(2021-08-05). "They Killed Us from the Inside": U.N. Inquiry Demanded into Officials' Culpability in Beirut Blast. democracynow.org 
One year after the Beirut port explosion, a new Human Rights Watch report implicates senior Lebanese officials in the disaster that killed 218 people, wounded 7,000 others and destroyed vast swaths of the city. The blast on August 4, 2020, was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. It resulted from the detonation of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been sitting in a hangar at the port for years while multiple government officials who knew about the highly explosive chemicals did nothing. "We didn't find any Lebanese official who took any responsibility for securing the port and remov…
(2021-08-05). Does Renewed fighting in Syria's Deraa, Birthplace of the Revolution, Show Russia's Weakness? juancole.com Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) — Russia is making an effort to prevent wide-scale hostilities in Syria's southern province of Deraa. The Kremlin reportedly aims to increase its influence in the war-torn country, but recent clashes in Deraa al-Balad — a southern district of Deraa city — between the Moscow-backed Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and …
(2021-08-05). Syrian Service Members Ambushed In Eastern Daraa As Talks Between Authorities & Rebels Face Setback. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | Early on August 5, unidentified gunmen ambushed a car carrying service members of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the eastern countryside of Daraa, where former rebels have been taking a stand against Syrian authorities. | The gunmen targeted the car with machine guns as it was passing on a road between the town of Izraa and the governorate of al-Suwayda. The area is controlled by the Russian-backed 8th Brigade, a unit of the SAA's 5th Corps that was especially formed in 2018 for former…
(2021-08-05). What Message do Repeatedly Downed Israeli Missiles in Syria Send to Tel-Aviv and Washington? sputniknews.com Three consequent announcements made on 20, 22, and 25 July by the Russian Ministry of Defence about the successful interception of Israeli missiles in Syrian air space have prompted a heated debate among Mideast and Western observers. Why have the briefings of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation produced so much fuss?
(2021-08-05). Greater Idlib: Syrian Army Snipers Hunt Down Militants As Russian Warplanes Resume Strikes (Videos, Photos). southfront.org 
A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti | On August 5, the Russian Aerospace Forces resumed its combat operations against militants in the northwestern Syrian region of Greater Idlib. | A series of Russian airstrikes targeted militants' positions around the town of al-Bara in the southern Idlib countryside as well as in the surroundings of the town of Kabani in the northern countryside of Lattakia. | Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at T…
(2021-08-05). The Extended Afghanistan Peace Troika: US, Russia, China, Pakistan. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-05). Security U.S. Fears of China Nuclear Expansion… Déjà Vu of Soviet Missile Gap Hype. dissidentvoice.org China is providing the equivalent scaremongering of the Soviet "missile gap" in order to sustain America's militarist-dependent capitalist economy. Media reports from the U.S. this week — regurgitated by the European press — highlighted concerns that China is embarking on a massive scale-up of underground silos for launching nuclear weapons. Hundreds of silos are alleged …
(2021-08-05). Hiroshima-Nagasaki: The Story They Want Us To Forget. popularresistance.org The world's first nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the barren plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, known as the Jornada del Muerto (day of the dead). | US President Harry Truman ordered the first atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. Days later (August 9) Washington dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. | Official figures of those killed by the atomic bombs is well over 150,000 from the two cities. More than 100,000 were injured with most likely dying. Then over the y…
(2021-08-05). Monday 8/9: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki: The Existential Threats of Nuclear War & Climate Crisis. indybay.org Online rally…
(2021-08-05). Friday 8/6: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Existential Threats of Nuclear War & Climate Crisis. indybay.org Virtual rally…
(2021-08-05). Chinese Investors Wage Union Busting War On Namibian MUN Mine Workers. indybay.org Chinese investors both state and private in Namibia are engaging in a massive union busting campaign against the Mineworkers Union Of Namibia breaking strikes with the use of Chinese nationals and also firing union leaders including the 9 MUN union executive members of the Rossing Mine which is owned by the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNNC.
(2021-08-05). Hiroshima memorial: UN chief laments slow progress on nuclear-free goal. news.un.org Underlining UN commitment to achieving a nuclear-free world, Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to strengthen efforts to make this goal a reality.
(2021-08-05). Meng extradition case concluding. ecns.cn Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was back in British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on Wednesday for the final stretch of extradition proceedings that could send her to the U.S.
(2021-08-05). Why investigating U.S. EVALI outbreak important in COVID-19 origin-tracing?>. ecns.cn Amid global efforts in tracing the COVID-19 origins, the connection between the coronavirus and an outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI) cases in the U.S. in August, 2019 has raised many concerns.
(2021-08-05). Comicomment: In origin tracing, U.S. leads a 'blaming chorus'. ecns.cn The COVID-19 origin tracing is a serious scientific issue that must be studied by scientists and medical experts around the world through cooperation. However, some U.S. politicians placed their hope on the intelligence community, trying to answer a science question with political means.
(2021-08-05). French biosecurity expert dismisses Wuhan "lab leak" theory. ecns.cn "The theory that the virus escaped from the Wuhan lab is not credible," a French biosecurity expert who had monitored the construction of the Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology has said recently in reference to COVID-19.
(2021-08-05). U.S. closure of Fort Detrick lab not coincidental: expert. ecns.cn The sudden shutdown of the Fort Detrick lab in the United States and the pneumonia outbreak that followed are far from coincidental and should be studied in the scope of the ongoing investigation into the pandemic's origins, a Russian political observer has said.
(2021-08-05). International Red Aid 1922—1937: Uniting to defend class war prisoners. mronline.org 
The initiative came from Polish Communists seeking to aid compatriots jailed or forced into exile in the Soviet republic.
(2021-08-05). U.S. destroyer completes anti-missile, anti-submarine, anti-Russian drills. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com USS Roosevelt Completes 2nd FDNF-E Patrol The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, following the completion of its second Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) patrol in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Aug. 3, 2021. In May, Roosevelt participated in At-Sea Demo/Formidable Shield 2021, a NATO-led Integrated …
(2021-08-05). Contra Belarus, Russia: Polish, Ukrainian commanders-in-chief meet. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Chiefs of General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine and Poland discuss further cooperation Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has discussed with his Polish counterpart Rajmund Andrzejczak the implementation of agreements on strengthening the defense capability of the two states and ensuring regional stability and security. **** [C]ooperation between Ukraine and …
(2021-08-05). Xinjiang residents refute accusations of human rights violations. ecns.cn Residents of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have hit back at accusations of human rights violations, saying some Western countries' claims of "genocide" or "forced labor" are fabricated.
(2021-08-05). Shifting blame reflects selfishness of U.S. ecns.cn Recently, the U.S. has led several countries and media outlets in hyping up the claim that the novel coronavirus was the result of a "lab leak".
(2021-08-05). Iran lodges protest to IMO over rising rhetoric. en.mehrnews.com Iranian Ambassador to the UK Mohsen Baharvand has penned a letter to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to protest the rhetoric recently raised against Tehran after suspicious incidents with tankers in Persian Gulf.
(2021-08-05). Embassy urges caution against false flag operations in region. en.mehrnews.com Iran's Embassy in London reviewed the recent days' propaganda against Iran, urging vigilance against false flag operations in the Persian Gulf region.
(2021-08-05). Secret deal between U.S. Fort Detrick, Japanese germ warfare unit revealed. ecns.cn The United States pardoned members of a notorious Japanese germ warfare unit after World War II in exchange for their data on biological weapons, research by a Chinese historian has revealed.
(2021-08-05). Black Sea Becoming Dangerous Confrontation Zone Because of NATO Drills, Russian Diplomat Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Black Sea is turning into a zone of dangerous military confrontation, as NATO exercises in the region provoke new conflicts, Russian Foreign Ministry's Fourth European Department Director Yuri Pilipson said.
(2021-08-05). Ukraine's Zelensky tells Russian speakers to leave country. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com What would the UN, OSCE, EU and other international and multinational bodies say if similar statements (see last paragraph in particular) were made about, say, Spanish speakers in the U.S., French speakers in Canada and Walloon speakers in Belgium? "Russia or Ukraine": It's important for occupied Donbas residents to make a choice, Zelensky says "I …
(2021-08-04). Israeli warplanes pound southern Lebanon, as IDF vows to 'continue & intensify' retaliation to rocket fire (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a series of airstrikes on Lebanese territory, calling them retaliation for cross-border rocket attacks after earlier firing scores of artillery rounds in response. | The IDF Video footage has circulated online purporting to show the IDF strikes in progress. | BREAKING…
(2021-08-04). Syrian Army Shot Down US MQ-4C Triton High-Altitude Drone Over Aleppo — Report. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | The Syrian military had shot down an American MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long endurance surveillance drone over the countryside of the northern governorate of Aleppo, the U-News reported on August 4. | An informed source told the news agency, which is known to be close to Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Syrian state, that the drone was shot down with a missile fired by a Russian-made Buk-M2E air-defense system of the Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces (SyAADF). | "The American plane took off from Martyr Muwaffa…
(2021-08-04). Daraa's Former Rebels Blow Up Abandoned Syrian Army Posts As Talks Go On (Videos). southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | Tensions continue in Daraa, despite ongoing talks between Syrian authorities and local leaders to resolve the governorate's crisis. | On August 3, pro-opposition sources in Daraa al-Balad, the southern part of Daraa city, said that local leaders had accepted some of the authorities' demands. | The local leaders informed the authorities that they will allow the deployment of units from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the military intelligence in the area, but only with local fighters from the Russian-backed…
(2021-08-04). Military Situation In Syria On August 4, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On August 3, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 37 times: 19 — in Idlib province, 11 — in Latakia province, 4 — in Hama province, 3 — in Aleppo province | On August 3, SAA artillery shelled positions of former rebels in Daraa al-Balad | On August 3, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions near Ain Issa | On August 4, one person killed and at least three were wounded in an explosion o…
(2021-08-04). Ukraine and the Long Game. strategic-culture.org There are very good reasons why Moscow has learned that it's better to be patient, Patrick Armstrong writes. | But if we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future. | — No, you aren't; no you don't. | — Putin or Xi, date and source unknown | The myth of Maidan Ukraine is that a corrupt, Russia-friendly president was overthrown in a largely peaceful revolt by the disgusted citiz…
(2021-08-04). US Peace Groups Call for Biden and Congress to Adopt 'No First Use of Nuclear Weapons' Policy. commondreams.org The first-of-its-kind suit alleges U.S. weapons firms "design, market, distribute, and sell guns in ways they know routinely arm the drug cartels in Mexico."
(2021-08-04). China doesn't want a new Cold War. peoplesworld.org 
With all of the saber-rattling directed at China these days, it's important to get a clear picture of what the U.S. foreign policy elite and their Chinese counterparts are thinking regarding that nation's unprecedented rise on the global stage. Their perspectives on the Communist Party of China, the country's continued economic expansion and growing military …
(2021-08-04). North Korea Demands Sanctions Relief to Restart Nuclear Talks. news.antiwar.com North Korea nuclear talks have been on hold for quite some time. South Korean intelligence official Park Jie-won told MPs on Tuesday that the This is generally unsurprising, as a big reason the talks stalled was that North Korea was expected to make more and more concessions and got no relief in return. This would clearly be an issue again now. | North Korea isn't generalizing though, and…
(2021-08-04). Selected Articles: Secret Meeting on the Privatization of Nuclear War Held on Hiroshima Day 2003. globalresearch.ca 
By The fact that Switzerland hosts not only annually the WEF Davos Forum, a club of corporate and banking billionaires that has gradually taken …
(2021-08-04). Trump's Tehran Poison Pill: US Trade Embargo provokes Iranian Attacks in Gulf, Making Return to Nuclear Deal Harder. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The BBC reports that a bitumen tanker, the MV Asphalt Princess, was boarded by nine men on Tuesday and hijacked. It cites unnamed "analysts," presumably MI6, to the effect that the hijacking was the work of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. The MV Asphalt Princess, owned by the United Arab …
(2021-08-04). As EPA Forced to Finalize New Rules, Report Details Widespread Use of Neurotoxic Pesticide Across US. commondreams.org The U.S. "has nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert, ready to strike first and begin a nuclear war that could result in the deaths of billions of people around the globe," warned one coalition member.
(2021-08-04). Living in a Political Laboratory: an Interview with Rita Anwari Soltani on the Future of Afghan Women. counterpunch.org For most Afghans, the last 20 years has felt like an eternity. Add the 'Taliban 1.0' years and the civil conflict before that, and the Russian occupation, and it seems somehow more than twice as long. The violent uncertainties of warlordism and invasion have for a long time prevented significant reform of the country's sexual
(2021-08-04). Roscosmos Calls NASA's Excuses Not To Launch Starliner "Ugly" southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | NASA and Boeing postponed the launch of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station, and justified the delay with the emergency situation with the Russian module "Nauka". | Roscosmos referred to these excuses as "ugly.""Yesterday [August 3rd] it was postponed to August 4, today it was postponed indefinitely. The company reports that this is a problem with the ship's engines or software for their operation," Vladimir Ustimenko, head of the press service of the state corporati…
(2021-08-04). U.S. F-16s arrive in Poland for anti-Russian maneuvers. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com While NATO deploys Polish F-16s to Iceland and Turkish F-16s to Poland. Total Force Airmen, aircraft bolster interoperability for Polish Aviation Detachment Rotation ==== U.S. deploys F-16s to Poland to "increase lethality" Greece, Lithuania, Poland: Pentagon unloads troops, several hundred military vehicles Global NATO: U.S.-trained Polish general to serve in Pentagon command structure ===== U.S. …