Briefly

RUSSIA

Captain Tom gets Red Army peer moving

Inspired by Briton Tom Moore's multimillion-pound charity walk in the lead-up to his 100th birthday, a Russian fellow World War II veteran has launched her own effort to gather contributions for the families of doctors and nurses who have died of COVID-19. Zinaida Korneva, 97, isn't walking laps in her garden as Moore did in the days up to his centenary last month. Instead, she's launched a website with videos telling of her trials as a Red Army soldier in the Stalingrad region. In one of the videos she credits Moore, who served in the British army during WWII and rose to the rank of captain, as her inspiration. "Hello Tom. I learned about your story. You are a strong person and a real soldier," she said, displaying a chestful of medals. "We defeated fascism together in 1945. And now, together, we're fighting against this virus."

DPRK

Kim receives medal for WWII anniversary

Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has received a commemorative medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 75th anniversary of the then-Soviet Union's victory in World War II, the official Korean Central News Agency said on Wednesday. A ceremony awarding Kim with the medal, for "the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-45", took place on Tuesday, KCNA said. The medal was conveyed by Russian Ambassador to the DPRK Alexandr Matsegora to the DPRK's Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon.

SOUTH ASIA

4 killed in gunfights in India-controlled Kashmir

Indian troops killed four militants in gunbattles in India-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday, including the commander of the biggest separatist group fighting New Delhi in the disputed Himalayan region, a police official said. Hundreds of Indian soldiers launched an operation late on Tuesday after receiving intelligence that Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo was hiding in a village in Pulwama district. Authorities disabled mobile internet across the region early on Wednesday to forestall large crowds from gathering in the streets to mourn his killing. For decades, separatists have fought an armed conflict against New Delhi's rule in India-controlled part of the region.

Agencies - Xinhua