(2021-08-06). Beirut Explosion: 368 Days Later. counterpunch.org It has been a year and three days since the Beirut, Lebanon port explosion rocked the city and the country, leaving over 100 dead and some 6,000+ injured. The blast that followed the explosion shook Beirut with a force akin to that of a 3.3 magnitude earthquake. Witnesses in the Eastern Mediterranean Island of Cyprus,
(2021-08-06). Polish armed forces: Pentagon proxy force on borders of Belarus, Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The commander of V Corps spoke of U.S.-Polish military cooperation in the context of "NATO allies…deterring aggression in the region." V Corps strengthens bond between US and Poland during welcome ceremony The U.S. Army's Fifth Corps held a welcome ceremony for Maj. Gen. Adam Joks, Deputy Commanding General of Interoperability, and Brig. Gen. Matthew Van …
(2021-08-06). Fighting Malta's Rule of the Jungle: The Daphne Caruana Galizia Inquiry. counterpunch.org The Public Inquiry into the murder of the resourceful journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia handed down its findings on July 29. Firm aim was taken at the Maltese State, which had "to shoulder responsibility for the assassination because it created an atmosphere of impunity, generated from the highest levels in the heart of the administration of
(2021-08-06). A Life and Nation Transformed: 20 Years from West Point's Gates and the War on Terror. scheerpost.com by Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) / Reposted with permission from Antiwar.com When I entered West Point's Thayer Gate — and army life — 20 years ago last month, America was not at war. Not really anyway. Back then, when a 17-year-old's mother (had to) sign him into the military, he might expect some peacekeeping duty in Kosovo or — at worst — an unlucky street battle in Somalia or a lopsided 100… |
(2021-08-06). Leftist groups call for volunteer effort, slam underfunding as wildfires spread across Turkey, Greece. peoplesdispatch.org Extreme weather conditions due to global warming and flawed preventive policies by the governments concerned are said to be the reasons for the extensive spreading of wildfires throughout the Mediterranean…
(2021-08-06). Industrial Agriculture and Brittany's Algae Problem. counterpunch.org Covid was responsible for the early stages of this year's Tour de France being moved from Denmark to Brittany. The Australian public broadcaster SBS prides itself on its coverage of the Tour, having clocked up 30 years on the job. This year Australian viewers witnessed the eye candy of Brittany's chateaux, antique churches, quaint villages,
(2021-08-06). Study shows masks offer protection as COVID-19 infections tick up. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended this week that people vaccinated against COVID-19 resume wearing masks in public indoor spaces in areas of the United States where the virus is spreading. "Appropriate masking in addition to vaccination remain the best methods to help protect individuals from the Coronavirus," says Gregory Poland, M.D., an infectious disease expert at Mayo Clinic. In fact, published data from Mayo Clinic researchers have found that…
(2021-08-06). 2021 California Admission Day, Equity and Inclusion Conversation. indybay.org The origin of the State of California and transition to US Statehood through the eyes of Indigenous, Pan African, Latino, European, Asian and Pacific Islanders poised this 2021 Admission Day…
(2021-08-06). Funding the resistance: social banditry for the 21st century. roarmag.org 
People wearing costumes inspired by the Money Heist TV series during a carnival parade in Decimomannu, Italy — February 16, 2020. Paolo Certo / Shutterstock.com | At least as early as the first century A.D., shiftas of the Horn of Africa renounced their allegiance to emperors, government and law, and took to the wild where — through their disruptions of the usual business and trade — they would manage to survive as outlaws. For centuries, the Balkan haiduks roamed their lands, stealing from their Ottoman occupiers. Yi brigands and others from across the Chinese frontier sustained their economies…
(2021-08-06). Why is the Top Chinese Swimmer not at the Tokyo Olympics? dissidentvoice.org 
Primary players and acronyms: FINA — Fédération Internationale de Natation (International Swimming Federation). Established 1908. WADA — World Anti-Doping Agency. Established in 1999. Based in Montreal, Canada. CAS — Court of Arbitration for Sport. Highest court for adjudicating international sport. Established in 1984. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland. IDTM — International Doping and Test Management. Swedish …
(2021-08-06). Greater Idlib: Turkish-Backed Militants Pound Government-Held Area In Support Of Daraa Rebels (Videos). southfront.org 
Screen grab from one of the videos released by the NFL. | Greater Idlib militants continue to On August 5 and 6, the National Front for Liberation (NFL), Turkey's main proxy group in Greater Idlib, pounded government-held areas in the southe…
(2021-08-06). Eastern express: NATO's new command in Germany nears readiness. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO's Joint Support and Enabling Command in Germany is a sister initiative with the Allied Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia. In language not heard since the depth of the Cold War, both commands are openly described as executing the prompt delivery of troops and military equipment from, respectively, the U.S. across the Atlantic to Europe …
(2021-08-06). Open Balkans Initiative: Continuity of Western Neocolonialism? towardfreedom.org The Balkans appear to remain stuck in the waiting room to join the EU, while foreign powers fight for influence and redistribution of Balkan nations' wealth.
(2021-08-06). Scientists Discover Super-Earth, Ocean World and Potentially Habitable Exoplanet in Nearby System. sputniknews.com According to the statement released by the European Space Agency, the finding is an important step in humanity's quest for life on Earth-sized planets outside Solar System. Researchers say more exciting revelations are expected when NASA launches its powerful James Webb Space telescope this autumn.
(2021-08-06). U.S. envoy to Ukraine: we will launch activities to drive Russia from Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Kvien, who has been in Ukraine since 2019 in various capacities, is — aptly enough — a graduate of the U.S. Army War College. The Crimea Platform initiative, which is to hold its first conference on August 23, is transparently designed to drive Russia out of Crimea; including expelling the Russian Black Sea Fleet from …
(2021-08-05). One Year On From The Port Of Beirut Blast And France Has Failed In Its Goals. southfront.org 
Illustrative ImageLebanon is not any closer to political and economic stability a year after the tragedy. | Written by Paul Antonopoulos, independent geopolitical analyst | Since the port of Beirut was destroyed on August 4, 2020, French authorities have increased the number of trips, initiatives, pressures and appeals to the international community to assist reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Lebanon. A year after the explosion, French President Emmanuel Macron and Secretary-General of the United Nations António Gute…
(2021-08-05). Cuba is not alone: love and solidarity prevail. workers.org 
Cuba solidarity activists in Belfast, Ireland. Credit: Cuba Solidarity Campaign Dublin The following lightly edited article first appeared in Resumen English July 29, 2021, one day before U.S. President Joe Biden took measures adding additional sanctions on Cubans, while openly assisting Cuban dissidents living in Miami. Many of the countries . . . |
(2021-08-05). Washington's Terrorist Friends: Prominent Americans Continue to Support a Murderous Cult. strategic-culture.org MEK is a curious hybrid creature that pretends to be an alternative government option for Iran even though it is despised by nearly all Iranians. | One might ask if Washington's obsession with terrorism includes supporting radical armed groups as long as they are politically useful in attacking countries that the US regards as enemies? It is widely known that the American CIA worked with Saudi Arabia to create al-Qaeda to attack the Russians in Afghanistan and the same my-enemy's-enemy thinking appears to drive the current relationships with radical groups in Syria. | Given the fact that Iran continues to be the…
(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). 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). Serbia warns Belarus of new threat to peace in Europe. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Serbian diplomat: Preservation of peace is absolute priority for any nation "In the recent history of Serbia, the saddest day is certainly 4 August 1995. On this day, 4 August, the country observes the Day of Remembrance for Serbs killed and expelled in [the U.S.-supported] Operation Storm which was the most brutal operation in Europe …
(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). Belarusian athlete flees to Poland, as opposition activist is found hanged in Kiev. wsws.org The gangster-like attempt to force Timonovskaya's return to Belarus over a minor critique of the Belarusian Olympic Committee is part of a massive government crackdown on all political and social opposition.
(2021-08-05). Rio Tinto Goes to Serbia: The Jadar Lithium Project. counterpunch.org The company has been looking forward to this for some time. For an outfit found wanting in dealing with inhabitants of a land whose culture it eviscerated in a matter of hours in May last year, Rio Tinto could think grandly about another future. The Anglo-Australian mining giant could add its name to a sounder,
(2021-08-05). A laboratory of empire with Lowkey & Aamer Rahman. mronline.org 
In this segment of 'The Watchdog' video podcast, Lowkey is joined by comedian Aamer Rahman to explain how Australia maintains close political ties to the United Kingdom, with British Home Secretary Pritti Patel seeing the country's offshore migrant detention centers, referred to by some as "concentration camps" as a model for the U.K. to follow.
(2021-08-05). Russia and Venezuela to Implement Energy Security Joint Projects. venezuelanalysis.com Russia's Rostec will provide "advanced technology" and train Venezuelan personnel to recover the country's sanctions-hit power facilities.
(2021-08-05). The Tyranny of Smartphones and Dumb Covid Passports. strategic-culture.org Already tethered to the digital by devices that used to be novelties, we face the prospect of a vaccine-enabled "Paper's please!" future. | By Matthew WALTHER | In a striking passage near the beginning of his contribution to the Penguin History of the Church, R.W. Southern writes: The identification of the church with the whole of organized society is the fundamental feature which distinguishes the Middle Ages from earlier and later periods of history. At its widest limits it is a feature of European history from the fourth to the eighteenth century—from Constantine to Voltaire. In theory, during the whol…
(2021-08-05). What electric vehicle manufacturers can learn from China — their biggest market. juancole.com 
By Youlin Huang, David Tyfield, Didier Soopramanien, and Lixian Qian | — Despite the pandemic, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) increased by 43% in 2020. Total EV sales in China were 1.3 million, an increase of 8% compared to 2019, and 41% of all EVs sold worldwide. Though Europe sold more than China for …
(2021-08-05). Editorial — Cómo defender el derecho al voto. workers.org 
Concentración en el Museo World Of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, 15 de marzo de 2021. La lucha por el derecho democrático burgués de una persona, un voto aún continúa en Estados Unidos, el país imperialista más poderoso. Esa lucha comenzó una vez que la última persona esclavizada fue liberada en Galveston, Texas, . . . |
(2021-08-05). The Extended Afghanistan Peace Troika: US, Russia, China, Pakistan. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-05). As the U.S. Withdraws From Afghanistan, China Forges Ties With the Taliban. towardfreedom.org Peace is not on the horizon for Afghanistan. The country remains caught in the ambitions of regional and global powers, wedged in the new "great game" that involves a contest between India and Pakistan, as well as the United States versus China, Russia, and Iran.
(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). 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). The Murder of Anna Politkovskaya Is Still Not Solved. thenation.com The Murder of Anna Politkovskaya Is Still Not Solved…
(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). U.S. military equipment en route to Turkey for "lethality and interoperability" exercise. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Army equipment to arrive in Izmir, Turkey in support of Dynamic Front 21 Approximately 160 items of U.S. Army equipment are scheduled to be offloaded at the port facility in Izmir, Turkey, August 6, 2021. The equipment…will transit from the port via commercial line-haul trucking to the Polatli Training Range in support of Dynamic …
(2021-08-05). Flood victims in Germany criticise authorities for failure to provide warnings. wsws.org Well before people were caught in the deadly waters, governments and authorities had been warned.
(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 …
(2021-08-05). 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). Azerbaijani defense chief inspects new military bases in conquered Karabakh. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Minister Zakir Hasanov visits several new military units stationed in liberated territories Under the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, construction work in the military units stationed in the liberated territories continues. The Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov visited several recently …
(2021-08-05). Canada has trained over 26,000 Ukrainian troops for war in Donbass, Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Britain has also trained over 20,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation ORBITAL. Ambassador: Ukraine hopes that Canada will continue training our military "We look forward to extending this mission…," Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform. He added that "more than 26,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already undergone UNIFIER training, gaining …
(2021-08-05). Moscow, are you listening? Biden names Brzezinski spawn ambassador to Poland. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Brother of Ian Brzezinski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy in the George W. Bush administration, former member of the Pentagon's Policy Planning Staff, former advisor to the government of Ukraine and current member of the Strategic Advisors Group at the Atlantic Council, and of Mika Brzezinski, loudmouthed harridan at MSNBC. …