Angie Craig Demands Joe Biden Drop Out — First Lawmaker to Defect After ABC Interview

"President Joe Biden lost the support of yet another member of Congress, the first to do so in the aftermath of Biden’s too-little-too-late  ABC News interview, which failed to assuage his critics.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) officially asked Biden to step aside saying, “As an elected leader, I feel a responsibility to be honest about what I believe, even when it’s hard to hear.” Breitbart

Mark Warner Assembling Democrats to Demand Joe Biden Withdraw from Election

"Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) is reportedly gathering a group of Senate Democrats to demand that President Joe Biden withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
Among the options under consideration is a meeting at the White House between senators and Biden. Even if some senators do not want Biden to drop out, advocates for the meeting argue they could use that forum to air candid concerns in person. Though no sitting Democratic senator has publicly called for Biden to step aside, they’ve privately shared mounting concerns with each other over the past week as they fight an already uphill battle to maintain the Senate majority." Breitbart

Drones strike Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast in Russia, causing fire and casualties

"At least six people were injured in the drone attack on Rostov Oblast and Krasnodar Krai overnight....UAVs attacked an electrical substation in the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai, the Russian Telegram channel Shot claimed. Debris from one of the drones damaged a three-story building. Electricity and water supply disappeared in some houses. Russian air defense shot down several drones in Primorsko-Akhtarsk." UB

Attack on a Congo gold mine kills 6 Chinese miners and 2 Congolese soldiers

"A militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers the latest assault as violence worsens in the resource-rich region.

The attack targeted the village of Gambala and the nearby "Camp Blanquette" gold mine in the Ituri province.....the militiamen set homes ablaze and then attacked the mine, which is guarded by a competing armed group, the Zaire Militia." AN

160 combat clashes

"Russian troops continue to show considerable activity in the Toretsk direction.....there were more than 160 combat clashes, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"In the Toretsk direction, Russians has become significantly more active - they has carried out 25 attacks, in particular, in the areas of the settlements of Dyliivka, Toretsk, Pivnichne and New York in Donetsk region," the message reads.
n the Kharkiv direction, Russia continued offensive actions with the support of aviation, a total of 15 combat clashes took place here in the areas of the settlements of Vovchansk, Hlyboke and Lyptsi.
In the Kupiansk direction, the number of clashes per day was 8. The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk region.
In the Lyman direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine prevented 32 Russian attacks in the areas of Hrekivka, Makiivka, Nevske in Luhansk region, Terny in Donetsk region, and Serebryanske forestry.
In the Siversk direction, the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 3 Russian attacks in the Verkhniokamianske and Vyimka districts of the Donetsk region.
In the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian defenders stopped 8 Russian attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses in the districts of Klishchiivka, Kalynivka, Ivanivske and Chasiv Yar of the Donetsk region." MS

Trump and Putin Discuss Terms for Ukraine Peace Deal

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on former U.S. President Donald

Trump to disclose his purported plan to end the war in Ukraine, and Politico analyzes and reveals that Trump and Putin are discussing peace in Ukraine. Namely, as part of the "plan for Ukraine," Trump has talked with Putin "about how much occupied territory in Ukraine Russia can keep," or how much would satisfy Putin to "take" to end the war or at least freeze it. According to Politico, citing two national security experts, Donald Trump, as part of his "peace plan" to end the war in Ukraine, is negotiating with Vladimir Putin about "territorial issues." FW

Hezbollah launches big attack on Israel, sonic booms rattle Beirut

"Hezbollah launched a big rocket and drone attack at Israel and threatened to hit new targets in retaliation for the killing of a top commander. Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over several areas of the country, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
Hezbollah said it launched more than 200 rockets and a swarm of drones at 10 Israeli military sites in retaliation for Israel's killing of Hezbollah commander Mohammed Nasser in the south on Wednesday. Nasser is one of the most senior Hezbollah commanders to be killed by Israel during the conflict." MS

Labour Set For Crushing 170 Seat Majority In UK General Election, As Conservative Party Suffers Worst Result In Its History

"The year of record elections continues to serve up dramatic results, and on Thursday, a national exit poll in the UK general election indicated that Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives will crash out of office after 14 years after Keir Starmer’s Labour party was heading for a massive

majority of about 170 seats. The poll on Thursday night suggested Starmer will become prime minister with 410 seats out of 650 in the House of Commons, while Sunak’s party is facing the worst result in its history, with just 131 seats.
But Labour’s victory was projected to be delivered on a smaller share of the vote than the 40% secured by leftwing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his 2017 general election defeat — suggesting the public remains sceptical. According to the exit survey, the centrist Liberal Democrats was on course to win 61 seats, close to the 62-seat record set by the party in 2005. The Lib Dems are forecast to make big gains in the Tory “blue wall” of rich constituencies in the south of England. The Scottish National party was set to come behind Labour in Scotland with just 10 seats, according to the exit poll, putting a serious dent in the party’s dream of securing independence. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was projected to do better than expected with 13 seats, a result that would be a big breakthrough for his right-wing populist party." ZH

LGBT Festival Shooting: Judgement Expected Today on Alleged Iranian ISIS Terrorist

"A verdict is expected in the case of an Iranian-born Norwegian man who is charged with terrorism in a 2022 attack at an LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo, Norway, in which two people were killed and nine seriously wounded at three locations.

The Oslo District Court is to rule on whether Zaniar Matapour fired 10 rounds with a machine gun and eight with a handgun into the crowd, chiefly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar, on June 25, 2022. Prosecutors said Matapour, 45, a Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group." Breitbart

80 combat clashes on front lines, most of them on Pokrovsk axis

"Eighty combat engagements have been recorded on the front lines in Ukraine since the beginning of the day as of 16:00. At the same time, the Kharkiv region is under constant bombardment by enemy aircraft. Today, Russian forces carried out three strikes from the direction of Belgorod and Shebekino (Russian Federation). In particular, they dropped four guided aerial bombs. They struck the areas of the settlements of Lyptsi, Vovchanski Khutory, and Okhrymivka.

In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy launched four attacks on the positions of Ukrainian units outside Synkivka, Stelmakhivka, and Novoselivka. Two clashes are still ongoing. Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold their defense.
In the Lyman sector, the invading army launched seven attacks on Ukrainian positions near Makiivka, Hrekivka, and Terny. Six combat clashes ended without success for the enemy, and one more is ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the occupiers carried out nine assaults on the positions of the Ukrainian army near Kalynivka, Hryhorivka, and Klishchiivka. Six fights are still ongoing.
In the Toretsk sector, nine enemy attacks occurred near Pivnichne, Toretsk, and Niu-York. Ukrainian soldiers repelled five enemy attacks, and four more combat clashes are ongoing.
The greatest number of battles took place in the Pokrovsk sector. Since the beginning of the day, Russian forces have already made 24 attempts to dislodge Ukrainian defenders from their positions near Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Kalynove, Prohres, Lozuvatske, Yevhenivka, Novoselivka Persha and Yasnobrodivka. The defense forces restrained the onslaught and repelled 18 enemy attacks. Six battles are still ongoing. Enemy losses are being clarified.
In the Vremivka sector, the enemy made four attempts to advance near Vodiane and Makarivka. One battle is ongoing.
In the Orikhiv sector, Ukrainian units repelled two enemy assaults near Verbove and Robotyn." Ukrin

Russia Repels Drone Boat Attack On Key Port

"Russia's defense ministry (MoD) on Wednesday published some rare and intense footage of a Ukrainian naval suicide drones which got close to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

The speedboat-type drones were approaching the coast in the darkness of the early morning hours when Russian Navy assets opened up heavy machine gun and rocket fire on the vessels. The return automatic weapons fire from the military port was so intense that it may have damaged buildings in the area, as Russian media notes that-
"City officials closed the area close to the embankment in response to the incident. Mayor Andrey Kravchenko reported in the morning that minor damage was caused to an apartment and two commercial properties, but nobody was hurt in the incident." ZH

Ukraine's air defenses intercept 21 of 22 kamikaze drones launched by Russia overnight

"Ukraine's air defense forces shot down 21 out of 22 Russian Shahed attack drones in the night. Russians attacked Ukraine overnight with 22 Shahed-131/136 drones launched from the Kursk region." Ukrin

One killed, one wounded in terror attack in northern Israel

"One person was killed in a terror attack that occurred at a shopping center in the city of Karmiel in Israel's north on Wednesday, Hebrew media reported.

Sergeant (Sgt.) Aleksandr Iakiminskyi, 19, from Nahariya, a driver in the 71st Battalion, 188th Brigade, was killed in the stabbing attack in Karmiel, the IDF announced. The other individual who was severely wounded was a soldier from the same battalion and brigade.
Eyewitnesses said that the terrorist stabbed one of the young men, severely wounding him. His friend, who was the one who died, was armed and had time to disarm the assailant and shoot him. In the process, however, he was also stabbed, according to Walla.
The deputy director of the Karmiel municipality security department, who arrived with his team at the scene said, "It's a very difficult scene. People are very upset. We secured the area to allow for the treatment of the wounded and to calm the crowd, and we remain on site to assist in whatever is needed by the security forces."
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's emergency medical response service, Magen David Adom (MDA), reported that two people had been wounded as a result of a stabbing attack." JP

158 combat engagements were registered over the last day

"158 combat engagements were registered over the last day. The Russian army significantly intensified its activity in the Toretsk sector. In the Pokrovske sector, it concentrated its main efforts in the area of Novooleksandrivka.
The enemy carried out air strikes in the areas of Mali Prokhody, Lyptsi, Vesele, Neskuchne, Tyhye, Vovchanski Khutory, Staritsa, Sotnytsia Kozachok, Synkivka in Kharkiv region; Rayhorodok, Spirne, New York, Velyka Novosilka, Katerynivka and Odradne in Donetsk region; Marfopil in Zaporizhzhia; Ingulets, Mykolaivka and Tokarivka in Kherson region.
In the Kharkiv sector, the enemy continued offensive (assault) actions with the support of aviation, with a total of eight combat engagements in the areas of Vovchansk and Hlyboke.
In the Kupyansk sector, the number of combat engagements amounted to 13 over the day. Defense forces repelled enemy attacks near Synkivka in Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka in Luhansk region. The enemy made the main efforts in the vicinity of Synkivka, where about 80 percent of all the confrontations in the sector took place.

In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian troops prevented 18 militant attacks near Hrekivka, Makiivka, Nevske in Luhansk region and Terny in Donetsk region.
In the Siversky sector, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled five attacks in the areas of Ivan-Daryivka, Spirne and Vyymka in Donetsk region.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Ukrainian defenders stopped 14 enemy attempts to break through the defense in the areas of Klishchiyivka, Kalynivka, Ivanivske and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region.
In the Toretsk sector, the aggressor significantly intensified its activities, launching 32 attacks, in particular in the areas of Toretsk, Pivnichne, Pivdenne, Zalizne and Nyzhnyk in Donetsk region.
In the Pokrovske sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 51 attacks near the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Yevhenivka, Novoselivka Persha, Lozuvatske, Yasnobrodivka, Makarivka, Kalynove, Panteleimonivka and Umanske in the Donetsk region. The enemy concentrated its main efforts in the area of Novooleksandrivka, conducting more than half of its attacks there.
In the Kurakhove sector, the Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the area of Heorhiivka, Krasnohorivka and Paraskoviivka, where the enemy tried to break through the Ukrainian troops' defense 10 times.
In the Vremivsk sector, the enemy made three assaults on Ukrainian positions in the areas of Vodiane and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region.
In the Orikhiv sector, there was one firefight near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia.
In the Prydniprovskyi sector, the invaders continue to try to drive the Ukrainian Defense Forces units from their positions at the bridgeheads. All four Russian attacks were unsuccessful." Ukrin

Ukraine faces severe air force losses in costly Russian strike

"An attack carried out by the Russian Federation resulted in the Ukrainians losing at least two Su-27 fighter jets. However, this is not the end of the losses suffered by the defenders at the Myrhorod airport (in the Poltava region), located about 90 miles from the front line. The Russian army launched an Iskander missile towards the airport, hitting the designated target. The Ukrainian losses proved significant, as the Russians destroyed two Su-27 jets during the shelling, while four others were damaged.
Forbes notes that the attack could be "one of the costliest days for the Ukrainian Air Force since the beginning of the Russian invasion." MS