Russian drone strike on Odesa high-rise

"Russia attacked the southern city of Odesa overnight on June 28, killing two people and injuring at least 14 others, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.
The drone attack hit a 21-story building, causing a fire on the 7th, 8th, and 9th floors that left residents trapped in their apartments. First responders rescued five people, including a small child." KI

Thailand is underwater today -- Massive floods sweep away buildings in Chiang Rai

"Thailand's Chiang Rai province is battling severe flooding following continuous heavy rain overnight which continued into the morning. The heavy rain caused flash floods and mountain overflows in several districts, with Phaya Mengrai and Wiang Chai being the worst-hit. A large volume of rainwater rushed down from the surrounding mountains into low-lying areas, causing a sudden rise in water levels and widespread waterlogging. Residents were forced to evacuate quickly and move belongings to higher ground. In many areas, flooding reached waist-high, with strong currents damaging property and sweeping away belongings." HAG

Pakistani soldiers killed in suicide attack

"A suicide bomber has rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into a military convoy in the North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. No group has taken responsibility so far, but the area has experienced frequent violence and attacks by a terrorist organization previously linked to the Taliban." RT

Emergency declaration after heavy rainfall causes widespread flooding and evacuations in western Venezuela

"Heavy rainfall associated with tropical waves 8 and 9 caused severe floods and landslides

across western Venezuela  displacing over 4 700 people and prompting a national emergency declaration. The states of Mérida, Trujillo, and Táchira were among the most affected.
Tropical Wave 9 interacting with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) brought intense rainfall to Venezuela resulting in severe floods, landslides, and river overflows across multiple states.
The Andean states of Mérida, Trujillo, and Táchira were among the worst hit. In Mérida, zones including Tabay, Mucuchíes, and Mucurubá experienced evacuations as rising waters cut off roads and triggered slope collapses. The Barinas-Mérida highway was closed due to mudslides and tree falls, isolating parts of the state.
Landslides were also reported in San Miguel, Niquitao, Mosquey, and across the parishes of Guaramacal and Vega de Guaramacal, complicating access and raising risks to rural populations." Warchers

187 combat clashes on front line in past 24 hrs

"187 combat engagements between Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, Ukrainian forces repelled 28 attacks. The Russians launched six airstrikes using nine guided bombs and 273 shelling incidents, including four with MLRS.

In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, 13 enemy assaults occurred near Hlyboke, Zybine, Vovchansk, Krasne Pershe, Kamianka, Kindrashivka, Mala Shapkivka.
In the Kupiansk sector, nine enemy attacks occurred yesterday. The Ukrainian defenders repelled assault operations by Russian forces near Holubivka, Kindrashivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Zelenyi Hai, and toward Petropavlivka and Nova Kruhliakivka.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy launched 18 attacks. Russian forces attempted to break through Ukrainian defenses near the settlements of Hrekivka, Novyi Myr, Ridkodub, and tpward Olhivka, Serednie, Kolodiazi, Zelena Dolyna, and Torske.
In the Siversk sector, the enemy made two attempts to advance towrad Vyimka and Fedorivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Russian forces launched five attacks toward Markove, Bila Hora, and Bondarne.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy carried out 23 assaults near Toretsk, Dachne, Shcherbynivka, Oleksandro-Kalynove, Dyliivka, Romanivka, Yablunivka, and Rusyn Yar.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 56 enemy assault operations in the areas of the settlements of Poltavka, Malynivka, Shevchenko Pershe, Myrne, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Novomykolaivka, Kotliarivka, Myrnohrad, Novoserhiivka, Udachne, Oleksiivka, Novoukrainka, Kotlyne, Muravka, Zelenyi Kut, and toward Volodymyrivka.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the enemy carried out 25 attacks near the settlements of Zirka, Yalta, Zaporizhzhia, Bahatyr, Fedorivka, Komar, Odradne, Myrne, Shevchenko, Zelene Pole, and toward Voskresenka.
In the Prydniprovske sector, the Russian invaders made five unsuccessful attempts to advance, suffered losses, and retreated." Ukrin

Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea air base destroys 3 Russian helicopters

"Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck the Kirovske military airfield in occupied Crimea overnight. The attack destroyed Mi-8, Mi-26 and Mi-28 attack helicopters, and a Pantsyr-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system....According to the SBU, Ukraine targeted Russian aviation, air defense systems, as well as ammunition, reconnaissance and attack drones storage facilities." KI

Massive 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Philippines – The Philippine Trench Is Stirring!

"At exactly 7:07 in the morning on a quiet Saturday morning, the ground beneath the sea near Sarangani Island in Davao Occidental trembled with the force of a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) confirmed the event,

tracing the epicenter roughly 98 kilometers southeast of Sarangani Island. After a few minutes, it is downgraded to 6.4, then to 6.1, though maybe it will go up or down again. The quake struck from a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers (6 miles) and was triggered by tectonic movements deep within the Earth's crust. But this wasn’t just another tremor. It struck dangerously close to the Philippine Trench, one of the most volatile subduction zones on Earth. For decades, scientists have warned that this trench holds the potential for devastating megathrust earthquakes, the kind that reshape coastlines and rewrite history. Now, with this powerful quake erupting near its edge, many are asking the same question: Is this a warning shot from the deep?" AM

West Virginia, Ohio & Kentucky Battered by Monster Storm -- Severe Flooding

"Historic flooding has returned to West Virginia, Ohio, and now Kentucky—just days after earlier deadly

storms. In this extended, real-time report, we cover the terrifying resurgence of flash floods, the emotional toll on residents still recovering from previous disasters, and the dangerous conditions threatening more communities. From submerged cars in Dayton to urgent rescues in Hazard, this is the unfolding story of a storm system with no mercy." WD

Atlanta Underwater -- Cars Submerged in Georgia Streets

"Intense thunderstorms barrel into metro Atlanta this evening, unleashing up to three inches of rain per hour. Major flash flood warnings stretch across Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, Cherokee, Forsyth, and Gwinnett Counties. Flooded lanes on Interstate Seventy-Five, stalled traffic at Hartsfield‑Jackson Airport, and tens of thousands without power." WD

China Engulfed in Flames

"A wildfire in the southern Sichuan province has been spreading, leading to the evacuation of nearly 3,400 people from nearby areas. The fire, which started in Yajiang County, is still not under control, exacerbated by strong winds. The Chinese Emergency Ministry has declared a level four emergency and dispatched 1,260 firefighters to combat the blaze. Unfortunately, communication with some local hydroelectric power plant employees has been lost, raising concerns about their safety." Vulnerability

Ukrainian deputy prime minister hit with travel ban, $2.9 million bail in major corruption case

"Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Chernyshov was restricted from traveling abroad without permission after a court ruled on June 27 to set bail at Hr 120 million ($2.9 million) while awaiting trial in a high-profile corruption case.
“This is a huge challenge for me,” Chernyshov told reporters during a press briefing after the hearing, adding that he believed the bail was “too high.”
Chernyshov is the highest-ranking official in Ukraine’s history to face corruption charges while in office. Courts officially named him a suspect earlier this week for abusing his government post to illegally enrich himself through a “large-scale” illegal land grab." KI

Russia attacks Kharkiv with drones for second time in one day

"Russian troops attacked Kharkiv with a drone for the second time in a day..Terekhov said that updated reports indicate that the Russian UAV was shot down by the defense forces as it was approaching the city." msn

Fireball appears to explode over southeastern U.S.

"A fireball appears to have exploded in the skies over the southeastern U.S.
The American Meteor Society has received nearly 150 reports of a fireball spotted around 12:24 p.m. Eastern time. Most of the reports are from Georgia and South Carolina, though a few observers witnessed the event from Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina." msn

Only Political Engineering Can Restore Russian Language Rights In Ukraine Like Lavrov Wants

"Only the US is capable of pulling this off since Russia lacks influence over Ukraine’s political processes...Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged in early June on Russian Language Day that “Russia will not leave Russians and Russian-speaking people in trouble and will make sure that their legal rights, including the right to speak their native language, are restored in full. We will continue to speak about this pressing problem on international platforms. We will insist on having it resolved as a prerequisite for a lasting peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict.”

This aligns with Russia’s denazification goal and was included in the memo for ending the conflict that it handed to Ukraine during the second round of their newly resumed bilateral talks in Istanbul. Objectively speaking, the restoration of full Russian language rights in Ukraine is required for a sustainable peace, but this can only be brought about via legislative changes. Therein lies the problem since the Rada isn’t interested in repealing 2019’s “state language law” that entered into force in early 2022.
For precisely this reason, Russia’s memo also calls for elections to the Rada in parallel with those for the presidency, though there still wouldn’t be any guarantee that Russian-friendly forces (in the context of repealing the aforementioned law) would come to power for implementing that pragmatic demand. That’s why political engineering is ultimately required for restoring full Russian language rights in Ukraine, but Russia lacks influence over its political processes as proven by its inability to effect change.
Therefore, this part of Russia’s denazification goal might not be met unless the US takes on this responsibility, which it’d be wise to do so as to remove the roots of another conflict. After all, so long as Russian language rights aren’t fully restored, the Kremlin will keep championing this cause and possibly even consider covert action of some sort in pursuit of it. The millions of discriminated Russian speakers in Ukraine could provide a fertile recruiting ground for such operations after martial law is lifted." ZeroHedge

Austria & Germany Slammed by Destructive Storms ! Flooded Streets, Fallen Trees, Hail Everywhere

"Severe summer storms struck Austria and Germany, unleashing powerful winds, hail, and

flash floods. Regions like Tyrol, Styria, Bavaria, and Saxony faced major damage to homes, roads, and power lines. Emergency crews battled fires, flooding, and widespread disruptions to transport and infrastructure." StormHQ