This is the website page in The Multiplural World of current world news headlines and analysis for the months of August 2026. Items with red headlines indicate they were published in full on the home page of the website; notices of these published items are emailed to website subscribers as they appear. Comments and information in square brackets [ ] are by the website editors. World news headlines for the preceding month of July 2026 are archived here; all previous months of ‘World news headlines and analysis’ (since March 2024) are archived here. The ‘World news’ page of The Multiplural World website is the most active page on the website, updated daily by website editors.
World news headlines and analysis for August 2026
Update on August 31 of the Aug 26 glacier collapse disaster in Himalayas: The flood disaster in Nepal and Tibet was unleashed by a glacier collapse on the morning of Wednesday, August 26 at Langtang Lirung on the Nepalese side of the shared border. Nepal’s disaster agency reported on Monday, August 31 that 1,003 deaths have been counted there, with 3,916 people missing, including 583 foreigners. Chinese authorities reported in their latest update on August 30 16 deaths and 546 people still missing, including 261 foreigners. In Nepal, rescuers are racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects damaged by the floods. About 900 workers are missing from 12 projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to Nepalese authorities. —Associated Press, Sept 1, 2026
[Full reporting of the disaster is contained on the ‘Ecology news’ page of The Multiplural World website for August 2026, to be carried forward in the new, monthly page to begin for September 2026.]
U.S. air and missile strikes strengthened Iran’s hand and failed to trigger a revolt, analysis by Trita Parsi, in interview with the South China Morning Post, Aug 30, 2026 (Trita Parsi is co-founder and executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. He has written four books on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Read the interview here in pdf format: U.S. air and missile strikes strengthened Iran’s hand, failed to trigger revolt.)
Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez touts oil investment deal with Trump regime while grassroots organizations rally against it, calling it ‘imperialist aggression’, analysis by Ricardo Vaz, in Venezuela Analysis, Aug 30, 2026
[To understand the investment deal, it should be measured against other, mixed economy experiences in the world past and present. Left-wing and Marxist philosophy and economic analysis in much of the world is historically terribly weak and underdeveloped for this. There is no doubt that imperialist subjugation looms large in Venezuela today following the January 2026 kidnapping and jailing of the country’s elected president. Bloomberg News writes on August 30: “The oil agreement opens the door to a scenario in which U.S. companies, investors and eventually the government in Washington develop an economic interest in the political stability provided by Delcy Rodriguez. As U.S. firms commit billions of investment dollars to Venezuela, the U.S. might gradually move from favouring ‘transition with stability’ towards prioritising ‘stability that preserves the option of transition’.
[It will be some years before the new investment deal results in more refined or semi-refined product flowing. Tar sands companies in Canada are currently the largest suppliers of bitumen to those U.S. refineries equipped to process it. Some 80% to 95% of Canada‘s tar sands production (including diluted bitumen and synthetic crude) is exported to the United States, including through the expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline connecting Edmonton to the port of Vancouver. That expansion began in the summer of 2018, after the Canadian government ‘nationalized’ the project by buying out its U.S. owner Kinder Morgan. By the time the expansion began service in May 2024, the original cost estimate of CAN$4.5 billion has ballooned to CAN$35 billion. This proves that when it comes to military production and planet-wrecking fossil fuel production, the sky is the limit for today’s imperialist rulers of the planet. ‘Nuclear war and planet-wrecking global warming? Bring it on!’]
Related: The U.S.-Venezuela fossil fuel investment and extraction deal, analysis by Sahara Hoff (University of Sydney), in The Conversation, Sept 1, 2026 …The success of this deal will require long-term financial and political support from both countries, to be maintained across future governments. In the short term, given the practical difficulties yet to be overcome, the deal’s impact is likely to be much more political than economic…
Israeli terrorism is getting worse because Western leaders are cowards, hypocrites, commentary by Robert Inlakesh, in Al Mayadeen English, Aug 30, 2026 Western powers condemn Israeli settler violence while enabling it, exposing a double standard that has normalized impunity by the apartheid state
Google Maps obeys Trump regime executive order, changing name of Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ for U.S. users, Reuters news agency, Aug 29, 2026 Google Maps has made a similar change to the Gulf of Mexico, in February 2025, changing that name to ‘Gulf of America’ following an earlier Trump executive order
The true extent of fallout from the U.S. defeat in Iran is still being processed, analysis published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker, Aug 27, 2026
Related:
* The West’s escalation trap in Iran and in Russia, interview with analyst John Mearsheimer, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, Aug 28, 2026 (77′)
* Why the world is quietly taking Iran’s side in the war, interview with analyst Trita Parsi, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, Aug 29, 2026 (41′)
Japan’s governing party is seeking to quiet opposition to U.S. military bases in Sept 13 prefecture election in its Okinawa colony. Reference: Report in South China Morning Post, Aug 28, 2026 (Read the report here in pdf format: Japan’s governing party is seeking to quiet opposition to U.S. military bases in Sept 13 prefecture election in its Okinawa colony)
NATO escalates as Ukraine reaches a breaking point, interview with Russian military analyst Stanislav Krapivnik, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, Aug 26, 2026 (47’) [The discussion covered the current military situation in and around Ukraine, including the recent, grim announcement by the governing regime in Kiev to begin compulsory military conscription of women. (Already, 8 of 100 military personnel on the Ukraine front lines are female.) They touch ever so briefly on the little that is known about the August 25 visit to Moscow of the head of the CIA.]
Disastrous, high-altitude glacial collapse in Nepal/Tibet border region on Aug. 26 unleashes a massive wall of floodwater, killing hundreds with thousands missing Full reporting on the ‘Ecology news’ page of The Multiplural World for August 2026
U.S. gov’t blacklists Palestine Action group in Britain as terrorist group, RT News, Aug 26, 2026 The group claims its actions save lives by ‘disrupting the Israeli war machine’ The U.S. government has labeled Palestine Action a terrorist group, marking the first time that a British left-wing organization has been targeted by U.S. terrorism sanctions…
Iran and Oman reach agreement on share of territory, revenues from Strait of Hormuz, Reuters news agency, Aug 26, 2026
Cash-strapped Ukraine being gripped by grim preparations for female military conscription, report on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 24, 2026 A new, whirlwind media campaign is being orchestrated in Ukraine to force society to accept a military mobilization of Ukraine’s female population
What happened to the coveted tanks sent to Ukraine by the Western powers?, report in New York Times (from the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine), Aug 25, 2026 At the outset of Russia’s military intervention in 2022, Ukraine pleaded for the expensive weapons, and ultimately got them. But drones have rendered them almost unusable. (Here in pdf format: What happened to the coveted tanks sent to Ukraine by the Western powers?)
How the Chinese view on the U.S. has changed from alarm to a shrug, commentary by Wang Wen, in South China Morning Post, Aug 25, 2026 The Trump years have been a blessing in disguise: erratic and transactional, his approach exposes governance flaws and the limits of America’s containment strategy (Wang Wen is a professor and executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. Read his commentary here in pdf format: How the Chinese view on the U.S. has changed from alarm to a shrug)
Scott Ritter reports from Donbas on the NATO proxy war against Russia, three reports by journalist and former U.S. military officer Scott Ritter, re-published on The Multiplural World, Aug 23, 2026 (with related readings)
[This posting consist of three, highly informative reports have been published on the Substack page of Scott Ritter. The theme of the reports is ‘A Trail of Tears’:
* Part one: The deadly Ukraine missile attack against the Starobelsk Teachers College in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic on May 22, 2026, report by Scott Ritter, originally published on July 5, 2026
* Part two: ‘Otmorozki’, report by Scott Ritter, originally published on July 31, 2026 They are the hidden faces of modern war: the men who operate the drones that have revolutionized the way humans kill humans. They are the ‘Otmorozki’–the ‘scumbags’.
* Part three: From the city of Gorlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, report by Scott Ritter, originally published on July 31, 2026
Growing tensions between Apartheid Israel and NATO-member Turkey, analysis published by Middle East Policy Council, May 8, 2026
Related: Israel-Turkey conflict could explode into war, interview with retired U.S. diplomat Chas Freeman, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, Aug 22, 2026 (54′)
Pacific countries walk a tightrope between Western trade wars and military security, and Chinese trade and aid, South China Morning Post, Aug 23, 2026 Australia, too, has embarked on military threats and wooing of Pacific countries. China offers what it calls ‘small and beautiful’ aid. (Read the report here in pdf format: Pacific countries walk a tightrope between Western trade wars and Chinese aid and trade)
Israeli genocide in Gaza is ongoing, as death toll reaches 73,419, report by Al Mayadeen English, Aug 22, 2026 The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip is reporting on August 22 that 1,285 Palestinians have been killed and 4,252 injured since a ‘ceasefire’ with the aparthieid state of Israel took effect on October 11. 813 bodies of Palestinian martyrs have been retrieved from the rubble. The cumulative death toll from Israel/U.S. aggression since October 7, 2023 has risen to 73,419, with 174,364 people injured…
‘Barclay’s 5’ Palestine activists in Britain will not be tried as terrorists, by Dania Akkad, in Declassified UK, Aug 21, 2026 The presiding judge has ruled that damage caused during protest at bank branch not enough to merit ‘terrorism’ sentencing
Related: Jury in Britain refuses to convict seven Palestine Action activists for Aug 2024 protest and disruption at Israeli arms factory, by Dania Akkad, in Declassified UK, Aug 21, 2026 After 37 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach verdicts on most of the charges
How explaining Russia’s motivations became taboo in the West, essay by Glenn Diesen (professor and YouTube broadcaster in Norway), published on his Substack page, Aug 21, 2026
Related:
* Plans revealed for massive Ukrainian attacks against Russian airports, as Kiev hit with another unstoppable ballistic swarm, situation report published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 20, 2026
* Former Ukrainian troops tell RT News why they chose to join the fight for Russia, RT News report, Aug 21, 2026
Leadership during wartime: An interview with Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the Lugansk People’s Republic, interview conducted by Scott Ritter (with English subtitles), broadcast on the Substack page of Scott Ritter, Aug 14, 2026 (10′)
And watch, listen to: An interview with Ivan Prikhodko, Mayor of Gorlovka, Peoples Republic of Donetsk, broadcast on the Substack page of Scott Ritter, June 10, 2026
The Western powers on the path to world war, essay by Glenn Diesen (professor and YouTube broadcaster in Norway), published on his Substack page, Aug 20, 2026 [Glenn Diesen is a liberal thinker, writer and broadcaster at the University of South-Eastern Norway. His world view is one of wishing that the world could return to the ‘good old days’ of a balance of power between the imperialist countries (USA, European Union, Japan, former anglo dominions), on the one hand, and the Soviet Union and Peoples Republic of China, on the other hand. Unlike ‘left-wing’ and even ‘Marxist’ writers and thinkers and philosophers in the West, Diesen is well able to recognize the emergence of a multipolar world and the potential for great social, economic and political change (social justice and equality) which this opens up.]
Historians reveal deeper South Korean-Chinese links in WWII resistance against Japan, boosting current ties between the two peoples, South China Morning Post, Aug 21, 2026 Korean revolutionary Sin Kyu-sik was a crucial figure in the Shanghai-based Korean government-in-exile and was also active alongside China’s revolutionaries, historians reveal (Read the report here in pdf format: Historians reveal deeper South Korean-Chinese links in WWII resistance against Japan, boosting today’s relations between the two peoples)
Related:
* Japan seeks record US$56 billion military budget amid growing regional tensions, report in South China Morning Post, Aug 21, 2026 (paywalled) Major spending is being planned for drones, AI-enabled command systems, long-range missiles and support for domestic military production
* Russia conducts missile test near Kuril Islands as Japan protests , RT News, Aug 21, 2026 The drills come one week after Tokyo condemned President Vladimir Putin’s first ever-visit to the archipelago
Founder of Evergrande real estate mega-company in China jailed for life by court, South China Morning Post, Aug 20, 2026 (Read the report here in pdf format: Founder of Evergrande real estate mega-company in China jailed for life by court) [In China, corrupt real estate moguls are being jailed for their financial crimes. In the USA, corrupt real estate moguls succeed in being elected and even re-elected as president.]
China’s textile industry shrugs off U.S. import blacklist following years of diversification and new technologies, feature report in South China Morning Post, Aug 20, 2026 (Here in pdf format: China’s textile industry shrugs off U.S. import blacklist following years of diversification and new technologies)
Ukraine’s economy braces for disaster as Zelensky faces new political challenge, situation report on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 18, 2026
Related: How the U.S. turned Europe’s leading powers into puppets, interview with Lawrence Wilkerson, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, Aug 19, 2026 (58′) [In the interview, guest Lawrence Wilkerson notes that the leading Western, imperialst powers are choosing to [ignore the two great threats facing humanity: use of nuclear weapons and global warming. That said, the program host and the guest each voice the vain hope that ‘maybe’, ‘somehow’ U.S. President Donald Trump will choose to end the NATO proxy war in Ukraine being directed against the Russian government and people.]
‘A prolonged confrontation in and around the Persian Gulf increasingly favors Iran’, lengthy report published in Al Mayadeen English (based on interviews with analysts Larry Johnson (U.S.) and Professor Seyed Mirandi of the University of Tehran), published in Al Mayadeen Anglish, Aug 18, 2026
Science news: Artificial Intelligence: The hype, the dangers and the resistance, four-part essay by Marty Hart-Landsberg, published in his website blog ‘Notes From The Economic Front’, August, 2026 This multi-part series aims at cutting through the fog of AI hype in order to help us understand some of the real dangers we face from AI use and highlight hopeful avenues of effective resistance Find all four parts on this essay here
U.S. national debt nears $40 trillion: How we got here and why it matters, report by PBS, Aug 18, 2026
Flock cameras are getting mobbed in the USA, report by CNN, July 30, 2026
Related:
* Vandals are destroying license-plate surveillance cameras as anger rises, Washington Post, Aug 18, 2026 (paywalled) …More than 130,000 of the ‘Flock’ camera automatic license-plate readers now dot the USA, according to the crowdsourced tracker DeFlock.org. The artificial intelligence-assisted devices have been embraced by law enforcement as powerful investigative tools but widely denounced by the public over privacy concerns…
* How rogue police officers turned a nationwide camera network into a tool for stalking, exclusive report in Washington Post, Aug 2, 2026 (paywalled) Flock’s array of license-plate cameras was built to fight crime. But at least 50 law enforcement officers in the U.S. are accused or facing charges over their misuse.
Iran and Yemen follow a new offensive strategy against the U.S. warmaker, interview with Professor Seyed Mirandi (U. of Tehran), broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, Aug 16, 2026 (54′)
Related:
* Iran’s defense strategy vindicated as U.S. logistics/supply chain was hobbled and stretched by early strikes, analysis on the Substack page of Simplicius The Thinker, Aug 16, 2026
* 60 days after signing Iran deal, Trump stuck in quagmire as war drags on, Washington Post, Aug 17, 2026 (paywalled) President Donald Trump’s interim deal with Iran in June set aside two months for negotiations, but the window has now closed and broader talks are at a standstill
Stories of Yemen in Western media are packed with lies; the implications of its coming liberation, essay by Robert Inlakesh, in Al Mayadeen English, Aug 16, 2026 …The global media has long participated in a façade whereby some rebel group they call ‘the Houthis’ is fighting against an ‘internationally recognized government’… If the Ansar Allah that leads the Yemen government succeeds in uniting the country and liberating its territory from the U.S.-Israeli-backed aggressors, they all fear the consequences of such a success. Yemen would become the only Arab country to oppose U.S. imperialism and support the regional resistance. It would actively fight the Israelis and work to combat the deadly, ‘Greater Israel’ project…
Related: Yemen and Iran step up attacks against Saudi Arabia and other U.S. proxies, video report by Dimitri Lascaris (Greece-Canada), broadcast on his YouTube channel ‘Reason To Resist’, Aug 15, 2026 (43′)
Far-right, Ukraine army unit bids farewell to WW2 Nazi collaborator in torchlit, reburial ceremony in Kiev, RT News, Aug 15, 2026 …Soldiers of the 3rd Army Corps staged a farewell ceremony for the Nazi collaborator at a cathedral in central Kiev. The unit was formed earlier this year by members of the Azov paramilitary movement, part of the ongoing work of the Zelensky-led regime to integrate far-right paramilitaries into the regular army and national guard… [Western media is not surprisingly silent over this news, a part of its ongoing efforts to shield the tender ears of liberal and leftists in the West as they support or turn a blind eye to the U.S./NATO-led proxy war against the people and government of Russia and the antifascist people of Ukraine.]
Fiasco in the factory: Taxpayers funded a $533 million artillery plant in Texas that made nothing, investigative report by Jesse Coburn, in Pro Publica, Aug 12, 2026
Report highlights:
Ready, fire, aim: In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells.
Money for nothing: Despite being paid $533 million, General Dynamics did not produce a single usable shell at its new factory in Mesquite, Texas, and it has not been held publicly accountable.
Wages of failure: Since the Army halted two production lines at the factory, the General Dynamics unit responsible for the debacle has received new contract awards totaling $2.5 billion.
Previously reported: As Trump denies munitions shortages, Pentagon presses arms manufacturers to build more weapons faster, special report in Washington Post, Aug 8, 2026 The directive to industry from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg comes amid tensions over a critical U.S. munitions shortage (Read the report here in pdf format: As Trump denies munitions shortages, Pentagon presses arms manufacturers to build more weapons faster)
Russia’s new strategy: No more appeasing NATO, interview with military analyst Daniel Davis, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, Aug 14, 2026 (45′)
The Mecca Pact is the latest sign of the U.S.’s declining influence in the Middle East , analysis by Mitchell Plitnik, in Mondoweiss, Aug 13, 2026 The new military agreement among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan (the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement) highlights how Israeli aggression is compelling the region to reconfigure its alliances and it serves as the latest evidence of the United States’ declining global influence
Encore at the Cirque du Hormuz, the greatest show on Earth!, analysis published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 12, 2026
Related: New U.S. firepower heads to Iran, but what can this possibly change when it is Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz?, commentary by military analyst Daniel Davis, broadcast on his YouTube program ‘Deep Dive With Daniel Davis, Aug 14, 2026 (44′)
Inside the DSA’s audacious quest for power in the Democratic Party, feature report in New York Times, Aug 13, 2026 (Here in pdf format: Inside the DSA’s audacious quest for power in the Democratic Party)
Related:
* Latest anti-Russia diatribe published by Jacobin magazine. Reference: ‘Russia’s authoritarian neoliberalism reaches its limits’, essay in Jacobin, Ag 12, 2026 [The claim in this new essay in Jacobin that the DSA opposes the arming of Ukraine by the NATO imperialist countries is a stretch. The essay advocates the overthrow of Russia’s government; good luck with that. Typical of such anti-Russia ‘reporting’, there is not a mention (!) of the coup in Ukraine in February 2014 that overthrew that country’s elected president and legislature and ushered in a far-right, warmaking government. The new coup government immediately launch a civil war in eastern Ukraine to crush a pro-autonomy movement opposing the coup. This unceasing civil war by the coup regime in Kiev and its musing in 2021 that it acquire nuclear weapons are the background to the Russian military operation in Ukraine beginning February 24, 2022. Support to the NATO proxy war in Ukraine, or failure to oppose it, has caused the collapse of much of the political left in the Western countries and the collapse of the entirety of the environmental movement in those countries].
* ‘A certain schizophrenia’: Notes on the evolution of the DSA, essay by Patrick Lawrence, published in his Substack page ‘The Floutist’, Aug 7, 2026
Study of nearly 200 country-participants shows China’s Belt and Road Initiative cuts debt and corruption, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 Data analysis spanning more than 20 years across 197 countries and regions challenges accusations of ‘debt trap diplomacy’ (Read the report here in pdf format: Study of nearly 200 country-participants shows China’s Belt and Road Initiative cuts debt and corruption)
Related: China is sending scientists to Iran for rare earth ‘exploration and processing’, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 China is expanding its scientific collaboration with Iran into the strategically sensitive field of rare earths, including processing technologies that Beijing has increasingly sought to protect from overseas transfer (Here in pdf format: China is sending scientists to Iran for rare earth ‘exploration and processing’)
Stagnated U.S. export licensing regime under Trump administration is eroding competitiveness with China, report by the U.S.-China Business Council, published on Aug 11, 2025 (five-page report at weblink) The U.S.-China Business Council conducted a flash survey in July to gauge companies’ experience navigating the US export licensing regime under the second Trump administration. The 31 respondents — primarily representing the technology, industrial and manufacturing, energy, and healthcare industries — painted a stark picture of licensing delays and unclear procedures, unwillingness of export control agencies to engage with industry, and unnecessarily burdensome policies and out-of-date regulations.
Former premier and lead reformer of China Zhu Rongji has died at age 97, obiturary in South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 China’s bold economic tsar who drove sweeping SOE reforms and secured entry to the WTO in 2001 has died at age 97 (Read the obituary here in pdf format: Former premier and lead reformer of China Zhu Rongji has died at age 97)
Hong Kong is no longer a Western playground, commentary by Alex Lo, columnist, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 Writer and Western ideologue Stephen Roach and his like-minded critics of our home should let go of their fantasy of a bygone era. The city of Hong Kong has already moved on. (Read the column here in pdf format: Hong Kong is no longer a Western playground)
China’s aircraft carrier force to chart its own path, not copy a U.S. model, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 Military experts say the PLA’s carrier fleet is expected to complement land-based forces and extend reach into the western Pacific and beyond. This report is part six of a series in the SCMP marking the 99th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army. (Read the report here in pdf format: China’s aircraft carrier force to chart its own path, not copy a U.S. model)
Scientists in China pioneer hypersonic weapon guidance using the stars, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2026 Scientists in Guangdong academy have built a prototype sensor that accurately predicts how starlight bends at extreme speeds (Read the report here in pdf format: Scientists in China pioneer hypersonic weapon guidance using the stars)
Russia’s Ukraine strategy and its preparations for war by European powers, discussion with military analyst Stanislav Krapivnik, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, Aug 10, 2026 (56’)
Related: Russia’s ‘Arena-M’ tank protection system comes of age on the battlefield, report on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 10, 2026
Iran-Oman Hormuz deal almost reached, and the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan military pact, discussion with Professor Seyed Mirandi (U. of Tehran), Aug 9, 2026 (53′)
China’s ‘carrier killer’, hypersonic anti-ship missiles will distract U.S. forces in the event of conflict, South China Morning Post, Aug 9, 2026 (Read the report here in pdf format: China’s hypersonic anti-ship missiles serve to distract U.S. forces in the event of conflict)
The missile interceptor math doesn’t lie: U.S. air defenses are now in ‘total collapse’, interview with MIT professor and scientist Ted Postol, broadcast on ‘Dialogue Works’ YouTube program (host Nima Alkhorshid) Aug 8, 2026 (70′)
Science news:
* China faces new AI bottleneck as it runs out of Chinese-language training data, South China Morning Post, Aug 9, 2026 The global supply of high-quality, publicly available human-generated text could be fully exhausted within the next six years (Here in pdf format: China faces new AI bottleneck over Chinese-language training data)
* As AI upends humanity, we must focus on what makes us human, commentary by Brian Wong, in South China Morning Post, June 8, 2026 The case for an education in the humanities has never been stronger as the lines dividing what humans and AI can do become increasingly blurred (Brian Wong is an assistant professor in philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, and a Rhodes Scholar and adviser on strategy for the Oxford Global Society. Read his commentary here in pdf format: As AI upends humanity, we must focus on what makes us human)
Military press gang brutally assaults young couple in city of Odessa, Ukraine, story with video in RT News, Aug 8, 2026
Yemen armed forces strike positions of Saudi-recognized government based in east of the country, Agence France presse, Aug 7, 2026 The evolving military and political situation in the Middle East has prompted Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan to seek closer military ties. The three Muslim-majority countries signed a joint military agreement in Saudi Arabia on Friday, August 7.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government (the Presidential Leadership Council) controls the majority of territory in the south and east of the country, roughly 60% to 70% of the landmass. The rival government led by Ansar Allah (‘Houthi)’ forces holds the most densely populated northwestern urban centers, including the capital city Sana’a.
Marib is a vital, oil-rich province in central Yemen located about 120 kilometers east of the capital, Sanaa. It serves as the primary northern stronghold for the internationally recognized Yemeni government and hosts nearly a million displaced people, but has recently experienced a sharp escalation in deadly drone and missile strikes by the forces of the Ansar Allah-led movement and government.
Japan caught between inflation and slump, analysis by Michael Roberts, published on his website blog, Aug 8, 2026 …Japanese government bond yields have rocketed to highs, while the Japanese yen has collapsed in value to near historic lows…
China’s trade surplus narrows in July as exports hold firm in tech cycle, South China Morning Post, Aug 8, 2026 (Here in pdf format: China’s trade surplus narrows in July)
Related: Germans emerge as Europe’s biggest China hawks as economic pain begins to bite, South China Morning Post, Aug 8, 2026 Some 49 per cent of those polled see China as a rival or adversary while just 38 per cent see the nation in positive terms, new survey finds (Here in pdf format: Germans emerge as Europe’s biggest China hawks)
Science news: Chinese breakthrough paves way for production of graphene-based quantum chips, South China Morning Post, Aug 8, 2026 (Here in pdf format: Chinese breakthrough paves way for production of graphene-based quantum chips)
Ukraine’s political crisis is deepening, interview with Professor Nicolai Petro (U. of Rhode Island), broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, Aug 6, 2026 (59′)
Related: Ukraine court sets bail for former U.S. ambassador Stefanishyna in corruption case, Aug 7, 2026
Proposed Hormuz passage deal between Iran and Oman not feasible for shipping industry, sources say, Reuters news agency, Aug 6, 2026
As the Board of Peace cosplays diplomacy, Israel once again ramps up killing in Gaza, by by Abdel Qader Sabbah, Mohamed Ahmed, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Jawa Ahmad, in Drop Site News, Aug 6, 2026 After Hamas agreed to a roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza “ceasefire,” Israel has escalated its assault on Gaza and the Board of Peace has backtracked
Related: Israel bombs medicine stores in Gaza, worsening a dire healthcare crisis, by Tareq S. Hajjaj, in Mondoweiss, Aug 4, 2026
China hits back at U.S. with barrage of sanctions, drone industry curbs, South China Morning Post, Aug 6, 2026 Beijing frames the measures as a ‘restrained’ response to the U.S.’ recent sanctions and robot import ban, but warns of potential further actions (Here in pdf format: China hits back at U.S. with barrage of sanctions, drone industry curbs)
The liberal ‘antiwar’ view of the NATO proxy war in Ukraine, that is directed against the government of the Russian Federation and against the peoples of Russia and Ukraine: …Trump may be the worst of the worst, but he is far from alone in today’s world. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues unabated. It may have been [sic] provoked by NATO expansion, but it was still unwise and illegal and has lowered the threshold for subsequent invasions.–from a feature essay in Consortium News on August 5, 2026 headlined ‘Hiroshima and the looming risk of nuclear disaster’
Kiev’s warfare against warehouse in Russia have cost Ukraine its coastline, RT News, Aug 5, 2026 Pro-war Ukrainians are cheering attacks against Wildberries consumer goods warehouses in Russia, but Russia’s armed forces are unleashing a far more consequential campaign against Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, rendering the country de-facto landlocked
Related: NATO has installed itself into Ukraine’s military, with European military suppliers and NATO software now built into Kiev’s war effort, RT News, Aug 5, 2026
China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies, South China Morning Post, Aug 5, 2026 From artificial intelligence to quantum technology and hypersonic weapons, the PLA is in a race to define the next era of warfare (This is part four of a series marking the 99-year anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army. Read it here in pdf format: China’s military is laser-focused on ‘disruptive’ technologies. Parts one to three are below on this page.)
China’s port deal in Angola shows its dominance over U.S. competitors, South China Morning Post, Aug 5, 2026 As Washington eyes Angola’s critical minerals and invests in a strategic rail project, Beijing leads in strengthening its supply chain (Read the report here in pdf format: China’s port deal in Angola shows its dominance over U.S. competitors)
Previously reported: How the U.S. war against Iran is widening inequality in Africa, report in Washington Post, July 31, 2026 (Here in pdf format: How the U.S. war against Iran is widening inequality in Africa)
Television broadcast of test launch of China’s DF-17 hypersonic glider missile, South China Morning Post, Aug 5, 2026 (Read the report here in pdf format: Televison broadcast of test launch of China’s DF-17 hypersonic glider missile)
Disastrous end to Zelensky’s 40-day ‘special military operation’ lays bare a dwindling Ukraine, analysis published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, Aug 3, 2026
Why documenting the slaughter in Gaza does not save the people there, essay by Ramzy Baround, publisher, Palestine Chronicle, July 30, 2026 …According to figures produced by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israel has killed and wounded a total of over 250,000 Palestinians since the start of the genocide in October 2023. The tally is updated daily because the killing never stops…
A military base, a displaced people and Trump’s China fears: Andy Burnham’s Chagos test, South China Morning Post, Aug 4, 2026 The first challenge facing Britain’s new prime minister may lie in the Indian Ocean, where the future of a U.S.-British military base remains unresolved (Read the report here in pdf format: A military base, a displaced people and Trump’s China fears: Andy Burnham’s Chagos test)
Hong Kong’s Chinese bond futures are a major step for the global yuan, commentary in South China Morning Post, Aug 4, 2026 Making Chinese treasury bond futures tradeable on Hong Kong’s stock exchange adds the interest rate hedging component markets have demanded (here in pdf format: Hong Kong’s Chinese bond futures are a major step for the global yuan)
Tehran says no talks with U.S. underway, confirms negotiations with Oman for a temporary route through the Strait of Hormuz, Al Mayadeen English, Aug 3, 2026
‘Surprising’ how quickly China’s military is closing gap with U.S., interview with military analyst Lyle Goldstein, published in South China Morning Post, Aug 4, 2026 (Lyle Goldstein is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, and director of Asia engagement at the Washington think tank Defence Priorities. This interview marks the coming, 100-year anniversary in 2027 of the People’s Liberation Army of China.) (Read the interview here in pdf format: ‘Surprising’ how quickly China’s military is closing the gap with U.S.)
China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with the U.S., says retired PLA colonel Zhou Bo in feature interview, South China Morning Post, Aug 3, 2026 [Latest in a series of reports marking the 99-year anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army. Parts one to three are just below. Zhou Bo is a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy, and the author of the book Should the World Fear China? (April 2025).] Read the interview here in pdf format: ‘China’s military goal is to stand neck and neck with the U.S.’)
Iran rejects Trump claims of Strait of Hormuz deal, reports Iran’s FARS news agency, Al Mayadeen English, Aug 2, 2026
Related:
* ‘Barely one third of Americans approve of the presidency of Donald Trump. This places him at historic depths for a second-term president at this stage of his tenure’.–report in New York Times, Aug 2, 2026 (paywalled)
* ‘President Trump says he has canceled a planned U.S. attack on Iran after the parameters of a deal emerged, including opening the vital Strait of Hormuz’.–report in Washington Post, Aug 2, 2026 (paywallwed)
Successful testing in China of quantum technology to improve reliability of power grid, South China Morning Post, Aug 2, 2026 (Here in pdf format: Successful testing in China of quantum technology to improve reliability of power grid)
Artificial Intelligence and capitalist productivity, economic analysis by Michael Roberts, published on his website blog, July 23, 2026
The indispensable leading role of the Communist Party of China over the People’s Liberation Army, special report in South China Morning Post, Aug 2, 2026 Beijing’s anti-corruption clean-up of the military reflects a historic commitment to party control, ensuring the armed forces strictly serve party goals. In this third part of a series, Yuanyue Dang and William Zheng examine how Beijing leans on Mao-era doctrines and anti-corruption drives to guarantee absolute party control over the armed forces. (Read the report here in pdf format: The indispensable leading role of the Communist Party of China over the People’s Liberation Army)
Part two: The U.S. is losing ground to China in naval defense, feature report in South China Morning Post, August 1, 2026 In this second installment of a series, Gabriel Dominguez examines how Beijing is pushing the envelope on its near-seas island arc (Read the report here in pdf format: The U.S. is losing ground to China in naval defense)
Part one: The People’s Liberation Army at 99, and China’s military ascent, feature report in South China Morning Post, July 31, 2026 The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marks its 99th anniversary on August 1, one year away from the deadline for its centenary goals. Its evolution highlights the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the first installment of a series, Liu Zhen examines how the PLA’s strategies have developed from guerrilla warfare to hi-tech conflict. (Read the report here in pdf format: The People’s Liberation Army at 99, and China’s military ascent)
Hypersonic missile development highlights China’s defence capabilities, South China Morning Post, August 1, 2026 (Here in pdf format: Hypersonic missile development highlights China’s defence capabilities)
Related:
* Official video debuts China’s YJ-20 hypersonic missile as launched from Type 052D destroyer, by Liang Rui, in Global Times, July 29, 2026
* China boosts naval firepower by adding YJ-20 hypersonic missiles to 7,500-ton destroyer fleet, report by Interesting Engineering, July 30, 2026 Previously limited to the Type 055 Destroyer, the YJ-20 missile is now confirmed on the older and more numerous Type 052D
The MAGA media machine is fracturing, report in New York Times, July 31, 2026 Once united in support of President Trump, right-wing influencers are embroiled in feuds and losing viewers, creating a problem for Republicans in the midterm elections (Read the report here in pdf format: The MAGA media machine Is fracturing
