and cup triumph in a season since 2010. | Players and staff including matchwinner and Russia captain Artem Dzyuba leapt on a podium under swirls of confetti…

RT (2020-07-25). Patriarch Kirill gives senior nun his 'blessing' to sell off her luxury $135,000 Mercedes-Benz. rt.com The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has ordered a prominent prioress to part with her black Mercedes-Benz, reminding clerics that they should refrain from driving luxurious cars and instead use donations for charitable work. | Patriarch Kirill has "blessed" Mother Superior Feofaniya, the head of the Pokrovsky Monastery in Moscow, to sell off the S-Class Mercedes that she owns, Vladimir Legoyda, the Church's spokesman, wrote on Telegram. | Money that is donated to the monastery must only be used for social and charitable activities, Patriarch Kirill clarified, according to the spokesman. | Legoyda noted tha…

RT (2020-07-25). 'I will be pound-for-pound no. 1': Russian-born Khamzat Chimaev talks title ambitions as he eyes UFC history on Fight Island. rt.com Chechen-born UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev has said he's eyeing number one pound-for-pound status within two years as he prepares for the chance to make history with his second fight in the space of 10 days on Fight Island. | Chimaev announced himself to the UFC octagon in impressive fashion earlier this month, submitting British fighter John Phillips in the second round of their middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night 172 to extend his unbeaten record to seven contests. | Not content with that, the Sweden-based Chimaev agreed to take a second bout on Yas Island, against Belfast fighter Rhys McKee, with just a 10-d…

RT (2020-07-25). Patriarch Kirill gives top prioress his 'blessing' to sell off her posh Mercedes-Benz. rt.com The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has ordered a prominent prioress to part with her black Mercedes-Benz, reminding clerics that they should refrain from driving luxurious cars and instead use donations for charitable work. | Patriarch Kirill has "blessed" Mother Superior Feofaniya, the head of the Pokrovsky Monastery in Moscow, to sell off the S-Class Mercedes that she owns, Vladimir Legoyda, the Church's spokesman, wrote on Telegram. | Money that is donated to the monastery must only be used for social and charitable activities, Patriarch Kirill clarified, according to the spokesman. | Legoyda noted tha…

Judith Deutsch (2020-07-25). Nuclear Weapons and Extreme Threats. A Tale of Two Men Handling Emergency. globalresearch.ca One man reacted to emergency and the other one didn't. The two men are

_____ (2020-07-25). Is The United States A Failing State? A Failed State? popularresistance.org To ask whether the United States, the world's dominant military power, is 'a failing state' should cause worldwide anxiety. Such a state, analogous to a wounded animal, is a global menace of unprecedented proportions in the nuclear age. Its political leadership is exhibiting a reckless tendency of combining incompetence with extremism. It is also crucial to ascertain at what point a failing state should be written off as 'a failed state' for which there is no longer a clear path to redemption. The November elections in the United States will send a strong signal as to whether the United States is failing or has f…

yenisafak (2020-07-25). Thousands protest against Kremlin in Russian far east for third weekend. yenisafak.com Thousands of people marched in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday for the third weekend in a row, protesting at President Vladimir Putin's handling of a regional political crisis that has sparked demonstrations.Residents of Khabarovsk, around 3,800 miles (6,110 km) and seven time zones east of Moscow, are unhappy about the July 9 detention of the wider region's popular regional governor, Sergei Furgal, who was arrested on murder charges he denies.His detention, which his supporters say was politically motivated, has triggered more than two weeks of street protests, creating a headache for the…

sputniknews (2020-07-25). 'Cool War': Chinese-US Relations Haven't Sunk to Soviet-American Level of Tensions Yet, Analysts Say. sputniknews.com The Houston-Chengdu consulate closure spat between Beijing and Washington is the latest front in a conflict ranging from trade and technology transfer, to the handling of the coronavirus crisis, and geopolitical and geoeconomic conflicts stretching from Asia and the Pacific to Africa, Europe and Latin America.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-25). Tehran, Moscow confer on regional, Afghanistan affairs. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 25 (MNA) — In a meeting between the special envoy of the Russian President for Afghanistan affairs Zamir Kabulov and Iran's ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali the two sides discussed regional and Afghanistan affairs.

The Canary (2020-07-25). UN weather agency warns of 'global repercussions' amid Arctic heatwave. thecanary.co The UN weather agency warned that average temperatures in Siberia were 10C (18F) above average last month. It's a spate of exceptional heat that has fanned devastating fires in the Arctic Circle and contributed to a rapid depletion in ice sea off Russia's Arctic coast. | World Meteorological Organisation secretary-general Petteri Taalas said in a statement: The Arctic is heating more than twice as fast as the global average, impacting local populations and ecosystems and with global repercussions | He noted that Earth's poles influence weather conditions far away, where hundreds of millions of people live. | We've…

Johanna Ross (2020-07-25). Why the "Russia Report" tells us more about Britain's BREXIT than anything else. globalresearch.ca The long-awaited UK 'Russia Report', whose publication was delayed by 10 months by Boris Johnson, was finally released this week by the Westminster Intelligence and Security Committee, much to the excitement of those keen to demonstrate alleged 'Russian interference' in …

RT (2020-07-24). 'Diversionary tactics': Moscow dismisses US & UK's 'propagandistic' claims it tested new space weapon. rt.com Russia's Foreign Ministry has slapped down American and British claims that Moscow has been testing a new anti-satellite weapon. It says the pair are simply trying to distract attention from their own attempts to weaponize space. | US Space Force Command Chief General John W. Raymond claimed on Thursday that Moscow had conducted a "non-destructive test of a space-based anti-satellite weapon," and that Russian "aggression" in space justified the establishment of the US' new space agency. He was promptly backed up in his claims by British officials. | In a statement on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said t…

RT (2020-07-24). Light at the end of coronavirus tunnel? Human trials of second Russian Covid-19 vaccine to start on Monday. rt.com A team of researchers in Siberia's largest city have been granted a permit by the Russian health ministry to conduct a clinical trial of their potential coronavirus vaccine. The first volunteers will be inoculated on July 27. | Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's health watchdog, said the Novosibirsk-based Vektor State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology was given the green light on Friday. The authority's chief Anna Popova announced that her monitors were satisfied with the results of the first stage of development. | Earlier, the Ministry of Defense announced the successful completion of clinical trials of a…

RT (2020-07-24). 'I can't fight my Muslim brothers': Russian MMA fighter cites religion as he gives up title. rt.com Russian MMA fighter Rinat Fakhredtinov has refused to defend his Gorilla Fighting Championship belt, explaining that he cannot face 'Muslim brothers' in the cage. | The promotion confirmed middleweight Fakhredtinov's stance, adding that they had received an exhaustive explanation regarding his motives. | "I don't fight against my brothers due to my religious beliefs. Now the…

Last Process: 50 Citations: 2020-07-29 03:02 GMT (23:02 EST)