More than 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers defending the Azov steel plant in Mariupol have been taken into Russian custody since May 16, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Wounded soldiers were among them, some of whom were taken to Novoazovsk, in the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, for treatment. Ukraine officials have offered assurances that soldiers held could return home through an exchange, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed hope of saving the soldiers' lives, saying: "Ukraine needs living Ukrainian heroes." Death penalty for Azov fighters? However, Russia has not rushed to negotiate an exchange . The chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, has even gone so far as to claim that Ukrainian prisoners of war — whom he described as "Nazi criminals" — cannot be handed over. On May 26, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is scheduled to rule on designating the Azov Battalion a "terrorist organization," which would mean a ban in Russia. The … [Read more...] about Prisoners of war from Azov: Do the fighters face the death penalty in Russia?
Human territories how we behave in space time
BBC’s Chris Packham slams Co-op’s use of fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’
Open Cages share footage of ‘Frankenchickens’ Sign up HERE for science breakthroughs in health, business and more that matter SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info According to animal welfare charity The Humane League, who organised this weekend’s protests, 90 percent of chickens grown today for meat do so both unnaturally fast and to staggering sizes. Such explosive growth rates, they said, can exceed the chickens’ bodies’ ability to keep up, resulting in assorted health problems , from high blood pressure and swollen abdomens to muscular diseases and even cardiac arrest. In some cases, the charity added, broiler chickens in farms grow so large prior to being slaughtered that they struggle to walk. WARNING: This article … [Read more...] about BBC’s Chris Packham slams Co-op’s use of fast-growing ‘Frankenchickens’
Ukraine: Diplomacy only way to end war, Zelenskyy says — as it happened
Finland, Sweden strive to reassure reluctant Erdogan on NATO bids Russia publishes full list of 963 Americans banned from entering Diplomacy only way to end war, Zelenskyy says Russia halts gas exports to Finland UN refugee agency says over 6.4 million people have fled Ukraine This article was last updated at 23:42 UTC/GMT This live updates article has been closed. For the latest news on the war in Ukraine, please click here. Austria: Protesters occupy alleged Russian oligarch villa Activists near Salzburg, Austria, occupied a lakeside villa thought to belong to a Russian businessman. The property is located in the town of Unterburgau, near the city of Salzburg. While protesters claimed 40 people were calling for the expropriation of the property, police said only 10 people were involved. Austria's land register and Finance Ministry register said the villa does not belong to an oligarch subject to EU sanctions but instead to a company associated with one … [Read more...] about Ukraine: Diplomacy only way to end war, Zelenskyy says — as it happened
Bosnia and WW1: The living legacy of Gavrilo Princip
By Dan Damon Published 26 June 2014 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Tourists, historians and diplomats have been arriving in Sarajevo to commemorate the shots fired by a young Bosnian Serb assassin on 28 June 1914 - shots that sparked World War One. But the city and country are uneasy in the historical spotlight, as the tensions behind those events are still alive today. Gavrilo Princip fired twice at close range into the open-topped car carrying the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie. He could hardly miss - two of the bullets found their targets and the royal couple were killed. After 37 days of increasingly paranoid diplomacy, the Great Powers went to war. The Austrians hoped this would solve the problem of Slavic separatism, and it did - but only after four years of war that destroyed their empire. With such a … [Read more...] about Bosnia and WW1: The living legacy of Gavrilo Princip
I think I’ve found Britain’s most outrageous piece of cycling infrastructure
Readers have been dutifully documenting the installation of silly cycling infrastructure on the Letters page , but I am willing to bet that few places in the UK can rival Park Lane in London. Cycling there a few days ago, I noticed that I was on one of three bike lanes all running in parallel a few metres away from one other along the same route. There is one in the park, one just outside the park fence, and the latest addition, a two-way route taking up more than a whole lane that was once devoted to cars. Altogether, Park Lane, which used to be a four-lane thoroughfare running right down the centre of town, has been reduced to just one lane for cars. At busy times, the traffic is almost stationary. Much of the space for bikes, on the other hand, is empty. Humanity may well be doomed, but not in the way the fatalists think Before humans invented history, time was circular. The sun rose, then it set, then it rose again. Seasons of birth, growth and death repeated … [Read more...] about I think I’ve found Britain’s most outrageous piece of cycling infrastructure
Guns in America: Recent debates over lead-based bullets
One of the last actions Barack Obama took during his last full day as president was to quietly enact a ban on lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle, which the White House said would protect animals and fish from poisoning. An order signed on January 19 by the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) called for a phase-out by 2022 of the use of toxic lead on federal lands, such as national parks and wildlife refuges. Six weeks later, Ryan Zinke, on his first day as secretary of the interior, revoked the regulation , saying it "was issued without significant communication, consultation or coordination with affected stakeholders." His action came after gun rights advocacy groups, including the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), had called for the Trump administration to immediately reverse the order. Related: Guns in America: House bill allows gun sales to mentally ill vets The battle over lead began more than 25 years … [Read more...] about Guns in America: Recent debates over lead-based bullets
The Gardens Group centres flourish with people, plants and planet mission
Gardeners galore: fans with smaller spaces are boosting trade for the centres (Image: The Gardens Group) Get pensions news and advice plus latest money alerts for FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Home to thousands of indoor and outdoor plants with some grown in its nursery, the family firm has grown steadily and now has three centres as well as an online store. Related articles Alan Titchmarsh shares ‘easy’ way to make a water feature at home 'Causes them to shrivel' How to kill weeds without chemicals - 4 ways Castle Gardens and Poundbury Gardens welcome customers in Dorset, while Brimsmore Gardens does the same in Somerset. All have restaurants and Brimsmore a farm shop too. Managing director Mike … [Read more...] about The Gardens Group centres flourish with people, plants and planet mission
Davos 2022: What to expect from the World Economic Forum’s most consequential meeting in 50 years
Eschewing the typical snowy alpine scenes that usually form the backdrop to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, delegates and visitors to the 2022 event are instead being greeted by green mountainscapes and warm sunshine (for the most part). The WEF 2022 is meeting in springtime rather than January - when it is traditionally held - for the first time, having been postponed on multiple occasions by COVID-19. Besides the novelty that the change of season brings, the WEF is meeting at a crucial time. In its 50-year history, the WEF has never been confronted with such unprecedented global issues as it now faces in 2022, as the world recovers from a global pandemic, grapples to contain the devastating impact of the climate crisis, and navigates a geopolitical storm following the invasion of Ukraine. "Davos will be different, but not mainly because of the lack of snow but because of lack of global co-operation to solve these most pressing challenges," … [Read more...] about Davos 2022: What to expect from the World Economic Forum’s most consequential meeting in 50 years
Pitch invasions are a big problem and could lead to someone being KILLED – what if a player got stabbed?
PITCH INVASIONS are becoming a huge problem. And I want to use this article to plead with the FA and the Premier League to seriously look into this. Right now, they are putting players and managers in really difficult situations. In this country, we are always reactive rather than proactive. So, do something about it . . . before someone is killed. These invasions have become a growing trend over the last couple of weeks and what we have seen is an undying need from a small percentage of idiots to go that one step further. When I saw the footage of Patrick Vieira reacting to and kicking an Everton pitch invader , my first thought was: ‘How stupid is this fan?’ READ MORE ON SUNSPORT VIEIRA PROBE Police investigating Vieira incident after Palace boss KICKED Everton fan FOOTIE SHAME Fan jailed & banned from every game for 10yrs after headbutting Sheff Utd star If you knew Vieira as a player and a man, he … [Read more...] about Pitch invasions are a big problem and could lead to someone being KILLED – what if a player got stabbed?