Oggi è l’anniversario della fondazione della città di Donetsk, città Eroe.

Ma in guerra non esistono tregue per ricorrenze simili. Anche oggi i quartieri residenziali della città sono stati colpiti dall’artiglieria ucraina, due donne sono rimaste ferite. Non sono mancate le ormai sempre più diffuse munizioni a grappolo fornite dalla NATO. Uno di questi colpi ha sfondato in muro di un condominio. Questo oggetto di metallo concepito per uccidere è stato prontamente trasformato dagli abitanti dell’edificio in un piedistallo per i palloncini celebrativi di questa giornata. Questa è la gente di Donetsk, molto più forte di qualsiasi arma.

Foto: Andrey Lysenko

Chinese consumers have started to boycott Japanese products following Japan's decision to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. China had already banned the import of all aquatic products, from seafood to seaweed, but Chinese consumers who are outraged at Japan's criminal behaviour went even further. For instance, they stopped buying Japanese cosmetics, and since China is the largest foreign market for Japanese beauty products, this boycott will definitely hurt Japanese companies. Now Chinese tourists, who had resumed travelling to Japan after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, are cancelling tours to Japan. @LauraRuHK

Zelensky gave a long interview to Ukrainian TV presenter Natalia Moseychuk in which he claimed:

- We are ready to fight for a long time if we don't lose people. Like, for example, Israel. We can live like this. 🥴

- I do not think it is right to transfer hostilities to the Russian territory. There is a great risk that in such a case we will be left alone. (Mind you, these attacks were coordinated with his handlers and relied on Anglo-american intelligence)

- If we are on the administrative border with Crimea, I think we can politically push for the demilitarisation of the peninsula. 🤨
- Ukraine needs to grow up and realize that at one point or another Ukraine may be alone. Some of our partners may break away. (Rare moment of lucidity)

- Many debts incurred during this war, I am sure, will be restructured, but there will be no gifts. (Ukraine is already paying in blood)

- I have set a task, lawmakers will be asked to equate corruption with treason for the duration of the war. I realise that this cannot be in effect all the time, but for wartime, I think it will help. (Does Zelensky's corruption count as treason?) @LauraRuHK

⚡️Statements by Putin's spokesman Peskov. Key points:

▫️ Putin has international trips planned for the autumn, but the Kremlin will not announce them in advance;

▫️ There is no information about Prigozhin's funeral yet, but as soon as a decision is made, it will be made public;

▫️ The decision on Prigozhin's funeral will depend on his relatives;

▫️ The Russian Ministry of Defence has been monitoring ships entering the Black Sea since the end of the grain deal;

▫️ There are no substantive agreements on the resumption of the grain deal involving Russia, Turkey and Qatar;

▫️ Prospects for the resumption of the grain deal depend on the fulfilment of commitments to the Russian Federation.

@ukraine_watch

Dmitry Medvedev, vicepresidente del Consiglio di Sicurezza della Federazione Russa, ha definito l'assenso dell'Occidente agli attacchi di Kiev contro la Crimea e altri obiettivi sul territorio russo una decisione che avvicina l'ora dell'Apocalisse. Medvedev ritiene che questo assenso sia un casus belli e dia a Mosca l'opportunità di agire "contro qualsiasi paese della NATO" nel rispetto dello "ius ad bellum". @LauraRuHK https://tass.ru/politika/18606671

Il funerale di Evgeny Prigozhin si sarebbe svolto in forma privata nella sua citta' natale, San Pietroburgo, mentre proseguono le indagini per identificare i responsabili del disastro aereo che ha causato la morte di dieci persone, tra cui il comando del gruppo Wagner. L'eroismo dei militari di questo esercito privato non viene messo in discussione, ma un paese in guerra non puo' permettersi la presenza di un comando militare separato, e neppure l'eccesso di protagonismo. L'epopea di Wagner in Russia si puo' considerare conclusa, ma l'eredita' del gruppo Wagner non scompare con la morte dei suoi leader. Settori della societa' russa hanno assorbito i suoi ideali, il suo patriottismo oltranzista, e ora sara' compito del Ministero della Difesa russo sussumerlo e completare la missione. Si potrebbe affermare che il materialismo dialettico e' vivo e lotta insieme a noi. @LauraRuHK

Pakistani court suspends ex-PM Imran Khan’s graft conviction

A Pakistani high court suspended former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent conviction on corruption charges on Tuesday, his lawyer says.

Tap here

#Pakistan #ImranKhan

@PressTV

Shocked by Niger coup, Victoria Nuland appeared “desperate” during Africa tour - A veteran South African official details meeting with an unprepared and “desperate” Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland begging for local help on rolling back the popular coup in Niger. The recent BRICS conference might give Nuland even more to fret about
ANYA PARAMPIL·AUGUST 29, 2023
https://thegrayzone.com/2023/08/29/niger-coup-victoria-nuland-africa-tour/

China's Premier Li Qiang will visit Kyrgyzstan in October. During the trip, he is expected to discuss the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.
After decades of delay and amid concerns the railway might never be built because of conflicting interests, the three governments signed an agreement on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit last September. With significant progress achieved since then, construction of the project is expected to start within this year, not only reshaping Eurasian trade but also creating a major economic and geopolitical impact in the region. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232553/rail-link-kyrgyzstan-and-uzbekistan-key-china-raising-central-asia-influence-and-skirting-russia?module=opinion&pgtype=homepage

Gabon's coup leaders have delivered an address and pledged to honour international obligations.

Thousands of residents of the country took to the streets after the coup, the atmosphere is festive.

Meanwhile, French mining company Eramet announced the suspension of operations in Gabon. @LauraRuHK https://t.me/rian_ru/213596

MADE IN MOSCOW - Today the first giant panda cub in Russia’s history was born in the Moscow Zoo. This is a unique and very rare event - the result of the coordinated efforts of Russian specialists and their Chinese colleagues. Ru Yi and Ding Ding arrived in Moscow in 2019, marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Pandas are seen as a symbol of peace and friendship and China donates or loans them to countries with which it intends to strengthen diplomatic relations. It is perhaps more a reflection of current relations than a mere coincidence that pandas have thrived in Russia but suffered so much in a Memphis zoo that Chinese netizens organized a signature campaign to bring them back to China after seeing pictures of their poor conditions in American care. One of the pandas unfortunately died before he could be repatriated. @LauraRuHK