World

Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

– US ratifies Finland, Sweden NATO membership –  

The US Senate ratifies the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO, strongly backing the expansion of the transatlantic military alliance in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With the agreement of all 30 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization needed before hitherto non-aligned Finland and Sweden can join, the United States becomes the 23rd to give the nod.

Of the seven member countries which have yet to formally agree, only Turkey has raised a challenge, demanding certain concessions from both countries to back their memberships.

These include the extradition of dozens of government opponents it labels “terrorists” from both countries in exchange for its support.

Ankara has said a special committee will meet Finnish and Swedish officials in August to assess if the two nations are complying with its conditions.

– Deadly bus stop shelling –

Russian shelling of a bus stop in the frontline east Ukraine town of Toretsk kills eight people and injures four, the regional governor says. 

“According to preliminary information, there was artillery fire. They hit a public transport stop, where there was a crowd of people at that time,” Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Ukraine-run Donetsk region administration, writes on Telegram. 

The attack comes as Kyiv orders civilians to leave the war-torn Donetsk region which is bearing the brunt of Moscow’s gruelling eastern offensive.

Ukrainian officials say Russia also continues to pound towns and cities across the sprawling front line, notably in Mykolaiv in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast.

– Ukrainian forces endangering civilians: Amnesty –

Rights group Amnesty International accuses Ukrainian forces of violating international law and endangering civilians by establishing bases in residential areas, including in schools and hospitals.

Their tactics “in no way justify Russia’s indiscriminate attacks”, it says in a new report, and some Russian “war crimes” including in the city of Kharkiv are not linked to the tactics.

But it lists incidents when Ukrainian forces appeared to have exposed civilians to danger in 19 towns and villages in the Kharkiv, Donbas and Mykolaiv regions.

Ukraine slams the report as “unfair”.

“This behaviour of Amnesty International is not about finding and reporting the truth to the world, it is about creating a false equivalence — between the offender and the victim, between the country that destroys hundreds and thousands of civilians, cities, territories, and a country that is desperately defending itself,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says in a video posted on Facebook. 

– Three more grain ships to leave Ukraine –

Three more ships filled with grain will sail from Ukraine on Friday under a UN-backed deal lifting Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea, Turkey’s defence minister says.

“It is planned that three ships will set sail tomorrow from Ukraine,” the Anadolu state news agency quotes Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying, one day after the first ship passed Istanbul on its way to Lebanon.

– Accused grain ship leaves Lebanese port –

A Syrian ship leaves the Lebanese port of Tripoli after being cleared for release after it was seized over allegations it was carrying flour and barley stolen from Ukraine.

Investigations have failed to prove The Laodicea carried stolen goods, officials say.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow’s forces of ransacking its grain warehouses since Russia invaded on February 24.

Ukraine says it is “disappointed” by the decision, which it argues will encourage Russia to “continue thefts in the temporarily occupied southern Ukraine with a sense of impunity.”

– UN to seek ‘truths’ on prison bombing –

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres announces he will launch a fact-finding mission to uncover the “truths” about a jail where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war died in a bombing strike last week.

Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other over the strikes on the prison in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka in eastern Ukraine, which killed over 50.

Moscow said that among the dead were Ukrainian forces that had laid down their arms after weeks of fighting off Russia’s brutal bombardment of the sprawling Azovstal steel works in Mariupol.

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A charred chunk of space junk found jutting from a paddock by an Australian sheep farmer was part of one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX missions, authorities confirmed Thursday.

The ethereal-looking debris, believed to have plummeted to Earth on July 9, was found last week in Dalgety — a remote area near Australia’s Snowy Mountains, about five hours’ drive southwest of Sydney.

“It was kind of exciting and weird all in the same way,” astrophysicist Brad Tucker, who visited the site after local farmers contacted him last month, told AFP.

He said that finding the large chunk embedded in an empty field reminded him of something out of the sci-fi film “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

“It’s astounding to see it.”

Australia’s space agency confirmed the debris had come from one of Musk’s missions in a statement and told locals to report any further finds to SpaceX.

“The Agency has confirmed the debris is from a SpaceX mission and continues to engage with our counterparts in the US, as well as other parts of the Commonwealth and local authorities as appropriate,” an Australian Space Agency spokesman said.

Tucker said the piece was part of a trunk jettisoned by the earlier Crew-1 capsule when it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in 2021.

He said the trunk had split up on re-entry, with reports of other space junk also found at nearby properties, making more discoveries linked to the SpaceX mission likely.

Most space debris splashes down at sea but with the increase in space industries worldwide, the amount crashing to earth would likely increase, he added.

“We do have to realise that there is a likely risk it may hit in a populated area once and what that means.”

Benjamin Reed, senior director of SpaceX’s human spaceflight programme, told reporters during a news conference that the company was aware of the reports and “we actually have a team that’s going there to check that out.”

He said SpaceX was in touch with authorities including the US State Department and the Australian Space Agency adding: “The important news is, of course, that there were no injuries, no damage.”

“This was all within the expected analysed space of what can happen,” said Reed, though SpaceX will “always look for ways we can improve things.”

Crew-1 was the second crewed flight for the Crew Dragon spacecraft. It launched from Florida in November 2020 and splashed down off the Gulf of Mexico in May 2021.

Dragon’s trunk section connects the capsule with the Falcon 9 rocket on ascent. In orbit, half the trunk contains a solar array, while the other contains a radiator to release heat. 

Both of these are mounted to the exterior of the trunk, which the capsule jettisons shortly before atmospheric reentry.

Italian anti-immigration leader Matteo Salvini warned Thursday his country would not host “the refugee camp of Europe” as he visited a migrant centre on the tiny island of Lampedusa on a campaign stop for September elections.

Dozens of overcrowded boats have arrived in recent days on Lampedusa, whose location off the Tunisian coast has made it a landing point for thousands of migrants who cross the central Mediterranean each year.

Salvini, who leads Italy’s League party, has made stopping the arrivals the cornerstone of his platform ahead of general elections on September 25, where he is expected to gain power as part of a right-wing alliance.

“Lampedusa is the gateway to Europe, it cannot be the refugee camp of Europe,” he told reporters after visiting the island’s migrant reception camp.

Salvini deplored conditions in the centre, which has a capacity of around 350 but which he said hosted 1,500 people this week, saying they were not “worthy of a civilised country”.

He promised that if his coalition wins next month, it would “return to controlling and protecting the borders and give a welcome to those who really flee war”.

Like his political ally, Brothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni, Salvini wants to shift processing centres to countries where migrants set off, notably in north Africa.

“Who has the right to come to Italy, comes by plane, not on a boat risking his life. Those who do not have the right, do not come,” he said.

– Trial for kidnapping –

The central Mediterranean is the world’s deadliest migration route, with almost 20,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Many of those who survive end up on Italy’s shores. The interior ministry has counted more than 42,000 migrant landings so far this year, up from almost 30,000 in the same period in 2021.

When he was interior minister in 2019, Salvini blocked several charity rescue ships carrying migrants from disembarking in Italy, under his party’s “closed ports” policy.

The move saw him prosecuted in Sicily on charges of kidnapping and abuse of office, in an ongoing trial he has worn as a badge of honour.

Surveys suggest immigration is less of a concern for Italians than the rampant inflation squeezing already stagnant wages.

But Salvini is racing to boost the League’s support, which stands at around 13 percent — far behind the 23 percent of Meloni’s post-fascist party.

The two parties are on course to enter government together in an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, but their individual vote share will determine who wields the most power.

Salvini’s visit sparked a clean-up at the Lampedusa reception centre, and AFP reporters saw around 200 migrants boarding a ferry to Sicily on Thursday, as part of regular ferries laid on by the government to ease overcrowding.

But many locals appeared unmoved by his arrival and the accompanying media circus.

“Many politicians have come to Lampedusa. Most of them make promises,” said Salvatore Maggiore, a 47-year-old florist and ex-fisherman.

But he said many local people felt “abandoned”, echoing concerns here about a lack of public services, notably health facilities.

– EU help –

The European Union ended its controversial operation to counter people trafficking in the Mediterranean in 2020, replacing it with Operation Irini, which is focused on policing the UN arms embargo on Libya.

Rescuing migrants is as a result largely left up to individual states, and a number of charities run rescue ships.

But the NGOs complain that countries ignore distress calls or even work with Libyan authorities to send migrants back.

SOS Mediterranee, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Sea-Watch — who have picked up more than 1,000 people in the central Mediterranean in recent days — warned Wednesday that the EU must step up.

The mayor of Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, said the problem was too big for his island alone.

“There are some years that a few more migrants arrive and others when they arrive a few less, but the problem persists,” he told AFP.

“What we are asking is that Europe should take charge of this problem. Europe and Italy.”

Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged restraint Thursday as China launched massive military drills off Taiwan, warning the situation risked spiralling into “open conflicts”.

A furious Beijing kicked off its biggest-ever exercises around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit this week to the self-ruled island.

Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Phnom Penh warned against “provocative action”.

The situation “could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among major powers”, the ministers said in a joint statement published Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is attending the talks along with his US counterpart Antony Blinken, though they are not expected to hold a one-on-one meeting.

At a meeting with ASEAN ministers, Blinken said the United States had contacted China “at every level of government” in recent days to call for calm and stability.

“I hope very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase its aggressive military activity,” Blinken said.

“We and countries around the world believe that escalation serves no one and could have unintended consequences that serve no one’s interests including ASEAN members and including China.”

But Wang, speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit Thursday, said the “flagrant provocation” by United States had set an “egregious precedent.” 

“If it’s not corrected and countered, will the principle of non-interference in internal affairs still exist? Will the international law still be upheld? How can the regional peace be safeguarded?” he said, according to Chinese state media Xinhua.

Beijing, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory to one day be reclaimed, by force if necessary, was enraged by the trip by Pelosi — the highest-profile elected US official to visit the island in 25 years.

It vowed “punishment” and state TV said it began military drills, including live-fire exercises, at 0400 GMT in several areas encircling Taiwan.

Late Thursday, Japan’s foreign minister Hayashi called for an “immediate stop” to the exercises.

“China’s actions this time have a serious impact on the peace and stability of the region and the international community. I once again demand the immediate stop of these military exercises,” Hayashi told reporters.

His comments came after the Japanese defence minister said five Chinese ballistic missiles fired during the exercises were “believed to have landed within Japan’s (exclusive economic zone)”. 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, also in Phnom Penh, condemned the Chinese response.

“There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,” he tweeted.

Kung Phoak, Cambodia’s deputy foreign minister and ASEAN spokesman, urged both sides to stabilise the situation. 

“We hope de-escalation happens… and normalcy returns to the Taiwan Strait,” he told reporters.

– ‘Miscalculation’ fear –

ASEAN is split between countries with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are more wary of Beijing and its growing international assertiveness. 

But no ASEAN country formally recognises Taiwan and none has shown an appetite for backing Taipei against China.

The ministers’ statement — which avoided referring to Taiwan by name — said ASEAN “stands ready to play a constructive role in facilitating peaceful dialogue”, though it is not clear either side is interested in outside mediation.

While Wang and Blinken are not scheduled to meet bilaterally, they will both attend a meeting Friday of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a 27-member body set up to discuss security issues that also includes Russia and the EU.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who will also join the ARF gathering, said the fragile status quo in the Taiwan Strait must be maintained.

“All parties should consider how they can contribute to de-escalating current tensions,” Wong told AFP.

“One of the risks the region is concerned about is the risk of miscalculation.”

Pelosi’s visit and the flare-up over Taiwan have overshadowed the ASEAN meeting, which had been due to focus on the violent political crisis in Myanmar.

ASEAN has spearheaded so far fruitless diplomatic efforts to ease the turmoil that has flowed from last year’s military coup.

Several members are growing increasingly angry at the junta’s stonewalling tactics.

A Venezuelan court on Thursday sentenced an opposition ex-MP and 16 others to jail terms of up to 30 years for an alleged exploding drone attack against President Nicolas Maduro in 2018.

The former lawmaker, Juan Requesens, was sentenced to eight years in jail “for the crime of conspiracy,” his lawyer Joel Garcia said on Twitter after Thursday’s hearing.

Sentences for the other 16 ranged from five to 30 years on charges of terrorism, criminal association, murder, treason and detonating an explosive in public.

Twelve of the accused received the highest sentence.

Sentencing came exactly four years after two drones packed with explosives flew towards Maduro as he addressed a military parade in Caracas and blew up, injuring seven soldiers.

The president claimed an attempted “assassination”, and 30 people including serving generals and Requesens were arrested in the aftermath.

Caracas accused the government of then Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos of being behind the attack with backing from the United States and Peru.

The sentences “are aimed at supporting the false narrative of those in power of an alleged assassination attempt,” lawyer Gonzalo Himiob of the NGO Foro Penal, which advocates for “political prisoners”, told AFP.

“They are scapegoats,” he added.

– ‘Tyrants and tyranny’ –

Within days of the arrest of Requesens, now 33, the authorities circulated a video in which he admitted having had contact with an alleged plotter.

The political opposition claimed he had been threatened or drugged, and Garcia insisted there was no evidence against his client.

Requesens was transferred from jail to house arrest in 2020 while awaiting trial. It was unclear where he would serve his sentence.

His father, also Juan Requesens, took to Twitter to express his “eternal repudiation of tyrants and tyranny” after the sentencing.

And opposition leader Juan Guaido, who was recognized by the US and others as Venezuela’s interim president after Maduro’s disputed 2018 re-election, said “the dictatorship kidnaped him (Requesens) and has kept him captive as a means of persecuting all who resist.”

Army general Hector Hernandez Da Costa, 56, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Emirlendris Benitez and Yolmer Escalona, received the maximum penalty of 30 years despite lawyers claiming the couple had been responding to a taxi callout when arrested.

According to Foro Penal, there were 245 “political prisoners” in Venezuela on August 1.