Greece Calls on EU ‘Ally’ Germany to Halt Attack Submarine Sale to Hostile Turkey

"The Greek government has called on Germany to halt the sale of attack submarines to
Turkey, arguing that the sale could upset the naval balance of power in the region as tensions with the Islamist-led country remain high." Breitbart

Zelensky orders civilians to evacuate Donetsk region

"Zelensky said fighting in the region was intense. "The more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill," he said." BBC

Gazprom Cuts Off All Gas Supplies to Latvia For Non-Payment in Rubles

"Gazprom announced on Saturday that it has terminated gas supplies to Latvia due to violations of the conditions of gas withdrawal." SP

China Launches Live-Fire Drills Off Taiwan With US Carrier Group Nearby, As Pelosi's Plane En Route To Asia

 "Pentagon wants House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to cancel her visit to Taiwan - but now pending
her possible arrival in Taipei the US military has moved a Navy strike group into the South China Sea led by the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

The USS Reagan left a port call in Singapore and is now patrolling waters near China, with Beijing flexing its own military muscle by launching fresh naval exercises near the self-ruled island - video purporting to show large US warplane formation flyovers of the South China sea, with destroyers....It's expected that if she goes through with the Taiwan visit, Pelosi would at some point in Asia board a military transport plane - likely with US fighter jet escort. This possibility is what has infuriated Beijing. China's PLA Navy is holding "live-fire" exercises in waters off Taiwan." ZH

A 'new Cold War' as Russia, France, US compete for influence in Africa

"Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their
positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron are each visiting several African countries this week. Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, went to Kenya and Somalia last week. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will go to Ghana and Uganda next week.

“It's like a new Cold War is playing out in Africa, where the rival sides are trying to gain influence,” said William Gumede.

Lavrov, in his travels across the drought- and hunger-stricken continent, has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices, while the Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest - words calculated to appeal to listeners in post-colonial Africa." France24

 

Biden Admin Neglecting Medical Care For ‘Lord Of War’ Russian Prisoner Suffering From Illness

"A prisoner being held at the same facility as Russian “Lord of War” arms dealer Viktor Bout
says the prison is failing to adequately treat the weapons trader’s acute fungal infection spreading across his body. “The Russian arms dealer inspired Nicolas Cage’s character in 2005’s Lord of War.” NW

Graphic Footage Appears to Show Russian Fighter Castrating Ukrainian Prisoner of War

"Footage that emerged appears to show a Ukrainian prisoner of war being castrated by Russian fighters, igniting shock and outrage in Ukraine.

Toler said a Russian soldier wearing the same distinctive black hat and wristband as the man in the video had previously appeared in a clip at the Azot chemicals plant in the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk aired by the Kremlin-backed RT broadcaster." MoscowTimes

China's Army Posts "Get Ready For War!" Message On Social Media, State Mouthpiece Says PLA Has "Right" To Intercept Pelosi's Plane

"The Chinese government's English language mouthpiece Global Times has grown particularly
loud and bellicose in response to Nancy Pelosi's potential trip to the self-ruled island of Taiwan:

"Get ready for war!" read a message posted by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) 80th Group over the US visit to Taiwan, as reported on Friday, July 29. China’s Army’s war message over the potential US visit to Taiwan reportedly generated over 300,000 thumbs-up in just 12 hours, creating "high morale among Chinese soldiers" according to Global Times." ZH

40 Ukrainian POWs killed by Ukrainian missile attack on Donetsk prison

"Russia's defence ministry has said Ukraine struck a prison in separatist-held territory with
US-made HIMARS rockets, killing 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war and leaving 75 wounded." AP

China Holds Snap Military Drills In Response To US Carrier Entering South China Sea

"Just as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which is a nuclear-powered supercarrier,
entered the South China Sea on Thursday after making its way from Singapore, China unveiled that will hold military exercises in the same region on Friday and Saturday.

The country's Maritime Safety Administration was cited in state-run Global Times as announcing the new South China Sea naval drills, which also comes as tensions are boiling over a proposed trip to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi next month." ZeroHedge

US rocket system enables Ukraine to pummel key supply bridge

"Ukrainian troops used American-supplied precision rocket launchers to knock out a strategic bridge used by Russia to supply its forces in southern Ukraine’s occupied Kherson region." AP

Residents of Russian-occupied areas of eastern Donbas urged to evacuate

"Residents of Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region have been urged to evacuate.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said people risked being cut off from “power, water, food and medical supplies, heating and communication” if they stayed in the area." Guardian

Russian strike on Kropyvnytskyi

"At least two people were killed in the Donetsk town of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine on
Thursday, as a five-story building collapsed following a Russian missile strike.“Today, the rescuers of the Toretsk garrison, during emergency rescue operations on the destroyed part of a 5-story residential building in the city of Toretsk, discovered and pulled out the bodies of 2 dead persons (1 man and 1 woman),” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said." Guardian

Western Powers' Communication Problems With Russia & China May Heighten Risk of Nuclear War

"A “series of negotiations and dialogues” conducted during the Cold War afforded both the western and Soviet blocs “a higher level of confidence” that a nuclear war wouldn't break out because of a miscalculation. Now, however, the West lacks “the same foundations with others” who may threaten it, says UK security advisor Stephen Lovegrove." Sputnik

Russia Seeks Allies in Africa Amid War-Triggered Food Crisis

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is on a major tour of Africa, seeking allies amid
global anger and isolation over food shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine." VOA

U.S. Proposes Swapping Prisoners With Russia

"The United States says it has made a “substantial proposal” to Russia, which government
officials described as a prisoner swap that would send convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout back to Moscow to secure the release of American professional basketball star Brittney Griner and accused spy Paul Whelan." VOA

GDP fell 0.9% in the second quarter, the second straight decline and a strong recession signal

"Gross domestic product fell 0.9% at an annualized pace for the period.....The drop came from a broad swath of factors, including decreases in inventories, residential and nonresidential investment. The U.S. economy contracted for the second straight quarter from April to June, hitting a widely accepted rule of thumb for a recession, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday." CNBC

Finland Warns of Possible Power Outages This Winter

"Finland may find itself in a pinch this winter after having Russian gas deliveries cut off
following a refusal to pay in rubles, as demanded by Moscow. According to power operator Fingrid, the Nordic country may face rotary power outages lasting a maximum of two hours each.

Amid towering fears of a historically difficult winter across Europe due to a combination of scarce deposits, bottlenecks in supplies, the absence of Russian fuels and the failure of the “Green switch”, Finland has warned of possible power outages." Sputnik

Wagner group fighting in Donbass

"RT’s Murad Gazdiev was granted a rare opportunity to embed with the Wagner Group, a secretive Russian private military company, as it fights in Donbass.

The contractors, who call themselves ‘the Orchestra of Wagner’ or ‘the Musicians’, conceal their identities. The name is thought to have come from the call sign of the unit’s founder Dmitry Utkin, a veteran of two Chechen wars. Richard Wagner was a famous 19th century German composer but the name has also been used for characters in literature, computer games, comic books, and even by a motorcycle manufacturer. 

Before Murad joined them, the unit had recently pushed Ukrainian troops out of the village of Klinovoe in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The Wagner fighters fired mortars as Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist Aidar Battalion and the ostensibly elite 10th Mountain Assault Brigade were trying to hold them off. “Artillery and mortar duels here are deafening and endless,” Gazdiev said while reporting.

During their offensive, the Wagner troops came under fire from cluster munitions and had to deal with tripwire anti-personnel mines left by the Ukrainians. The Kremlin has denied any ties between the Wagner Group and the Russian government." RT

Ukraine to seek war-crime charges against Western banks

"Bosses at Western banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and HSBC are committing war crimes by continuing to indirectly finance the Russian state, an economic adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Oleg Ustenko, claimed on Tuesday." RT

Germans warned of toilet paper shortage

"Germany may face shortages of such staples as toilet paper and cardboard if Russian gas
supply dwindles in the coming months, German outlet Zeit Online reported on Wednesday." RT

Pentagon approves plan for injured Ukrainian soldiers

"US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has greenlit plans to treat injured Ukrainian soldiers at a US military hospital in Germany....Ukrainian soldiers would be taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, not far from the French border. Up to 18 service personnel can apparently undergo treatment at the facility at any given time." RT

 

Ukraine’s Zelensky and Wife Pose for Vogue While Their Country Is Invaded

"Zelensky and Zelenska were photographed by famed American photographer Annie
Leibovitz for the Vogue digital cover which has been promoted across the fashion magazine’s social media platforms.

The cover, featuring Zelenska, reads “Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska” on the steps of the presidential office compound in Kyiv, Ukraine. Zelensky, who posed alongside his wife, can be seen chatting with Leibovitz in a behind-the-scenes video posted by Vogue.

In one portion of his interview with Vogue, Zelensky shrugged off the crushing economic realities facing American taxpayers as they help fund his country’s war with Russia — plunging the U.S. further into inflationary pressures.

 “I will be very honest and maybe not very diplomatic: Gas is nothing … just try to imagine what I’m talking about happening to your home, to your country,” Zelensky said. “Would you still be thinking about gas prices or electricity prices?” ZH

Russia Fired On Israeli Jets Over Syria

"Israel's defense chief issued a surprise admission connected to the war in Syria, specifically
related to the literally hundreds of strikes Israel's air force has conducted on targets in Syria over the past few years.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz described an incident in May wherein Israeli military jets operating over Syria were engaged and fired on by a Russian anti-aircraft battery. He said the Russian missiles missed their target, downplaying it as a "one-off incident". ZH

Russia Unveils Large-Scale Military Exercises In East, Signaling Force Strength 'Unaffected' By Ukraine

"Russia has announced it plans to hold large-scale military exercises in a far eastern district
next month. As Reuters comments of the planned drills, they will be held "thousands of miles from the war it is waging in Ukraine."

A Tuesday defense ministry statement said the military's ability to conduct major drills remained unaffected by the "special operation" in neighboring Ukraine, a war which is now six months in." ZeroHedge

Cuba starts accepting Russia’s Mir payment cards

"ATMs in Cuba began to accept Russia’s Mir payment cards, Juan Carlos Escalona, adviser to the embassy of the republic on tourism, told the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) on Tuesday. He said that until the end of 2022 they will be accepted at all sale outlets in the country." Tass

IMF Cuts Global GDP, Raises Inflation Outlook, Warns "World Teetering On Edge Of Recession"

"The IMF slashed its global growth forecasts for the third quarter in a row, while raising its
projections for inflation (i.e., stagflation is here), warning that the risks to the economic outlook are “overwhelmingly tilted to the downside” and that the world "may soon be teetering on the edge" of recession." ZH

Ukraine on the Counterattack (Maybe)

"Ukraine might have begun a genuine counteroffensive against Russia.

The front line has remained essentially static since July 3, when Russia completed its conquest of Lysychansk. So the situation on the ground remains as follows:

• Ukraine is basically secure in the north, Kyiv, and Kharkiv.
• In the east, Russia holds most of the Russian-speaking areas in the vital Donbas region.
• Ukraine is testing Russian defenses in the south, around Kherson.

But unless Ukraine proves able to take back land in areas where Russia chooses to be strong, Moscow will take most of what it wants." PJMedia

Russia Eliminates Over 40 Foreign Mercenaries in DPR

"Russia's Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday that some foreign mercenaries have been
eliminated in Ukraine in the past three weeks and another 240 have fled the country." Sputnik

Bellingcat confirms involvement in Ukrainian plot to steal Russian jets

"Christo Grozev, self-styled ‘lead Russia investigator’ with Bellingcat, confirmed on Monday his involvement in a Ukrainian intelligence plot to incite Russian military pilots to defect and hijack their planes." RT

Putin Turns The Screws: Gazprom Unexpectedly Halts Another Nord Stream Turbine Cutting Flows In Half; European Gas Prices Soar

"Gazprom unexpectedly announced it would halt one more Nord Stream turbine at its Portovaya compressor station from July 27, “taking into account the technical conditions of the engine,” the Russian company says in a statement." ZH

Ukrainian plot to hijack Russian warplanes exposed by Moscow

"Russian intelligence has claimed that it foiled a sophisticated plot from Ukrainian spies to hijack several military jets......added that a leading figure from the US-government funded investigative organization Bellingcat – which presents itself as a journalistic grouping – was also involved in the scheme, which it believes was "supervised by NATO intelligence agencies." The FSB specifically pointed the finger at British operatives." RT

Russians may face first war crimes case by year-end

"The International Criminal Court is aiming to put forward its first case over alleged
Russian war crimes in Ukraine as early as this winter." LuxembourgTimes

Russian Space Agency Planning to Deploy Glonass Station in Venezuela

"Russian space agency Roscosmos said that it plans to deploy a ground station for the Glonass
navigation satellite system in Venezuela." Sputnik

Erdogan’s photo with Putin branded ‘challenge’ to NATO

"German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has branded a recent joint photo of Vladimir Putin with Recep Tayyip Erdogan a challenge to NATO. The image was shot during a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Iran.  ." RT

Russia Informs Turkey It Had "Nothing To Do" With Odessa Port Attack

"While the White House and European allies, along with the Ukrainian government, were
lock-step in condemning as outrageous a series of reported Russian airstrikes on the port of Odesa the morning after the grain export deal was signed in Istanbul, the Kremlin is apparently denying it was behind the attack:

Turkey's defense minister said on Saturday that Russian officials had told Ankara that Moscow had "nothing to do" with strikes on Ukraine's Odesa port." ZH

Key Odesa port hit after grain deal

"Russian missiles have hit infrastructure in Ukraine’s port of Odesa, a day after Moscow and Kyiv reached a deal over grain exports. Thirteen Russian missiles have hit Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region, according to the local governor." AlJazeera

Russia And China Announce "New Global Reserve Currency"

"China and Russia are taking their shot at the U.S. dollar.  Russia has been cut off from the
SWIFT system, it is also pairing with China and the BRIC nations to develop “reliable alternative mechanisms for international payments” in order to “cut reliance on the Western financial system.” ZeroHedge

Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine block Google search engine

"Russian-backed separatists in a breakaway region of eastern Ukraine have blocked access to the search engine Google (GOOGL.O), their leader said on Friday, citing what he calls "disinformation"." Reuters

Feather Star from Jurassic Period Named after President Zelensky

"Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi, the first Jurassic comatulid (feather star) from the African continent, has been named in honor of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the sixth and current president of Ukraine.

Feather stars are members of the order Comatulida, the most diversified lineage of crinoids.

Also known as comatulids, they are also the only living crinoid group that is globally distributed in both shallow- and deep-water settings." SciNews

Russia closing in on power plant

"Russian forces appear to be closing in on Ukraine’s second-biggest power plant northeast of Donetsk, British intelligence has said." AlJazeera

Russia warns it could stop oil exports

"Russia will stop global oil exports if the West’s proposed price cap makes it unprofitable to continue production, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Russia’s Channel One on Thursday.

“If these prices which they are talking about are lower than the costs for oil production… naturally, Russia will not ensure the supply of this oil to the world markets, which means that we simply will not work at a negative profit,” he explained, as cited by TASS." RT

 

UK to sanction Russian oil and coal

"London has added oil and coal to its list of banned Russian imports, according to a notice to exporters published by the UK’s Foreign Trade Ministry on Thursday." RT

Hungary foreign minister in Moscow for gas supply talks

"Hungary’s foreign minister has arrived in Moscow where he wants to talk about ensuring gas supplies for his country and finding a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine." AlJazeera

Gas price in Europe drops as Russian pipeline resumes deliveries

"European natural gas prices fell by 6.5% in early trading on Thursday following the restart of gas deliveries via Russia’s Nord Stream 1 pipeline, after scheduled maintenance." RT

South American trade bloc snubs Zelensky

"South America’s Mercosur trade bloc has declined a request by Ukrainian President Vladimir
Zelensky to speak at its summit, host nation Paraguay said on Wednesday, according to the AFP news agency.

Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay failed to reach an agreement on whether to invite the Ukrainian leader, Deputy Foreign Minister, Raul Cano said, albeit refusing to name the countries that opposed the move." RT

Cuba blackouts bring misery amid sweltering heat

"Long and frequent blackouts coupled with sweltering summer heat are bringing misery to
many in Cuba, which has been suffering power outages for months amid rising oil prices and a deepening economic crisis. And things are unlikely to get better any time soon, with the government warning there is no short-term solution to the problem." France24

Ukrainian refugees sent to Russia

"Nearly 2 million Ukrainians refugees have been sent to Russia, according to both Ukrainian
and Russian officials. Ukraine portrays these journeys as forced transfers to enemy soil, which is considered a war crime. Russia calls them humanitarian evacuations of war victims who already speak Russian and are grateful for a new home.

An Associated Press investigation based on dozens of interviews has found that while the picture is more nuanced than the Ukrainian government suggests, many refugees are indeed forced to embark on a surreal trip into Russia, subjected along the way to human rights abuses, stripped of documents and left confused and lost about where they are." AP

Biden Tests Positive for Coronavirus - quadruple-vaxxed

"President Joe Biden tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday morning, the White House revealed, just hours after returning from a trip to Massachusetts.

The White House said Biden, age 79, is only experiencing “very mild symptoms” and is fully vaccinated and boosted with four shots of the coronavirus vaccine." Breitbart

 

Russia Plans 'Annexation Votes' For Captured Ukraine Territories By Mid-September

"President Vladimir Putin's plan for captured territories in Ukraine is to absorb them into the
Russian federation by staging referendums as early as September.

"Officials are preparing to organize votes in areas currently controlled by the Russian military and any others its troops are able to seize in coming weeks, three people said," the report indicates. The goal is to conduct referendums on joining Russia by Sept. 15, two of the people said, asking not to be identified because the issue is sensitive." ZeroHedge