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Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Timeline of Significant Events on Day 1,255 | Latest Updates on Russia-Ukraine War

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Timeline of Significant Events on Day 1,255 | Latest Updates on Russia-Ukraine War

Here are the key events on day 1,255 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is how things stand on Saturday, August 2:

Fighting

  • Ukrainian rescuers recovered more than a dozen more bodies from the rubble of a collapsed apartment block in Kyiv overnight, bringing the death toll from Thursday’s attack by Russia to 31.
  • A two-year-old was among five children found dead as a result of what is now Russia’s worst air strike of the year on Ukraine’s capital, which also injured 159 people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said as he announced the end of a more than 24-hour-long rescue operation at the site.
  • Russia launched more than 3,800 drones and nearly 260 missiles for its attacks on Ukraine throughout July, Zelenskyy said.

Military aid

  • NATO countries, Ukraine and the United States are developing a new mechanism that will focus on getting US weapons to Ukraine from the Priority Ukraine Requirements List, known under the acronym PURL, the Reuters news agency reports, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
  • As part of the PURL mechanism, Ukraine would prioritise the weapons it needs in tranches of roughly $500m, and NATO allies would then negotiate among themselves who would donate or pay for items on the list.
  • Germany said it will deliver two Patriot missile defence systems to Ukraine after reaching an agreement with the US that Berlin will be first in line to receive the latest Patriot systems to replenish the weapons donated to Kyiv.
  • A top adviser to President Zelenskyy said Russia is providing North Korea with technology for Shahed-type attack drones and assisting in their production.

Ceasefire

  • British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Zelenskyy welcomed US President Donald Trump’s new deadline for Russia to make progress towards ending its more than three-year-long war on Ukraine. Zelenskyy said he had discussed with Starmer the potential formats for a summit of leaders to discuss peace in Ukraine.
  • Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in Moscow’s favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline issued by Trump. Putin also said that the first batch of mass-produced Oreshnik ballistic missile systems had been delivered to the Russian army.
  • In a post on X responding to Putin’s remarks, Zelenskyy repeated his willingness to sit down with the Russian leader, saying Ukraine wants to “move beyond” statements and lower-level meetings on the matter.
  • “If these are signals of a genuine willingness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting peace … then Ukraine once again reaffirms its readiness to meet at the level of leaders at any time,” Zelenskyy said.

Regional developments

  • President Trump said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in “the appropriate regions” in response to remarks from the former Russian president and deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, about the risk of war between the two nuclear-armed countries.
  • Europe must start seeing Ukraine as a European country, and the Ukrainian military as a European army, Ilya Yashin, a prominent Russian opposition activist, said in Belgrade.
  • “The Ukrainian army is not only protecting Ukraine, it is protecting Europe from Russian aggression,” Yashin told hundreds of Russians who now live in Serbia.

Survey by KPMG reveals that most people value working with friends over a 20% salary increase

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Survey by KPMG reveals that most people value working with friends over a 20% salary increase

Workers crave companionship so much, in fact, survey results published Tuesday from audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG show 57% would choose a role with a salary 10% below market value to work with friends over a job with a salary 10% over market without close friendships.

This “friendship premium” effectively values workplace relationships at 20% of someone’s salary, according to KPMG.

Meanwhile, 45% of people reported feelings of loneliness in the workplace, up nearly double from KPMG’s Friends at Work report from last year. And 81% of workers consider having workplace relationships as “critically important.”

This year, KPMG surveyed 1,019 full-time employees about the relative importance of salary, friends at work, work-life balance, learning opportunities, company culture, and how technology shapes employee experiences.

KPMG’s decision to explore workplace friendships was driven by the growing recognition that human connection is essential to business success, Sandy Torchia, KPMG U.S. vice chair of talent and culture, told Fortune.

“Our [2024] survey revealed that workplace friendships are an undervalued solution for addressing issues such as loneliness, burnout and disengagement—challenges increasingly evident in today’s workforce,” she said. “Our [2025] survey indicates that these issues not only persist but are becoming even more prevalent.”

The value of friendships at work

Kelsey Szamet, a workplace attorney with Encino, Calif.-based Kingsley Szamet Employment Lawyers, told Fortune it’s no wonder some employees would choose lower pay to work with friends.

Based on her work with clients, “a warm organizational culture will often rank higher for employees compared to simple monetary pay,” Szamet said. “Working in an atmosphere of trust and friendship can lead to greater commitment and staying longer with one company even if salaries are not at the stratospheric levels for one’s expertise.”

Erin Eatough, cofounder and chief science officer at advisory firm Fractional Insights, told Fortune this trend reflects a larger redefinition of value at work.

“People are no longer just optimizing for income—they’re optimizing for meaning, growth, and connection,” said Eatough, who uses psychological science while consulting Fortune 500 leaders. She earned her Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of South Florida. 

“We see this in our diagnostics,” she continued. “Workers are increasingly seeking environments where they feel safe, connected, and respected. Friendship is often the most human expression of a culture that has gotten it right.”

A recent Fractional Insights survey also showed more than 50% of employees feel they have to “constantly look out for themselves at work.”

“That kind of chronic self-protection signals a breakdown of trust and belonging and it erodes motivation and innovation over time,” Eatough added. “Workplace friendships can act as a buffer against the loneliness epidemic.”

Meanwhile, workplace friendships often go beyond superficial connections. Friends can serve as support systems at important times like when an employee faces discrimination, harassment, or retaliation Szamet said. 

Generational breakdown and AI friendships

KPMG’s survey results found Gen Z values workplace friendships the most out of all groups. Two-thirds of Gen Z would choose a role with the friendship premium, followed by 58% for baby boomers, 57% of millennials, and 55% of Gen Xers.

While friendships are valuable across all generations, younger workers rely more heavily on work friends to navigate mental health and burnout, Torchia said. They’re also more likely to view their work friends as “social connectors” and “confidants,” she added. 

AI has also become a source of companionship—for better or for worse—for some workers. While 99% of workers reported they’re interested in an AI chatbot that could become a friend or trusted work companion, according to KPMG, 49% said the technology creates false connections and replaces deep conversations with superficial interactions. Torchia calls this the “great AI paradox.”

AI “can serve as a tool to help alleviate loneliness while also amplifying our hunger for authentic relationships,” she said. “The organizations winning are those leveraging emerging technology like AI to create more meaningful human interactions, not fewer.”

Eatough said the more we automate, the more precious and powerful human connections become.

“If we’re not careful, we risk designing sterile, extractive workplaces in pursuit of efficiency,” she said. But placing humans at the forefront of performance management, communication, and rewards can “create environments where both AI and authentic connection thrive side by side.”

My covert assignment as an IT worker abroad funded by North Korea’s regime

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My covert assignment as an IT worker abroad funded by North Korea’s regime

Beth Godwin and Julie Yoonnyung Lee

BBC Trending & BBC News

Getty Images A graphic showing a man in a cap and uniform working on a laptop with a North Korean flag as a backgroundGetty Images

Jin-su says over the years he used hundreds of fake IDs to apply for remote IT work with Western companies. It was part of a vast undercover scheme to raise funds for North Korea.

Juggling multiple jobs across the US and Europe would make him at least $5,000 (£3,750) a month, he told the BBC in a rare interview. Some colleagues, he said, would earn much more.

Before he defected, Jin-su – whose name has been changed to protect his identity – was one of thousands believed to have been sent abroad to China and Russia, or countries in Africa and elsewhere, to take part in the shadowy operation run by secretive North Korea.

North Korean IT workers are closely monitored and few have spoken to the media, but Jin-su has provided extensive testimony to the BBC, giving a revealing insight into what daily life is like for those working the scam, and how they operate. His first-hand account confirms much of what has been estimated in UN and cyber security reports.

He said 85% of what he earned was sent back to fund the regime. Cash-strapped North Korea has been under international sanctions for years.

“We know it’s like robbery, but we just accept it as our fate,” Jin-su said, “it’s still much better than when we were in North Korea.”

Secret IT workers generate $250m-$600m annually for North Korea, according to a UN Security Council report published in March 2024. The scheme boomed in the pandemic, when remote working became commonplace, and has been on the rise ever since, authorities and cyber defenders warn.

Most workers are after a steady paycheck to send back to the regime, but in some cases, they have stolen data or hacked their employers and demanded ransom.

Last year, a US court indicted 14 North Koreans who allegedly earned $88m by working in disguise and extorting US firms over a six-year period.

Four more North Koreans who allegedly used fraudulent identities to secure remote IT work for a cryptocurrency firm in the US were indicted last month.

Getting the jobs

Jin-su was an IT worker for the regime in China for several years before defecting. He and his colleagues would mostly work in teams of 10, he told the BBC.

Access to the internet is limited in North Korea, but abroad, these IT workers can operate more easily. They need to disguise their nationality not just because they can get paid more by impersonating Westerners, but due to the extensive international sanctions North Korea is under, primarily in response to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

This scheme is separate from North Korea’s hacking operations which also raise money for the regime. Earlier this year the Lazarus Group – an infamous hacking group understood to be working for North Korea, though they’ve never admitted to it – is thought to have stolen $1.5bn (£1.1bn) from cryptocurrency firm Bybit.

A woman smiles at a laptop - she is speaking to someone on a video call. Another woman looks at her.

The BBC spoke to Jin-su on a video call from London. For his safety we are protecting his identity.

Jin-su spent most of his time trying to secure fraudulent identities which he could use to apply for jobs. He would first pose as Chinese, and contact people in Hungary, Turkey and other countries to ask them to use their identity in exchange for a percentage of his earnings, he told the BBC.

“If you put an ‘Asian face’ on that profile, you’ll never get a job.”

He would then use those borrowed identities to approach people in Western Europe for their identities, which he’d use to apply for jobs in the US and Europe. Jin-su often found success targeting UK citizens.

“With a little bit of chat, people in the UK passed on their identities so easily,” he said.

IT workers who speak better English sometimes handle the applications process. But jobs on freelancer sites also don’t necessarily require face-to-face interviews, and often day-to-day interactions take place on platforms like Slack, making it easier to pretend to be someone you are not.

Jin-su told the BBC he mostly targeted the US market, “because the salaries are higher in American companies”. He claimed so many IT workers were finding jobs, often companies would unwittingly hire more than one North Korean. “It happens a lot,” he said.

It’s understood that IT workers collect their earnings through networks of facilitators based in the West and China. Last week a US woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for crimes connected to assisting North Korean IT workers find jobs and sending them money.

The BBC cannot independently verify the specifics of Jin-su’s testimony, but through PSCORE, an organisation which advocates for North Korean human rights, we’ve read testimony from another IT worker who defected that supports Jin-su’s claims.

The BBC also spoke to a different defector, Hyun-Seung Lee, who met North Koreans working in IT while he was travelling as a businessman for the regime in China. He confirmed they’d had similar experiences.

A growing problem

The BBC spoke to multiple hiring managers in the cyber security and software development sector who say they’ve spotted dozens of candidates they suspect are North Korean IT workers during their hiring processes.

Rob Henley, co-founder of Ally Security in the US, was recently hiring for a series of remote vacancies at his firm, and believes he interviewed up to 30 North Korean IT workers in the process. “Initially it was like a game to some extent, like trying to figure out who was real and who was fake, but it got pretty annoying pretty quickly,” he said.

Eventually, he resorted to asking candidates on video calls to show him it was daytime where they were.

“We were only hiring candidates from the US for these positions. It should have been at least light outside. But I never saw daylight.”

Back in March, Dawid Moczadło, co-founder of Vidoc Security Lab based in Poland, shared a video of a remote job interview he conducted where the candidate appeared to be using artificial intelligence software to disguise their face. He said that after speaking to experts, he believed the candidate could be a North Korean IT worker.

A screenshot of a video interview with two men wearing headphones. Dawid Moczadło, co-founder of Vidoc Security Lab (right) interviews a candidate (left) that appears to be using AI software to disguise their face.

Get Real Security – a digital forensics company – told us it’s highly likely the candidate (left) is using some kind of faceswapping or AI filter

We contacted the North Korean embassy in London to put the allegations in this story to them. They did not respond.

A rare escape route

North Korea has been sending its workers abroad for decades to earn the state foreign currency. Up to 100,000 are employed abroad as factory or restaurant workers, mostly in China and Russia.

After several years of living in China, Jin-su said the “sense of confinement” over his oppressive working conditions built up.

“We weren’t allowed to go out and had to stay indoors all the time” he said. “You can’t exercise, you can’t do what you want.”

However, North Korean IT workers have more freedom to access Western media when they’re abroad, Jin-su said. “You see the real world. When we are abroad, we realise that something is wrong inside North Korea.”

But despite this, Jin-su claimed few North Korean IT workers thought about escaping like he did.

“They just take the money and go back home, very few people would think about defection.”

Although they only keep a small proportion of what they earn, it’s worth a lot in North Korea. Defecting is also hugely risky and difficult. Surveillance in China means most are caught. Those few who do succeed in defecting may never see their families again, and their relatives could face punishment for them leaving.

Jin-su is still working in IT now he’s defected. He says the skills he honed working for the regime have helped him settle into his new life.

Because he isn’t working multiple jobs with fake IDs, he earns less than when he worked for the North Korean regime. But because he can keep more of his earnings, overall, he has more money in his own pocket.

“I had got used to making money by doing illegal things. But now I work hard and earn the money I deserve.”

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up: Live Nation’s $646 Million Mexico Deal and Universal Music Group’s $3.38bn Q2 Results

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MBW’s Weekly Round-Up: Live Nation’s $646 Million Mexico Deal and Universal Music Group’s $3.38bn Q2 Results

Welcome to Music Business Worldwide’s weekly round-up – where we make sure you caught the five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their income and reduce their touring costs.

This week, Live Nation Entertainment struck a USD $646 million deal to increase its stake in Mexican concert promoter OCESA to 75%, accelerating its Latin American expansion strategy.

Meanwhile, Universal Music Group posted Q2 2025 results with revenues of $3.38 billion, up 4.5% YoY driven by releases from Morgan Wallen, timelesz, and Lady Gaga.

Elsewhere, Spotify revealed its own Q2 earnings results. On a subsequent call, SPOT confirmed that just over 3% of the world’s population now subscribes to the platform, though its execs remained notably cagey about its long-awaited ‘Music Pro’ tier.

Also this week, US-headquartered SESAC Music Group confirmed a raise of $889 million via a whole business securitization, which was three times oversubscribed.

And MBW took a closer look at Primary Wave‘s ambitious new Bob Marley immersive experience in Las Vegas, Hope Road.

Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…

1. LIVE NATION STRIKES $646 MILLION DEAL TO INCREASE STAKE IN MEXICO’S OCESA

Live Nation Entertainment has announced a major $646 million transaction to acquire an additional 24% stake in Mexican concert promoter OCESA, increasing its ownership from 51% to 75%.

The deal, announced on Tuesday (July 29), accelerates a purchase agreement with former OCESA owner CIE, which will retain a 25% stake. It’s expected to close in August.

Combined with Live Nation’s original 51% acquisition in December 2021 for $416 million, the firm’s total investment in OCESA to date exceeds $1 billion. The deal forms part of Live Nation’s broader Latin American expansion strategy, which recently included acquiring Dominican Republic promoter SD Concerts… (MBW)

2. UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP GENERATED $3.38BN IN Q2, UP 4.5% YOY – DRIVEN BY MORGAN WALLEN, TIMELESZ, LADY GAGA

Universal Music Group posted second-quarter results this week with total revenues of $3.38 billion, up 4.5% year-over-year at constant currency, driven by growth across its recorded music and publishing divisions. The company’s recorded music subscription streaming revenues grew 8.5% YoY to reach $1.36 billion, while overall recorded music revenue hit $2.52 billion, up 3.9% year-over-year.

Top-selling releases for the quarter included Morgan Wallen, timelesz, Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and INI, helping drive UMG’s adjusted EBITDA to $766 million with a margin of 22.7%. The company’s music publishing division performed particularly well, with revenues growing 14.5% YoY to $646.3 million.

UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge credited the results to “the powerful combination of our artists’ and songwriters’ creative excellence with our strategic vision and execution.” The company declared an interim dividend of $499 million for the first half of 2025, with payment scheduled for October… (MBW)

3. LEARNINGS FROM SPOTIFY’S Q2 2025 EARNINGS CALL… INCLUDING WHAT THE COMPANY (DIDN’T) SAY ABOUT THAT LONG-AWAITED ‘MUSIC PRO’ TIER

Spotify revealed remarkable market dominance statistics during its Q2 earnings call, with the platform now accounting for 65% of global audio music streams and boasting that over 3% of the world’s population subscribes to the service.

SPOT added 8 million premium subscribers in Q2 to reach 276 million, while total monthly active users hit 696 million with the addition of 18 million new users.

Despite the strong user growth, Spotify remained notably evasive when directly questioned about its long-awaited ‘Music Pro’ tier. When asked about introducing a ‘superfan’ tier, Chief Business Officer Alex Norström provided limited details, saying only that the company is “making progress for sure, but it’s taking time”… (MBW)

4. SESAC MUSIC GROUP RAISES $889M VIA WHOLE BUSINESS SECURITIZATION, THREE-TIMES OVERSUBSCRIBED

SESAC Music Group has completed a $889 million whole business securitization, marking the company’s fourth trip to the asset-backed securities market and the largest rated whole business securitization in the music sector to date. The five-year senior notes are backed by substantially all of SESAC’s assets and revenues, including its Performing Rights and Music Services divisions, and received investor demand that was three times oversubscribed.

The Blackstone-majority-owned company’s Performing Rights division represents high-profile songwriters including Ariana Grande, Kurt Cobain, Jack Harlow, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Axl Rose, plus composers behind major TV shows and films. Its Music Services arm provides copyright administration and licensing through subsidiaries like Harry Fox Agency, AudioSalad, and Rumblefish… (MBW)

5. WHY PRIMARY WAVE – AND THE MARLEY ESTATE – COULD BE SITTING ON A GOLDMINE WITH NEW BOB MARLEY SHOW, HOPE ROAD

Primary Wave has launched an ambitious new Bob Marley immersive experience called Hope Road at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, representing a potentially lucrative new revenue stream for the music rights company and the Marley estate.

Each non-seated show moves approximately 180 guests through themed rooms with live performers, utilizing cutting-edge technology with tickets currently priced between $69-$99, depending on timing.

Currently running five shows per day across five days weekly, Primary Wave CEO Larry Mestel says the operation will soon expand to nine shows daily across three different casts.

Quick calculations suggest the event could generate $30 million in annual gross ticket revenue – and even more when you include merchandise sales… (MBW)

MBW’s Weekly Round-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their income and reduce their touring costs.Music Business Worldwide

Trump dismisses official in charge of job data following disappointing employment figures | Latest updates on Donald Trump

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Trump dismisses official in charge of job data following disappointing employment figures | Latest updates on Donald Trump

US President Trump alleged that the data had been manipulated to make him look bad.

United States President Donald Trump has removed the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs figures after a report showed hiring slowed in July and was much weaker in May and June than previously reported.

Trump, in a post on his social media platform on Friday, alleged that the figures were manipulated for political reasons and said that Erika McEntarfer, the director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, should be fired. He provided no evidence for the charge.

“I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said on Truth Social. “She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.”

Trump later posted: “In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad.”

After his initial post, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said on X that McEntarfer was no longer leading the bureau and that William Wiatrowski, the deputy commissioner, would serve as the acting director.

“I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

Friday’s jobs report showed that just 73,000 jobs were added last month and that 258,000 fewer jobs were created in May and June than previously estimated. The report suggested that the economy has sharply weakened during Trump’s tenure, a pattern consistent with a slowdown in economic growth during the first half of the year and an increase in inflation during June that appeared to reflect the price pressures created by the president’s tariffs.

“What does a bad leader do when they get bad news? Shoot the messenger,” Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a Friday speech.

Revisions to hiring data

Trump has sought to attack institutions that rely on objective data for assessing the economy, including the Federal Reserve and, now, the BLS. The actions are part of a broader mission to bring the totality of the executive branch – including independent agencies designed to objectively measure the nation’s wellbeing – under the White House’s control.

McEntarfer was nominated by Biden in 2023 and became the commissioner of the BLS in January 2024. Commissioners typically serve four-year terms, but since they are political appointees, they can be fired. The commissioner is the only political appointee of the agency, which has hundreds of career civil servants.

The Senate confirmed McEntarfer to her post 86-8, with now Vice President JD Vance among the yea votes.

Trump focused much of his ire on the revisions the agency made to previous hiring data. Job gains in May were revised down to just 19,000 from 125,000, and for June they were cut to 14,000 from 147,000. In July, only 73,000 positions were added. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.2 percent from 4.1 percent.

“No one can be that wrong? We need accurate Jobs Numbers,” Trump wrote. “She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”

The monthly employment report is one of the most closely-watched pieces of government economic data and can cause sharp swings in financial markets. The disappointing figure sent US market indexes about 1.5 percent lower on Friday.

While the jobs numbers are often the subject of political spin, economists and Wall Street investors – with millions of dollars at stake – have always accepted US government economic data as free from political manipulation.

Challenging the Client

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Challenging the Client



Client Challenge



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Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte share a meme criticizing Team USA’s performance at Worlds

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Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte share a meme criticizing Team USA’s performance at Worlds

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Two of the biggest names in the history of American swimming have voiced frustration at the performance of Team USA in Singapore this week at the World Championships.

Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, posted a photograph of a funeral that included a tombstone that reads:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
UNITED STATES SWIMMING
1980 – 2025
Aged 45

“They set the bar high-until they stopped reaching for it”

He added a caption that said “Call it a funeral, or call it a fresh start. We’ve got 3 years.”

Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals, shared that post, adding “Is this the wake up call USA swimming needed? Let’s find out…..”

It’s the most direct public rebuke from arguably the two most mainstream names in American swimming in the last 30 years.

The U.S. performance at the World Championships this week has been marred by “acute gastroenteritis” that has impacted almost the entire team (with the rare exception including the top American swimmer of this generation, Katie Ledecky).

In spite of that, the U.S. moved into the top spot in the medal tables on Friday, both by the traditional gold/silver/bronze sort and the most total medals. The women, which have experienced some of the highest-profile challenges from the GI issues, have managed to medal in every single event so far to carry the load for Team USA. The men, meanwhile, have broken a lot of streaks to the negative, including not having a man make the semi-finals of the 100 back for the first time in a global competition since 1908 and missing a medal in the 800 free relay at Worlds for the first time since 1998.

The men’s 400 medley relay also doesn’t have an obvious path to the podium, and will probably be forced to use some of their top performers in prelims to even have a chance at the final.

The voices of Lochte and Phelps, which almost five million combined Instagram followers, will bring increased pressure and attention to USA Swimming’s challenges this week and over the last few years. While the raw numbers on the medals table haven’t been that bad, those obscure the overall performance coming up shy of expectations for the third straight year.

With USA Swimming limping along for almost a year with interim CEOs, weak membership numbers, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a home Olympics looming, the organization is running out of grace with its fans and stakeholders – remembering that much of the swimming industry in America is driven by the success of the National Team.

While Phelps has stayed engaged in swimming behind-the-scenes, it is rare for him to make a public statement, so when he does, it carries a lot of power behind it. Will this be the one that forces a culture shift within the organization? Or will it wistfully blow past the Los Angeles Olympics with a mounting pile of excuses that are allegedly outside of its control?

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte Share Meme Criticizing Team USA’s Performance at Worlds

Putin remains resolute despite Trump’s ultimatum on Ukraine conflict

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Putin remains resolute despite Trump’s ultimatum on Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced hopes for further peace talks with Ukraine – but stressed his troops were “advancing on the entire front line”, despite the threat of tougher US sanctions if a ceasefire was not agreed upon.

“All disappointments arise from inflated expectations,” Putin said, in an apparent reference to Trump’s “disappointment” with the Russian leader for not bringing an end to the war.

Speaking a day after one of the deadliest Russian air attacks on Kyiv, he repeated his demands for Ukrainian neutrality and recognition of the occupied territories, which Ukraine views as a capitulation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to meet Putin “any time”.

Speaking on Friday at the Valaam Monastery on an island in north-western Russia, Putin said he expected negotiations with Ukraine to continue, adding that he viewed “negotiations positively”.

But in a veiled reference to growing pressure from Ukraine and its Western allies to agree to a long-term ceasefire, he said: “As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations.

“Our enemies and ill-wishers… now have one fiery passion: to stop our advance [on the front line in Ukraine] at any cost”.

Ukraine and its allies have repeatedly accused Russia of stalling peace negotiations and rejecting any meaningful ceasefire, saying Moscow is trying to seize more Ukrainian territories.

Three rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, Turkey, in recent months ended without any major breakthrough. The two sides, however, agreed to swap several thousands of prisoners of war.

Speaking shortly after Putin’s comments, Zelensky questioned whether Russia was showing “serious readiness to end the war with dignity and establish a truly lasting peace” or whether it was “just an attempt to buy more time for war and postpone sanctions”.

In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its deadly drone and missile strikes on Ukraine.

On Thursday, at least 31 people – including five children – were killed in a Russian aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital.

US President Donald Trump condemned Russia’s actions, threatening new sanctions.

“Russia, I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing,” he told journalists.

When in July Trump announced his original 50-day deadline for Russia to end the war, Putin didn’t react. When that was reduced to 10-12 days, Putin said nothing.

But on Friday the Kremlin leader left little doubt that he would not be swayed by a White House ultimatum.

Trump may claim to be “disappointed” with Putin for not making peace – but the Russian leader is unrepentant.

His guest on the Valaam island, Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, was more direct in his dismissal of Trump’s deadline.

“50 days, 60 days, 10 days. You don’t do politics like that,” Lukashenko said.

Experience shows that, for Trump, deadlines are not set in stone. But on paper, at least, his latest deadline expires on 8 August.

If by then Russia hasn’t signed up to a ceasefire in Ukraine, it will face more sanctions – so in theory will countries that buy Russian oil.

But judging by what the Russian state media has been saying in recent days, many in Moscow doubt the White House will go through with its threat of tougher sanctions.

What’s more, from what Putin said on Friday about Russia advancing along the entire front line in Ukraine, he clearly believes a ceasefire now is not in Moscow’s best interest.

Ukrainian officials on Friday said Kyiv had received “positive signals” from the US about potential new sanctions.

A day earlier, senior US diplomat John Kelley told the UN Security Council that Russia and Ukraine “must negotiate a ceasefire and durable peace”.

“It is time to make a deal,” he said.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is currently in Israel, would visit Russia next, the US president said earlier this week. He gave no further details.

Yarns Made from CO2 Aim to Reduce Fashion Industry’s Carbon Footprint

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Yarns Made from CO2 Aim to Reduce Fashion Industry’s Carbon Footprint

Concepts such as fast fashion have brought attention to the carbon footprint of the textile industry. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened in recent decades, with studies suggesting that the textile industry could account for 26% of the world’s carbon emissions by 2050. To address this issue, reducing garment consumption, promoting recycling, and embracing scientific and technological advances for sustainable raw materials will be key.

One example of progress comes from a Californian startup that has developed textile fibers obtained from CO2, making them carbon negative. This represents a significant step forward in combating the textile industry’s environmental impact.

How are textile fibers obtained from CO2?

Carbon dioxide obtained through carbon sequestration technologies is the starting point for achieving these sustainable textile fibers. This system captures carbon dioxide emissions from factories and other sources and stores them for later use as a raw material. The company employs biochemical processes using enzymes to transform this captured carbon dioxide into cellulose, which finds application in the textile industry. Initially, they create cellulose pulp sheets, which are later processed into fibers.

The resulting material, known as lyocell, serves in the textile industry and finds use in bedding. Being produced from CO2, it qualifies as carbon negative, meaning its production consumes more carbon dioxide than it emits, making it environmentally beneficial. It is also water- and soil-neutral, causing no adverse impacts in those respects. Moreover, the process generates no waste, contributing further to its sustainability.

The breakthrough technology, developed through a partnership between the Californian startup and a Danish fashion company, was unveiled at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen in 2022. The material contains 20% CO2-sourced fibers, serving as an intermediate step toward producing the first sustainable cellulose garments. The company’s founders highlight their key achievement of stabilizing the enzymes in a reactor, enabling the industrial-scale implementation of the process.

Twins, scientists, and entrepreneurs

The startup responsible for this project was founded by two young scientists, Leila and Neeka Mashouf, who have spent their careers in the U.S. Both hailing from Silicon Valley and graduates of Harvard University, their passion for science was evident from a young age, starting at fifteen. Recognizing an opportunity to infuse their family’s fashion business with a fresh technological vision, they established their company in 2020.

In a remarkably short period, their company has successfully collaborated with prominent names in the textile industry, cementing their presence and impact. Additionally, they engage with a broader audience through their TikTok channel, offering popular science videos to the public.

Producing food with CO2

As we move towards a complete shift to renewable energy, one strategy for decarbonization involves reclaiming carbon dioxide and converting it into feedstock as part of the circular economy. A notable application in this area is the technology that transforms carbon dioxide into proteins, accomplished through microbes that consume hydrogen and carbon dioxide, leaving behind a dry residue that consists mainly of pure protein.

This synthetic food innovation holds potential for future Mars missions, where it could be incorporated into the astronauts’ diet. Moreover, on our planet, such nutritional alternatives might serve as food supplements to meet human dietary requirements. For further details on this protein technology, you can find more information in this article.

Alternatively, if you are interested in exploring carbon dioxide sequestration technologies, we recommend checking out this article discussing the use of cotton for the development of new CO2 filters, or this one focusing on mineral carbonation techniques that are currently being applied in Iceland.

 

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