The US sent cluster munitions to Ukraine but activists still seek to bolster a treaty banning them
Backers of an international agreement that bans cluster munitions are striving to prevent erosion in support for it after what one leading human rights group calls an “unconscionable” U.S. decision to ship such weapons to Ukraine for its fight against Russia
2023-09-05 16:27
Israel-Hamas war: No independent confirmation of 'beheaded babies' yet, as quotation marks start to appear on global media
Amid unverified claims of 'beheaded babies' following a Hamas attack in Israel, media outlets began using quotation marks when referring to the term
2023-10-13 17:46
Juan Soto hits 2 long home runs in the Padres' 5-4 victory over the Tigers
Juan Soto hit two long home runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Friday night
2023-07-22 09:51
Red miss, super Sainz, lively Lawson: Singapore GP talking points
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2023-09-18 11:20
If Russia wins now it’s the worst-case scenario for humanity, warns Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska
Ukraine’s first lady has warned that Russia winning the war it started is “the worst-case scenario for all humanity”, in a heartfelt plea for the world not to lose interest in her country as its soldiers are fighting for “the democratic balance of the world”. Speaking exclusively to Independent TV, Olena Zelenska said Ukraine is deeply concerned that the world is underestimating the wider threat from Moscow as the conflict grinds into its 18th month. Read the full interview here The Ukrainian military has been fighting one of Europe’s bloodiest conflicts since the Second World War after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion last February. “If the aggressor wins now, it will be the worst-case scenario for all of humanity,” Ms Zelenska said from the heavily guarded presidential palace in Kyiv. “This will mean that global deterrents aren’t working. This will mean that anyone with power, strength and sufficient financial capacity can do whatever they want.” She said that her country desperately needs “faster” support to be able to combat the better-equipped Russian troops; pledges of long-term military and humanitarian aid will not help win the war if delivery is too slow, she warned. “We keep hearing from our Western partners that they will be with us as long as it takes. ‘Long’ is not the word we should use. We should use the word ‘faster’,” she said. “Ukrainians are paying for this war with the lives of our compatriots. The rest of the world pays with its resources. These are incomparable things, so we urge you to speed up this help,” she added. Ms Zelenska, a comedy screenwriter and childhood sweetheart of Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, initially shunned the public spotlight, advising her husband against running for president four years ago. But as soon as Mr Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, she gave up her day job to become an ambassador for Ukraine, rallying international support and becoming one of the key architects trying to rebuild the country even as the fighting rages on. In a wide-ranging interview, Ms Zelenska opened up about the concerns she has for Ukraine and her family, with her and her husband being forced to live separately for security reasons – so the president rarely gets the chance to see their children. “I want to be together again. We really hope that somehow all this will change and we will be able to live a more or less normal family life,” she said. Her message to nations around the globe? “Please don’t get fatigued, because we as Ukrainians have no right to get tired. “Ukraine defends not only its interests, not only its life. We are trying to maintain the whole democratic balance in the world.” Russia’s invasion has left an untold number of the population dead. Civilians have also been subjected to rape, torture, and abductions. In recent weeks, the Russian army has cynically targeted farms, ports and food storage facilities, after President Putin pulled out of a United Nations-brokered grain deal which allowed the safe export of Ukraine’s grain and oil via the Black Sea. Moscow has also unleashed drones and missiles at the port of Odesa and the region’s river ports, which are being used as alternative routes for grain. In the latest attack, on Wednesday, Odesa’s port infrastructure was struck again, damaging 40,000 tonnes of grain earmarked for Africa and the Middle East. This has sparked fears of famine-like conditions in vulnerable parts of the world that have long relied on Ukrainian produce. “We are no longer surprised by anything,” Ms Zelenska said about the Russian leader’s tactics and the resulting hunger, as her country has bounded from crisis to crisis. Watch the interview trailer below The full interview will be available to watch on The Independent’s website and on your smart TV from August 7. In June, the Russian bombing of the Kakhovka Dam unleashed the waters from one of Europe’s largest reservoirs over swathes of the south of the country, causing one of the worst ecological disasters. That followed massive missile attacks on energy and electricity infrastructure over winter, causing blackouts, cold and water shortages. “Ukrainians understand that our enemy is capable of inventing any challenges for us. Therefore, we are not surprised, people are waiting for news, for good news,” Ms Zelenska said. She also spoke about her work as first lady and with the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which she launched in September and is endorsed by the likes of Hillary Clinton and Matt Damon. The projects, which the first lady said “keeps her motivated”, range from reconstructing hospitals and prosthetic centres – providing rehabilitation for up to 20,000 amputees across the country – to combat post-traumatic stress disorder and offering aid to those suffering mental damage in her war-ravaged country. In September, she will host a summit welcoming other partners of leaders from around the world as part of a drive to redefine the roles of presidential partners from “decorative” accessories to a broader collective running humanitarian projects together. Ms Zelenska is acutely aware of the daily struggles many Ukrainian families face. “Can Ukraine endure? We have no other way out, because the longer we endure it, the longer we live,” she said. “It is a matter of survival.” The full interview will be available to watch on independent.tv and your smart TV from August 7. To find out more about our Independent TV smart TV app click here. 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2023-08-03 05:16
Citigroup profits drop less than expected as interest income offsets trading slump
(Reuters) -Citigroup beat analysts' estimates for second-quarter profit on Friday as higher interest payments from borrowers partly countered a blow
2023-07-14 21:16
Browns Rumors: Ludicrous Chubb replacement, obvious reunion, Deshaun Watson out?
Browns Rumors: Familiar face could replace Nick Chubb, an out for Deshaun Watson's contract, and the worst Chubb replacement idea you'll hear.
2023-09-20 05:27
How Amouranth plans to use her AI chatbot to deal with creeps who ask her to 'whip a t*t out'
Amouranth believes AI can help people feel less lonely and is harmless if people know it's fake
2023-05-27 14:26
The 49ers lose their 3rd straight game in mistake-filled 31-17 loss to the Bengals
Brock Purdy keeps giving the ball away, San Francisco’s heralded defense is struggling to generate stops and the early season dominance for the 49ers is firmly in the past
2023-10-30 09:54
Protected by 'shield laws', US health workers skirt abortion state bans
For weeks, American nurse Lauren Jacobson has been supervising the daily dispatch of around fifty parcels of abortion pills -- mostly to states where it is illegal to...
2023-07-28 10:28
Trucking firm Yellow explores alternate bankruptcy loans
By Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK (Reuters) -Bankrupt trucking company Yellow Corp will not seek court approval to borrow $142.5 million
2023-08-10 03:48
NBA rumors: Bradley Beal trade offer from Heat leaked
With the Bradley Beal trade market heating up tremendously, the Miami Heat are heavily in the mix and their offer to the Wizards has been revealed.The Miami Heat are reportedly one of the top suitors to work a Bradley Beal trade with the Washington Wizards as trade rumors around the All-Star gua...
2023-06-19 01:28
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