Russia says at least 6 killed, 17 injured in Ukrainian shelling on Belgorod
Moscow, RUSSIA (AA/DT) – Russia said on Thursday that at least six people were killed and 17 others injured in the region of Belgorod due to Ukrainian shelling.
“As a result of shelling by Ukrainian nationalists of a shopping center in Belgorod, six people were killed, including a child. Another 17, including four children, received injuries of varying degrees,” the Health Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
The victims were being provided with the necessary medical care, it added.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said apartment buildings, a store, and an industrial enterprise were also damaged in the attacks.
Last month, Russia also corroborated reports stating that Ukraine had initiated at least 10 to 20 rocket launches towards Belgorod.
The Belgorod city hall previously advised residents to safeguard their windows with tape as a precaution against blast waves amid escalating rocket assaults. Despite efforts by the Kremlin to uphold a sense of normalcy within Russia, the recent lethal strikes on Belgorod have brought the conflict closer to home.
Situated approximately 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, the city has frequently faced what Moscow describes as indiscriminate attacks by Ukrainian forces.
Georgia proud of friendship, strategic partnership with Türkiye: FM Ilia Darchiashvili
Istanbul, TURKEY (AA/DT) – Georgia’s foreign minister said on Thursday that his country is “proud” of its friendship and strategic partnership with neighboring Türkiye.
“We are really proud of our good neighborliness, friendship and strategic partnership with Türkiye, and we attach great importance to these relations,” Ilia Darchiashvili said in a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Underlining that strategic cooperation helps further strengthen Türkiye-Georgia ties, Darchiashvili said they also help them achieve efficient results in bilateral and multi-formats.
“The importance of our strategic cooperation, both regionally and globally, is paramount,” Darchiashvili added.
He highlighted the importance of regional peace and stability for Georgia and that its cooperation with Türkiye be consolidated and further strengthened as soon as possible.
On his meeting with Fidan, he said they agreed on continuing active work on organizing a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Georgia, as well as a visit by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to Türkiye.
During my official visit to the Republic of Turkey, I held a fruitful meeting with my Turkish counterpart. We delved into insightful discussions on the crucial elements of the bilateral agenda between Georgia 🇬🇪 and Turkey 🇹🇷, highlighting the potential for enhancing our strategic partnership. Foreign Minister of Georgia shared this update on X platform.
Within my official visit to the Republic of Türkiye, had a very good meeting with my Turkish colleague @HakanFidan. We had an insightful discussion on the core themes of 🇬🇪🇹🇷 bilateral agenda, with the focus on the prospects for the further development of our strategic… pic.twitter.com/NQH2164qfs
Darchiashvili also said he conveyed to Fidan an invitation to visit Georgia, adding that they discussed ways to fully utilize the potential between the two nations.
During their meeting, Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s “determined stance and support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Darchiashvili said.
“We discussed with my esteemed counterpart the problems we face in terms of security and the processes in the region in general, and what we can do to strengthen peace and stability in the region,” he said, adding that Türkiye maintains its place as Georgia’s largest commercial partner.
Turkish foreign minister urges EU to avoid ‘identity politics
Istanbul, TURKEY (AA) – Brussels should ‘think strategically, end identity politics in its approach to Türkiye,’ says Hakan Fidan. Türkiye’s foreign minister said on Thursday that the EU should adopt a strategic mindset and move away from employing “identity politics” in its relations with Türkiye.
“EU needs to think strategically, end identity politics in its approach to Türkiye,” Fidan said at a news conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Szijjarto, for his part, said natural gas could not be supplied to Hungary without Türkiye, calling Ankara a reliable and predictable transit partner.
Erdoğan Vows to Boost Turkey’s Investments in Egypt by Up to $3 Billion
Trade volume can reach $15B to $20B in next 5 years, says Türkiye-Egypt Business Council chairperson
Istanbul, TURKEY (AA) – We are determined to raise the volume of Turkey’s investments in Egypt by up to $3 billion,” said Erdoğan. He also pointed out that the two countries have considerable potential for cooperation, especially in energy, tourism, education, and culture.
Turkish investments in Egypt reached nearly $3 billion, employing approximately 70,000 people directly and 100,000 indirectly, with an annual turnover of $1.5 billion, the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) top official said.
The trade volume between Türkiye and Egypt began to increase in 2007 with the signing of the Free Trade Agreement, and it has now reached $10 billion, Mustafa Denizer, chairperson of the Türkiye-Egypt Business Council, an Istanbul-based organization that coordinates with Turkish private foreign investors and work under DEIK umbrella, told Anadolu.
Denizer emphasized the importance of trade relations between the two countries, hoping that trade volume could reach $15 billion to $20 billion in the next five years.
Turkish products have a positive image in Egypt owing to their high quality and widespread recognition of their brands.
However, he added that Egypt’s current problem is a “shortage and bottleneck in foreign exchange reserves,” which is why the country does not import “much” from Türkiye.
Denizer, however, expressed optimism that everything would return to normal following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt.
Egypt’s current account surplus from energy should somehow be directed to Turkish products, as “the Egyptian industry needs a lot of intermediate goods,” he added.
Egypt requires “all kinds of goods that can enter the domestic market as finished products,” he said, adding that there is “the potential to double” trade volume between Türkiye and Egypt.
Türkiye’s largest trade volume in Africa is with Egypt, Denizer said, adding that it is expected to increase gradually because “Egypt is a very big market with a population of 115 million.”
Textile and apparel exports
Denizer noted that Türkiye’s investment in Egypt is worth nearly $3 billion, and that “this directly provides around 70,000 jobs and indirectly provides around 100,000 employments.”
“We get an annual turnover of 1.5 billion dollars from these investments. Exports from Egypt to third-party countries account for a significant portion of this… in other words, Turkish investments in Egypt have proven successful,” he added.
He said Turkish businesspeople working with Egypt manage one-third of the country’s total textile and apparel exports, and that it is gradually increasing as a result of investments in the sector and other sectors such as tourism, logistics, and retail.
Denizer stated that Egypt is nearly identical to Türkiye, a popular tourist destination and that both countries’ people also enjoy travel and tourism.
“Egyptians love to spend money and shop here in Türkiye and Egyptian industrialists want to partner and cooperate with their Turkish counterparts for their know-how,” he said.
Turkish Airlines has already increased flights to Egypt, with other airlines planning to follow, he said, adding that “the more flights there are, the more people are traveling to and from each other, either for tourism or trade, so, this is an indicator, and we will see that everything gets better.”
India to launch first helicopter emergency medical service in Uttarakhand
New Delhi, INDIA (DT) – On Thursday, the Indian government revealed plans to inaugurate the nation’s inaugural Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) from Uttarakhand, a northern state.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia shared the announcement via a video posted on his social media account.
देश की पहली हेलीकॉप्टर इमरजेंसी मेडिकल सर्विस (HEMS) उत्तराखंड से प्रारम्भ की जा रही है, जहाँ एक हेलीकाप्टर एम्स ऋषिकेश तैनात किया जाएगा ताकि अगर 150 किलोमीटर की क्षेत्र में अगर कोई दुर्घटना होती है तो उस व्यक्ति को तुरंत हेलीकाप्टर के माध्यम से अस्पताल पहुँचाया जाएगा। pic.twitter.com/LtdLyz0CeW
“I wish to inform the people of Uttarakhand that the country’s inaugural HEMS service will commence from your state,” stated Scindia. “The helicopter designated for this purpose is currently undergoing assembly and certification. It is under my direct supervision, and I am overseeing its progress.”
Scindia further detailed that a helicopter would be stationed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh. Its operational range would extend up to 150 km, facilitating the airlifting of accident victims from highways or other locations to the medical facility.
The introduction of HEMS aligns with the government’s initiative to utilize helicopters for extending medical outreach and trauma care services to remote areas. This initiative aims to ensure prompt transportation of accident victims and patients from challenging terrains, facilitating immediate critical care following emergencies.
How many countries currently operate Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS)?
According to research gate data website Helicopter EMS (HEMS) services were operational in 24 countries as of 2020. Cyprus, Iceland, Lithuania, and Serbia reported that they did not have active HEMS services. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland reported 24/7 HEMS availability across all regions.
Additionally, 18 countries had established first responder systems, where volunteers were alerted to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) by dispatch centers, either in some or all areas. Albania, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and Slovakia were among the countries that did not have first responder systems in place.
A history of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services
According to Air Bus story in late spring of 1969, a young boy named Björn Steiger spends the day at the local swimming pool in his hometown of Winnenden, Germany.
On his way home that afternoon, he is struck by a car. The local police and Red Cross are immediately contacted, but it takes almost a full hour before the ambulance arrives on the scene. Björn Steiger dies on the way to the hospital.
This story and many others were the reality of what emergency medical services looked like for much of the 20th century. Whether suffering an injury at the top of a mountain or in the middle of a highway, a nascent emergency medical response system meant that many victims did not receive the care they needed fast enough.
Today, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) systems have matured in many countries around the world. The biggest advantage is that helicopters can reach a location three-to-five-times faster than a ground vehicle and sometimes is the only way to access inhospitable terrain.
The pioneering Bo 105 helicopter has been purchased by more than 300 operators around the globe, including Germany’s ADAC air rescue service. Photo AirBus
Patients receive medical treatment earlier and the chance of survival in critical cases goes up significantly. Airbus products were instrumental in the development of the HEMS systems working today.
Air medical evacuation first began its story with fixed-wing aircraft. It wasn’t until the Korean and Vietnam wars that helicopter use became standard for military medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). With such a positive impact, HEMS soon was introduced into the civilian sphere.
Several countries led the way in adopting helicopter use for civilian populations. Flight for Life became the United States’ first civilian HEMS operator in 1972, based at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
The French Sécurité Civile began rescue missions dating back all the way to 1959 when for the first time it rescued a mountaineer suffering from a heart attack at the highest resting point on Mont Blanc (and indeed the highest in all of Europe) the Vallot refuge, at 4,362 metres.
The SAF Group followed suit and in 1979 began rescue operations in the French Alps. In Germany, the authorities took the decision to launch a medical helicopter trial period with a doctor and a paramedic onboard in order to shorten the response time for accidents, pioneering the concept of taking the physician to the scene of the accident. This approach provided primary care within 10-20 minutes after sounding the alarm.
South Korea says presumed North Korean hackers breached personal emails of presidential staffer
Seoul, SOUTH KOREA (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said Wednesday that presumed North Korean hackers breached the personal emails of one of his staff members ahead of Yoon’s trip to Europe in November.
Yoon’s office said the breach only affected the personal account of the unidentified employee, who violated security protocols by partially using commercial email services to handle official duties. Officials did not specify what type of information was stolen from the staff member’s personal emails but stressed that the office’s overall security system was not affected.
“We detected the case in advance of (Yoon’s) visit and took necessary measures,” Yoon’s office said in a statement to reporters. The office said it has been monitoring and defending against “constant” hacking attempts presumed to be related to North Korea but “it’s not that the presidential office’s security system got hacked.”
Yoon in November made a three-day visit to Britain, where he met King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and followed it with a trip to France.
North Korea runs a huge, government-backed hacking program that has been accused of stealing large sums of money, often in cryptocurrency, to finance its illicit nuclear weapons and missile program in defiance of U.S.-led international sanctions. North Korea-backed hackers have also been accused of stealing information from outside governments, businesses and think tanks.
According to a report obtained by The Associated Press last week, a U.N. panel of experts said they are investigating 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks and other intrusions between 2017 and 2023 valued at approximately $3 billion, with the money reportedly being used to help fund its development of weapons of mass destruction.
While the country has denied involvement, North Korea has been linked to major cyberattacks and intrusions in past years, including a 2013 campaign that paralyzed the servers of South Korean financial institutions, the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures, and the WannaCry malware attack of 2017.
North Korea fires several cruise missiles off its east coast
Seoul, SOUTH KOREA (EFE) – North Korea test-fired several unidentified cruise missiles into the sea from its east coast on Wednesday, the South Korean military announced.
A woman watches the news at a station in Seoul, South Korea, 14 February 2024. EFE-EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN
The projectiles were fired into waters northeast of the city of Wonsan around 9 am, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
Both South Korean and US intelligence agencies are conducting a detailed analysis of the launch, it added.
“While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military has been closely coordinating with the United States to monitor additional signs of North Korea’s provocations,” the JCS said, South Korean agency Yonhap reported.
The latest cruise missile launch is the fifth by Pyongyang so far this year.
Tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula following multiple weapons tests by North Korea, including cruise missile launches from the land and the sea as well as artillery fire near the inter-Korean maritime border.
North Korea has also announced that it is developing new weapons for its arsenal, which has prompted Seoul and its allied countries to tighten surveillance of the country. EFE
A day after his latest hospital release, Austin presses for urgent military aid for Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — A day after his latest hospital stay for health issues following treatment for prostate cancer, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted a virtual session on Ukraine to help resource urgently needed ammunition and artillery for Kyiv as it faces shortages in its now almost two-year war with Russia.
In his opening remarks to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a regular gathering of about 50 member countries that coordinate military support for Ukraine, Austin said Wednesday he’d intended to be with the group in person, “but I had to return to the hospital for non-surgical procedures.”
“I’m in good condition, and my cancer prognosis remains excellent,” he said.
Austin conducted the virtual session from his home, where he is still recovering from complications from his December surgery to treat prostate cancer. Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Monday after being treated for a bladder issue.
The Pentagon has been out of funds to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine since December. Since then European allies have continued to send some support but the loss of regular shipments of ammunition to Ukraine is having an impact.
Austin said in his opening remarks that the contact group would work Wednesday on resourcing some of Ukraine’s most critical near-term needs, “including its urgent need for more artillery, ammunition and air defense missiles.”
It’s not clear if, or when, Congress will come to an agreement that would give the Pentagon additional funds to restart regular shipments of ammunition to Ukraine’s front lines.
The Senate passed its latest version of a multibillion-dollar war funding package early Tuesday with some Republican senator support, stripping out controversial border security language that has been a sticking point for conservative members in hopes that the pared-down bill could gain Republican support in the House.
But House Speaker Mike Johnson has already indicated that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk — if at all.
The Pentagon has argued that the Ukraine and Israel funding package is also good for the U.S. economy. The war spending has pumped billions into the economy as the military ramps up domestic production of ammunition and weapons systems in order to replenish its own stockpiles.
The $95.3 billion legislation includes $60 billion for Ukraine; $14 billion for Israel’s war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.1 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine, and other populations caught in conflict zones across the globe.
Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian defense chief associated with past human rights abuses, clinches victory in presidential election
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general linked to past human rights atrocities, claimed victory in Indonesia’s presidential election on Wednesday based on unofficial tallies.
The 72-year-old candidate, who was once banned by the United States from entering for two decades due to his human rights record, told thousands of supporters in a sports stadium in the capital, Jakarta, that the victory, according to an early, unofficial “quick count,” was “the victory of all Indonesians.”
There was no declaration by electoral officials and the two former provincial governors who also contested the election in the world’s third-largest democracy have not conceded defeat.
Subianto was an army general during the brutal period of the Suharto dictatorship that ended just over 25 years ago. He served as a special forces commander in a unit linked to torture and disappearances, allegations that he vehemently denies.
According to the unofficial tallies conducted by Indonesian polling agencies, Subianto had between 57% and 59% of votes, with more than 80% of the vote counted in polling places sampled.
The quick counts are based on the actual vote count at a sample of polling stations across Indonesia. The laborious official count may not be finished for up to a month, but quick counts have provided an accurate picture of the results of all four presidential elections held in Indonesia since it began direct voting in 2004.
“We are grateful for the quick count results,” he said in the speech, broadcast on national television. “We should not be arrogant, we should not be proud, we should not be euphoric, we still have to be humble, this victory must be a victory for all Indonesian people.”
To avoid a runoff against his rivals, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo, Subianto needs more than 50% of all votes cast and at least 20% in each of the country’s provinces.
President candidate Anies Baswedan shows his Inked finger after casting the vote at a polling station during election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb.14,2024. Photo : Tatan Syuflana/AP
Subianto has presented himself as an heir to immensely popular sitting President Joko Widodo, whose son he chose as his running mate.
Widodo’s successor will inherit an economy with impressive growth and ambitious infrastructure projects, including the ongoing transfer of the nation’s capital from congested Jakarta to the frontier island of Borneo at a staggering cost exceeding $30 billion.
The election also has high stakes for the United States and China, since Indonesia has a huge domestic market, natural resources like nickel and palm oil, and diplomatic influence with its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Widodo’s rise from a riverside slum to the presidency has shown the vibrancy of Indonesia’s democracy in a region rife with authoritarian regimes.
But with a leading candidate linked to a former dictator, and Widodo’s son on the ballot, some observers fear that democracy is eroding.
Indonesians voted on Wednesday in an election that took just six hours. The logistics of the vote across the tropical nation’s 17,000 islands inhabited by 270 million people were daunting: Ballot boxes and ballots were transported by boats, motorcycles, horses and on foot in some of the more far-flung locations.
Aside from the presidency, some 20,000 national, provincial and district parliamentary posts were contested by tens of thousands of candidates in one of the world’s largest elections, which authorities said concluded with no major problems. About 10,000 aspirants from 18 political parties eyed the national parliament’s 580 seats alone.
Voters interviewed by The Associated Press expressed hope their next leader would help them achieve greater prosperity in a country where nearly a tenth of the population still lives in poverty.
“I hope Indonesia can progress better and that I did not vote for the wrong person,” said Indra Nurohim, a 17-year-old high school student and first-time voter. “I hope we will have a better government.”
Subianto, the oldest presidential candidate at 72, lost in two previous runs to Widodo but was the front-runner in independent surveys. His running mate, Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, was allowed to run when the Constitutional Court made an exception to the minimum age requirement of 40. The court was then headed by Widodo’s brother-in-law, who was removed by an ethics panel for not recusing himself, and Widodo was accused of favoritism and nepotism.
Critics have accused Widodo of trying to build a political dynasty despite his being the first president to emerge from outside the political and military elite since the 1998 end of the dictatorial rule of Suharto, characterized by widespread human rights violations, plunder and political unrest.
Vice President candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, center, the eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and his wife Selvi Ananda walks upon their arrival at a polling station during the election in Solo, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb.14,2024. Photo : Achmed Ibrahim/AP
Subianto, a former lieutenant general who married one of Suharto’s daughters, was a longtime commander in the army special forces, called Kopassus. He was dishonorably discharged in 1998 after Kopassus forces kidnapped and tortured political opponents of Suharto.
Of at least 22 activists kidnapped that year, 13 remain missing to this day, and their families protest weekly outside the presidential palace demanding the activists be accounted for. Subianto never faced a trial and denied any involvement, although several of his men were tried and convicted.
During the campaign period that concluded last weekend, Subianto and his strategists used AI and social media platforms like TikTok to soften his image by portraying him as a cuddly grandfather to his youthful running mate. Rejected by human rights activists, he danced on the campaign stage and promised to generate nearly 20 million jobs in his first term if elected.
Baswedan, the former head of an Islamic university, served as governor of Jakarta until last year. A former Fulbright scholar, Baswedan was education and culture minister from 2014 to 2016, when Widodo removed him from the Cabinet after accusing him of failing to address problems of thousands of students affected by forest fires.
Baswedan opposes Widodo’s plan to move the Indonesian capital from Jakarta to Nusantara on Borneo island, which involves constructing government buildings and residential enclaves by clearing lush tropical rainforests.
In an interview with the AP last month, he said democracy in Indonesia is under threat, given Subianto’s choice of the president’s son as running mate.
“This means that there is a decline in trust, it means that our democracy is experiencing a decline in quality, it means that many legal rules are being bent,” he said.
Pranowo is the governing party candidate but does not have Widodo’s support. He was a national legislator for the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle for 10 years before being elected in 2013 for the first of two terms as governor of the vote-rich Central Java region.
While governor, Pranowo refused to allow Israel to participate in the Under-20 FIFA World Cup to be held in his province. FIFA subsequently dropped Indonesia as host of the games, angering Indonesian soccer fans and Widodo.
Israel and Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, do not have diplomatic ties.
Under Widodo, Indonesia saw a period of remarkable growth averaging 5% annually, except in 2020, when the economy contracted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
His economic roadmap, called “Golden Indonesia 2045,” projects Indonesia becoming one of the world’s top five economies with GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after it won independence from Dutch colonizers.
BY NINIEK KARMINI AND EDNA TARIGAN
Associated Press journalist Jim Gomez contributed to this report.
Thai man given 36 years in jail for Facebook posts deemed critical of monarchy
Bangkok, THAILAND (EFE) – A Thai court has sentenced a man to 36 years in prison for publishing messages on social media deemed in violation of the country’s strict lese majeste and computer crimes law, legal sources reported Wednesday.
Anti-government protester holds pictures of detained leaders and some protesters during a rally standing for 112 minutes calling to free them, at Victory Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, 02 May 2021. EFE-EPA FILE/NARONG SANGNAK
According to the NGO Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the man, identified only as Wut, was initially sentenced to 36 years in prison but had the sentence reduced to 18 years due to admission and cooperation with authorities.
The individual, about 51 years of age, has been detained in Minburi district, on the outskirts of Bangkok, since March 2023 and had his request for bail denied repeatedly, TLHR noted in a statement, describing him as a political prisoner.
The accusations date back to 2021, when the authorities denounced Wut for publishing a dozen entries on Facebook with content that was “insulting, slanderous, defamatory, and expressed hostility” towards the king of Thailand and other members of the royal family.
Some of the images included portraits of royals in a way that led users to “understand the king, queen and royal family as not good people,” according to prosecution reports compiled by TLHR.
Wut was convicted of violating the country’s hardline lese majeste law, which punishes offenses deemed to be insulting or defaming the royal family with up to 15 years in prison, and committing computer crimes.
TLHR denounced the increase in lese majeste cases in Thailand since November 2020, when the government resumed arrests and prosecutions under the law, apparently to suffocate the pro-democracy protest movement led by university students across 2020 and 2021.
According to the NGO’s most recent data, as of December 2023, at least 1,938 people have been prosecuted for political expression since July 2020, including 286 minors under 18 years of age. EFE
