Russia Says Ukraine Attacks Belgorod Region Again with Missiles and Drones 

This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
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Russia Says Ukraine Attacks Belgorod Region Again with Missiles and Drones 

This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)

Ukraine launched 12 missiles and several drones in the early hours of Wednesday on Russia's southern region of Belgorod, Russia's defense ministry and local authorities said.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation "continues to remain tense" in Belgorod, where Russia says 25 civilians including five children were killed in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday.

There was no word of any casualties from the latest attacks. Gladkov said the extent of damage would be assessed throughout the day.

Ukraine's escalation of attacks on Belgorod over the New Year period has come as Russia launched some of its most intense strikes on Ukraine since the war began almost two years ago. Kyiv said on Tuesday that Russia had launched well over 300 attack drones and missiles of various kinds at cities across Ukraine since Friday.

Belgorod, like other Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, has seen frequent low-level attacks since the start of the war, but Saturday's was by far the deadliest. President Vladimir Putin said it would "not go unpunished".

One person was killed and seven more wounded in the region on Tuesday, Russian authorities said.

In Wednesday's attacks, Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine fired six Tochka-U ballistic missiles and six guided missiles launched from a Vilkha heavy multiple rocket launcher.

Gladkov said Ukraine also launched several drones on the region and the city of Belgorod, which is the administrative center of the region.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.



13 Killed in India Floods

 Rescuers use machinery to sift through debris on their second day of mission following Tuesday’s landslides at Chooralmala, Wayanad district, Kerala state, India, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
Rescuers use machinery to sift through debris on their second day of mission following Tuesday’s landslides at Chooralmala, Wayanad district, Kerala state, India, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
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13 Killed in India Floods

 Rescuers use machinery to sift through debris on their second day of mission following Tuesday’s landslides at Chooralmala, Wayanad district, Kerala state, India, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)
Rescuers use machinery to sift through debris on their second day of mission following Tuesday’s landslides at Chooralmala, Wayanad district, Kerala state, India, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP)

Monsoon downpours caused flash floods that killed 13 people in India's Himalayan foothills, officials said Friday, with helicopters rescuing hundreds stranded near a renowned Hindu shrine.
Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India's treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.
Thirteen deaths have been reported across the northern state of Uttarakhand so far, disaster official Vinod Kumar Suman told AFP.
District officials said around 700 people were rescued by airlift while traveling to Kedarnath temple, a popular pilgrimage destination dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva.
"We are flying multiple choppers to bring down the pilgrims who were on their way," Suman said.
The temple sits nearly 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level and access is only possible in the summer via a grueling 22-kilometer (14-mile) uphill trek.
It is thronged by thousands of pilgrims each year at a time when the annual monsoon downpours are at their peak.
Monsoon rains across the region from June to September offer respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies.
They are also vital for agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security for South Asia's nearly two billion people.
More than 200 people were killed in the southern state of Kerala this week when landslides hit villages and tea plantations, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
Two others were killed this week in neighboring Himachal Pradesh state, where rescuers are still searching for more than two dozen reported missing.