Zelensky arrives at Downing Street and meets with Starmer

"President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at Downing Street on Thursday, where he was greeted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The talks between Zelensky and Starmer come just one day before the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where a ceasefire in Ukraine is expected to be a central topic." Ukrin

148 combat clashes on frontline

"148 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russian invaders were recorded on the frontline.
The Russian army carried out air strikes on the areas of the settlements of Boyaro-Lezhachi, Bilovody in the Sumy region; Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk region; Uspenivka, Novoandriivka, Prymorske, Orikhiv, Chervona Krynytsia in the Zaporizhzhia region; Antonivka in the Kherson region.
The aviation, missile forces, and artillery of the Defense Forces struck eight areas where personnel, weapons, and military equipment were concentrated, two artillery systems, a warehouse of material and technical resources, a command post, and a radar station of the Russian invaders.

In the Northern Slobozhanhchyna and Kursk sectors, Ukrainian defenders repelled six Russian attacks. The enemy carried out 16 air strikes, dropping a total of 27 guided bombs, and fired 289 shells, including 14 from multiple launch rocket systems.
In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, five clashes took place in the areas of Vovchansk, Kamianka, Zapadne, and Fyholivka.
In the Kupiansk sector, three Russian attacks took place. Defense Forces repelled assaults near Holubivka.
In the Lyman sector, Russian troops attacked 13 times, trying to advance in the areas of Novovodiane, Karpivka, Ridkodub, Kolodiazi, and Torske.
In the Siversk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 14 assaults by Russian troops in the areas of Hryhorivka, Novoselivka, and Pereizne.
In the Kramatorsk sector, three clashes were recorded. The enemy attacked toward Stupochky and Predtechyne.
In the Toretsk sector, the Russians carried out seven attacks in the areas of Shcherbynivka, Yablunivka, Rusyn Yar, and toward Stepanivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders stopped 56 offensive actions by Russian troops in the areas of the settlements of Volodymyrivka, Nykanorivka, Chervonyi Lyman, Novoekonomichne, Rodynske, Promin, Chunyshyne, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Horikhove, Novoukrainka, and Dachne.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the Defense Forces stopped 14 attempts to break through the Ukrainian troops' lines in the areas of Maliivka, Tovste, Shevchenko, and Oleksandrohrad.
In the Huliaipole sector, the enemy made one attempt to advance near Malynivka.
In the Orikhiv sector, the Russians tried to advance near the village of Plavni.
In the Prydniprovske sector, the Defense Forces stopped four attempts by Russian invaders to advance." Ukrin

Fire tornado swirls up through smoke cloud from Portugal wildfire

"A fire tornado was caught on camera in Portugal as the country battled a series of wildfires amid another heatwave." AP

China Hit by Powerful Wind Storm: Shanxi Province Faces Strong and Dangerous Winds

"A fierce wind storm has swept across China, bringing powerful and destructive gusts that have severely impacted Shanxi Province and surrounding areas. From uprooted trees to damaged buildings, this storm has tested the resilience of communities both urban and rural." DW

Belarus says it will draw up nuclear weapons plan and Oreshnik missile system at joint exercises with Russia in September

"Russia and

Belarus plan to work out a plan for the use of nuclear weapons and Oreshnik
missile systems during their joint Zapad-2025 exercises on 12-16 September." Pravada

China in Chaos: Typhoon Podul Hits Fujian

"China’s Fujian Province is hit hard as Typhoon Podul slams ashore, unleashing destructive

winds, torrential rain, and massive flooding. Cities are submerged, power outages spread, and dangerous flash flooding threatens lives across the region. Stay tuned for the latest China typhoon, china floods, china storm, and china news as this extreme weather disaster tests the resilience of communities in one of the worst natural disasters in years." YT

Typhoon Podul crosses Taiwan

"Typhoon Podul crossed southern Taiwan, where authorities closed schools and government offices as heavy rain threatened more damage to agriculture in the island’s southeast." AP

Trump floats conditional security pledge to Ukraine

"U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders that the Washington was willing to contribute security guarantees for Kyiv with some conditions, Politico reported, citing three people familiar with the Aug. 13 virtual

conversation.
The virtual meeting, arranged by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aimed to coordinate the allies positions ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Aug. 15.
According to a European diplomat, a British official and a person briefed on the call, the U.S. is willing to play some sort of role in providing Kyiv with the means to deter future Russian aggression if a ceasefire is reached. However, this would not be part of a NATO commitment.
Trump also made clear that the U.S. would not continue to provide weapons or troops directly to Ukraine, though he would sell weapons to Europe to be used by Kyiv." KI

Severe dust storm with near-zero visibility closes section of Interstate 10 in New Mexico

"A severe dust storm produced near-zero to zero visibility along Interstate 10 between
Lordsburg and Deming, New Mexico, at about 17:30 local time (LT) prompting a full closure of the corridor between mile markers 20 and 81, roughly 98 km (61 miles). Conditions improved in the area by 18:30 LT." W

Poland detains Ukrainian teen accused of vandalizing monuments on Russia's behalf

"Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has arrested a 17-year-old Ukrainian citizen accused of carrying out acts of sabotage on orders from foreign intelligence services, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's office said.
The teenager vandalized monuments to victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), including one in Domostawa, and defaced public buildings with anti-Polish slogans." KI

U.S. waives sanctions for Trump-Putin summit

"The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a temporary waiver for certain sanctions on Russia, allowing transactions related to the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The pause is set to remain in effect until August 20, OFAC noted." RT

Volgograd oil refinery ablaze after drone attack

"A fire broke out at the Lukoil oil refinery in the Russian administrative center of Volgograd after an overnight drone attack." NV