Russia fires warning shots and boards cargo ship in Black Sea, Russian defense ministry says

A Russian warship fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship it claims was headed to Ukraine in the Black Sea on Sunday, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence.

Russia said the warship fired warning shots when the captain of the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship failed to respond to “the request to stop for inspection for the carriage of prohibited goods.” The incident took place in southwestern Black Sea, the ministry said.

The ministry claimed the ship named Sukra Okan was headed to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Marine traffic websites currently shows the cargo vessel’s destination as the Romanian port of Sulina, which is close to Izmail.

Serbian President Aleksandar VučićPlaying With Fire in Belgrade

He’s a big statesman, there’s no doubt about that. Serbia’s president stands over two meters (six-and-a-half feet) tall. It’s just that in conversation, Aleksandar Vučić tries to sound quite a bit smaller than he actually is.

Whether over a poolside breakfast at the president’s residence, flying in a helicopter over southern Serbia or in the presidential palace, Vučić consistently chooses his words to sound as though he humbly accepts that hardly anyone is particularly grateful for his services to country and region. The president sees himself as a guarantor of peace in the western Balkans.

Bollywood film “Bawaal” accused of trivialising the Holocaust

Bollywood feature film “Bawaal”, recently released on Amazon, has caused international controversy by using Nazi concentration camps as the backdrop for a romantic comedy. Many of the country’s historians have denounced a growing tolerance for Adolf Hitler in India, particularly since Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government came to power in 2014. Hitler’s book Mein Kampf remains one of the country’s bestsellers.

Poland unveils referendum on EU migrant policy

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) is making migration from the Middle East and Africa a key part of its electoral campaign ahead of a parliamentary vote in October.

Poland unveiled a new referendum question on Sunday pertaining to the EU’s policy on asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa.

The referendum will ask Poles if they back taking in “thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa” as part of an EU relocation scheme, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The referendum is set for October 15, the same day parliamentary elections will take place.

Miss Universe Organisation cuts Indonesia ties over sex abuse claims

Hawaii fires: Maui death toll climbs to 80

South Korea: Protesters rail against Fukushima release plan

Japan’s plan to release Fukushima nuclear wastewater is backed by conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Some Koreans, however, believe that doing so would put health and environmental safety at risk.

Hundreds of South Koreans gathered in Seoul on Saturday to oppose an initiative by Japan to release treated nuclear wastewater from the tsunami-devastated Fukushima plant into the ocean.

The protesters are concerned that releasing the water would increase food safety risks for South Koreans and that it would also harm the environment.

An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the Fukushima plant, putting out a massive amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.

What happened during the protest?

The demonstrators held signs with slogans such as “Protect The Pacific Ocean” and “Nuclear Power? No Thanks!” Some of the signs also negatively depicted conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who backs the plan.

France sees a slight rebound in Covid-19 with the emergence of ‘Eris’ variant

France has seen a slight rebound in the number of Covid-19 cases since August 1. The emergence of a new variant nicknamed “Eris” has led to a rise in the number of medical procedures and emergency room visits. Although there is no cause for panic, experts say it is worth keeping an eye on the situation as many superspreader events like festivals take place during the summer months.

Covid-19 is once again making headlines at the height of summer in France, as well as several other countries, due to an upsurge in cases.

The number of visits to emergency rooms for suspected Covid-19 cases rose by an average of 31 percent in the week following the Bayonne Festival – one of Europe’s largest festive gatherings, which attracted 1.3 million people from July 26 to July 30 – compared to the previous week.

Nine hundred and twenty patients across all age groups were seen, according to Santé publique France, a government body under the authority of the health ministry, which stated that such numbers remain “moderate”. These are the only figures available for now, as daily monitoring of the pandemic ended on June 30 due to the “favourable epidemiological context”.

Life and death on the front lines of fighting in Myanmar

The Karenni have battled Myanmar’s military for decades. Now, a new generation of fighters faces an intensifying conflict. A report from Kayah state.

The rebel commander studies a chicken bone in a search for clues as to the fate of his coming attack against the Myanmar military.

Scraggly bearded Reh Du, 27, frowns. The signs from the bone are mixed.

Nevertheless, his underlying confidence in the plan of attack against Myanmar’s military in the hills of eastern Kayah state is steadfast.

“I believe we will win,” the shrapnel-scarred fighter says after his act of divination – a practice these ethnic Karenni fighters embrace in uncertain times.

“Today or tomorrow,” he says.

‘Reasonable’ to believe genocide against Armenians being committed, former ICC chief prosecutor says

A former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor has said there is “reasonable basis to believe that genocide is being committed against Armenians” in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“There are no crematories and there are no machete attacks. Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks,” said Luis Moreno Ocampo in an expert opinion letter on Monday.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked area between Eastern Europe and Western Asia that is home to a large Armenian population but is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling over the region for decades. Ocampo worked at the Netherlands-based ICC until 2012.

Town ‘absolutely gone’ as Hawaii fires kill 55

Summary

1. The number of people killed in the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 55, and hundreds more are said to be missing on the island of Maui
2. State governor Josh Green has called the fires “catastrophic” and probably the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history
3. Survivors have spoken of daring escapes, with one man telling the BBC the historic town of Lahaina is “absolutely gone”
4. Firefighters continue to battle the flames, officials say, and nearly 15,000 tourists took flights away from Maui on Thursday
5. Fires began on the island on Tuesday, fuelled by winds from a hurricane, later prompting a “major disaster” declaration from President Joe Biden

One resident said it’s just “ash and dust” in Lahaina after the deadly wildfires.

Another local was returning for the first time since evacuating and said nobody knows if their homes are still standing.

It’s just after 05:30 local time in Hawaii, and more residents will be waking up to see what news the day will bring.

Scuffles break out outside Athens court as arrested Croatian soccer fans testify over deadly attack

Clashes have broken out in front of court buildings in Athens where scores of arrested Croatian soccer supporters were giving evidence following deadly fan violence this week

Via AP news wire

Clashes broke out in front of court buildings in Athens where scores of arrested Croatian soccer supporters were giving evidence Friday following deadly fan violence this week.

Some 200 fans of AEK Athens gathered outside the court complex, some hurling bottles of water and other objects at police and television crews.

No arrests or injuries were reported.

India proposes revamping colonial-era criminal laws

Since coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has scrapped a number of obscure laws in an effort to modernize the legal system.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed legislation on Friday aimed at overhauling some colonial-era criminal laws, including the contentious sedition law, as well as protecting women and minors.

India‘s Home Minister Amit Shah presented the bills to the parliament to repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.

Many of these statutes were introduced in the 19th century when the country was under British rule.

Shah said sweeping changes to the laws would remove archaic references to the British monarchy and other “signs of our slavery.”

‘Cruel and inhumane’: The US-Mexico floating border is equipped with ‘circular saws’

Videos shared on social media on August 8 provide a closer look at the floating border barrier installed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and aimed at keeping illegal migrants from entering the US. These controversial installations, near which a body was recently found, are equipped with spiky metal discs manufactured by Cochrane Global.

When Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on June 6, 2023, the deployment of a “floating marine barrier” to deter illegal crossings over the US-Mexico border, an important detail was left out: the ball-shaped orange buoys are equipped with “circular saws” that make it almost impossible to cross without risking injuries.

Representatives of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) came to Eagle Pass, Texas at the southern borders on August 8, 2023 and shared many videos on their X (formerly Twitter) accounts providing a closer look at the installations and their equipment, which include sharp metal disks between orange floating buoys.

The Libyan militia illegally towing back vulnerable refugees

The Tareq Bin Zeyad has been pulling back migrants and refugees to Benghazi.

On the morning of July 7, a Friday, a blue-and-white fishing vessel that had departed from Libya carrying about 250 asylum seekers ran out of fuel amid the vastness of the Mediterranean, putting the lives of its passengers in peril.

At 10:47 CEST (08:47 GMT), an observation aircraft flown by the German NGO Sea Watch located the vessel in distress within Malta’s search and rescue area (SAR).

In this stretch of sea, Malta’s Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) is responsible for rescue operations.

Thirty-six dead as Hawaii fires burn through resort town

Summary

1. At least 36 people have died in wildfires sweeping through the Hawaiian island of Maui
2. Authorities say it’s too early to know the extent of the damage, but at least 270 buildings have been destroyed
3. The historic town of Lahaina, a famous tourism area on Maui, has suffered major damage
4. The wildfires began on Tuesday and spread quickly, fuelled by strong winds generated by Hurricane Dora
5. Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated to makeshift shelters
6. US President Joe Biden sends his “deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the wildfires”

We are not getting the help we need, says Lahaina resident

“We’re trying to save people’s lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need,” Lahaina resident Kekoa Lansford tells BBC News about the rescue efforts in Hawaii.

Soldiers have joined the search and recovery operation following the devastating wildfires that left at least 36 people dead.

“It’s going to take years to fix, years. This is not even the worst of it. We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall,” he says.

The disaster is the latest in a series of extreme weather events around the world which experts say have been intensified by climate change.

Cats given anti-Covid pills for humans after thousands die from feline virus in Cyprus

Estimated 8,000 animals have died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis after outbreak on the island at start of year

Maanya Sachdeva

Cats in Cyprus are being treated with anti-Covid pills meant for humans after a feline virus killed thousands of animals on the island.

An estimated 8,000 cats have died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), prompting the government to approve the use of stockpiled human coronavirus medication.

The disease is almost always lethal if left untreated, but medication is effective in around 85 per cent of cases.

However, the high price of the medication made it inaccessible to vets and pet owners in Cyprus, activists said.

Niger junta declares new government as ECOWAS mulls strategy

The leaders of a coup in Niger declared a new government, naming 21 ministers. The move comes as leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS meet to consider steps against the junta.

The military junta that took control of Niger in a coup late last month declared the members of a new government Cabinet on Thursday.

Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a civilian economist, will lead the 21-member government, with generals from the new military governing council heading the defense and interior ministries.

The announcement came as leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc met for an emergency summit on the situation in Niger. The meeting comes two weeks after a military coup overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.

What are regional leaders discussing?

The bloc’s leaders said on Thursday that they will make talks with the Niger junta the “bedrock” of their attempts to defuse the crisis.

India’s Gandhi slams Modi’s government inaction on Manipur violence

India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inaction over deadly ethnic conflict in the country’s northeast on Wednesday, in his first parliamentary speech since his defamation conviction was suspended.

Ukrainian navy announces new Black Sea corridors

From Olga Voitovych and Tim Lister

The Ukrainian navy has announced temporary corridors for civilian shipping in the Black Sea following the suspension of the Grain Initiative.

Russia withdrew from the arrangement last month.

The Ukrainian navy issued an order declaring “temporary corridors for merchant ships sailing to/from Ukrainian ports.”

“At the same time, it is reported that the military threat and mine danger from the Russian Federation remains along all routes,” it said.

Hawaii wildfires: Residents flee into sea to escape blazes