Month: July 2022

For Ukrainians Forced Into Russia, Leaving Can Be Hard

As evacuees from Mariupol and other occupied Ukrainian cities make their way through Russia to third countries, they are beginning to tell stories of their harrowing journeys and of mixed treatment at the hands of Russian authorities. Vlad Shorohov, 25, is a former Mariupol resident. A former reporter and restaurant manager, he was able to escape the artillery-ravaged city by evacuating through Russia to Finland, where he is currently working in construction. Shorohov left Mariupol on March 20 with his mother, grandmother, a niece, and other family members and neighbors after spending three weeks in the icy basement of a …

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UN: 828 Million More People Faced Hunger in 2021

The United Nations warned Wednesday that the world is failing in its efforts to eradicate hunger, as 828 million more people had too little to eat in 2021 — 150 million more than before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019. The State of Food Security and Nutrition report, released Wednesday, is the collaborative effort of five U.N. agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program. Their data show that the major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition are conflict, climate change and economic shocks, combined with growing inequalities. “The ongoing war in Ukraine, together with other …

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Death Toll Rises to 9 in Italian Glacier Avalanche

The death toll rose to nine Wednesday from a glacier avalanche Sunday in the Italian Dolomite Mountains, Maurizio Fugatti, president of the province of Trento, said as rescue workers continued to search for victims. The two new casualties were spotted by drones on Wednesday near the edge of the avalanche’s debris field, officials said. Five hikers believed to have been near the avalanche remain missing. Precarious conditions on the mountain are preventing search and rescue teams from working near the site of the avalanche. A police team adept at DNA analysis has also been called in to assist with identifying …

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Russia Sees Start of New Cold War

Until February 24, when Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine, the Cold War was encapsulated in museums as a dark period in European history. But the divide between Moscow and the West is showing no signs of healing, and analysts say the current state of relations could be the start of a new cold war — or the continuation of the old one. Marcus Harton narrates this report. …

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Ukrainians Displaced Near Kyiv Fear for War-damaged Homes

Valentyna Klymenko tries to return home as late as possible to avoid the darkness of her war-damaged home outside Ukraine’s capital. She visits friends, goes to the well for water, or looks for a place to charge her phone.  The 70-year-old Klymenko then returns alone to an apartment that used to be noisy and full of life. She is now greeted by dim, damp rooms instead of the voices of her great-grandchildren.  Klymenko rarely cooks. She drinks fruit compote and eats canned tomatoes she prepared last year so she doesn’t waste the gas in her portable stove. She goes to …

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Sweden Charges 18-year-old in March School Attack 

Swedish prosecutors announced Wednesday they charged an 18-year-old man with two counts of murder in connection with a March attack at a high school. Authorities say the man armed with a knife and an axe killed two teachers at Malmo Latin School. The man was a student at the school, which has about 1,100 students. He was arrested shortly after the attack and is due to go on trial later this month. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. …

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Turkish Police Break Up LGBTQ Pride March; 30 Detained

Police in Turkey’s capital broke up an LGBTQ Pride march Tuesday and detained dozens of people. Turkish authorities have banned LGBTQ events, but about 50 people holding rainbow flags nevertheless marched toward a main park to mark the end of Pride Month. Police officers prevented the group from reaching the park, detaining the participants on a busy street in central Ankara. Some of the marchers were forced to the ground, angering passers-by who tried to physically intervene or pleaded with officers to let them go. Plain-clothed officers were seen pushing them away. Organizers said at least 30 people were detained. …

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Israel’s Lapid Meets Macron in Paris on First Trip as PM

Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday used his first trip abroad since taking office to urge world powers to step up pressure on Iran over its nuclear activities, calling the Islamic republic a threat to regional stability. Lapid met in Paris on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on Lapid to revive talks toward peace with the Palestinians and said Israelis are “lucky” to have Lapid in charge. Lapid, who took office Friday, focused on Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the stalled global deal aimed at curbing them. Israel accuses Iran of trying to …

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