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BEST OF THE WEB: Russia pledged to help African countries finally complete the process of decolonization
When one thinks about liberation, the first thing that comes to the minds of many is Africa's decolonization cause, which regrettably hasn't yet been completed in full. It therefore naturally follows that if Russia wants to obtain credibility for its global revolutionary manifesto, then it must actively support Africa in finally finishing this process, ergo Lavrov's promise to that end. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov published an article on Friday ahead of his visit to Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Congo Republic articulating his country's policy towards the continent. The most important part concerns his pledge that Russia will help its partners there finally complete the process of decolonization. The first step, as he sees it, has already been accomplished upon the creation of regional integration organizations such as the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Then came the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA), which...
https://www.sott.net/article/470225-Russia-pledged-to-help-African-countries-finally-complete-the-process-of-decolonization

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Ukraine to make seeking Russian passport a crime
Trying to obtain Russian citizenship as a Ukrainian could soon become a criminal offense, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Irina Vereschuk warned on Friday. In a Telegram post, Vereschuk said that the matter had previously been discussed during a closed interdepartmental meeting. "Work on the draft law continues, there will be discussions, but the direction has been determined," the deputy prime minister said. She admitted that there could be "a long and difficult discussion" about the legal aspects of obtaining a Russian passport, about human rights, and "the need to survive under occupation."
https://www.sott.net/article/470226-Ukraine-to-make-seeking-Russian-passport-a-crime

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Steve Bannon found guilty of criminal contempt of Congress
Steve Bannon, ex-White House strategist and adviser to former President Donald Trump, was found guilty by a jury Friday of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to appear before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon was found guilty of two counts of criminal contempt — one for refusing to appear for a deposition before the panel and the other for refusing to produce requested documents. Each count carries a minimum potential sentence of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a fine of $100 to $1,000. The jury deliberated for a little over two hours in federal court in Washington, D.C., before returning its verdict. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols set Oct. 21 as the date for Bannon's sentencing.
https://www.sott.net/article/470227-Steve-Bannon-found-guilty-of-criminal-contempt-of-Congress

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Ukraine's intel chief peddles Putin lookalike theory
The head of military intelligence says the Russian president could have sent a body double to key talks in Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin may have used a lookalike for his trip to Iran this week, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence service (GUR) has suggested. During an interview on Ukrainian TV channel TSN on Friday, Major General Kirill Budanov was asked to comment on Putin's health during the Russian leader's recent trip to Iran.
https://www.sott.net/article/470228-Ukraines-intel-chief-peddles-Putin-lookalike-theory

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A critique of the BBC2 documentary "Unvaccinated"
Before this programme was screened on 20 July 2022 promotional material from the BBC and in newspaper articles such as this suggested it was going to be extremely biased and inaccurate. Based on this publicity material we already wrote articles first criticizing the claim that only 8% of the UK adult population was unvaccinated and then highlighting the fact that the publicity material failed to reveal the blatant conflicts of interest of the key 'experts' used in the programme to convince the seven unvaccinated participants to get vaccinated. Our pre-screening articles and tweets about the forthcoming programme were very widely read and one of the participants Nazarin contacted us to express her serious concerns about the way the programme was made - and how it might be edited - and to confirm that the participants were indeed not informed of the experts' conflicts of interest (this is covered well in this article by threadsirish). Her subsequent tweets, such as the following,...
https://www.sott.net/article/470229-A-critique-of-the-BBC2-documentary-Unvaccinated

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Hunter Biden hasn't been charged for same crimes others are facing up to 10 years for
Hunter Biden appears to have violated the same firearm crimes that have sentenced several individuals to years in prison. There is evidence that Biden may have violated two crimes under 18 U.S. Code § 922, a law prohibiting an individual from making a "false or fictitious oral or written statement" or for an "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" to retrieve a firearm, according to the Legal Information Institute. A 2021 Politico report said in 2018, Biden responded "no" to a question on the transaction record that asked "Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?" Delaware police also found a firearm thrown in the garbage by President Joe Biden's daughter-in-law, Hallie.
https://www.sott.net/article/470230-Hunter-Biden-hasnt-been-charged-for-same-crimes-others-are-facing-up-to-10-years-for

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Heavy snowfall in Chubut Province, Argentina
Stranded people who had to be assisted by security forces, landslides, impassable roads, power cuts and lack of provision of drinking water or telephone connectivity caused by a storm of snow and wind last night and today in the Chubut towns of El Bolsón, El Hoyo , Lago Puelo, Epuyén, El Maitén, Esquel and Trevelín. The municipality of Lago Puelo declared a Climate Emergency for 90 days due to rainfall and snowfall records while the Army provided its facilities to accommodate people who were in transit and whose groups could not continue traveling, in addition to bringing food to the respective shelters, according to the ADN Sur portal. Meanwhile, the National Gendarmerie today rescued 47 people who were stranded amid heavy snowfall in an area near the mountain range, called the "Curva de los Guanacos", in the province of Chubut, sources from the security force reported. (Translated by Google)
https://www.sott.net/article/470231-Heavy-snowfall-in-Chubut-Province-Argentina

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LA schools implement 'Queer Theory into K-12 pedagogy': Christopher Rufo
Christopher Rufo is perhaps best known for exposing the excesses of Critical Race Theory and gender ideology that activist administrators and teachers are bringing into their classrooms and public school curricula. On Wednesday, Rufo tweeted that he has obtained leaked documents from the Los Angeles Unified School District, outlining their new policies and programs incorporating gender ideology into classrooms year-round. "I have obtained a trove of documents from the district's Human Relations, Diversity, and Equity department," said Rufo, that provide evidence of "an entire infrastructure to translate the basic tenets of academic Queer Theory into K-12 pedagogy."
https://www.sott.net/article/470232-LA-schools-implement-Queer-Theory-into-K-12-pedagogy-Christopher-Rufo

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Lunatics with Nazi flags driven away from TPUSA conference by attendees
Unhinged lunatics with Nazi flags and antisemitic signs tried to disrupt TPUSA's Student Action Summit in Tampa Florida on Saturday afternoon, but conservative attendees and press weren't having it. Independent journalists Aldo Buttazzoni and Tayler Hansen confronted the masked-up psychopaths and challenged them to reveal themselves and their intentions.
https://www.sott.net/article/470233-Lunatics-with-Nazi-flags-driven-away-from-TPUSA-conference-by-attendees

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Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: You need to do this if you want to survive
Massive droughts in Europe and N. America decreasing crop yields right as Amazon forbids the sale of Mylar Bags if they are not see through. How to live without money in a grid down event.
https://www.sott.net/article/470234-Adapt-2030-Ice-Age-Report-You-need-to-do-this-if-you-want-to-survive

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Blackstone prepares a record $50 billion to snap up real estate during the coming crash
The past two months have seen a barrage of negative news coverage focusing on the US housing market... Is The Housing Crash Starting? Why The Housing Bubble Bust Is Baked-In The One Housing Chart That Shows A 'Buyer's Market' Has Returned As Mortgage Rates Explode Price Cuts Soar And Buyer Demand Collapses Housing Market Peaks: Home Prices Finally Drop From All-Time Highs ... which is predictable: after all, with mortgage rates soaring at the fastest pace on record to decade highs, and sending US housing affordability to the lowest in history...
https://www.sott.net/article/470235-Blackstone-prepares-a-record-50-billion-to-snap-up-real-estate-during-the-coming-crash

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Central bank digital currencies (CBDC's) are coming - What will the consequences be?
Currencies are the lifeblood of trade and the economy; if a currency fails, the entire economy fails. Yet, most people rarely think about the health or buying power of the money in their pocket. People don't research how often currencies actually falter and how common it is for inflation or stagflation to strike nations. They just assume that the money they have will be as useful tomorrow as it is today. They also assume that money will never change in a dramatic way. This lack of interest in how money works is likely due to the fact that people are not taught how their money is created. It's not discussed in schools, the truth is avoided in colleges and the mainstream news rarely mentions it. People think our government and treasury handles all of that, but the reality is that our government does NOT create our money; at least, it's not in charge of the process. Central bankers are, and they operate from a "quasi-independent" position. For example, former Federal Reserve chairman...
https://www.sott.net/article/470236-Central-bank-digital-currencies-CBDCs-are-coming-What-will-the-consequences-be

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Elephant stabs mahout to death with its tusks in southern Thailand
An elephant stabbed its mahout - or elephant trainer - to death with its tusks yesterday morning in Nahkhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. The elephant stood watch over the man's corpse for hours, said police. Yesterday at 10.30am, officers from Chawang Police Station received a report that a man had died after he was pierced by his own elephant's tusks. A team of police and rescue workers rushed to the scene on a hill in the forest, where they found a big elephant guarding the body of its mahout Chaichana Matchanimwong. Chaichana's body was covered in wounds, said police. Officers said they tried to separate the elephant from the mahout's body, but there was not much they could do. The elephant stood guard over the body for hours and eventually walked away into the forest. Police were finally able to retrieve Chaichana's body and take it to the hospital for an autopsy to be carried out. After the autopsy is complete, Chaichana's body will be taken to his relatives for...
https://www.sott.net/article/470237-Elephant-stabs-mahout-to-death-with-its-tusks-in-southern-Thailand

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Increase in leopard attacks in the Indian state of Uttarakhand - 77 people killed in 5 years
Some days back, a leopard attacked and killed a bike pillion rider. A woman was mauled to death in a second incident the same day On Tuesday (July 19), two youths — Mohd. Anas and Afsarul — were returning on their motorbike to their home in Amroha from Uttarakhand's picturesque Almora hills. On a lonely stretch, as Anas drove on gingerly, in split seconds a leopard leapt from the thicket. It pounced on pillion rider Afsarul and thwacked him down from the bike, dragging him to some distance, killing him. Anas told the media that he was left dumb-struck, stunned by the suddenness of the attack. He could not do anything to save his friend. Wildlife officials described the leopard attack as a rare case.
https://www.sott.net/article/470238-Increase-in-leopard-attacks-in-the-Indian-state-of-Uttarakhand-77-people-killed-in-5-years

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Pakistan death toll from 5 weeks of monsoon rains, flooding reaches 312
The death toll from more than five weeks of monsoon rains and flash flooding across Pakistan has reached 312, with those killed including 114 children, according to authorities. Since mid-June, the deluge has swollen rivers and damaged highways and 44 bridges, disrupting traffic. The National Disaster Management Authority reported that almost 6,500 homes had been fully destroyed or partially damaged. In some cities, residents have abandoned their cars on submerged roads to walk through waist-high water, while others have arranged for boats to move them to safer places.
https://www.sott.net/article/470239-Pakistan-death-toll-from-5-weeks-of-monsoon-rains-flooding-reaches-312

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Flash floods in Yemen leave 9 dead
Heavy seasonal rains drove flash floods through Yemen and left at least nine people dead, official media reported Sunday. The casualties were reported in the capital of Sanaa and the southwestern province of Dhamar, where it began raining late last week, the Houthi-run Sanaa Radio said. Both Sanaa and Dhamar are held by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have been warring since 2014 with the internationally recognized government which is aided by a Saudi-led coalition.
https://www.sott.net/article/470240-Flash-floods-in-Yemen-leave-9-dead

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Heavy storms batter Russian resort of Sochi, vehicles swept away by floodwater
Flash floods sweep cars in Sochi, a Black Sea city. In Southern Russia, torrential rains are still wreaking havoc. They have caused flash floods which disrupt lives and cause significant damage. Officials in the city that hosted the Winter Olympics activated an emergency alarm system Saturday night. They advised residents to take shelter inside, but also be available for evacuations. Around 11pm, emergency sirens could be heard in Sochi as storms continued to batter the city for the second consecutive day. This caused more chaos and flooding.
https://www.sott.net/article/470241-Heavy-storms-batter-Russian-resort-of-Sochi-vehicles-swept-away-by-floodwater

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Sakurajima volcano erupts on the island of Kyushu in western Japan on 24 July
A volcano on Japan's major western island of Kyushu, called Sakurajima, erupted at about 8:05 p.m. (1105 GMT) on Sunday, the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but media said there were no immediate reports of damage. There were reports of volanic stones raining down at a distance of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the volcano, NHK public television said. The eruption alert level has been raised to 5, the highest, with some areas advised to evacuate, it added. Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis. In 2019 it spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high.
https://www.sott.net/article/470242-Sakurajima-volcano-erupts-on-the-island-of-Kyushu-in-western-Japan-on-24-July

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Tornadoes in east China's Jiangsu affect thousands
At least one person was killed, and 25 were injured after tornadoes hit 11 villages in Lianyungang City in east China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday. As of 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, 2,272 people have been affected and 3,148 homes damaged. Local authorities responded speedily through emergency rescue and resettlement operations.
https://www.sott.net/article/470243-Tornadoes-in-east-Chinas-Jiangsu-affect-thousands

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Entire police force in NC town resigns in protest of 'progressive' town manager
Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson and all his full-time officers resigned on Wednesday. The town is left with three part-time officers to run the rest of the department, serving a population of about 2,000. Kenly's town attorney Chip Hewett told WRAL News that the town would be holding an emergency meeting on Friday night at 7 p.m. to discuss how the town would be handling public safety. "We just learned about this [Wednesday], it effects the entire police dept and staff members, we are looking at having an emergency special meeting to figure out how to move forward with it," Hewett said. Even before the resignations, the police force was short-staffed, down from a norm of eight officers to five, Gibson said.
https://www.sott.net/article/470224-Entire-police-force-in-NC-town-resigns-in-protest-of-progressive-town-manager

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Lightning strike causes wind turbine to disintegrate in Texas
A North Texas wind farm is one turbine down thanks to what officials believe was a devastating lightning strike to one of the massive structures on Friday afternoon. Videos from witnesses and firefighters showed the wind turbine generator ablaze and disintegrate in the sky over Crowell, Texas. Doppler radar indicated there was plenty of lightning strikes around the Foard City wind facility before firefighters received the call about the high-altitude fire.
https://www.sott.net/article/470244-Lightning-strike-causes-wind-turbine-to-disintegrate-in-Texas