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