logo
Russia says it captured town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine

Russia says it captured town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine

Straits Times2 days ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
MOSCOW - Russia's defence ministry on Thursday said Russian forces had captured the town of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Ukraine's general staff on Thursday morning said Russian forces had attacked locations near Chasiv Yar.
DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source mapping site that charts the front lines, showed Ukraine's forces controlling the western part of the town.
Chasiv Yar lies just west of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in 2023 after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Up to a million young Catholics expected for grand Pope Leo vigil in Rome on Aug 2
Up to a million young Catholics expected for grand Pope Leo vigil in Rome on Aug 2

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Up to a million young Catholics expected for grand Pope Leo vigil in Rome on Aug 2

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Catholic youths waving flags during the Profession of Faith as part of the Youth Jubilee, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on July 31. ROME - Up to a million young Catholic believers are expected for a night-time vigil led by Pope Leo XIV on Aug 2, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage, a key event in the Jubilee holy year. The 'Jubilee of Youth' – when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church's power – has seen thousands of young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome this week. It is taking place just under three months since 69-year-old Leo – the first American pope – took over the papacy. Large groups of pilgrims have packed the streets of Rome all week, waving the flags of their countries or cities and chanting religious songs. Excitement has mounted over the course of the week for the new pope's final appearance to the youths on Aug 2. 'I feel mainly curiosity, as we don't know him very well yet,' Parisian student Alice Berry, 21, told AFP. 'What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?' Uncertainty, anxiety Various events have been planned for them by the Church throughout the city, including at Circus Maximus, where approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession on Aug 1. Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held in Ancient Rome, where youth lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages. Spanish was one of the main languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital. The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty hits young people across the world and as climate change anxiety rises among the under-30s. Many young pilgrims said they wanted to hear the Vatican's position on climate change, wars and economic inequalities. Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome. 'We are still trying to understand his leadership,' she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about 'third world countries'. The pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over starvation in Israel-blockaded Gaza, and more than three years into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Night vigil The Vatican has praised Catholic youths who travelled to Rome from war-scarred countries like Ukraine or Syria, with Pope Leo repeatedly calling for the youths to 'pray for peace'. The voices of the amassed young people 'will be heard to the end of the earth,' Pope Leo told them earlier this week. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries are represented. The mass that is the climax of the event will take place in Rome's Tor Vergata area in a vast open-air space with a newly built stage for the pope. It is the same area used 25 years ago for the last youth jubilee under Pope John Paul II. More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers. In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on July 29 for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican's openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth. Rome authorities have tightened security in the city – which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundated the city. AFP

N. Korea's Kim orders freight station construction near China border
N. Korea's Kim orders freight station construction near China border

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

N. Korea's Kim orders freight station construction near China border

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the construction sites of the permanent embankments on the island areas of Sinuiju City and Uiju County of North Pyongan Province. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of a freight station near the Chinese border to support a large-scale greenhouse farm project in the north-west, state-run media reported on Aug 2. Coming at a time when North Korea has been bolstering military and economic ties with Russia , particularly since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, observers are watching whether the move could lead to an uptick in trade with its traditional ally China, which has recently been sluggish. Mr Kim visited the region around Sinuiju on Aug 1, where severe flooding occurred in July 2024 after the Yalu River, which runs along the border with China, overflowed, according to the Korean Central News Agency. While inspecting embankment and farm construction, Mr Kim called for the creation of a 'comprehensive transport centre' with a new vegetable storehouse and processing facilities built around it, the official news agency said. The area around the Yalu River has long been prone to flooding during heavy rains, with widespread damage reported in 2024. But with residential buildings reportedly swiftly rebuilt, Mr Kim was quoted as saying such flood damage, once seen as inevitable, has 'became a past story'. Beijing is viewed as Pyongyang's closest and most influential ally in economic terms. KYODO NEWS

‘Not chickened out': Trump stakes reputation as dealmaker with tariff policy
‘Not chickened out': Trump stakes reputation as dealmaker with tariff policy

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

‘Not chickened out': Trump stakes reputation as dealmaker with tariff policy

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump boarding Air Force One on his way to New Jersey on Aug 1. WASHINGTON - Donald Trump is staking his reputation as a tough negotiator and slick dealmaker – that has served him well throughout his life – with his ultra-muscular, protectionist tariffs policy. On Aug 1, the White House released a picture of the US president seen with a smartphone pressed to his ear, with the caption: 'Making calls. Making deals. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Every trade deal announced by the president, who is convinced that tariffs are both a tool and manifestation of America's economic might, is celebrated by his supporters as a show of his negotiating prowess. This week's flurry of rate changes was no different. On July 31, with the stroke of a black marker, the former real estate developer slapped fresh tariffs on dozens of US trade partners . They will kick in on Aug 7 instead of Aug 1, which had previously been touted as a hard deadline. The Republican leader's backtracking, frequently setting trade deadlines only to rescind or extend them – he most recently granted Mexico a 90-day extension – has given rise to the mocking acronym 'Taco' ('Trump always chickens out'). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Asia 'Every day, we think about how to upgrade': China's factories see rise in robot adoption Singapore Sheng Siong to open first store in Orchard by end-August Sport Spurs captain Son Heung-min says he is leaving the English Premier League club Life Tastemakers: Burnt-out serial entrepreneur cooks up $16m success with Lau Wang Claypot Delights Asia 'This isn't some concubine selection': Why matchmaking events for rich Chinese have drawn flak The jokes implying Mr Trump is all talk and no action on trade have previously struck a nerve for the president. 'Not chicken' But analysts believe there will be no going back this time. Mr Trump has 'not chickened out,' according to Mr Josh Lipsky, an international economics expert at the Atlantic Council think tank. He told AFP the president is 'following through, if not exceeding' what he vowed during his campaign in respect to tariffs. Mr Matthew Aks, a public policy analyst at Evercore ISI, said he did not anticipate a 'massive shift' on the latest order, aside from some economies like Taiwan or India striking deals during the seven-day buffer. Following crunch negotiations leading up to the tariffs announcement, Mr Trump struck a series of compromises, notably with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, setting varying tax rates and touting high investments in the United States. The details of these agreements remain vague and leave the door open to key questions: Are exemptions possible? What will become of key sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors? And what of China? The US president and leaders of other countries 'have reasons to avoid going into detailed agreements' explained Mr Aks, allowing all sides to present the deals in the most positive, or least negative, way possible to their public. The ability to conclude deals – often with or without crucial detail – is, for the 79-year-old Republican, an integral part of his political signature. 'Art form' In his book The Art Of The Deal, the billionaire wrote: 'Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks.' He explained in his book that he always 'protects' himself 'by being flexible'. 'I never get too attached to one deal or one approach.' But despite comments about his trade policy reversals, Mr Trump has hardly budged from his trade strategy, and that could prove politically painful. In a survey conducted by Quinnipiac University published in mid-July, only 40 per cent of respondents said they supported the president's trade policy, while 56 per cent criticised it. The latest employment figures bear the marks of Mr Trump's protectionist offensive, according to experts. Job creation in May and June was revised sharply downward, falling to levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store