Category: Russia

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

LISBON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — Some 139,000 hectares of land have burned in Portugal this year, with nearly half of it destroyed in the past two days. That's 17 times the area burned in the same period last year, according to preliminary data released Saturday by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF).

The ICNF said 74,931 hectares had burned from January 1 to August 14. By Saturday, that figure had risen to 139,091 hectares, with 64,160 hectares burned in the last two days alone — 46 percent of the year's total.

To date, a total of 6,229 fires have been registered in rural areas: 50 percent in bushland, 40 percent in forests and 10 percent in agricultural land. Compared to the same period last year, the number of fires has increased by 79 percent, the ICNF noted.

Portugal has been on high alert over the risk of wildfires since August 2. The European Commission said on Saturday that two firefighting planes requested by Portugal would arrive on Sunday.

The country also reported its first fatal fire of the summer on Friday.

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority said 44 forest fires were still burning across Portugal as of 12:30 p.m. Saturday. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

HOHHOT, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — Eight people were killed and four others were missing after flash flooding hit a campsite in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Saturday evening, local authorities said Sunday.

According to the Propaganda Department of the CPC Committee of Urad-Khoutsi Khoshun in Bayan Nur, the natural disaster occurred at around 10 p.m. on Saturday in the upper reaches of the river in the Urad-Khoutsi Khoshun area, as a result of which contact with 13 tourists who had set up camp in the wild was lost.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, one person had been rescued, eight people were confirmed dead and four were still missing.

Search and rescue operations to find missing persons are still ongoing. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — China's National Meteorological Center on Sunday extended a blue alert for heavy rains, warning that heavy rainfall would hit many parts of the country.

According to the NMC, heavy rain is forecast in some areas of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Qinghai, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 08:00 Sunday to 08:00 Monday.

In some places in the above-mentioned areas, short-term heavy rains are possible with a maximum precipitation amount of more than 70 mm per hour, which will be accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds, the NMC reported.

The agency also issued safety recommendations calling on local authorities to prepare for heavy rains, schools and kindergartens to ensure the safety of students, and drivers to be careful on flooded sections of roads and pay attention to congestion. In addition, the NMC called on relevant agencies to check drainage systems in cities, fish ponds and agricultural lands.

Let us recall that China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the highest level of danger, followed by orange, yellow and blue. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BERLIN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday that a trilateral meeting is expected on Monday after the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

In an interview with ARD television, F. Merz said that subsequent trilateral talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, V. Zelensky and D. Trump will likely take place in the near future, although uncertainty remains.

On Saturday, the German newspaper Bild reported that the governments of Germany, Britain and France will decide on Sunday whether to send representatives to the United States to attend Monday's meeting and at what level.

Commenting on the Alaska summit on Friday, F. Merz stated on the X social network that the “good news” is that there were no territorial negotiations between V. Putin and D. Trump that bypassed Ukraine and the European Union.

F. Merz said that the negotiations will continue and the Europeans will play a certain role in this process. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BAGHDAD, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — Iraqi security forces carried out two airstrikes on Islamic State (IS) hideouts, killing a group of terrorists inside, Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) said Saturday.

The first strike by F-16s on Tuesday targeted a key IS hideout in Salah al-Din province, according to intelligence information, and the terrorists inside were killed, the KLO said in a statement.

A second raid was carried out on Thursday, targeting another IS hideout in the northern province of Kirkuk. The KLA said further details would be released later.

Meanwhile, the KLO announced the capture of Salman Khudair Suleiman Dawood, one of the most wanted militants in the country for his previous involvement with al-Qaeda and then ISIS.

While Iraq declared victory over ISIS in 2017, remnants of the group continue to carry out attacks on security forces and civilians in cities, deserts and remote areas. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — The second comprehensive rehearsal for the celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War concluded in Beijing early Sunday, the press center for the celebrations said.

The rehearsal, which took place from 5:30 p.m. Saturday to 3:30 a.m. Sunday in Tiananmen Square, involved about 40,000 people, including rehearsal participants and on-site support staff.

The event organizers reported that the second rehearsal, which was conducted on the basis of the first such rehearsal, included more elements and links. In addition, all processes were organized in an orderly and interconnected manner, which made it possible to achieve the intended goals and further test the operational effectiveness of the command system and the work to organize and support its implementation.

As previously reported, the ceremonial gathering, which will include a military parade, is scheduled for September 3 in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing. -0-

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that he wants to hold a trilateral summit between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 22, the American online publication Axios reported on Saturday.

V. Zelensky announced on Saturday on the X social network that he would meet with D. Trump in Washington on Monday. D. Trump also invited European leaders to join the meeting at the White House on Monday, Axios reported.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday that the trilateral summit is expected to take place after the meeting between Zelensky and Trump on Monday.

So far, the Russian side has not publicly confirmed its participation in the trilateral meeting. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

GAZA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — A million women and girls in Gaza are facing mass starvation, violence and abuse, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on social media on Saturday.

“Hunger is spreading rapidly in Gaza… Women and girls are being forced to resort to increasingly dangerous survival strategies, such as going out in search of food and water, at extreme risk of being killed,” UNRWA said in a statement.

The agency called for Israel's blockade of Gaza, home to more than 2 million people, to be lifted and for humanitarian aid to be provided "on the scale required."

The statement came as Gaza's health authorities reported on Saturday that 11 new deaths from starvation and exhaustion had been reported in the past 24 hours, including a child. The total number of deaths from starvation reached 251, including 108 children.

According to official statistics from the enclave's health departments, the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, 2023, has exceeded 61,800, while more than 150,000 have been injured. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

DAMASCUS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — An explosive device planted in an old car went off near the Golden Mezzeh Hotel in the Al-Mezzah area of the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday evening, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

According to the agency, the explosion was heard in the western part of Damascus and did not cause any casualties.

Authorities have not yet released further information about the incident. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News

CAIRO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — Thirty-one Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council in a joint statement strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about creating a so-called "Greater Israel."

A statement released late Friday condemned the Israeli prime minister's words as a "flagrant violation" of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and reiterated the invalidity of any measures or decisions aimed at legitimizing the occupation, including settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The signatory countries were Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The statement characterizes the Israeli side's statements as a direct threat to the national security of Arab countries, the sovereignty of states, and regional and global peace and security.

The document also strongly condemns the approval by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the E1 settlement plan and his radical comments rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, while emphasizing that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory.

The statement warns of the grave dangers posed by Israel's intentions and policies aimed at annexing Palestinian territory, and reiterates the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for humanitarian access to the Palestinian enclave without any conditions.

It also reiterated its rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people in any form or under any pretext.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu told Israel's i24 TV that he feels he is on a "historical and spiritual mission" and is "very" attached to the vision of a "Promised Land and Greater Israel."

On August 13, B. Smotrich announced that he had approved the construction of 3,401 residential units for Israeli settlers in one of the most disputed areas in the occupied West Bank. –0–

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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