This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Alex Ritzen and in the early hours of Monday the 19th of August,

these are our main stories.

President Zelensky has said that he wants to create a military buffer zone on Russian soil.

The U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin arrives in Israel to make a final push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of

hostages.

Democrats arrive in Chicago where Carmelah Harris will be confirmed as their candidate

for US President, we hear from our North America editor.

Also in this podcast, I think that for the audience, they like me or they dislike me,

that's all.

Alan Delon, one of France's greatest ever film stars has died.

President Macron leads the tributes.

The Ukrainian president, Philodomeer Zelensky, has said that one aim of the

cross-border offensive in the Russian Kursk region is to create a buffer zone that would prevent attacks across the border.

He was speaking in his nightly televised address.

Today we achieved good and much needed results in destroying Russian equipment near Turetz and all this is

more than just defense for Ukraine. It's now our primary task in defensive operations overall

to destroy as much Russian war potential as

possible and conduct maximum counter-offensive actions. This includes creating a

buffer zone on the aggressors territory, our operation in the Korsk region.

Earlier Ukraine said that it had struck another bridge in Russia.

Here's our Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford.

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