Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 894
As the war enters its 894th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. Fighting At least one person was killed and 12 others, including an eight-month-old baby, injured on Tuesday when a Russian missile struck a residential area of northeastern Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second biggest city. Governor Oleh Syniehubov said a medical clinic was among many buildings that were damaged in the attack, which he said involved an Iskander ballistic missile. Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Russia’s southwestern Kursk region, bordering Ukraine, said a driver and paramedic were killed and a doctor injured when a Ukrainian drone hit an ambulance near the town of Sudzha. Russia said it sent reserve troops to the Kursk region, claiming some 300 pro-Kyiv fighters had stormed across the border supported by 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured vehicles. Smirnov said later that the situation was “tense” but “under the control” of Russian forces. Kyiv did not comment on the alleged incursion. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said Russia had captured 420sq km (162sq miles) of Ukrainian territory since June 14, as the Ministry of Defence said its forces had taken control of Tymofiivka, a village in eastern Donetsk region. Politics and diplomacy Niger’s military rulers cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine in solidarity with Mali, which severed relations with Kyiv over remarks from an official that it said showed Ukraine’s support for groups involved in an attack that killed dozens of mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group as well as Malian soldiers in July. Maria Andreyeva, one of the leaders of the Put Domoy (Way Home) group that campaigns for drafted men to be brought home from Ukraine, told the AFP news agency that she had quit her campaigning amid pressure from the Kremlin. Andreyeva said she lost her job after Moscow designated her a “foreign agent”. A court In Prague jailed Czech volunteer Filip Siman for seven years after he was found guilty of looting from civilians and dead soldiers while serving with the Ukrainian army. Siman was posted to the ravaged Ukrainian cities of Irpin and Bucha where he stole from civilians and dead soldiers, Czech media said. Weapons Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had used more drones in combat than Russia last month and that the weapons were “already affecting the war in strategic terms”. He did not give numbers. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had put additional funding towards its domestic missile programme as it tries to narrow a gap in capabilities with Russia, which has a variety of long-range weapons. “More domestically produced missiles to come”, Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Adblock test (Why?)
US Defense Secretary Austin defends decision to revoke 9/11 plea deals
The Pentagon chief was caught off guard by last week’s decision by prosecutors to offer deals to the men. United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has defended his decision to revoke controversial plea deals agreed between prosecutors and three men accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks. Speaking publicly for the first time about his decision on Tuesday, Austin said it “wasn’t a decision that I took lightly” and he did so to honour the scale of the loss that occurred that day. “I have long believed that the families of the victims, our service members, and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commissions, commission trials carried out,” he said at an event with visiting Australian officials in Annapolis, Maryland. The Pentagon announced on July 31 that plea agreements had been reached with three of five alleged plotters held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, where they stand accused of orchestrating the deadliest attack on US soil in the country’s history. Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day as hijacked passenger planes struck targets in New York City and Washington, DC. A fourth crashed into a field as passengers tackled the hijackers. The deals involved alleged mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad as well as accomplices Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. A fourth defendant did not agree to the terms, while a fifth man was ruled mentally unfit to continue facing trial last year. In a statement, it described the deals as “pretrial agreements”, without offering further details. US media reports said the men would plead guilty in exchange for receiving a life sentence rather than the death penalty. The defendants are due to face trial in a military court at the maximum-security facility in Cuba, but their cases have been held up for years amid legal wrangling. The plea bargains had been welcomed by some as the only feasible way to resolve the long-stalled 9/11 cases, including J Wells Dixon, a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Dixon, who has represented defendants at Guantanamo and other detainees who have been cleared of wrongdoing, accused Austin of “bowing to political pressure and pushing some victim family members over an emotional cliff” with the reversal. The plea deals sparked outrage among some victims’ family members and Republican lawmakers, who accused the administration of President Joe Biden of treating the defendants too lightly. Austin himself was also caught off guard by the decision, Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Monday. “This is not something that the secretary [Lloyd Austin] was consulted on,” she said. “We were not aware that the prosecution or defence would enter the terms of the plea agreement.” On Friday, a tersely-worded letter from the defence secretary said the plea deals had been withdrawn. Austin added that Susan Escallier, the official in charge of the military commission which had signed off on them, had also been relieved of her authority to enter into pre-trial agreements and he would now assume responsibility in the case. “Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024,” the letter said. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that the Biden administration did not play a role in the plea bargains, saying the White House knew the “same day” they were announced. “We had no role in that process. The president had no role. The vice president had no role. I had no role. The White House had no role,” Sullivan told journalists on Thursday, without explaining why the deals were agreed and announced without consultation. Adblock test (Why?)
Good news for Bengaluru as govt allows club, restaurants to…
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah highlighted in his budget speech the government’s support for business establishments. The recent government orders will exclusively impact businesses within BBMP limits, signaling a transformative shift in Bengaluru’s nightlife.
Kristen McDonald Privet wins Dem primary for Rep Dan Kildee’s open blue Michigan seat
State senator Kristen McDonald Privet was declared the winner of the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., announced in 2023 that he would not be seeking re-election, leaving the seat he’s represented since 2012 up for grabs this cycle. The primary race saw three candidates competing for the nomination: Kristen McDonald Privet, Matt Collier and Pamela Pugh. . KEY PRIMARIES IN 4 STATES ON TUESDAY TO SET TABLE TO NOVEMBER SENATE, HOUSE SHOWDOWNS Collier previously served as the mayor of Flint, Michigan in the late 1980s. Pugh currently works as president of the Michigan State Board of Education. McDonald Privet currently serves as the first female state senator to represent the Great Lakes Bay Region. The state senator also served as executive director of Michigan Head Start, chief of staff for Michigan’s Department of Education, and vice president of the Skillman Foundation.
Paul Junge wins GOP primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District
Paul Junge won the GOP primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, securing the Republican nomination. He will now move on in hopes of replacing retiring Democrat Rep. Dan Kildee. Junge defeated Mary Draves and Anthony Hudson with 73%, when the race was called by the Associated Press. KEY PRIMARIES IN 4 STATES ON TUESDAY TO SET TABLE FOR NOVEMBER SENATE, HOUSE SHOWDOWNS Junge, who twice ran unsuccessfully for the 8th Congressional District seat, served in the Department of Homeland Security during the administration of former President Donald Trump and was an investigative counsel for Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Chuck Grassley. He ran the 2024 campaign on fighting against inflation and the border crisis, citing the opioid epidemic for “devastating forgotten communities.” “Stopping the rising cost of goods and improving the economy for working families is a top priority to my campaign,” Junge told the Midland Daily News. “Equally as important, I will fight to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and poisonous synthetic opioids across our southern border, which are devastating forgotten communities across our state and across our country.” WHAT MIKE ROGERS TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ABOUT HIS SENATE SHOWDOWN IN MICHIGAN Draves, who runs an auto repair business with her husband, argued for energy independence and border safety during the campaign. “The United States was energy independent when President Trump was in office, meaning we were a net exporter of energy. If we have enough energy here, we don’t have to rely on foreign sources for energy and then we can innovate and grow our businesses here,” Draves told the Midland Daily News. “The number one thing we need to do is stop the influx of illegal immigrants coming into this country and the flow of fentanyl over our border. A strong America is a safe America and a prosperous America.” Hudson, a native of Texas and an Army veteran, was making his second bid to represent the 8th Congressional District and ran a campaign centered around border security and jobs. “I am just the average, everyday American citizen that is upset with where our country is headed and wants to run for office so that we can make the positive change that is necessary,” Hudson told the Midland Daily News. “I want to help in getting people to move back to the state of Michigan by bringing jobs to Michigan and be on the front lines of fighting all these Chinese companies that (Gov.) Gretchen Whitmer wants to bring into our state.” Jung will now face the winner of the Democratic primary, in which three candidates will seek to replace Kildee. Kildee has represented Michigan’s 8th Congressional District since 2012, but announced he would not run for re-election last November.
Incumbent Andrew Bailey defeats Will Scharf in Republican primary for Missouri attorney general
Incumbent Andrew Bailey won the Republican primary for Missouri attorney general, setting the stage for the general election match-up against Democrat Elad Gross. Republican Trump attorney Will Scharf conceded to incumbent Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in the state’s Aug. 6 primary election. Bailey led the race by a whopping 63% to 37% early Wednesday morning, according to the state of Missouri elections website. Scharf received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, his law degree from Harvard University, clerked for two federal appeals court judges and has worked at CRC Advisors, a conservative public relations firm. SUPREME COURT REJECTS MISSOURI EFFORT TO BLOCK SENTENCING, GAG ORDER AGAINST TRUMP IN NEW YORK CASE In addition to being one of Trump’s lawyers, Scharf has worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in St. Louis, and worked on the campaign and later in the office of then-Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Bailey, meanwhile, has spent nearly his entire career in Missouri. EXCLUSIVE: MISSOURI AG TORCHES KANSAS CITY’S ‘RETALIATION’ AGAINST CHIEFS KICKER EXPRESSING CHRISTIAN BELIEFS The Army veteran received his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Missouri, worked in the state attorney general’s office, and he was an assistant county prosecutor and a state government lawyer before joining the office of Gov. Mike Parson, who eventually appointed him as attorney general. Bailey, most recently, filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for reportedly flying illegal immigrants to Missouri. Bailey, in June, also filed a lawsuit against the State of New York for what he called “their direct attack on our democratic process through unconstitutional lawfare against President Trump.” The Supreme Court ruled on that effort Monday, rejecting Bailey’s effort. Bailey had argued the First Amendment rights of voters in his state were being violated due to the gag order imposed on the former president in New York v. Trump. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Democrat Carl Marlinga wins right to take on John James in Michigan’s 10th District
Carl Marlinga edged out three other candidates in a competitive Democratic primary for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District and will battle incumbent Republican Rep. John James in November. Marlinga defeated Diane Young, Emily Busch and Tiffany Tilley according to a call from the Associated Press. Marlinga, a former judge, entered the race seeking a rematch with James and touted his long record as a prosecutor and judge throughout the campaign. KEY PRIMARIES IN 4 STATES ON TUESDAY TO SET TABLE FOR NOVEMBER SENATE, HOUSE SHOWDOWNS “After decades of doing the right thing for the right reasons, sometimes having some rocky headlines, but as long as you do the right thing for the right reason, you usually come out ahead,” Marlinga told Michigan Advance. “And most voters in the county will describe me that way.” Tilley, who has served as the co-vice president on the State Board of Education since 2018, ran on a platform of gun safety, recounting stories of losing family members to gun violence. “No other person in this race has that type of background, has that type of experience or even has that type of passion that I have, that I’ve brought forth,” Tilley told Michigan Advance. “I’ve been fighting for people for over 20 years. Most candidates in the race can’t say that.” WHAT MIKE ROGERS TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ABOUT HIS SENATE SHOWDOWN IN MICHIGAN Young, who has experience in financial planning, ran on the need for Congress to reform tax and welfare policy while shoring up social security. “I’m deeply in tune with the issues that everyday people are facing,” Young told Michigan Advance. “From taking care of their children, to how they’re going to fund their retirement, to how critical Social Security and Medicare are to creating a safer and secure retirement for people.” Busch, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state House in 2022, also ran heavily on gun safety, noting her experience of picking up her son from school after he survived the deadly Oxford High School shooting in 2021 and also citing the shooting on the campus of Michigan State University last year. “When the Michigan State University shooting happened, it resonated across the entire state and region,” Busch told the Michigan Advance. “So that was the night that actually pushed me off the cliff to run for Congress.” [Winner] will now take on James, who ran unopposed in the district’s Republican primary, in November’s general election. Jones narrowly won the 2022 race, edging Marlinga 48.8% to 48.3%. According to the Cook Political Report, Michigan’s 10th Congressional District has a “lean” Republican classification.
Paul Hudson wins House GOP primary in Michigan’s ultimate swing district
Paul Hudson emerged with the victory in the Republican primary for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, one of the most competitive races in the country. Hudson was leading Michael Markey Jr. approximately 55% to 45% when the race was caklled by the Associated Press. Markey Jr., who touted his business experience throughout the campaign, painted himself as a “disrupter” who would work to “get things” done if elected to Congress. KEY PRIMARIES IN 4 STATES ON TUESDAY TO SET TABLE FOR NOVEMBER SENATE, HOUSE SHOWDOWNS “I’m like, ‘Why are we using, you know, what makes me a disrupter?’ [My team is] like, ‘Mike, you started your first business at 14 years old, you got into real estate before you were 15, you started a financial firm during the worst economic crisis hopefully we ever see in our lifetimes,’” he told ABC News 13 in an interview earlier this month. “They’re like, ‘That makes you a disrupter. You go against the grain, you get things done.’” Hudson, an attorney, ran on a platform of stability. He argued that the district’s voters are “uneasy” about the current political climate and promised “common sense for crazy times.” “When I’ve talked to voters, I get a sense that people are really uneasy about the state of the country right now, and that there’s a deep sense that the country is going in the wrong direction,” Hudson told ABC News 13. WHAT MIKE ROGERS TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ABOUT HIS SENATE SHOWDOWN IN MICHIGAN Hudson will now face Democrat incumbent Rep. Hillary Scholten in November’s general election. Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, which features all of Grand Rapids and much of the surrounding area, is seen as one of the biggest swing districts in the country after the state’s 2022 redistricting saw the boundaries of the district drawn more competitively. Scholten, who is serving her first term, was able to wrestle the district away from former Republican Rep. Peter Meijer in 2022. The district is classified as a “likely” win for Democrats in this year’s contest, according to the Cook Political report.
Former Rep. Nancy Boyda wins Democratic primary for open seat in Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District
Former Rep. Nancy Boyda, who represented Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District in 2006, was declared the victor in the Democratic primary on Tuesday night. The Sunflower State seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner, who is not seeking re-election this fall. Aside from Boyda’s two-year term ending in 2008, the seat has been held by Republicans for nearly 30 years. THE KANSAS SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THAT VOTING IS NOT A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. WHAT’S NEXT FOR VOTERS? Boyda was the last Democrat to hold the dominantly red seat, serving on the House Agriculture and Armed Services committees during her one term.
Winners declared in ‘top two’ primary for Washington’s 3rd congressional district
Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican Joe Kent have finished first and second in Washington state’s primary in the 3rd congressional district setting up a one on one matchup in November. Washington state uses a top two primary system in which all candidates regardless of party appear on the primary ballot and the top two candidates. Gluesenkamp Perez has represented Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which consists of the southwestern counties of Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania, as well as a small portion of southern Thurston county, since 2022. Two years ago, Gluesenkamp Perez came out of nowhere to win a congressional seat against Kent, who had Trump’s backing in a district that hadn’t been in Democratic hands for over a decade. She took over a seat held by a more moderate Republican who lost the primary in part because she voted to impeach Trump after the January 6th Capitol Hill riot. TIM WALZ SLAMMED AS ‘POLITICAL CHAMELEON’ AFTER DITCHING FORMER PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT STAND Kent, who narrowly lost to Gluesenkamp Perez by less than a percentage point in 2022, was recently endorsed by Trump for the second time. “Joe is a Gold Star Husband, who bravely served our country as a Special Forces Combat Veteran,” Trump wrote in his endorsement. “His opponents cannot compete with Joe in any way, shape or form! In Congress, Joe will work tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Stop Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, Secure our Border, Support our Military/Vets, and protect our always-under-siege Second Amendment.” OBAMA TAKES SUBTLE SWIPE AT VANCE WHILE PRAISING WALZ AS ‘IDEAL’ HARRIS RUNNING MATE Gluesenkamp Perez, who was ranked by the Lugar Center and the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy as having one of the most bipartisan voting records in the U.S. House, is yet to endorse VP Kamala Harris for president and her office told Fox News Digital late last month that she has “no plans” to do so. Republican Leslie Lewallen and Independent John Saulie-Rohman also ran in the 3rd Congressional District primary. Kent faced stiff competition from Lewallen, a former King County prosecutor, as she gained a groundswell of support from conservatives looking to move the seat back into more moderate Republican hands. Associated Press contributed to this report