
-
Indian army says new exchange of gunfire with Pakistan
-
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia: family
-
Hundreds of buildings damaged, dozens injured in 6.3 Ecuador quake
-
India and Pakistan's Kashmir fallout hits economy too
-
Francis's funeral to be grand farewell to 'pope of the poor'
-
Pogacar faces defiant Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege
-
Chelsea eye great escape against Barcelona in Women's Champions League
-
Iran, US to hold new round of high-level nuclear talks
-
'Energy and effort' pay off for Reds as Blues' woes continue
-
Albatross and closing birdie lift China's Liu to LPGA Chevron lead
-
On the horizon? Wave of momentum for high seas treaty
-
Developing countries should fast-track US trade deals: World Bank president
-
Grizzlies' Morant 'doubtful' for must-win game 4 v Thunder
-
Trump in Rome for pope funeral in first foreign trip of new term
-
Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks
-
US rookies lead PGA pairs event with McIlroy and Lowry in hunt
-
Trump tariff promises get a reality check
-
Warriors coach Kerr 'relatively optimistic' injured Butler will play game 3
-
Postecoglou hopes 'Stonecutter's Credo' can inspire Spurs
-
PSG lose unbeaten Ligue 1 record ahead of Arsenal showdown
-
Venezuela accuses El Salvador president of 'human trafficking'
-
Own goal takes Sundowns to African final against Pyramids
-
Scores of buildings damaged, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
US stocks extend rally as market eyes busy calendar next week
-
Pope's death triggers surge of disinformation he fought against
-
Rovanpera takes control of Rally Islas Canarias
-
Zelensky insists Crimea is Ukrainian as US envoy meets Putin
-
Patel and Mendis help Sunrisers beat Kings in Dhoni's 400th T20
-
Copa del Rey ref statements 'unacceptable': Real Madrid after boycotting final build-up
-
Insurance CEO's accused killer pleads not guilty to federal murder charges
-
FBI arrests Wisconsin judge for shielding undocumented migrant
-
Brazil ex-president Collor de Mello jailed for corruption
-
Zelensky insists Crimea 'belongs' to Ukraine as US envoy meets Putin
-
Real Madrid boycott Copa del Rey build-up over referee complaints
-
Trinidad and Tobago votes for parliament, PM, with opposition in lead
-
IMF chief hails 'constructive' Spring Meetings held under tariff uncertainty
-
Iran FM Araghchi in Oman ahead of nuclear talks with US
-
Dozens of buildings destroyed, 20 injured in Ecuador quake
-
Young Barca must 'enjoy' Real Madrid Copa final fight: Flick
-
Pakistan and India border closure separates families
-
Brazil's Bolsonaro 'stable' after post-surgery setback
-
Catholics in secular Cuba hail Francis as 'bridge'
-
US envoy Witkoff, Putin discuss 'possibility' of direct Russia-Ukraine talks
-
Community seeks answers after French school knife killing
-
German prosecutors seek jail terms in VW 'dieselgate' trial
-
Sabalenka makes winning start at Madrid Open
-
EU, US should de-escalate and negotiate trade deal: IMF Europe director
-
Russia accuses Ukraine of killing general in car bombing
-
Emery wants FA Cup glory and Champions League berth for Villa
-
Buildings destroyed, one injured in Ecuador quake

Ukraine dam's destruction increases mines threat: Red Cross
The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine will have a catastrophic effect on locating landmines in the affected region, the Red Cross warned Wednesday.
"We knew where the hazards were," said Erik Tollefsen, head of the Weapon Contamination Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross. "Now we don't know.
"All we know is that they are somewhere downstream."
"This is a major concern because it will affect not just the population, but also all of those that are coming in to help," he added.
Tollefsen was speaking as the ICRC presented a new drone that uses artificial intelligence to locate mines and other explosive remnants of war from the heat they emit.
It could one day be used in Ukraine.
The ICRC had spent several months helping mine clearance operations in Ukraine, mapping and marking minefields and providing training and equipment, said Tollefsen.
"Now all of that has been washed away."
Anti-personnel and anti-tank mines such as the TM-57 will now have been dispersed into unknown locations, he said.
Ukraine's Kakhovka dam in Russian-held territory was destroyed on Tuesday, flooding dozens of villages and parts of a nearby city, and sparking fears of a humanitarian disaster.
- Mine numbers 'massive' -
Already on Tuesday the United Nations warned of the risks associated with the mines, which are numerous in Ukraine.
The ICRC noted that the floodwaters would not damage or deactivate these explosive devices, which means they could pose a threat for decades to come.
Downstream from the dam in the Kherson region "there has been a lot of what we call defensive minefields put up by parties to the conflict", said Norwegian specialist Tollefsen.
Normally, these are "very, very populated with both anti-personnel mines and anti-vehicle mines", he added.
The ICRC does not know how many mines might have been submerged or washed away by the floodwaters.
"The parties to conflict haven't declared any kind of numbers of mines that have been laid," said Tollefsen.
"We just know that the numbers are massive."
Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for the destruction of the 1950s Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River.
The flooding has forced several thousand civilians to leave their homes.
- New drone 'a step forward' -
ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said the destruction of the dam was "symbolic for the need to comply with international humanitarian law.
"The damage is already massive and I feel very concerned about how much more damage will be caused by this incident," she told reporters at the unveiling of the mine-hunting drone.
The new drone can cover in a day the same surface area a demining dog would in six months, has so far only been used in testing in Jordan.
The Geneva-based ICRC hopes to use it for the first time this year around the city of Aleppo in northwest Syria.
The drone if eventually used in Ukraine, could help trace the large numbers of mines laid there since Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year.
It will not remove mines itself but should accelerate their detection thanks to its cameras, heat detector and artificial intelligence software, which the ICRC intends to share.
"It is a step forward because it covers large areas at a much higher speed," said ICRC weapons specialist Martin Jebens.
Spoljaric Egger added: "Typically in mine clearance operations the average figure per day per deminer is 50 square metres.
"With this new technology being put together by the ICRC and its partners, conservative estimates suggest we will be able to survey and process 100,000 square metres a day for more efficient demining."
P.M.Smith--AMWN