Briefly

UNITED STATES

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida

Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida's west coast as a dangerous Category 3 storm on Wednesday and was unleashing life-threatening storm surges and rainfall in an area not accustomed to such pummeling. Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up. Storm surges could rise as high as 4.5 meters in some places. The state, still dealing with lingering damage from last year's Hurricane Ian, feared disastrous results.

RUSSIA

Kyiv accused of biggest nighttime drone attack

Russian officials on Wednesday accused Ukraine of launching what appeared to be the biggest nighttime drone attack on Russian soil since the conflict began 18 months ago. The Kremlin's forces also hit Kyiv during the night with what Ukrainian officials called a "massive, combined attack" that killed two people. Drones hit an airport in western Russia's Pskov region near the border with Estonia and Latvia, damaging four Il-76 transport aircraft that can carry heavy machinery, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.

INDONESIA

Close contest expected for presidential election

Indonesia's upcoming presidential election will be a close contest between two popular candidates, the country's defense minister and the governor of one of its most populous provinces, an opinion survey showed on Wednesday. Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo have dominated opinion polls in the runup to the Feb 14, 2024, election, while former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan trails in the third place. The candidates are expected to register between October and November.

Agencies via Xinhua