logo
Situation in Russia's Belgorod Region ‘Difficult', at Least One Killed, Government Says

Situation in Russia's Belgorod Region ‘Difficult', at Least One Killed, Government Says

Asharq Al-Awsat19-03-2025
The situation in Russia's Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine remains difficult, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Wednesday, a day after Moscow said its forces had thwarted attempts by Kyiv's troops to push across the border.
"The situation in Krasnoyaruzhsky district remains difficult," Gladkov, the head of the southwestern region, said in a video posted on Telegram.
At least one soldier was killed in shelling in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, the Belgorod regional government said.
"As a result of the shelling, a soldier of the 'Orlan' unit was killed and four other people were wounded," the government said via its channel in Telegram, adding that there are casualties in other parts of the region.
Reuters could not independently confirm the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Residents of Krasnoyaruzhsky district wrote in local chats on social media that entry to its territory had been restricted by the authorities.
This was confirmed by the head of the district, Vitaly Kutomanov, who said that the temporary measures were taken "for security reasons".
Reuters was unable to ascertain whether the restrictions had been lifted.
Belgorod region has come under frequent drone and shelling attacks from Ukraine in the course of the three-year war.
Russia's Defense Ministry, in a statement reported by Russian news agencies, said on Tuesday that Russian forces had thwarted five Ukrainian attempts to push across the border into Belgorod.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia Blames Kyiv, West for Blocking Peace Talks in Ukraine
Russia Blames Kyiv, West for Blocking Peace Talks in Ukraine

Leaders

time5 hours ago

  • Leaders

Russia Blames Kyiv, West for Blocking Peace Talks in Ukraine

Russia on Sunday insisted that Ukraine and its Western backers have flatly rejected every diplomatic overture to end the war, saying that Moscow consequently must keep fighting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kyiv and Western capitals ignored Moscow's proposals for negotiations, though he offered no evidence, yet he repeated the claim on state television. 'Our preferred route is through political and diplomatic means,' Peskov told the TASS news agency. Moreover, Peskov further claimed that Moscow continues its military operations in Ukraine due to the lack of dialogue. He asserted, without providing evidence, that 'all proposals for dialogue were rejected, both by Ukraine and by Western countries,' highlighting Russia's frustration with the current diplomatic landscape. Peskov did not present documents or name specific rejected proposals during the brief interview. Nevertheless, his remarks set the tone for the coming week of diplomacy. Russian officials say they seek security guarantees and recognition of Crimea as Russian territory. They also demand that Ukraine pledge neutrality and reduce its armed forces. However, Western leaders counter that any talks must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and its right to choose alliances, making the two sides remain far apart. Kyiv's Position on Peace Talks Ukraine's government argues that negotiations cannot start while Russian troops occupy parts of its territory. Furthermore, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists any settlement must include full withdrawal and reparations. Western diplomats echo Kyiv's stance, saying talks without a cease-fire would reward aggression. Therefore, they continue to supply weapons instead of sitting down. Despite today's accusations, back-channel contacts continue through intermediaries in Turkey and the United Nations with observers hoping these quiet talks can reopen broader negotiations before winter. However, as tensions persist, the international community watches closely, with the ongoing conflict raising questions about the future of diplomatic efforts in the region. Short link : Post Views: 7

UK, France, Germany Urge Israel to End Gaza's Humanitarian Catastrophe
UK, France, Germany Urge Israel to End Gaza's Humanitarian Catastrophe

Leaders

timea day ago

  • Leaders

UK, France, Germany Urge Israel to End Gaza's Humanitarian Catastrophe

Britain, France and Germany are currently pressing on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and put an immediate end to a 'humanitarian catastrophe,' according to The Associated Press. Urgent Call This move came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would hold an 'emergency call' with France and Germany to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,' he said in a statement on Thursday. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urged for an immediate ceasefire and said that 'withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' The three leaders also stressed their readiness to take more steps to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that ensures lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region. Macron's Surprise Announcement Crucially, Macron's unexpected announcement revealed some differences among the European allies concerning how to end the Israel-Hamas war that has started in October 2023. The E3 supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in principle. However, Germany is not planning to recognize the Palestinian state in the short term, according to Reuters. A German government spokesperson said on Friday that his country's top priority now is to make 'long-overdue progress' towards a two-state solution. Germany's position on Israel in the context of the Gaza war is deeply shaped by its sense of special responsibility to atone for the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were killed under Hitler's regime between 1933 and 1945. Mounting Pressure in UK As for the UK, the British PM has been facing mounting pressure to officially recognize Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. British MP Jeremy Corbyn has recently unveiled an independent 'Gaza tribunal' to investigate the UK's involvement in Israeli genocide in Gaza, according to Arab News. The Independent MP, who was the former Labour Party leader, has been criticizing Israeli military operation in Gaza since October 2023. On June 4, Corbyn introduced a bill into the UK House of Commons urging the government to establish an independent inquiry into UK's complicity in Israeli war in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and use of Royal Air Force bases. Independent Gaza Tribunal However, the bill was rejected at its second reading earlier this month. As a result, Corbyn announced that he would hold a Gaza tribunal in September as 'the public deserves to know the full scale of their government's complicity in genocide.' The British government has been facing increasing pressure from MPs, including many from its own Labour Party, to take a decisive step against Israel. Call for Palestinian State Recognition Approximately 60 British Labour MPs have recently urged the UK government to immediately recognize the Palestinian state and halt what they labeled as 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza, according to The Guardian. A group of centrist and left-wing MPs write a letter this week to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy asking him to act immediately to stop Israel's reported plan to establish a so-called 'humanitarian city' of tents in the ruins of Rafah, in southern Gaza. 'By not recognizing [Palestine] as a state, we undermine our own policy of a two-state solution and set an expectation that the status quo can continue and see the effective erasure and annexation of Palestinian territory,' the letter said. The MPs also described the plan as 'ethnic cleansing' warning that such a move means the forcible transfer of civilians and the erasure of Palestinian presence as well. It is with great urgency and concern that we are writing to you regarding the Israeli Defense Minister's announcement on Monday of his plans to forcibly transfer all Palestinian civilians in Gaza to a camp in the ruined city of Rafah without allowing them to leave,' the letter added. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress Canada Condemns Israel over Gaza's 'Humanitarian Disaster' UK to Hold Urgent Talks with France, Germany over Gaza War Short link : Post Views: 34

China Calls for New Global AI Body amid Fierce Competition with US
China Calls for New Global AI Body amid Fierce Competition with US

Leaders

timea day ago

  • Leaders

China Calls for New Global AI Body amid Fierce Competition with US

China has called for the establishment of a new organization to promote global cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), reported Reuters. The move is widely seen as an attempt by China to position itself as an alternative to the US as the two countries feverishly compete for dominance in this pivotal technology. Coordinating Global Efforts During the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China's Premier, Li Qiang, said that Beijing wants to contribute to coordinating international efforts to regulate the fast-evolving AI technology and share the Chinese advances in that critical field. Li added that Beijing advocates for open AI access, promoting equal rights for its use by all nations and businesses. He added that China is ready to share its expertise and products with other countries, especially the Global South – a term that refers to developing, emerging or lower-income countries, mostly in the southern hemisphere. The state-sponsored WAIC conference attracts leading companies, government officials, researchers and investors. This year's edition has seen the participation of more than 800 companies, displaying 3,000 high-tech products, 40 large language models, 50 AI-powered devices and 60 intelligent robots. AI Regulation The Chinese Premier pointed to the challenge of regulating AI's growing risks, which included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange, highlighting the importance of global consensus. 'Overall global AI governance is still fragmented. Countries have great differences particularly in terms of areas such as regulatory concepts, institutional rules,' he said. 'We should strengthen coordination to form a global AI governance framework that has broad consensus as soon as possible,' Li added. Global Governance During the conference, China's Vice Foreign Minister, Ma Zhaoxu, said that Beijing wanted the proposed organization to foster pragmatic cooperation in AI. The organization's headquarters would likely be in Shanghai, Ma told a roundtable of representatives from over 30 countries, including Russia, South Africa, Qatar, South Korea and Germany. Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry unveiled an action plan for global AI governance, calling on governments, international organizations, enterprises and research institutions to collaborate and foster international exchanges including through a cross-border open-source community. US-China Competition The Shanghai conference took place amid a heated technological competition between the US and China, with the AI at the center stage. On Wednesday, the US President, Donald Trump, revealed an AI action plan aimed at loosening restrictions on the development and deployment of artificial intelligence. It aims to expand American AI exports to allies, in an attempt to maintain the American edge over China in this critical technology. Without explicitly mentioning Washington, Li appeared to refer to the US' efforts to hamper China's advances in AI, warning that the technology risked becoming the 'exclusive game' of a few countries and companies. The US has banned advanced technology exports to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia, and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could boost China's military capabilities. However, these measures failed to curb China's advancements as Beijing has continued making AI breakthroughs. AI Race As the AI is poised to be the most transformative technology of the 21st century, it has become the key battleground in the technological competition between Washington and Beijing. Although the US is still dominating in the production of top AI models, China is closing the gap, according to Stanford's 2025 AI Index Report, issued in April. While the US leads in AI models quantity, China has rapidly shrunk the quality gap to near parity across major benchmarks in 2024. Furthermore, Beijing maintains its leadership in AI publications and patents, the report noted. 'The race is tighter than ever, and no one has a clear lead,' the Stanford report authors concluded. Short link : Post Views: 152

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store