For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, the Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (NOTE: Scroll up or click HERE for a later entry today in this blog.) — MCM

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Ukraine will get F-16 fighter jets from the Dutch and Danes after the U.S. agrees to allow transfers, by Mike Corder, Samoa Kullab and Jan M. Olsen | AP  THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United States has given its approval for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16s to Ukraine, officials in Washington and Europe said today, in a major gain for Kyiv even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon in the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian drone damages building in Moscow disrupting air traffic, Russia says. From Reuters. MOSCOW — A Ukrainian drone smashed into a building in central Moscow today after Russian air defences shot it down, disrupting air traffic at all the civilian airports of the Russian capital, Russian officials said. A Reuters witness described hearing “a powerful explosion”. Reuters images showed . . . READ MORE . . .

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Moscow urges Ukrainian troops to turn arms against Kiev junta or capitulate – diplomat. From Tass. MOSCOW — Moscow is urging Ukrainian soldiers to turn their weapons against the Kiev regime or surrender to Russian forces, according to a commentary on the Ukrainian crisis by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “We strongly advise the Ukrainian soldiers, who, we are certain, realize the whole criminal essence of the gangster-like junta that has taken over their country, to turn their weapons against it, or . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Moscow City attacked because it is Putin’s symbol of prosperity,’ by Maryna Shashkova | The Kyiv Post  Ukraine is deliberately targeting drones at Moscow City as it is the symbol of the prosperity “Putin’s regime” has allegedly brought to Russia, a Kyiv official says. With its glittering collection of skyscrapers on the Presnenskaya Embankment of the Moskva River, Moscow City is home to various offices, leisure complexes and Russian government ministry . . . READ MORE . . .

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With a simple question, Ukrainians probe mental health at a time of war. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR  KYIV — How are you? In Ukraine, this question is much more than a casual conversation starter. It’s an invitation to express how you’re coping with the war. Ukraine can calculate the agony of war in many ways: lives lost, homes destroyed, families turned into refugees. Yet there’s also . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Rural voters shaping the GOP presidential turn against U.S. aid to Ukraine. Reported by Brian Mann | NPR  A growing number of conservative Americans — especially those in rural communities — say it’s time for military and financial aid to Ukraine to end. U.S. support for the country totals more than $100 billion so far and is a lifeline for the embattled country after Russia’s brutal invasion last year.. . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Click HERE and HERE or scroll further down for today’s earlier entries in this blog.) — MCM

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The runoff presidential election in Guatemala will be held this weekend. Reported by Michel Martin and Eyder Peralta | NPR Guatemalans vote in an election that could determine whether the country addresses long-running impunity for its elites or continues its descent into corruption and violence. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Nicaraguan government seizes highly regarded university from Jesuits. From AP. MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s government has confiscated a prestigious Jesuit-run university alleging it was a “center of terrorism,” the college said Wednesday in announcing the latest in a series of actions by authorities against the Catholic Church and opposition figures. The University of Central America in Nicaragua, which was a hub for 2018 protests . . . READ MORE . . .

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Nicaragua judge orders seizure of top Jesuit-run university, by Ismael Lopez | Reuters  A Nicaraguan judge has ordered the confiscation of all assets belonging to a prestigious Jesuit-run university, the college announced, as the government’s crackdown on Catholic clergy and church-affiliated institutions intensifies. In a letter dated Tuesday and addressed to the university community, the . . . READ MORE . . .

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Patrick Hamilton, ex-AP and Reuters photographer who covered Central American wars, dies at 74, by Susana Hayward | AP  SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Patrick Hamilton, a combat veteran of the Vietnam War who covered civil wars in Central America as a photojournalist for The Associated Press and later worked at Reuters covering the first Gulf War in Iraq, has died after a long struggle with cancer. He died at age 74 Sunday at home in San Antonio. Hamilton’s experience in Vietnam served him well in Central America during the 1980s and then . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll up or down or click HERE and HERE for today’s other entries in this blog.) — MCM

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Plea negotiations could mean no 9/11 defendants face the death penalty, the U.S. tells families, by Ellen Knickmeyer and Jennifer Peltz | AP  WASHINGTON — The suspected architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his fellow defendants may never face the death penalty under plea agreements now under consideration to bring an end to their more than decadelong prosecution, the Pentagon and FBI have advised families of some of the thousands killed. The notice, made in a letter that was sent to several of the families and obtained by The Associated . . . READ MORE . . .

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First, links to reports from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Tass, the Kyiv Post, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, a link to commentary from the Kyiv Post. (Scroll up or click HERE and HERE for today’s later entries in this blog.) — MCM

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Ukraine claims gains on southeastern front, fighting rages in east. From Reuters. KYIV — The Ukrainian military today claimed more success in its counter-offensive against Russian forces on the southeastern front, a day after announcing the liberation of a village that had served as a Russian strongpoint. The military said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine will need arms from West ‘until we have won’: Kuleba. From AFP. Ukraine will need a steady supply of Western arms and ammunition until its military has routed Russian forces from all occupied Ukrainian territory, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told AFP this week. “The . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s missile strike wipes out Ukrainian army’s ammo train in Dnepropetrovsk area. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces delivered a missile strike that destroyed a Ukrainian military train with ammunition in the Dnepropetrovsk Region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said today in a briefing. READ MORE . . .

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Two Russian ‘Alligator’ Ka-52 helicopters downed near Robotyne, by Julia Struck and Chris York | The Kyiv Post  Ukraine’s Armed Forces scored two significant successes this morning, taking out two of Russia’s “Alligator” Ka-52 helicopter gunships. Soldiers from the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade reported the downing of one in the vicinity of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, the aftermath of which was captured on video. Elsewhere, Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia is trying to recover from currency dip by hiking interest rates. Reported.by Charles Maynes | NPR  Russia has increased interest rates to try to stabilize the country’s currency. But it doesn’t mean it’s running out of money to pay for the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Corruption in Afghanistan offers lessons for billions going to Ukraine. Article by Tom Bowman and reporting for radio by Steve Inskeep | NPR  WASHINGTON — Just last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired all two dozen regional military recruiters. Investigators found they were coming up with bogus documents to show a potential recruit was unfit for military duty. The price? $10,00 each. A few days later, the New York Times reported . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Why can’t we be honest about Kremlin propaganda? by Pete Shmigel | The Kyiv Post  Nearly 18 months into Russia’s war against Ukraine and, against all objective evidence about Russian war crimes, Kremlin tropes are still getting traction with legitimate Western media. A recent opinion editorial (op-ed) published in The Australian, Australia’s national newspaper of record owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd, serves as a classic example of . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, the Kyiv Post, Agence France-Presse, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Russia hits Ukrainian grain depots again as a foreign ship tries out Kyiv’s new Black Sea corridor, by Hanna Arhirova and Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia pounded grain terminals in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region today, local officials said, hitting storage facilities and ports along the Danube River that Kyiv has increasingly used for grain transport to Europe after Moscow broke off a key wartime export deal through the Black Sea. At the same time, a loaded container ship stuck at the port of Odesa since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than 17 months ago set sail and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine retakes southeast village of Urozhaine from Russian forces. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukrainian forces have recaptured the village of Urozhaine from Russian troops in the southeast and dug in on its outskirts, Kyiv’s deputy defence minister said today. The village in Donetsk region is part of a cluster of small rural . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s military loses several hundred troops in Urozhainoye, says DPR official. From Tass. DONETSK — The Ukrainian military lost several hundred troops “in slightly more than two days” in the village of Urozhainoye turned into a pocket of enemy destruction by heavy gunfire, Yan Gagin, adviser to the acting Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) head, said today. “Urozhainoye has become . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘Urozhaine officially liberated,’ by Pete Shmigel | The Kyiv Post SNAPSHOT: Urozhaine recaptured. Grinding Ukrainian gains at Robotyne (western Zaporizhzhia region, southern front) and Dibrova (Luhansk region, northern front). Elite air-assault unit deployed in south. Reports of pontoons across the Dnipro. ANALYSIS: The 2,000-person 82nd Air Assault Brigade, which is stacked with Marder and Stryker fighting vehicles and Challenger 2 tanks . . . READ MORE . . .

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Three drones downed in central Russia’s Kaluga region. From AFP. Russia’s Defense Ministry said today it shot down three Ukrainian drones in the central Kaluga region a few hundred kilometers southwest of Moscow, the latest in a surge of air attacks deep inside Russia. Ukraine launched the attack at 5 a.m. using “three unmanned aerial vehicles against buildings in . . . READ MORE . . .

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One killed by Ukrainian shelling in Russian border region: governor. From AFP. Ukrainian shelling today killed one and injured four people in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, the governor said, targeting a region that has been hit by repeated Ukrainian strikes. “The village of Gorkovsky in the Graivoron district came under fire from . . . READ MORE . . .

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Governor: Russian strikes against Kherson Oblast injure 5, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent Russian strikes against Kherson and two other settlements in Kherson Oblast today injured five residents. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The attacks targeted . . . READ MORE . . .

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First, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Reuters, and Agencia EFE; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. NOTE: For today’s previous post, scroll further down or click HERE. — MCM

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Political leader in Ecuador is killed less than a week after presidential candidate’s assassination, by Regina García Cano | AP  GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — The unprecedented violence shaking Ecuador claimed the life of another political leader Monday, bringing the number of politics-related slayings within the last four weeks to three, including that of a presidential candidate. The fatal shooting of Pedro Briones, a local leader of Revolución Ciudadana, the party of former President Rafael Correa, was confirmed by Luisa González, the frontrunner in Sunday’s special presidential election and member of the same party. READ MORE . . .

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Argentine peso plunges after rightist who admires Trump comes first in primary vote, by Daniel Politi | AP  BUENOS AIRES — The Argentine peso plunged Monday after an anti-establishment candidate who admires former President Donald Trump came first in primary elections that will help determine the country’s next president. Javier Milei rocked Argentina’s political establishment in a nation battered by economic woes. Milei wants to replace the peso with the dollar, and says that Argentina’s Central Bank should be abolished, that climate change is a lie and has characterized . . . READ MORE . . .

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Argentina braces for more economic upheaval after a major political shakeup. Reported by Carrie Kahn | NPR  Argentina’s battered peso took a dive after an outsider far-right candidate won the most votes in Sunday’s presidential primary election. Click HERE to listen and read.

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Santiago Peña, Paraguay’s new president, faces tricky balancing act, by Daniela Desantis and Lucinda Elliott | Reuters ASUNCION — Paraguay’s new president Santiago Pena took office today, a clean-cut economist for the conservative Colorado party who will need to juggle ties with Taiwan, pressure from farmers, rising crime and a U.S. probe into his political mentor. Pena, 44, scored a strong win in April elections against a center-left opposition challenger, and helped his secure a majority in both chambers of Congress. READ MORE . . .

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Santiago Peña asume como presidente de Paraguay y promete prosperidad y presencia Internacional. De AP. — El economista Santiago Peña asumió hoy como nuevo presidente de Paraguay con la promesa de promover la prosperidad para todos en su país y llevar a la nación sudamericana a ser un protagonista en la escena internacional. Peña, de 44 años, se convirtió en el mandatario más joven desde el retorno a la democracia y mantiene la continuidad en el poder del conservador Partido Colorado en Paraguay, un país que . . . LEA MÁS . . .

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Peña asume la Presidencia dispuesto a consensuar y convertir a Paraguay en protagonista. De EFE. ASUNCIÓN — El economista Santiago Peña, quien juró hoy como el presidente 51° de Paraguay, llamó a generar consensos y manifestó su aspiración de convertir a su país en “protagonista en el concierto de las naciones”, por cuenta de su acceso al agua, su seguridad alimentaria y suficiencia energética. Con 44 años, Peña, del gobernante Partido Colorado, fue investido ante . . . LEA MÁS . . . 

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, Agence France-Presse, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. NOTE: For later post of this blog today, click HERE or scroll up. — MCM

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Russia unleashes a missile barrage on Ukraine, killing and wounding civilians, by Illia Novikov and Dasha Litvinova | AP  KYIV — Russian forces unleashed a barrage of missiles on regions across Ukraine early today, killing civilians and damaging civilian infrastructure. The barrage came just hours before top Russian military officials and their counterparts from Asia, the Middle East and Africa gathered outside Moscow for . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia air strikes target western Ukraine, killing three, by Andrew Perun | Reuters  LVIV, Ukraine — Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering NATO member Poland and other areas today, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said. Local media said the attacks were the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion in February 2022. READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces repel five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over day — spokesman. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian battlegroup West has repelled five Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area over day, Sergey Zybinsky, the battlegroup’s spokesman, has told Tass. “In order to regain lost positions in the Kupyansk area, the enemy . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian defence minister says Kyiv’s miliary resources ‘almost exhausted’. From AFP. MOSCOW — Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said today that Ukraine’s military resources were “almost exhausted”, as Kyiv wages a gruelling counter offensive to recapture lost territory. “Despite comprehensive assistance from the West, Ukraine’s armed forces . . . READ MORE . . .

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As the war in Ukraine continues, China’s defense minister visits Russia, Belarus. Reported by Charles Maynes | NPR  China Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus this week. Click HERE later to listen and read.

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Remembering the Ukrainian musical duo the Similar Girls, killed by a Russian missile. Reported by Joanna Kakissis | NPR  A Russian missile has killed a promising young musical duo as Ukraine pleads for more air defense weapons from its western allies. Click HERE to listen and, later, read..

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Tass, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Russia targets Odesa again but Kyiv says it shot down all the missiles and drones, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Russia launched three waves of nighttime air attacks against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said today, though the Ukrainian air force saidd it intercepted all 15 incoming Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles. Falling debris . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine says recaptured 3 square km around Bakhmut last week. From AFP. Ukraine said today its forces had recaptured a clutch of territory around the war-battered eastern town of Bakhmut last week, wresting back land taken by Russian forces this summer. Kyiv launched a highly-anticipated . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia double sinks, Kremlin blames loose monetary policy. From Reuters. MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin’s economic adviser rebuked the central bank today as the rouble slid past 101 per U.S. dollar, blaming its 30% year-to-date slump on loose monetary policy and revealing growing discord among Russia’s monetary authorities. The rouble has lost around a quarter of its value against the dollar since Putin sent troops into . . . https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1288609READ MORE . . .

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German finance minister in Kiev on unannounced visit, first time since military op began. From Tass. BERLIN — German Finance Minister Christian Lindner arrived in Kiev on an unannounced visit to hold political talks with the Ukrainian leadership, the DPA news agency reported. The visit marks the first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation by Linder. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius have . . . READ MORE . . .

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Frontline soldiers outraged over embezzlement and draft-dodging charges among officials, by Julia Struck | The Kyiv Post  Mounting allegations that funds intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have been misdirected by government officials have spurred the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) to probe assertions that three delegates from the Kyiv City Council have evaded military service. The probe . . . READ MORE . . .

First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. Finally for today, via Popular Resistance, commentary from a Substack account. — MCM

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7 killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl, by Susie Blann | AP  KYIV — Seven people including a 23-day-old baby girl were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region today, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry said. Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian warship fires warning shots on cargo ship in Black Sea, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters MOSCOW — A Russian warship today fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month. Russia in July halted participation . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian naval ship stops Palau-flagged ship in Black Sea for inspection — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Russian naval ship Vasily Bykov forcibly stopped the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship Sukru Okan heading for the Ukrainian port of Izmail for inspection, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. “At about 6:40 a.m. Moscow time on August 13 . . . READ MORE . . .

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Amid ‘staggering’ Ukrainian toll, Biden seeks billions more for Ukraine, by Aaron Maté | Substack  The Biden administration is asking Congress for an additional $24 billion for the Ukraine proxy war, more than half of it in military aid. The request comes one week after a CNN poll showed, for the first time, that a majority of Americans oppose additional funding to Kiev. For a White House committed to ensuring a Russian “quagmire” in Ukraine, public opinion is of secondary . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Kyiv Independent, the Associated Press, Tass, and the Kyiv Post; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. — MCM

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Russia says it thwarts Ukrainian rocket attack on Crimean Bridge, downs drones. From Reuters. Russia’s Defence Ministry said today that Ukraine had tried unsuccessfully to strike the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait with S-200 rockets, but that no damage or casualties had been caused. The 12-mile (19-km) bridge, which links Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia, has . . . READ MORE . . . 

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Governor: Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast injure at least 2, by Daria Shulzhenko | The Kyiv Independent  Russian troops have been shelling Kherson Oblast since this morning, injuring at least two civilians, the regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The shelling hit a residential house in the village of Poniativka, causing multiple wounds to a 70-year-old resident, Prokudin said. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian Orthodox priests face persecution from state and church for supporting peace in Ukraine, by Kostya Mankox | AP  ANTALYA, Turkey — Standing in an old Orthodox church in Antalya with a Bible in one hand and a candle in the other, the Rev. Ioann Koval led one of his first services in Turkey after Russian Orthodox Church leadership decided to defrock him following his prayer for peace in Ukraine. Last September, when . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine conflict to spin out of control if Kiev gets Taurus missiles — German MP. From Tass. BERLIN — The German government’s supplies of Taurus cruise missiles to the Kiev regime will lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, Sahra Wagenknecht, member of the Bundestag for The Left, said. “The delivery [by the German government] of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine would . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘The See-Saw Effect,’by Pete Shmigel | The Kyiv Post SNAPSHOT: The war see-sawed with Russian momentum near Kupyansk in the north and Ukrainian momentum near Urozhaine in the south. Russia continued its terroristic missile and artillery attacks on Ukrainian civilian centers, including the second deadly bombing of Zaporizhzhia in two days. ANALYSIS: The allied invasion at D-Day and then Normandy involved . . . READ MORE . . .