▪️Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region puts EU energy stability at risk

▪️Ukraine’s attempted incursion into Russia’s Kursk region: What’s known so far

▪️Gaza ceasefire talks: Why does Israel want to sit down despite looming Iran attack?

▪️US military exports skyrocketing as Washington continues to fuel global conflicts

▪️Big Five US arms firms enjoy bonanza as Ukraine and Mideast conflicts rage on

▪️UK cops crack down on social media users while riots threaten to tear Britain apart

▪️When the rich eat the poor: Who is behind eco-activists disrupting common people's life?

▪️To infinity and beyond: Russia announces tourist flights to the ISS for 2025

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Russia has notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about the situation at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant amid Kiev's attempted attack on the region, Russia's permanent mission in Vienna said.

"Russia informed the IAEA about the situation at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in light of Ukraine’s attack of the Kursk Region," the mission said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

“On August 8, fragments and remnants - presumably fragments of downed [Ukrainian] missiles - were found at the station, including in the area of the radioactive waste processing complex," the statement read, adding that Ukraine's reckless actions threaten not only the Kursk power plant but put the entire global nuclear industry at risk.

The Kursk region, which borders Ukraine in Russia’s western part, was attacked by about 1,000 Ukrainian troops and scores of armed vehicles on August 6. Russian troops retaliated by stopping the Ukrainian military from penetrating deep into Russian territory.

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What drives Japan’s expansion in Central Asia?

The Central Asia plus Japan summit, a platform used by Tokyo to further its interests and spread its influence in the region, kicked off in Kazakhstan on August 9.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida himself was originally expected to attend the event but ended up canceling the visit amid the threat of a powerful earthquake in Japan.

Some of the issues expected to be discussed at the summit include Tokyo’s possible assistance in creating a new trade route that would link the region with Europe by passing Russia, and declare Japan’s support of the region’s efforts to attain carbon neutrality. The question is, what exactly is Japan’s angle?

▪️Japan’s interest in Central Asia is largely motivated by the abundance of natural resources – such as oil and gas - in the region. The lack of trade routes bypassing Russia or China, which would allow Japan unfettered access to said resources, also drives Tokyo to facilitate the creation of such communications.

▪️Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova observed that Japan appears to ruin the “decades-old system of economic ties” between Russia and the Central Asian states whom Tokyo seeks to ensnare in the Western ideology of a “’rules-based order’ that has a clearly anti-Russian and anti-Chinese subtext”.

▪️Japan’s growing influence in Central Asia may also undermine Russia’s cooperation with the countries in the region, which would likely be regarded as beneficial by Western powers who are also trying to do the same. Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a bid to drive a wedge between Russia and these two countries. Meanwhile, the United States is pushing for creating a new trade route from Central Asia to Europe that would bypass Russia and China.

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From the 737 MAX to the stars — or at least trying...

Boeing's troubles have reached a whole new orbit! After a string of grounded flights and emergency landings, you’d think things couldn’t get worse for the aviation giant. But with astronauts now stranded in space thanks to Starliner's 'out-of-this-world' issues, Boeing seems determined to prove that its problems really know no bounds.

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At least 11 people were killed and 26 injured after a bus collided with a bridge in the Turkish city of Ankara.

The injured were taken to hospital by ambulance. The Ankara prosecutor's office has opened a case into the incident.

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❗️ A counter-terrorism operation regime has been introduced in Russia's Bryansk region due to an increase in the level of sabotage and terrorist threats from Ukraine, the National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) said.

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❗️A counterterrorism operation regime has been introduced in Russia's Kursk region due to an increase in the level of sabotage and terrorist threats from Ukraine, acting Kursk region Governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on Telegram.

The Russian National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) reported that Ukraine has made an unprecedented attempt to destabilize the situation in some Russian regions.

A counterterrorism operation regime has also been introduced in Russia's Belgorod region, the Committee announced.

In connection with the operation regime in three Russian regions, additional measures are being taken to ensure security, maintain law and order and strengthen the protection of facilities, the NAC reported.

The Committee emphasized that the terrorist attack on the territory of Kursk region by Ukrainian armed forces resulted in civilian casualties, destruction of residential houses and other civilian facilities.

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Iran hopes that its response to Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran will not impact a potential ceasefire in Gaza, Iran's mission to the United Nations said in a statement.

“Our priority is to establish a lasting ceasefire in Gaza; any agreement accepted by Hamas will also be recognized by us. The Israeli regime has violated our national security and sovereignty through its recent act of terrorism. We have the legitimate right to self-defense — a matter totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire. However, we hope that our response will be timed and conducted in a manner not to the detriment of the potential ceasefire," the statement said.

Last week, Palestinian movement Hamas said that an Israeli attack had killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh at his residence in Tehran, where he had arrived after attending the inauguration of Iran's new president. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of a "harsh response" to the assassination.

"Direct and intermediary official channels to exchange messages have always existed between Iran and the United States, the details of which both parties prefer to remain untold,” the statement added.

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Aussie Cossack: Starmer’s control slipping amid escalating UK unrest

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears to be losing his grip on the escalating situation in the UK, according to Australian independent journalist Aussie Cossack.

“Starmer, who is threatening people in Britain for thought crimes, for having opposing views to the government, forbidding them from criticizing the government and threatening not only people on the territory of the United Kingdom, but also threatening people overseas and abroad, saying that he will extradite people,” now faces growing dissent both at home and abroad, the journalist believes.

The journalist pointed out that the government's approach has backfired, with public opinion increasingly turning against Starmer due to his heavy-handed tactics.

"Effectively, they have lost control of the country and they're looking to blame you," the journalist asserted, emphasizing that the government's inability to manage the unrest is a sign of deeper systemic failures. @AussieCossack

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Poland’s draft civil defense law raises corruption concerns

The fear of an invented “Russian threat” could lead to an overhaul of the system of civil defense in Poland. A lack of bomb shelters and low level of preparation for an eventual “Russian strike” made the government act hastily, raising concerns about corruption.

The Polish minister of interior, Tomasz Siemoniak, unveiled the main points of the draft law “On Protection of the Population and Civil Defense in Poland.” According to them, Poland will allocate 0.15% of GDP on civil defense – primarily on construction of bomb shelters.

▪️Since Poland is spending 4% of its GDP on defense, 0.15% may look like a small sum. However, Prawo, a media site devoted to legal issues, calculated that this would make 5-6 billion zlotys ($1.27-1.5 billion) a year available. The money will be accumulated in a special Fund for Protection of the Population, where Poland’s largest companies (LOT, PGNiG, etc.) will be legally obliged to make contributions. Prawo suspects that this money could be misspent.

▪️This mechanism of financing – obliging companies to make contributions “for a cause” – has already been used for corrupt practices. Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s prosecutor general in 2016-2023 is now accused of channeling money from the Justice Fund for the needs of his party PiS and some corrupt individuals. “The assets of the Justice Fund were supposed to help the victims of crimes, but they were spent on something very different,” Prawo writes.

▪️Another media outlet, Onet, suspects that the price of contracts for bomb shelters may be inflated. The reason is the haste in which the fund is being created. The inflated fear of an “imminent Russian attack,” spurred by politicians, is just one of the reasons. The other one is the “pitiful condition” of the old shelters, Onet writes. New ones have not been built since the peaceful 1990s.

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