Ukrainian drone attacks have hit industrial facilities in Russia’s western city of Ryazan, causing several to catch fire and forcing major retailer Wildberries to evacuate its local warehouses, according to authorities.
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said 45 drones were shot down over the region overnight Tuesday, with falling debris causing a fire in an “industrial area” and damaging a home and a building. Six people were hospitalised with injuries, he said in a post on Telegram.
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The report comes as Ukraine ramps up attacks on Russian industrial sites, including those belonging to Wildberries, which Kyiv accuses of helping to supply the Russian army.
Drones have damaged at least seven Wildberries warehouses in the past several days, destroying about 10 percent of the company’s storage capacity, disrupting operations and inflicting losses ‌on tens of thousands of small businesses that sell goods and services on the platform, according to the company and local authorities.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s latest strikes hit “an oil refinery and logistics centre in Ryazan,” as well as a site in Russian-occupied Crimea, where high-speed boats belonging to Russian Black Sea Fleet are based.
“Russia must feel that every day of this war will only come at a higher cost for it,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Russian attacks hit Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk
Separately, a woman was killed ⁠and a man injured after missile debris hit an apartment building in the southern Russian city of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov, home to various industrial facilities and a grain terminal, ⁠regional governor Yury Slyusar said.
In Ukraine’s Kherson, a man was killed and another three people wounded in a Russian ⁠drone attack, local authorities said.
Five people, including a child, were also injured in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, where Russia carried out dozens of attacks, using drones, aerial bombs and artillery, the head of the local military administration said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence ⁠said on Wednesday that its forces had seized two Ukrainian villages – Svtitle, in the eastern Donetsk region, and Nova Sich, in the northeastern Sumy region. It also claimed its drones hit two vessels carrying weapons and military equipment east of the Ukrainian port of Odesa, where the local military administration chief reported damaged infrastructure.
Ukraine and Russia have both increasingly targeted vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of ‌Azov in recent weeks, which has led to a fall in oil and grain supplies in the region.
Ukraine’s new Acting Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara said in an interview Wednesday that Ukraine cannot go “punch for punch” when confronting Russia militarily but must use resources carefully and act ⁠in an “asymmetric” fashion.

On Monday, President Trump said to a Michigan crowd that their affordability issues were remnants of the Biden Administration. He spent an hour painting a picture of a dystopian future for the United States if Democrats win competitive elections in the fall.
Trump stated that “we had the greatest year as a nation ever.” We’re not going let them destroy it. The President added, “In 18 months we have completely turned around this country.”
He also assured his supporters that the negotiations to end the U.S. – Israeli war in Iran – a conflict which has sent energy and fuel prices skyrocketing – were proceeding in an “friendly” manner. Iran hasn’t confirmed any such talks.
The decision by Mr. Trump to visit Michigan, an economically devastated purple Midwestern State, was part of his plan to tour the United States to defend his decisions as midterm elections approach. According to the president’s advisors, he plans on increasing his number of such trips in the coming months.
While visiting a General Motors facility in Milford where cars are tested under pressure before being released to the public, Donald Trump received some gifts, including car sculptures, and put his new insult against the Democratic Party, “Dumocrats”, or “Dumbocrats”, into practice, as he attacked a number of presidential predecessors. The crowd cheered Mr. Trump along, except for a brief moment where people holding signs saying “STOP THE DATA CENTERS!” interrupted his speech.
Trump watched drag races between professional drivers before he made his speech. One race was between the black 2027 Corvette ZR1X (which starts at $227,000) and a silver Corvette ZR1 Convertible, which is priced around $207195. He told his supporters, some of whom were dressed in Trump garb, later that they had inherited the problems of the Biden Administration.
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Tadej Pogacar, who won the Tour de France in 2026 with an advantage of over six minutes on Remco Evenepoel (second place), also took home five stage victories.
Pogacar, who was the clear favourite to win the yellow jacket, had been a long-time favorite before the race even began. There is no question that the 27-year old won with a resounding victory, despite the fact his UAE Emirates-XRG team members falling ill as well as the disrupted nighttime doping control.
We take a closer look at Pogacar’s records from this year’s Tour de France, and the one record that he has yet to break.
Tadej Pogacar’s yellow 2026 Tour de France bike commemorates his five Tour victories
Five-time Tour de France winner at the youngest age
Pogacar is now a member of the most exclusive cycling club. It was Pogacar’s fifth Tour de France victory, after his victories in 2020,2021,2024, and 2025.
Pogacar is now one of only four riders to have won five races in race history: Jacques Anquetil (Eddy Merckx), Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain.
He is also the youngest person to win the Tour 5 times. Merckx’s record of five Tour victories was set by him when he won it at 29.
Pogacar responded in his usual humorous way when asked to comment on the stage record in Paris after Sunday. Pogacar said, “I’m not a fan of clubbing so lets try to leave this place.”
7 consecutive podium finishes
Pogacar has now won five Tour de France races, marking a record. This is the seventh year in a row that the reigning champ Pogacar reached the podium.
Miguel Indurain, Jonas Vingegaard and Pogacar all have five podium finishes in a row. Indurain was the winner of this race for five consecutive years between 1991-1995.
Vingegaard finished first in both 2022 and 2030, while Pogacar was second in each 2021, 2024, and 2025. If he had not crashed out on the 15th stage of this year’s race, the Dane would have won his sixth successive podium. But now his podium count has dropped to zero.
Pogacar, the indomitable racer, has reached the podium at all nine Grand Tours in which he competed. Pogacar has extended his lead on Anquetil and Hinault who have all won six Grand Tours in a row.
A new Alpe d’Huez record
Pogacar’s unquenchable thirst for victory is evident on stage 19 where the Slovenian shattered Marco Pantani’s record of 29 years up Alpe d’Huez.
Other race leaders might have chosen to save their energy for the 21 turns of Alpe d’Huez, given that they had a commanding lead in the overall classification. The Queen’s Stage follows on Saturday. Pogi.
The gap between him and the leaders was only 1 minute after 5.6km.
Sepp Kuss Lenny Martinez Richard Carapaz were the leaders of this trio. They had little else to do when Pogacar caught up with them except hold on.
Pogacar, who had left Carapaz behind and Martinez in his wake, attacked the last kilometre to take the win and set the new stage record for 35 minutes, 27 seconds, up this iconic climb.
Another on the Tourmalet
Pogacar’s record on Alpe d’Huez was followed by another in the French Pyrenees. The Tour’s sixth stage began in Pau, and ended in Gavarnie Gedre. It included the Col du Tourmalet.
Pogacar beat his previous time of 45 minutes 32 seconds that he had set during the Tourmalet 2023 Tour with Vingegaard.
UAE Emirates-XRG accelerated up the hors category climb. This whittled the GC group down before Pogacar attacked 4km away from the summit, and then rode alone for 40km. He won the stage.
Pogacar stated: “I had been really, really looking forward to today.” “I knew today would be an amazing day because all the guys were so hyped up.”
It was a sweet day for the team when they won the yellow shirt back from TorsteinTraen, and claimed the Souvenir-Jacques Goddet Award. This award is presented to the rider who first reaches the summit of the Tourmalet. The prize includes EUR5,000.
Tour de France – The Fastest Tour de France
The 2026 Tour de France is the fastest Tour de France ever recorded.
Pogacar finished the race with an average speed 43.326kph in just 73 hours 56 minutes 26 seconds.
The Tour de France is now the second consecutive year to set a record for the fastest time. In 2025, the Tour de France achieved an average speed 42.8491kph. This beat the previous record of 2022.
This year, the Grand Boucle saw its fastest ever stage. Soren Waerenskjold of Uno-X Mobility won the stage 11 between Vichy and Nevers at a speedy 50.9kph.
Yellow Days
Pogacar has one of the best professional cycling palmares, but he still lacks one Tour de France record: Days in Yellow.
This young Slovenian cyclist has worn his maillot jaune 71 times. This means he is closing the gap on Hinault, who has worn yellow for 79 days. However, he still trails Merckx with 111 yellow shirts.
Pogacar, who wore yellow on 16 of the stages this year, would have to do it twice and a quarter times more to match Cannibal. Merckx remains, for the time being, for many, as the best of all-time.

In June 2017, BOB MYERS was sitting on the base of the Rocket Arena, now in Cleveland. He was watching the Golden State Warriors when he decided to do something that he disliked.
Myers replied, “I’m not a fan of these harsh words, but, you’re either improving or getting worse.” When asked if adding a star like Kevin Durant could upset the magic that this team had discovered, Myers responded, “No, I don’t think so.”
No team, no company, we do not just stagnate. If you get the chance to sign a player like Kevin Durant, it’s a simple matter of saying “Let’s get better.” It’s not necessary to be a genius to understand what Kevin Durant can do.
Myers, nine years later and in a different position, with a different team faced the same zero-sum choices during this offseason.
Did Daryl Morey remain the best president for basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers?
Is superstar forward Jaylen brown worth trading?
Is LeBron the best finisher for this team or not?
Myers is a leader and executive who has earned a reputation for his emotional intelligence. He was the General Manager of the Warriors’ dynastic teams, and he built them from the bottom up. Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, and future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson, and Draymond, were all integral components.
Philadelphia’s job is quite different. Myers, the president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment which owns the 76ers, isn’t working from a strong foundation. He’s actually reverse-engineering after the Sixers foundation, built in the era of “Trust the Process”, crumbled.
Philadelphia never made it past the second round in the playoffs despite the big swings of Jimmy Butler III and James Harden. Former No. Ben Simmons, the former No. Joel Embiid, the MVP centre and a player who has been deemed the best in the NBA for many years is now 30. His knees will require close management throughout his entire career.
ESPN quoted a NBA coach as saying, “The process is finished.” This needs to be the final product. The Sixers need to complete this project. It’s time to go. The Sixers and Embiid have been doing this for a very long time.
Myers replaced Morey and added Brown and James, even though the questions that he was asked to answer in Philadelphia were very different than those he had answered in Golden State.
One Eastern Conference executive commented, “I totally understand why they did it,” about the Sixers’ decision to buy Brown and James. “They’re desperate. The next step was to get to something else.
It was a risky move to get Jaylen at the price they paid for him. LeBron for a minimal is incredible.
What I don’t know is what [James] was thinking. There are a number of players who would like to have the ball. Who is setting the screens? Who is doing the dirty job? Who’s defending? “I think LeBron will be responsible for a lot of this.”
After James made the announcement, 76ers All Star guard Tyrese Maxey shared a video with the caption “I’m Like Coach Cal.”
John Calipari was the former coach of his college, and he has consistently landed top recruit classes in Kentucky, Memphis, and now Arkansas.
Maxey was one of a few people, including sources, who knew late on Thursday that James had decided to choose the Sixers. Maxey played for Calipari during 2019-20. James and Maxey have been friends for many years, and they are both represented by the exact same agency. Even he wasn’t sure it was true until Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news, and James made his public statement on X Friday.
I still wish to work. “I still want to sacrifice.” James said on X, “I still want to grind.” I still want to be competitive, win and feel the thrill of another championship.
“I am confident that I can make the Philadelphia 76ers a champion team. I’m so eager to energize a whole new fanbase and begin this amazing journey for one final time.”
James’ close friends say that they trust him when he says in his statement he believed he was “done when the season finished.” As he processed his feelings and assessed where he stood in life, the memory of winning and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a first-round win over the Houston Rockets, while Luka Docic and Austin Reaves remained.
One source said that James had realized how much meaningful basketball he still had in him.
Of course, there are risks. VJ Edgecombe showed signs of leadership potential during his rookie year, but two Sixers sources warned of a potential setback to his development. Edgecombe will be impacted by the addition of two players who are high usage, Brown and James.
Edgecombe, said the NBA coach, will gain more knowledge from Brown and James, than they will hinder him. “It’s not as if this team will stay healthy for an entire year.” In the end, the young players will have to shoulder the burden in the regular-season anyway.
The coach stated, “LeBron has just proven that he is capable of taking on a new role.” “None other guy has really done it.”
This is the key play for them all. James’ ability to elevate a team that has not yet been able win on their own. He’ll improve everyone around him, just as he was able to do during his best seasons in Miami or Cleveland.
The NBA coach stated that “if this works out, no one of these five guys will average a career-high,” They’ll all play a role that is different from what they did in the past, or perhaps even something they desire. The most important part is to get everyone on board. “Getting everyone to ignore how their contract or reputation is affected by the statistics.”
JAMES HAS MORE HARDWARE THAN THE OTHER 76ERS COMBINED, BUT IT’S NOT AS IF the trophies of other 76ers are empty. Brown won the 2024 Finals’ MVP award, which James also has four times. Embiid took home league MVP honors in 2023. Embiid’s career best season is a decade away from the MVP award James received in 2024.
Embiid has played fewer games in the last two seasons than James did at age 41. In 2026, he missed both games of the Sixers’ postseason series, but it is important to note that he was out due to emergency appendicitis.
Sources close to James said that James had long admired Embiid’s basketball IQ and talent. Like many others in the league, he was concerned about Embiid’s durability.
James decided the Sixers were the team that had high-IQ players with high-end talents. James’ comfort with Myers, the new general manager Mike Gansey and their shared experience in Cleveland helped. They had been friends since they were high schoolers together. Gansey came in second to James in Ohio for Mr. Basketball 2001. Rich Paul, his agent, had a strong relationship with Philadelphia’s owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.
Embiid has had many meaningful and extensive conversations with James throughout the recruitment process. He’s been trying since 2014 to bring James to Philadelphia, at least in a joking manner. James was considering joining the 76ers before signing with Lakers in 2018. They won gold together in Paris, 2024.
James and Embiid are the only ones who know what they said to each other this month. But Embiid made the right decisions when it comes to his health, and the way that he and James will manage the stress of forming a Superteam.
Both men will be rewarded if they succeed. If they fail, there will be hard decisions to make.
One league source said, “It’s all about Joel.” If it is Tyrese VJ Jaylen, Brown LeBron, and Adem, then that’s not championship-winning team. If it is those four guys plus Joel, then that would be a championship-winning team.
It’s not Joel’s responsibility if things don’t work out. It’s possible he will be blamed. “LeBron is a great player, but he’s also able to help LeBron win.
There is almost nothing that the Internet loves more than an embarrassing gaffe in the middle of a drama with high stakes that appears to reveal behind-the scenes machinations which were meant to remain hidden. When an employee of the Miami Heat published by mistake a date and time for James’ introductory press conference last week, this instantly became viral.
The social media gaffe was particularly shocking because it came at the same time that Dan Le Batard gave a compelling interview, in which Heat President Pat Riley said his relationship with James has “thawed out” over the past few years. Riley also praised James’ return back to Cleveland for being something he needed to do in order to remove “the scarlet-letter” from his back.
DraftKings Sportsbook placed the Heat as +1000 favorites at the beginning of free agency. They were behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (-275 favorites) and Warriors. However, they have since moved to a -200 favorite.
Next came the final blow. Internet detectives quickly found a posting on the Heat’s Youtube page which seemed to indicate that the person responsible for the gaffe was immediately terminated. The job posting had been there since July 1.
Paul admitted that he thought Miami was the “spot” for much of the decision-making that culminated Friday morning with James’ announcement that he had chosen Philadelphia.
Why go back to a place where you were so successful? Paul said to ESPN. You’ll never be able duplicate what you have already achieved or surpass it.
The Cavaliers or Heat could certainly make a basketball case. A source said that the Warriors had also been appealing to James for some time. But only if they were able to acquire a star like Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis with whom James won a championship in 2020.
Paul is a voice that has been heard in public and privately throughout this months-long drama, where his client’s actions have been dissected for clues to his future. On the “Game Over podcast” with Max Kellerman, he whiteboarded pros and cons for James’ options in free agency.
Even he admitted that he didn’t know which way James leaning, until they spoke deeply Thursday night and the final decision at 1 am. ET Friday.
The saga surrounding the Heat employee — who, according to ESPN sources, had planned vacation this week in order to be ahead of any work that might arise if James did indeed choose the Heat — made Paul and the group of friends James confided to during the process laugh.
Did anyone think LeBron would be doing a media conference? Another source in the league said that James’ first public appearance with the Laker team was not until the training camp of the 2018 fall season.
The Sixers were not allowed to confirm the signing of James until he signed the contract on Sunday evening.
It’s kind of fitting. James used every one of his 24 days to think about the decision he made. Sixers still have a hard time reconciling the trust they place in a system that was started more than 10 years ago under different circumstances. Myers’ job was to reverse-engineer everything. Myers’s nine-year-old statement that you can only get better or worse is still true.
LeBron believed that he had made the Sixers a better team. They also thought so. Next, we need to make sure this happens.

Charli XCX releases the B-sides of her new LP, Music, Fashion, Film, exclusively through iTunes, just three days after releasing her much-anticipated follow-up album to Brat, Music, Fashion, Film. Three new tracks are included: “I Keep Thinking About You Every Day and Night,” Playboy Bunny,”and “If You Remove the Music, Then What Does She Have ?”–. Each song comes with an accompanying black and white music video that matches the visual theme of the album.
Charli explained on her Instagram private that she released these songs because “it felt natural to pair up each song with an appropriate counterpart, something adjacent to Music, Fashion, Film but not completely part of it.” B sides are often fan favorites. I think that’s what happened with some of these b side songs for this album. Although I was adamant that I would not put the songs on streaming, I knew you guys wanted them and so reluctantly I put them up on iTunes. You can call me hypocritical, it’s okay with me. I love all of you and hope that you have fun listening to these songs.
Charli XCX released her second album in 2026, Music, Fashion, and Film, following Wuthering Heights. She will embark on a short arena tour next month. Festivals like Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and Lollapalooza are among the stops.