🇱🇧 Family members of those killed in the explosion at the Port of Beirut have been filmed breaking into the house of Lebanese Justice Minister Henri Khoury, demanding that the investigation continue

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‼️ State Dept: Any military activity near Zaporozhye NPP ‘unsafe' ➡️ LIVE UPDATES

Any military activity near the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is unsafe, US Department of State spokesman Vedant Patel said on Wednesday when asked whether he agrees that Ukraine attacks the plant.

"Any military activity near [the plant] is unsafe," Patel told a briefing.

US experts continue to review the report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency after its mission visited the facility.

On Tuesday, the IAEA issued a report on the Zaporozhye NPP and called on all sides to the Ukraine conflict to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the facility. Moscow believes that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will specify this idea, making it clear how to proceed, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, told Sputnik.

⚡️ UN fact-finding mission will deploy to elenovka in coming days - official

The UN fact-finding mission will deploy to Elenovka in the coming days to investigate the July attack on a Russia-controlled jail that killed 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said on Wednesday.

"The fact-finding mission to Elenovka is set to deploy in the coming days to look into the incident on 29 July that led to the death of 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war. Between 75 and 130 more were injured," DiCarlo told a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

‼️US approves possible $450Mln sale to sustain Pakistan's fleet of F-16s - Pentagon

The United States approved a potential $450 million sale to provide Pakistan with services to sustain its fleet of F-16 fighter jets, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Pakistan of F-16 Case for Sustainment and related equipment for an estimated cost of $450 million," the Pentagon said in a press release.

The package includes US government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics services to support Pakistan's F-16 fleet, the release said.

This sale does not provide Pakistan with any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions, the release said.

The Pentagon underscored that this sale is critical for retaining Pakistan's interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.

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⚡️ US Defense Policy Chief: Russia not risk to US, World Order in long-term like China

Russia does not pose the same level of risk to the United States and the international order it attempts to maintain that China does in the long-term, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said on Wednesday.

"Russia does not pose the challenge to the United States and the rules-based international order over the long-term that China does, but in the immediate-term it’s a very dangerous actor," Kahl said during an interview.

The Pentagon’s national defense strategy classifies China as a "pacing threat" capable of challenging the US in a number of areas, including defense, technology and economy, Kahl said.

However, Russia is classified in the strategy as an "acute threat" that poses a more immediate threat to the US and its desired world order, Kahl also said.

The US does not intend on further increasing tensions with China amid strained relations due to a recent visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The US will continue to show support for Taiwan in a manner consistent with historic norms, according to Kahl.

🚨 China urges Ukraine, Russia to communicate on humanitarian issues - UN Deputy Envoy

Beijing is calling on Moscow and Kiev to keep up contacts on humanitarian matters, Deputy Permanent Representative Geng Shuang said during a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.

"We encourage Russia and Ukraine to maintain communication and cooperation on humanitarian issues and support the UN and international humanitarian agencies in providing assistance to Ukraine and neighboring countries on the basis of neutrality, impartiality and non-politicization," Shuang said.

‼️ Nebenzia calls US allegations on ‘filtration' centers horror movie, Ukrainian propaganda

The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia refuted comments from his American colleague US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on filtration camps and forced screening of Ukrainians, saying it is some kind of a horror propaganda movie produced by Ukrainian authorities.

"What horror film were you [Thomas-Greenfield] telling us the plot? It's a film that was produced by the Ukrainian Ministry of Propaganda perhaps and in that case, you see it on the screen," Nebenzia said on Wednesday. "As for the so-called filtration, first of all, we don't really understand what is being talked about here because the return filtration doesn't have a clear definition in international humanitarian law."

"We would note to those who are trying to confuse us with terminology, Ukrainians and residents of DPR and LPR who have come through Russia go through a registration rather than filtration," Nebenzia added during the Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

⚡️ Russia proposes UNSC meeting on threats posed by Western weapons sent to Ukraine - Envoy

Russia is requesting a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the security threats posed by the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the Western countries, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia said.

"We are in favor of talking about real rather than invented problems and since today we've wasted time talking about the latest conjectures and fantasies, then we propose that tomorrow we discuss real threats to international peace and security caused by foreign states supplies of arms and military goods to Ukraine," Nebenzia said on Wednesday.

Nebenzia also said Russia would like to see as briefers during the meeting UN Under-Secretary for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and also civil society representatives.

"We will immediately send the corresponding requests to the French presidency," Nebenzia said, referring to the presiding country for the month of September.

➡️ MORE DETAILS | The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in an alert that they had "located and taken into police custody" Myles Sanderson, 30, the second suspect in a string of Sunday stabbings that left 10 people dead and 18 injured in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan.

🔷 Myles' brother, Damien (31), who was the other suspect in the attacks, was found dead on Tuesday with stab wounds that are “not believed to be self-inflicted," according to the RCMP.

🔷 Myles is said to have an “extensive and lengthy criminal record” against property and people, according to Canadian media.

🐊 Large alligator seen strapped to bumper on Florida interstate

A Florida motorist traveled Interstate 95 with an alligator tied to their car bumper over Labor Day weekend. It happened in Brevard County and interstate traveler Karen Kress of Tampa reports she was among those in 70-mph traffic behind the hog-tied reptile. The large alligator appears to have been harvested during hunting season.

More than 7,900 alligators were harvested during last year’s hunting season, according to the most recent data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission. Alligator hunting is legal: with guidelines in place, the legal hunting season falls between Aug. 15 and Nov. 1 annually. Gator hunting was established in 1988 due to the growing need for population control of the 1.3 million alligators in Florida.

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⚡️IAEA: Grossi launches consultations on protection zone at Zaporozhye NPP

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has begun consultations on the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) due to multiple shelling of the facility, the IAEA said on Wednesday.

"Yesterday, Director General @rafaelmgrossi recommended the urgent establishment of a Nuclear Safety and Security Protection Zone at the #ZNPP, and is having consultations aimed at implementing this plan," the agency said on Twitter.

The IAEA noted that the recent shelling has damaged a backup power line between the plant and a nearby thermal power station, "further underlining significant nuclear safety risks at the facility."

⚡️ Agreements worth $54 bln signed at Eastern Economic Forum - Russian Deputy Prime Minister

More than 7,000 guests took part in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), agreements worth a record 3.255 trillion rubles ($54 billion) were signed, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev said.

"This is the first such post-COVID forum attended by more than 7,000 guests. Agreements worth overall 3.255 trillion have been signed. This is also a record," Trutnev told reporters, summing up the forum.

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