WORLD BRIEFING: August 10, 2024
A swift Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was the largest such cross-border raid by Kyiv’s forces in the nearly 2½-year war, exposing Russia’s vulnerabilities and dealing a painful blow to the Kremlin. The surprise foray has prompted thousands of civilians to flee the region as the Russian military struggles to repel the attack. For Ukraine, the cross-border raid offers a much-needed boost to public morale at a time when the country’s undermanned and under-gunned forces have faced relentless Russian attacks along the more than 1,000 kilometer (620-mile) front line. Military analysts say it’s still unclear what Ukraine’s operational goals are and how many troops it has committed in the Kursk raid. Michael Kofman, a military analyst with the Carnegie Endowment, said that “a fair bit depends on what Ukraine has available in reserve to throw into the operation, and how quickly Russian Federation organizes to counter.” - AP
Russia has imposed anti-terror measures in Kursk, the site of a Ukrainian military incursion, and two nearby regions as well as Bryansk and Belgorod. The announcement was made early on August 10 by the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. In a statement, it said the decision had been made by Aleksandr Bortnikov, head of the FSB intelligence service, in response to Ukraine's "unprecedented attempt to destabilize the situation in a series of regions." In the fresh announcement on August 10, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the measures included possible eviction of residents, limits on transport, beefed-up security around sensitive sites and wire taps - RFE/RL
The Ukrainian military appears to control at least part of the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region of Russia. Today, photos appeared near the "Pyaterochka" store located in the city. The distance between this store and the Gazprom facility, from where several soldiers recorded the video, is about 400 meters. This is stated by VoxCheck analysts in cooperation with Suspilny.In the video, a military man who introduces himself as a soldier of the 61st separate Mechanized Steppe Brigade and talks about controlling the city. The brigade itself told Suspilny that they do not comment on the situation.
YouTube slows down in Russia amid news of Ukrainian offensive. By forcing Russian YouTubers to Russian platforms, state agencies gain control over their content and control the trickle-down of news on the Russian internet. Russian authorities announced last week that YouTube’s performance would be slowed down up to 70%. Today, it is almost inaccessible in Russia without a VPN, and uploading a short video can take hours. - Coda
There are probably three children among the dead in Kostantinovka, where a Russian missile slammed into a shopping center yesterday. In all — 14 people died and 43 were injured.
Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency says an Israeli air strike on a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City has killed dozens of people. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said al-Taba’een school "served as an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility" with approximately 20 "militants" operating there. The Gaza civil defence agency - a rescue service - said at least 90 people were killed and dozens injured. The BBC cannot independently verify the figures. Israel has attacked several such shelters in Gaza the past few weeks.Saturday's strike hit when people sheltering at the school were performing dawn prayers, according to a statement from the Hamas media office quoted by Reuters news agency. Hamas-run defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said three Israeli rockets had hit the school housing displaced Palestinians killing "between 90 to 100" people. - BBC
A passenger plane crashed in Brazil's São Paulo state on Friday, killing all 62 people on board, authorities said. The Brazilian airline Voepass said in a statement that the plane was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members. Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said during a press conference at an event that there were no survivors from the crash before, calling for a minute of silence for the victims. São Paulo's fire department posted on social media that seven firefighting teams were deployed to help with the aftermath. - Euronews
Groups connected to the Iranian government are using a spectrum of online tactics to interfere with the U.S. presidential election, according to a new Microsoft report published Friday. Researchers at Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center found Iranian operatives have been laying the groundwork to incite chaos and sow division among American voters ahead of Election Day. Some of their strategies include setting up fake news sites and targeting government employees and officials. Iran's attempts to meddle in U.S. politics come on top of efforts by groups linked to Russia. But the two countries have notably different approaches, according to Clint Watts, the Center's general manager. "Russia is very different. They're very focused on shaping the outcome of the election. Iran is focused as much on just breaking the ability of an election to occur," he said. Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center tracks influence operations from foreign operatives, mainly from Russia, Iran and China, and their attempts to interfere with elections and political discourse. According to the Center, Iran has tried to sway American voters in at least the past three election cycles. - NPR
It is “increasingly likely” 2024 will be the hottest year on record, despite July ending a 13-month streak of monthly temperature records, the EU’s climate monitor said Thursday. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said last month was the second warmest on record books going back to 1940, only slightly cooler than July 2023. Between June 2023 and June 2024, each month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of year. “The streak of record-breaking months has come to an end, but only by a whisker,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S. Last month the global average temperature was 16.91 degrees Celsius, only 0.04C below July 2023, according to C3S’s monthly bulletin. But “the overall context hasn’t changed, our climate continues to warm,” said Burgess. “The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero,” she said. From January to July global temperatures were 0.70C above the 1991-2020 average - AFP
Italy's beach managers, or "balneari", folded up their banana loungers and closed their umbrellas for two hours on Friday in protest at a new licensing law. Italy's coveted private beach licenses allow proprietors to seal off prized seafront space and rent out areas for sun loungers and beach umbrellas. These permits have been typically handed down through families and monopolised for generations — until now. Starting early next year, under a law passed by Rome in compliance with EU regulations, beach club proprietors will have to apply for permits via new tender processes. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has faced mounting pressure to create a fairer playing field for the tightly-controlled beach real estate market since the EU's top court ruled in 2023 that licences should not be automatically renewed. The European Court of Justice ruled that Rome must comply with decades-old EU legislation, also known as the Bolkestein Directive, which aims to remove barriers to the bloc's trade and services while increasing transparency. Previous governments have dragged their feet on implementing the process, but Brussels has demonstrated it is keen to apply pressure — and ready to hand out fines — to liberalise Italy's seafronts. The directive covers everything from the construction sector to the tourism industry, including Italy's privatised beaches, a stretch of highly profitable sand occupying 50% of the country's coastline, according to the Italian environmental association Legambiente. - Euronews
