China had almost 2 million excess deaths after the end of ‘zero-Covid,’ U.S. study finds (www.cnbc.com)
Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies Surged to Record $7 Trillion in 2022, the IMF says (www.imf.org)
As the world struggles to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and parts of Asia, Europe and the United States swelter in extreme heat, subsidies for oil, coal and natural gas are costing the equivalent of 7.1 percent of global gross domestic product. That’s more than governments spend annually on education (4.3...
Mother is arrested in Bangladesh after son in the U.S. criticizes government online (www.nbcnews.com)
'Our man in Miami:' Pro-Putin Russian billionaire accused of meddling in U.S. elections evades sanctions, moves family to America (theins.ru)
Saudi LGBTQ refugees live in fear of being kidnapped (www.indexoncensorship.org)
[The British magazine ‘Index On Censorship’ publishes an article which has reportedly been blocked by Vice to not offend Saudi Arabia.]
Europe is cracking down on Big Tech. This is what will change when you sign on (apnews.com)
I read this wondering if there would be something strange, or an overreaction. There’s nothing like that at all. It’s basically just a law that forces tech companies to respect people and their right to privacy. Most of it is common sense stuff that you think they should do without having to be told....
Pacific islands warn US over Chinese threat and urge US president Biden to increase aid (www.theguardian.com)
Island nations who offer the US military proximity to China in exchange for aid emphasized they are especially vulnerable to Chinese cyber-attacks and economic exploitation as they struggle to recover from the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia, Iran among six nations invited to join BRICS (libertarianinstitute.org)
Edit: replaced with Aljazeera article, a known news source...
Russia may annex Georgian breakaway regions -Medvedev (www.reuters.com)
Archive: archive.ph/lWCG9
Wagner Group commander Dmitry Utkin was on plane that crashed north of Moscow, Russian civil aviation authority says (news.sky.com)
Argentina to use IMF money to pay back part of a currency swap with China, sources say (www.reuters.com)
China’s security drive hits embassy activities, LGBT events, some diplomats say (www.asahi.com)
Twenty envoys from 12 Western and Asian delegations told Reuters that in recent months they had noticed larger police presences around some diplomatic premises and increased attempts by Chinese authorities to intimidate embassy contacts and disrupt civic outreach endeavors, including LGBT and gender-themed events.
‘I’m ready to die for Russia but not for criminals and thieves:' Russian military officers on why they deserted after Russia invaded Ukraine (meduza.io)
Wagner boss Prigozhin killed in plane crash in Russia (www.bbc.co.uk)
Live updates: Wagner’s Yevgeniy Prigozhin believed to be aboard crashed plane in Russia (www.washingtonpost.com)
As this is a developing story, I’m skipping the archive link.
US imposes visa curbs on Chinese officials over boarding schools for Tibetans (www.reuters.com)
Japan to release Fukushima water into ocean starting Aug 24 (www.reuters.com)
Mirror: archive.ph/rvXQA
Ecuador Votes to Ban Oil Drilling in the Amazon in Historic First (www.globalcitizen.org)
Europe's heatwave turns deadly as 18 burned bodies found in Greek fires (www.reuters.com)
Iran unveils armed drone resembling America’s MQ-9 Reaper and says it could potentially reach Israel (apnews.com)
A Summer Rite in Spain: Coping With the British Tourist Invasion (www.nytimes.com)
NYT gift article expires in 30 days....
Short circuit: how Europe turns a blind eye to Russia smuggling dual-use microchips (theins.ru)
In spite of sanctions, microchips from U.S. companies Texas Instruments and Analog Devices continue to be imported into Russia, where they have military applications. These violations are hiding in plain sight, in registered customs data.
80% of bosses say they regret earlier return-to-office plans: ‘A lot of executives have egg on their faces’ (www.cnbc.com)
Many company executives now regret their initial return-to-office plans, as 80% say they would have approached it differently if they understood employee preferences. While some firms are requiring more in-office time, citing collaboration needs, others are scaling back requirements due to retention issues. Successful companies...
Saudia Arabia, border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers, rights activists say (www.hrw.org)
In some instances, Saudi border guards asked migrants what limb to shoot, and then shot them at close range. Saudi border guards also fired explosive weapons at migrants who were attempting to flee back to Yemen.
Saudi Border Guards Accused of Killing Hundreds of African Migrants (www.nytimes.com)
NYT gift article expires in 30 days....
