First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; to access others, click on their names or initials below. — MCM
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IAEA to visit Ukraine nuclear plant amid renewed shelling, by Paul Byrne | AP KYIV — The U.N. nuclear watchdog today injected a ray of hope in the standoff over the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant at the heart of fighting in Ukraine by announcing that its mission of top experts “is now on its way” to the facility even as renewed shelling in the area highlighted fears of a catastrophe. And even if both Ukraine and Russia welcomed the mission, both sides continued to accuse each other of stoking the conflict by shelling the wider . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia to hold sweeping joint war games with China, others, by Vladimir Isachenkov | AP MOSCOW — Russia said today it will launch sweeping military drills in the country’s east that will involve forces from China — a show of increasingly close defense ties between Moscow and Beijing . . . . The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held Sept. 1-7 in various locations in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops, over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships. The drills . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine’s schools race to build bomb shelters before term starts, by Andrea Shalal and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey | Reuters * Only 41% of schools, nurseries and universities have shelters * Some 2,300 education buildings damaged by war, 286 totally destroyed * Hit to education from six month war worsens COVID-19 impact * Learning disruptions are “tragedy for Ukraine” – university president | KYIV — Across Ukraine, authorities are building bomb shelters and repairing thousands of buildings damaged in shelling by Russian forces before the country’s nearly 6 million school-aged children return to school in September – online or in person. Resuming school is a top priority for the government given . . . READ MORE . . .
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Schotz sees Germany’s ‘special responsibility’ for building Ukraine artillery, air defence. From AFP. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he saw Germany taking on “special responsibility” to help Ukraine build up its artillery and air defence systems, as he vowed that Berlin will maintain its backing for “as long as it takes”. Calling on allies to coordinate a “long-term and reliable division of labour” on support for Ukraine, Scholz said . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia practically eliminates remnants of Ukraine’s Air Force — source. From Tass. MOSCOW — The staff of Ukraine’s Air Force have been practically eliminated by Russia’s Aerospace Forces and air defense systems, a military-diplomatic source told TASS today.” The entire qualified operating personnel of Ukraine’s former air force – of Mig-29, Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft . . . READ MORE . . .
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EU plans to suspend deal easing Russian visa requests. From AFP. PRAGUE — The European Union is planning to suspend an agreement that eases the path for Russians to apply for visas to travel to the bloc, an EU diplomat told reporters today. “We cannot continue the visa policy as it has been up to now,” he said, requesting . . . READ MORE . . .
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MAY BE CONTINUED