Ukraine war briefing: Top Trump aide accuses India of financing Russian war by buying oil
Trump on Sunday said special envoy Steve Witkoff may travel to Russia on Wednesday or Thursday, as he warned that he would impose sanctions if Moscow did not agree to a ceasefire in the Ukraine war before Friday. 'There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,' Trump told reporters. 'They're wily characters and they're pretty good at avoiding sanctions, so we'll see what happens.'
A power line was damaged and a fire sparked at a railway station building in Russia's southern region of Volgograd from an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, the regional administration said on Monday. An unexploded drone fell on railway tracks near the Archeda train station, it said on Telegram, citing regional governor Andrei Bocharov. No damage to the tracks was reported.
A blaze at a Russian oil depot in Sochi in southern Russia caused by a Ukrainian drone attack was extinguished on Sunday, local authorities said. Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the surrounding Krasnodar region, said more than 120 firefighters were deployed. The overnight attack on the Ilsky refinery near the city of Krasnodar had set two oil tanks on fire.
The Ukrainian air force said on Sunday that Russia had launched 76 drones and seven missiles against Ukraine overnight. It said it destroyed 60 drones and one missile but 16 others and six missiles hit targets across eight locations. The Russian defence ministry said its air units intercepted 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Krasnodar region and 60 over the Black Sea.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners after their latest round of talks in Istanbul in July. 'There is an agreement to exchange 1,200 people,' the Ukrainian president wrote on X, saying the lists of individuals to be swapped was still being determined to 'unblock the return of our civilians'. 'Preparations for a new meeting' were also under way, Zelenskyy said.
A Russian attack killed three people in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region on Sunday, the regional governor said. Governor Ivan Fedorov, writing on Telegram, said the three were killed in the daytime strike on the town of Stepnohirsk. Private homes were destroyed. The report could not be independently confirmed.
The Russian and Chinese navies are carrying out artillery and anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan as part of scheduled joint exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet was quoted as saying on Sunday. The drills are taking place two days after Donald Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in 'the appropriate regions' in response to remarks by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. However, they were scheduled well before Trump's action.
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Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
City manager filmed trying to fire cop after being pulled over for speeding
An angry Oklahoma lawmaker was filmed trying to fire a police officer after being pulled over for speeding. Konawa City Manager Daniel Bruton launched into a tirade after he was stopped by a local police officer on July 14 for racing his truck down the road. The bodycam footage showed the officer, only identified as Johnathan, pulling up behind Bruton's car as he stood on the road and screamed: 'I'm trying to get the water back on.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Bruton, 52, later revealed he was on his way to a water emergency in the city, but the officer continued with the traffic stop. 'OK, but let's slow down. Let's do it safely,' the officer told Bruton. 'This is my job, this is what I was hired to do.' 'Well, this is my job and I'm your boss! And I'm in a hurry,' Bruton replied. 'It doesn't matter, you have to obey the law like everybody else,' the officer said as Bruton went threatened him: 'You're about to not have a job.' He then got back in his truck and continued to scream at the officer. 'Now, go get your a** back in the truck and go back to town,' he said, still pointing his finger at the officer. 'I'm trying to be respectful here,' the cop said as Bruton cut him off and shouted: 'I'm not being respectful!' After his outburst, the officer let Bruton leave - but that was not the last he saw of the city manager. Bruton found the officer back at the station, where he continued to tell the cop off. Further body cam footage showed Bruton in the doorway of the police station continuing to complain and threaten the officer. 'So, when these firemen and police officers are in a hurry to get somewhere - they're speeding. I was in a hurry to get somewhere,' Bruton said, adding: 'So, let me tell you something. When I got out of the truck and told you there was a water emergency, that's when you should've ended it.' The officer responded: 'OK, not gonna end it right there. Listen to me, just because you're city manager...' Bruton responded: 'I'm not saying that. I had a water emergency, OK? I promise you. me driving 35mph up a 25mph road is not that big a deal to me when the people in Konawa don't have no water. 'I'll explain this to you and I'll explain this to Bryan. If you have a problem with that, then you might as well pack your s*** and head out the door right now.' 'Listen to me,' the officer said before Bruton shouted: 'I'm not gonna listen to you! I'm your boss! You do what I say.' 'It doesn't matter, you can't break the law like that,' the cop responded. 'People break the law! If you got a problem with it then write me a f***ing ticket and then I'll deal with you in there,' Bruton went on. The city manager then called someone to inform him he was going to fire the cop 'right now', adding that the officer 'still continued to run his mouth with me'. The video ended with Bruton storming off after the officer said 'we're done'. Bruton later told News4 he was 'ashamed' and 'embarrassed' of his actions that day. He told the outlet: 'He just caught the brunt of that from a situation that day. I didn't mean anything towards him. He does a good job and I apologized to him, and I'm making a public apology to him now. 'I'm embarrassed by it, I'm ashamed of it. My family, I put them in this and I'm ashamed that the city had to even endure it. So I'm hoping that we can get past it and I can grow from it as well.' Despite his apology, locals are livid with the way Bruton acted that day, with some calling for his resignation. 'He was only embarrassed and ashamed when it was made public we still need a new city manager,' one wrote on Facebook. Another commented: 'It's funny how he's embarrassed now that the whole world can see what an absolute jerk he is. What a pathetic excuse for a human!'
Scottish Sun
25 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Clip of glam Sydney Sweeney expertly shooting targets goes viral as her ‘secret MAGA life' emerges after anti-woke ad
A CLIP of Sydney Sweeney blasting targets at a shooting range has gone viral - as she's adopted by the MAGA movement and praised by Trump. The video resurfaced after President Trump heaped praise on the actress's "anti-woke" American Eagle jeans advert and she was revealed to be a registered Republican. 9 A clip of Sydney Sweeney practicing at a firing range has resurfaced in light of the revelation of her Republican leanings Credit: instagram/@sydney_sweeney/ 9 Sydney had never revealed how she voted, though people are now seeing clues from over the years Credit: Instagram 9 Sydney Sweeney is the star of American Eagle's latest, controversial ad campaign Credit: American Eagle The clip from 2019 shows a younger Sydney expertly burying rounds into a series of human-shaped dummies at the firing range. She appears well-practiced, skilfully banging two bullets into each in quick succession without so much as a flinch. At the end, she flashes a smile to the camera and holsters the weapon. Since Sydney starred in the controversial American Eagle jeans ad, clues that point to her living a secret MAGA life have emerged. The 27-year-old grew up in a small, Catholic, Trump-supporting town in Washington with her father, mother and younger brother Trent - and has previously said she had a "religious" upbringing. After accepting her breakout Euphoria role, Sydney revealed she had been nervous about how her community would react. She told Stylecaster in 2021: "What's crazy - and this is going to sound really bad- is when I first got sent the audition, I was too nervous to go do it. "I grew up in a smaller town with my family, who are a little more conservative, and I was like: 'They're going to kill me if I do something like this.'" A surprise party she threw for her mom's 60th birthday drew considerable attention when pics were shared of the guests wearing MAGA-style hats and "Blue Lives Matter" shirts. And now, she has starred in the American Eagle ad which has seriously riled voices on the left, who claim it promotes a racial ideal, but delighted the right who hail it as the "end of woke advertising". Trump pours praise on Sydney Sweedy amid 'good jeans' American Eagle ad storm as her voter registration revealed The ad makes a play on the words "jeans" and "genes" - and the main tagline is "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans". It's been claimed that the promotion of Sydney's blonde hair and blue eye traits suggests they are superior to alternative genes. Sydney hasn't publicly commented on the furore stirred up by the ad, but made her first appearance at a screening of her upcoming film "Americana" on Monday. She was heckled by a fan who shouted: "Stop the ad, that is being racist," according to TMZ. 9 Sydney flashes a smile after smashing it at the firing range Credit: instagram/@sydney_sweeney/ 9 Sydney sweeney caused controversy by posting Maga-themed pics from from her mom's 60th Credit: Instagram 9 Sydney Sweeney is most famous for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus Credit: Instagram However, she got into her vehicle without responding. American Eagle defended its advertisement, but removed the video from its social media accounts. It then emerged over the weekend that the actress has been a registered Republican since June 2024 - and she soon received praise right from the top. President Trump was delighted when a reporter told him about Sydney's political leanings, and promptly declared that he "loves" her "fantastic" ad. He said on Sunday night: "That's one I wouldn't have known but I'm glad you told me that. 9 Trump's Truth Social post on Monday, where he doubled down on his support for Sydney Sweeney Credit: X 9 Sydney Sweeney was revealed to be a registered Republican since June 2024 Credit: Getty 9 The ad's tagline 'Sydney Sweeney had great jeans' ignited major controversy Credit: American Eagle 'If Sydney Sweeny is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Trump then doubled down on his enthusiastic support and cemented the American Eagle ad as a bastion of the "anti-woke" agenda. He declared in a Monday morning Truth Social post that the campaign is "the HOTTEST" and went on to slam "woke" companies like "stupid" Jaguar and Bud Light for their own advertising. Jaguar recently put out an ad with models dressed in brightly-coloured, flamboyant clothing - but no cars or the brand's logo. Trump insisted the British manufacturer, whose CEO resigned on last week, should have learned from Bug Light - which suffered a boycott and major losses after an advert featuring a transgender influencer. The President's conclusion: "Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be."
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
India's corporate earnings growth stays weak, banks and IT firms disappoint
Aug 5 (Reuters) - India's listed companies posted yet another quarter of lackluster earnings in the April-to-June period, extending a bout of weakness which began last year and weighed on benchmark stock indexes. The Indian economy is expected to grow at a world-beating 6.5% in the current fiscal year and inflation has been low. Yet, sectors from banks to IT services are facing earnings pressure from pockets of weakness in domestic and global demand. Aggregate profit growth for 38 of the Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab firms that have reported so far stood at just 7.5%, according to Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Jefferies said that full-year earnings per share estimates for 113 companies on the MSCI India index (.MIIN00000PUS), opens new tab have been trimmed by 1.7%, with growth now projected at 8%. U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariff on shipments from India threatens to further cloud the outlook for export-heavy sectors. Trump has also warned of harsh tariffs over India's Russian oil imports—an action New Delhi called "unjustified." Earnings growth for Indian companies has been in single digits for five consecutive quarters, below the 15%–25% growth seen between 2020–21 and 2023–24, which fueled a 160% surge in the Nifty 50 index (.NSEI), opens new tab. Since the start of the fiscal year 2025, the Nifty has risen 10%. "It's clear that the earnings momentum has stalled, with slower credit growth dragging down performance of financials. However, this isn't just a sectoral story—it reflects broader weakness in nominal growth," Avinash Gorakshakar, director of research at Profitmart Securities said. Nominal GDP growth, which includes inflation, and is more relevant to corporate profitability, is seen staying below 10% for the third straight year. "A real revival may take shape only in the second half of FY2026—if credit growth revives, private capex kicks in, and a good monsoon boosts rural demand. Until then, the benchmarks are likely to remain rangebound," said Gorakshakar. Banks — the heaviest sector in the Nifty — delivered mixed results in the June quarter. Lenders reported lower margins following steep policy interest rate cuts and as bad loans in segments such as consumer loans, credit cards and microfinance started to rise. IT firms, the second-largest sector in the Nifty, also saw a subdued quarter amid persistent demand weakness from the U.S., a key market. There were a few bright spots in the June-quarter earnings, with auto, cement, and select infrastructure companies meeting or beating expectations. Analysts lowered their full-year profit forecasts for more companies, though the number of downgrades was lower than in the previous three quarters. "The earnings engine is clearly sputtering. Margin strain in banks, tepid global IT demand, and weak nominal growth have stalled profit momentum," said Samrat Dasgupta, chief executive of Esquire Capital Investment Advisors. "Until credit and consumption revive meaningfully, markets may find little earnings firepower to break higher."
