Zelensky visits war-torn southern city as battles rage

"Zelensky visited the war-damaged southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday for the first time
since the Russian invasion as "fierce battles" raged again in the eastern Donbas region. Russian forces have directed their firepower on the east and south of Ukraine in recent weeks." France24

Japan deploys MSDF fleet to Indo-Pacific with eye on China

"Japan has dispatched a Maritime Self-Defense Force flotilla on a deployment to 11 Indo-
Pacific countries and one foreign territory as part of joint naval exercises with the United States and other countries undertaken to counter a more assertive China.

In the annual deployment that will run to Oct 28, the MSDF fleet will make port calls in the Pacific island nations of the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji for the first time, according to the Defense Ministry.

The fleet will also take part in the Rim of the Pacific exercise -- the world's largest multinational naval exercise -- the Pacific Vanguard exercise involving Australia, Japan, the United States and South Korea, and other drills, the ministry said." JapanTimes

Abbott Infant Formula Plant Closed Again After Flooding

"EleCare specialty infant formula production at Abbott's Michigan plant has been halted after
severe storms triggered flooding in the plant. The closure comes less than two weeks after the factory resumed production following a months-long shutdown that fueled a national formula shortage." 

U.S. News&WorldReport

Thousands of cattle dead amid continuing heat wave

"Thousands of cattle in Kansas have died in recent days due to high heat and humidity, dealing
a blow to one of the country’s leading cattle production states as the industry grapples with extreme weather and rising production costs linked to the war in Ukraine." ABC

Russian-flagged ships transporting Ukrainian grain to Syria

"Russian-flagged ships have been carrying grain harvested in Ukraine last season and
transported it to Syria, U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar said." JustNews

5 injured as Ukrainian ballistic missile intercepted over Donetsk

"Five people have been injured in the town of Komsomolskoye in the southeast of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in the wake of a Ukrainian missile strike that was intercepted by the local militias." RT

German Official Warns Of Gas Shortages, Bankruptcies, Massive Price Hikes That Will Send "Shockwaves Throughout The Country"

"A gas shortage and high prices will send “shockwaves through the country,” leading to
landlords cutting the heat for tenants and widespread company bankruptcies, warned Klaus Müller, the head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which is the regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, postal services, and railway markets. Müller says he expects gas prices to continue to climb, resulting in increased inflation that goes far beyond energy. He also warns that there will be a dramatic lack of gas in the winter, which could lead to landlords turning down the heat to save on energy. In turn, Germans may have to grapple with colder apartments." ZeroHedge

China ready to supply components for aircraft to Russia

"China is ready to supply components for aircraft to Russian airlines, Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui told TASS.

"We are ready to supply components to Russia, we are organizing such cooperation," he said. "[Airlines] are currently addressing [it], they have certain channels, there are no restrictions from the Chinese side," the diplomat added." Tass

European Commission recommends EU 'candidate status' for Ukraine

"The European Commission has recommended that Ukraine be granted European Union
candidate status, its president, Ursula von der Leyen, said during a press conference, a day after the bloc's most powerful leaders visited Kyiv. The humanitarian situation across Ukraine and particularly in the eastern Donbas region is “extremely alarming and continues to deteriorate”, the United Nations said." France24

“We’ve Hurt Ourselves with Our Sanctions”: Tucker Makes Interesting Point about Russian Ruble, American Inflation

"Tucker Carlson.... pointing out that the now gold-backed Russian ruble is stronger than it has been in months in currency markets while the US succumbs to an inflation crisis and experiences a financial meltdown of sorts.

Tucker began that skewering of American monetary and foreign policy by attacking the Secretary of Energy and how America’s incompetent leftist elites have mismanaged energy policy, pushing it away from reliable sources of energy like fossil fuels and nuclear power to unreliable sources of energy like wind and solar, saying:

“Now you may be asking yourself, why would you put someone like that, who’s never had a real job and achieved precisely nothing in her life and actually doesn’t know anything about anything, why would you put her in a key position like Secretary of Energy?

“Because she knows the science. As she just told you, sun and wind are the most reliable forms of energy. It’s not like clouds could block the sun or the wind might stop blowing. That’s insane. And don’t think about nuclear power ramping up domestic energy production. That’s what Putin wants you to do.”" TP

Two US Veterans Captured by Russia in Ukraine

"A pair of former U.S. servicemen who volunteered for the Ukraine war effort have reportedly been captured by Russian forces near the city of Kharkiv during an “absolutely crazy” mission.

Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, were allegedly manning a rocket-propelled grenade launcher when Russian tanks rolled up on a 10-man Ukraine army squad last Thursday in the village of Izbytske." 

Telegraph

 

French Navy kicks off “SQUALE” ASW exercise in Toulon

"The French Navy kicked off multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise called
"SQUALE" in Toulon..... brings together French and allied surface ships, a submarine and aircraft from the French Navy and the French Air Force, in the midst of a realistic conflict scenario, both in terms of intensity and the variety of warfare areas simulated." NavalNews

Ukraine reveals daily military casualties

 "Up to 1,000 soldiers are being killed or wounded each day, according to a Kiev official. David Arakhamia, who leads Kiev’s negotiations with Moscow and heads the Ukrainian president’s party in parliament, disclosed the figures during a roundtable meeting at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC. " RT

Leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Romania meet Zelensky in Ukraine to support fight against Russia

"The leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania made a high-profile visit to Ukraine on Thursday and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aiming to show support for the country after more than three months of war." UPI

Zelensky vows to retake Donbass and Crimea

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “liberate” the Russian territory of
Crimea and the independent republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR). He was speaking just hours after reports of the Ukrainian military shelling residential buildings, a marketplace and a maternity hospital in the center of Donetsk." NW