Jason Arday and the Human Cost of Workplace and Public Racism

The hounding of the late Jason Arday is an all too familiar experience for many black people. Roger McKenzie Calls for Collective Action to Combat What Can Feel Like Personal Isolation

Tributes left after a vigil, organised by campaign group Stand Up to Racism, for Professor Jason Arday on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London

Roger McKenzie

Media / 18 August 2026

Morning Star 

I WAS going to start this column by saying I couldn’t believe what has happened to Cambridge University Professor Jason Arday, but sadly I can and so can many black people who have held senior positions in an organisation or found themselves in the public eye. 

I’m not speaking for all black people in that position but from my own experience and in the light of the tragic passing of Professor Arday.

I never met Arday but want to convey my heartfelt condolences to the partners and two small children that he left behind. It is hard to imagine the grief they are experiencing.

What is often left out of the discussion, or sometimes vitriol, about racist attacks or harassment is the real impact that it has on the person on the receiving end.

Over time, it erodes you on the inside. No matter how much you try to show a brave face, lift your head and straighten your back to the outside world and even your own family. It eats away at you on the inside in a way that can cause irrecoverable damage.

I dare say this is what has happened to Arday. Having to justify your existence every day is no small feat. There are countless black people who will know exactly what Arday went through and fought with themselves over whether or not to take the same tragic step that he did.

Arday had been accused of plagiarism in his PhD. He denied the accusation and Liverpool John Moores University found against the complaint and upheld the award of his doctorate. 

But these complaints never seem to go away if you are black.

The witch-hunt against Arday followed him around in a way that it rarely does for anyone else.

He then faced harassment over his charity fundraising, his running and over other details of his early life.

Anything that could be dug up, with any substance or not, was used to harass Arday.

I really have no idea about any of the accusations against Arday but I entirely understand how racism works and the pile-on against him was just that – racist.

On the academic side, the fact is that accusations of plagiarism are not uncommon in academia. What is entirely unusual is the amount of attention paid by the corporate media to the allegations against Arday.

Using the word “allegation” is incorrect in this instance. It was nothing short of a public lynching of Arday.

Simply put, Arday was held to a different standard than others at the university and across academia in a frenzy of racist jealousy.

In the same year that Arday was appointed at Cambridge, another professor was found to have plagiarised work but kept his job. Few reading this would have even heard that such a thing took place.

In that case, the university concluded that any “intellectual theft” was “the product of negligent acts but was not deliberate.”

One of the figures who pushed the accusations against Arday was Nathan Cofnas, a former Cambridge academic and self-described “race realist.”

Cofnas once wrote: “In a meritocracy, Harvard faculty would be recruited from the best of the students, which means the number of black professors would approach 0 per cent.”

He added: “Blacks would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment.”

I’ve seen no evidence that Arday had been found guilty of plagiarism but those behind the campaign of vilification were not prepared to consider that there was any doubt.

I have no idea of the truth of what has occurred here. That will no doubt come to light over time. 

But there is a pattern of the sort of hounding of black people in senior positions or the public eye. If you don’t believe me, go and talk with Diane Abbott, the first black woman elected to Parliament. Clearly, she was one too many for some people.

Last year, in another example, a black fire-chief, Wayne Brown, took his own life because he “couldn’t take it anymore” after months of alleged harassment and questions over his qualifications, an inquest was told.

Brown was found dead at his flat in Birmingham by police in January 2025.

If I had enough time and space, I could no doubt find and list many other examples.

Taking a personal example, I recall having to make a formal complaint against a colleague who clearly thought he should have been appointed to a role I had got. 

I was the first black person ever to hold that specific role in the long history of that particular organisation. I like to think I was appointed because of the skills and expertise I had accumulated over many years.

My colleague took it upon himself to tell anyone prepared to listen that I had only been appointed because I was black. 

The organisation investigated and gave the colleague a slap on the wrist. I was told by the senior manager who was investigating my complaint that “You didn’t expect us to do anything more than that did you?” My answer was of course I didn’t – because I certainly did not expect them to take firm action. 

That is the experience of many black people in the workplace. Our complaints about race-related matters are often dealt with in a way that is designed to make the problem go away, rather than dealing with the underlying issue of racism.

Unfortunately, it was not the first or last time that a similar questioning of my skills and expertise has taken place. I also know from speaking with other black friends and colleagues that this is far from an uncommon experience.

With respect to Cambridge University, we do know that they have only ever appointed a very small handful of black professors.

In 2024, only 0.3 per cent of Cambridge professors identified as black. This is roughly 2-3 individuals out of 759 professors. 

Some 1.4 per cent of all academic staff were black.

Arday was appointed as the youngest black professor at Cambridge (age 37) in 2023.

Later, in 2025, Dr Ola Osman was appointed as an Assistant Professor (not a full Professor), becoming the youngest black lecturer in Cambridge’s history.

Being the “first black” anything is, I can assure you, not a bed of roses.

Not only is there resentment from those who think you only got the job because of the colour of your skin but also an over-the-top expectation from some other black people as well as probably well-meaning liberals.

You are often expected to bring about major changes to institutions that have developed structures and cultures designed over many years, and, in the case of Cambridge, centuries to resist change.

In many ways, you just can’t win as a black person in public life. They say we should aspire to high office but as soon as you do you face unprecedented attacks that serve to warn anyone even dreaming of following you what the likely consequences might be.

A more collective approach to rooting out racism that does not reduce someone at work to the colour of their skin but appreciates their skills and expertise is what is needed.

Racism is real. It is not a figment of our imagination as black people. Racism has consequences. Sometimes that means some of us believe we simply can’t face it any longer. More of us have faced the same dilemma as Jason Arday than many can ever imagine.

Two Hundred and Forty-nine Articles, a Black Professor, One Media Industry

CLAUDIA WEBBE speaks out against the lethal mechanics of Britain’s culture-war press

Tributes left after a vigil, organised by campaign group Stand Up to Racism, for Professor Jason Arday on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London, August 17, 2026

ON JULY 24 2026 the Telegraph opened its front page and rebranded a black Cambridge professor. Not by his name. Not by his title. Not by his work. The paper called him “Cambridge’s diversity poster boy.” Chosen deliberately. Reused in headline after headline. That was the starting gun.

Twenty-two days later, on August 14, Jason Arday was found dead at an address in Battersea. He was 41 years old.

Between those two dates the British media published 249 articles about him. One hundred and eighty-eight of them appeared in the nine days between his resignation on August 5 and his death. Fourteen national outlets appeared on the same bar chart when the press-accountability project NewsCord audited the cycle.

The Times ran 44 pieces. The Telegraph ran 40. The Daily Mail ran a psychiatrist’s speculative diagnosis of Arday’s mind, and hours later he was gone, and the column was quietly deleted from the Mail website without acknowledgement. At 3.11pm on August 14, one minute before the ambulance service called the police from Arday’s home, the Telegraph published a piece interrogating whether the boy Arday had described in his memoir had really existed.

These are not my numbers. They are the numbers of a NewsCord audit, cross-referenced against the Telegraph’s own public archive, which returns roughly 40 of the paper’s own Arday articles in a single query.

He had asked them to stop. In his resignation letter on August 5 Professor Jason Arday wrote that he had concluded “the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away.” He asked, in his own words, “only for understanding, for compassion, and for the space to begin again.” One hundred and eighty-eight articles were published about him in the nine days that followed.

The story that broke in July was that a Cambridge professor faced questions about citation and about his CV. That is a matter for internal investigation. Liverpool John Moores University had already adjudicated the same plagiarism claims and had cleared him. Exactly one national article in the entire 22-day cycle mentioned that adjudication. One, out of 249. Every other paper knew, and every other paper omitted this.

The story the media told was not the story that was there. The Daily Mail coined “Professor Plagiarism” and used it as his name in headlines. The Telegraph coined “diversity poster boy” and then coined “Cambridge fantasist” and then coined “Cambridge’s woke poster boy.” Every rebrand carried a different attack. Every rebrand became headline furniture. Once you rename a black person and demonise them you have relieved yourself of the obligation to report accurately. You have made them a character in your serial.

The Spectator sustained the pile-on in weekly opinion form. Twelve separate pieces in three weeks. Toby Young called Arday “the gift that keeps on giving.” Tom Slater wrote “How Black Lives Matter created Jason Arday.” Peter Wood was imported from the American National Association of Scholars to write about “the Dukes and Dauphins of DEI.” Patrick West published a headline calling a living professor a fool. Andrew Gilligan opened a second front on Arday’s Cambridge colleague Farah Ahmed. So, in the Spectator alone we have 11 writers, one editor, and one proprietor. Both revenue models paid. Advertising against the daily papers.

We have seen this pattern before: Diana. Caroline Flack. Amy Winehouse. In each case the industry rebranded the subject, sustained the coverage past the point of professional duty, and printed the eulogy for the person it had hunted. Meghan Markle was renamed, reframed and driven out of the country by the same press. She survived. Others did not. In every comparable pile-on where the subject was a white man, the news cycle moved on. 

The plagiarism claims that regularly surface in British academia do not become national serials. Only when the subject is black. Only when the subject is working-class. Only when the subject represents, in the media’s own political language, everything the culture-war press is paid to attack. NewsCord’s editors put it in plain terms after Arday died: “When it concerns a black man from a working-class background, the cycle doesn’t move on until he is dead.”

I speak from my own case. The Crown Prosecution Service was obliged to apologise to me, after an independent finding of service failure, for a press release, that carried a false and reputationally damaging claim. That press release drove the media pile-on that sustained the original false reporting for years. Vile online abuse and phone calls continue to this day. It feels like slow murder. The coverage of the apology was a fraction of the coverage of the false claim.

Racism in the media is rife as an institutional operation. We are talking about an industry whose commercial logic responded to a black professor’s public position by generating 249 articles in 22 days. And with a Times headline the morning of his death interrogating his childhood. And a Telegraph column published at 3.11pm that day. And a Daily Mail column commissioned from a psychiatrist to speculate about a black professor’s mental state, deleted after Jason Arday died, without a word of explanation. And an industry that took the word of a self-described “race realist” academic and ran with it.

Nathan Cofnas has been described in those terms by his own college’s master and by the Cambridge University and College Union. Nathan Cofnas is the philosophy fellow who wrote that in a meritocracy black people “would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment” and that the number of black professors at Harvard “would approach zero.”

Cambridge’s Emmanuel College terminated his affiliation on the finding that his views challenged the college’s core values. The Cambridge University and College Union condemned them as “race pseudo-science” and “eugenics.” Simon Woolley called it “abhorrent racism, masquerading as pseudo-intellect.” By all accounts, a known racist, the paper trail belongs to Cofnas. What the industry chose to do with it belongs to the media institution itself. 

The mechanism has three parts. Rebranding. Volume. And the extension of the pile-on to anyone who spoke up the target, James Arday. The Telegraph attacked the Good Law Project, which co-ordinated an open letter of 10,000 signatories defending Arday. It even attacked the radio presenter James O’Brien for defending Arday on air. It attacked the vice-chancellor for having hired Arday. It attacked the panel that appointed him. It hounded every academic who signed and named each one it said had withdrawn. On July 24, the day the Telegraph broke the story, the University of Cambridge itself called the campaign “a vile campaign to undermine his credibility” and said its own internal investigation had cleared him.

Three weeks later Cambridge opened a fresh inquiry and let him resign. The university walked away from a public defence it had already made.

When its own reporting drew a Metropolitan Police inquiry, the Telegraph made that inquiry the story, converting itself from participant into martyr. Arguably, that is the move a newspaper makes when it has run out of arguments and has to change the subject to itself.

The commercial logic is the part socialism, and our socialist politics must name plainly, because no-one else in the mainstream will. Racism sells. Cruelty sells. The rebranding of a black professor sells. The Times ran 44 articles on one black man in three weeks because 44 articles on one man in three weeks moved subscriptions, moved advertising, moved clicks, and moved the platform algorithms that carried each headline into millions of pockets. Every ad slot beside every headline paid. Every share on every social media platform paid. The industry converted a black professor into content, and Jason Arday in the middle of it was converted into a corpse.

Our answer as socialist and as civil society is not a plea to be nicer. It is not another code of conduct. It is not another Ipso complaint form. The Leveson inquiry produced its recommendations in 2012. Parliament shelved them. Ipso adjudicates fewer than 2 per cent of racism complaints in favour of the complainant. Reform through the industry’s own bodies ends in the industry’s own boardroom.

What we need is public power. A publicly accountable regulator with the power to withdraw press cards. Journalism co-operatives owned by their workers and their communities. A public-interest media commons of the kind funded in Norway, Sweden and Finland. A statutory duty of care on outlets that publish about individuals, enforceable in court. 

A break-up of the ownership concentration that puts five billionaires in charge of most of what a nation reads. The Norwegian PFU. The Swedish Pressens Opinionsnamnd. These models exist. They are what workers won in countries where the trade union movement understood one thing. Frederick Engels wrote of this in 1845. He called it social murder. Ruth Wilson Gilmore in 2007 called it racism organised through institutions to produce premature death. Both were describing what the British press has industrialised. The press is a workplace. The newsroom is a factory. The product of that factory, unregulated, is preventable harm.

The internationalist answer is solidarity. The black scholars of Britain stand with the black scholars of America, with Palestinian scholars barred from British campuses, with the Indian Marxist tradition that produced BR Ambedkar’s insistence that caste and race are structures of political economy. The press of the ruling class attacks for profit. It attacks for advertising. It attacks for subscriptions. It attacks for power. Every stage of the pile-on is profit. The dossier was profit. The rebranding was profit. The sheer volume and quantity of the articles was profit. The obituary was profit. And the debate about the pile-on is profit now.

Two hundred and forty-nine articles. Fourteen outlets. One media industry. One black professor. A wife. Two children. A father now buried at 41, a family in grief. And a Britain where the press writes obituaries for the people it hunted.

They published the evidence themselves. The media. The university. The state. All culpable.

Claudia Webbe was the member of Parliament for Leicester East (2019-24). You can follow her at www.facebook.com/claudiaforLE and x.com/claudiawebbe.

Founder of Former TPLF Urges Illegal TPLF Leadership to Surrender to Federal Gov’t

Addis Ababa, August 18, 2026 (ENA) — Founder of the former Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Aregawi Berhe, said the only option left for the leadership of the illegal TPLF is to surrender to the federal government before it is too late.

Founder of the now defunct TPLF, Aregawi Berhe, told ENA that Ethiopia is a strong nation with a history of overcoming every challenge it faces with victory. 

In this regard, he noted that the illegal TPLF's past attempts to destabilize Ethiopia as a proxy for foreign powers have completely failed. 

He further explained that its current efforts to continue with this similar destructive agenda will also fail entirely and lead nowhere.

Describing Shaebia as "a dry piece of wood", Aregawi noted that the regime is now attempting to exploit the youth of Tigray for its evil purpose after destroying the Eritrean youth in the country. 

He warned that the illegal TPLF's desperate clinging to this depleted group will only end in its total destruction.

Therefore, Aregawi advised leaders of the illegal group to abandon their destructive acts and surrender to the federal government. 

He pointed out that the federal government has been repeatedly extending a peace gesture, and many fighters have responded positively and returned to peaceful life.

The founder emphasized that like the other fighters, the leadership of the illegal TPLF should also take advantage of the peace offers and seize the opportunity. 

When they choose the path of peace, we will play our part to ensure the federal government receives the group's leadership just as it has done for the other fighters, Aregawi said.   

Illegal TPLF Faction Exploiting Tigray Youth to Serve Destructive Agendas of Shaebia, Egypt: Former ENDF Officer

Addis Ababa, August 18, 2026 (ENA) —The illegal TPLF faction is exposing the youth of Tigray Region to exploitation to advance the destructive agendas of Eritrea’s regime, Shaebia and Egypt, Colonel Gebrewahid Hailu, stated.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Colonel Gebrewahid, a former Ethiopian National Defense Force officer, said the faction has subjected the people of Tigray to severe hardship while pursuing political and military objectives that serve external interests rather than the welfare of the region’s population.

He identified Egypt and Shaebia as the principal forces behind the anti-Ethiopian “Tsimdo” coalition, portraying the illegal TPLF faction as an instrument carrying out the directives of external actors seeking to weaken Ethiopia.

Colonel Gebrewahid further stated that the faction’s activities, conducted in alliance with domestic extremist elements and external adversaries, are aimed at destabilizing Ethiopia.

According to him, the group’s actions are undermining peace and derailing development efforts.

He recalled that the Pretoria Peace Agreement represented a landmark step toward ending the conflict and addressing the peace and development aspirations of the people of Tigray.

 However, he said the illegal faction is obstructing implementation of the agreement and seeking to impose its own authoritarian control over the region.

Colonel Gebrewahid said the people of Tigray are bearing the consequences of these actions, particularly through the forced recruitment of young people for military purposes.

Recalled that international organizations and human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and the European Union, have expressed deep concern over reports of forced military conscription, child recruitment, and a coercive mobilization decree implemented by authorities in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Colonel Gebrewahid said the recruitment campaign is causing deep distress among families and mothers in Tigray. 

Those who oppose the practice, face arbitrary arrests, abductions and other forms of mistreatment.

The former defense officer further argued that such actions violate Ethiopia’s Constitution, undermine the public interest and run counter to the spirit and objectives of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.

He also drew parallels between the faction’s alleged forced recruitment practices and what he described as the longstanding coercive practices of Shaebia, saying that Eritrea’s ruling group has subjected its own population, as well as Ethiopians and Tigrayans, to repression and displacement.

Shaebia is exploiting the conflict in northern Ethiopia to inflict suffering on the people of Tigray and relationship between the illegal TPLF faction and Shaebia under the “Tsimdo” banner as an alliance detrimental to the public interest, Colonel Gebrewahid underscored.

He said the faction’s treatment of children and youth as instruments of war reflects a disregard for their lives, aspirations and future, arguing that young people should instead be given opportunities for education, employment and development.

According to Colonel Gebrewahid, the leadership of the illegal faction continues to operate in accordance with external interests while showing little regard for the hardships faced by the people of Tigray.

He said the alleged abduction and forced recruitment of young people from their families demonstrates the faction’s disregard for the welfare and rights of the region’s population.

Colonel Gebrewahid said growing opposition among the people of Tigray to the faction’s actions reflects mounting rejection of what he described as a destructive political agenda.

He also called for sustained efforts to free the population from coercion and restore peace, stability and accountable governance in the region.

Ethiopia: Authorities in Tigray Accuse Addis Ababa of Drone Strike Near Mekelle

Ethiopia

Authorities in Ethiopia's Tigray region have accused the federal government of launching a drone strike near the state capital Mekelle.

In a statement on social media, Tigrayan authorities said the drone hit a farmer training center in Dandera village, some 15 kilometres outside the city.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the state, said there were no injuries and did not provide further details.

A local priest, who requested anonymity, said at least one person was killed.

"I saw one fighter killed in the strike being carried away in a vehicle," he told AFP, adding that he believed two other people had been wounded. He said the projectile had landed on farmland close to a school, near a watering hole used for local farmers' livestock.

Tensions between Tigray and Addis Ababa have been mounting in recent weeks, with both parties massing forces on either side of the regional border.

They've also trading accusations of trying to start a new conflict, less than four years after a peace deal ended a devastating civil war that claimed at least 600,000 lives.

Ethiopia's federal army has not commented.

Column: Seeing China's Poverty Alleviation Through African Eyes

Source: Xinhua| 2026-08-18 16:55:45|Editor: huaxia

by Michael Mbew

My recent visit to China, including participation in the African Mainstream Media Workshop in Beijing and a visit to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, offered me a valuable opportunity to observe firsthand one of the most remarkable development transformations in modern history.

Beyond official documents and statistical indicators, the visit provided deeper insights into the policies, institutions and governance practices that have supported the Chinese modernization and its successful fight against extreme poverty.

Conversations with government officials, academics, entrepreneurs, community leaders and ordinary residents highlighted not only China's economic achievements, but also the long-term vision, strategic planning and policy consistency that have sustained its development over several decades.

The most striking observation is the integration of economic growth with social development. Development is not confined to major cities but extends to rural communities through infrastructure, education, healthcare, agricultural modernization and digital technology.

The precision and targeted nature of China's poverty alleviation strategy provides one of the clearest examples of this approach.

Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution, every village, household and individual was assessed according to their unique circumstances. Local authorities identified the particular challenges facing families before designing targeted interventions, whether through improved housing, better healthcare, expanded educational opportunities, vocational training or agricultural assistance. Such precision helped address the structural causes of poverty instead of merely providing temporary relief.

Equally important was the accountability embedded throughout the process. Poverty alleviation is not treated solely as an isolated welfare program but as a national priority supported by clearly defined responsibilities, measurable targets and coordinated implementation across different levels of government. This institutional commitment ensured that policies were translated into concrete outcomes.

The experience in Ningxia is a vivid example.

Once among China's relatively underdeveloped regions, Ningxia has combined rural revitalization with agricultural modernization, ecological conservation and industrial upgrading. Modern irrigation systems, improved farming techniques, agricultural processing facilities and stronger market connectivity have enabled local communities to transform traditional farming into competitive value-added industries. Rather than focusing solely on increasing production, emphasis has been placed on developing complete industrial value chains capable of generating sustainable incomes.

Education and vocational training have also played a central role in this transformation. Investment in human capital reflects the recognition that lasting poverty reduction depends not only on financial assistance but also on equipping people with the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to participate in an increasingly modern economy.

Several factors are behind China's achievements.

Foremost is sustained political commitment. Poverty alleviation remained a national priority for decades, supported by long-term planning and consistent implementation; Second is evidence-based decision-making. Extensive data collection, household surveys and continuous monitoring enabled policymakers to identify local needs accurately and adjust interventions accordingly; Third is sustained investment in infrastructure. Roads, electricity, telecommunications, schools and healthcare facilities have connected rural communities with markets, public services and broader economic opportunities, laying the foundation for inclusive development; Fourth is the cultivation of industries based on local comparative advantages. Communities have been encouraged to develop sectors suited to their unique geographical conditions, whether agriculture, manufacturing or tourism; Technology has further strengthened these efforts. Digital platforms have expanded market access for farmers and small businesses while improving financial inclusion and the delivery of public services, particularly in rural areas.

China's experience challenges a common perception that poverty reduction on such a large scale would inevitably require decades of continuous financial support alone. Instead, the emphasis has been on creating opportunities through employment, entrepreneurship, education and market participation. This approach seeks not only to lift people out of poverty but also to enhance their capacity to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

The Chinese modernization also demonstrates that economic growth alone does not fully explain its development story. Behind the impressive statistics lies a governance model characterized by long-term planning, practical policymaking, continuous evaluation and the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Economic development has been pursued alongside social stability, technological innovation, environmental protection and cultural preservation.

Africa's development path will inevitably differ from China's. Political systems, demographic structures, and historical experiences vary considerably across the continent, making it neither practical nor desirable to replicate China's model wholesale. Nevertheless, several underlying principles remain highly relevant.

Long-term national development planning provides policy continuity; Continued investment in infrastructure creates conditions for economic growth; Expanding education, vocational training and technical skills prepares young people for increasingly competitive economies; Strengthening agricultural value chains through local processing and industrialization can generate employment while retaining greater value within African economies; Equally important are effective governance, accountability and evidence-based policymaking to ensure that development initiatives produce measurable results.

The emphasis on tailoring development strategies to local realities may also offer valuable lessons for African policymakers. Development challenges differ significantly between regions and communities, making localized planning and targeted implementation particularly relevant across much of the continent.

China's poverty alleviation journey demonstrates what is possible when long-term planning, political commitment, effective implementation and broad public participation come together around a common national objective.

The experience shows that development is not achieved overnight. It requires persistence, investment in people, continuous innovation and the willingness to adapt policies as circumstances evolve.

While every country must develop according to its own realities, China's experience provides valuable lessons on strategic planning, infrastructure development, education, industrialization and good governance.

Editor's note: Michael Mbewe is an international relations and diplomacy reporter at Channel Africa International of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.

China Congratulates Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Re-election: Foreign Ministry

Source: Xinhua| 2026-08-18 16:57:45|Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- China congratulates Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday.

Lin said at a regular news briefing that China attaches high importance to developing relations with Zambia, and stands ready to work together with Zambia's new administration to further deepen China-Zambia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and deliver greater benefits to the people of both countries.

Hichilema received more than 2.9 million valid votes, or over 50 percent of the total, meeting the constitutional requirement for an outright victory without a run-off, according to data released by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

Dozens Killed in Gold Mine Collapse on Cameroon-CAR Border

Source: Xinhua| 2026-08-19 05:07:00|Editor: huaxia 

YAOUNDE, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of miners were killed and many others trapped Tuesday after a gold mine collapsed in a border village between Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR), according to witnesses and local media reports.

The incident occurred at about 3 p.m. local time in the village of Zamboye.

Authorities have not released an official death toll. However, media outlets in both Cameroon and CAR reported that more than 100 people were feared dead.

Rescue operations were underway to reach the miners believed to be trapped underground following the collapse. 

50 Migrants Rescued, Bodies of 7 Recovered off Libyan Coast

Source: Xinhua| 2026-08-19 02:17:15|Editor: huaxia

TRIPOLI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fifty migrants were rescued and the bodies of seven others were discovered on Monday by a humanitarian vessel operated by Italian non-governmental organization Emergency in international waters off the Libyan coast, the organization said.

The organization said its vessel found the migrants aboard a two-deck wooden boat and carried out the rescue operation, transferring the survivors onto its vessel.

It did not provide the nationalities of the migrants or further details about the circumstances of the incident.

Libya is a major departure point for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. Migrant boat accidents frequently occur off its coast, resulting in deaths and disappearances.

Zimbabwe Begins Formal Inquest into Ferry Capsize Disaster

Source: Xinhua| 2026-08-19 01:53:15|Editor: huaxia

HARARE, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government has launched a formal inquest into the Lake Kariba ferry capsize disaster, whose death toll has now risen to 93, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday.

Acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told a post-cabinet media briefing in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare that preliminary investigations indicate that the passenger ferry, which capsized on Lake Kariba on Aug. 11, 2026, was carrying about 180 passengers and goods, thus exceeding its carrying capacity.

The vessel reportedly capsized after being struck by strong waves. Mutsvangwa said the government notes that the Meteorological Services Department had issued an early warning advising all lake users against sailing.

Mutsvangwa noted 77 passengers were rescued, 93 deceased persons were retrieved as of Aug. 18 while seven people who were confirmed by relatives to have been on the boat are still missing.

"The government has commenced formal investigations which include examining the structural remains of the vessel and probing on operational and compliance issues," Mutsvangwa said.

Speaking at the same press briefing, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe attributed the accident to human error and negligence by the boat captain, who proceeded with the journey despite early weather warnings from the Meteorological Services Department advising against sailing.

Garwe dismissed speculation that the boat was unfit to sail, confirming it held a valid fitness certificate issued by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.

The cabinet has approved a full inquest to determine the exact circumstances that led the late captain to disregard early warnings and safety protocols. 

Xi Extends Condolences to Indonesian President Over Strong Earthquake

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia2026-08-17 20:17:45

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a message of condolence to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto over the strong earthquake that struck Indonesia recently.

In his message, Xi said that upon learning that the strong earthquake caused serious casualties and property losses, he would like to extend, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, deep condolences over those who lost their lives and sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured.

Xi expressed belief that under the leadership of the Indonesian government led by Prabowo, the Indonesian people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homeland at an early date. 

Drone Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Bus Stop Kills 1, Injures 17

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia2026-08-19 02:32:15

This photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A bus stop used by staff of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) came under a drone attack, leaving one dead and 17 injured, the plant said on Tuesday.

"The Ukrainian forces launched a targeted strike on a public transport stop in the city of Energodar. At the time, ZNPP employees were there, waiting for a bus that was supposed to take them to their work shifts," the plant said in a statement.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi described the attack as "an unacceptable act" and added that it posed a risk to the plant's safety.

According to Grossi, such acts run counter to IAEA principles and create serious risks to the nuclear safety and security of the plant amid the ongoing conflict.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, one of Europe's largest nuclear facilities, has been under Russian control since March 2022. It has repeatedly faced nuclear safety challenges since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis.

Venezuela: A Retreat is Not a Surrender

Concessions to Washington by the post-Maduro leadership in Caracas are designed to preserve the core of the Bolivarian Revolution not betray it, argue Roger D Harris, Francisco Dominguez and Mara Paez Victor. How the solidarity movement responds is critical

 Acting president Delcy Rodriguez [Pic: government.ru/Creative Commons]

16 August 2026

“NOTHING is easier than to be idealistic on behalf of others.” Karl Marx, 1858.

The US military kidnapped the lawful Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and National Assembly deputy Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, resulting in over 100 fatalities of civilians as well as Cuban and Venezuelan guards.

This surprise attack flagrantly violated international law but in expectation that the US could act with impunity. Even the left-leaning governments of Brazil and Colombia offered only mild rebukes. Then Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said: “We found ourselves alone.” That is the context of subsequent developments.

The attack was the climax of a quarter of a century of US and allied (particularly Canadian and British) machinations against Venezuela: asphyxiating sanctions, stolen assets, diplomatic isolation, cyber attacks, assassination attempts, mercenary invasions, and establishing a fake parallel government. For the two months preceding the invasion, the US navy blockaded oil shipments. Even so, the empire’s goal of regime change was not achieved.

The revolution’s resilience compelled the US to escalate

Washington failed to destroy Chavismo, founded by Hugo Chavez and carried forward by his successor Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela did not collapse into chaos after the abductions. The US-backed far-right opposition did not seize power, but found itself more marginalised.

Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in constitutionally as acting president. The top command held firm, backed by the National Assembly and supreme court. Likewise, the civic-military union and the communes and grassroots Chavista institutions supported the government.

Relying on military superiority, Washington made a mafia-style “offer you can’t refuse.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Rodriguez to deliver an ultimatum to collaborate or face national destruction and the murder of her and other leaders. Variations of this scenario are corroborated by both the corporate press and Chavista sources.

Trump threatened: “There is more where that came from.” With US forces deployed off its coast, a military confrontation would have meant annihilation. Rodriguez made a tactical retreat in the face of overwhelming force.

Venezuela did not surrender

The Chavista state institutions and the powerful grassroots revolutionary organisations remain intact. Yet, US imperialism, pointing a gun at the government’s head, can force unpalatable decisions, such as the deportation of the former minister of industry Alex Saab to the United States.

Former Chavez official Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein observes: “What is at stake is the survival of the state and the republic, which if lost, would make the discussion on any other topic banal.” Former Venezuelan foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said, “everything is now negotiated,” with Washington in daily give-and-take sessions.

Legislative reform had long been on Maduro’s agenda. However, revisions to laws governing the exploitation of hydrocarbons and hard minerals involved offering generous conditions to foreign investors.

Another planned initiative, the new amnesty law, promotes reconciliation and denies extremists pretexts for violence. The law excludes “anyone who has committed war crimes, human rights violations, homicide, drug trafficking, or treason.”

The government is negotiating with the moderate opposition, as Maduro did.

Rodriguez has counselled prudence and patience. The core Chavista leadership, the military, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), and community formations have remained united.

Long-sought gains achieved

The US now in practice recognises the Venezuelan government as legitimate. The Bolivarian project has forced its greatest adversary into a reversal.

Since 2019, the US blocked transactions with Venezuelan banks. US restrictions cut Venezuela off from the global financial system. Oil sales to the US have now resumed, with some revenue returning to the domestic economy. The US-dominated International Monetary Fund (IMF) is again engaged with Venezuela. Rodriguez has stated that Venezuela is not seeking IMF loans, but access to its own frozen funds.

Although sanctions largely remain in place, special licenses and a temporary easing of economic restrictions for earthquake relief have provided some breathing space, although the broader structure of US economic warfare is intact. Nonetheless, this is preferable to the total oil blockade imposed before the January 3 assault.

Rodriguez has demanded that Venezuela be freed from all sanctions. She has even appealed to King Charles III for the return of 31 tons of Venezuelan gold held by the Bank of England.

Changed political landscape

Judging compromises by an idealised Chavez-era standard is mistaken. The balance of forces confronting today’s Venezuelan leadership is more unfavourable.

Some international commentators invoke Chavez to discredit the current leadership. Ignoring the changed context, infantile leftists claim that Chavez never compromised and that “one does not negotiate with the enemy,” forgetting the advice of Fidel Castro during the 2002 coup: “Don’t immolate yourself, Hugo.”

Chavez governed during a commodities boom that provided resources for  benefits unavailable under sanctions today. The geopolitical context has shifted significantly since Chavez’s time, especially with the present “Donroe Doctrine.” Not since Maduro’s victory in July 2024 has a left-leaning candidate won in Latin America. The last seven presidential elections have been won by the right. Until this reactionary trajectory is reversed, further retreats are likely.

The impact of the illegal unilateral coercive measures have eroded public support for the government. Years of comprehensive sanctions – despite the 2021-2025 economic recovery following an 75 per cent GDP contraction – have left Venezuela vulnerable. Currently the Venezuelan economy is operating at 30 per cent of its pre-sanctions level.

The Rodriguez government is buying time to salvage the economy, although the June 24 earthquakes caused physical damage estimated at over $37 billion (£27bn), over a third of Venezuela’s gross domestic product. Most Venezuelans want domestic peace and a return to prosperity, not a confrontation with the US empire.

“Unity is the most important thing – without it, nothing is possible; with it, everything is possible.”

Those were the words of Fidel Castro as he was organising the Cuban Revolution in 1956. Most dangerous for the sister Bolivarian Revolution is the suggestion that the current leadership has betrayed the cause and that a truly leftist “third way” can replace them. There have always been competing factions within the Bolivarian movement. But political choices must ultimately be resolved within Venezuela itself, not by outsiders.

These “third way” analyses, equating and rejecting both Caracas and Washington, typically fail to address what Venezuelans could realistically do at this historical juncture – long on what’s wrong but short on viable alternatives.

It was not so long ago that the likes of far-right Maria Corina Machado highlighted “cracks and fissures within the Chavista ranks.” She anticipated “the beginning of a social explosion” against the elected Venezuelan government. Now some solidarity activists are repeating this.

Left disunity in Bolivia should be a lesson of what could happen in Venezuela. The Chavista leadership is painfully aware of this, hence their vigorous effort to establish the broadest united front against US colonisation. Rather than being traitors to the cause, the Rodriguezes and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello represent the most militant Chavistas – fighters from the very inception of the revolution.

What solidarity requires

Constructive criticism and solidarity activism need not be counterposed. Dissident opinions are appropriate when contextualised and advance common goals – not as individualistic venting.

Some among the left have appointed themselves as guardians of the faith, judging negatively from afar the very difficult and risky tactical retreat undertaken by the Bolivarian leadership, even though it prevented a suicidal military confrontation with US imperialism.

The international left’s disappointment regarding Venezuela’s retreats is understandable. But the Global South is not about to fulfil the revolutionary aspirations of those living in the belly of the beast. That is the task for people in the imperial core.

As a Venezuelan activist friend said: “You gringos tell us how to make our revolution when our problem is you have failed to make yours.”

Venezuelans will determine their path without foreign interference, either right or left. Solidarity necessitates efforts to accompany and uplift, not dictate to the Venezuelans. Internationalists in the US, Canada, and Britain need to place the primary focus on our own imperialists. All other contradictions are secondary.

The solidarity movement must unite the broadest alliance to defend national sovereignty and the right to self-determination. It must strongly oppose the farcical New York trial of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, demand the lifting of all sanctions, and call for the return of stolen assets.

The old slogan, El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido. (A united people will never be defeated.) is truer than ever,

Roger D Harris is a founder of the Venezuela Solidarity Network in North America. Francisco Dominguez is the national secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign in the UK. María Paez Victor is the founder Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle in Canada.

Ebola: Water Scarcity Hampers Control Efforts in Epicentre

A severe shortage of clean water and sanitation facilities is undermining efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Mongbwalu

World News

A severe shortage of clean water and sanitation facilities is undermining efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Mongbwalu, a gold-mining town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ituri province, where residents struggle to maintain basic hygiene while facing the deadly virus.

Every morning, residents walk several kilometers with plastic containers to collect water from a nearby natural spring. Most families cannot afford public water taps, while local groundwater is often contaminated by runoff from nearby mines.

"Three water jugs cost 1,000 francs. If you have 10 jugs at home and only 1,000 francs left, plus children to feed, what do you do? That financial pressure is what forces us to walk miles every day to collect free spring water," said Francoise Ididi, a local resident.

According to Oxfam, an international aid organization focused on poverty and emergency relief, only one in five of Mongbwalu's 140,000 residents has reliable access to safe water. Every drop must be carefully rationed between cooking, drinking and cleaning, leaving little for handwashing, which is a key measure in preventing Ebola transmission.

"During this Ebola outbreak, it's important to wash your hands regularly. But if water is hard to find, or if there isn't enough water in the household, it's difficult to protect yourself against this disease," said Isaac Lure, another resident.

The crisis extends to public spaces. At the central market, where hundreds gather daily, sanitation facilities are scarce.

"There are no handwashing stations and no sanitizers here. We go the entire day without washing our hands unless we did so at home. The authorities need to take action, because the rule right now is to wash your hands," said Neema Mave, a vendor at the market.

Some NGOs have set up water tanks, but the crisis is compounded by small-scale gold mining, which leaves thousands of vulnerable workers exposed to contaminated water daily. Public health experts warn that water scarcity is accelerating the health emergency, as residents make do with whatever little water they can source.

Somalia Clashes with Regional Forces Over Control of Key City

Somali national forces clashed with troops loyal to an ousted regional leader on Monday over control of a key city, the government said, accusing him of allying with Islamist insurgents.

Several states in the deeply fragmented country are opposed to control by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who also faces a long-running insurgency by the Islamist Al-Shabaab group that controls vast swathes of central Somalia.

In March, the government sent in troops to oust the head of South West State, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. He launched a failed attempt to retake the state in May.

Troops loyal to Laftagareen again attacked Somali army positions in the state capital, Baidoa, around 5:00 am on Monday, this time with the help of Al-Shabaab militants, according to a statement by the federal government.

The assault involved "vehicles laden with explosives", the statement said, adding that government troops killed nearly 30 militants in their response.

A spokesperson for the Laftagareen administration claimed their fighters held parts of Baidoa, but witnesses told AFP they were soon forced out.

Resident Adan Nurey told AFP of "heavy fighting in several areas".

"We saw both sides exchanging fire on some streets, and the fighting continued for several hours," he said by phone, adding that Laftagareen's forces later withdrew and federal troops regained full control of the city.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF), who run facilities in the city, confirmed the fighting and said that "several casualties have reached the hospital".

It was unable to give further details but said the clashes had been on "two fronts".

Resident Salad Ali said there were "deaths and injuries, and several people were taken prisoner".

"I saw several bodies on the road, although I could not determine the exact number," he told AFP.

The president has been attempting to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.

But he has been criticised for extending his own mandate, while the security situations and divisions between rival clans mean there has been little progress on organising elections beyond a few localised pockets.

Cholera Outbreak Spreads in Cameroon as Cases Top 1,000

Photo taken on September 6, 2010: Health workers spray a chlorine solution intended to eliminate the bacteria that causes cholera in Ganjuwa, in Nigeria’s rural Bauchi State.

Cholera epidemic

A cholera outbreak is spreading across northern Cameroon, with more than 1,000 cases and 28 deaths reported since mid-July, according to health authorities.

At Mora District Hospital, medical staff are taking precautions as suspected and confirmed patients arrive. Amine Ozong Kavaye, general supervisor at the Mora treatment centre, said the facility received its first case on the 18th — a three-year-old child from Aïssa.

The centre has recorded 25 cases so far, including nine negative rapid diagnostic tests and one death. Staff are currently treating two hospitalized patients and receiving an average of one to two patients each day.

The response is being coordinated across the districts of Fotokol, Mada, Makary and Kolofata, with support from Doctors Without Borders.

At Mora, three tents have been set up to separate suspected cases from hospitalized patients. Patients are tested before being transferred for treatment if they test positive.

Meanwhile, community health workers are conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns, urging residents to avoid open defecation and improve hygiene and sanitation.

Health officials are particularly concerned about the region’s limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation, and are racing to contain the outbreak before the rainy season intensifies.

Mali Jails Government Critic for 'Discrediting State'

Under General Assimi Goita, the junta has failed to keep its promise to hand power back to civilians by March 2024

World News

A Malian court sentenced on Monday a prominent broadcaster and an influencer, who had both criticised the ruling junta, to seven years in jail, an AFP journalist saw.

The sentences are the latest issued to Malians critical of the unstable west African country's military government, which came to power following back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

Television and radio commentator Mohamed Youssouf Bathily -- alias Ras Bath -- was convicted by the court in Bamako of criminal conspiracy and discrediting the state, alongside Rokia Doumbia, a noted campaigner known online as "Rose, the cost of living".

Both had been in custody for several years following the airing of a 2023 programme by the journalist dedicated to the economic difficulties facing ordinary Malians.

They were given three years' suspended sentences on top of their seven-year jail terms.

Having been held since March 2023, Ras Bath's emaciated and gaunt features shocked many Malians when he took the stand in his trial, which opened on August 10 at the Bamako Court of Appeal's criminal chamber.

Two lawyers told AFP on condition of anonymity that the prosecutor had told the court that "Ras Bath is a danger" to the junta and "must be kept a long way from social media and the radio".

Prosecutors alleged the broadcaster and influencer were "in association" with each other, with Ras Bath having invited "Rose" onto his show on two previous occasions.

Ras Bath's lawyers denied the accusations.

The broadcaster's father, former government minister Mohamed Aly Bathily, who was also serving as his son's defence counsel, told AFP that they had not yet decided whether to appeal.

'Shock to educate'

With the motto "shock to educate", a direct and plain-speaking style and criticism of Mali's social and political problems, Ras Bath has earned both a strong following, especially among the country's many younger people, and several run-ins with the law.

He was first arrested in Mali in August 2016 for "incitement to disobedience among the troops" before being released two days later under pressure from his supporters.

In July 2017, while abroad, he was sentenced in absentia to 12 months in prison, without serving any time.

He also took part in the 2020 M5-RFP protest movement against president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who was later overthrown by army officers on the promise of curbing the country's long-running jihadist insurgency.

In December 2020, the broadcaster was arrested again in a case involving an alleged plot against the junta. After the case was dismissed for lack of evidence, he regained his freedom in April 2021.

In July 2023, he was acquitted of separate charges that he falsely claimed that former prime minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga had been "assassinated" while in detention under the junta.

Since coming to power, the army has imposed severe restrictions on freedoms in Mali, squeezing the space for dissident voices through the courts, coercion and the dissolution of political parties.

Under General Assimi Goita, the junta has failed to keep its promise to hand power back to civilians by March 2024.

Mali ranks 121st out of 180 countries in the 2026 edition of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index.

The Sahel country has been wracked since 2012 by a serious security crisis, notably fuelled by violence from jihadists allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, along with criminal gangs and armed separatists.

Zambia President Hichilema Has Been Reelected for a Second Term

By JACK ZIMBA and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

10:26 PM EDT, August 17, 2026

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been reelected for a second five-year term, the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced early Tuesday.

He was declared the outright winner of last Thursday’s presidential election without the need for a run-off, having secured 61.4% of the 5 million votes cast.

According to the commission, Hichilema won with 2,965,326 votes and his closest competitor was opposition leader Brian Mundubile, who won 1,856,217 votes.

“I therefore declare, Hichilema Hakainde S, to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia this 18th day of August, 2026,” commission chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said.

Hichilema’s victory follows a closely watched election which saw the vote counting suspended last Friday and then restarted hours later under heightened security after the commission said there had been attacks against some polling station officials and some ballot papers had been stolen.

The government also confirmed that several leading opposition figures were arrested on the night of the elections, with the police accusing them of posing a threat to state security.

Mundubile said his home was raided by the police in what he called an attack on his life.

Thursday’s election was seen as a test of Hichilema’s economic recovery plan after the copper-rich nation was plunged into a debt crisis in 2020. Hichilema was elected in 2021 and oversaw the restructuring of Zambia’s sovereign debt while reining in inflation and stabilizing the currency.

International observers, including the European Union, said the election was largely peaceful, but said the “broader electoral process took place in an environment that limited fundamental freedoms.”

“Late legal changes, legal uncertainty, and unequal campaign conditions distorted the playing field,” said Michael McNamara, chief of the EU observation mission.

In a pastoral statement, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed concern over the deployment of the army during the vote counting

“The maintenance of order during elections is constitutionally and statutorily the responsibility of the Zambia Police Service,” the bishops said.

___

Magome reported from Johannesburg.

Russian Troops Liberate Two Communities in Ukraine Operation Over Past Day — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 390 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

© Dmitry Yagodkin/TASS

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated two communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye Region over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Andreyevskaya Obshchina in the Donetsk People’s Republic through decisive operations. <…> Battlegroup East units advanced deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Novosoloshino in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said in a statement.

Kiev loses 1,450 troops along engagement line in past day – latest figures

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,450 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost roughly 260 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, over 210 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and about 205 troops and an armored personnel carrier in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South.

During the last 24-hour period, the Ukrainian army also lost over 390 troops and two armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup Center, more than 345 troops, a tank and two armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and roughly 40 troops and a US-made howitzer in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr, the latest figures show.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 260 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 260 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, two airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Velikaya Chernetchina, Pershe Travnya, Pisarevka, Ulanovo and Khoten in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Alisovka, Kazachya Lopan, Novoaleksandrovka, Rubezhnoye and Svetlichnoye in the Kharkov Region, the ministry reported.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 260 personnel, an armored combat vehicle and five motor vehicles in those frontline areas over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two electronic warfare stations and a counterbattery radar station of the Ukrainian army over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 210 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 210 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Balakleya, Vesyoloye and Podliman in the Kharkov Region, Donetskoye, Krymki, Mayaki and Svyatogorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 210 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, 18 motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, an artillery gun and two electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 205 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 205 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored personnel carrier in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Vysokoivanovka, Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk, Kurtovka, Nikanorovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolaipolye, Orekhovatka and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 205 personnel, a French-made VAB armored personnel carrier, 29 motor vehicles and an artillery gun in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup South over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 390 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 390 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, a jaeger brigade, an assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and three National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Krasnopodolye, Belozerskoye, Dobropolye and Rubezhnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Andronovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 390 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery gun and a counterbattery radar station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 345 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and two armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two assault brigades, two air assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Kolomiytsy, Pokrovskoye and Malinovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, Dolinka, Svoboda, Chervonaya Krinitsa and Chervony Yar in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 345 personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles and nine motor vehicles in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates 40 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated roughly 40 Ukrainian troops and destroyed a US-made howitzer in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Orekhov, Kushugum, Malokaterinovka and Yulyevka in the Zaporozhye Region and the city of Kherson," the ministry said.

"Up to 40 Ukrainian military personnel, 19 motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer and three electronic warfare stations were destroyed," it said.

Russian troops strike Ukrainian army’s logistics centers, energy sites in past day

Russian troops struck logistics centers, energy and transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army and enemy deployment sites over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck logistics centers, Ukraine’s fuel and energy and transport infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian army, workshops assembling and sites storing ground robotic vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed boats, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 144 locations," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 797 Ukrainian UAVs, 12 smart bombs over past day

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 797 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 12 smart bombs over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 12 guided aerial bombs, four rockets of multiple launch rocket systems, including two US-made HIMARS and two Czech-made Vampire rockets, and also 797 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Tally of Ukrainian army’s losses

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 673 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 284 helicopters, 210,774 unmanned aerial vehicles, 669 surface-to-air missile systems, 30,606 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,774 multiple rocket launchers, 36,173 field artillery guns and mortars and 69,491 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Summoning Japanese Ambassador and West’s Terror Against Africa: Lavrov’s Statements

The Russian foreign minister stated that Moscow was concerned over the involvement of the Ukrainian military in state-sponsored terrorism against Sahel countries

© Sergey Karpukhin/TASS

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Statements coming out of Tokyo about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands are out of line. Russia summoned the Japanese ambassador following Tokyo’s protest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists.

He also said after talks with his visiting Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that Russia is concerned over the involvement of the Ukrainian military in state-sponsored terrorism against Sahel countries.

TASS has summed up the top Russian diplomat’s key statements.

Japan’s protest following Russian president’s visit to the Kuril Islands

Statements coming out of Tokyo about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands are out of line: "Our Japanese colleagues and neighbors have, of course, crossed the line of decency with their utterly unacceptable statements claiming that the Russian president cannot visit any part of Russia’s territory."

Russia summoned the Japanese ambassador following Toyo’s protest against Putin’s trip to Iturup, but the embassy failed to explain why the ambassador ignored the summons: "When we learned how Mrs. [Japanese Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi and her foreign minister had characterized our president’s trip within his own country, to his own citizens, we immediately summoned the Japanese ambassador. The embassy’s response was quite vague. After a pause, they explained that he (the ambassador - TASS) would not be able to come either on Friday, August 14 or on Monday, August 17, i.e. today, because he is either not in Moscow or is not feeling well. We did not quite understand."

The Japanese ambassador must appear at the Russian foreign ministry: "Anyway, we have summoned the ambassador. He must appear at the foreign ministry and we will talk both about the Japanese leadership’s conduct regarding President Putin’s visit to Russia’s Island of Iturup and about how an ambassador should work in his host country - honor its laws and the existing procedures for foreign diplomats in this country, or Russia in this case."

The West’s terror against Africa

Terrorist threats in Africa are "planned by some countries that cannot accept the loss of their colonial influence in Africa."

France is arming and training illegal armed groups in the Sahara-Sahel region: "It is no secret that France is involved in this; it works directly with illegal armed groups, arms them, finances them, and instructs them."

Russia is concerned over the involvement of the Ukrainian military in state-sponsored terrorism against Sahel countries: "It is worrying to hear that those who organize and sponsor illegal armed groups’ operations [against the Sahel countries] from abroad are also involving Ukrainians - and not mercenaries, but servicemen. In other words, this is not about some isolated, individual terror attacks, but about state-sponsored terrorism against the countries of the Sahel."

Ghanaian citizens’ participation in the special military operation

Russia’s relevant structures will consider Ghana’s inquiry about the participation of its citizens in the special military operation in Ukraine: "The defense ministry has a special structure that considers, and I am sure, it will consider additional requests from our Ghanaian friends."

The Ghanaian foreign minister said during the joint news conference that 62 Ghanaian citizens have died during the special military operation and 15 others are reported missing.

Military cooperation

Ghana is expected to ratify the agreement on military-technical cooperation soon: "Our friends will soon complete the ratification of the intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation, which, of course, will give an extra impetus to work in this area."

Russia is ready to "offer necessary support" to African countries in their fight against terrorism and help restore relations between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the three Sahel nations.

Despite the Sahel nations’ withdrawal from ECOWAS, they remain neighbors and Russia "is interested in normalizing relations between them, as well as the Sahel three’s relations within the African Union."

Cooperation between all West African countries is needed to strengthen security in the region: "I think it will be in our common interests, even taking into account the current, daily needs of ensuring the security of the population in West African countries, to build bridges and take practical steps to foster cooperation between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States. We are ready to facilitate this."

Russia-Africa summit

President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama will take part in the third Russia-Africa summit in Moscow: "The president of Ghana has confirmed his participation in this summit.".

Summoned Japanese Ambassador to Come to Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday

According to the statement, Akira Muto "suddenly felt much better"

© Sofia Sandurskaya/TASS

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Japanese Ambassador to Russian Akira Muto, who has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry, will appear there on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Following today’s remarks by [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov at a news conference regarding the Japanese ambassador’s failure to come to the Russian Foreign Ministry on the pretext of feeling unwell, the ambassador suddenly felt much better and will arrive at the Foreign Ministry tomorrow," she said.

Answering a TASS question, Lavrov said earlier that the Japanese ambassador had been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry following Tokyo’s protest against President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Island of Iturup. The Japanese embassy however failed to clearly explain why its ambassador ignored a summons. "After a pause, they explained that he (the ambassador - TASS) would not be able to come either on Friday, August 14 or on Monday, August 17, i.e. today, because he is either not in Moscow or is not feeling well," he said.

Number of Drones Downed While Approaching Moscow Since Start of Day Reaches 23

Emergency services specialists are working at the sites where debris fell

© Alexander Reka/TASS

MOSCOW, August 18. /TASS/. Air defense forces destroyed ten drones approaching Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said.

"An attack by ten UAVs flying toward Moscow was repelled. Emergency services specialists are working at the sites where debris fell," the mayor wrote on his Max channel.

According to TASS calculations based on Sobyanin's statements, a total of 23 UAVs have been downed while approaching Moscow since the start of the day.

Trump's Approval Rating Falls to 33%, Lowest Since Inauguration — Poll

The poll was conducted from August 14 to 17 among 1,166 U S adults

WASHINGTON, August 18. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump's approval rating among Americans has fallen to 33%, its lowest level since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, according to a poll conducted jointly by Reuters and international polling firm Ipsos.

Thirty-three percent of respondents approve of Trump's performance as president, while 64% disapprove. The remaining respondents did not answer.

Eighty percent of those surveyed believe the US-Iran conflict will be prolonged, while 16% expect it to end within several weeks.

According to polls regularly conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, the US president's approval rating had previously not fallen below 34% during his second term. It reached that level in June and April of this year. Trump's highest approval rating during his second term was recorded in January 2025, when 47% of respondents viewed his performance positively. During Trump's first presidential term, his approval rating fell to 33% in December 2017.

The poll was conducted from August 14 to 17 among 1,166 U S adults.