One dead after Ukrainian drone attack on Russia, governor says
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
At least 15 injured in Russian attack targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine
Russia launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, during the night'Russia does not change its strategy,' Zelensky said KYIV: Russian weapons pounded four Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials latest bombardment in Russia's escalating aerial campaign against civilian areas came ahead of a Sept. 2 deadline set by US President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal in the three-year war, under the threat of possible severe Washington sanctions if it doesn' date has yet been publicly set for a possible third round of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine. Two previous rounds delivered no progress apart from prisoner launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, during the night, the Ukrainian air force said. The strikes targeted northeastern Kharkiv, which is Ukraine's second-largest city, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, Vinnytsia in the west and Odesa in the south.'Russia does not change its strategy,' Zelensky said. 'To effectively counter this terror, we need a systemic strengthening of defense: more air defense, more interceptors, and more resolve so that Russia feels our response.'Trump on Monday pledged to deliver more weapons to Ukraine, including vital Patriot air defense systems, and threatened to slap additional sanctions on Russia. It was Trump's toughest stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin since he returned to the White House nearly six months some US lawmakers and European government officials expressed misgivings that the 50-day deadline handed Putin the opportunity to capture more Ukrainian territory before any settlement to end the US ultimatums to Putin in recent months have failed to persuade the Russian leader to stop his invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed in the war, many of them along the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and Russian barrages of cities have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the United Nations Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said Tuesday that 'Putin holds a theory of victory that posits that Russia can achieve its war aims by continuing to make creeping gains on the battlefield indefinitely and outlasting Western support for Ukraine and Ukraine's ability to defend itself.'Trump said the US is providing additional weapons for Ukraine but European countries are paying for them. While Ukraine and European officials were relieved at the US commitment after months of hesitation, some hoped Washington might shoulder some of the cost.'We welcome President Trump's announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the USshare the burden,' European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday. 'If we pay for these weapons, it's our support.'
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
By the numbers: Wisconsin's race for governor
MADISON, Wis. – The latest fundraising numbers and campaign spending in Wisconsin's closely watched race for governor shed some light on how the contest is shaping up more than a year before voters will start casting ballots. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has yet to say whether he will seek a third term in 2026. Two Republicans have already launched campaigns, and one of them started running ads this week. Many others are waiting in the wings. Here's a look at some of the numbers related to where the race stood as of Wednesday: 757,215 – This is the amount Evers raised over the first six months of the year based on a campaign finance report filed Tuesday. Four years ago, when he was midway through his first term, Evers had raised $5 million over the same period before launching his bid for reelection. The lower amount this year will fuel speculation that Evers might not run again. But Evers also had nearly three-times as many individual donors the past six months compared with the last six months of 2024. 2,072,517 – This is how much cash on hand Evers had at the beginning of July. That compares with $7 million he had at this point in 2021, another sign of concern for those who want Evers to run again. But it's also more than any of the early announced Republican candidates. Three – If Evers runs again, he would be looking to make history as the first Democrat elected to a third four-year term as Wisconsin governor. Republican Tommy Thompson, who was elected governor four times, is the only person to have won more than two four-year terms. The last one to seek a third term, Republican Scott Walker, lost in 2018 to Evers. Two – This is how many Republican candidates have entered the race thus far. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann was the first to get in back in May. He's been busy traveling the state, meeting with Republicans, and trying to get his name out. Milwaukee-area businessman Bill Berrien, who got in last week, is looking to make a bigger splash, running ads starting this week targeting conservative voters as he tries to pitch himself as the candidate most aligned with President Donald Trump. 400,000 – That's how much Berrien's campaign says he's spending on radio, cable TV, and online advertising starting this week. No other candidate has started spending on ads this far ahead of the election. The primary is 13 months away in August 2026. 424,143 – That's how much Schoemann reported raising in two months since he launched his campaign in May. He had about 338,000 cash on hand as of July 1. Berrien, who launched his campaign after the most recent fundraising period closed, told WISN-TV that he expects to raise just under $1 million in the first week of his candidacy. Several – That's how many Republicans and Democrats are considering running. Evers would almost certainly be uncontested should he seek a third term. Several influential Democrats, including US Rep. Mark Pocan and state party chair Devin Remiker, have said in recent days they hope he runs. Evers said he expects to announce his decision later this month. Potential Republican candidates include Madison businessman and two-time losing US Senate candidate Eric Hovde, US Rep. Tom Tiffany, and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski. Democratic potentials include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Transactional diplomacy versus the international order
Cross-border conflicts lead not only to deaths, injuries and other casualties, but can also have long-lasting economic impacts sparking domestic unrest. The key to preventing both outcomes is what type of diplomacy countries pursue and over what timeframe. Transactional diplomacy prioritizes achieving 'deals' over adherence to 'rules-based' approaches grounded in international principles and humanitarian values. The term gained prominence during Donald Trump's first presidential term and has continued into his current term. This form of diplomacy is gaining ground, including within the EU, contributing to the rise of populism, xenophobia and nationalism at the domestic level and increasing the prospect for regional and global conflicts. Transactional diplomacy can be shortsighted. This can be seen by comparing the chaotic impact on global trade of the 'reciprocal tariffs' announced by Trump in April with the gradual, yet consistent, progress made by the World Trade Organization since its inception in 1995, which has advanced globalization through multilateral negotiations. The consequences of the increasingly fluid international order are especially evident in the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition to the effects of regional instability, the majority of Arab countries are facing economic stagnation and increasing poverty. According to a report published by the World Bank last month, the poverty rate in MENA has more than doubled to an estimated 9.4 percent this year, compared to only 4 percent in 2010. In the past year alone, an additional 11 million people have fallen below the poverty line. The rise in poverty in MENA cannot be explained by global crises, such as the 2008 financial meltdown, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 war in Ukraine. These crises have also affected the rest of the world, but the current global poverty rate of 9.9 percent is less than half the 21 percent recorded in 2010. And the typically disruptive energy price fluctuations tend to have a neutral impact on the MENA region as a whole, which comprises both energy-exporting and energy-importing countries. The consequences of the increasingly fluid international order are especially evident in the Middle East Dr. Zafiris Tzannatos An obvious culprit in the region is prolonged conflict and fragility. In this context, Arab nations may ask themselves what kind of diplomacy can halt and reverse their economic and humanitarian descent. Should they adopt a transactional approach or one grounded in principles, or some balance between the two? The question is timely, following Israel's airstrikes on Iran last month. The strikes, considered to be 'preemptive' by Israel, are based on 30-year-old statements (also repeated at the UN more recently) by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then an MP, that Iran could fulfill its nuclear ambitions in 'a matter of months, or even weeks' without an external intervention. Yet, despite decades of warnings that Iran is on the brink of developing nuclear weapons, no credible evidence supports this claim. As recently as March, US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency backed this assessment in May, reporting no indication of an undeclared weapons program, a view later repeated by Director General Rafael Grossi. Nevertheless, Israel's strikes have been endorsed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who stated that Israel is doing 'the dirty work for all of us' in Iran. His assessment was in line with those of the representatives of the G7 countries that met in Canada when the strikes started. Soon after, the US conducted additional strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, though a ceasefire was reached two days later, with hopes that it will hold permanently. Proxy wars may serve the interests of powerful nations, but the people caught in their crossfire pay the ultimate price. The Iran-Iraq War of 1980 to 1988 is a case in point. The war devastated both countries. Then Iraq fell out of favor and, in 2003, a US-led coalition, loudly seconded by the UK, invaded it, citing the presence of nonexistent nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Wars exert consequences beyond the warring parties and military targets, often impacting neighboring countries even if they are not involved. The economic effects of the war in Gaza illustrate this clearly. Though both Egypt (in 1979) and Jordan (in 1994) signed peace treaties with Israel, their economies have been adversely affected by lower tourism revenues, higher energy insecurity, increased transport costs and slower economic growth. Following the recent strikes in Iran, both Egypt and Jordan, among others, immediately experienced a surge in tourism cancellations, with increases in fiscal deficits, public debt and unemployment likely to pose significant risks to their macroeconomic stability and social conditions if uncertainty continues and conflict resumes. These economic risks are not confined to MENA. A prolonged conflict could rattle global markets, spiking shipping costs, energy prices, inflation and interest rates, and unsettling financial systems. Stock volatility, investor flight and exchange rate pressures may follow, undermining global economic stability. Wars exert consequences beyond the warring parties and military targets, often impacting neighboring countries Dr. Zafiris Tzannatos Yet some Western leaders still see war as an economic stimulus. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently told Parliament that increased defense spending would 'restore growth,' citing NATO commitments to the Ukraine war. While defense industries may benefit under such transactional thinking, the toll of wars on human lives, livelihoods and long-term economic growth outweighs their short-term gains. Israel's diplomacy, exemplified by the normalization of relations through the Abraham Accords with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020, can be characterized as transactional in nature. Yet, a lesson can be learned from the alignment of such diplomacy with Israel's long-term objectives to consolidate control over and eventually annex the Occupied Territories. Arab states might take a similar approach, not by abandoning principles but by strategically aligning short-term deals with the long-term goal of peace and prosperity in their countries. A transactional approach coupled with economic cooperation can de-escalate tensions as long as it adheres to principles. For example, Saudi Arabia has refrained from joining the Abraham Accords, maintaining that normalization with Israel must be contingent on a credible and irreversible path toward the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution. In conclusion, the Arab countries are once again at a crossroads. In addition to the loss of lives, renewed conflict risks deepening their economic woes. In its ongoing stabilization program in a Middle East country, the International Monetary Fund flagged 'widespread domestic protests and violence' driven by poverty and unemployment as a 'high risk' factor that could jeopardize the success of the program. Arab states should unite and develop a nuanced strategy that blends pragmatic deal-making with a principled vision for peace and sustainable prosperity. The stakes are not just regional. The world, too, may pay the price of inaction and miscalculation.
