Briefly

UNITED STATES

Death toll from Helene rises to 227

The death toll from Hurricane Helene reached 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states. Helene came ashore Sept 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland US since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina.

UKRAINE

Russia launches air attack on Kyiv

Russian air attacks on Ukraine kept the eastern half of the country under air raid alert for more than five hours, Ukraine's military said early on Sunday, with Moscow launching several waves of strikes targeting Kyiv and other cities. According to preliminary information, there were no reports of damage or injuries, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said. Details regarding the size of the attack will come later in the day, he said. Air raid alerts for the capital and its region were announced three times during the night, totaling more than five hours, Popko said.

Agencies via Xinhua