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Zaporizhzhia shelling: Dozens of explosions near occupied nuclear site

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Since Saturday night, more than a dozen significant explosions have been noted close to a sizable nuclear power facility in south Ukraine that is under Russian occupation.  Rafael Grossi, the chief of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, issued an urgent plea for an end to the violence at Europe’s largest nuclear power station, Zaporizhzhia.

“Whoever is behind this, it must stop immediately,” he said. “You’re playing with fire!” On the front lines of the conflict, the factory is located beside the River Dnipro.

The military of Russia said that Ukrainian soldiers on the other side of the river had shelled the territory it controlled. The Ukrainians, who have previously indicated that Russian soldiers shell the area itself despite having their own troops there, have not yet responded.

Before the latest explosions this weekend, which persisted until Sunday morning, the area surrounding the facility, including the nearby Russian-occupied town of Enerhodar, had been subject to constant attack for months.

From their windows, observers from Mr. Grossi’s company, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saw some of the explosions.

The IAEA team reported damage to various buildings, systems, and equipment at the site, but none that was “essential for nuclear safety and security” at this time, according to information provided by officials at the plant under Russian administration. There were no casualty reports.

“The news from our team yesterday and this morning is extremely disturbing,” Mr Grossi said. “Explosions occurred at the site of this major nuclear power plant, which is completely unacceptable.”

He called once again for the two warring sides to agree and implement a nuclear safety and security zone around the plant as soon as possible.

“I’m not giving up until this zone has become a reality,” he said. “As the ongoing apparent shelling demonstrates, it is needed more than ever.”According to a Rosenergoatom official reported by Russian state media, 15 rounds were fired at the plant’s facilities, landing close to a building that stores recently used nuclear fuel and a facility for storing dry nuclear waste, but no radioactive emissions were found.

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Ukraine war: Rishi Sunak visits President Zelensky in Kyiv

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In his first trip to Kyiv as prime minister, Rishi Sunak met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and committed £50 million in defence assistance.

According to No. 10, the meeting was organised to demonstrate “continuing UK support” for Ukraine.

Following the meeting, Mr. Zelensky posted on Telegram, “We discussed the most significant topics, both for our countries and for world security.”

He continued, “We are stronger, and we will get the desired outcomes.

Mr. Sunak, who assumed his position last month, described his visit to Kyiv as “very humbling” and promised that the UK would continue to support Ukrainians in their struggle.

During the meeting with Mr Zelensky, he said the UK would provide a major new package of air defence to help protect Ukrainian civilians and the country’s national infrastructure from Russian strikes.

As a result of frequent Russian aircraft raids on Kyiv and other parts of the country, Ukraine has recently asked for assistance from Western countries.

125 anti-aircraft guns, technologies to combat lethal drones supplied by Iran, several radars, and anti-drone electronic warfare capacity are included in the £50 million defence aid package.

It follows the announcement of more than 1,000 additional anti-air missiles made earlier this month by UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

Earlier that week, only days after being ordered to evacuate its forces from Kherson, Russia launched one of its heaviest missile barrages against Ukraine.

Strikes occurred all over the nation, from Chernihiv in the north to Lviv in the west, including in Kyiv.

That attack coincided with the G20 summit in Bali where, in a virtual speech, Mr Zelensky said he was “convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped”.

By sending skilled army physicians and engineers to the area to provide specialised support, Mr. Sunak indicated that the UK will also boost the training offer to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The British prime minister visited Kyiv and paid his respects at a war memorial and a memorial for those who perished in the Holodomor famine. He then spoke with first responders at a fire station. Mr. Sunak also observed drones of Iranian manufacture that had recently been used to target and bomb civilians in Ukraine.

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US R&B singer B. Smyth dies of rare lung disease at 28

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According to his brother, US R&B artist B. Smyth passed away at the age of 28 from respiratory failure. According to a video older brother Denzil put on Instagram, the musician had pulmonary fibrosis.

He remarked, “My brother lost his battle with his lung illness earlier this morning. Before signing with Motown Records and recording music with 2Chainz and Future, B. Smyth started his career by uploading covers to YouTube. He continued by saying that his brother had “never thought” of having to deliver such bad news.

Breathing becomes more challenging as a result of the scarring of the lungs caused by pulmonary fibrosis. It is uncommon in those under 50, but there is no known reason. The Florida-born musician, Brandon Smith, first achieved popularity by uploading covers of songs by Michael Jackson and Frank Ocean.

He signed a record deal with Motown in 2012, and a year later his debut single, Leggo featuring 2Chainz, was made available. He also collaborated with Future on his 2013 hit Win Win, and released songs with Young Thug and Rick Ross.

His best-known singles also included Twerkoholic, released in 2014, which has been streamed 20 million times on YouTube and 13 million times on Spotify. The follow-up, Twerkoholic Part 2, came out last month while he was in hospital.

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MH17: Three guilty as court finds Russia-controlled group downed airliner

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Three men were convicted guilty of murder by a Dutch court for shooting down a passenger plane over eastern Ukraine in 2014, which resulted in the deaths of 298 people. The court determined that a Russian-made missile fired by an armed group controlled by Russia and supplied by Russia brought down flight MH17.

The three men—two Russians and one Ukrainian—were convicted in absentia and given life sentences. A third Russian was found not guilty. Prior to accusations of atrocities occurring there becoming a reality practically every day, the missile attack was one of the most infamous war crimes in Ukraine.

Many surviving family members of the victims believe that the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent geopolitical upheaval could have been avoided eight years ago if the world had responded differently and taken a firmer position against Russia.

The only one of the four defendants who had a lawyer at the trial was Oleg Pulatov. Despite finding that he was aware of the missile, the judges declared him not guilty. 80 children and 15 crew members were among the 298 passengers that boarded Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Over Ukraine, the aircraft was flying at 33,000 feet. It was early in Russia’s attempts to annex areas of the nation. This was a relatively low-intensity conflict area at the time, although recent air combat had increased fighting. A number of military aircraft had been shot down in the months before.

In retaliation, Ukraine shut down the airspace up to 32,000 feet below ground level. However, flights continued to span the nation. One thousand feet above this constrained airspace, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was travelling.

It lost communication with air traffic control around 13:20 GMT. 196 of the 298 passengers, who were travelling from 17 different nations, were from the Netherlands, 43 from Malaysia, 38 from Australia, and 10 from the United Kingdom. They had packed for their ideal vacations, a symposium on AIDS, family gatherings, and more. All future plans vanished in a split second.

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Ukraine war: Poland says missile deaths an unfortunate incident

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After a missile strike killed two people on a farm close to Poland’s western border with Ukraine, Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, declared that there are no indications of an intentional attack.

US Vice President Joe Biden had earlier stated that it was “unlikely” that the missile had been launched from Russia.

The two employees perished as Ukraine came under attack from one of the war’s heaviest volleys of missile strikes.

The Kremlin had maintained that it was unrelated to their demise.

The missile that struck the farm in Przewodow, 6 kilometres (4 miles) from the border, was initially attributed to Russia, according to Poland.

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed Warsaw should have quickly made it obvious the debris was from Ukraine’s S-300, accusing Western nations of having an exaggerated response.

Both Russia and Ukraine employ the outdated Soviet surface-to-air missiles, and Kiev declared its desire to participate in the probe while also indicating that it was prepared to present proof of a “Russian trail” in the attack.

According to Paul Adams of the BBC, Ukraine’s air defences have been working hard to shoot down Russian missiles, and one of the missiles that was fired may have been thrown off course. The NATO ambassadors gathered in Brussels during the investigation to discuss how to respond to a member state becoming involved in Russia’s war.

No evidence, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, suggested that the incident was the product of a planned strike or that Moscow was contemplating aggressive measures against the defensive alliance.

According to Kiev, more than 90 Russian missiles were launched against Ukraine on Tuesday. Some of the missiles struck Lviv, which is close to Ukraine’s western border with Poland, despite the Ukrainian military’s claim that 77 were shot down.

The majority of the rockets fired by Russian forces, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, were intended against the nation’s energy infrastructure.

The S-300 missile, which was built in Russia, was most likely to blame, but there was no proof that it had been fired by the Russian side, according to Polish President Duda, who said this at a press conference on Wednesday. Invoking Article 4 of the NATO charter, which mandates consultations in the event of a security danger, may not be required, according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

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Netherlands to ban laughing gas from January

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The use of nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, is now prohibited in the Netherlands due to health concerns regarding the rising number of young people who use it.

The ban, which goes into effect in January, makes it unlawful to purchase, sell, or possess gas. The authorities claim that it is still permissible to utilise it in food production and medicine.

The government also anticipates that the prohibition will result in fewer drug-related auto accidents. Laughing gas has reportedly been a factor in 1,800 accidents in the Netherlands over the last three years, according to road safety watchdog TeamAlert.

According to Maartje Oosterink of TeamAlert, “almost two a day, data that really astonished us,” she told AD newspaper earlier this month.

The well-known legal high has been more popular among clubbers and festival goers in recent years, and it’s frequently combined with other drugs like ketamine or MDMA (ecstasy).

Most of the time, the gas is sold in little metal canisters, which are then poured into balloons before being breathed. The Trimbos Institute estimates that more than 37% of Dutch partygoers, predominantly young people, regularly consume laughing gas.

However, there are significant worries over how the depressant-like medicine affects the brain and how the body reacts. Regular heavy use might also result in a vitamin deficit, which can harm your nerves permanently and leave you paralysed.

As the government’s decision was made public, State Secretary for Health, Welfare, and Sport Maarten van Ooijen stated that the use of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes poses significant health hazards.

Dilan Yeşilgöz, the minister of justice, stated that the prohibition would allow the police to take prompt action if they discovered someone driving around with nitrous oxide gas canisters in their vehicle.

Beyond the Netherlands, worries about the drug’s rising popularity exist.

In England, it is the substance that 16 to 24 year olds abuse most frequently (behind cannabis).

Due to worries over its misuse, the UK Home Office faced calls this month to outlaw all sales of the gas to direct consumers.

Due to the fact that it is acceptable to legally purchase and sell it for the purpose of manufacturing whipped cream, it has become widely and easily accessible for recreational use.

In hospitals and dental offices, large canisters of nitrous oxide are frequently utilised to administer anaesthesia to patients.

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Natasa Pirc Musar: Slovenia elects lawyer as first female president

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As Slovenia’s first female head of state, a lawyer associated with former US first lady Melania Trump was chosen. Journalist and attorney Natasa Pirc Musar received support from Slovenia’s center-left government to run as an independent.

She defeated conservative political veteran and former foreign minister Anze Logar. According to the election commission, Ms. Pirc Musar received nearly 54% of the vote, beating Mr. Logar who received slightly over 46%.

The commission said that 49.9% of the roughly two million voters participated in the election. After winning, Ms. Pirc Musar declared, “Slovenia has elected a president who believes in the European Union, in the democratic values on which the EU was formed.”

She stated that “climate change is putting the planet through difficult times.” She stated, “Young people are now placing the burden on our political shoulders to look after our world so that our children can live in a safe and healthy environment.

Although Ms. Pirc Musar will serve as commander in chief of the armed forces and appoint a number of senior officials, including the governor of the central bank, the president’s function is largely ceremonial. While her husband was president, Ms. Pirc Musar was employed as a lawyer to represent Mrs. Trump, who was born in Slovenia.

In 2016, Ms Pirc Musar and her client filed a lawsuit against Suzy magazine in Slovenia for suggesting Mrs Trump had worked as a high-end escort while pursuing her international modelling career. An out-of-court settlement was reached.

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Iranian who made Paris airport home for 18 years dies

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An Iranian guy who spent 18 years residing in a Paris airport has passed away. Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who was in a precarious diplomatic situation, moved into a small part of the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in 1988.

His story served as the basis for the Tom Hanks-starring 2004 movie The Terminal. After receiving permission to reside in France, Mr. Nasseri returned there a few weeks ago, when he passed away of natural causes, an airport official told AFP.

Mr. Nasseri, who was born in the Iranian province of Khuzestan in 1945, first took a flight to Europe in order to find his mother.

After being ejected from nations such as the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany for not possessing the proper immigration documents, he spent a while residing in Belgium. He subsequently travelled to France and settled down in the 2F Terminal of the airport.

He spent his days writing about his life in a notebook and reading books and newspapers while curled up on his bench, surrounded by trolleys filled with the things he had accumulated.

The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones, was directed by Stephen Spielberg after his story gained the attention of the world’s media.

Journalists went to interview the man who served as the inspiration for a Hollywood blockbuster after the movie’s premiere. According to Le Parisien, Mr. Nazzeri, who went by the name “Sir Alfred,” once conducted up to six interviews every day.

He was given refugee status and the ability to stay in France in 1999, but he remained there until 2006, when he was transferred to the hospital for medical treatment. Using the money he had been paid for the movie, he then lived in a hostel, according to the French newspaper Libération.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Nasseri returned to the airport, where he resided until his passing, according to an airport representative.

The officer stated that he was caught in possession of several thousand euros.

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Kate Winslet covers mum’s £17,000 energy bill

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Kate Winslet has given a mother who has pay an astronomical energy bill to maintain her daughter’s life support £17,000. Clackmannanshire Council informed Carolynne Hunter that her bill would be expensive the following year.

Freya, her 12-year-old daughter, is oxygen dependent due to her severe cerebral palsy and ongoing breathing issues. When the Titanic actress interfered after hearing about their altercation on BBC Scotland, Ms. Hunter claimed she was overcome.

Winslet made a £17,000 donation to the family’s GoFundMe page and wished them well in a message to Ms. Hunter.

Our family’s path has been quite stressful, and Ms. Hunter, 49, said: “At this point in my life, I just feel done.”

“When I heard about the money I just burst into tears – I thought it wasn’t even real. I’m still thinking is this real?” The Hunters live in a large council house in Tillicoultry – which is not energy efficient – so there is space for Freya’s equipment.

Currently, running the equipment and heating the house costs them £6,500 year, though Ms. Hunter claimed she had turned off the heat in most rooms to save money.

She earns a moderate wage working full-time, but she does not have access to the same resources as others with lower salaries.

As a result of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, Ms. Hunter is particularly concerned that anticipated winter power outages could endanger Freya’s care.

Freya requires oxygen therapy for breathing issues in addition to cerebral palsy, especially at night.

At least two NHS nurses or employees of self-directed support (SDS), a type of social care, are needed to assist the family.

Freya’s oxygen levels are monitored, and staff members frequently suction Freya to keep her airways open.

In recent months Freya’s room was the only one to be heated in order to keep her and her staff comfortable – but Ms Hunter said they have had to cut back.

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KFC apologises after German Kristallnacht promotion

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KFC issued an apology after encouraging German consumers to celebrate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken in a promotional pitch.

More than 90 individuals were killed in the coordinated attacks carried out by the Nazis in 1938, which also damaged Jewish-run businesses and places of worship.

Many people believe that it marked the start of the Holocaust.  The remark, which received harsh criticism for its lack of tact, was ultimately attributed to “an error in our system.”

The fast-food chain sent an app alert on Wednesday, saying: “It’s memorial day for Kristallnacht! Treat yourself with more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!”

According to the Bild tabloid, a second message with an apology was issued around an hour later.

“We are very sorry, we will check our internal processes immediately so that this does not happen again. Please excuse this error,” the message is reported to have said.

The 9 November Kristallnacht anniversary is taken seriously in Germany, where a number of commemorative activities and talks are planned to remember the more than six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews’ Director of Public Affairs, Daniel Sugarman, called the original KFC message “absolutely hideous.”Dalia Grinfeld, the associate director of European affairs at the Jewish NGO Anti-Defamation League, tweeted: “How wrong can you get on Kristallnacht KFC Germany. Shame on you!”

The fast food chain said the “automated push notification” was “linked to calendars that include national observances”.

It added that it “sincerely” apologised for the “unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message” and said app communications had been suspended while an examination of them takes place.

“We understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all,” the company finished by saying.

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