(2019-08-01). Russiagate as organized distraction. mronline.org 
Oliver Boyd-Barrett looks at who benefits from having the corporate media suffocate their public with a puerile narrative for over two years. | Source
(2019-08-01). Rouhani Accuses US of 'Childish Behavior' Over New Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursdayslammed the U.S. Treasury's recent decision to sanction Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, describing the move as puerile and senseless. | RELATED: | Iran to Europe: Fix INSTEX or Will Reduce Deal Commitments | According to the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency, Rouhani accused the U.S. of "childish behavior", especially after the Trump administration expressed an interest to meet with the Iranian government in Tehra…
(2019-08-01). Erdogan's Risky Geopolitical Pirouette. Turkey's Economy in "Troubled Waters" globalresearch.ca Turkey's economy has been in increasingly difficult straits for months, especially since the failed July 2016 coup attempt. The latest move by President Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan to fire his central bank head and replace him with a more amenable loyalist …
(2019-08-01). Astana, Kazakhstan: the City of the Future? counterpunch.org Continuing my travels through the ex-Soviet states, I reached Astana (now, Nur-Sultan City) from Tashkent. Ever wondered what would happen if someone were to play Minecraft in real life? Like, build stuff from the ground up? Meet Astana, now known as Nur-Sultan City. This approx 1-million strong city happens to be the capital of Kazakhstan. More
(2019-08-01). German politicians and media urge military action in the Persian Gulf. wsws.org The more the US pushes ahead with its preparations for war against Iran, the louder the voices will become in Europe that are pushing for military action.
(2019-08-01). New twist in Butina case possible after FBI informant denied she posed threat to US — lawyer to RT. rt.com 
A new development in the case of the Russian gun activist Maria Butina has emerged after an FBI informant, with whom she had an affair, revealed that he repeatedly told the agency that the woman posed no threat to the US.
(2019-08-01). Body of Steve Caniàßo, killed in police raid, found in France's Loire River. wsws.org Prime Minister Edouard Philippe shamelessly declared that "no link" could be established between the police raid and Caniàßo's death.
(2019-08-01). Legendary anti-war singer to headline Sydney Folk Festival. greenleft.org.au 
Legendary Scottish-Australian folk singer Eric Bogle, best known for his anti-war classics "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "The Green Fields of France", will headline the Sydney Folk Festival this month. | Although headlined by Bogle, whose career has spanned decades, the festival being held on August 16-18 aims to highlight new music in "a massive celebration of the best and most adventurous in today's new generation of folk", according to the festival's director, Warren Fahey. | Fahey said the festival will "totally blow away" any outdated stereotypes of "old school" folk. | "For quite a while folk m…
(2019-07-31). Turkish-Chinese relations: fighting back against Western hegemony. uwidata.com 
Turkey and China are attracting attention due to their political past and their recent actions in the economic sphere. Emre Demir, a senior researcher at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the TED University (Turkish Educational Association) commented on the current situation in Turkish-Chinese relations after President Erdogan's recent visit to China. …
(2019-07-31). The Future of Turkey-Russia Relations Post Shipments S-400 Missile System. uwidata.com 
Russia as a country has been able to come to the forefront of the international arena in recent times, especially since Vladimir Putin came to power, and then in 2000 as the country's president. But there is one point to consider both in the political and international spheres about Russia, which is that it can …
(2019-07-31). 12th Round of Sino/US Trade Talks Falls Flat. US Rage for Global Dominance. globalresearch.ca Over a year of Sino/US trade talks failed to resolve major differences because of unacceptable Trump demands. | On matters of statecraft, China, Russia, Iran, and other countries have outwitted the US. | Sino/US disagreements have little to do with the trade …
(2019-07-31). As US Beefs Up Military Presence in the Gulf, Yemen's Houthis Turn to Russia for Support. globalresearch.ca Houthi attempts to engage the UN to broker a peaceful solution to the war on Yemen have stalled. Now, out of options, the movement may have found a willing partner in Moscow. | *** | Yemen's Houthi movement has reacted with concern …
(2019-07-31). Iran to Europe: Fix INSTEX or Will Reduce Deal Commitments. telesurenglish.net Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lamented Wednesday, on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Teheran that France, Britain, and Germany are not abiding by the terms of the multilateral nuclear deal they signed in 2015. | RELATED: | US Imposes Sanctions on Iran's Foreign Minister | The deal is not being respected, or the responsibility of these European countries, to find a solution to the consequences of the United States' leaving the accord, officially called the Joint Comprehen…
(2019-07-31). Rapidly increasing Lyme disease cases 'may be three times official estimate'. thecanary.co Cases of Lyme disease have "increased rapidly" in the UK and may be three times more common than the current annual estimate, a study of GP records suggests. | Lyme disease was found in every UK region, with Scotland having the highest number of cases, followed by the south-west and south of England. | Researchers from the UK and Germany looked at a primary care database holding anonymised records of 8.4 million people registered with GP practices between 2001 and 2012 — about 8% of the general population. | Some 4,083 cases of Lyme disease were detected among 4,025 patients, 56 of whom appeared to have bee…
(2019-07-31). Expert Letter on Deescalating with Iran. commondreams.org The letter outlines a series of eight bold but practical recommendations to the U.S., Iran, and Europe that could widen the path to diplomacy that has narrowed considerably since the U.S. initiated a tit-for-tat ratcheting up of tensions with Iran. (Photo: LobeLog) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/us-iran-hands3-620×3501.jpeg …
(2019-07-31). Will Spain Follow Europe's Right-Wing Populist Trend? thenation.com Will Spain Follow Europe's Right-Wing Populist Trend?
(2019-07-31). UNRWA: Netherlands and Switzerland Freeze Funding. telesurenglish.net The Netherlands and Switzerland have temporarily ceased their financial aid to the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), after the release of an ethics report revealing alleged mismanagement and abuse of power at the agency's top levels. | RELATED: | Nicaraguan Director of US-Backed NGO Accused of Money Theft, Death Toll Falsification | "T…
(2019-07-31). Ukraine: Language-laws Are Not Purely Symbolic. globalresearch.ca On February 22nd 2014 Oleksandr Turchynov, on his first day as speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, made his now infamous speech concerning the disestablishment of the Russian language as a state language in Ukraine. What people who were …
(2019-07-31). US Teenager Charged in Killing of Italian Military Policeman. telesurenglish.net The people of the town of Somma Vesuvius, Italy, held Monday a funeral to remember Mario Cerciello Rega, a 35-year-old military policeman who was stabbed to death by a U.S. teenager in an affluent Rome neighborhood on July 26. | RELATED: | Italy Orders 24 to Life for Disappearing Italians During Operation Condor | The officer and his partner were following a clue that proved false as they would later discover. According to it, two Maghreb had stolen a backpack from Serg…
(2019-07-31). Reflections on the Sao Paolo Forum. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – From July 25 to 28, over 1000 delegates gathered for the 25th Sao Paolo Forum in Caracas, Venezuela. Historically the largest gathering of the Latin American left, the Forum was transformed this year by its hosts into an assembly of revolutionary parties and movements from around the world, with the sole focus of how a new global revolutionary offensive can be launched against imperialism. | The range of invitees was spectacular. There were representatives from every socialist state and Latin American nation, along with revolutionaries from Palestine, the Philippines, Spain, the Basque Countr…
(2019-07-31). What's Wrong with Corey Stapleton? counterpunch.org Three shocking events concerning foreign interference in state and national elections were revealed last week. The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report detailing "unprecedented" Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election in all 50 states; Robert Mueller testified before two House committees that Russia and other foreign nations were "doing it [election inference] as we sit here, More
(2019-07-31). US Court Rules Canadian Firm Can Collect $1.4B From Venezuela. telesurenglish.net With United States backing, self-declared interim president Juan Guaido and the Venezuelan right have been conducting an illegal operation to confiscate the Venezuelan public's wealth and assets, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Russia To 'Abstain' Attending Int'l Talks on Venezuela in Lima | According to rep…
(2019-07-31). Failure to hold Irish reunification vote after no-deal Brexit 'unthinkable'. thecanary.co 
A failure to hold a vote on Irish reunification in the event of a no-deal Brexit is "unthinkable", Sinn Féin has told Boris Johnson.Party president Mary Lou McDonald and senior colleagues pressed the case for a border poll during a bilateral meeting with the prime minister at Stormont.Under the terms of the Good Friday peace accord of 1998, the incumbent Northern Ireland secretary must call a referendum on ending partition if there is evidence of a shift of public opinion in the region in favour of Irish unity.Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and deputy leader Michelle O'Neill after speaking to…
(2019-07-31). Why Yet Another General Election for Spain? therealnews.com 
Spain's Socialist party PSOE and the leftist Unidas Podemos party failed to form a coalition government and now new elections loom if new talks go nowhere. It looks like PSOE's lack of interest in a leftist coalition was the reason for the failure, says Sebastiaan Faber…
(2019-07-31). No, YOU are 'Russian asset': Meme war turns tables on Washington Post. rt.com 
With the Washington Post stuck in a mud-slinging meme war with Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump, the capital's paper of record has found itself on the receiving end of internet trolls' meme-cannons.
(2019-07-31). Preparing for great-power war, France creates space command. wsws.org The implication, covered over by the media and political establishment, is that the French ruling class is preparing for war against militarily-advanced, nuclear-armed powers.
(2019-07-31). Is nothing sacred? For WaPo, hamburgers have 'hidden Russia connection'. rt.com 
There is no food so quintessentially American as hamburgers, which of course makes them a perfect target for disparagement by the woke clickbait media. The newest twist is that they have a 'hidden Russia connection.'
(2019-07-31). Venezuela: Disturbing Echoes of History. counterpunch.org 
Amidst the cacophony of misinformation about Venezuela there are three key questions that need answers: 1) What is really happening in Venezuela, 2) Why is it happening, and 3) What will happen next? What is really happening in Venezuela? There is a Political Campaign against the Venezuelan Government The United States, Canada and Europe are More
(2019-07-30). Four Immigrants Have Died at Stewart ICE Jail in Georgia. Advocates Want It Shut Down. democracynow.org 
A 44-year-old immigrant from Mexico died last week at Stewart Detention Center, one of the largest immigration jails in the United States and one that has been plagued by allegations of neglect and abuse for years. Pedro Arriago-Santoya was the fourth person to die at Stewart in just two years and the seventh person to die while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement since October. An immigration judge had ordered Arriago-Santoya be deported in June. Instead, he was transferred to Stewart on July 10 as his removal proceedings continued. Two weeks later he was pronounced dead at a Georgia hospital.
(2019-07-30). Not a coincidence, a message: S-400s arrive in Turkey on anniversary of coup attempt. uwidata.com Journalist Sedat Ergin of the Turkish newspaper Hàºrriyet recently wrote that the delivery of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems coincided with the anniversary of the coup d'état on July 15, 2016, and that this was anything but a coincidence. He stressed that the S-400s arriving from Russia had even landed on the same runway where …
(2019-07-30). Greece: Suicide or Murder? dissidentvoice.org Pundits from the left, from the right and from the center cannot stop reporting about Greece's misery. And rightly so because the vast majority of her people live in deep economic hardship. No hope. Unemployment is officially at 18%, with the real figure closer to 25% or 30%; pensions have been reduced about ten times …
(2019-07-30). 'Do something'; UN relief chief urges Security Council action to stop the Syrian carnage unfolding 'in front of your eyes'. un.org Bombing and shelling in Syria for more than 90 days by the Government and Russia have led to "carnage in the so-called de-escalation zone" of Idlib, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Tuesday, in his seventh update since the "current onslaught" began.
(2019-07-30). Dismissed! Judge throws out Democrat lawsuit against Trump campaign, Russia & WikiLeaks. rt.com 
Arguments by the Democratic National Committee in a lawsuit against Russia, WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign over the 2016 election were "entirely divorced" from facts, a federal judge in New York said as he threw out the case.
(2019-07-29). Russia Arrests Nearly 1,400 at Opposition Protest as Leading Activist Is Possibly Poisoned in Jail. democracynow.org 
Police in Moscow used violent force to stop an opposition protest on Saturday, arresting nearly 1,400 people in what's been described as the largest mass arrest in Russia in a decade. Meanwhile, Alexei Navalny—one of Russia's most prominent opposition figures—has been hospitalized after suffering an acute allergic reaction in jail. Navalny's doctor said he may have been exposed to "some toxic agent." Saturday's protest was organized to denounce the recent barring of opposition candidates from running in an upcoming election for Moscow City Council. We speak with Samuel Greene, director of the Russia I…
(2019-07-29). Headlines for July 29, 2019. democracynow.org Baltimore Pushes Back After Trump Calls City "Rodent Infested Mess" and Attacks Rep. Cummings, Gunman Kills 3, Injures 15 at Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California, Shooting at Brownsville, Brooklyn, Block Party Kills 1, Injures 11, SCOTUS OKs Trump Plan to Use Military Funds for Border Wall, U.S. and Guatemala Sign Controversial Immigration Deal Despite Widespread Opposition, Dir. of National Intelligence Dan Coats Resigns, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Threatens Glenn Greenwald with Imprisonment, Miners Raid Tribe in Brazil, Killing Leader as Amazon Suffers Mass Deforestation by Illegal Loggers, Russian…
(2019-07-28). America`s trap for Turkey. uwidata.com 
In his book "On China," Henry Kissinger explains the differences between Westerners and the Chinese in their approaches to strategy by comparing Chess and Wei qi (also known as "Go"): "If chess is about the decisive battle, Wei qi is about the protracted campaign. A chess player aims for a decisive victory, a Wei qi …
(2019-07-28). Turkey Mulling (Another) Military Operation in Northeastern Syria. theantimedia.com (TM) — Turkey's top military brass and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held a security meeting on Thursday and discussed a potential military operation in northeastern Syria, immediately after three days of talks with a US delegation over setting up a safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. The Anadolu news agency reported that the meeting took place …
(2019-07-28). Mueller Testimony Points to New Cold War as a Farce. dissidentvoice.org The Eighteenth Brumière of Louis Napoleon (1852), the great philosopher Karl Marx famously stated the history repeated itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. This prophecy is evident today with Russia Gate and the New Cold War. The first cold war was a genuine tragedy which resulted in the deaths of millions of civilians in …
(2019-07-26). Foreign Correspondent: Elizabeth Warren on War and Peace. progressive.org Warren's troubling foreign policy history includes uncritical support of Israel, supporting sanctions on Venezuela, and vilifying Russia and China as national security threats. But her views are also evolving.
(2019-07-26). As US Beefs Up Military Presence in the Gulf, Yemen's Houthis Turn to Russia for Support. mintpressnews.com 
Houthi attempts to engage the UN to broker a peaceful solution to the war on Yemen have stalled. Now, out of options, the movement may have found a willing partner in Moscow.
(2019-07-26). We Tested Europe's New Lie Detector for Travelers — and Immediately Triggered a False Positive. theintercept.com 
4.5 million euros have been pumped into the virtual policeman project meant to judge the honesty of travelers. An expert calls the technology "not credible."
(2019-07-26). Headlines for July 26, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration to Bring Back Federal Executions After 16-Year Hiatus, 44-Year-Old Mexican Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody, Trump Threatens to Impose Travel Ban on Guatemalans, Oklahoma Suspends Plans to Jail 1,600 Migrant Children at Fort Sill, 150 Migrants Feared Dead in Shipwrecks Off Libyan Coast, Five Dead as Europe Swelters Under Record-Setting Heat, "Unprecedented" Wildfires Scorch Over 1 Million Acres of Alaskan Forest, California and Automakers Agree to Fuel Efficiency Targets Opposed by Trump, Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces Zero Waste Act as Part of Green New Deal, GOP Blocks Election Security Bills as S…
(2019-07-26). In Georgia's "Murderville," Devonia Inman May Finally Have a Chance to Prove His Innocence. theintercept.com Inman is serving a life sentence for murder. But DNA evidence implicates another man, Hercules Brown, who went on to kill at least two other people.
(2019-07-26). New Study Predicts Millions of Americans May Become Exposed to "Off the Charts" Heat. therealnews.com 
Climate scientist Michael Mann discusses the increasing frequency and severity of heat waves, just as the US, Europe, and India are experiencing this Summer…
(2019-07-25). Robert Mueller Testimony Disappoints Democrats Who Bet on Special Counsel to Help Sink Trump. democracynow.org 
Special counsel Robert Mueller gave his much-anticipated testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where he spoke for the first time about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Over the 7-hour hearing, Mueller stressed to the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees that despite Donald Trump's claims, he had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. Mueller's report was handed in 124 days ago, but only a redacted version was made available to the public. Ahead of Mueller's testimony, the Justice Department warned Mueller in a letter to "remain within the bound…
(2019-07-25). Congress and the Press Should Pick Up Where Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller Left Off. theintercept.com 
The anticlimactic end of the Trump-Russia investigation is partly due to decades of bitter political battles over what powers to grant special prosecutors.
(2019-07-25). New President of top UN economic and social body to push for development financing, fundamental freedoms 'for all'. un.org In her inaugural speech as President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Mona Juul, of Norway, underscored that the body's mandate today remains "as relevant and compelling" as it did back in 1945 when it was tasked with "fostering international cooperation on economic, social, and cultural issues".
(2019-07-25). Mueller hearing is another Russiagate dud. thegrayzone.com Aaron Maté recaps Robert Mueller's Congressional appearance, which delivered no new bombshells; more unhinged Russia-baiting; and only more doubts about…
(2019-07-25). Syria: Assad fails to recapture Idlib. greenleft.org.au 
The Bashir al Assad regime has made little progress in its attempt to recapture rebel-held territory in northwestern Syria. Rebels continue to control most of Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces. | The Assad regime with the help of Russia controls the airspace over Idlib and is able to bomb at will. But Assad's ground troops are ineffective. Mainly conscripts, they are not keen on fighting for a corrupt and repressive regime. | Charles Lister, a conservative but well-informed commentator on Syria, said: "For nearly two months now, this small pocket of territory has been the target of a full-scale assault b…
(2019-07-25). Protests Erupt in London as Boris Johnson Is Sworn In as New Prime Minister, Promising Hard Brexit. democracynow.org 
Boris Johnson was sworn in as the new British prime minister Wednesday, pledging to deliver a swift Brexit and spending his first full day in office Thursday packing his Cabinet with hard-line Brexiteers. His election was the first time that a party's membership directly chose the prime minister. The membership of the Conservative Party who voted for Johnson represents less than 1% of the British population. Johnson, who previously served as mayor of London and foreign secretary, replaces outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May. Boris Johnson is a highly contentious figure in the United Kingdom who has built his care…