Ukraine’s Kursk Invasion, New US Sanctions for Venezuela, and the Philippine-Chinese Confrontation
On this episode of American Prestige, headlines from around the globe.

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On this week's American Prestige news roundup: in Russia-Ukraine, an update on Ukraine’s Kursk invasion (0:29), reports of cancelled peace talks (3:57), and a continued Russian advance in Donbas (6:32); in Palestine-Israel, an update on Gaza ceasefire talks (9:34), the IDF is moving into the last Gaza “safe zones” (15:14), an Israeli strike kills a Fatah commander in Lebanon (17:04), and the status of the long-anticipated Iranian retaliation (18:52); Afghanistan sends its ambassador the to United Arab Emirates (20:43); a new Philippine-Chinese confrontation in the South China Sea (22:29); failed ceasefire talks in Sudan plus a cholera outbreak (24:39); troubles for the Central Bank of Libya suggest a further deteriorating political situation (26:56); and the Biden administration prepares new sanctions for Venezuela (29:58).
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Ukrainian forces operating in Russia’s Kursk Region have destroyed a second key bridge as they attempt to push further into Russia.
(Ed Ram / The Washington Post via Getty Images)On this week’s American Prestige news roundup: Ukraine’s Kursk invasion (0:29), reports of canceled peace talks (3:57), and Russia’s advance in Donbas (6:32); in Palestine-Israel, Gaza ceasefire talks (9:34), the IDF’s move into the last Gaza “safe zones” (15:14), the killing of a Fatah commander in Lebanon by an Israeli air strike (17:04), and the status of the long-anticipated Iranian retaliation (18:52); Afghanistan’s ambassador’s mission to the United Arab Emirates (20:43); a new Philippine-Chinese confrontation in the South China Sea (22:29); failed ceasefire talks in Sudan, amid a cholera outbreak (24:39); hints of a further-deteriorating political situation in the troubles of the Central Bank of Libya (26:56); and the Biden administration’s preparation of new sanctions for Venezuela (29:58).

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
There’s too much Knickerbocker news to fit here, but we do have other stories to report. This week: Iran and the U.S. exchange fire in the Gulf (2:00), plus peace talks stall after Trump adds new demands (4:29); Israel escalates its Lebanon campaign despite ceasefire talks (08:33); Cambodia takes a Thailand maritime dispute to the UN (15:19); in Sudan, tribal clashes kill dozens in South Darfur (17:38); Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg during the city’s International Economic Forum (20:13); Germany loses a UN Security Council vote (21:54); Colombia’s first-round election results see the right gain momentum (24:04); U.S. sanctions hit Cuba-linked hotels (26:36); and Tulsi Gabbard resigns as the DNI faces a CIA feud (29:11).
Then, Tim Sahay and Kate MacKenzie, co-editors of The Polycrisis, join the show to explain how the climate crisis, Chinese clean-tech, U.S. policy, and the Iran war are accelerating a global shift away from fossil fuels.
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