The Russian Defense Ministry has published footage of an attack on a US-made speedboat operated by the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea. It was reportedly destroyed by a warplane earlier on Tuesday.
The video, which was apparently shot from the Russian warplane, showed the boat making sharp turns as the aircraft fired its cannon in short bursts.
The target was identified by the Russian military as a US-produced Willard Sea Force model. California-based Willard Marine produces several sizes of rigid inflatable patrol boats. The firm has sold a number of these to the Ukrainian Navy, according to local media reports.
The Russian military did not reveal the exact model of the boat, but said it was carrying a Ukrainian amphibious team when it was intercepted on Tuesday morning to the east of Snake Island.
The small land mass is located off the coast of Odessa Region, close to Romanian territorial waters. It changed hands twice last year and Kiev has attached symbolic significance to the island, which was previously the subject of a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Romania.
When Leaflets Fall: Russian Artillerymen Encourage Ukrainians to Surrender
Russian soldiers of the Central Military District fired 122-mm propaganda shells at Ukrainian positions in the Krasny Liman area using D-30 howitzers. Russian troops make special shells for this purpose, which are loaded with leaflet rolls instead of explosives.
Russia's Ministry of Defense has published a clip showing soldiers distributing leaflets to Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area in a merciful attempt to encourage Ukrainian troops to surrender.
The shells contain more than 300 A5 leaflets calling on Ukrainian soldiers to voluntarily lay down their arms and save their lives.
The ammunition is distinguished from conventional projectiles by its red color and the inscription "Agit", and the fuse has a firing timer, which is adjusted depending on the distance to the target.
According to the data published by the ministry, the range of fire is over ten kilometers.
The 2023 BRICS summit is the 15th upcoming annual conference of the bloc, which is to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22 to 24, 2023. The event will be attended by the heads of state or heads of government of the five member states: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
On August 22, 2023, the 15th BRICS summit kicks off in Johannesburg, South Africa. This event will be the largest-ever gathering of leaders of non-Western nations.
BRICS is a framework that unites the largest non-Western world economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
This year, 67 heads of state will attend the top-level event, while 40 countries including Kazakhstan and Cuba have expressed their desire to join the club. Among those who jumped at the opportunity to officially apply are Argentina, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that BRICS accounts for 31.5% of global GDP (at purchasing power parity) and represents roughly 40% of the world’s population. According to the top diplomat, this makes the organization a global
BRICS to focus on curbing dollar reliance – South Africa
The leaders of the BRICS nations will discuss ways to eliminate dependence on the US dollar during their meeting in Johannesburg this week, South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile has said.
The bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has taken several steps towards reducing the share of the greenback in mutual settlements by boosting payments in members’ currencies.
“Today the world takes notice of this bloc because it’s at the forefront of the global discourse” to curb dependence on the dollar, Mashatile told business leaders from the BRICS countries in Johannesburg on Monday. “We are not here to compete with the West. We want our space in global business.”
Members of the bloc have floated the idea of creating a common currency for intra-member trade.
BRICS countries, which currently account for 40% of the world’s population and almost a third of the global economy, are also expected to discuss the addition of new members to the group.
An enlarged bloc would represent about half of global output by 2040, double the share of the Group of Seven (G7) of the world’s most developed countries, according to Bloomberg Economics estimates.
The 15th BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa between August 22 and 24. More than 20 countries have formally applied to join BRICS, and several others have expressed an interest. In recent months, several countries, including Argentina, Algeria, Egypt and Türkiye, have hinted that they may seek BRICS membership.
The New Development Bank is currently considering applications for membership from nearly 15 countries, head of the multinational lender Dilma Rousseff said on Tuesday in an interview with the Financial Times.
Rousseff, a former Brazilian president who currently heads the Shanghai-based lender, said it’s likely to accept and approve the admission of four or five new members, but declined to identify the countries.
According to the official, the BRICS bank currently sees diversification of its geographic representation as one of its top priorities.
“We expect to lend between $8 billion and $10 billion this year,” she told the FT. “Our aim is to reach about 30% of everything we lend… in local currency.”
She added that the NDB is planning to start lending in the South African and Brazilian currencies in an attempt to further reduce reliance on the US dollar, as the lender actively promotes a more multipolar international financial system.
According to Rousseff, the international institution is going to issue debt in rand for lending in South Africa and do “the same thing in Brazil with the real.”
“We’re going to try to either do a currency swap or issue debt. And also in rupees,” she said, adding that the bank already lends in renminbi.
The BRICS group comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa launched the NDB back in 2014 with the aim of providing funding for infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
The bank formally opened for business in 2015, and Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Uruguay later joined. The NDB was founded as an alternative to US-dominated financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.
BRICS can offer world new model of international relations — Brazilian president
BRICS, a group that brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, could be an example of a new, alternative model of international relations, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said.
"We can change the customs and practices that have so far prevailed in international affairs," he said in a weekly interview on his social media.
He said he believes the world will see massive changes in the coming years.
"When we talk about Brazil and BRICS, we are showing that it is possible to create a new world. We don't want to argue with anyone. We want integration between continents and equal conditions for all," Lula da Silva said.
The BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24 and is set to be the largest meeting of heads of state and government of the Global South in recent years. Invitations have been sent to the leaders of 54 African countries. The Russian delegation at the event will be headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate by video link. According to the Kremlin, the summit will conclude by passing the Johannesburg Declaration of the 15th BRICS summit.
An American mercenary fighting in Ukraine left a message for his father before he died, promising to share details of a mission, a British newspaper reports.
According to the newspaper, 48-year-old Jeff Jones was killed in a mortar strike near Artemovsk (Bakhmut) on July 31.
According to his father, Howard, the mercenary maintained sporadic contact with him, but would go off the radar for a week at a time. On the day of his death, Jones sent his father a message saying that he had volunteered for a mission that "all the other groups were afraid to do."
"He said he would let us know when he got back. I sent him a message and never heard back," Jones Sr. said, adding that he received a call a few hours later informing him of his son's demise.
In late May, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu estimated that the number of mercenaries fighting on the side of Kiev was around 2,500. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that armed activities against Russian military personnel will be stopped and foreign mercenary groups will be crushed on the battlefield.
Ukraine Loses Up to 240 Troops in South Donetsk Direction in Past Day
Ukraine has lost up to 240 soldiers both killed and injured in the South Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"Enemy losses [in the South Donetsk direction] amounted to up to 240 Ukrainian military personnel killed and wounded, two armored combat vehicles, the US-made M777 artillery system, and the UK-made FH-70 gun," the ministry stated.
Ukraine also lost 235 servicemen in the Dontesk direction and over 125 soldiers in the Zaporozhye direction over the given period, the statement read.
Additionally, Russian armed forces have repelled five attacks by Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk direction, four in the Zaporozhye direction, three in the Donetsk direction and two in the Krasny Liman direction.
Ukrainian Squad Leader Kills Own Soldier Near Kupyansk
A Ukrainian squad leader has shot dead one of his own soldiers near Kupyansk. The soldier reportedly panicked during an encounter with a group of Russian fighters, a source familiar with the situation said.
"An entire unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was killed during the assault, but there is a twist. One Ukrainian soldier had wounds of a very specific nature - from behind and from the side. And he was lying facing his own rear," the agency's informant said.
The cell phone was in the "harness" - the load-bearing pockets of the soldier's body armor - and recorded the events as they unfolded. The footage showed a Ukrainian fighter running away as his fellow soldier opened fire in his direction.
"One of the deceased Ukrainians had a phone with him, which was placed in the ‘harness’ and recorded the execution of his comrade, who had panicked, right at the scene. According to the documents, the panicked soldier turned out to be a conscript whose morale had long since taken a negative turn," the agency's source added.
Eighteen burned bodies, possibly of migrants, were found in a remote, rural area south of the village of Avantas in northern Greece on Tuesday where wildfires have been burning for days, the fire brigade said.
"Given that there have been no reports of disappearances or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility that these are people who entered the country illegally is being investigated," the fire brigade said.
The broader Evros region is a popular route for migrants crossing the river by the same name from Turkey into Greece.
"Searches throughout the entire area where the fire broke out are ongoing," the fire brigade said.
On Monday, the burned body of another man believed to be a migrant was found in the region, a local police official said.
Firefighters were also battling blazes in Spain, Italy and Portugal as well was two new blazes that broke out near the Greek capital, Athens, as the region suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change.
In Spain, where most of the country was in very high or extreme risk of wildfire as a consequence of the summer's fourth heatwave, authorities were struggling to stabilise a huge wildfire that has been ravaging forests on the island of Tenerife for a week.
Temperatures were likely to reach or exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in large areas of the southwest and northeast of the Iberian peninsula, national weather agency AEMET said.
In the Greek port town of Alexandroupolis, not far from Avantason, wildfires forced the evacuation of dozens of hospital patients, including newborn babies. A ferry was turned into a makeshift hospital after 65 patients were evacuated from the University Hospital.
Elderly patients lay on mattresses strewn across the cafeteria floor, paramedics attended to others on stretchers and a woman held a man resting on a sofa, an IV drip attached to his hand.
"I've been working for 27 years, I've never seen anything like this," said nurse Nikos Gioktsidis. "Stretchers everywhere, patients here, IV drips there ... it was like a war, like a bomb had exploded."
The burned body of a man believed to be a migrant was found in a rural area near Alexandroupolis on Monday, a local police official said.
"Weather conditions are extreme and will remain extreme for the coming days," Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis told ERT TV.
Elderly patients lay on mattresses strewn across the cafeteria floor, paramedics attended to others on stretchers and a woman held a man resting on a sofa, an IV drip attached to his hand.
“I’ve been working for 27 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said nurse Nikos Gioktsidis. “Stretchers everywhere, patients here, IV drips there... it was like a war, like a bomb had exploded.”
It comes as a fresh heatwave hit southern Europe. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to the climate crisis. Firefighters were also battling blazes in Spain and Italy.
Gubernur Bank Indonesia dalam Opening Ceremony ASEAN Fest 2023 di JCC, Senayan, Jakarta, hari Selasa, 22/08/2023. (youtube.com/Bank Indonesia)
Gubernur Bank Indonesia (BI) Perry Warjiyo percaya diri, Indonesia memiliki kebijakan tersendiri dalam mengatur sektor moneter dalam menghadapi ketidakpastian ekonomi global. Kebijakan ini dinilai lebih efektif ketimbang kebijakan bank sentral negara maju, termasuk Dana Moneter Internasional (International Monetary Fund/IMF).
Perry mengatakan, dalam menghadapi ketidakpastian ekonomi global, BI tidak hanya berfokus pada instrumen kebijakan suku bunga saja. Tapi, BI juga memaksimalkan kebijakan makroprudensial, sehingga dalam upaya meminimalisir dampak rembetan ketidakpastian global, momentum pertumbuhan ekonomi nasional tetap terjaga.
"Kita tidak peduli dengan pernyataan IMF apa yang kita lakukan. Kami tahu Anda lebih pintar, tapi kami lebih berpengalaman," kata Perry dalam talkshow Asean Fest 2023, Selasa, 22/08/2023.
Perry menegaskan, kepercayaan diri tersebut bukan tanpa sebab. Dia menuturkan, Indonesia menggunakan kebijakan moneter makroprudensial dan fiskal.
"Kita memiliki kebijakan monter. Kita tidak hanya berfokus pada framework pengendalian inflasi," ucap Perry.
Dia menuturkan, hal tersebut juga dilengkapi dengan kebijakan stabilitas nilai tukar. Menurut Perry, dalam beberapa aspek kita perlu capital outflow namun Indonesia meminimalisir hal tersebut.
Perry memetik pelajaran, semua emerging market menghadapi trilema kebijakan. Perry mengatakan Amerika Serikat kesulitan menghadapi inflasi dengan satu kebijakan suku bunga, memakan waktu sangat lama, dan saat ini resesi.
Selain itu, Eropa juga mengalami inflasi sangat tinggi. Federal Funds Rate (FFR) dikabarkan pengetatannya akan berakhir, namun Perry mengatakan akan ada kenaikan satu atau dua kali lagi.
Perry mengakui, kebijakan yang berfokus pada instrumen suku bunga memang dapat merespons dampak ketidakpastian global seperti inflasi. Akan tetapi, langkah tersebut akan memakan waktu lama dan berpotensi berdampak terhadap perekonomian negara.
"Tentu Amerika Serikat kesulitan menghadapi inflasi dengan satu kebijakan suku bunga, memakan waktu sangat lama, dan sekarang resesi," ujarnya.
Oleh karenanya, BI akan tetap berfokus pada kebijakan yang mencakup pada aspek pengendalian inflasi, stabilitas nilai tukar, serta tetap mendukung pertumbuhan ekonomi.
Selain mengandalkan kebijakan makroprudensial, BI bakal terus berkoordinasi dengan Kementerian Keuangan (Kemenkeu) untuk melengkapi kebijakan fiskal.
Perry memetik pelajaran, semua emerging market menghadapi trilema kebijakan. Perry mengatakan Amerika Serikat kesulitan menghadapi inflasi dengan satu kebijakan suku bunga, memakan waktu sangat lama, dan saat ini resesi.
Selain itu, Eropa juga mengalami inflasi sangat tinggi. Federal Funds Rate (FFR) dikabarkan pengetatannya akan berakhir, namun Perry mengatakan akan ada kenaikan satu atau dua kali lagi.
"Ini kenapa? Karena hanya menggunakan satu instrumen untuk menyelesaikan masalah. Ini tentu tidak bisa," ucap Perry.
Perry mengakui, Indonesia perlu menghadapi dampak spillover global. Selain itu juga perlu menjaga stabilitas keuangan, namun juga harus mendukung pertumbuhan ekonomi.
"Ini bisa bagaimana? Gunakan kebijakan moneter, tidak hanya menggunakan suku bunga, tapi juga kebijakan nilai tukar, dan kebijkan pasar keuangan," tutur Perry.
Saat pemerintah menaikkan harga bahan bakar minyak (BBM), BI menaikan suku bunga. Perry menilai, kenaikan suku bunga juga tidak sporadis seperti yang dilakukan oleh Amerika Serikat.
Pada saat yang sama, ekonomi masih tumbuh tinggi yakni di atas lima persen selama tujuh kuartal beruntun. Perry menegaskan, kebijakan moneter di Indonesia prostabilitas dan propertumbuhan.
"Makroprudensial dilengkapi dengan pendalaman pasar keuangan, inklusi keuangan, digitalisasi dan sebagainya," ucap Perry.
Sebelumnya, Pejabat di Federal Reserve atau The Fed mengungkapkan kemungkinan masih akan mengerek suku bunga, dalam upaya mendorong inflasi ke target bank sentral sebesar 2 persen.
Mengutip CNN Business, hari Selasa, 08/08/2023, Gubernur The Fed Michelle Bowman dalam sebuah pidato mengingatkan bahwa beberapa kenaikan suku bunga dapat diperlukan untuk mengembalikan inflasi AS ke tingkat yang stabil.
Bank sentral Amerika Serikat, The Federal Reserve (The Fed) diprediksi masih akan menaikan suku bunga acuan (Fed Fund Rate) beberapa kali lagi hingga akhir 2023. Namun, Gubernur Bank Indonesia (BI) Perry Warjiyo tak gentar akan tantangan tersebut.
Perry mengatakan, Bank Indonesia tetap akan menjalankan bauran kebijakan untuk menjaga geliat ekonomi nasional di tengah situasi tak menentu saat ini.
Terlebih, semua negara berkembang kini tengah menghadapi trilema kebijakan ekonomi, berupa stabilitas nilai tukar mata uang, inflasi, hingga pertumbuhan ekonomi.
Masyarakat diimbau peka terhadap lingkungan sekitar untuk meminimalisir tindak kejahatan.
Kapolda Metro Jaya, Irjen Karyoto bahkan meminta masyarakat tidak takut merekam aksi kejahatan di jalanan, salah satunya aksi koboi jalanan yang kerap ditemukan.
"Ada orang yang bergaya-gaya seperti koboi jalanan, masyarakat banyak sekali membantu dengan memvideokan, capture muka, itu sangat penting," kata Karyoto di Polda Metro Jaya, hari Senin, 21/08/2023.
Dengan peran aktif masyarakat, Kapolda mengaku upaya penindakan kejahatan jalanan kerap terbantu. Tak jarang kasus jalanan bisa cepat terungkap berkat video atau foto yang didapatkan dari masyarakat.
"Capture muka sangat penting karena sekarang eranya sudah digital dan teknologi bisa men-tracing dalam kurang waktu 24 jam yang lalu bisa ditangkap," ujar Karyoto.
Bila, tidak sempat memfoto muka pelaku, warga juga dapat foto nomor pelat mobil pelaku.
"Kalau paling bagus adalah muka secara sempurna dari depan. Kami mengedukasi masyarakat agar dia bisa membantu aparat penegak hukum mengungkap hal-hal yang belum terungkap," tandas Karyoto.
