Houthis Reveal Medium-Range Ballistic Missile Used In Recent Dammam Strike

The Houthis revealed on August 2 that they had used a new medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), dubbed Burkan-3, in the recent strike on the eastern Saudi city of Dammam.

During a press conference, the Yemeni group’s spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Sari, said that the MRBM was developed and manufactured by “Yemeni experts” to overcome Saudi air-defense systems.

“Burkan-3 ballistic missile is the third generation of the Burkan long-range system, which can strike targets throughout the geography of the aggression’s countries,” the spokesman said.

The Burkan-3 MRBM appears to be a member of the Scud family, similar to the older Burkan-1 and 2H. However, unlike its predecessors it doesn’t share any similarities with known Iranian ballistic missiles.

https://southfront.org/houthis-reveal-medium-range-ballistic-missile-used-in-recent-dammam-strike-video-photos/

And who is supplying them with these missiles/drones and other advanced weapons?

MAYBE these human traffickers/genocidal assholes?:

DynCorp mercenaries to replace Blackwater in Yemen

March 2016

Under a USD-3-billion contract between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and DynCorp, mercenaries from the company are to be deployed to Yemen, where UAE forces are fighting against the Yemeni army and Popular Committees on Saudi orders, Khabar News Agency quoted an official with Yemeni Defense Ministry as saying.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the first group of the mercenaries recently arrived in the port city of Aden to replace those of Blackwater, a notorious American group now renamed Academi.

He added that the new militants included special naval forces, who entered the port of Ras Omran southwest of Aden.

DynCorp is a rival of Blackwater, which hires mercenaries and sends them to fight in foreign countries on paid missions.

Blackwater had decided to withdraw from Bab-el-Mandeb region after the Yemeni forces inflicted heavy losses on them. The UAE was forced to bring in the new mercenaries from DynCorp for the same reason.

Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March last year. At least 8,400 people have been killed so far in the aggression and 16,015 others sustained injuries. The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/dyncorp-mercenaries-to-replace-blackwater-in-yemen/5512537

Afghanistan National and Former U.S. Military Interpreter Charged for Role in Human Smuggling Conspiracy

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/afghanistan-national-and-former-us-military-interpreter-charged-role-human-smuggling

U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Russia Over Skripal Poisoning

Move came hours before a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty expired

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, the White House said on Friday, a move Moscow said would hurt already strained U.S.-Russia ties.

The move came hours before a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty expired, after Washington withdrew, accusing Moscow of violating it, which Russia denies.

Washington imposed an initial batch of sanctions last year on Russia after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia, in Britain, which Moscow denies.

"After the first round of sanctions in response to Russia’s assassination attempt against a private citizen in the UK, Russia did not provide the assurances required under U.S. law," said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley.

"So we are imposing a second round of sanctions. It’s another instance where we’re proving tougher on Russia than previous administrations."

Skripal, a former colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March last year after Novichok nerve agent was smeared on his front door.

A woman who lives nearby later died after her partner found the poison in a discarded perfume bottle and brought it home.

European countries and the United States expelled 100 Russian diplomats after the attack. London has charged two Russian men in absentia. The men appeared on Russian TV saying they had visited Salisbury as tourists.

The White House said on Friday that President Trump had signed an executive order, under which the U.S. government would block international financial institutions such as the World Bank from lending to governments subject to U.S. sanctions for using chemical or nuclear weapons.

The Russian rouble dipped to 65 versus the dollar on Friday for the first time in seven weeks, a fall analysts said could partly be attributed to the reported sanctions move.

"I think that this is primarily connected to U.S. domestic politics," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RT TV channel.

Ryabkov said he regretted that U.S.-Russia ties, already strained by differences over everything from Syria to Ukraine, had become a political football in the United States.

Russian officials have repeatedly complained about what they say is Trump's lack of room for maneuver, due to pressure on him from Congress and political rivals to look tough in the wake of accusations Moscow helped him win election in 2016.

Former U.S. special prosecutor Robert Mueller indicted dozens of Russians for what his office called a state-run plot to influence the election to help Trump win. Moscow has denied the accusations. Trump calls the investigation a witch hunt.

Ryabkov said Moscow linked the sanctions to upcoming presidential elections in the United States and said Moscow was ready to defend itself from any negative consequences caused by the new restrictions.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-imposes-new-sanctions-on-russia-over-skripal-poisoning/

Damascus Reveals Details On Turkish Forces Deployed In Syria

The new ceasefire in Greater Idlib is a “a test of Turkey’s intentions,” Syria’s representative to the Astana talks, Bashar Jaafari, said during a press conference in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, on August 2, warning that Damascus patience has limits.

The Syrian diplomat went on to accuse Ankara of violating previous agreement and to reveal the numbers of Turkish forces deployed in the Syria.

“The Turkish regime deployed inside Syria territory 10,655 military personnel, including officers, warrant officers and soldiers, It sent to Syria territory 166 battle tanks, 278 armored vehicles, 18 rocket launchers, 173 mortars, 73 vehicles armed with heavy machine guns and 41 anti-tank missile launchers in a clear violation of Astana agreement, which allows the establishment of 12 observation post of the Turkish Police with no more than 280 policemen,” Jaafari said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Jaafari also noted that Ankara had appointed a Turkish governor for Syria’s Kurdish-populated region of Afrin as well as for the northern Syrian cities of A’zaz, Jarabulus and Marea.

Damascus had announced a conditional ceasefire in Greater Idlib a day earlier. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies accepted the ceasefire. However, they ignored the part saying that they should withdraw from the 20km demilitarized zone around Idlib.

https://southfront.org/damascus-reveals-details-on-turkish-forces-deployed-in-syria/

Israel to advance plans for 2,430 settler homes and approve four outposts

The Higher Planing Council for Judea and Samaria meets four times a year to approve settler housing projects. Next Monday and Tuesday it will hold its second meeting on the topic this year.

The Civil Administration is set to advance plans for at least 2,430 new settler homes and to authorize four new outposts as neighborhoods of existing settlements, Peace Now said on Friday.

The Higher Planing Council for Judea and Samaria meets four times a year to approve settler housing projects. Next Monday and Tuesday it will hold its second meeting on the topic this year.

Earlier in the week, Israel’s security cabinet gave an initial approval for the construction of 700 homes for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military and civilian rule.

It also approved a plan for 6,000 settler housing units. No details of the plans were publicized and it is presumed that they must now go through the regular Civil Administration planning process. It is unclear if the homes set to be advanced next week were part of the security cabinet decision.

No meeting has been scheduled to advance the planing of the 700 Palestinian homes.

Palestinians have held that the West Bank settlements and settler building are a stumbling bloc to peace, because they are located in areas which the Palestinians hold should be part of their future borders.

Israel and the Trump administration have dismissed such claims that settlements are a stumbling bloc to peace. But it is unclear if the pending Trump peace plan will support Israel’s position that all settlements should be included within Israel’s sovereign borders.

On Wednesday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Efrat settlement and swore that as long as he was in office, no settler or settlement would be uprooted.

Settlers have long argued that much more settlement construction is needed and they have further called on Netanyahu to apply sovereignty to Area C of the West Bank.

Hagit Ofran of the left-wing NGO Peace Now said that continued settlement prevent any possibility of a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The plans show that the policy of the government is to prevent any chance for peace and to advance the annexation of the West Bank,” Hagit said.

The list of the number of homes that will likely be advances is as follows: 354 in Nili, 346 in Beit El, 215 in Asfar, 207 in Bracha, 194 in Ganei Mod’in, 168 in Talmon, 132 in Kfar Adumim, 98 in Ma’aleh Amos, 96 in Kiryat Netafim, 94 in Beit Hagai, 94 in Mechola, 80 in Yakir, 70 in Shim’a, 66 in Efrat, 61 in Alon Shvuet, 51 in Shiloh, 29 in Otniel, 27 in Maskiot, 19 in Pedu’el, 18 in Ma’aleh Adumim, and 11 in Enav.

The four outposts to be approved as neighborhoods of existing settlements are: Ibei Hanahal, Givat Sal’it, Haroe Haivri and Brosh.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-to-advance-plans-for-2430-settler-homes-and-approve-four-outposts-597506

China's UN Envoy Says "If US Wants To Fight, We Will Fight", Warns Beijing Will No Longer Allow Hong Kong Protests

The war of words between the world's top superpowers is getting more heated by the hour.

China's new ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said on Friday that if the United States wanted to fight China on trade, "then we will fight" and warned that Beijing was prepared to take countermeasures over new U.S. tariffs, Reuters reports.

"China's position is very clear that if U.S. wishes to talk, then we will talk, if they want to fight, then we will fight," he told reporters. Calling Trump latest tariff announcement an "irrational, irresponsible act", Jun said that China "definitely will take whatever necessary countermeasures to protect our fundamental right, and we also urge the United States to come back to the right track in finding the right solution through the right way."

The ambassador also took a stab at the disintegration of good relations between the US and North Korea (with Beijing's blessing no doubt), saying that "you cannot simply ask DPRK to do as much as possible while you maintain the sanctions against DPRK, that definitely is not helpful" Yun said siding the the Kim regime. It was more than obvious who the "you" he referred to was.

Pouring more salt on the sound, the Chinese diplomat said North Korea should be encourage, and "we think at an appropriate time there should be action taken to ease the sanctions", explicitly taking Pyongyang's side in the ongoing diplomatic saga between Kim and Trump.

When asked if China's trade relations with the United States could harm cooperation between the countries on dealing with North Korea, Zhang said it would be difficult to predict. He added: "It will be hard to imagine that on the one hand you are seeking the cooperation from your partner, and on the other hand you are hurting the interests of your partner."

As North Korea's ally and neighbor, China's role in agreeing to and enforcing international sanctions on the country over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs has been crucial.

However, it is what he said last that was most notable, as it touched on what will likely be the next big geopolitical swan, namely Hong Kong. To wit, Jun said that while Beijing is willing to cooperate with UN member states, it will never allow interference in "internal affairs" such as the controversial regions of Xinjiang and Tibet, and - last but not least - Hong Kong.

And in the latest warning to the defiant financial capital of the Pacific Rim, Jun virtually warned that a Chinese incursion is now just a matter of time, he said that Hong Kong protests are "really turning out to be chaotic and violent and we should no longer allow them to continue this reprehensible behavior."

And so the die has been cast: Hong Kong's protesting youth has been given its official warning, and with PLA forces now piling on the border, all that will take for Chinese troops to enter is a provocation.

And to show just how serious China is about all this spontaneous "rioting" nonsense, Reuters reported that Refinitiv (which Reuters owned), has removed from its Eikon terminals in China a Reuters story detailing how an official with Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong had urged residents of a rural area to drive away anti-government protesters days before a violent clash nearby.

The story, which was published late last week, was not visible on the Eikon terminal's scrolling news feed in China on Friday. Eikon users outside China said they could still see the story. Reuters was unable to determine precisely when the story had been removed from Eikon’s scrolling news feed for clients in China or whether other stories had been blocked.

Refinitiv has a license to provide financial information in China, and a person familiar with the matter said Refinitiv’s regulator there, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, had said it would shut down the service unless it removed or blocked certain political stories.

"As a global business, we comply with all our local regulatory obligations, including the requirements of our license to operate in China," Refinitiv said in a written statement to Reuters.

And that is all anyone needs to know about just how nervous China is over the ever growing protest movement in Hong Kong, and how terrified it is that it can eventually spread to the mainland.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-02/chinas-un-envoy-says-if-us-wants-fight-we-will-fight-warns-beijing-will-no-longer

Documents Expose How Tobacco Companies Hook Kids On Sugary Drinks

The Facts: Documents obtained by researchers clearly outline the unethical and immoral actions tobacco companies used to ‘hook’ kids onto sugary drinks. They use the same tactics they did for smoking.

Reflect On: Why do (and have) our federal health regulatory agencies allow such products to be approved as safe for consumption when they are clearly linked to a variety of diseases, like cancer?

Many moves made by multiple big corporations are extremely unethical, immoral, and downright shocking. These corporations have completely compromised our federal health regulatory agencies, and it’s quite clear that they do not care about the health of the human race and will do anything when it comes to the success of the products they manufacture, including taking illegal and/or immoral actions.

One of the more recent examples comes from the tobacco industry. Companies within the industry used colors, flavors, and marketing techniques to lure and entice children as potential future smokers. They actually used and applied these same strategies to sweetened beverages starting as early as 1963, according to a study conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco.

As the Sugar Scientists point out:

The study, which draws from a cache of previously secret documents from the tobacco industry that is part of the UCSF Industry Documents Library tracked the acquisition and subsequent marketing campaigns of sweetened drink brands by two leading tobacco companies: R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris. It found that as tobacco was facing increased scrutiny from health authorities, its executives transferred the same products and tactics to peddle soft drinks. The study was published in the March 2019 issue of BMJ.

“Executives in the two largest U.S.-based tobacco companies had developed colors and flavors as additives for cigarettes and used them to build major children’s beverage product lines, including Hawaiian Punch, Kool-Aid, Tang and Capri Sun,” said senior author Laura Schmidt, PhD, MSW, MPH, of the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. “Even after the tobacco companies sold these brands to food and beverage corporations, many of the product lines and marketing techniques designed to attract kids are still in use today.” (source)

The new papers, which are available in the UCSF Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library, a subset of the UCSF Industry Documents Library, reveal the close relationships between the big tobacco and big food industries. In fact, in the ’60s and ’70s, these companies conducted taste tests with mothers and their children to evaluate sweetness, colors and flavors for Hawaiian Punch product line extensions. The children’s preferences were prioritized.

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2019/08/documents-expose-how-tobacco-companies-hook-kids-on-sugary-drinks.html

Trump Makes Major EU Trade Announcement

Global markets are reeling Friday morning after President Trump announced his plan to slap 10% tariffs on the remaining ~$300 billion in Chinese imports, sparking fears that the world's two largest economies would hunker down for a prolonged and destabilizing trade war. But adding to the market's anxieties, journalists noticed an entry on President Trump's itinerary ominously titled "announcement on European trade" slated for 1:45 pm ET.

Of course, it's difficult to imagine that a president as obsessed with the stock market as Trump would delivery such a brutal one-two punch to investor confidence by, say, slapping tariffs on European autos. But without any clarification, the worst fears of analysts were left to fester.

But in a report that nearly slipped under the radar, Bloomberg has apparently learned the purpose of Friday afternoon's trade announcement. And it's far less exciting than many had feared.

President Trump and Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer will announce a deal that will open the EU to more beef exports, something that will undoubtedly thrill the American beef industry which, like most of the American farming community, has firmly supported the president.

Here's more from BBG:

U.S. President Donald Trump will formally announce a deal to open up the European Union to more beef exports after the bloc carved out quotas from other nations earlier this year, people familiar with the plans said.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the European ambassador to the United States on Friday will sign an agreement to increase the amount of American beef that can be sold in the EU market, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement Friday.

Trump ’s daily itinerary for Friday includes "an announcement on EU Trade," though the White House did not specify what the event was about. A White House spokesman and the USTR did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Thursday.

The deal, which has been in the works for months, follows the EU's success in persuading Australia, Argentina and Uruguay to give up some of the market (with Trump's tariff threats hanging over their heads, handing Trump a victory on trade was probably in Europe's best interest).

Lighthizer called for a formal deal-signing ceremony to show that the administration is making progress on its trade agenda.

American farmers will be entitled to almost 80% - or 35,000 metric tons - of the annual EU quota on hormone-free beef over seven years, with an initial allocation of around 40%, European officials told reporters in June. The Trump administration in June secured more access to the European Union’s beef market after the bloc persuaded Australia, Argentina and Uruguay to cede chunks of the import quota.

According to people familiar with the announcement, Lighthizer called for the formal signing ceremony in an attempt to show progress on the bilateral trade agenda.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-02/here-what-trumps-mysterious-european-trade-announcement-will-be-about

>>7312241

Antifa good

Qanon bad

Panic at London’s Waterloo station after ‘3 loud bangs’ & flashes

https://www.rt.com/uk/465688-panic-london-waterloo-station-bangs/

Montenegro: Israeli political consultant is suspect in pro-Kremlin coup attempt

Prosecutor says Aron Shaviv, former CIA officer and 4 ex-FBI agents under investigation for plotting to overthrow government during 2016 elections

The Montenegrin government has named Israeli political consultant Aron Shaviv as a suspect in the alleged 2016 plot to topple the Balkan country’s government and halt its bid to join NATO.

State Prosecutor Sasa Cadenovic said Wednesday that Shaviv was involved in planning to overthrow the government along with former CIA operative Joseph Assad and eight other foreigners.

Shaviv was the chief consultant for the pro-Russian party Democratic Front in the run-up to the October 2016 parliamentary elections. At the time, the opposition’s Democratic Front coalition was the main rival against then-prime minister Milo Djukanovic.

Assad was working as Shaviv’s security adviser at the time and was previously a suspect in the case. He was briefly detained for questioning last August.

But Cadenovic said that Montenegrin authorities had since uncovered evidence that showed Shaviv and Assad were actively involved in the coup plot led by two Russian military intelligence officers, and were extending the purview of the investigation.

“During the investigation that was launched against Joseph Assad and eight others for creating a criminal organization and attempting terrorism, the prosecutors found evidence that Shaviv, a UK and Israeli citizen, also committed a crime. So we have ordered an extension of the investigation,” he said according to news site Balkan Insight.

Cadenovic said there was a money trail linking a Russian-linked company based in Prague to Shaviv and Assad. The prosecutor said the company, “whose CEO and representative are Russians,” transferred Shaviv 1.5 million euros from a Cypriot bank account between July and August 2016.

He said that as part of the expanded probe, Montenegrin law enforcement were also investigating former FBI agents Ladislao Karbaljos, John Joseph Paolo, Scot Rivas and Horhe Mijar in the expanded coup probe, according to Balkan Insight.

Shaviv, who worked for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party in the 2015 election campaign, has denied any involvement in the alleged efforts to overthrow Montenegro’s government. He has previously said that he hired Assad to conduct surveillance work in 2016 because he was being harassed by Montenegro’s security services due to his affiliation with the opposition.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/montenegro-says-israeli-political-consultant-suspect-in-pro-kremlin-coup-attempt/