19th August, 2023. Tweets, videos and quotations. Ukraine war reframed. Old Empires under pressure … mineral resources and cheap labour now have a voice. The Sahel, Niger who supplies one fifth of uranium to France. China … trains now travel to Europe. Watch this Empire on ascent revive the Old Silk Road, calling it the Belt and Road Initiative. Russia and Prigozhin … a little frustration by a man with his men on the frontline infuriated by the inept Russian generals embedded in laziness, corruption and powerplay.

Ukraine War: Why is Russia attacking Lviv?

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Jonathan Swift “Give vision to the visionless”.  West time to awaken to revival of Old Silk Road or China’s Belt and Road endeavour

Ukraine…black soil…food…fertilizers.  All part of BRI China’s Belt and Road Initiative

“Bring China closer to the oil wells”

See Guangdong and Gwadar

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Multipolar world but what has a really change from Congress of Berlin…there is a new Empire China.

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Enter Wagner … what next?

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332,892 views Aug 18, 2023 1 product

Several coup de ta’s around the African continent threaten to spiral out of control into a much wider conflict. France and the US seem to be getting sidelined in favor of Russia. French military forces have been located in the region for the past ten years. European countries, the EU and the United Nations have intersts here. Niger’s elite presidential guard, trained in part by the United States, had the sole purpose of protecting the Presidency and yet on July 26th 2023 they overthrew the democratically elected government. Guy come on, you had one job! But all hope isn’t lost because In response, a bloc of West African nations told the coup leaders that they have to reinstate the ousted president or face military intervention. Written by: Chris Cappy & Patrick Griffin Edited by: Savvy Studios

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Today’s Tweets, videos and quotations

Bill Browder

@Billbrowder

19th August 2023

Canada imposes Magnitsky sanctions of 15 Russians for their roles in the persecution and politically motivated prosecutions of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny

canada.ca

Canada announces sanctions against officials of justice and security sectors

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions against 15 Russian

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The Moscow Times

@MoscowTimes

18th August 2023

A growing number of incidents has sparked debate over whether convicts should be pardoned for their military service and highlights the challenges of integrating them into society.

themoscowtimes.com

Murders, Drugs and Brawls: Russia’s Pardoned Ex-Convicts Return Home After Fighting in Ukraine

Igor Sofonov, who was recruited to fight in Ukraine from a Russian penal colony where he was serving a sentence on drug charges,

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The Moscow Times

@MoscowTimes

In June, the Rostov-on-Don military headquarters was taken over by the Wagner mercenary outfit during its short-lived mutiny.

themoscowtimes.com

Putin Meets With Top General at Southern Military HQ

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the top military commanders at an army headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, the Kremlin said early Saturday.

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Novaya Gazeta Europe

@novayagazeta_en

19th August 2023

The war is taking a toll on Russian science: Novaya-Europe has identified at least 270 professors and top researchers who severed ties with Russia in the past 18 months. Here’s what else we found: 1/6 

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Kenneth Roth

@KenRoth

19th August 2023

Russian women are living in fear as murderers freed to fight for Wagner in Ukraine are now returning home.

theguardian.com

Russian women living in fear as convicted murderers freed to fight for Wagner return

Concern that convicts re-entering society after stints in Ukraine will bring ‘wave of murder, rape and domestic violence’

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MFA of Ukraine 

@MFA_Ukraine

19th August 2023

At least 6 people were killed and 42 were injured, among them 11 children, in #Russian attack on #Chernihiv city center. All Russian war criminals must be stopped and brought to account. #RussiaWarCrimes #RussiaIsATerroristState

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Bloomberg

@business

19th August 2023

South Africa is about to host the BRICS summit, bringing together leaders from emerging markets seeking to balance Western dominance in the world order

@thembile_cele

has five key themes to watch out for https://trib.al/OKuRIXw

South Africa is about to host the BRICS summit, bringing together leaders from emerging markets seeking to balance Western dominance in the world order@thembile_cele has five key themes to watch out for https://t.co/9EgngmYjhu pic.twitter.com/Njsosp6fkb

— Bloomberg (@business) August 19, 2023

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MintPress News

@MintPressNews

18th August 2023

67 states, including 53 from Africa, have received invitations to the BRICS Summit in South Africa this month. France, the UK and the U.S. did not receive invitations.

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Kenneth Roth

@KenRoth

It is hard for Putin to breath “new life into BRICS” when he is so isolated that he cannot even attend this month’s summit without risking arrest on his International Criminal court charges for war crimes in Ukraine.

foreignpolicy.com

Can Russia and China Breathe New Life Into BRICS?

The global south is hungry for an alternative to the Western-dominated order, but BRICS may not be up to the task.

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UkraineWorld

@ukraine_world

19th August 2023

One of the environmental tasks in the Peace Formula of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to demine 80% of contaminated territories in 10 years. To do so, #Ukraine needs strong international support. Source: Ministry of Economy of Ukraine

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It is with deep grief I watch the clattering down of the British Empire with all its glories and all the services it has rendered to mankind.

Winston Churchill

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You know, when I was a girl, the idea that the British Empire could ever end was absolutely inconceivable. And it just disappeared, like all the other empires.

Doris Lessing

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We can safely make one prophecy: whatever the outcome of this war, the British Empire is at an end. It has been mortally wounded. The future of the British people is to die of hunger and tuberculosis in their cursed island.

Adolf Hitler

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Why should we not form a secret society with but one object, the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for making the Anglo Saxon race but one Empire? What a dream, but yet it is probable; it is possible.

Cecil Rhodes