MOSCOW, Aug. 23– Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, following the arrest of a Ukrainian suspect in Italy, a senior Russian diplomat said Friday on social media.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that the meeting will take place on Aug. 26 at 4:00 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) under the presidency of Panama.

He said Moscow will draw attention to the “protracted and non-transparent” nature of Germany’s investigation into the blasts. German prosecutors said the Ukrainian national, identified as Serhii K., was detained Thursday in Italy at Germany’s request.

He is suspected of being part of a group that planted explosive devices on Nord Stream pipelines, and allegedly served as one of the coordinators of the operation.

Serhii K. has reportedly denied any involvement, saying he was in Ukraine at the time of the incident, and refused voluntary extradition to Germany, where he could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

On Sept. 26, 2022, unprecedented explosions caused severe damage to the Nord Stream pipelines, including three of the four lines of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, the latter of which had not been put into operation.

Russian officials have repeatedly asserted that the sabotage was carried out with U.S. support. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a criminal case, classifying the incident as an act of international terrorism.

ROME, Aug. 22  — More than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine conditions marked by starvation and preventable deaths, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released on Friday.

The assessment, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), said famine in Gaza City is now spreading southward to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

By the end of September, over 640,000 people are projected to face catastrophic food insecurity, with an additional 1.14 million at emergency levels and nearly 400,000 in crisis conditions.

The report confirmed that thresholds for extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and hunger-related deaths have been breached, marking the first officially declared famine in the Middle East since the IPC was established.

UN agencies warned that intensified military operations and ongoing restrictions on humanitarian access could further exacerbate the crisis, leaving children, the elderly and people with disabilities at extreme risk.

They stressed that an immediate ceasefire and a large-scale humanitarian response are essential to saving lives.

The analysis showed that acute child malnutrition has reached record levels, with more than 12,000 children identified in July alone – a sixfold increase since January.

By mid-2026, some 43,400 children and 55,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to face life-threatening malnutrition.

Nearly all cropland in Gaza has been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, while aid deliveries remain sporadic and insufficient.

The enclave’s health system has collapsed amid severe shortages of food, fuel, water and medical supplies, coupled with a surge in infectious diseases.

The UN agencies called for urgent measures, including sustained humanitarian access, restoration of commercial flows, rehabilitation of health services and support for local food production to prevent further catastrophe. (Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Aug. 22– Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here Thursday that deploying foreign troops in Ukraine is unacceptable to Russia, as Ukraine’s Western allies work to provide security guarantees for Kiev.

At a press conference following talks with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Lavrov noted that the core of Western-Ukrainian discussions is “providing (security) guarantees through armed intervention in parts of Ukrainian territory.”

Russia, he said, hopes that those proposing such ideas are merely seeking attention and can understand these ideas will be “entirely unacceptable to Russia and all rational political forces in Europe.”

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday, with a focus on security guarantees for Ukraine and a potential trilateral meeting among presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

Zelensky said after the meetings that security guarantees for Ukraine could be finalized within the next 10 days. Lavrov said Zelensky has yet to repeal a three-year-old ban on direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Ukrainian side’s calls for a summit are merely meant to feign constructiveness in resolving the crisis, replacing the serious, painstaking work needed to agree on principles for a sustainable settlement,” Lavrov said. (Xinhua)

BOGOTA, Aug. 22– At least 18 people were killed and dozens injured in two separate attacks in Colombia on Thursday, said the local authorities.

At least six were killed and over 30 others injured in a bomb attack near the Marco Fidel Suarez Air Base in the city of Cali, said the mayor’s office.

The bomb attack occurred around 2:50 p.m. local time (1950 GMT), said the Colombian Aerospace Force, reiterating its commitment to the safety of Colombians.

Meanwhile, more than 12 police officers were killed in the northern town of Amalfi when the anti-narcotics helicopter they were on was shot down by the criminal group Estado Mayor Central.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed this, saying the helicopter was carrying personnel for “the eradication of coca leaf crops,” following their seizure of a cocaine shipment. (Xinhua)