‘Resting,’ fired, believed dead: Russia’s missing generals reveal cracks in faltering military
To lose one general during a war that’s going badly might be seen as unfortunate; to lose two within 24 hours looks careless. But that is what’s happened to the Russian command in southern Ukraine – and the two cases illustrate further deficiencies and dissent among Russia’s military leadership.
Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military.
One of many reported Russian casualties was Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, the deputy commander of the Southern Military District and a key figure in Russia’s defense of occupied areas of southern Ukraine. He is thought to have been the most senior among the roughly 10 Russian generals killed in the campaign in Ukraine to date.
Thailand’s winning candidate for PM blocked from power
Protests feared after Pita Limjaroenrat of Move Forward fails to get parliamentary backing required to take office
The leader of Thailand’s pro-reform party, which won the most seats in May’s election, has been blocked from taking power by a parliamentary vote that includes military-appointed senators, a move likely to provoke street protests.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Move Forward, a progressive party that has a strong youth support base, won the most votes and most seats in May’s election. But Thailand’s election rules, rewritten after a military coup in 2014, required him to have majority support from parliament to become prime minister.
Sweden's top court bars Turkey's extradition requests
The court said "dual criminality" had not been met, and that the two people wanted by Turkey risked "being exposed to persecution."
The Supreme Court in Sweden on Thursday said there are "obstacles to extradition" of two Turkish citizens wanted by Ankara for alleged involvement in the so-called Gulen movement.
In a statement, the court said "the requirement of dual criminality" — when a criminal offense in Turkey would also be considered a crime in Sweden — had not been met.
The court also said the two people — who have refugee status in Sweden — "risk being exposed to persecution if they were to be extradited."
Sudan war summit urges calm, UN reports mass grave in Darfur
A summit of African leaders from war-torn Sudan's neighbours Thursday urged an end to the fighting, as UN experts reported a mass grave had been discovered in the country's Darfur region.
While Cairo hosted the crisis meeting on the nearly three-month-old conflict, gun battles, explosions and the roar of fighter jets again shook the Sudanese capital Khartoum, residents told AFP.
At least 3,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes in the war between Sudan's rival generals, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.
Leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Libya as well as of the African Union and Arab League met in Cairo to discuss the war and its regional impact.
The United Nations has warned that Sudan's conflict risks spiralling into "a full-scale civil war, potentially destabilising the entire region".
Kishida: Still a go for Fukushima water release to start in summer
By SHINYA TAKAGI/ Staff Writer
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated that there was no change in the timetable to start releasing “sometime this summer” treated radioactive water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Speaking with reporters on July 12, Kishida said, “I want to make a decision after the government as a whole confirms that safety will be secured and depending on the extent to which measures to deal with negative publicity are in place.”
Kishida was in Kaunas to attend the NATO summit.
Earlier on July 12, the prime minister met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the summit.
Scorching heatwave bakes southern US states
Most areas in the southwestern US are under some sort of National Weather Service heat warning, whether it is Heat Advisory or an Excessive Heat Warning.
But what is the difference between the two?
- A Heat Advisory is typically issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions. Typically, this advisory is issued when the maximum heat is expected to be 100F (38C) or higher for at least two days, with night temperatures above 75F (24 C). Under this advisory, people are advised to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat, or else they may become seriously ill or die.
- An Excessive Heat Warning is more extreme than a Heat Advisory, and is issued when the temperature is expected to be 105F (41C) or higher for at least two days.
- The National Weather Service will sometimes issue Excessive Heat Watches, which warn of the possibility of an extreme heat event often 24 to 72 hours in advance. This is used when the timing of the heatwave remains uncertain.
The National Weather Service has issued extreme heat warnings for multiple states. Here is a break down of which areas will see the hottest temperatures on Thursday:
- Phoenix, Arizona - Forecast high: 115F (46C)
- Las Vegas, Nevada - Forecast high: 118F (47C)
- Houston, Texas - Forecast high: 100F (38C)
- Death Valley, California - Forecast high: 117F (47C)
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