Kamis, 18 Agustus 2022

Ukraine claims Russia is preparing to stage 'provocation' at Europe's biggest nuclear power plant tomorrow - Sky News

Ukraine has said Russia is preparing to stage a "provocation" at Europe's biggest nuclear power plant on Friday.

The country's intelligence agency made the claim just hours after Moscow accused Ukraine of trying to stage an "accident" there, which may involve a radiation leak, during the UN secretary-general's visit to the war-ravaged nation.

Located in the southeast of Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia plant was captured by Russia in the early days of the war and in recent weeks has repeatedly come under fire.

Both sides have pointed the finger at each other for the shelling.

Ukraine news live: Russia calls proposal to demilitarise nuclear plant 'unacceptable'

Russia's defence ministry claimed Ukraine would stage a "minor accident" and "provocation" - and blame it on them - to coincide with Antonio Guterres' trip.

And Ukraine's defence intelligence agency said it had information that staff with Russia's Rosatom nuclear company had left the site and that the facility would be closed to everyone except for operational staff.

More on Ukraine

NBC News, citing Ukrainian intelligence, reports that workers at the plant have been told not to show up to the facility tomorrow.

The UN chief is expected on Friday to visit the Black Sea port of Odesa, where grain exports have resumed under a UN-brokered deal.

He met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan in the western city of Lviv during his visit on Thursday.

What was discussed at the meeting?

The trio discussed efforts to de-escalate the war, speed up grain exports and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear situation.

Following the meeting, Mr Guterres called for the demilitarisation of the power plant and said he was gravely concerned about the situation surrounding it.

"The facility must not be used as part of any military operation. Instead, agreement is urgently needed to re-establish Zaporizhzhia's purely civilian infrastructure and to ensure the safety of the area," he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attend a meeting, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine August 18, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Image: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine's president added that he had agreed the parameters for a possible International Atomic Energy Agency mission to the plant.

Mr Guterres has urged an end to fighting near the power station and the head of Russia's chemical and biological defence forces, Igor Kirillov, claimed back-up support systems had already been damaged by shelling.

He said any accident would mean radioactive material reaching Germany, Slovakia and Poland.

Russia's defence ministry has also warned the plant could be shut down if shelling continues.

Russia's warning is ominous but the risk of nuclear explosion is highly unlikely

Russia's warning of a Ukrainian staged attack on the Zaporizhzhia power plant on Friday is ominous.

Russia has a track record of "forecasting incidents" as cover for its own actions.

Analysts say the risk of a nuclear explosion at the plant, similar to what happened at the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl in 1986, is highly unlikely because of its modern construction and ability to withstand large impacts.

What is more likely, if fighting around the plant continues, is a radiation leak comparable to the more recent Fukushima disaster in Japan.

As a result, there is an increasing sense of urgency amongst world leaders, and it has become a focus of this war in recent days.

Ukraine wants the site to become a demilitarised zone; the UN secretary general supported that move today, when he spoke after meeting President Zelenskyy in Lviv.

Russia opposes it – their forces currently occupy the site and thus control power too much of southern Ukraine.

Effectively capturing and controlling Europe's largest nuclear power station is a major coup for Moscow, so it is unlikely to cede that control easily.

Ukraine says it's being used as a base to attack from, and that Russian heavy artillery is positioned in and around the power station - something the Kremlin denies.

Kyiv also claims that Russia has hit the facility itself in order to blame Ukraine for any power cuts.

Mr Erdogan said he discussed possible ways of ending the war during the trilateral meeting.

He added the three leaders discussed using the positive atmosphere created by a grain export deal in July to establish lasting peace.

After the meeting, Mr Guterres said 21 ships had departed from Ukrainian ports under the deal in less than a month, and 15 vessels had left Istanbul to load up with grain and other food supplies from the country.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attend a news conference in Lviv, Ukraine August 18, 2022. Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
Image: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan with Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Guterres

Seven people killed and 16 injured

Fears over the nuclear situation come as further deaths occur in the six-month-old war.

On Wednesday evening, seven people were killed and 16 injured in shelling in Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv, according to emergency services.

Another person died and 18 more were wounded early on Thursday in a separate residential area of the city, said regional governor Oleh Synehubov.

Meanwhile, in other battlefield developments, Ukrainian forces said they had killed 29 "occupiers" and destroyed artillery, vehicles and a supply depot near Bilohirka, northeast of Kherson - in southern Ukraine.

A view shows debris of a residential block of a tram depot hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine August 18, 2022. REUTERS/Vitalii Hnidyi
Image: Shelling has continued to hit Kharkiv

Black Sea fleet commander 'sacked'

The chief of Russia's Black Sea fleet has also reportedly been replaced following a number of blasts in Crimea in the past week, blamed on saboteurs.

Russia's RIA news agency reported sources as confirming that Igor Osipov had been kicked out and replaced by Viktor Sokolov. If confirmed, it would be one of the most prominent sackings of the war.

It follows the humiliating sinking by Ukraine of the Kremlin's flagship cruiser, the Moskva, in April.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said fighting has reached "strategic deadlock", with Russian making "minimal advances" and Ukraine winning back some ground.

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2022-08-18 17:53:39Z
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Liz Cheney lost her House seat. But her battle against Donald Trump continues - Financial Times

Liz Cheney had long expected to lose the Republican primary race in Wyoming — and with it her seat in the US House of Representatives — to Donald Trump-backed challenger Harriet Hageman.

So when the moment arrived on Tuesday night, she was prepared to quickly shift to a new political mission for herself and others who have been purged from the party for daring to antagonise the former president.

Cheney is planning to launch a political movement — which will probably be called “The Great Task” — whose primary purpose will be to prevent Trump from winning the White House again in 2024, as he remains the Republican party’s frontrunner.

“I’m going to make sure people all around this country understand the stakes of what we’re facing, [and] understand the extent to which we’ve now got one majority political party — my party — which has really become a cult of personality,” she told NBC on Wednesday.

Cheney — the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney — faces a lonely battle within the party to achieve that goal, as the vast majority of its lawmakers either staunchly support Trump or refrain from criticising him.

“Cheney will continue to identify as a Republican, sure, but she would definitely be on the fringes of her party: what was once fringe is now centre and the centre is on the fringe,” said Matt Continetti, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

It is also unclear if traditional Republicanism has sufficient grassroots support nationwide to succeed in mobilising conservative voters to turn their backs on Trump — or even provide a launch pad for Cheney’s own, hinted-at rival presidential run in 2024.

But Cheney, who established herself as the most prominent Republican critic of Trump as vice-chair of the congressional panel probing the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, has acquired a standing in politics that will be hard to ignore.

In September, she will preside over public hearings of the committee delving into the insurrection, which will put her back at the centre of the political debate. Meanwhile, an array of conservative donors in finance and business are willing to bankroll her efforts as part of a last-ditch effort to restore the party’s institutionalist roots.

“This is not the last you’ve heard of Liz Cheney, and frankly, this is not the last you’ve heard of us,” said Peter Kellner, the founder and managing partner of investment firm Richmond Global, who donated to Cheney as well as David McCormick and Jaime Herrera Beutler this year — all Republicans who lost primary races to Trump-endorsed rivals.

“We are an angry group, but we have more pride than we have anger, in terms of our patriotism,” he added. “If I were Liz, I would feel very good about myself. And I would sleep comfortably knowing there are many of us who look to her as one of the most important Americans of our generation.”

Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, said Cheney’s effort may not be entirely quixotic. Primary races have shown that while in Wyoming the grip of Trumpism remains tight, in some swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Trump-backed candidates prevailed but not by huge margins.

Yet her path will probably be narrow. Cheney’s familial association with the George W Bush administration, as well as her staunchly rightwing positions on issues such as abortion, may alienate some voters on the centre-left, even though respect for her among liberals has grown as she has fought to hold Trump to account.

If she runs for president, the wrath against her from the right will only intensify, whether she pits herself against Trump for the Republican nomination or on an independent ticket.

“Cheney’s most successful avenue is maintaining platforms by which she can continue to be outspoken in her criticism of Trump and in her opposition to his restoration. That may be more immediate than a political campaign,” said AEI’s Continetti.

“If she decides to run for president, she probably would be tempted to run in the Republican party only for the chance to appear on stage with Donald Trump in one of the debates,” he added. “I also believe that the institutional Republican party, should Donald Trump run, will do everything in its power to prevent that from happening.”

Strategist Heye said that although Cheney has signalled she wants to keep the fight against Trump alive, she still needs to refine her plan and her goals.

“We don’t know what the strategy behind it will be. Last night, she said that she was not going to stop in her efforts to prevent Donald Trump from being president again. That’s very different than wanting to become the next president,” Heye said on Wednesday. “And a lot of people who run for president aren’t running with the expectation that they’re going to be president.”

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2022-08-18 04:00:38Z
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Rabu, 17 Agustus 2022

UK inflation rises to highest rate in 40 years as cost of living crisis deepens - Channel 4 News

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2022-08-17 18:55:17Z
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North Korea fires two cruise missiles as South Korean leader calls for diplomacy - Sky News

North Korea fired two cruise missiles towards the sea off its west coast on Wednesday.

It is believed to be the first launch by the secretive country since 8 June, when it tested eight short-range ballistic missiles.

The latest launch comes as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for diplomacy aimed at building sustainable peace between the rivals amid tensions over the North's accelerating weapons program.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Mr Yoon said he doesn't desire political change in North Korea that's brought by force and urged the North to return to dialogue aimed at exchanging denuclearisation steps for economic benefits.

The calls for talks come despite threats of "deadly retaliation" made by the sister of Kim Jong Un as she blamed propaganda leaflets from South Korea found near the border for causing the coronavirus outbreak.

The missiles were fired from the west coast town of Onchon early on Wednesday, a South Korean military source said.

Details about their range or altitude were not immediately available.

More on North Korea

The launch comes as South Korea and the US kicked off a four-day joint drill on Tuesday.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned he is ready to use nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts

Earlier this week Kim Jong Un claimed that his nation is ready to mobilise its nuclear war deterrent "accurately and promptly".

He said the country was ready for any potential military conflicts with the United States as well as South Korea, criticising its new president Mr Yoon for the first time and warning Seoul was pushing towards the brink of war.

The speech came on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

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2022-08-17 06:22:30Z
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Selasa, 16 Agustus 2022

Ukraine war: Russia blames sabotage for new Crimea blasts - BBC

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A week after an apparent Ukrainian attack on a Russian military base in occupied Crimea, an arms store at another military facility has been hit by a series of explosions.

Blaming "sabotage", Russian officials said a fire triggered the blasts in the Dzhankoi area, another fire hit a power station and a railway was damaged.

A string of blasts last week destroyed Russian warplanes at a Black Sea base on the Crimean coast.

Ukraine has not admitted that attack.

However, presidential office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has described the latest incident as "demilitarisation in action", indicating that the explosions were not accidental.

Crimea was seized from Ukraine and then annexed by Russia in early 2014.

Russia gave no indication of the kind of sabotage involved in Tuesday's attack.

The FSB security service said Ukrainian saboteurs had also blown up six electricity pylons this month inside Russia itself.

The attacks in the Kurchatov area, about 100km (60 miles) from Ukraine's north-east border, had affected the "technological process of functioning" of the Kursk nuclear plant, it added.

However, Rosenergoatom, the operator of the plant, has disputed the FSB account and attributed the lowered output "to a fault at a sub-station outside the territory of the nuclear power plant".

Russia's defence ministry said Tuesday's explosions in northern Crimea took place at a temporary ammunition storage site on a base near the village of Maiske at about 06:15 Moscow time (03:15 GMT). A Crimean Tatar leader, Refat Chubarov, called the explosions a "hit" that could be heard "far across the steppe".

The defence ministry in Moscow said there had been no "serious" casualties, but Russian-appointed regional head Sergei Aksyonov visited the site and said 2,000 people had been moved from a nearby village and two people had been wounded.

"One man has a shrapnel wound and one was crushed by a wall. Their lives are not in danger, fortunately," he said.

Map of Crimea
1px transparent line

The spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force Command, Yuriy Ignat, said the explosions were caused by Russia "not observing fire precautions".

"We are of course satisfied by the fact, because Dzhankoi [where the explosions took place] was one of the locations where the enemy kept their helicopters and other equipment," Mr Ignat told a news conference.

When Russian forces unleashed the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, they used their bases on the annexed Crimean peninsula to capture large swathes of southern Ukraine.

Russian occupation has stretched across two southern regions in particular, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and Ukraine has vowed to launch a counter-offensive to recapture areas under Russian control.

After the Russian air base at Saky was hit last Tuesday, satellite images revealed significant damage, with at least eight warplanes destroyed. Although Russia said that incident was also accidental, there was little doubt the base had come under Ukrainian attack, because of the precise nature of the destruction.

The UK ministry of defence said the blasts had "significantly degraded" the aviation capability of the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet.

Workers repair a railway near Azovskoye settlement in the Dzhankoi district, Crimea, August 16, 2022
Reuters

The latest blasts in northern Crimea are reminiscent of a string of recent attacks behind Russian lines in eastern Ukraine.

Since June, Ukrainian forces have used US Himars multiple rocket launchers to hit as many as 50 arms stores, according to the defence minister. Bridges in the south have also been hit, jeopardising vital supply lines from Crimea to Kherson.

However, Russian media have suggested that drones are more likely to have been used in Crimea than missiles. The Kommersant website reported that a Russian military airbase also came under attack further south in Crimea on Tuesday, at Hvardiiske near Simferopol, possibly from a small drone.

The apparent ability of Ukraine's military to reach so far behind enemy lines is of significant embarrassment to the Russians. The explosions at Saky were visible from nearby beaches, while videos posted afterwards on social media showed streams of tourists leaving Crimea, across a bridge built across the Kerch Strait after the Russian annexation.

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2022-08-16 16:43:24Z
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Ukraine war: Britons held by rebels in Ukraine plead not guilty - BBC

Andrew Hill and Dylan HealyFamily / SWNS

Five men, including three from Britain, have denied being mercenaries fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia, in a Russian proxy court.

John Harding, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill appeared in court in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.

Mr Harding, along with Swede Mathias Gustafsson and Croatian Vjekoslav Prebeg, could face death sentences, Russian media report.

The court is not internationally recognised.

It recently sentenced two British men and a Moroccan citizen to death. The sentences have not been carried out yet.

The five men who appeared on Monday were led into court in a breakaway region of Ukraine handcuffed and with black bags over their heads.

According to Russia's Tass news agency, the three men facing a possible death sentence had all been taken in or near the city of Mariupol - the Ukrainian port city captured by Russian forces after months of sustained attack.

They are charged with attempting to "seize power by force" and "taking part in armed conflict as mercenaries".

All five men's cases will continue to be heard in early October, the judge said, according to Russian media reports.

John Harding - a fighter in Ukraine
Georgian National Legion

Family and friends of the Britons say they were not mercenaries and have called for them to be treated as prisoners of war in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

The international treaties protect people who do not take part in fighting, like aid workers, and those who can no longer fight, like prisoners of war, against "acts of violence or intimidation".

Ex-serviceman Mr Harding, originally from Sunderland, had been fighting alongside Ukrainian forces since moving to the country in 2018. In July he appeared in a video appealing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for help.

Mr Hill has been fighting with Ukraine's International Legion.

Mr Healy, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, had been volunteering in Ukraine as an aid worker according to the charity Presidium Network when he was captured at a checkpoint in April, alongside Paul Urey who died in July while being held by Russian-backed separatists.

Dominik Byrne from the charity called for the men to be treated humanely. "Dylan's family are very concerned and worried," he said.

"It's shocking to see them in what is a kangaroo court, which really that has no standing in international law at all.

"They're being treated totally against the Geneva Conventions and in a very hostile way, being transported without knowing where they are, so that's totally unacceptable."

Foreign governments have dismissed the trials as illegitimate, and will not negotiate with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

The Croatian Foreign Ministry said it "dismisses the indictment and does not consider it to be founded and legal".

The UK Foreign Office has previously said it condemned the exploitation of civilian detainees for political purposes.

The same court in June sentenced Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin to death. The Britons were captured while fighting for Ukraine were accused of being mercenaries.

Their families insisted they were long-serving members of the Ukrainian military and not mercenaries.

The UK and Ukraine have condemned the sentences for violating international laws protecting prisoners of war.

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2022-08-16 05:40:11Z
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Senin, 15 Agustus 2022

William Ruto wins Kenya presidential election as scuffles break out at count centre - Sky News

William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election - moments after the main count was interrupted as scuffles broke out.

Mr Ruto is currently the country's deputy president and has beaten opposition leader Raila Odinga to the top job after winning 50.49% of the vote.

"I want to thank God for getting us to this point, I want to thank God that today we have concluded this election, " Mr Ruto said.

"There were predictions that we wouldn't get here, but because there is a God in heaven we are here, and I want to, in a very special way, to say, and to confess, that without God we wouldn't have been here."

Mr Ruto shook up politics by appealing to struggling Kenyans on economic terms and not on traditional ethnic ones.

Despite being sidelined by the president, he had told voters that the election was between "hustlers" like him from modest backgrounds and the "dynasties" of outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, whose fathers were Kenya's first president and vice president.

Mr Odinga has sought the presidency for a quarter of a century.

More on Kenya

In his acceptance speech, Mr Ruto also thanked Mr Odinga and emphasised an election that focused on issues and not ethnic divisions, saying that "gratitude goes to millions of Kenyans who refused to be boxed into tribal cocoons".

Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto and presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition reacts after being declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election at the IEBC National Tallying Centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya August 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
Image: William Ruto has been declared the winner of Kenya's presidential election

Earlier, chairs were thrown, bottles were smashed and a lectern was knocked over as chaos erupted in the main counting hall in Nairobi.

Diplomats and international observers were whisked out as supporters of Mr Ruto and Mr Odinga clashed with police.

It descended into chaotic scenes after the deputy chairperson of the election commission, Juliana Cherera, and three other commissioners disowned the results.

"We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced," Ms Cherera told reporters before Mr Ruto's victory was revealed.

Read more:
Kenya election: What you need to know
Economy is the key election issue in Kenya

Drought in East Africa puts millions at risk of severe hunger

Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to outbreaks of violence, Ms Cherera also urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.

The sudden split in the commission came minutes after Mr Odinga's chief agent said they could not verify the results and made allegations of "electoral offences" without giving details or evidence.

Two commissioners and the chief executive of the commission were injured in the scuffles and are receiving treatment.

People had been waiting at the centre for hours following several delays to the election result being announced.

The building was packed with party officials, who were being entertained by musicians calling for calm.

Ruto opponents say 'it is not over til it is over'

Last week, millions of Kenyans exercised their democratic rights and voted for their next round of political leaders.

But today as chairs and tables were flipped and flung across the national tallying centre in Nairobi, hopes of a smooth and successful electoral process were sadly shattered.

Shortly after four electoral commissioners disavowed the final results and labelled the tallying as "opaque", members of Mr Odinga’s Azimio party swung into action inside the centre.

Chairs were thrown, tables flipped and a lectern lifted and dashed from above. All hell broke loose as Azimio loyalists waved their arms in an X sign to a balcony of journalists.

Their rejection of the upcoming announcement was clear - even as anti-riot police cracked down on them.

Force was met with force as dissidents were trampled on and escorted out of the centre to the cheers of Mr Ruto’s UDA party members.

The frenzy gave way to an eerie calm and soon after William Ruto arrived to the cheers of his party and dizzied election observers.

A short ironic prayer on peace and healing introduced the IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati, who cut right to the chase.

Protests raged against the result in Mr Odinga’s Nairobi stronghold, Kibera.

In the port city of Kisumu, police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Celebrations roared in Mr Ruto’s hometown El-Doret and parts of the capital.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Ruto thanked his “worthy opponent” Mr Odinga and current president Uhuru Kenyatta, who he referred to as his “boss”.

Both men are yet to comment on the outcome.

The response came from Martha Karua, Mr Odinga’s running mate, who was set to become the first female vice president of Kenya.

“It is not over til it is over,” she tweeted.

I asked Mr Ruto about the tweet at a press conference shortly after his declared win.

“How will you respond to a contested election outcome?”

“This election to the best of our knowledge and understanding is over,” he replied.

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2022-08-15 19:12:22Z
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