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A US expert claims Russia is "withering" before our eyes, slamming the country's invasion of Ukraine as "pathetic" amid the assassination attempts against three pro-Russian officials in the last fortnight alone. The former US Defence Secretary, James Mattis, hit out at the "immoral" and "operationally stupid" war started by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine at the Seoul Forum 2022 on Friday (July 1). He said: “We have a saying in America, we say that nations with allies thrive, nations without allies wither and we’re watching Russia wither before our eyes right now. READ MORE: Anti-Putin campaigners 'using porn sites to show Russians the truth about Ukraine war' “The tragedy of our time is that Putin is a creature straight out of Dostoevsky. He goes to bed every night angry, he goes to bed every night fearful, he goes to bed every night thinking that Russia is surrounded by nightmares and this has guided him." Mr Mattis' comments were made after Russia made the … [Read more...] about Russia and Putin ‘withering’ amid three assassination plots, US expert claims

As Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on access to independent news and information in Russia , campaigners have turned to using porn sites to get their anti-war messages across. Russia recently introduced fake news legislation, a group of federal laws prohibiting the dissemination of information considered "unreliable" by Russian authorities, which many condemn as a tool to control criticism of the state. A jail term of up to 15 years is the punishment for spreading intentionally "fake" news about the military. READ MORE: Bikini model who posed on tank forced to flee Ukraine after bone-chilling threat To combat this Marina Ovsyannikova, a CEO at a Ukrainian digital marketing company, began buying ad space across websites in Russia and Belarus, linking to independent news on the war in Ukraine . As Russia's fake news laws made the bigger sites like Google and Youtube harder to use for her ploy, Ovsyannikova moved "into a darker realm", as the Guardian put it. … [Read more...] about Anti-Putin campaigners ‘using porn sites to show Russians the truth about Ukraine war’

Russia claims to have taken Lysychansk and thus entire Lugansk region Zelenskyy said his country needed "colossal investments" so people can rebuild their lives German interior minister says Ukrainian refugees face better conditions in EU than Syrians did in 2015 The article was last updated 14:55 UTC/GMT Kremlin accuses Western countries of blocking peace talks with Ukraine Moscow has accused the Western nations of preventing peace negotiations with Ukraine and thus dragging out the war. "Now is the moment when Western countries are betting everything on a continuation of the war," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state television. Under the leadership of the United States, the West was not allowing Ukrainians "to think about peace, nor to talk about it, nor to discuss it," Peskov said, referring to statements by Western politicians who had said they did not want to pressure Ukraine into negotiations. Nevertheless, the moment for negotiations will come, he … [Read more...] about Ukraine: Russia claims to have full control of Luhansk region — live updates

The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that Russian forces have "liberated" all of Ukraine's Luhansk region. The ministry on Sunday said Russian forces had captured Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-held city in Ukraine's Luhansk province. Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Russia's troops and members of a local separatist militia "have established full control over Lysychansk and some nearby settlements," according to a post on the ministry's Telegram channel. "The total area of ​​the territories liberated over the past day amounted to 182 square kilometers," the post said. Control of Lysychansk would bring Moscow closer to its stated goal of seizing all of Ukraine's Donbas region. Ukraine's military did not immediately provide a response, but on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities had said that Lysychansk remained under Ukrainian control. Early on Sunday, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces were gaining a … [Read more...] about Moscow claims control over Luhansk region as missiles hit border towns

THE RUSSIAN Grand Prix is in serious doubt after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine after a surprise statement on TV. Formula One are now monitoring the situation after Ukraine that "Putin has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine". An F1 spokesperson said: "Formula 1 is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September. "We will continue to monitor the situation very closely." Speaking the day before the invasion, Russian F1 driver Nikita Mazepin said he expected the race in Sochi to go ahead. Speaking on Wednesday, he said: "From the understanding that we’ve had with Formula 1 the race is going ahead. And you will surely see me there. “I have always been a big supporter of sport without politics." Most read in Sport CHICK THIS OUT Wimbledon fans' shock at eye-watering cost of a pint and … [Read more...] about Russian Grand Prix in serious doubt after Ukraine invasion with F1 ‘closely watching’ conflict

A host of stars might be performing at this year’s London Pride, but we know it’s your signs and outfits that low-key stole the show. Over a million people descended on the capital today for the 50th anniversary of the first ever march. The sky turned rainbow-coloured as LGBT+ people, allies, activists, politicians, bikers, celebrities and even dogs marched through the capital for the first time since the pandemic. Metro.co.uk is at the scene speaking to people about why the event is so important (and sussing out the very best outfits and signs on display). In a defiant message to religious zealots, one banner said: ‘If God hates us why are we so cute.’ Another religious-themed banner said: ‘Jesus had two dads.’ A third brandished a flag which simply told haters: ‘F**k off’. Other signs carried inspirational messages about inclusivity and being yourself. One person wore a t-shirt which said: ‘The only choice I made was to be myself.’ Another donned … [Read more...] about ‘Jesus had 2 dads’: The best signs on display at London Pride

“If your jewellery isn’t made in New Zealand, there’s no way of knowing where your gold was mined,” said Ash Hilton from Good Gold and Ash Hilton Jewellery. The United States, UK, Canada and Japan are moving to ban imports of Russian gold in a bid to hamper the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, but New Zealand has not signalled it will follow suit. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand was aware of the plan, and was looking at all options to further pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, and cut off its financial system from international markets. But for buyers who want to avoid inadvertently buying jewellery made from Russian gold, things are tricky because many jewellers do not disclose the ultimate sources of the gold in their bling. READ MORE: Would you pay $17,499 for a lab-created diamond? Queenstown man selling Central Otago gold mine claim for $80,000 Old rings become treasure as gold rally revives scrap recycling … [Read more...] about Buy locally-made jewellery to avoid Russian conflict gold