Briefly

ECUADOR

Emergency declared amid prison crisis

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa decreed on Monday a state of emergency, imposing a curfew for 60 days, due to the "serious internal commotion" in several prisons. The president said the measure is based on the "factual situation" of violence and criminality which is affecting the country. The decree came after reports on Sunday of the alleged escape of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias "Fito", the country's main drug trafficker and leader of the organized crime group Los Choneros.

RUSSIA

Moscow vows to halt shelling of Belgorod

Russia on Tuesday said its military would do everything possible to stop the Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, a border town where hundreds were evacuated after fatal bombardments. The pledge came as Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Russian forces were dictating the course of fighting on the front line, which has barely shifted in about a year despite fierce fighting. Belgorod has suffered an uptick in fatal shelling attacks in recent weeks that prompted city officials to evacuate hundreds.

Agencies via Xinhua