State of emergency declared in Kursk after Ukraine attack on Russia – Newstrends
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State of emergency declared in Kursk after Ukraine attack on Russia

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3 months ago

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State of emergency declared in Kursk after Ukraine attack on Russia

A state of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia, as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued on Wednesday.

The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said the move was necessary “to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region”.

Russian officials said at least five civilians had been killed and 31 wounded, six of them children, since the start of the incursion.

Ukraine has not officially commented and the depth of the incursion remains unclear.

On Tuesday morning, up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops, as well as 11 tanks and more than 20 armoured combat vehicles, entered Russia near the town of Sudzha, Moscow said.

Fighting reportedly took place in a number of villages throughout Tuesday, with local authorities urging residents to limit their movements and all public events cancelled.

A number of air alerts were issued in Kursk and footage posted online – verified by the BBC – showed fighter jets flying low over the region, with smoke rising from areas on the ground.

Thousands of people were evacuated from border areas and doctors were being drafted in from other cities, Mr Smirnov said.

Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory have been extremely rare since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said the Ukrainian army had established control over the Sudzha gas hub, a major gas facility involved in the transit of natural gas from Russia to the EU via Ukraine, which has continued despite the war.

It is the only point of entry for Russian gas into the EU.

Although the claim has not been verified by the BBC, Mr Honcharenko’s comment was the first confirmation of an incursion into Russian territory by a Ukrainian official.

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Mr Honcharenko said on Facebook that while he did not know what the “plan” behind the incursion was, it would show “Europeans and Americans that… Russia can and needs to be attacked”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newshour, he added that “from a military point of view, we are trying to take back the initiative”.

“We are showing the world that the world should not be scared of escalation or the reaction of Putin. There is no reaction,” he said.

“For the first time since the Second World War, Russian territory that is internationally recognised is occupied and Putin did not [turn] to nukes and so on.”

He said the incursion would also force Russia to move troops to the region and hopefully decrease the number of attacks it can carry out in eastern Ukraine.

A White House spokesperson said the US had no previous knowledge of the attack and that it planned to reach out to the Ukrainian military “to learn more about their objectives”.

‘Heavy’ fighting in Sudzha

In a televised meeting with government officials on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching a “major provocation” and “firing indiscriminately” at civilian buildings and residences.

Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov said the “advance” into the Kursk region had been stopped, with Russian forces “continuing to destroy the adversary in areas directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border”.

Mr Gerasimov said Ukrainian forces aimed to take over the area around the town of Sudzha, and that Russia had already killed 100 men and injured another 215.

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However, some popular and generally well-informed pro-war Telegram channels suggested the situation on the ground was not as stable as the Kremlin said.

Blogger Yuri Kotenok described the battles taking place in Sudzha and nearby Korenevo as “heavy”, while the channel Rybar said that the situation in the area around Sudzha was “continuing to deteriorate” and Ukrainian formations were advancing towards the town. The BBC is unable to verify these claims.

The Russian National Guard said it had strengthened the security of the Kursk nuclear power plant, which lies some 70km (43 miles) north-east of Sudzha.

In the Belgorod region, which neighbours Kursk, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also issued missile attack warnings throughout Tuesday and said several people had been injured in Ukrainian air attacks.

On Wednesday, the head of the Ukrainian region of Sumy, Volodymyr Artyukh, ordered the evacuation of the areas that border Kursk.

One colonel in Ukraine’s military, Vladislav Seleznyov, told the prominent Nexta channel the attack was “preventative”, with an estimated 75,000 Russian troops continuing to gather close to the border.

After a major cross-border incursion by Russia into the north-eastern Kharkiv region in May, there had been fears Moscow would attempt the same into the Sumy region further north.

With Ukraine now apparently capturing several settlements and highways the other way, those ambitions may well have been frustrated for now.

But with Ukrainian forces already overstretched and outmanned, some military analysts are questioning the wisdom of such cross-border raids.

This is not the first incursion into Russia by fighters based in Ukraine. Some groups of anti-Kremlin Russians launched raids last year, which were repelled.

The forces crossed into the Belgorod and Kursk regions again in March, where they engaged in clashes with Russian security forces.

State of emergency declared in Kursk after Ukraine attack on Russia

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Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

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12 hours ago

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November 13, 2024

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Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

 

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

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Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

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19 hours ago

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November 13, 2024

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Alejandro Arcos

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

German Reyes, a local security official in Chilpancingo, Mexico has been arrested for the murder of the city’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos.

The Mexican authorities announced his arrest via a statement on Tuesday, November 12.

The Mayor was killed in the month of October as security officials discovered his lifeless body in his pick-up truck with his head chopped off and placed on his body.

The brutal killing and decapitation of Mayor Alejandro Arcos, which occurred just days after he assumed office, stunned the nation.

Guerrero prosecutors confirmed the detention of the security official who was identified as German ‘N,’ in line with Mexican practice of withholding the full names of suspects.

However, a local government official later identified him as German Reyes, who was the security chief for Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 residents in southwestern Mexico prior to his arrest.

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“The Guerrero prosecutor’s office, the Mexican army and the National Guard, arrested a man for the crime of qualified homicide in Chilpancingo,” the statement said.

The arrest seems to provide more proof of the extensive infiltration of organized crime in local governments across large parts of Mexico, as well as the corruption among local officials.

Reyes had a lengthy career in Mexico’s military, according to his public profile.

Further reports by the police revealed that the Mayor had prior to his death, left Chilpancingo in his truck without a driver or security detail, heading toward the nearby town of Petaquillas, Mexico.

Local media also suggested that Arcos had met with members of Los Ardillos, a criminal group operating in Guerrero, Mexico.

 

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

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COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

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1 day ago

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November 12, 2024

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COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has committed a $10 million grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP), bolstering its mission to strengthen primary healthcare systems worldwide.

Announced on November 12, 2024, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, the grant highlights IsDB’s dedication to enhancing health resilience and climate adaptation in low- and middle-income countries.

In a statement on Tuesday, IsDB described HIIP as a groundbreaking partnership among Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), WHO and nations seeking robust health and climate solutions.

“This initiative focuses on the investment in essential, climate and crisis-resilient primary health care services and systems,” the bank stated, emphasizing the aim to reinforce the health system, especially in low- and middle-income countries and in underserved communities, ultimately aiming to foster resilience against emerging health threats and climate challenges.

Fifteen countries are identified as part of phase one of the Health Impact Investment Platform: Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia Guinea Bissau .

Other countries included Jordan, Maldives Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, The Gambia, Tunisia and  Zambia.

Supporting WHO’s technical assistance goals 

The $10 million grant will specifically support the technical assistance that WHO provides to countries around the world to assess investment needs and to design the most impactful health projects.

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“These projects will serve as the foundation for co-investment by the MDBs, ensuring that resources are directed toward areas with the greatest potential for positive health outcomes,”IsDB added.

Over the next four years, WHO aims to strengthen climate resilience as part of its Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which includes implementing national climate adaptation plans and making 10,000 health facilities fully operational, including solar-powered electrification.

Unlocking $500m in health investments across the region 

In addition to the $10 million grant, IsDB’s contribution is projected to unlock at least $500 million in health investments across the region.

“This collective goal is part of a broader effort to mobilize a total of US$ 1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants, focusing on critical areas, this way addressing national health priorities.”  

Advancing health resilience, leadership statements  

IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser said, the Islamic Development Bank is proud to support the Health Impact Investment Platform as part of our unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage and resilience in our Member Countries.

“These Multilateral Development Banks and WHO partnerships enable us to scale up primary health care where it is needed most, creating a stronger foundation to withstand future crises and addressing the pressing health challenges of today.” 

“Together, we are fostering a healthier, more equitable future for communities across the globe,” he said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that low- and middle-income countries need access to sustainable financing to strengthen their health systems through primary health care, to make them both more resilient to pandemics and more equitable in delivering essential health services.

“The Health Impact Investment Platform combines WHO’s public health expertise and on-the-ground presence with the resources and financing expertise of the Islamic Development Bank and other multilateral development banks. By working together, we can make a significant difference in improving health outcomes and creating a healthier future for all.” 

The IsDB, along with its partners, remains committed to fostering partnerships that will advance healthcare and improve quality of life globally.

 

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

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