Ukraine war: Western armour struggles against Russian defences
The general in charge of Ukraine’s stuttering counter-offensive in the south has said Russian defences are making it difficult for military equipment, including Western tanks and armoured vehicles, to move forward.
Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi says his forces are struggling to overcome multi-layered minefields and fortified defensive lines.
“That is why most of the tasks have to be performed by troops.”
He says Russia’s military has displayed “professional qualities” by preventing Ukrainian forces from “advancing quickly”.
“I don’t underestimate the enemy,” he adds.
Latest unconfirmed reports from the US suggest the main thrust of the counter-offensive has begun. The Institute for the Study of War says Ukrainian forces appear to have broken through “certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions”.
‘Era of global boiling has arrived,’ says UN chief as July set to be hottest month on record
Head of World Meteorological Organization also warns ‘climate action is not a luxury but a must’ as temperatures soar
The era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived”, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, has said after scientists confirmed July was on track to be the world’s hottest month on record.
“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” Guterres said. “It is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C [above pre-industrial levels], and avoid the very worst of climate change. But only with dramatic, immediate climate action.”
Guterres’s comments came after scientists confirmed on Thursday that the past three weeks have been the hottest since records began and July is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded.
Niger coup bid: What we know so far
Niger has been rocked by what could be its fifth coup since it gained independence from France in 1960. But detained President Mohamed Bazoum has remained defiant. DW has an overview.
Niger’s army command on Thursday officially backed the soldiers in their coup attempt.
A group of soldiers in Niger had claimed on Wednesday to have overthrown the country’s democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane said Niger’s Presidential Guard had detained Bazoum.
“This follows the continued deterioration of the security situation, poor economic and social governance,” the air force colonel-major said in a televised address.
Regional and global leaders swiftly condemned the coup attempt and have called for Bazoum to be released.
Algeria counts costs after deadly wildfires
Algerians in the fire-ravaged northeast were Thursday counting the cost of the blazes that killed 34 people, destroyed homes and reduced vast forest areas to scorched wastelands.
The wildfires raged for days, mainly through the mountain forests of the Kabylia region on the Mediterranean coast, fanned by winds during blistering summer heat.
“Many people are traumatised. Our aim is to provide moral support and psychological care,” said a member of a psychiatrist support unit sent to the disaster area.
Water and electricity remained cut off in wide areas but aid supplies were arriving.
Desperate rescue bid launched for trapped miners in Indonesia
Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies
Search and rescue crews were on Thursday desperately attempting to save eight miners trapped as far as 60 metres underground in Indonesia after their illegal gold mine was flooded.
The miners were working in one of dozens of pits at the facility in the district of Banyumas in Central Java province on Tuesday night, when it suddenly began to fill with water suspected to be from a nearby river.
An urgent effort has been launched to find any survivors, with police and the military joining a rescue team of more than 100 at the site on Thursday.
The incident was only reported to police by the mine’s management on Wednesday morning.
China faces faltering global image, survey finds
Pew Research Center study shows negative views of China across the world, especially in high-income countries.
China may be widely known as the world’s second largest economy, but its international image as an economic powerhouse is faltering across high- and middle-income countries, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
The survey released on Thursday also found largely unfavourable opinions on China overall, with a median 67 percent of respondents expressing negative views about Beijing compared with 28 percent who shared positive ones.
Pew surveyed more than 30,000 adults across 24 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Nigeria, Japan and India. It found that the negative perceptions of China were largely concentrated in high-income countries, such as Australia, Sweden, South Korea and Japan.
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