News Trending War

Dozens feared dead after Russian bomb hits school

By 581 0

The bombing of a school where villagers had sought refuge is tragically just one of many attacks this weekend as the war in Ukraine continues.

A sustained Russian assault has resulted in fierce fighting around Popasna in Luhansk in recent days. Serhiy Haidai, the local governor, said Ukrainian forces were retreating and that the town had been completely destroyed.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced that his troops had taken control of the majority of the town.

Meanwhile, Russian-backed separatists in the neighbouring Donetsk region claimed that Ukrainian shelling hit the city of the same name and another town, Holmivskyi, on Sunday.

Both sides had previously stated that the other would suffer significant losses. According to the Ukrainian government, 400 enemy soldiers were killed, eight tanks and 28 other armoured vehicles were destroyed, a ship and a helicopter were destroyed, and 27 drones were shot down.

According to Russia’s military, its air force alone killed around 420 Ukrainian soldiers and disabled 55 military vehicles. It also claims to have shot down two attack planes and a helicopter near the port of Odesa, as well as destroying a warship with a missile. Since the Russian invasion began, the Ukrainian government has accused Moscow of targeting educational establishments, including schools and colleges, completely destroying more than 20 sites.

Daria Herasymchuk, a presidential advisor, called the invasion “a war against children.”

Officials said on Sunday that the Russian invasion has killed 225 children and injured 413 others, though these figures are likely to be higher because they do not include casualties in occupied areas or areas where hostilities are still taking place.

Children were suffering the most, according to Ms Herasymchuk, in the eastern Donbas region, where the government has requested international assistance to repatriate children from orphanages in Russian-occupied territory.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending War

Russia-Ukraine war: European Union likely to sanction Vladimir Putin’s alleged girlfriend Alina Kabaeva

By 732 0

Alina Kabaeva, the alleged girlfriend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is named in the sixth proposed package of European Union sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Kabaeva, who has been romantically linked to Putin, was included in a proposed EU sanctions list, according to two European diplomatic sources.

At this point, names can be removed or added at the discretion of member states, and it is expected to be a point of negotiation when a new sanctions package is proposed, according to an EU Commission source. The EU has not yet given its approval to the draught proposal. “There are ongoing discussions. It won’t be easy, but we’ll have to wait and see “On Friday morning, one of the diplomatic sources said.

Kabaeva, who was born in 1983, was first linked to Putin when she was a medal-winning gymnast more than a decade ago. Putin, who is divorced, has denied ever dating her. Kabaeva and Putin are said to have met when she was a young gymnast competing in European competitions and at the Olympic Games. At the 2004 Athens Games, she won the gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics.

She was selected as one of the torch bearers when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014, an event that occurred shortly before Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.Since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, the EU has increased its economic sanctions against Russia. Recently, the EU proposed a ban on Russian oil imports, which would have a significant impact on Russia’s economy, though Hungary, an EU member with close ties to Putin, is likely to sabotage any such plans.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Belarus Ryanair plane arrest student Sofia Sapega jailed for six years

By 687 0

A Belarusian court sentenced a Russian student to six years in prison, one year after she and her dissident journalist partner were detained and arrested on a Ryanair flight. Sofia Sapega and Roman Protasevich were on their way to Lithuania when their flight was forced to land in Minsk.

The case prompted widespread condemnation and new sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko’s government. She was found guilty of inciting social enmity and discord by the court.She was also found guilty of illegally gathering and disseminating information about an unnamed person’s private life without his permission.The anger was sparked by Mr Lukashenko’s election to a sixth term in office in a rigged presidential election, according to the opposition.

Mr. Lukashenko denied the election was rigged and retaliated against the opposition, whose leaders were imprisoned or forced to flee the country.

Mr. Lukashenko denied the election was rigged and retaliated against the opposition, whose leaders were imprisoned or forced to flee the country.

Mr Protasevich had fled Belarus in 2019 and had only known Ms Sapega for about six months when they were apprehended.

He has yet to stand trial, and the status of the investigation into him is unknown.

The opposition activist was on Belarus’s “most wanted” list. However, the decision to declare a bomb threat on board his flight across Europe in May 2021 stunned the world.

Picture Courtesy: google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending War

Ukraine war: Zelensky plea as Russians seek Mariupol endgame

By 671 0

Russian forces have launched an all-out assault on the Azovstal steelworks, the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials.

According to the commander of the Azov regiment, Ukrainian forces inside the plant are fighting “difficult bloody battles” for the second day. After days of sustained attacks, Russian forces are said to have entered “the territory of the plant.”

Around 200 civilians, including children, are believed to be sheltering inside. The BBC was unable to independently verify reports of a Russian attack on a steel plant.

“I am proud of my soldiers who are making superhuman efforts to contain the enemy’s pressure… the situation is extremely difficult,” Azov commander Denis Prokopenko said in a brief video message posted on Telegram.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a new appeal to the United Nations to assist in the rescue of those still alive. “To us, everyone is significant. We request your assistance in rescuing them “In a phone call, Mr. Zelensky informed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Mr. Guterres was thanked by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for a successful UN-led and Red Cross-led evacuation of more than 100 people from the steelworks earlier this week, but he asked the UN to “assist in the removal of all the wounded from Azovstal.”

On Wednesday, 344 evacuees from various south-western cities, including Mariupol, arrived in the relative safety of Zaporizhzhia, a south-eastern city still under Ukrainian control, according to Ukraine’s deputy prime minister.

Irina Vereshchuk thanked the UN and the Red Cross for their assistance in a Telegram post, saying: “Women, children, and the elderly from Mariupol, Manhush, Berdiansk, Tokmak, and Vasylivka are among them… We will now provide them with emotional and psychological support during this trying time.”

The evacuations were confirmed by Osnat Lubrani, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine.

“While this second evacuation of civilians from Mariupol and beyond is significant, much more must be done to ensure that all civilians caught up in fighting are able to flee in the direction of their choice,” she said in a statement.

Picture Courtesy: google/Images are subject to copyright

Entertainment News Trending

Britain’s Got Talent star Jonathan Goodwin paralysed

By 674 0

Jonathan Goodwin, an escapologist, has been paralysed following an accident, according to his fiancee Amanda Abbington.

After an accident during rehearsals for America’s Got Talent: Extreme last year, the Sherlock actress said he nearly died twice.
 She revealed that the stunt performer, who competed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2019, now uses a wheelchair.

He was supposed to break free from a straight jacket while suspended 30 feet in the air between two cars.

Instead, as they caught fire, Mr Goodwin was crushed between them. “He fell 30 feet and lost a kidney, broke both shoulder blades, shattered both legs,” Ms Abbington, 48, said on Jay Rayner’s Out To Lunch podcast.

“He had third-degree burns, which broke his spine and severed his spinal cord, and he was on the verge of death.” Then he nearly died again on the operating table.”

“He’ll be like that forever unless there’s some kind of stem cell surgery or that thing Elon Musk is designing with the little chip,” she said. Mr. Goodwin, a Pembrokeshire native, has remained “positive and upbeat, and so strong,” she said.

“I just aspire to be like him in terms of courage and strength.” “He’s just incredible, honestly, like a very happy, positive human being, just liquid sunshine,” she says. He’s incredible.”

The stuntman, according to the actress, left a voice message before his surgery saying there was a 50% chance he wouldn’t make it.

He expressed his love for her and thanked her for sharing the last few months of his life with him.

For about ten years, the couple had been friends on social media. Joe, Abbington’s son, thought his act was “amazing,” so Abbington followed him. She claimed they met after she divorced Martin Freeman, a fellow Sherlock actor, and he divorced his wife.

They spent hours on the phone each day at first, Ms Abbington said, before he flew to Vienna to meet her for the first time. Mr. Goodwin proposed within 30 minutes. The couple plan to marry this summer.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

Entertainment News Trending

Meghan Markle’s animated series Pearl has been cancelled by Netflix

By 581 0

In an effort to save money, Netflix has cancelled the development of Pearl, an animated series created by Meghan Markle.

The show, which was announced last year, is one of several projects that the streaming behemoth has cancelled. Netflix announced a sharp drop in subscribers last month, warning that millions more are on the verge of abandoning the service.

The company’s market value plummeted by more than $50 billion, and experts warned it would be difficult to get back on track. Meghan will serve as an executive producer on Pearl, according to Archewell Productions, the company founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The series was supposed to follow the exploits of a 12-year-old girl who is inspired by historical figures.

Netflix did confirm, however, that it will continue to collaborate with Archewell Productions on a number of projects, including a documentary series called Heart of Invictus. The series will focus on athletes competing in the Invictus Games for injured veterans, which will be held in The Hague in 2022 and was founded by Prince Harry.

A BBC request for comment was not immediately returned by Archewell Productions.

Netflix also announced that two animated children’s series, Dino Daycare and Boons and Curses, would be cancelled.

Netflix announced in April that its total number of subscribers had fallen by 200,000 in the first three months of this year, far short of its goal. It also predicted that two million more users would abandon the service in the three months leading up to July.

Some analysts warned that the company had run out of easy ways to grow the business after a period of rapid expansion during the pandemic. Consumers who are strapped for cash are cutting back on streaming services to save money, while others believe there is too much content to choose from in the face of fierce competition from companies like Disney and Amazon.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending

A four-year-old Dutch boy enjoys a joyride in his mother’s car

By 590 0

After driving his mother’s car in the Netherlands, a four-year-old boy may have a future in Formula One.

On Saturday, the child crashed into two parked cars in Utrecht’s central city before fleeing the scene in his pyjamas and bare feet, according to police. After seeing him walking down the street alone in the cold, concerned bystanders called the cops. No one was injured in the incident, and police claimed on Instagram that they had discovered a “new Max Verstappen.”

When his father went to work on Saturday, the child awoke and took his mother’s car keys “to go for a drive,” according to police.

A report of an abandoned vehicle near-by, which appeared to have hit two parked cars, came in after officers were dispatched to pick him up.

According to the police, it was registered to the boy’s mother, and officers contacted her. When police handed the phone to the child, he allegedly imitated driving and made steering wheel gestures. “We then realised that the child could have been the driver,” continued the Instagram post.

Before being reunited with his mother, the four-year-old was given some hot chocolate and a teddy bear at the police station.

They went to the accident scene together, and he was asked if he could demonstrate how the car worked.

According to police, the child opened the car with the key, put it in the ignition, and moved his foot to the clutch and gas pedals. His mother described him as “resourceful.”

Officers advised the parents to keep their car keys hidden from their children in the future. Police wrote in the post, “New Max Verstappen found in (the Utrecht suburb of) Overvecht,” referring to the current Dutch Formula One world champion driver. “Fortunately, this mini driver’s adventure came to a satisfying conclusion,” police said.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending

After a two-year hiatus, the White House press dinner is back

By 628 0

After a six-year hiatus, US President Joe Biden has resumed his tradition of speaking at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. 

Since 2016, he is the first leader to speak at the event, where the president is mocked by a friendly audience of journalists.  It was postponed for two years due to the pandemic, and Donald Trump boycotted it while he was in office. 

Trevor Noah, a comedian and host of The Daily Show, was the event’s main attraction.  The gala, which has been an American press tradition since 1921, brought together celebrities, renowned journalists, and high-ranking US officials. Among the celebrities in attendance were Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Drew Barrymore, and Chris Tucker. With a jab at Donald Trump, Mr. Biden addressed the fact that he is the first president to attend the event since 2016. 

“This is the first time in six years that a president has attended this dinner. It’s understandable given that we experienced a terrible plague followed by two years of Covid “he stated. “It’s actually nice too, once again, to have a president who isn’t afraid to come to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and hear jokes about himself,” Noah added later on stage. 

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending War

Volunteers deliver emergency contraception pills during the Ukraine conflict

By 621 0

As reports of rape rise, charities are working to get emergency contraception into Ukrainian hospitals.

Nearly 3,000 packets of morning-after pills have been delivered to areas of the country hardest hit by the Russian invasion. The pills were provided by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and volunteers are delivering them.

Caroline Hickson, a member of the group, says that when it comes to distribution, timing is crucial. “[The morning-after pill] is effective in preventing pregnancy for a window of five days,” she told.

“If you’ve been a victim of gender-based violence, it’s critical that you get help as soon as possible, because becoming pregnant as a result of rape is extremely traumatic.”

Medical abortion pills, which can be used up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, have also been sent by the organisation.

Ms Hickson explained that the pills are available to assist women in a variety of situations, including those who are having consensual sex but believe it is not the right time to start a family.
“Emergency contraception was available in Ukraine prior to the war, but supply chains have been disrupted, and it’s critical for women to have access to this,” she said.

Because there are so many people displaced across Ukraine, it’s difficult for aid workers to determine how many supplies are needed in which areas.

Last week, Ukrainian troops pleaded for food and medicine for Mariupol, which has been cut off from humanitarian aid by Russian troops.

The IPPF has been collaborating with the UN Population Fund and the International Medical Corps to bring tablets into Ukraine.

“The UN agencies, civil society organisations, and the Ministry of Health have come together to identify the needs, and they’ve been communicated to all of us working in support,” Ms Hickson said.

Emergency contraception is included in UN kits sent to women and girls involved in conflicts around the world.

In Ukraine, they’ve done the same thing, as well as sending supplies for family planning and childbirth.

The BBC has discovered evidence of Ukrainian women being raped by invading soldiers in villages just outside of Kyiv during the war.

Similar stories have been reported by other media outlets from Bucha, a city north-west of Kyiv.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright

News Trending War

Biden proposes $33 billion to assist Ukraine in its war

By 679 0

President Biden has requested $33 billion (£27 billion) in military, economic, and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, despite insisting that the US is not “attacking Russia.”

Mr. Biden stated that approval of the deal by US lawmakers was “critical,” as it would aid Ukraine’s defence. More than $20 billion in military aid, $8.5 billion in economic aid, and $3 billion in humanitarian aid are included in the proposal.

On Thursday, Mr. Biden said, “It’s not cheap.” “However, if we allow aggression to prevail, it will be more costly.”

Despite the fact that the US has already pledged assistance to Ukraine, the proposals represent a significant increase in aid. President Biden stated that the United States has provided ten anti-tank weapons for every tank Russia has deployed in Ukraine.

Despite his fiery rhetoric, he stated that the United States was not attacking Russia. He insisted, “We are assisting Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression.” A spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Western military support for Ukraine threatens “the continent’s security.”

President Biden is requesting that Congress authorise a massive sum of money for Ukraine, more than twice what the US has already spent on military and humanitarian aid. The US president wants to show that he is unfazed by vague threats of nuclear retaliation and a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin that retaliatory strikes could be launched against countries that intervene in Ukraine.

He dismissed those remarks, saying they reflect Russia’s desperation over their abject failure to accomplish what they set out to do.

He explained to Americans why this money was needed – at a time when many are struggling with rising living costs – by saying that it was not cheap, but that doing nothing was even more expensive.

A new plan to allow US authorities to not only freeze but also liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs is risky, and it has alarmed civil liberties groups in the United States. In Congress, however, it is likely to receive bipartisan support.

It will not, however, begin to cover the cost of the additional funds the White House wants to devote to Ukraine’s war efforts.

The White House said in a statement that the package will “establish new authorities for the forfeiture of property linked to Russian kleptocracy, allow the government to use the proceeds to support Ukraine, and further strengthen related law enforcement tools.”

This week, the Canadian government proposed legislation that would allow it to seize and sell Russian assets.

Under pressure to broaden its sanctions, the ruling Liberals are pushing for the seizure of “any type of property,” including money, digital assets, and virtual currency.

Picture Courtesy: Google/Images are subject to copyright