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Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia

Ukraine says Sumy region village taken back from Russia
Ukrainian servicemen attend a training between combat missions at a training ground in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. (Reuters)
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Updated 7 sec ago

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 14 sec ago

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 34 min 53 sec ago

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.”


South Korea’s military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops

South Korea’s military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops
Updated 10 August 2025

South Korea’s military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops

South Korea’s military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops
  • The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers
  • South Korea’s military has steadily declined since the early 2000s when it had about 690,000 soldiers

SEOUL: South Korea’s military shrank by 20 percent in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world’s lowest birthrate, a report said on Sunday.

The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulty if it continues, the defense ministry said in the report.

The report was made to the ruling Democratic Party member of parliament Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it.

South Korea’s military has steadily declined since the early 2000s when it had about 690,000 soldiers. The pace accelerated during the late 2010s and there were about 563,000 active-duty soldiers and officers in 2019.

North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defense ministry in 2022.

In the period between 2019 and 2025, the population of 20-year-old males declined by 30 percent to 230,000, according to government data, the age when most men who pass a physical exam enlist for military service, which is now 18 months long.

The military has cited improved capabilities as a key reason for shortening service periods, made possible by a military alliance with the United States and the development of a defense industry that has become a major exporter of arms.

Able-bodied men served 36 months in 1953 when the Korean War ended in an armistice.

South Korea’s defense budget, at more than 61 trillion won ($43.9 billion) in 2025, is larger than the estimated size of North Korea’s economy.

Still, the military is 50,000 troops short of the number of troops adequate for maintaining defense readiness, the ministry said. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it said.

South Korea is one of the world’s fastest aging societies and has the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.75 in 2024, which signifies the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life.

Its population, which hit a peak of 51.8 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.2 million by 2072, according to a government projection.


Chinese state media says Nvidia H20 chips not safe for China

Chinese state media says Nvidia H20 chips not safe for China
Updated 10 August 2025

Chinese state media says Nvidia H20 chips not safe for China

Chinese state media says Nvidia H20 chips not safe for China
  • A social media account affiliated with China’s state media said Nvidia’s H20 chips pose security concerns for China
  • The account also mentioned that the chips are neither technologically advanced nor environmental friendly

BEIJING: Nvidia’s H20 chips pose security concerns for China, a social media account affiliated with China’s state media said on Sunday, after Beijing raised concerns over backdoor access in those chips.
The H20 chips are also not technologically advanced or environmentally friendly, the account, Yuyuan Tantian, which is affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, said in an article published on WeChat.
“When a type of chip is neither environmentally friendly, nor advanced, nor safe, as consumers, we certainly have the option not to buy it,” the article concluded.
Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. H20 artificial intelligence chips were developed by Nvidia for the Chinese market after the US imposed export restrictions on advanced AI chips in late 2023. The administration of US President Donald Trump banned their sales in April amid escalating trade tensions with China, but reversed the ban in July. China’s cyberspace watchdog said on July 31 that it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting, asking the US chipmaker to explain whether its H20 chips had any backdoor security risks — a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls.
Nvidia later said its products had no “backdoors” that would allow remote access or control.
In its article, Yuyuan Tantian said Nvidia chips could achieve functions including “remote shutdown” through a hardware “backdoor.”
Yuyuan Tantian’s comment followed criticism against Nvidia by People’s Daily, another Chinese state media outlet. In a commentary earlier this month, People’s Daily said Nvidia must produce “convincing security proofs” to eliminate Chinese users’ worries over security risks in its chips and regain market trust.


Ukraine drone attack kills one, damages industrial facility in Saratov, Russia says

Ukraine drone attack kills one, damages industrial facility in Saratov, Russia says
Updated 10 August 2025

Ukraine drone attack kills one, damages industrial facility in Saratov, Russia says

Ukraine drone attack kills one, damages industrial facility in Saratov, Russia says
  • Social media footage showed thick black smoke rising over what looked like an industrial zone
  • Rosneft-owned refinery in the Saratov forced to suspend operations earlier this year for safety reasons

One person was killed, and several apartments and an industrial facility were damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack on the south Russian region of Saratov, the governor said on Sunday.

Roman Busargin posted on the Telegram messaging app that residents were evacuated after debris from a destroyed drone damaged three apartments in the overnight attack.

“Several residents required medical assistance,” Busargin said. “Aid was provided onsite, and one person has been hospitalized. Unfortunately, one person has died.”

Russian air defense units destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, the defense ministry said. It reports only how many drones its defense units down, not how many Ukraine launches.

Busargin did not specify what kind of industrial site was damaged.

Social media footage showed thick black smoke rising over what looked like an industrial zone. Reuters verified the location seen in one of the videos as matching file and satellite imagery of the area. Reuters could not verify when the video was filmed.

Ukrainian media, including the RBK-Ukraine media outlet, reported that the oil refinery in the city of Saratov, the administrative center of the region, was on fire after a drone attack.

Reuters could not verify those reports. There was no official comment from Russia.

The Rosneft-owned refinery in the Saratov city was forced to suspend operations earlier this year for safety reasons after Ukrainian drone attacks, industry sources told Reuters.

Russia’s SHOT Telegram channel, which often publishes information from sources in the security services and law enforcement, reported about eight explosions were heard over Saratov and Engels, cities separated by the Volga River.

Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram that flights in and out of Saratov had been halted for about two hours early on Sunday to ensure air safety.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their strikes on each other’s territory in the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv says its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure that is key to Moscow’s war efforts, including energy and military infrastructure, and are in response to Russia’s continued strikes.