Russia says it reserves the right to resume striking Ukrainian energy targets if Kyiv flouts moratorium

Update Russia says it reserves the right to resume striking Ukrainian energy targets if Kyiv flouts moratorium
A drone view shows the destroyed Sudzha gas metering station in what Russian military officials called a Ukrainian missile strike on March 28, 2025. (Russian defense ministry via Reuters)
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Updated 28 March 2025

Russia says it reserves the right to resume striking Ukrainian energy targets if Kyiv flouts moratorium

Russia says it reserves the right to resume striking Ukrainian energy targets if Kyiv flouts moratorium
  • The US announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes against each other’s energy targets
  • Russia earlier Friday said it retook a border village from Ukraine in its Kursk region

MOSCOW: Russia reserves the right to withdraw from a US-brokered moratorium on Moscow and Kyiv striking each other’s energy infrastructure if Ukraine continues to attack such targets, the Kremlin warned on Friday.

The United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes against each other’s energy targets — a potential stepping stone that Washington hopes will lead to a full ceasefire and peace talks to bring a definitive end to the three-year war.

But Russia and Ukraine earlier on Friday accused each other of attacking a Russian gas metering station in Russia’s western Kursk region, an important facility via which Moscow used to pump its gas to Europe by pipeline until the end of last year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has previously said the idea that Russia would attack its own energy infrastructure is absurd, suggested Moscow’s patience with the moratorium was running out.

“Of course, the Russian side reserves the right, in the event that the Kyiv regime fails to observe this moratorium, not to observe it either,” he told reporters.

“It would be illogical for us to comply and every night face attempts to strike at our energy infrastructure facilities.”

But for now, Peskov said Russia would continue to respect the moratorium, a deal that Ukraine in turn has accused Moscow of flouting.

President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Ukraine could be placed under a form of temporary administration to allow for new elections to be held with the aim of reaching a settlement in the war, an idea Kyiv considers to be outrageous.

Peskov said that Putin had not discussed the idea with US President Donald Trump in previous phone conversations which the Kremlin had announced. Putin had floated the idea now because Russia was worried that armed nationalist forces in Ukraine were gaining strength, he said.

“No, there have been no discussions on this topic; this is the point of view of the president of the Russian Federation, which is based on irrefutable facts related to the real status quo that we now have in Ukraine,” Peskov said.

Russia earlier Friday said it retook a border village from Ukraine in its Kursk region, where Moscow has this month reclaimed much of the territory that Kyiv held on to since last summer.

Ukraine launched a ground assault into the Russian border region in August, capturing large swathes of territory including the town of Sudzha, but over the past three weeks Moscow has taken much of it back.

Russia’s defense ministry said its troops had taken control of the village of Gogolevka, which lies close to the Ukrainian border and west of the town of Sudzha, which Moscow claimed back control of earlier in March.


Demonstrators seeking release of Gaza hostages to march in London as Middle East tensions grip UK

Demonstrators seeking release of Gaza hostages to march in London as Middle East tensions grip UK
Updated 57 min 22 sec ago

Demonstrators seeking release of Gaza hostages to march in London as Middle East tensions grip UK

Demonstrators seeking release of Gaza hostages to march in London as Middle East tensions grip UK
  • On Saturday, police arrested hundreds of people in central London as demonstrators sought to pressure the government to overturn its decision to ban the group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization
  • Legislation passed last month makes it a crime to publicly support the group

LONDON: Police in London braced for another day of demonstrations on Sunday as the war in Gaza continues to inflame tensions across the United Kingdom.
Demonstrators demanding the immediate release of all the remaining hostages in Gaza plan to march through central London to the prime minister’s residence at No. 10 Downing Street on Sunday afternoon. The march comes a day after police arrested 474 people at a protest in support of a banned pro-Palestinian organization.
Among those expected to attend the rally is Noga Guttman, a cousin of 24-year-old hostage Evyatar David, who was featured in a video that enraged Israelis when it was released by Hamas militants last week. The video showed an emaciated David saying he is digging his own grave inside a tunnel in Gaza.
Hamas-led militants kidnapped 251 people when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Some 50 of the hostages still haven’t been released, of whom 20 are thought to be alive.
Israel last week announced its intention to occupy Gaza City as part of a plan to end the war and bring the captives home. Family members and many international leaders have condemned the plan, saying it would lead to more bloodshed and endanger the hostages.
“We are united in one clear and urgent demand: the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Stop the Hate, a coalition of groups organizing the march, said in a statement. “Regardless of our diverse political views, this is not a political issue — it is a human one.”
On Saturday, police arrested hundreds of people in central London as demonstrators sought to pressure the government to overturn its decision to ban the group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. Legislation passed last month makes it a crime to publicly support the group.
The Metropolitan Police Service said it arrested 466 people for supporting Palestine Action. A further eight were arrested on other charges, including assaults on police officers.
The government banned Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged two tanker planes to protest British support for the war in Gaza. Palestine Action had previously targeted Israeli defense contractors and other sites in Britain that they believe have links with the Israeli military.
Supporters of Palestine Action are challenging the ban in court, saying the government has gone too far in declaring a direct action group a terrorist organization.


Challenging day for firefighters battling huge blaze in France

Challenging day for firefighters battling huge blaze in France
Updated 10 August 2025

Challenging day for firefighters battling huge blaze in France

Challenging day for firefighters battling huge blaze in France
  • Authorities said that hot, dry winds on Sunday similar to those on the day the blaze began and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters more difficult
  • The blaze, the largest in at least 50 years, tore through 16,000 hectares of vegetation, disaster officials said

FONTJONCOUSE: Firefighters have contained a massive wildfire in southern France but local officials warned on Sunday that scorching heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze, as parts of the Mediterranean region face a heatwave.
The fire has ravaged a vast area of France’s southern Aude department at the peak of the summer tourist season, killing one person and injuring several others.
Authorities said that hot, dry winds on Sunday — similar to those on the day the blaze began — and a heatwave would make the work of firefighters more difficult.
“It’s a challenging day, given that we are likely to be on red alert for heatwave from 4:00 pm, which will not make things any easier,” said Christian Pouget, prefect of the Aude department.
The fire is no longer spreading but is still burning within a 16,000-hectare area, said Christophe Magny on Saturday, chief of the region’s firefighter unit, adding it would not be under control until Sunday evening.
But the blaze will “not be extinguished for several weeks,” he said.
Some 1,300 firefighters were mobilized to prevent the blaze from reigniting amid fears that the tramontane wind, which officials said picked up overnight Saturday to Sunday, could fan lingering hot spots.
Temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, and Monday is forecast to be the “hottest day nationwide,” according to national weather service Meteo France.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, a 65-year-old woman was found dead on Wednesday in her home, which was devastated by flames.
Authorities said one resident suffered serious burns and four others were lightly injured, while 19 firefighters were hurt, including one with a head injury.


Experts say European countries are becoming ever more vulnerable to such disasters due to intensifying summer heatwaves linked to global warming.
The blaze — the largest in at least 50 years — tore through 16,000 hectares of vegetation, disaster officials said.
For livestock farmers in Fontjoncouse, the fire has ravaged grazing land and wiped out much of their flocks, fueling outrage among those who said they did not have time to evacuate their herds.
Emmanuelle Bernier said she was “extremely angry” when she returned to a devastating scene, finding the pen that had housed her herd of goats in ruins, with 17 animals — some close to giving birth — lost in the fire.
“I will definitely change jobs. This will change my whole life,” she said.
Bernier’s property now holds only a few geese and two sick goats after she had to temporarily entrust her surviving sheep to a local winegrower, as the damage to the farm was so extensive that they could no longer stay.
“Everything here was built around the sheep, and seeing the flock leave was incredibly difficult for me,” she said.
But as she surveyed the scorched landscape, Bernier voiced some hope for the future.
“There’s still a little life left,” she said.


Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia

Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia
Updated 10 August 2025

Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia

Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia
  • Ukrainian troops have “liberated and completely cleared” Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post

KYIV: Ukraine’s military said Sunday it had taken back a village in the Sumy region from the Russian army which has made significant recent gains.
Ukrainian troops have “liberated and completely cleared” Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post. It said 18 Russian troops had been “eliminated” in the fighting.
The village is on the frontline in the north of the country and about 20 kilometers (13 miles) west of the main fighting between the two armies in the northern region.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, launched a renewed offensive in Sumy in April after reclaiming its own region of Kursk from Ukrainian forces.
Russian troops are currently about 20 km from the regional capital of Sumy, which has been the target of frequent deadly shelling attacks.
The focus of the Russian offensive is on eastern Ukraine, where it has stepped up gains in recent months against its less well-equipped opponents.


Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao taken in for questioning: WSJ

Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao taken in for questioning: WSJ
Updated 10 August 2025

Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao taken in for questioning: WSJ

Senior Chinese diplomat Liu Jianchao taken in for questioning: WSJ
  • Liu Jianchao was head of a department under the ruling Communist Party that oversees relations with foreign political parties
  • His detention represents the highest-level inquiry into a Chinese diplomat since Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in 2023

BEIJING: A senior Chinese diplomat considered a contender for future foreign minister has been detained by authorities for questioning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Liu Jianchao, head of a department under the ruling Communist Party that oversees relations with foreign political parties, was “taken away” after returning to Beijing from a work trip abroad in late July, according to people familiar with the matter, the report said.

The reason for his detention could not be determined, it added.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request by AFP to confirm the report.

Liu, 61, has previously served in key diplomatic roles including ambassadorships to the Philippines and Indonesia and foreign ministry spokesperson.

He has also led various national and regional bodies tasked with implementing President Xi Jinping’s signature crackdown on corruption.

His detention represents the highest-level inquiry into a Chinese diplomat since Qin Gang, who was removed as foreign minister in 2023 following reports of an extramarital affair.

Liu has been widely viewed as a rising figure in the Chinese diplomatic world.

In early July, he accused the United States’ defense chief of “inciting confrontation and conflict” by urging American allies to bolster their militaries to counter China.

His most recent public engagement was on July 29 in Algeria, following meetings in several African countries, Singapore and elsewhere late last month, according to the website of the International Department, which he currently heads.


Zelensky says Ukraine ‘fully supports’ joint statement by European leaders

Zelensky says Ukraine ‘fully supports’ joint statement by European leaders
Updated 10 August 2025

Zelensky says Ukraine ‘fully supports’ joint statement by European leaders

Zelensky says Ukraine ‘fully supports’ joint statement by European leaders

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Kyiv “values and fully supports” a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests.
“The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations,” he wrote on X.
“Ukraine values and fully supports the statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Tusk, Prime Minister Starmer, President Ursula von der Leyen, and President Stubb on peace for Ukraine.”