First, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, National Public Radio, and the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. — MCM

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Zelensky, Erdogan, Guterres To Meet Thursday In Ukraine. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN chief Antonio Guterres will meet in Ukraine on Thursday, the United Nations announced. “At the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the secretary-general will be in Lviv on Thursday to attend a trilateral meeting . . . READ MORE . . .

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Action wanes at U.N. to isolate Russia almost six months into Ukraine war, by Michelle Nichols and Emma Farge | Reuters UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA — On a June night under the chandeliers of Russia’s United Nations mission in New York, dozens of U.N. ambassadors from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia attended a reception to mark the country’s national day — less than four months after its forces invaded neighboring Ukraine. The crowd of ambassadors illustrated the difficulties facing Western diplomats in trying to sustain international resolve to isolate Russia diplomatically . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians flee grim life in Russian-occupied Kherson, by Hanna Arhirova, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV —Kherson, located north of the Crimean Peninsula that was annexed by Moscow in 2014, was the first city to fall after Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. The port remains at the heart of the conflict and Ukraine’s efforts to preserve its vital access to the sea. For Russia, Kherson is a key point along the land corridor from its border to the peninsula. Volodymyr Zhdanov and others who made the hazardous journey to escape from the region . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Foreign Ministry slams media allegations of Russia stealing power from Zaporozhye NPP. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Wall Street Journal’s allegations of Russia stealing electricity from the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant expose its failure to see the cause-effect relationships, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry pointed to a Wall Street Journal article, which alleged, citing analysts, that Moscow was trying “to reroute power to occupied territories, Russia and even export markets, where the price of electricity is surging.” “The wild conclusion is that such ‘expropriation’ on the part of Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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What it was like as family of Ukrainian prisoners of war waited for news after blast. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR The families of Ukrainian soldiers imprisoned by Russian forces have embarked on a desperate search for information after a deadly explosion at the prison where the soldiers are kept. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Russians scramble for visas as EU mulls travel restrictions, by Anastasia Tenisheva | The Moscow Times Russians are racing to try and obtain European visas as some countries impose travel restrictions and fears grow that the European Union could ban Russian tourists from the bloc in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The number of applications for  . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Tass, Agence France-Press, and National Public Radio; to access others, click on their names or initials  below. — MCM

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Explosions shake Russian-held Crimea, Ukraine hints at role, by Natalia Zinets | Reuters  * Ammunition store explodes in latest Crimea blasts * Ukraine and Russia trade blame for shelling near nuclear site * Food aid leaves Ukrainian port for Africa | KYIV — Explosions rocked an ammunition depot and disrupted trains in Russian-annexed Crimea today, the latest such incident in a region Moscow uses as a supply line for its . . . READ MORE . . .

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Explosions refocus war in Ukraine on Russian-annexed Crimea, by Paul Byrne | AP  KYIV  — The world’s attention on the war in Ukraine today turned anew to Russia-annexed Crimea, where two separate fires, including one with massive explosions, injured at least two people and forced the evacuation of around 2,000 residents. The second incident in a week in Crimea raised increasing questions about whether Ukrainian forces managed to hit the peninsula. Videos . . . READ MORE . . .

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Munitions depot fire in Crimea’s north continues, regional leader reports. From Tass. SIMFEROPOL  — A blaze that was triggered by an ammunition depot blast in the Dzhankoi district of Crimea continues, peninsula head Sergey Aksenov said on his Telegram channel today. “I am in the village of Azovsky, Dzhankoi district, where . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Army says munitions explode at Crimea depot. From AFP. Russia said today that a fire had set off explosions at a munitions depot in Crimea, a week after a series of similar blasts at an airbase in the peninsula annexed from Ukraine. The defence ministry said in a statement that a fire erupted around 6:15 am local time (0315 GMT) at a temporary military storage site near the village of Mayskoye in the Dzhankoi district, causing . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainians express worries over conscription following Russia’s invasion. Reported by Ashley Westerman | NPR  After Russia’s invasion, Ukraine announced martial law in February and issued a travel ban, so most men couldn’t leave the country. Many have since felt trapped and worry they’ll be drafted to fight. Click HERE to listen and read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

With apologies for the late notice, I inform dear readers that there will be no entry for today. Perhaps there will be one tomorrow. Thank you for checking in. — MCM

First, links to Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and Tass reports; for links to others, click on their initials or names below. (Another entry, just below this one, concerns China.) Finally, a link to the Wall Street Journal reporter’s interview with Henry Kissinger that Tass calls attention to, and Caitlin Johnstone commentary on that. — MCM

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Shelling kills 1 in Ukraine; Russia wants nuke plant pledges. From AP. KYIV — Russian forces today fired rockets on the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine, killing at least one person, and a Russian diplomat called on Ukraine to offer security assurances so that international inspectors could visit a nuclear power station that has come under fire. The Mykolaiv region is just to the north of the Russian-occupied city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces have vowed to retake. . . . As fighting steps up in southern Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zaporizhzhia plant risks are increasing every day. From AFP.  The risk of disaster at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russian troops is “increasing every day”, the mayor of the city where the facility is located said today. The power plant — Europe’s largest — was seized by Russian soldiers in the opening days of the invasion and has remained on the front line ever since. This week the facility . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine targets Russian soldiers accused of threatening nuclear plant, by Natalia Zinets and Andrea Shalal | Reuters * Russians threatening Zaporizhzhia are ‘targets’ -Zelenskiy * Humanitarian cargo due to set sail for Ethiopia | KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned Russian soldiers who shoot at Europe’s largest nuclear power station or use it as a base to shoot from that they will become a “special target” for Ukrainian forces. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the establishment of a demilitarised zone at the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine amid fears of a nuclear catastrophe over renewed shelling . . . . Zelenskiy, who did not give any details . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kissinger believes U.S. at the edge of war with Russia and China. From Tass. NEW YORK — Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger believes Washington is currently on the brink of war with Moscow and Beijing, he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “We are at the edge of war with Russia and China on issues which we partly created, without any concept of how this is going to end or what it’s supposed to lead to,” he said. “You can’t just now say . . . READ MORE . . .

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Henry Kissinger is worried about ‘disequilibrium,’ by Laura Secor | The Wall Street Journal At 99 years old, Henry Kissinger has just published his 19th book, “Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.” It is an analysis of the vision and historical achievements of an idiosyncratic pantheon of post-World War II leaders: Konrad Adenauer, Charles DeGaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan-Yew and Margaret Thatcher. In the 1950s, “before I was involved in politics,” Mr. Kissinger tells me . . . READ MORE . . .

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Modern U.S. warmongering is scaring Henry Kissinger, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, immortal Hague fugitive Henry Kissinger says the US is acting in a crazy and irrational way that has brought it to the edge of war with Russia and China. . . . I don’t know about you, but to me this warning is much, much more ominous coming from . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass reports. Coverage of China and U.S. relations with it have overshadowed that of the war in Ukraine. This China entry continues last Thursday’s, HERE. It includes links to two pieces from Consortium News and a link to a longer “explainer” published in May on the website of a think tank that describes itself as “The Hub of Realism and Restraint.” Finally, a link to the Wall Street Journal reporter’s interview with Henry Kissinger that Tass calls attention to, and Caitlin Johnstone commentary on that. — MCM

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More US lawmakers visiting Taiwan 12 days after Pelosi trip. From the Associated Press. TAIPEI, Taiwan — A delegation of American lawmakers is visiting Taiwan just 12 days after a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that angered China. The five-member delegation, led by Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, will meet senior leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade, investment and other issues, the American Institute in Taiwan said. The institute represents the U.S. government, which does not have official ties with Taiwan. READ MORE . . .

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U.S. lawmakers arrive in Taiwan with China tensions simmering, by Ben Blanchard and David Shepardson | Reuters TAIPEI / WASHINGTON — A delegation of U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taiwan today for a two-day trip during which they will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, the second high-level group to visit while there are military tensions between the self-ruled island and China. Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has conducted military drills around the island to express its anger over U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kissinger believes U.S. at the edge of war with Russia and China. From Tass. NEW YORK — Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger believes Washington is currently on the brink of war with Moscow and Beijing, he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “We are at the edge of war with Russia and China on issues which we partly created, without any concept of how this is going to end or what it’s supposed to lead to,” he said. “You can’t just now say . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan elevates tensions, by David Crawshow and Lili Kuo | The Washington Post The visit lasted barely 19 hours. But Nancy Pelosi’s contentious trip was a defining moment in the increasingly bitter rivalry between China and the United States. A fuller picture of the Chinese response will emerge over the coming . .. READ MORE . . .

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A rational conversation about China, by Vijay Prashad | Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research / Consortium News The U.S. legislative leader Nancy Pelosi’s journey to Taipei was part of the ongoing U.S. provocation of China. This campaign includes former President Barack Obama’s “pivot to Asia,” former President Donald Trump’s “trade war,” the creation of security partnerships — the Quad and AUKUS—and the gradual transformation of NATO into an instrument against China. This agenda continues with President Joe Biden’s assessment that China must be weakened since it is the “only competitor potentially capable . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S.-China climate talks in tatters, by Marcy Winograd | Consortium News It was only last year, in 2021, that U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua issued a joint statement  to strengthen the Paris Agreement by adopting  “long-term strategies aimed at net zero GHG emissions” to keep the world’s temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, with the goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. Such collaboration is urgently needed if the world is to thwart . . . READ MORE . . .

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Deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Upholding the status quo, by Peter Harris | Defense Priorities  FIVE KEY POINTS. 1. The U.S. has a goal to avoid a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, but the overriding U.S. interest is to avoid a ruinous war with China. The imperative to avoid a conflict with China should take priority for U.S. leaders. 2. Proposals to deter China by bolstering U.S. military deployments in the Western Pacific are unlikely to succeed and fraught with danger. China has . . . READ MORE . . .

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Henry Kissinger is worried about ‘disequilibrium,’ by Laura Secor | The Wall Street Journal At 99 years old, Henry Kissinger has just published his 19th book, “Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.” It is an analysis of the vision and historical achievements of an idiosyncratic pantheon of post-World War II leaders: Konrad Adenauer, Charles DeGaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan-Yew and Margaret Thatcher. In the 1950s, “before I was involved in politics,” Mr. Kissinger tells me . . . READ MORE . . .

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Modern U.S. warmongering is scaring Henry Kissinger, by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, immortal Hague fugitive Henry Kissinger says the US is acting in a crazy and irrational way that has brought it to the edge of war with Russia and China. . . . I don’t know about you, but to me this warning is much, much more ominous coming from . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Moscow Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Tass, and teleSUR; others are accessible by clicking on the organizations’ names or initials below. — MCM

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In Graphs: Russia hits 5,000 independently confirmed military deaths in Ukraine, by Yanina Sorokina | The Moscow Times More than 5,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, according to a tally of confirmed deaths updated this week by independent Russian media outlet iStories.  The figure is over three times higher than the official death toll of 1,351 which was last updated by the Russian Defense Ministry in March. While . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian minister says Russia blocking access to medicines, by Derek Gatopoulos and Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s health minister has accused Russian authorities of committing a crime against humanity by blocking access to affordable medicines in areas its forces have occupied since invading the country 5 1/2 months ago. . . .“Throughout the entire six months of war, Russia has not (allowed) proper humanitarian corridors so we could provide our own medicines to the patients that need them,” said Health Minister Viktor Liashko said Friday. “We believe that these actions are being taken with intent by Russia, and we consider them to be . . . READ MORE . . .

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U.S. says India hid Russian origin of fuel shipped to U.S., India central banker says, by Nidhi Verma | Reuters NEW DELHI — The United States has expressed concern to India tha  it was being used to export fuel made from Russian crude, through high-seas transfers to hide its origin, to New York in violation of U.S. sanctions, a top Indian central banker said today. . . . U.S. sanctions on Moscow . . . prohibit the import to the United States of Russian-origin energy products including . . . READ MORE . . .

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The war in Ukraine is disrupting the world’s supply of neon. Reported by Jeff Guo | NPR  A growing shortage for neon is driving up its prices by 5000%. Neon production became highly concentrated in post-Soviet states, such as Ukraine and Russia. The world is paying for that concentration. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Russian economy shrinks 4% in second quarter as sanctions weigh. From Reuters. * This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine | MOSCOW — Russia’s economy shrank 4.0% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2022, the first full quarter of what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, preliminary data from the federal statistics service Rosstat showed on Friday. The economy is plunging into recession after . . . READ MORE . . .

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S&P cuts Ukraine’s credit rating to ‘selective default.’ From AFP. Rating agencies S&P and Fitch again lowered Ukraine’s credit rating Friday, deeming that the war-torn country’s debt restructuring agreement placed it one notch from default. S&P cut Ukraine’s rating to “SD” for selective default from “CC/C,” noting that a majority of Eurobond holders agreed to defer debt service payments by 24 months. “Given the announced . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says its allied forces fully liberate settlement of Peski in DPR. From Tass. MOSCOW — The allied forces of the Donbass republics and the Russian army completely liberated the settlement of Peski in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported today. “ As a result . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelenski proposes extending martial law, general mobilization. From teleSUR. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday proposed to the parliament to prolong the current martial law and general mobilization in the country for another 90 days, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. The Ukrainian parliament imposed a martial law after the start of the conflict with Russia on Feb. 24 and extended it three times since . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass. Then a link to an opinion piece in the Moscow Times; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. NOTE: items are scarcer lately, owing to summer vacations and other factors. — MCM

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UN demands end to military activity at Ukraine nuke plant, by Edith M. Lederer | The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. nuclear chief warned Thursday that “very alarming” military activity at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine could lead to dangerous consequences for the region and called for an end to attacks at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia facility. Rafael Grossi urged Russia and Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine, Russia trade blame for risk of nuclear disaster at frontline plant, by Natalia Zinets | Reuters * Sides trade blame for blasts at Russian-held nuclear plant * U.N. calls for demilitarised zone * Zelenskiy demands Russia return plant to Ukraine * Ukrainian towns on opposite bank under Russian bombardment * Satellite images show damage at Russian air base in Crimea | KYIV — Ukraine and Russia accused each other today of risking nuclear disaster by shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces in a region expected to become one of the next big front lines of the war. Western countries have called for Moscow to withdraw its troops from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and the United Nations called on Thursday for it to be declared a demilitarized zone. But there has been no sign so far of Russia agreeing to move its troops out of the facility they seized in March. The plant . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian public’s confidence in Putin surpasses 81%, poll reveals. From Tass. MOSCOW — The level of Russian citizens’ confidence in President Vladimir Putin has increased by 0.5 percentage points to 81.3% over the week, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center published today. . . . Positive assessment figures for the activities of the Prime Minister and the Russian government over the past week dropped to 52.6% (-0.2 p.p.) and 52.2% (-0.6 p.p.), respectively. “[PM] Mikhail Mishustin is trusted by 63.1% of respondents (-0.5 p.p. over the week),” the report said. READ MORE . . .

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War in Ukraine Has Sparked a New Race to Succeed Putin, by Andrei Pertsev | The Moscow Times The war in Ukraine and ensuing sanctions have failed to cement Russia’s power vertical or unify the country’s influential business and political groups. Had President Vladimir Putin gotten the swift victory he was clearly counting on when he launched his “special operation,” he would have solidified his position as ruler, but as the conflict drags on, the elites are being forced to think of their future and to try to find their place within it. Putin himself demonstrates . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

Below please find links below to a day-old Reuters news story and five recent opinion pieces. — MCM

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China withdraws promise not to send troops to Taiwan if it takes control of island, by Yew Lun Tian | Reuters BEIJING — China has withdrawn a promise not to send troops or administrators to Taiwan if it takes control of the island, an official document showed on Wednesday, signalling a decision by President Xi Jinping to grant less autonomy than previously offered. China’s white paper on its position on self-ruled Taiwan follows days of unprecedented Chinese military exercises near the island, which Beijing claims as its territory, in protest against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit last week. China had said in two previous . . . READ MORE. . .

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The Pelosi fallout, by Patrick Lawrence | Consortium News We witnessed a major breach in trans­–Pacific relations last week in consequence of Nancy Pelosi’s self-indulgent, utterly failed maunder through East Asia. We also watched a turn of great magnitude in global geopolitics, given China’s inevitable rise as a world power and America’s inevitable decline. It may be . . . that last week’s events will prove to be enduringly momentous, warranting their own chapter in the history texts of the future. I see good and bad in this, and in my view the former will outweigh the latter in the medium and long . . .  READ MORE . . .

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China poses a threat to the whole world, by Jay Ambrose | Tribune News Service Chinese It might not work as an alternative to war at this point, but what seems to me essential in a future without China in charge of everything is that the United States and the best of the rest  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lady Gaga & ‘Everything China Fears,‘ by Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com The Times of London has published an article titled “Lady Gaga embodies everything China fears,” subtitled “The singer’s uncompromising individuality makes her a serious threat to the mass imposition of cultural conformity through censorship,” and its contents are exactly as . . . READ MORE . . .

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What in the World Are Washington and Beijing Doing? By Michael D. Swaine | Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft / Tribune News Service Let’s be clear: Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan was not a great opportunity to show America’s support for the island; it did not chasten Beijing to exert greater restraint toward Taipei. To the contrary—countless China and foreign policy specialists predicted it would produce a major, likely sustained, coercive Chinese reaction that will deepen our current slide toward conflict in the Sino-U.S. relationship. And guess what? That is exactly what is now happening. Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan . . . READ MORE . . .

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China is better than the U.S.A. By Caitlin Johnstone | caitlinjohnstone.com Biden is continuing Trump administration policies with China, Russia, Iran, Ukraine, Yemen, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, etc. The war machine always moves the same regardless of elections. How long before foreign leaders . . . READ MORE . …

First, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Tass, National Public Radio, and Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata; others from these organizations are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Satellite pictures show devastation at Russian air base in Crimea, by Tom Balmforth | Reuters * Ukraine silent on how strike was carried out * Satellite images show three craters, eight destroyed planes * ‘It’s very good,’ says ex-head of CIA * Russian bombardment reported along frontline | KYIV — Satellite pictures released today showed devastation at a Russian air base in Crimea, hit in an attack that suggested Kyiv may have obtained new long-range strike capability with potential to change the course of the war. Pictures released by independent satellite firm Planet Labs showed three near-identical craters where buildings at Russia’s Saki air base had been struck with apparent precision. . . . Russia has denied aircraft were damaged and said explosions seen at the base . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine. From the  AP. As Russia continues to suffer losses in its invasion of Ukraine, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization — a move that could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. That has led instead to a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up the manpower shortage. This also is happening amid reports that hundreds of Russian soldiers are refusing to fight and trying to quit the military. “We’re seeing . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Six killed in Russian strikes on eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut. From AFP. Russian strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut killed at least six people and left three others injured, the regional governor says. “The Russians bombed the city with a multiple rocket launcher, hitting a residential area. According to initial information, 12 residential buildings have been damaged and four are on . . . READ MORE . . .

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Over 20,500 Donbass residents cross Russian border in Rostov region in 24 hours. From Tass. ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — More than 20,500 residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics crossed the Russian border in the Rostov region over the past day, the Federal Security Service’s border department told journalists today. . . . According to the report, almost 2.5 million citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have crossed the Russian border in the Rostov region since February. The situation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Latvian parliament declares Russia ‘state sponsor of terrorism.’ From AFP. RIGA — Latvian MPs today adopted a statement declaring Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism” and said its actions in Ukraine constituted “targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people.” The statement said the parliament [also] calls on other like-minded countries to express the same view.” MPs said they considered “Russia’s violence against civilians committed in pursuit of political aims as . . . READ MORE . . .

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Here’s just how close the war in Ukraine has come to Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Reported by Geoff Brumfiel, Julian Hayda and Daniel Wood | NPR Over the weekend, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the largest such plant in Europe — came under fire. Who was behind it remains unclear: Ukraine and Russia blame each other for the attacks. What is clear, is that the strikes are coming nearer to and have already damaged some critical parts of the sprawling nuclear complex. An NPR analysis of satellite imagery and posts to Twitter, Telegram and YouTube over the past month show how an escalating conflict at the plant is . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Latvia is growing its military as Russia becomes increasingly aggressive. Reported by Rob Schmitz | NPR  Latvia is gearing up for the possibility they could be next after Ukraine. Officials say their military are drastically understaffed, so the country plans to bring back compulsory military service. Click HERE to listen and read.

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First Italian probed for enlisting in Ukraine. From ANSA ROME — The first Italian has been placed under investigation for enlisting to fight alongside Ukrainian combatants in Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion. Kevin Chiappalone, 19, from Genoa, is a sympathizer of the far right group CasaPound.   Genoa’s anti-mafia and anti-terrorism prosecutor Marco Zocco has accused . . . READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

A still-young professional engineer is neither confused nor afraid on the subject of the destruction of three skyscrapers at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, as this exchange on 9/11 Free Fall* shows. (As yet, there is no transcript.) – MCM

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‘Facts Will Always Defeat Fear’: Eric Francis-Wright on the post-9/11 world

A Conversation

Last week on 9/11 Free Fall, structural engineer Eric Francis-Wright joined host Andy Steele to talk about his experience as a young boy in Queens on September 11, 2001; about being an engineer who challenges the official story; and about the importance of staying true to oneself in a world of conformity. Though only 11 years old on 9/11, Francis-Wright questioned the idea of a pancake collapse of the Twin Towers from the very beginning. Today, he is confident that the official report issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology will be exposed as untrue in his lifetime. Click HERE to listen and watch.

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* 9/11 Free Fall is a weekly podcast hosted by Andrew Steele that airs every Thursday at 7 p.m. PST (7 p.m. EST) on No Lies Radio.