Monthly Archives: July 2020

2020-07-23: News Headlines

Black Alliance for Peace (2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….

William Boardman (2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …

DLI (2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…

Marilyn Bechtel (2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …

_____ (2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…

_____ (2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…

_____ (2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…

_____ (2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…

RT (2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.

Dave Lindorff (2020-07-23). Defending the US Against Looming Presidential Dictatorship. counterpunch.org At least Vladimir Putin is gaining his dictatorial powers democratically. He got elected by a solid majority of Russians, and then he went to the Russian Duma and asked for a constitutional change to allow him to continue to be elected through 2030. Here in the US, we have created a presidential dictatorship through sleight

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."

Eds. (2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.

Editor (2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |

RT (2020-07-23). US Space Force accuses Russia of testing 'weapon-like' anti-satellite device in orbit. rt.com The Pentagon has accused Moscow of testing a new space weapon, insisting that such "aggression" validates the importance of the US's Space Force. In reality, however, Russia merely used a scanning device on its own satellite. | The latest Cold War-style 'Russians are coming' scare was

RT (2020-07-23). Labour letter calling to revoke RT's license is 'devastating' proof of UK war on free press — Afshin Rattansi. rt.com A letter from a high-ranking Labour MP demanding regulators carry out an "urgent" review of RT's media license amounts to political interference and further proves an ongoing assault on the free media, said RT's Afshin Rattansi. | The letter, sent Wednesday by Labour's Shadow Media Secretary Jo Stevens MP to the regulator Ofcom, called for an immediate review of RT's license and a meeting with the agency's head, Dame Melanie Dawes. As justification, Stevens cited Tuesday's parliamentary report on alleged 'Russian influence' in UK politics, even though it offered little to no evidence for any such meddling. | A…

The Canary (2020-07-23). Brandon Lewis tries to defend Russia-linked Tory donations. thecanary.co A Cabinet minister has defended accepting donations from wealthy individuals with links to Russia and president Vladimir Putin, insisting the benefactors are "British citizens".It comes after the Times reported that 14 Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which published its long-awaited report into Russian interference in British democracy this week, had taken money from figures linked to Russia.The committee's report warned that unnamed Kremlin-linked figures had given money to UK political parties in a move that could see them deployed to "assist" Moscow.The…

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-23). Media Silent as Trump Declares Wars. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump's attacks on Venezuela, Syria and Iran are criminal, but Joe Biden vows to be even worse. | The corporate media in this country can endlessly repeat lies about Russia paying Taliban bounties, but ignore important information that is …

Kit Knightly (2020-07-23). The "Russia Report": Deep State Reinforcing Delusion to Spread Fear and Seize Power. globalresearch.ca The "Russia report" is an action plan for the intelligence agencies to hand MI5 direct control over the mechanisms of British democracy, and give the government legal power to control social media. | Nobody in the mainstream will tell you this. …

Richard Falk (2020-07-23). Is the United States a Failing State? A Failed State? globalresearch.ca 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 …

Max Elbaum (2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). Russian top diplomat meets UN General Assembly head. yenisafak.com A meeting between Russia's foreign minister and the UN General Assembly president began on Thursday in Moscow. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, said the purpose of the meet with Russia's Sergey Lavrov was to share and discuss plans of the UN General Assembly's future activities."The Russian Federation is one of the most important members of the United Nations Organization. Along with the fact that the Russian Federation is a member of the UN Security Council, it is also an important member that has its own weight and voice. In addition, Russia is a neighbor of the Republic…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). In disputed Kashmir, Pakistan accuses India of increased shelling. yenisafak.com Pakistan's military this week said there had been an escalation in firing and shelling across the de facto border that separates Pakistani and Indian-controlled Kashmir, at a time of heightened diplomatic tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, the commander of Pakistani troops in Kashmir, accused the Indian military of trying to distract attention from unrest in its part of Kashmir."If you compare it to the past years, there is a definite increase in this year," he told reporters on Wednesday near the so-called Line of Control (Loc), across which the two sides' militaries ha…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). The Wisconsin District of FRSO condemns the deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Last week, unmarked federal agents in military uniforms grabbed protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and threw them into unmarked black vans. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed responsibility for the shadowy operation, citing "graffiti" as their justification for snatching activists off the street and interrogating them. | Now, Milwaukee has been named by the Trump administration as one of the cities that would likely be targeted for deployment of Homeland Security Investigation agents. Some Milwaukee activists have reported spotting unidentified agents in military gear n…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-22). US Exports Russian Election Meddling Hoax to Britain. globalresearch.ca Britain is an appendage of US imperial policy, complicit in its high crimes of war and against humanity — the supreme crime against peace. | Both countries are also united in waging war by other means against sovereign independent countries free …

Joan Walsh (2020-07-22). Another Long Day of GOP Disrespect for Women. thenation.com Attacks on AOC, Liz Cheney, and Portland's "Wall of Moms" make it seem like Republicans don't care about women. Except Ghislaine Maxwell.

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Federal officers seen dragging protesters into unmarked vans in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – For weeks now, officers under the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security have been terrorizing the residents of Portland Oregon in new attempts to stamp out the protest movement that has been ongoing since the killing of George Floyd. These officers can be seen in various videos wearing nondescript camo fatigues with no markings indicating who they are or, or what agency they are working for. These same federal officers nearly killed a protester in Portland last week after shooting him in the head with a 'less-lethal' impact device. | In an intensification of an already overzeal…

Joshua Hanks (2020-07-22). Outrage over Trump attack: Portland movement fights back. workers.org Federal officers were deployed to "quell" Portland's protests beginning the weekend of July 10 and continuing the following week. Camouflaged unidentified agents arrested and detained demonstrators without even a pretext. The Trump administration has escalated the confrontation between the people and the state apparatus, bringing a whiff of fascism to . . . |

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-22). Portland: "Wall of Moms" mobilizes to protect protests from police violence. mronline.org Chanting, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!," groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Trump deploying 150 federal agents in Chicago to repress our movement. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | What we have watched in Portland is the dress rehearsal for what Trump is preparing for Chicago: an effort to squash the Black Lives Matter protests flowing from this uprising by violent military means. He claims he is targeting the cities controlled by Democrats because of the chaos caused by the largest rebellion in U.S. history. | In truth, broad democratic forces have come together to exercise their right to protest against police murder and violence. We've had signals this was…

sputniknews (2020-07-22). Over 100 US Lawmakers Ask Barr to Explain Unidentified Federal Officers in Portland. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US law enforcement chiefs need to explain the activities of unidentified federal personnel in Portland, Oregon, during the protests there, 114 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Wednesday.

RT (2020-07-22). 'We won't retreat': DHS chief defends 'proactive arrests' amid Portland riots, stokes Minority Report dystopia outcry (VIDEOS). rt.com The head of the Department of Homeland Security set off alarms after saying that federal agents were making 'proactive' arrests in Portland amid heated protests, drawing comparisons to the dystopian "pre-crime" of Minority Report. | Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on a Fox News segment on Tuesday night, discussing the ongoing protests and rioting across Portland, which he says have continued for "52 nights in a row" as federal officers there are stretched to the limit. | "Because we don't have that local law enforcement support, we are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals, and we need…

Staff (2020-07-22). Philadelphia DA Says Trump's Police Will Be Arrested If They Assault Protesters. truthout.org As President Donald Trump defends his questionable use of federal agents to arrest and detain protesters in Portland, Oregon, in recent weeks, suggesting also that such actions could happen in other places across the country, one district attorney of a city Trump said might be next said he'd take direct action against any federal officers that unlawfully detained individuals. | Trump appeared to cite partisan politics on Monday as part of the reason he felt the need to take action against c…

Mike Hastie (2020-07-22). Tear Gas, Beatings and Projectiles in Portland. counterpunch.org The last couple of nights I have been heavily involved in demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. ( July 18-19, 2020.) As most of you probably know these demonstrations have been going on in front of the Federal Justice Center for over 50 straight nights. Since Trump called in the Feds, the turmoil and violence has escalated. We

Ron Jacobs (2020-07-22). Trumpfen Sturmabteilung (Trump's Stormtroopers). counterpunch.org It is not hard to see the forces kidnapping individuals and teargassing Portland's streets as the Trump administration's private stormtroopers. Although they are operating under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the truth is it is the Executive Branch that issued their orders.

RT (2020-07-22). US 'late to the party' in the Arctic after 'aggressive' Russia & China, but will still 'succeed,' says Pompeo. rt.com Washington and its allies have been too slow to react to Russian and Chinese expansion in the Arctic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. Still, the US will "succeed" in entrenching there, he believes. | "I think we have all been a little bit naive to watch not only the Russians but the Chinese interest there continue to become more and more aggressive," Pompeo told Danish public broadcaster DR on Wednesday. | We are a little late. That's alright, I've been late to parties before and had a great time. We'll succeed. | Expanding into the Arctic has been on the US agenda for quite some time, with the goa…

RT (2020-07-22). Pangs of conscience or howl of an empty wallet? Steele claims he never meant for infamous Russiagate dossier to go public. rt.com Former British spy Christopher Steele insists he never wanted the notorious Trump dossier, which was central to the Russiagate investigation, to be made public. The belated pang of conscience emerged in response to a new lawsuit. | Steele would have done "whatever I could do to prevent" BuzzFeed from publishing the dossier, he told London's High Court in a written statement on Wednesday. | The document, which Steele compiled at the behest of the US opposition research firm Fusion GPS and Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016, was published in early January 2017, shortly before Donald Trump's inauguration. | The f…

RT (2020-07-22). Russian visa liberalization continues as MPs pass law to allow foreigners into the country WITHOUT paper visa. rt.com The Russian visa process is about to get a lot easier. Parliament has passed a long-awaited law allowing foreigners to visit the country for 16 days with an e-visa, beginning in 2021. | The new electronic visa allows the holder a single entry into the world's biggest country for the purposes of visiting someone, business, tourism, or participation in an event. Not everyone can come to Russia with an e-visa at present, though; citizens from countries including the US, United Kingdom and Canada are currently excluded. | Electronic visas have been part of the Russian migration system since 2017, allowing citizens…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-22). Stepped Up Trump Regime War on China by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Another day, more shoes dropped, escalating US war on China by other means, a scenario fraught with danger by pushing things toward a point of no return that risks belligerent confrontation. | Time and again, US charges against Russia, Iran, China, …

Tom Coburg (2020-07-22). There's more than a whiff of corruption hinted at in the ISC report on Russia. It stinks. thecanary.co The Russia

_____ (2020-07-22). The Russia Report — What this Whitewash really says. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: The main thrust of this whitewash of a report was this — and I quote — "the security services actively avoided looking for evidence." This long-awaited and hugely redacted report was, by any stretch of the imagination deplorable in every sense. If this is the best that the Intelligence and Security Commission of …

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-07-22). Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police. thenation.com Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police…

_____ (2020-07-22). Portland's Wall Of Moms Joined By Dads With Leaf Blowers. popularresistance.org In response to the use of tear gas being utilized by federal officers against demonstrators, including a group of moms, in an uprising in Portland, Oregon, this week, a like-minded dads' group encouraged others to show up to the event with leaf blowers in order to dissipate the chemical agents. | Uprisings in Portland have happened nightly since the end of May, in response to police violence against Black Americans, including renewed attention to Jason Washington, a Black resident of the city who was shot and killed by police in 2018. | Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as federal officers began appearing a…

yenisafak (2020-07-22). Russia and Turkey agree to push for Libya ceasefire, says Moscow. yenisafak.com Russia and Turkey have agreed to continue efforts to bring about a long-term and sustainable ceasefire in Libya, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.Russia, alongside Egypt and the UAE, backs eastern Libya commander Khalifa Haftar, whose fighters have been battling the forces of Libya's internationally recognised government, which is supported by Turkey.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-22). Iran-Russia coop. contract updated: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 22 (MNA) — Iranian FM Zarif on Wednesday informed that the long-term comprehensive and strategic contract between Iran and Russia has been updated.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-22). US turned into rogue country after abandoning JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 23 (MNA) — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the US has turned into a rogue country after abandoning Nuclear Deal.

Coalition for Police Accountabiity (2020-07-22). Reject the "Exigency Clause" Measure — No Martial Law in Oakland. indybay.org This letter was written by Cathy Leonard on behalf of CPA in response to the Police Union's addition to a Measure LL [Police Commission] clean-up measure which would allow the city administrator to declare a version of martial law. If Mayor Schaaf really opposes the Portlandization of Oakland, she needs to demand this addition be removed from any police accountability measure now.

ACLU Foundation of Oregon (2020-07-22). ACLU Sues Federal Agents Over "Unconstitutional Nightmare" in Portland. indybay.org Organization Seeks to Block Federal Law Enforcement Attacks on Journalists, Legal Observers in Portland…

_____ (2020-07-21). Portland: A Harbinger Of Things To Come? popularresistance.org Militarized federal agents deployed by the president to Portland, fired tear gas against protesters again overnight as the city's mayor demanded that the agents be removed and as the state's attorney general vowed to seek a restraining order against them. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP) | Masked men in unrecognizable police uniforms jump out of unmarked vans and grab an activist who has been involved in demonstrations against a repressive state. That person is disappeared. Is this Pinochet's Chile, apartheid South Africa or a scene from a John Clancy novel? | No, this is happening in Portland, Oregon, a major…

2020-07-22: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-22). US Exports Russian Election Meddling Hoax to Britain. globalresearch.ca Britain is an appendage of US imperial policy, complicit in its high crimes of war and against humanity — the supreme crime against peace. | Both countries are also united in waging war by other means against sovereign independent countries free …

RT (2020-07-22). Pangs of conscience or howl of an empty wallet? Steele claims he never meant for infamous Russiagate dossier to go public. rt.com Former British spy Christopher Steele insists he never wanted the notorious Trump dossier, which was central to the Russiagate investigation, to be made public. The belated pang of conscience emerged in response to a new lawsuit. | Steele would have done "whatever I could do to prevent" BuzzFeed from publishing the dossier, he told London's High Court in a written statement on Wednesday. | The document, which Steele compiled at the behest of the US opposition research firm Fusion GPS and Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016, was published in early January 2017, shortly before Donald Trump's inauguration. | The f…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-22). Stepped Up Trump Regime War on China by Other Means. globalresearch.ca Another day, more shoes dropped, escalating US war on China by other means, a scenario fraught with danger by pushing things toward a point of no return that risks belligerent confrontation. | Time and again, US charges against Russia, Iran, China, …

Tom Coburg (2020-07-22). There's more than a whiff of corruption hinted at in the ISC report on Russia. It stinks. thecanary.co The Russia

_____ (2020-07-22). The Russia Report — What this Whitewash really says. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: The main thrust of this whitewash of a report was this — and I quote — "the security services actively avoided looking for evidence." This long-awaited and hugely redacted report was, by any stretch of the imagination deplorable in every sense. If this is the best that the Intelligence and Security Commission of …

yenisafak (2020-07-22). Russia and Turkey agree to push for Libya ceasefire, says Moscow. yenisafak.com Russia and Turkey have agreed to continue efforts to bring about a long-term and sustainable ceasefire in Libya, Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.Russia, alongside Egypt and the UAE, backs eastern Libya commander Khalifa Haftar, whose fighters have been battling the forces of Libya's internationally recognised government, which is supported by Turkey.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-22). Iran-Russia coop. contract updated: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 22 (MNA) — Iranian FM Zarif on Wednesday informed that the long-term comprehensive and strategic contract between Iran and Russia has been updated.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-22). US turned into rogue country after abandoning JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 23 (MNA) — Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the US has turned into a rogue country after abandoning Nuclear Deal.

Patrick Cockburn (2020-07-21). The UK and US are Starting a New Cold War with Russia and China. zcomm.org What are These Governments Trying to Hide?>

Mike Whitney (2020-07-21). Vote Democrat… and Watch America Burn. globalresearch.ca "…This is the most dangerous time in the history of man. The seriousness of this plot cannot be underestimated. It is not due to any threat of conventional war or nuclear decimation, it is based on the fact that this …

RT (2020-07-21). Khabarovsk politicians quit nationalist party after Putin sends fellow LDPR member from Moscow to replace popular local governor. rt.com He might be one of their own, but new Khabarovsk governor Mikhail Degtyarev isn't local enough for two Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) members in the Far Eastern city. They've quit after President Putin sent him to their region. | The two regional government politicians, Petr Emelyanov and Alexander Kayan, opted to

RT (2020-07-21). US indicts two 'state-backed Chinese hackers' for stealing military secrets & coronavirus data. rt.com The US Justice Department has accused two "Chinese hackers" of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of trade secrets, including defense data and research related to the development of a vaccine against coronavirus. | The indictment was rolled out on Tuesday, accusing two Chinese nationals, identified as Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi, of waging a massive worldwide hacking campaign. The investigation into their alleged activities was triggered back in 2015, when they broke into a network belonging to the Hanford Site, a decommissioned nuclear complex in the state of Washington. | The US Justice Department…

Tom Coburg (2020-07-21). The real lesson from the Russia report is that interference in UK democracy is far closer to home. thecanary.co The long delayed However, it failed to examine a number of serious concerns, in particular donations by Russian or Putin-linked oligarchs. Also, the report's focus on Russian interference rather successfully distracts from interfere…

Germán Gorraiz López (2020-07-21). Towards a "New Cold War" in the Middle East: Geopolitics of the Persian Gulf and the Battle for Oil and Gas. globalresearch.ca The foundations of the great Near East were established in the Pact of Quincey (1945) following the doctrine of the Franco-British Sykes-Picot agreements of 1916 that favored the regional division of power in areas of influence and sustained on the …

_____ (2020-07-21). How Many Ways Can Israel Wage War On Iran Before The Media Reports It? popularresistance.org Israel just bombed Iran. And no one noticed. On July 2, 2020, two explosions erupted in Iran, and both seem to have been ignited by Israel. Neither explosion attracted much reporting, and what reporting there has been remains thin and confused. | The first report came out on the afternoon of July 3. The Jerusalem Post picked up a story from Kuwait's Al-Jarida, reporting that a fire had broken out at Iran's civilian Natanz nuclear enrichment site. The Kuwaiti report says that an unnamed senior source informed them that the fire was caused by an Israeli cyber attack. They suggest that Iran will need about two month…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). Russians seek to travel to Turkey despite restrictions. yenisafak.com Russians are trying to fly to Turkey for a holiday despite the ban on international flights imposed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.Crossing the border with Belarus through the forest or with a certificate of referral for treatment, the Russians then fly to Turkey.In April, after the introduction of a nationwide lockdown in Russia, experts of travel search company Aviasales noted a rise in requests for flights from Minsk — the largest international airport in Belarus — to Turkey.After checking the IP location, they found out that the majority of search queries were made by users from Russia.Since mid-May,…

yenisafak (2020-07-21). White House awards $75 million for new 'Quantum Leap' institutes. yenisafak.com The White House said Tuesday said it is awarding $75 million for new institutes at three U.S. universities to boost quantum information research.The new "Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes" will each receive $25 million and be housed at the University of Colorado, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of California, Berkeley. The Colorado institute will focus on quantum sensor research, while the Illinois center will focus on quantum architectures and networks and the California center will focus on quantum computing.Quantum computing aims to operate millions of times faster than today's advan…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-21). Iran-Russia relations growing exponentially: Lavrov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 21 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran-Russia relations are growing exponentially.

_____ (2020-07-20). The UK and U.S. Are Starting a New Cold War With Russia and China, So What Are These Governments Trying to Hide? strategic-culture.org Patrick COCKBURN | The new Cold War launched by the West against China and Russia is escalating by the day. In a single week, the Kremlin has been unmasked trying to discover the secrets of Britain's pursuit of a vaccine against coronavirus and revelations are promised about covert Russian interference in British politics. Boris Johnson made a U-turn on Huawei, announcing that it is to be kicked out of participation in the 5G network because it poses a threat to British security, though a curiously slow-burning one since they will only be evicted over seven years. | The US may put the widely-used Chinese video ap…

Kollibri terre Sonnenblume (2020-07-20). "How Trump Stole 2020‚Ä≥— An Interview With Greg Palast. counterpunch.org Voter suppression is simply class war by other means." —Greg Palast What do timber interests, nuclear power, and off-shore drilling have in common with voter-suppression in Georgia? Greg Palast lays it out, following the money and naming the names, in his new book, "How Trump Stole 2020: The hunt for America's Vanished Voters," which was

Lawrence Wittner (2020-07-20). Making America Feared Again: The Trump Administration Considers Resuming Nuclear Weapons Testing. dissidentvoice.org Americans who grew up with nightmares of nuclear weapons explosions should get ready for some terrifying flashbacks, for the Trump administration appears to be preparing to resume U.S. nuclear weapons tests. The U.S. government stopped its atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1962, shortly before signing the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963. And it …

RT (2020-07-20). 'Russian agent' or Steele's patsy? 'Revealed' identity of primary sub-source for Russiagate dossier sparks fresh speculation. rt.com In the latest twist in the 'Russiagate' saga, internet sleuths say they have figured out the identity of the source Christopher Steele used to embellish and fabricate what would become the notorious Trump-Russia dossier. | The identity of Steele's "primary sub-source" (PSS) has long been the subject of speculation, as the former British spy had no actual sources in Russia himself. The 59-page

RT (2020-07-20). US sanctions Chechen leader Kadyrov, his wife & daughters over 'gross human rights violations'. rt.com Washington has added the head of the Russian southern republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, to its sanctions blacklist, accusing him of "numerous" human rights violations. Restrictions were also imposed against his family. | The US State Department has banned Kadyrov from entering US territory, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a

Global Research News (2020-07-20). Selected Articles: The Trump Administration Considers Resuming Nuclear Weapons Testing. globalresearch.ca By An exiled Iranian opposition group

Tom Coburg (2020-07-20). These claims about Johnson and his cronies must not be excluded from the ISC's 'Russia report'. thecanary.co The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report on Russia was

Raul Diego (2020-07-20). Mike Pompeo Delineates Atlanticist Playbook To Target China, Russia and Iran. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a teleconference call at the Economic Club of New York, where he spoke to the choir about the next phase of American foreign policy.

Robert J. Burrowes (2020-07-20). Contemplating Human Extinction Terrifies Most People: A Strategy for Survival. dissidentvoice.org Any serious study of the relevant scholarly literature reveals at least four possible paths to imminent human extinction, that is, human extinction within five years: nuclear war, the climate catastrophe, the deployment of 5G, and biodiversity collapse. Moreover, as I have documented previously, under cover of the non-existent 'virus' labeled COVID-19, the global elite is …

_____ (2020-07-20). Why Our Analyses On Powell And Iraq Matter Today. popularresistance.org We are still living with the consequences of the Iraq War brought on, in part, by the testimony of Colin Powell before the UN. Iraq is still an unstable country. Extremist groups such as the Islamic State arose because of Iraq's instability. The invasion of Iraq is now universally seen in the U.S. as the nations' worst foreign policy blunder perhaps in history. To prevent another such crime of aggression, this needs to be repeatedly stated. | As Ray McGovern pointed out in his piece, the politicization of intelligence in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion manifested itself again in the Russiagate affair, when DNI J…

_____ (2020-07-20). Why Iraqis Hate The US Troops Who Occupy Their Country. popularresistance.org We invaded their land. We did it on the basis of Bush's lies that Bush had conclusive evidence that Saddam was six months from a nuclear weapon and had been behind the 9/11 attacks. He blatantly misrepresented the evidence that he did have. And instead of Bush, or any of his successors, apologizing for this — the destruction of Iraq (on the basis of lies) — there has been continued military occupation of Iraq, and forcing of its Government to do what our lying Government demands, such as privatizing the oil and paying international oil companies to exploit and market it — their oil. | The reason…

yenisafak (2020-07-20). Russia says military drill not against other countries. yenisafak.com Russia's surprise combat readiness check is not directed against other countries, the country's Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said on Monday.It is also not linked to the escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Fomin said at a meeting with the foreign military attaches in Moscow.Last Friday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announced a surprise combat readiness check in the country's armed forces, involving the troops of the southern and western military districts, separate formations of the central group, Airborne and Marines of the Northern and Pacific fleets.During the drill, the army tra…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-20). Iran, Russian FMs to meet in Moscow on Tuesday: spox. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 20 (MNA) — A spokesperson with the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-20). 1,044 centrifuges enriching uranium in Fordow: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 21 (MNA) – Spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said 1,044 centrifuges are enriching uranium in Fordow Nuclear Facility.

RT (2020-07-19). Britain's charges of hacking & meddling 'make no sense' but Russia is ready to turn the page & work with UK — ambassador. rt.com Russia has a deal to produce the British vaccine against Covid-19 and is eager to work with any party in power in the country, Andrey Kelin, Russian Ambassador to the UK, told the BBC, rebuffing fresh accusations by London. | "I don't believe in this story at all. There's no sense in it," Kelin said, in an

RT (2020-07-19). 'Attempt to spoil a peace deal': Taliban spokesman says 'Russian bounties' story is fake news. rt.com A Taliban official has dismissed as fake and a byproduct of US political infighting the sensational New York Times report claiming Russia had paid it to kill US troops in Afghanistan, in a segment on RT's show Going Underground. | The story — based on anonymous sources — was broken by the Times last month, and triggered a fresh wave of anti-Trump indignation in the media and on the left. President Donald Trump himself called the story a "phony hit job," while his own Defense Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff said they were unable to corroborate it. | "This Russian bounties, it is not true," Taliba…

RT (2020-07-19). US Navy's Tomahawk-armed warship sails to Black Sea for NATO drills off shores of Bulgaria. rt.com The USS Porter, an 8,900-ton Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, is on her way back to the Black Sea, the US Navy's 6th Fleet The annual naval drill, which kicks off several hundred miles away from Russia…

teleSUR (2020-07-19). Russia: Coronavirus Vaccine Could Be Distributed Next Month. telesurenglish.net Russia's Direct Investment Fund assured that the second group of 20 volunteers who were part of the clinical trials of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine feel "fine" and the drug could be rolled out to the public as soon as September. | RELATED: | Moscow's Sechenov University Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology director Vadim Tarasov confirmed that all the volunteers are save and are expected to be discharged…

Thea Paneth (2020-07-19). Reflection on the Upcoming 75th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. commondreams.org "It is fitting that the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reset the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight. This is an urgent warning," writes Thea Paneth. (Photo: ICAN) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ban_nuclear_weapons_0.jpeg

_____ (2020-07-19). The Human Cost Of Nuclear Tests. popularresistance.org July 16 – Seventy-five years ago today, the United States conducted the Trinity test, the world's first nuclear detonation. In the ensuing years, the U.S. ultimately conducted more than 1,000 nuclear tests, half of all known tests conducted by the world's nine nuclear nations since 1945. Now, on the 75th anniversary of the nuclear age, the United States is contemplating the resumption of live testing for the first time in nearly three decades. | A nuclear test, the Washington Post reported in May, could be used as leverage in negotiations with China and Russia. The news provoked widespread criticism, not only fro…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Blast at power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province. yenisafak.com An explosion occurred at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province on Sunday but there were no casualties, the official IRNA news agency reported.The blast was caused by the wear and tear of a transformer at the power plant in Islamabad, the managing director of the Isfahan power company told IRNA.There have been several explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities since late June.

WSWS (2020-07-18). US pushes fabricated claims of Russian hacking of virus research. wsws.org The United States is most nakedly pursuing a nationalistic course, aimed at enriching American oligarchs and deploying the vaccine not as a means to save lives, but as a weapon against countries in the crosshairs of US imperialism.

Kit Knightly (2020-07-18). The "Russian Vaccine Hack" Is a 3-for-1 Deal on Propaganda. globalresearch.ca The Guardian, and all the other predictable voices, are currently reporting that Russian At this stage they offer no substantiation, but it does serve as good …