Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 927
As the war enters its 927th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Monday, September 9, 2024. Fighting At least three people were killed and one injured after Russia struck the village of Cherkaske in the eastern Donetsk region with cluster munitions, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two people were killed and four injured, including two children, in a Russian air attack on the Sumy region, the regional military administration said. Sumy borders Russia in northeastern Ukraine. The death toll from a missile attack on a military educational institute in Ukraine’s Poltava city rose to 58 after three more people died from their injuries. Russia said it had taken control of Novohrodivka, some 12km (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, a strategically important town in eastern Ukraine. Novohrodivka had a population of 14,000 people before the war. In its regular update, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military detailed heavy fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka. It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing. Ukraine’s Air Force said air defence units destroyed 15 of 23 Russian attack drones and one guided air missile. Two of the drones and three other missiles did not reach their targets, the Air Force said. Romania and Latvia, NATO members and allies of Ukraine, said they were investigating breaches of their airspace by Russian drones that then crashed. NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said the incidents were “irresponsible and potentially dangerous”. Politics and diplomacy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for renewed diplomatic efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine “more quickly”. Speaking in an interview with the broadcaster ZDF, Scholz said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had agreed in recent talks on the need for a new peace conference that would include Russia. Zelenskyy appointed former arms production minister Oleksandr Kamyshin as an external adviser for strategic issues, according to a decree published on the president’s website. Kamyshin resigned as minister for strategic industries in a major government reshuffle. Weapons Zelenskyy again urged Ukraine’s allies to relax conditions on the use of Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia. “In just one week, Russia has used over 800 guided aerial bombs, nearly 300 Shahed drones, and more than 60 missiles of various types against our people,” he said in a Facebook post. Adblock test (Why?)
NATO members Latvia, Romania say Russian drones breached airspace
Romania has confirmed drone fragments on several occasions since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Latvia and Romania, NATO members who are allies of Ukraine, have said that Russian drones violated their airspace. Romania said a Russian drone entered its airspace during nighttime attacks across the Danube River in neighbouring Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday, while Latvia said one crashed in the eastern part of the country a day earlier. Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said that Bucharest deployed F-16 fighter jets to monitor its airspace and that a search for the weapon’s debris was under way at a potential crash site near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Bucharest strongly condemned the “renewed violation” brought on by Moscow’s “illegal attacks”. Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics, meanwhile, said a Russian military drone had crashed in the eastern part of its territory. The Defence Ministry said that the drone had flown into the country’s airspace from Belarus and crashed around Rezekne, a town of about 25,000 people some 55km (34 miles) west of Russia and 75km (47 miles) from Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin. While the incursion into Latvian airspace appeared to be a rare incident, Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on several occasions since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Romania shares a 650km (400 mile) border with Ukraine. Mircea Geoana, NATO’s outgoing deputy secretary-general and Romania’s former top diplomat, said the military alliance condemned Russia’s violation of Romanian airspace. “While we have no information indicating an intentional attack by Russia against Allies, these acts are irresponsible and potentially dangerous,” he wrote on the social media platform X. Russia has carried out repeated nighttime attacks on cities across Ukraine, frequently targeting its Danube River ports, which are just a few hundred metres from Romania. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha condemned the breaches of Romanian and Latvian airspace, calling them “a stark reminder that Russia’s aggressive actions extend beyond Ukraine”. He added on X that Ukraine needed concrete action from its allies. “A brave collective decision to use partner air defence to intercept Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine. Stronger and faster military aid for Ukrainian warriors. Lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons. Act now,” he said. Poland has also recorded at least two cases of its airspace being violated by Russian missiles or drones attacking Ukraine, most recently in December. Romanian lawmakers plan to consider legislation at their current session on enabling Romania to shoot down drones invading the country’s airspace in peacetime. Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanon FM: Israel against Lebanon ceasefire, even if Gaza war ends
Abdallah Bou Habib discusses rising tensions along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel as fears of a regional war grow. Lebanon is grappling with rising tensions along its southern border with Israel, sparking fears of a broader regional war. The ongoing war on Gaza, now in its 11th month, has further complicated Lebanon’s already fragile security, drawing in domestic, regional, and international powers. As the situation grows more precarious, questions arise about Lebanon’s path forward and how it can withstand these shifting geopolitical realities. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib talks to Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)
India records first suspected mpox case, male patient in isolation
The health ministry says the young patient recently travelled from a country experiencing the virus outbreak. India’s health ministry says it has recorded a suspected case of mpox found in a man who recently travelled from a country suffering an outbreak of the virus. The young male patient has been isolated in a hospital and is in stable condition, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the world’s most populous nation had “robust measures” in place. “The case is being managed in line with established protocols, and contact tracing is ongoing to identify potential sources and assess the impact within the country,” the health ministry added. The ministry did not specify which strain of the mpox virus the patient might have, but tests were being conducted to confirm the infection. The clade 1b variety of mpox has triggered global concern because it seems to spread more easily through routine close contact. A case of the variant was confirmed last week in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa. India has detected 30 cases of an older strain, known as clade 2, between 2022 and March 2024. Formerly called monkeypox, the virus was discovered in 1958 in Denmark, in monkeys kept for research. It was first detected in humans in 1970. It is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals, but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed the name monkeypox to mpox, saying the name of the disease appeared to be “racist”. Last month, the global health body declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified. But the WHO added that the mpox outbreak is not another COVID-19. More than 17,500 mpox cases and 629 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the start of the year, according to the WHO. Both strains – clade 1b and clade 1a – are present in the country. The DRC has received its first batch of mpox vaccines, which health authorities hope will help curb an outbreak that has prompted the United Nations to declare a global public health emergency. The virus has also been detected in Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. Adblock test (Why?)
Are restrictions on pro-Palestine speech ‘the new McCarthyism?’
Is there an attempt to chill debate on Palestine and Israel on both sides of the Atlantic? The United States, and the West in general, are in a “dire period” of repression of speech on Palestinian freedom or criticism of Israel, argues Dima Khalidi, founder of Palestine Legal. Khalidi tells host Steve Clemons that despite strong constitutional protections for free expression, “there seems to be this exception when it comes to Palestine”, as witnessed by the wave of censorship, intimidation, firings and restrictions on activism in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza. The situation is similar across Europe, says British journalist Richard Medhurst, who’s been covering Gaza closely and was arrested for “speech crimes” upon arrival in London recently. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 926
As the war enters its 926th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Sunday, September 8, 2024. Fighting At least five people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Three people were killed and four injured in the town of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin said, while two men were reported killed near the town of Toretsk about 20km (12 miles) to the southeast. Serhiy Lysak, the governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, said the number injured in a Russian missile attack on the city of Pavlohrad the day before had increased to 82. “Sixty people remain in hospital,” he said. Debris from one of dozens of Russian drones shot down over Ukraine in the early hours of Saturday was found next to Ukraine’s parliament building, the country’s parliament said in a statement. Funerals were held in Poltava for the more than 50 people killed when Russia attacked a military educational institute in the eastern Ukrainian city. Residents knelt in silent tribute as hearses carrying the victims passed by on their way to a military cemetery outside the city for burial. At least three people were injured in Ukrainian shelling of the town of Shebekino in Russia’s Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had taken control of the village of Kalynove in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Kalynove lies about 25km (16 miles) southeast of Pokrovsk, a major Ukrainian logistics hub that Russia aims to capture. Ukraine attacked a munitions depot in the Russian region of Voronezh with drones, a Ukrainian security source told the Reuters news agency. Alexander Gusev, the province’s governor, said that “explosive objects” had triggered a fire. There were no casualties but several hundred people were evacuated and a local state of emergency declared. Politics and diplomacy Richard Moore, the head of the United Kingdom’s MI6 foreign intelligence service, and CIA chief William Burns wrote a joint op-ed for the Financial Times highlighting British and United States efforts to help Ukraine in its war against Russia, and stressing it was crucial for the West to maintain its support. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to London on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza and other key security concerns, the State Department said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged unwavering support for Ukraine after a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a conference at Lake Como in which they discussed Kyiv’s plans to end the war against invading Russian forces and reconstruction efforts. Zelenskyy also met Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders at the forum and the two discussed Ukraine’s peace plan. Wilders is the leader of the largest Dutch parliamentary party. Weapons Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was deeply concerned by reports about a possible impending transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia. The ministry said the deepening military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow was a threat to Ukraine, Europe and the Middle East, and called on the international community to increase pressure on Iran and Russia. Reports in August said Russia was expecting the imminent delivery of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran. Adblock test (Why?)
Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro leads ‘free speech’ rally in Sao Paulo
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has rallied thousands of protesters in central Sao Paulo to protest against the country’s ban of the social media platform X. The demonstration was timed to the country’s Independence Day on Saturday. It also unfolded while Bolsonaro’s political rival, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, led an official parade with the country’s military in the capital Brasilia. Dressed in the colours of the Brazilian flag, Bolsonaro climbed atop a temporary stage erected on Sao Paulo’s main thoroughfare, Paulista Avenue, and addressed the crowd. His remarks took aim at one of the main figures responsible for the ban on X: Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. “I hope that the Federal Senate puts the brakes on Alexandre de Moraes, this dictator who does more harm to Brazil than Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva himself,” Bolsonaro told the crowd. De Moraes had called upon the social media platform to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, as is required under Brazilian law. In August, when X refused to comply, De Moraes released an order for the suspension of all the platform’s activities in Brazil. It was the culmination of an ongoing spat between De Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk. The billionaire entrepreneur had closed X’s offices in Brazil earlier that month, to avoid having to comply with separate court orders to suspend accounts peddling misinformation. On September 2, Brazil’s Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decision to ban X, with all five judges offering their support. Explaining the decision, Justice Flavio Dino said, “A party that intentionally fails to comply with court decisions appears to consider itself above the rule of law.” But that failed to quell the uproar, particularly among members of the far right in Brazil, who considered the shuttering of X as an infringement of their free-speech rights. Bolsonaro, a figurehead of Brazil’s far right, seized the moment to call for protest. “When freedom of expression and the press are threatened, democracy cries out for help,” he wrote on social media on September 4. “Therefore, I call on all Brazilians who love freedom and our democracy: Come to Paulista Avenue next Saturday, September 7!” Bolsonaro himself has had clashes with De Moraes, who formerly led the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), which oversees Brazil’s elections. In the lead-up to the 2022 presidential elections, Bolsonaro, the incumbent, spread misinformation about electoral fraud. After he lost the vote, Bolsonaro and his allies proceeded to challenge the results, using unfounded claims to sow suspicion. The result was weeks of protests and a violent assault on Brasilia’s government buildings on January 8, 2023, as Bolsonaro’s supporters looted the premises. De Moraes led the Superior Electoral Court in voting to ban Bolsonaro from office until 2030 for his role in spreading false information. At the Independence Day protest in Sao Paulo, Bolsonaro re-upped his false claims about the 2022 election. “The 2022 elections were completely biased by the president of the Superior Electoral Court, Alexandre de Moraes,” he told the crowd, adding that the January 8 riot was a “set-up”. Adblock test (Why?)
Police search for gunman after seven hurt in Kentucky highway shooting
Authorities are looking for a man suspected of shooting at cars travelling along a rural stretch of the I-75 highway. Police in the southern United States state of Kentucky are searching for the shooter after as many as seven people were injured on a rural stretch of a major highway. They had been driving along the road just before 6pm (10:00 GMT) not far from London, the town’s mayor, Randall Weddle, said on Facebook. Kentucky State Police spokesman Scottie Pennington said earlier that between four and six people had been hurt. Local news station WYMT said there were “multiple severe injuries” but no confirmed deaths. The shooting led to the temporary closure of Interstate 75, a major north-south highway that cuts across the eastern half of the US, in both directions. Authorities said they were searching for 32-year-old Joseph Couch in rugged terrain near the highway. Local media said the shots had been fired from a wooded area or an overpass. “Consider armed and dangerous,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post about Couch. “Do not attempt to approach.” The incident comes days after two students and two teachers were killed in a school shooting in Georgia. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder over that attack while his father, who had allegedly bought the gun for him as a gift, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder. Gun violence is common in the US, a country where there are more firearms than people. Adblock test (Why?)
Kosovo closes two of four border crossings with Serbia after protests
Kosovo’s Interior Ministry blamed the closures on ‘masked extremists’ blocking traffic into Serbia. Kosovo has closed two of its four border crossings with Serbia, the government said, after protesters on the Serbian side blocked roads and turned away passengers carrying Kosovo documents. The closures at the Brnjak and Merdare crossings – both located in Kosovo’s northern region with a majority ethnic Serb population – came into effect overnight from Friday to Saturday. Kosovar Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said the move was due to “masked extremist groups in Serbia” selectively blocking transit for travelers. “And all this in plain sight of the Serbian authorities,” he said. At least two other crossings between Serbia and Kosovo remain open. What prompted the Serbian protests? On Friday, dozens of demonstrators in Serbia blockaded the crossings to prevent traffic entering Serbia from Kosovo. They said they were protesting against the closure of parallel administrations that ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo had set up to rival the official ones. The Serbian government in Belgrade – which has never recognised the independence of Kosovo, its former southern province – finances a parallel health, education and social security system in Kosovo for the latter’s ethnic Serb population. The Serbian demonstrators told media their border blockade would last until Kosovo police were “withdrawn from the north of Kosovo and the usurped institutions are returned to the Serbs”. They also demanded that the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) “take over control in the north of Kosovo”. The border blockade began a few days after police in northern Kosovo raided and then closed five administrative offices linked to the Belgrade government. Protesters gather to partially block the road near the main Kosovo-Serbia border crossing in Merdare, Serbia, on September 6 [Valdrin Xhemaj/Reuters] Longstanding tensions Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz told reporters on Friday the Serbian protests were “yet more proof” that Belgrade was trying to provoke and destabilise its southern neighbour. Animosity has persisted between Serbia and Kosovo since a war in the 1990s between Serbian armed forces and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian secessionists. Kosovo declared independence in 2008. But Serbia has refused to recognise the move and has encouraged ethnic Serbs living in Kosovo to remain loyal to Belgrade. Tensions ratcheted up a notch earlier this year, when Kosovo made the euro the only legal currency, effectively outlawing the use of the Serbian dinar. Adblock test (Why?)
At least five killed as ethnic violence flares in India’s Manipur
State government orders all schools in the state to remain shut citing security concerns after latest spurt of violence. At least five people, including one civilian, have been killed as violence flared between two warring ethnic communities in the restive northeastern Indian state of Manipur, according to authorities. Manipur has been rocked by periodic violence for more than a year between the predominantly Hindu-majority Meitei and the mainly Christian Kukis over economic benefits, and government jobs and education quotas. A court had ordered the state government to share the benefits enjoyed by the Kukis to the Meitis, fuelling the tension. A new round of clashes and exchange of gunfire took place on Saturday in the district of Jiribam, located on India’s border with Myanmar. “Fighting has been going on between armed groups of both the communities since the morning,” said Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of Jiribam. One person, a civilian, was shot dead while sleeping and another four “armed persons” were killed in a “subsequent exchange of fire”, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Officers responding to the attack “were fired upon by suspected Kuki militants but the police team retaliated robustly and repelled the attack”, a police statement said. A state of 3.2 million people, Manipur has been divided into two enclaves since an ethnic conflict began in May 2023 – a valley controlled by the majority Meiteis and the Kuki-dominated hills. The areas controlled by the Meitei and Kuki tribes are separated by a stretch of no-man’s land monitored by federal paramilitary forces. Amid the violence, the state government ordered all schools in the state to remain shut on Saturday “to protect the safety of the students and teachers”. Attacks that began earlier this week have seen the use of drones to drop explosive devices in what authorities have called a significant escalation. The Indian Express newspaper, citing an unnamed security source, said the rockets appeared to be “improvised projectiles” made using “galvanised iron pipes attached to explosives”. Police say they suspect that the drones were used by Kuki armed groups, a claim the group denied. More than 225 people have been killed and some 60,000 have been displaced since the tensions erupted last year. Adblock test (Why?)