China Holds Snap Military Drills In Response To US Carrier Entering South China Sea

"Just as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which is a nuclear-powered supercarrier,
entered the South China Sea on Thursday after making its way from Singapore, China unveiled that will hold military exercises in the same region on Friday and Saturday.

The country's Maritime Safety Administration was cited in state-run Global Times as announcing the new South China Sea naval drills, which also comes as tensions are boiling over a proposed trip to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi next month." ZeroHedge

US rocket system enables Ukraine to pummel key supply bridge

"Ukrainian troops used American-supplied precision rocket launchers to knock out a strategic bridge used by Russia to supply its forces in southern Ukraine’s occupied Kherson region." AP

Residents of Russian-occupied areas of eastern Donbas urged to evacuate

"Residents of Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region have been urged to evacuate.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said people risked being cut off from “power, water, food and medical supplies, heating and communication” if they stayed in the area." Guardian

Russian strike on Kropyvnytskyi

"At least two people were killed in the Donetsk town of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine on
Thursday, as a five-story building collapsed following a Russian missile strike.“Today, the rescuers of the Toretsk garrison, during emergency rescue operations on the destroyed part of a 5-story residential building in the city of Toretsk, discovered and pulled out the bodies of 2 dead persons (1 man and 1 woman),” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said." Guardian

Western Powers' Communication Problems With Russia & China May Heighten Risk of Nuclear War

"A “series of negotiations and dialogues” conducted during the Cold War afforded both the western and Soviet blocs “a higher level of confidence” that a nuclear war wouldn't break out because of a miscalculation. Now, however, the West lacks “the same foundations with others” who may threaten it, says UK security advisor Stephen Lovegrove." Sputnik

Russia Seeks Allies in Africa Amid War-Triggered Food Crisis

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is on a major tour of Africa, seeking allies amid
global anger and isolation over food shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine." VOA

U.S. Proposes Swapping Prisoners With Russia

"The United States says it has made a “substantial proposal” to Russia, which government
officials described as a prisoner swap that would send convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout back to Moscow to secure the release of American professional basketball star Brittney Griner and accused spy Paul Whelan." VOA

GDP fell 0.9% in the second quarter, the second straight decline and a strong recession signal

"Gross domestic product fell 0.9% at an annualized pace for the period.....The drop came from a broad swath of factors, including decreases in inventories, residential and nonresidential investment. The U.S. economy contracted for the second straight quarter from April to June, hitting a widely accepted rule of thumb for a recession, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday." CNBC