BEIJING (AP) — Chinese and Indian military commanders pledged to “maintain the peace and tranquility” along their disputed border, China’s Defense Ministry said, in an apparent effort by the sides to stabilize the situation after a rise in tensions. China’s Defense Ministry issued a joint statement on social media late Tuesday saying the 19th round of commander-level talks between the sides held on Sunday and Monday had produced a “positive, constructive and in-depth discussion” centered on resolving issues related to the Line of Actual Control in the border’s western sector. The statement said they “agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner,” but there is no indication that either side is willing to offer concessions. However, both appear eager to avoid the sort of clashes between their troops that have led to bloodshed in recent years.

 

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday it shot down three Ukrainian drones southwest of Moscow, the latest in a surge of aerial attacks near the capital. Ukraine launched the attack at 5:00 am using “three unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the Kaluga region”, the ministry said on Telegram. “All UAVs were detected and destroyed in a timely manner by Russian air defense systems.” Kaluga’s governor said the drones were shot down in the south of the region, a few hundred kilometers southwest of Moscow.

 

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GOODHUE, Minn. (AP) — A small Minnesota town will soon be without a police department, an exodus spurred by low pay for the chief and his officers. Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith and one other officer are still on the force, but only until their resignations become official on Aug. 23, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Smith submitted his resignation at a City Council meeting Aug. 9, while another full-time officer and five part-time employees resigned Friday after learning that Smith was stepping down. “This is heartbreaking to us,” Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said Monday night after an emergency council meeting. Goodhue, in southeastern Minnesota, has about 1,300 residents.  The council will seek extra enforcement from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office while town officials work to rebuild the department.

 

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OTTAWA (AFP) - The government of Canada’s Northwest Territories has declared a state of emergency due to wildfires that have largely destroyed one remote community and are also posing a risk to territorial capital Yellowknife. The declaration gives authorities additional powers to respond to an emergency, and underscores the unparalleled damage wrought by blazes so far this year. The Canadian government said on Tuesday it approved federal assistance to combat the wildfires, and deployed armed forces to help with firefighting efforts in the area. Wildfires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian provinces and territories this year, forcing home evacuations, disrupting energy production, and drawing in federal as well as international firefighting resources.

 

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NEW YORK (AFP) - More than one million people have fled Sudan to neighboring states and people inside the country are running out of food and dying due to lack of healthcare after four months of war, the United Nations has warned. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the capital Khartoum and sparked ethnically-driven attacks in Darfur, threatening to plunge Sudan into a protracted civil war and destabilize the region. “Time is running out for farmers to plant the crops that will feed them and their neighbours. Medical supplies are scarce. The situation is spiralling out of control,” UN agencies said in a joint statement.