Aleksandr Darchiyev, Director of the North America Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with TASS a few days ago that declaring Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism" would mean "Washington crossing the point of no return with the most serious collateral damage to bilateral relations".

Recall that the US Senate recently passed a resolution calling on the State Department to recognise Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism" because of "the events in Chechnya and military operations in Georgia, Syria and Ukraine". This initiative is also supported by the US House of Representatives. However, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US administration believes that including Russia on the list of "countries that sponsor terrorism" will not have a real effect. Blinken also said that the measures already taken against Russia are almost equivalent to measures against any other "state sponsor of terrorism". Therefore, they say, we are talking about a "similar effect". Blinken also stressed that the State Department is studying this issue in order to determine how much the inclusion of Russia in the list of "countries that sponsor terrorism" will comply with American law.

The United States, according to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at one time admitted to financing the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation and the Afghan Mujahideen during their war with the "Soviets" in the late 1970s and early 80s. The terrorists "thanked" their benefactors in a peculiar way. After September 11, 2001, Osama Bin Laden became the United States' number one enemy. Other Western intelligence agencies have also collaborated with jihadists in the Middle East and other parts of the world, performing various "special tasks", preparing coups and creating hotbeds of tension in a number of countries. The United Nations subsequently designated some of these organisations as "terrorist" ones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the West is trying to contain the formation of a multipolar world by activating old conflicts to preserve its hegemony.

Speaking at the 2022 Moscow Conference on International Security, Putin said the Western countries are striving to hold the countries and peoples in chains of the neocolonial order.

"Their (Western) hegemony means stagnation for the whole world, for the whole civilization, (it means) obscurantism, the abolition of culture, and neoliberal totalitarianism," he said.

In an attempt to preserve their domination, the US and its allies rudely interfere in the internal affairs of the countries, organize coups, civil wars, provocations, use blackmail, and pressure to subdue states to its will, Putin added.

"In these conditions, we have decided to conduct a special military operation in Ukraine in full compliance with the UN Charter.

The Chinese envoy to the United Kingdom has warned that British and American interference on Taiwan could result in a war, claiming that Beijing's ties with London are now at a crossroads over the island.

In a Guardian op-ed on Tuesday, Chinese ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang offered his government's stance on the territorial feud, while declaring that Taiwan had become a "touchstone issue" for China, the US and the UK alike.

"Over the years, the US has been playing the 'Taiwan card' to contain China by approving arms sales to the island, upgrading its relations with the authorities there and hollowing out the one-China principle," the envoy wrote, referring to a policy that discourages foreign states from forming diplomatic relations with Taipei, which has long been self-governed.

'Taiwan independence' means war and will lead to a dead end. Opposing and defeating such attempts is meant to avoid war and safeguard peace and stability in the region.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged flaws in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and announced plans to restructure the agency, to rehabilitate its public image and better respond to future public health crises.

"For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations," CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday. "As a long-time admirer of this agency and a champion for public health, I want us all to do better."


The overhaul announcement follows an internal review that found the CDC's "rigid, compartmentalized bureaucracy" undermined its response to Covid-19 and slowed its data analysis and releases of public advisories. When pandemic guidance was offered, it was often "confusing and overwhelming," the review found.

China shipped in more than 80 tons of gold from Switzerland last month, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing data from the Swiss Federal Customs Administration. The volume is reportedly more than double the June total, and eight times more than in May.

The surge in gold imports to a five-year high indicates that Chinese demand for the precious metal is picking up, after a lull due to Covid lockdowns in the country's major cities.

"The market's still not great, but it's definitely a lot better than it was in April," Nikos Kavalis, managing director at Metals Focus consultancy, explained to Bloomberg.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has denied taking drugs after videos of a night out, in which a number of revelers could reportedly be heard discussing cocaine, were leaked online. The controversy has prompted some politicians to call for the young leader to take a drug test.

"I am upset that these videos have become public. It was about me having a night out with friends. Partying - even in a boisterous way - dancing and singing," Marin told the media on Thursday morning.

She denied any wrongdoing, but lamented the violation of her privacy. The party took place at a private residence several weeks ago, she said, and expected her off-duty time to remain confidential. Marin confirmed that the party that night later continued at two bars in Helsinki.

Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in war games along with India, Belarus, Mongolia, Tajikistan and other largely anti-Western countries, China's defense ministry said on Wednesday, adding redundantly that China's participation in the joint exercises is "unrelated to the current international and regional situation."

Last month, Moscow announced plans to hold "Vostok" (East) exercises from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, even as it wages war in Ukraine. It said at the time that some foreign forces would participate, without naming them. It turns out that the "foreign forces" account for just under half of the world's population.

China's defence ministry said its participation in the exercises was part of an ongoing bilateral annual cooperation agreement with Russia, Reuters reported. The statement said:

"The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats."

What is perhaps most interesting about the news is that the war games will see India and China participate together, although as the Hindu Times notes, it remains unclear if Indian and Chinese troops - hardly the closest of friends - will be present together or if they will participate in different drills, which will be spread across 13 different training grounds.

Israel and Turkey announced on Wednesday the full normalization of relations and the return of their ambassadors to Ankara and Tel Aviv.

Why it matters: The announcement ends a four-year diplomatic crisis that led to downgraded relations between the two non-Arab regional powers.

Driving the news: The Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement the agreement was reached on Tuesday in a phone call between the director generals of the Israeli and Turkish foreign ministries.

• Both countries decided to upgrade the relations to full diplomatic representation and return the Israeli ambassador and consul general to Ankara and Istanbul and the Turkish ambassador and consul general to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

What they're saying: "The normalization of ties with Turkey is an asset for regional stability and an economic benefit for the citizens of Israel," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said.

New update from Russian Chief of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats, Lieutenant General, Igor Kirillov! Every time you see the guy above, you know some earth-shattering news just dropped.

Normally, these updates focus on biological activity in Ukraine, but today's briefing is about a growing NUCLEAR situation at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant (NPP) in Europe, located in south-eastern Ukraine, now under control of Russian Armed Forces.
Russian MIL report that Ukrainian forces have been shelling the location since July 18th, in 12 different attacks, with a total of 50 artillery shells dropped on the largest NPP in Europe.

"the Ukrainian side, together with their US handlers, are trying to play the card by causing what they believe to be a minor accident at the nuclear power plant and thus disrupting the normal and safe operation of the plant, blaming it on Russia."

Ultimately Russian MIL are accusing Ukraine and "their US handlers" of trying to create a Chernobyl-like nuclear event, and blame it on Russia. The Deep State are attempting to initiate a nuclear false flag.

In the past few months, Lebanese security services have arrested more than 100 people implicated in alleged Israeli spy networks.

Among these were young women tasked with photographing locations in the predominantly Shia southern suburbs of Beirut, the main stronghold of Hezbollah, and the primarily Sunni neighborhood of Tariq Al-Jadida in the western part of the city.

Working for the Israelis

According to investigations carried out by Lebanese security services, most of the detainees had applied online for employment opportunities, before being contacted from phone numbers belonging to Israeli citizens. Some of the accused were asked to buy local SIM cards and send them to addresses abroad.