A Ukrainian drone attack overnight sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern region of Krasnodar that has since been extinguished, regional officials said on Wednesday.
A series of drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia’s energy facilities have sparked fires in recent days at a major oil refinery in the Volgograd region, as well as at the Astrakhan gas processing plant.
“The fire in a tank with oil product residues in the village of Novominskaya in the Kanevsky District was fully extinguished,” the region’s operational authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
Earlier, Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of the Krasnodar region, said that there were no injuries in the fire that was caused by a falling drone debris. A team of 19 people wielding 19 items of equipment were fighting the flames, he said.
Kondratyev did not say which depot was on fire or detail the extent of damage.
The Russian defense ministry said that four Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the Russian territory overnight, but did not mention the Krasnodar region in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
The ministry only reports drones that its air defense systems destroy, not how many were launched.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv says that its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Moscow’s war in Ukraine and are in response to Russian continued bombing of Ukraine.
Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says
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Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says
US marine jailed in Japan over sexual assault
- Jamel Clayton accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s last year
- The Naha District Court on Tuesday sentenced Clayton to seven years in jail
Jamel Clayton, 22, who pleaded not guilty, was accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s last year in Okinawa, according to Kyodo News and other local media.
The Naha District Court on Tuesday sentenced Clayton to seven years in jail for “the crime of causing injury by attempting to have non-consensual sexual intercourse,” a spokesman for the court said.
Presiding judge Kazuhiko Obata described Clayton’s behavior as “so dangerous that it could have threatened her life, and highly malicious,” Jiji Press reported.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison term.
Clayton’s lawyers argued that he had not used physical force against the woman but “only hugged her and left,” the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported.
The defense is considering appealing the ruling, the reports said, citing Clayton’s lawyer.
Relations between the US military personnel stationed in Okinawa and the local community have long been fraught.
Last year, 80 people connected to the US military were charged for various crimes committed on the subtropical Japanese island.
This included eight serious cases, such as robbery and non-consensual sexual acts, a police officer said. The number is reportedly the highest in 30 years.
The 1995 gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers prompted calls for a rethink of the 1960 pact allowing the United States to station its troops in Japan.
No alternative to higher defense spending amid Russian threat, NATO’s Rutte says
THE HAGUE: There is no alternative to higher defense spending in light of the ongoing threat from Russia, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
“Given our long-term threat of Russia, but also the massive build-up of the military in China, and the fact that North Korea, China and Iran are supporting the war effort in Ukraine, it’s really important we spend more. So that will be number one on the agenda today,,” Rutte told reporters before meeting with world leaders at the NATO summit in the Hague.
Kenyans stage street protests one year after storming parliament
- Protests mark anniversary of anti-government demonstrations
- Police block roads in Nairobi
- Western embassies urge peaceful protest, condemn use of force
NAIROBI: Kenyans took to the streets on Wednesday under heavy security to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of parliament and several deaths as police fired on demonstrators.
Although the protests eventually faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes that had initially sparked the rallies, public anger over the use of force by security agencies has not abated, with fresh demonstrations erupting this month over the death of a blogger in police custody.
Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty.
The death of Ojwang has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning the deaths of more than 60 people killed during last year’s demonstrations and blaming security forces for the fatalities and dozens of unexplained abductions.
Police officers in anti-riot gear restricted vehicular traffic along most roads leading to Nairobi’s central business district, Reuters witnesses saw on Wednesday.
The interior ministry in a post on X on Tuesday warned protesters not to “provoke police” or “attempt to breach protected areas.”
The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at demonstrators as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto’s presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya’s international allies.
On Tuesday, the embassies of the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Western nations released a joint statement on X urging all involved to “facilitate peaceful demonstrations and to refrain from violence.”
“The use of plain clothed officers in unmarked vehicles erodes public trust,” the statement said. Rights campaigners condemned the presence of unidentified police officers at protests last year.
The embassies also said they were troubled by the use of hired “goons” to disrupt peaceful demonstrations, after Reuters reporters saw groups of men beating protesters with sticks and whips last week.
Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that any policing violations would be addressed through government institutions including the parliament and the judiciary.
“The ministry reminds all that diplomatic partnerships flourish best in mutual respect, open channels and a recognition of each other’s unique governance contexts,” it said.
The counter-protesters have defended their actions, telling Reuters that they are not goons but rather patriots protecting property from looters.
Two police officers were arrested last week over the shooting of an unarmed civilian during a protest in Nairobi over the death of Ojwang, the blogger.
Kenya’s police chief initially implied that Ojwang had died by suicide but later apologized after an autopsy found that his wounds pointed to assault as the cause of death.
President Ruto said that Ojwang had died “at the hands of the police,” which he said was “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC’s Democratic mayoral primary
- Comebacking Andrew Cuomo concedes the race in a stunning upset
NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday night after Andrew Cuomo conceded the race in a stunning upset, as the young, progressive upstart built a substantial lead over the more experienced but scandal-scarred former governor.
Though the race’s ultimate outcome will still be decided by a ranked choice count, Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who was virtually unknown outside of political circles a year ago, was in a commanding position.
In a speech to supporters, Mamdani said, “Tonight, we made history.”
“I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” he said.
Cuomo, who was trying to make a comeback from a sexual harassment scandal, told supporters that he had called Mamdani to congratulate him.
“Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won,” Cuomo told supporters.
He trailed Mamdani by a significant margin in the first choice ballots and faced an exceedingly difficult pathway to catching up when ballots are redistributed in New York City’s ranked choice voting process.
Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams skipped the primary. He’s running as an independent in the general election. Cuomo also has the option of running in the general election.
“We are going to take a look and make some decisions,” Cuomo said.
Unofficial results from the New York City’s Board of Elections showed that Mamdani was ranked on more ballots than Cuomo. Mamdani was listed as the second choice by tens of thousands of more voters than Cuomo. And the number of votes that will factor into ranked choice voting is sure to shrink. More than 200,000 voters only listed a first choice, the Board of Elections results show, meaning that Mamdani’s performance in the first round may ultimately be enough to clear the 50 percent threshold.
The race’s ultimate outcome could say something about what kind of leader Democrats are looking for during President Donald Trump’s second term.
The vote took place about four years after Cuomo, 67, resigned as governor following a sexual harassment scandal. Yet he has been the favorite throughout the race, with his deep experience, name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus.
The party’s progressive wing, meanwhile, had coalesced behind Mamdani. A relatively unknown state legislator when the contest began, Mamdani gained momentum by running a sharp campaign laser-focused on the city’s high cost of living and secured endorsements from two of the country’s foremost progressives, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The primary winner will go on to face incumbent Adams, a Democrat who decided to run as an independent amid a public uproar over his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent abandonment of the case by Trump’s Justice Department. Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, will be on the ballot in the fall’s general election.
The mayoral primary’s two leading candidates — one a fresh-faced progressive and the other an older moderate — were stand-ins for the larger Democratic Party’s ideological divide, though Cuomo’s scandal-scarred past adds a unique tinge to the narrative.
The rest of the pack has struggled to gain recognition in a race where nearly every candidate has cast themselves as the person best positioned to challenge Trump’s agenda.
Comptroller Brad Lander, a liberal city government stalwart, made a splash last week when he was arrested after linking arms with a man federal agents were trying to detain at an immigration court in Manhattan. It was unclear if that episode was enough to jump-start a campaign that had been failing to pick up speed behind Lander.
Among the other candidates are City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer.
Mamdani’s energetic run has been hard not to notice.
His army of young canvassers relentlessly knocked on doors throughout the city seeking support. Posters of his grinning mug were up on shop windows. You couldn’t get on social media without seeing one of his well-produced videos pitching his vision — free buses, free child care, new apartments, a higher minimum wage and more, paid for by new taxes on rich people.
That youthful energy was apparent Tuesday evening, as both cautiously optimistic canvassers and ecstatic supporters lined the streets of Central Brooklyn, creating a party-like atmosphere that spread from poll sites into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Outside his family’s Caribbean apothecary, Amani Kojo, a 23-year-old first-time voter, passed out iced tea to Mamdani canvassers, encouraging them to stay hydrated.
“It’s 100 degrees outside and it’s a vibe. New York City feels alive again,” Kojo said, raising a pile of Mamdani pamphlets. “It feels very electric seeing all the people around, the flyers, all the posts on my Instagram all day.”
Cuomo and some other Democrats have cast Mamdani as unqualified. They say he doesn’t have the management chops to wrangle the city’s sprawling bureaucracy or handle crises. Critics have also taken aim at Mamdani’s support for Palestinian human rights.
In response, Mamdani has slammed Cuomo over his sexual harassment scandal and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In one heated debate exchange, Cuomo rattled off a long list of what he saw as Mamdani’s managerial shortcomings, arguing that his opponent, who has been in the state Assembly since 2021, has never dealt with Congress or unions and never overseen an infrastructure project. He added that Mamdani couldn’t be relied upon to go toe-to-toe with Trump.
Mamdani had a counter ready.
“To Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace,” he said.
Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a report commissioned by the state attorney general concluded that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has always maintained that he didn’t intentionally harass the women, saying he had simply fallen behind what was considered appropriate workplace conduct.
During the campaign, he has become more aggressive in defending himself, framing the situation as a political hit job orchestrated by his enemies.
The fresh scandal at City Hall involving Mayor Eric Adams, though, gave Cuomo a path to end his exile.
Over 80,000 people flee severe flooding in southwest China
- China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heat waves scorching wide swaths of the country while rainstorms pummel other regions
- Tens of thousands of people were evacuated last week in the central Chinese province of Hunan due to heavy rain
SHANGHAI: Flooding in China’s southwest has driven more than 80,000 people from their homes, state media said on Wednesday, as a collapsed bridge forced the dramatic rescue of a truck driver left dangling over the edge.
China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heat waves scorching wide swaths of the country while rainstorms pummel other regions.
Around 80,900 people had been evacuated by Tuesday afternoon in the southwestern province of Guizhou, state news agency Xinhua reported.
In Rongjiang county a football field was “submerged under three meters of water,” the news agency said.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed severe flooding has inundated villages and collapsed a bridge in one mountainous area of the province.
Rescuers pushed boats carrying residents through murky, knee-high water and children waited in a kindergarten as emergency personnel approached them, the footage showed.
“The water rose very quickly,” resident Long Tian told Xinhua.
“I stayed on the third floor waiting for rescue. By the afternoon, I had been transferred to safety.”
A team was also seen preparing a drone to deliver supplies including rice to flood victims.
And in a video circulated by local media, truck driver You Guochun recounted his harrowing rescue after he ended up perched over the edge of a broken bridge segment.
“A bridge collapsed entirely in front of me,” he said.
“I was terrified.”
Floods have also hit the neighboring Guangxi region, with state media publishing videos of rescuers there carrying residents to safety.
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated last week in the central Chinese province of Hunan due to heavy rain.
And nearly 70,000 people in southern China were relocated days earlier after heavy flooding caused by Typhoon Wutip.
Chinese authorities issued the year’s first red alerts last week for mountain torrents in six regions – the most severe warning level in the country’s four-tier system.
Some areas in the affected regions were “extremely likely to be hit,” Xinhua reported, with local governments urged to issue timely warnings to residents.
Climate change – which scientists say is exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions – is making such extreme weather phenomena more frequent and more intense.
Authorities in Beijing this week issued the second-highest heat warning for the capital on one of its hottest days of the year so far.
Last year was China’s hottest on record and the past four were its warmest ever.
China is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter but is also a renewable energy powerhouse, seeking to cut carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2060.
