(2019-08-06). Could Thousands of Daesh fighters end up in Europe? uwidata.com 
US President Donald Trump threatened to release the Daesh militants if the European Union refused to take them. "We have thousands of ISIS fighters that we want Europe to take and let's see if they take them. And if they don't take them, we'll probably have to release them to Europe," Mr. Trump said on …
(2019-08-06). New Year's Eve reminiscing with lifelong communist Mary Gosman Scarborough. peoplesworld.org 
My great-aunt Mary Gosman Scarborough was born in Russia "at the time of the Czar" and was sent by her parents to America with a man, a family friend, when she was only twelve. They neglected to tell her that he was to be her husband, which exacerbated an already difficult life. Mary was a …
(2019-08-06). US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman submits resignation. rt.com 
US Ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, has resigned from his post effective October 3. Huntsman has been ambassador since 2017.
(2019-08-06). An Attack on Iran Would be an Attack on Russia. globalresearch.ca Russia is meticulously advancing Eurasian chessboard moves that should be observed in conjunction, as Moscow proposes to the Global South an approach diametrically opposed to Western sanctions, threats and economic war. Here are three recent examples. | Ten days ago, via …
(2019-08-06). Saudi Arabia's 'Strategic Plan' to Take Turkey Down. globalresearch.ca Saudi Arabia has begun implementing a "strategic plan" to confront the Turkish government, after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman decided he was being "too patient" with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder. | The …
(2019-08-06). Trump Won't Allow S-400 Deal to Harm Turkish-US Ties: Erdogan. telesurenglish.net Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated on Tuesday that he believes his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump will not allow Turkey's S-400 deal with Russia to harm Washington's relationship with Ankara. | RELATED: | US Removes Turkey from International F-35 Fighter Jet Program | Part of Washington's concern with Turkey's acquisition of the S-400 is the latter's membership in NATO and the threat posed by the missile system towards the new F-35 jets. | "There is no concrete evidence sh…
(2019-08-06). Commonsense Gun Control, the U.S. Army Way. truthdig.com For nearly the past eight months, I have served as the U.S. Army's primary Physical Security Manager for 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Germany. One of my chief responsibilities in this role is to conduct inspections on my unit's arms rooms, which serve as storage facilities for military-grade assault rifles, machine guns and other equipment. To pass the inspection, the storage facility must comply with a strict set of standards. Furthermore, the person charged with issuing weapons, as well as the end user, must meet a comprehensive set of criteria. | In my lifetime, incidents of gun violence in the U.S. h…
(2019-08-06). Hiroshima Unlearned: Time to Tell the Truth About US Relations with Russia and to Ban the Bomb. commondreams.org Let us tell the truth about what happened between the US and Russia that brought us to this perilous moment and put the responsibility where it belong. (Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_vlad_0.jpeg …
(2019-08-06). Gove accuses Brussels of refusing to engage over Brexit talks. thecanary.co 
Michael Gove has accused the EU of refusing to engage in negotiations on a new Brexit deal amid a deepening war of words between Westminster and Brussels.Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who is in charge of no-deal preparations, said he was "deeply saddened" by the EU position, which was "not in Europe's interests".In Brussels, the European Commission insisted it was open to talks but made clear Theresa May's Brexit agreement was "the best possible deal" Britain was going to get.That position was underlined by Irish premier Leo Varadkar, who insisted that the Withdrawal Agreement — including th…
(2019-08-06). Number 10 demands EU rethink amid claims UK focused on no-deal Brexit. thecanary.co 
Downing Street has insisted the EU must "change its stance" to secure a Brexit deal, as officials in Brussels reportedly suggested Britain is focused on a no-deal exit.Prime minister Boris Johnson wants to hold fresh talks to negotiate a new agreement but a "rethink" is needed by the EU over the "current refusal" to make any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, Number 10 added.The warning came after reports emerged about a briefing to diplomats in Brussels following a meeting between Johnson's top Europe adviser David Frost and senior EU figures.Frost was sent to Brussels to deliver the message that the UK will b…
(2019-08-06). Sectarianism is Alive and Well in Northern Ireland — and Boris Johnson is Recklessly Picking at the Scabs. counterpunch.org 
On 8 May 1987 a Provisional IRA unit of eight men attacked a police station in the village of Loughgall in county Armagh 15 miles from the Irish border. One man drove a digger with a bomb in its bucket towards the building, half of which was destroyed in the explosion. But British forces had More
(2019-08-06). Legal challenge launched to stop PM forcing through no-deal Brexit. thecanary.co 
A cross-party group of politicians has launched legal action attempting to stop Boris Johnson forcing through a no-deal Brexit by suspending Parliament. | The crowdfunded challenge is being led by the Good Law Project, the same team that won a victory at the European Court of Justice last year over whether the UK could unilaterally cancel Brexit by revoking Article 50. | Shutting down Parliament — known as proroguing — to prevent MPs being able to vote against leaving the EU without a deal is "unlawful and unconstitutional", according to the challenge backed by more than 70 MPs and peers. | The prime…
(2019-08-05). Rivers of Dust: Water and the Middle East. counterpunch.org 
Syria and Iraq are at odds with Turkey over the Tigris-Euphrates. Egypt's relations with Sudan and Ethiopia over the Nile are tense. Jordan and the Palestinians accuse Israel of plundering river water to irrigate the Negev Desert and hogging most of the three aquifers that underlie the occupied West Bank. More
(2019-08-05). The Case for Socialism. counterpunch.org 
Anyone doubting the arguments for socialism, should read Bhaskar Sunkara's "The Socialist Manifesto." It presents old rationales in new clothes; the clothes are simple and attractive, while the rationales are sound. They come, however, with a big warning. "We certainly don't want to repeat the last century's attempts, whether in Russia or China, to impose More
(2019-08-05). Arctic fires: "You have to go to a different planet to find a more persistent type" mronline.org 
Here's a sentence for you: The Arctic is burning. Yes, that Arctic—the traditionally cold and wet one, large swaths of which are being consumed by an astonishing number of wildfires, from Russia to Greenland to Alaska. | Source
(2019-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Kills 20 People After Hate-Fueled Gun Rampage in El Paso, Gunman with Misogynistic Past Kills 9 People in Dayton, OH Shooting Spree, General Strike Grips Hong Kong as Protesters Refuse to Back Down, India Revokes Kashmir's Special Status as Tensions Mount in Disputed Region, Iran Seizes Tanker as Tensions Between Iran and U.S. Remain High, Russian Police Arrest 800+ Protesters as Crackdown on Dissent Continues, Sudan's Military Rulers and Opposition Leaders Sign Transition Agreement, 3 Mexican Journalists Killed in Under a Week, Pierluisi Sworn In as Puerto Rico's New Governor as San Juan Mayor…
(2019-08-05). The Retainer Solution: the European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration. counterpunch.org There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for More
(2019-08-05). Democracy Threat? Trump Demands 'Realignment of British Politics'. The Americanization of Britain. globalresearch.ca I said that this moment would come. It has almost arrived. I warned that Britain is to become a European outpost of America (READ: The global alliance taking over Britain) and if ever proof was needed, it is the …
(2019-08-05). Election annulment please. nationofchange.org Russia hacked and attacked our 2016 presidential election and installed Donald Trump. This requires annulment. Trump didn't even come close on the actual popular vote, losing to Clinton by some three million votes, and yet seized the White House by the arcane and anti-democratic electoral college, but only due to Russian illegal interference. This makes …
(2019-08-05). U.S. imposes 2nd round of sanctions against Russia for poisoning ex-spy. nationofchange.org The United States is announcing a second round of sanctions on Russia for its use of a 'novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal.
(2019-08-05). Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Drives Trump to Insanity. globalresearch.ca At a time when the Trump administration has no problem negotiating with the secretary of the Russian national security council Nikolai Patrushev, who is technically under US sanctions since April 2018, the cut and thrust of Washington's move to …
(2019-08-05). If the US Develops New Nuclear Missiles, We Will Too: Putin. telesurenglish.net Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Monday that Moscow would start developing short and intermediate-range land-based nuclear missiles if the United States does so as well. | RELATED: | US Withdraws From 1988 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty | "If Russia obtains reliable information that the United States has finished developing these systems and started to produce them, Russia will have no option other than to engage in a full-scale effort to develop similar m…
(2019-08-05). Monday's Daily Brief: Independent experts on Myanmar, Guterres denounces US mass shootings, Libyan airport violence, UN Spokesperson on Kashmir. un.org Our main stories today: Myanmar companies bankroll 'brutal operations' of military; UN chief renounces shootings in the United States; 'Repeated indiscriminate' shelling of Libyan airport raises concern; UN voices 'concern' over Kashmir; and new UN agriculture chief reaffirms commitment with Italy on development…
(2019-08-05). Russian authorities continue crackdown on opposition protests. wsws.org The violent crackdown on protests by the "liberal" opposition is aimed at intimidating all government opposition and preparing for the suppression of widespread resistance by the working class.
(2019-08-05). Study calls for closure of over half all health clinics in Germany. wsws.org With the argument that only the closure of clinics can achieve more staffing, better equipment and higher quality, the report calls for the closure of 800 of Germany's 1,400 hospitals.
(2019-08-05). In Wake of Nuclear Treaty Collapse, Putin Says if US Pursues Previously Banned Missiles, Russia Will Also. commondreams.org "The collapse of the INF Treaty last Friday opens up a Pandora's Box of dangerous possibilities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/russia-if-us-nuclear-missiles-treaty.jpg …
(2019-08-05). Signs of Recession Are Hitting Europe—And Its New Central Bank President May Not Be Up for the Challenge. counterpunch.org 
We now know that there will be a changing of the guard at the European Central Bank (ECB) in October. The current head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, will succeed current ECB President Mario Draghi at that time. A known quantity among the political and investor class of Europe, Lagarde seems like a safe choice: she is a lawyer by training, not an economist. Hence, she is unlikely to usher in any dramatic changes. More
(2019-08-04). Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay. thegrayzone.com Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…
(2019-08-03). Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy. splcenter.org In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.
(2019-08-03). Eyes on Ireland: Boris Johnson's Biggest Brexit Hurdle. uwidata.com 
Theresa May's chance at being the Prime Minister who delivers Brexit to the British people has expired. No amount of renegotiating with the European Union or pleading with the MPs of Westminster did much good in saving her career. Now the Tory Party's former frontrunner, Boris Johnson, has come to …
(2019-08-02). Climate System "Getting Unhinged" as Massive Heat Wave Causes Record Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet. democracynow.org 
The massive heat dome that shattered all-time temperature records across much of Europe last week has settled in over Greenland, driving temperatures across the vast region to as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. In July, Greenland's ice sheet lost 197 billion tons of ice, the equivalent of around 80 million Olympic swimming pools. This comes as the World Meteorological Organization said Thursday that July was the warmest month in recorded human history. It followed the hottest June on record, as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels climbed to a record high of 415 parts per million earlier this year. We sp…
(2019-08-02). Over 100 Killed in Another Mediterannean Shipwreck as Europe Watches. therealnews.com 
Frédéric Penard discusses the efforts of small NGOs to rescue refugees crossing the Mediterranean, against the efforts of European governments to block the entry of people fleeing war and famine…
(2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…
(2019-08-02). Update: Devonia Inman's Chance to Prove His Innocence. theintercept.com More than eight years after DNA evidence revealed the state of Georgia sent the wrong man to prison for murder, Inman may have a chance to prove his innocence.
(2019-08-02). The Retainer Solution: The European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration. dissidentvoice.org There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for …
(2019-08-02). UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty. un.org Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and Russia came to an end.
(2019-08-02). Help build the movement for system change — become a Green Left supporter. greenleft.org.au 
It's understandable to feel enraged watching the news about our climate: record-breaking summer temperatures across Europe, the disappearing Arctic ice sheet, deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. | It's depressing stuff. | I am enraged on a daily basis listening to the business-as-usual, head-in-the-sand responses to climate change from pro-capitalist governments and mining company spin doctors. | Or hearing that US President Donald Trump has allowed the use of bee-killing pesticides and that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has green-lighted illegal land clearing in the Amazon. | Or reading that the Australi…
(2019-08-01). Recent statements from Minister of Defense Hulisi Akar on Syria. uwidata.com 
"If we do not reach a consensus, we will be forced to form a security zone alone." There had been intense discussions between Turkey and the United States for several months over the S-400 issue. They were full of hard mutual accusations and threats from every side. Turkey did not back down, and Russia began …
(2019-08-01). Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard. theantimedia.com The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.
(2019-08-01). Why Is Russia in Syria? progressive.org It's for many of the same bad reasons used by the United States.
(2019-08-01). Eyes on the Prize. progressive.org How anti-abortionists in Georgia and elsewhere are building on a long-range plan.
(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 …
(2019-07-30). '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.
(2019-07-01). US Sanctions Maduro's Son as Venezuela Discussed at G20. venezuelanalysis.com Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged Juan Guaido to run in elections while Trump said he has "five different alternatives for Venezuela."