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• February 16, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaPakistan: Imran Khan picks Omar Ayub as PM nomineePublished4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Omar Ayub Khan said his first priority. if elected, is to free Pakistan’s political prisonersBy Kelly NgBBC NewsJailed cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has named a man in hiding as his pick for Pakistan’s prime minister.Omar Ayub Khan will run against the candidate of Imran Khan’s rivals.Mr Ayub, one of the former prime minister’s party leaders, is currently wanted by police on criminal charges. That does not bar him from running.However, despite Mr Khan’s independents unexpectedly winning the most seats in last week’s election, they do not have enough to form a government.Currently, the two main rivals appear on course to take control, after they formed a coalition – Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).A senior leader of Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, Asad Qaiser, announced Mr Ayub as his pick for PM after meeting with the former premier in prison.Members of Pakistan’s National Assembly will elect the new prime minister and 56-year-old Mr Ayub will face off against the PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif’s brother.Mr Ayub is on the run from criminal charges over riots sparked by Imran Khan’s arrest in May last year. But that does not disqualify him from seeking the PM post.If elected PM, Mr Ayub said his top priority is to free political prisoners. He won last week as an independent backed by PTI.He is the grandson of Mohamed Ayub Khan, a military dictator and Pakistan’s president from 1958 to 1969.What now in Pakistan after Khan vote surprise?With the PPP’s support, Mr Sharif on Wednesday put forward his brother Shehbaz as the PML-N’s PM candidate.The vote for Pakistan’s next prime minister will take place after all new members of the National Assembly take their oaths, and the speaker and deputy speaker have been elected.Independent candidates – a majority affiliated with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested in last Thursday’s election. The PML-N won 75 seats while the PPP came third with 54 seats.Against the odds, election shows Imran Khan’s support is solidWho is really pulling the strings in a divided Pakistan? The PTI argues that its allies should have won even more votes and seats, alleging vote fraud and interference – which electoral officials have denied. Earlier this week, a politician from the Jamaat-e-Islami party gave up his seat because he says the vote was rigged in his favour.”We will not allow our mandate to be stolen,” Mr Ayub said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.”PTI as a party will work for strengthening democratic institutions in Pakistan so that the country’s economy can be put on a path of positive trajectory and we can initiate our reforms programme to benefit the people of Pakistan,” he said.Mr Ayub was first elected into the nation’s National Assembly in 2002 as a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, a breakaway party from the PML-N.He joined PML-N in 2012, and then moved again in 2018 to join PTI. He was a minister in Khan’s cabinet from 2018 until the ex-PM’s ouster in April 2022. He was appointed PTI’s secretary-general since 27 May 2003, shortly after Khan’s arrest.Related TopicsPakistanImran KhanNawaz SharifAsiaShehbaz SharifMore on this storyWhat now in Pakistan after Khan vote surprise?Published4 days agoHow Imran Khan plans to win an election from jailPublished4 FebruaryPakistan’s king of comebacks looks set to win againPublished2 FebruaryThe cricket star and former PM dividing PakistanPublished1 FebruaryTop StoriesLive. Tories suffer two by-election defeats with big swings to LabourJohn Curtice: Results leave Tories with mountain to climbPublished3 hours agoLabour scores double by-election victory over ToriesPublished55 minutes agoFeaturesJohn Curtice: By-elections leave Tories ‘with mountain to climb’ Weekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?Will TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?The epic voyage of a daring Mughal princessListen: By-Election Newscast Special. 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[ad_1] Omar Ayub will face off against the nominee of Khan’s rivals, who have joined forces.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaCongress: India opposition party claims bank accounts ‘frozen’Published24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, The Congress is India’s main opposition partyIndia’s main opposition Congress party says its bank accounts have been frozen by the income tax (IT) department just months before the country holds general elections.The party later said that IT officials had given them access to funds in the accounts pending a hearing in court.Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge called the freezing of funds as an “assault on democracy”.The government or the IT department have not responded to the allegations.Congress leader Ajay Maken told reporters on Friday morning that the party had been informed two days ago that the cheques it was issuing were “not being honoured” by banks. On investigating, the party was told that “all its accounts had been frozen”.Mr Maken said that the money in the party’s accounts had come through online crowdfunding while that in it’s youth wing’s accounts had come from membership fees. He said that accounts of its youth wing – Indian Youth Congress – had also been frozen.”We don’t have any money to spend, to pay electricity bills, to pay salaries to our employees,” Mr Maken said and added that all political activities of the party will be impacted.He said that the action had been taken on account of a 45-day delay in filing income tax returns of the party for 2018-2019.He added that the IT department has asked Congress to pay 2.1bn rupees ($25m; £20m) as a “recovery” amount.Congress leader Vivek Tankha has said the court will hear the party’s appeal for interim relief from the IT department’s action on Wednesday.Critics have accused Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using state machinery to target opposition leaders in the run-up to the elections. Mr Modi and the BJP have denied the allegation.Related TopicsAsiaIndiaMore on this storyWhat Gandhi’s justice march means for India electionPublished15 JanuaryRahul Gandhi blames India PM Modi for Manipur crisisPublished9 August 2023Top StoriesLive. Tories suffer two by-election defeats with big swings to LabourJohn Curtice: Results leave Tories with mountain to climbPublished2 hours ago’Disappointing’ night for Tories as Labour takes two seatsPublished1 hour agoFeaturesJohn Curtice: By-elections leave Tories ‘with mountain to climb’ Weekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?Will TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?The epic voyage of a daring Mughal princessThe Papers: ‘Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights Get back! Paul McCartney reunited with stolen bassThe Argentines backing a ‘crazy’ president’s shock therapyThe KGB spy who rubbed shoulders with French elite for decadesElsewhere on the BBCThe biggest stories as you’ve never heard them beforeThe Asylum Seeker of Dibley, Rebel Without a Policy, and a nod to Steve WrightAttributionSoundsDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsTime to turn your ‘side hustle’ into a full time job?Deborah Meaden talks about the positives and pitfalls of running your own businessAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan2’Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights3By-elections leave Tories ‘with mountain to climb’4Labour scores double by-election victory over Tories5Shopping rebounds on supermarkets and January sales6Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?7Xbox, Nintendo or PlayStation: does it still matter?8US warns key Ukrainian town could fall to Russia9State school pupils back royals more than private10Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere

[ad_1] An hour later, the party said that income tax officials had unfrozen its accounts.

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• February 16, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaChun Ki-won: Hero pastor jailed for sexually abusing North Korea teenage escapeesPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Chun Ki-won, seen here in 2004, at a film festival promoting his mission’s rescuesBy Frances MaoBBC NewsA South Korean pastor once hailed as a hero for smuggling out hundreds of North Koreans has been jailed for sexually abusing teenage defectors.Chun Ki-won, 67, has been sentenced to five years for molesting minors at his boarding school in Seoul.The pastor had been viewed as a saviour figure for decades with people calling him an “Asian Schindler” and his operations an “Underground Railroad” for those fleeing the North’s regime.He was arrested in Seoul in September.Police accused him of molesting six North Korean teenagers, including defectors sleeping in the dormitories of the alternative school he had founded at his Durihana mission.Chun had denied the charges but a court on Wednesday ruled the victims’ evidence as irrefutable.”The victims are making consistent statements and it includes content that cannot be stated without first-hand experience of the circumstances”, Judge Seung-jeong Kim of the Seoul Central District Court said.The judge added that Chun had committed his crimes from “a position where he had absolute influence”.He was found guilty in five of six cases of abuse against the minors – some of whom had escaped alone and others with their families under the guidance of Chun’s mission.Chun founded Durihana, one of South Korean’s most prominent NGOs that helps North Koreans flee through routes in China. He claims to have helped more than 1,000 North Koreans escape the hardline regime of the Kim family over the past 25 years, and has personally been condemned by Pyongyang for his work.In 2002, he made headlines after being imprisoned in China for seven months during an escape mission.His work – which included the establishment of an alternative school for children of North Korean defectors – was widely covered, the subject of documentaries and news articles including by the BBC, CNN, The New York Times and National Geographic. Media reports often compared him to Oskar Schindler, a businessman who rescued more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.His arrest and conviction has shocked South Korea – where his trial was widely reported this week.TV bulletins showed the grey-haired Chun in a white outfit being brought to court in handcuffs and flanked by guards.Read more about North Korean defectorsPreparing N Korea’s traumatised defectors for new livesA family’s escape from North Korea through a minefield and stormy seasSecret calls and code names: How money makes it to N KoreaRelated TopicsNorth Korean defectorsSouth KoreaNorth KoreaMore on this storySecret calls and code names: How money makes it to N KoreaPublished30 JanuaryA family’s escape from North Korea through a minefield and stormy seasPublished5 December 2023Rare N Korea footage shows teens sentenced over K-dramaPublished18 JanuaryPreparing N Korea’s traumatised defectors for new livesPublished10 July 2023Top StoriesLive. Labour overturn big Tory majorities in by-election winsJohn Curtice: Results leave Tories with mountain to climbPublished59 minutes agoLabour scores double by-election victory over ToriesPublishedJust nowFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights Will TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beerMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineWeekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan’Beyoncé can open UK country music floodgates’Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harmElsewhere on the BBCThe biggest stories as you’ve never heard them beforeThe Asylum Seeker of Dibley, Rebel Without a Policy, and a nod to Steve WrightAttributionSoundsDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsTime to turn your ‘side hustle’ into a full time job?Deborah Meaden talks about the positives and pitfalls of running your own businessAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan2’Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights3By-elections leave Tories ‘with mountain to climb’4Labour scores double by-election victory over Tories5Xbox, Nintendo or PlayStation: does it still matter?6Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere7State school pupils back royals more than private8Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm9McCann suspect in German trial for unrelated rape10Two boys, 15, arrested over fatal Bristol stabbing

[ad_1] Hailed as “Asia’s Schindler” for helping North Koreans flee, he has been jailed for sexual abuse.

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• February 16, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJavier Milei: Argentines wait for ‘crazy’ president’s shock therapy to workPublished23 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Javier Milei wielded a chainsaw at one of his campaign rallies to symbolise his plans to slash public spendingBy Ione WellsSouth America correspondent, Buenos AiresThere is one thing that unites those who love and loathe Argentina’s new president – they both describe him as “crazy”.”Most people call him that. I think it’s good,” says 21-year-old Axel Uhrig of Javier Milei, who won the presidential election with 56% of the vote in November.Axel is part of Pibes Libertarios (libertarian lads) – a self-described “militant” group whose battleground is social media.They stick posters around Buenos Aires at night with QR codes linking to videos in support of President Milei’s policies.The new president is trying to get a package of reforms approved to shrink the state, but is struggling to get it through Congress, where he does not have a majority.Mr Milei may have won the election, but the Pibes Libertarios still feel they are fighting a battle for his sweeping reforms to privatise companies and cut regulations to be made into law.Image caption, The Pibes Libertarios support the president’s radical reforms and libertarian ideologyAfter a series of Argentine governments introduced widespread nationalisation, welfare benefits, subsidised prices, and powerful labour laws and unions, Axel feels Mr Milei gave those on the right an “identity” – a libertarian identity.He is keen to stress this is different from “liberals” in the West who are “progressive” and instead captures those who support “freedom from the state”.Axel is glad that the president was “crazy enough” to defy the status quo with a different approach to the economy.He adds he “saw no future in this place” before Mr Milei was elected and says his two best friends left Argentina seeking a better life in the US and Spain – a trend that is widely commented on here.Shock measuresMr Milei’s radically different approach to the economy is why a lot of people voted for him in a country where for many steep inflation feels like the norm. President Milei blames the country’s skyrocketing inflation on years of high government spending, high debt, and money-printing to service it.He argues “shock” measures are needed to tackle it.Image source, ReutersImage caption, The government argues inflation will get worse before it gets betterHe has already slashed the value of the currency, public spending and subsidies for transport, fuel and energy.These measures have in turn driven up prices.New figures published this week showed annual inflation in Argentina had hit more than 250%, making it the highest rate in the world.The monthly figure jumped to 25.5% in December after he came to power, though has since fallen to 20.6%.Mr Milei told the television station La Nación + the figure was “horrifying” but “you have to look at where we were.”Short-term pain, long-term gain?Many Argentines relish what they perceive as his honesty, saying they are willing to put up with more pain if it improves the economy in the long term.Adriana Ignaszewski, 33, runs a discount grocery store in the poorer suburb of El Jagüel.She says in the past “no-one gave us an answer” to inflation, but “today we have someone who tells it how it is.”Image caption, Adriana Ignaszewski is updating prices in her grocery store every dayArgentines will wait as long as they need to, she adds.”If it is the last thing we have to go through, let’s go through it.”Adriana likes the president’s focus on getting inflation down to help with the cost of living, instead of support from the government, because price rises affect her business and customers every day.But down the road her sister Silvia, 40, has relied on state support and fears she cannot afford to wait.She lives with their mother and three of her five children in a house comprised of a few small rooms where “the refrigerator is literally empty”.Silvia sews crates of hair accessories to sell at a market and says her sales have dropped by more than 50%.”People can’t buy food, fewer will be able to buy a hair accessory,” she says.Image caption, Silvia says sales of the hair accessories she sews have dropped because of rising pricesShe stresses that fruit and meat are luxuries and says she cannot even afford to buy basic items like milk, rice or bread. She believes the current price spikes Mr Milei’s plans have caused will lead to people going without anything.”The policies they are carrying out will kill the people, the workers,” she says.”He’s crazy.”Even some of those struggling, though, agree with Mr Milei’s recent argument to the World Economic Forum in Davos that “the state is not the solution, the state is the problem itself.”They don’t want support from the government, they think it is the cause of people’s woes.Cristina, a pensioner who sells old clothes for extra money at the barter market with Silvia, says she cannot afford her rent and living costs on her pension and blames former governments for making people accustomed to receive state support.”They got used to the benefits. Many prefer to steal or be at home and collect benefits without working. The government cannot be there for everything.”Lorena Giorgio, chief economist at the economic analysis centre, Equilibria, says Mr Milei has done good work in explaining to people why changes are needed.Image caption, Economist Lorena Giorgio thinks many Argentines are waiting to see if things improveBut, Ms Giorgio adds, “The problem is that Milei told them that the political sector and the richest were the ones who were going to pay.”This is not happening.”She predicts people may be willing to wait while things get tougher for six or seven months.But she argues that if inflation remains high, and salaries and pensions do not keep up, there could be “social problems” by Christmas.In the past, economic crises here have led to riots, protests and even the toppling of presidents.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Riot police guard the Argentine Congress during protests in Buenos Aires in JanuaryWith people like Silvia, the woman selling hair accessories, wondering how long they can wait, I asked Mr Milei’s spokesman, Manuel Adorni, when people would be able to judge whether the president’s measures were working.He would not commit to a timeframe but said that in a “short period” the government would begin to “show results in this fight against inflation”.Argentina for many years “swept the garbage under the carpet,” he added, “and we have decided to remove the garbage and always tell the truth.”President Milei’s popularity in part stems from the intense anger, especially from the young, about the country’s economic crisis, and what they perceive as his honesty about that.He has hinged his reputation on curing that by cutting the state, though he is already blaming opposition politicians – whom he calls la casta, the caste – for not letting him cut as much as he wants to.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Prices in Argentina rose by more than 200% last yearHis public support is likely to be defined by how quickly he can show results, when state support is being reduced and some already feel at their limit.At a supermarket where the price of meat has gone up 30% in two months, a woman, Anabela Acuña, break down in tears when asked how life is for her right now.”It’s very, very difficult. I have three jobs and I can’t make ends meet,” she says.”Many people are on the street. That breaks my heart.”All very crazy, very crazy.”Related TopicsArgentinaArgentina economyMore on this story’We’re the country of beef, but we can only afford chicken’Published30 JanuaryMilei’s radical proposals face test of reality in ArgentinaPublished26 November 2023Record inflation: Five ways Argentines try to copePublished17 May 2023Top StoriesLive. Labour overturn big Tory majorities in by-election winsLabour scores double by-election victory over ToriesPublished23 minutes agoParents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harmPublished8 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights Will TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beerMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineWeekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan’Beyoncé can open UK country music floodgates’Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harmElsewhere on the BBCThe biggest stories as you’ve never heard them beforeThe Asylum Seeker of Dibley, Rebel Without a Policy, and a nod to Steve WrightAttributionSoundsDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsTime to turn your ‘side hustle’ into a full time job?Deborah Meaden talks about the positives and pitfalls of running your own businessAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1’Britain’s recession slide’ and caution on staff rights2Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan3BBC cuts Apprentice contestant from spin-off show4Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere5McCann suspect in German trial for unrelated rape6Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm7Get back! Paul McCartney reunited with stolen bass8Two boys, 15, arrested over fatal Bristol stabbing9Robert Hur to testify before House Republicans10The KGB spy who rubbed shoulders with French elites for decades

[ad_1] The new president’s radical measures to overhaul the economy are loved by some, loathed by others.

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• 2022.Ukraine
• February 16, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUkraine Russia war: US warns Avdiivka could fallPublished3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, “I will die here”: Evacuation “angels” help front-line town’s last residents fleeBy Jaroslav LukivBBC NewsThe US has warned that Russia could seize Ukraine’s key eastern town of Avdiivka – the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in recent months. “Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, citing Ukraine’s ammunition shortages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to do everything to “save as many Ukrainian lives as possible”.Russian troops have made gains in Avdiivka, threatening to encircle it.The town – which has been almost completely destroyed – is seen as a gateway to nearby Donetsk, the regional Ukrainian capital seized by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and later illegitimately annexed by Moscow.Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.Ukraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined town Nothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaAt Thursday’s briefing in Washington, Mr Kirby said Avdiivka could fall largely “because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition”.”Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions,” he said. “And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”Russian forces are now reaching Ukrainian trenches in Avdiivka, and they’re beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defences.”Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to be able to continue fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.Nato Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Smoke rises over an industrial site in Avdiivka on ThursdayIn his video address late on Thursday, President Zelensky said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that our warriors have enough managerial and technological capabilities to save as many Ukrainian lives as possible.”On Friday, Mr Zelensky is visiting Berlin and Paris where is expected to sign security pacts with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.A similar agreement on security co-operation was signed between Ukraine and the UK in January.Late on Thursday, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky admitted that “fierce battles” were taking place “within” Avdiivka.”We value every piece of Ukrainian land, but the highest value and priority for us is the preservation of the life of a Ukrainian soldier,” he said.Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy acknowledged that Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka were being forced to “sometimes move to more advantageous positions… in some places leaving positions”.Some Ukrainian soldiers have privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.”We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC earlier this week, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.”Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii. He suggested that the shortages were widespread and having a dramatic impact on the fighting in Avdiivka.”We feel a very strong responsibility for our guys fighting right now in the town, armed only with assault rifles.”Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the frontline in the Avdiivka area this week, acknowledging that the situation there was “difficult”.He said the Russian military did not “count losses”, using its troops as cannon fodder.Kyiv says an elite Ukrainian brigade has now been sent to Avdiivka and reserve artillery has been deployed.In unverified reports, Russian military bloggers said on Thursday that a key Ukrainian defence position in southern Avdiivka – known as Zenit – was now under Moscow’s control.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyUkraine battles frostbite and shell shortage in ruined townPublished15 hours agoNothing but rubble: Ukraine’s shattered ghost town AvdiivkaPublished30 JanuaryFull cemeteries and empty homes: Ukrainians struggle to endurePublished1 day agoThe Ukrainians ‘disappearing’ in Russia’s prisonsPublished6 days agoTop StoriesLive. Labour overturn big Tory majorities in thumping by-election winsParents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harmPublished7 hours agoGaza hospital in ‘catastrophic’ state as Israeli troops raidPublished8 hours agoFeaturesWhat we can see in video from Nasser hospital raid. VideoWhat we can see in video from Nasser hospital raidWill TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beerMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineWeekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Methane mega-leak exposed in KazakhstanParents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm’Beyoncé can open UK country music floodgates’Elsewhere on the BBCThe biggest stories as you’ve never heard them beforeThe Asylum Seeker of Dibley, Rebel Without a Policy, and a nod to Steve WrightAttributionSoundsDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsTime to turn your ‘side hustle’ into a full time job?Deborah Meaden talks about the positives and pitfalls of running your own businessAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan2BBC cuts Apprentice contestant from spin-off show3Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere4Get back! Paul McCartney reunited with stolen bass5Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm6Two boys, 15, arrested over fatal Bristol stabbing7McCann suspect in German trial for unrelated rape8Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?9Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicine10The KGB spy who rubbed shoulders with French elites for decades

[ad_1] The US and Ukraine admit Ukrainian troops are running out of ammunition in the eastern town of Avdiivka.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRobert Hur: Biden special counsel to testify before House RepublicansPublished43 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, In his report, Robert Hur said president Joe Biden’s recall of certain events is “extremely limited”By Nadine YousifBBC NewsSpecial Counsel Robert Hur, who was tasked with probing president Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, is set to testify before Congress in March. US media reported that Mr Hur will testify before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on March 12.The news follows Mr Hur’s report in which he raised questions about the president’s memory and mental fitness.The 345-page report provoked a strong reaction from Mr Biden.”I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president and I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,” the president said last week. House Republicans have indicated that they intend to ask Mr Hur about his comments on the president’s memory.They have also asked him to turn over recordings and transcripts of his interviews with Mr Biden, which he made during his year-long investigation. The report, which was published by the US Justice Department last week, said that Mr Biden would not face any criminal charges over “willfully” retaining and disclosing classified materials as a private citizen. The bombshell aspect of the report centred on one of the reasons Mr Hur gave for not prosecuting the 81-year-old president: Mr Biden’s memory. The special counsel wrote that Mr Biden would likely be viewed as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” by a jury, not as an individual who had committed a crime.That characterisation – one of the biggest issues facing his re-election campaign – did not sit well with Mr Biden, his allies, or his attorneys.A letter sent by White House Counsel Ed Siskel to Attorney General Merrick Garland prior to the release of Mr Hur’s report accused the special counsel of “openly, obviously, and blatantly” violating the Justice Department’s own policies by making comments about Mr Biden’s mental capacity, according to reports by Politico and the New York Times. “The Special Counsel can certainly and properly note that the President lacked memory of a specific fact or series of events,” wrote Mr Siskel in the letter, which was penned on 7 February but first reported on Thursday. “But his report goes further to include allegations that the President has a failing memory in a general sense, an allegation that has no law enforcement purpose.”The White House did not respond to a request for comment.Mr Hur’s report was penned after a year-long inquiry into Mr Biden’s handling of classified documents from his time as vice-president, which included interviews with the president. In it, the special counsel concluded that Mr Biden, 81, had “wilfully” retained classified files after leaving the vice-presidency in 2017. He then emphasised he would struggle to secure a conviction because of Mr Biden’s age, mental fitness, and demeanour.At times, he used specific moments that Mr Biden and his allies said were deeply personal.In one passage, he provided a pointed example of the president’s memory, writing that Mr Biden did not remember “even within several years when his son Beau died”.The report has buoyed criticism by some Republicans, who questioned Mr Biden’s mental capabilities and his old age as he vies for a second term in the White House.Meanwhile, Democrats have accused Mr Hur, a Republican who was previously tapped by former president Donald Trump for the role of US attorney for the District of Maryland, of political bias.Following the release of the report, Mr Biden held a surprise news conference in which he forcefully declared: “My memory is fine.””How the hell dare he raise that?” the president added, referring to the claim that he could not remember when his son died.Related TopicsUnited StatesJoe BidenMore on this storyProsecutor faces political glare after Biden reportPublished6 days ago’My memory is fine’ – Biden hits back at special counselPublished6 days agoFive things in the Biden classified documents reportPublished7 days agoTop StoriesLive. Labour secure thumping double by-election winParents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harmPublished6 hours agoGaza hospital in ‘catastrophic’ state as Israeli troops raidPublished7 hours agoFeaturesWhat we can see in video from Nasser hospital raid. VideoWhat we can see in video from Nasser hospital raidWill TikTok help take Saltburn from bathtubs to Baftas?Trump faces a $370m fine. How would he pay it?The brewing secrets behind tastier no-alcohol beerMillions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineWeekly quiz: Who could join Sinead in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?Methane mega-leak exposed in KazakhstanParents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm’Beyoncé can open UK country music floodgates’Elsewhere on the BBCThe biggest stories as you’ve never heard them beforeThe Asylum Seeker of Dibley, Rebel Without a Policy, and a nod to Steve WrightAttributionSoundsDouble lives, mental trickery, manipulation and loveVicky Pattison explores the story of a woman who was the target of an online fraudsterAttributionSoundsTime to turn your ‘side hustle’ into a full time job?Deborah Meaden talks about the positives and pitfalls of running your own businessAttributionSoundsThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Methane mega-leak exposed in Kazakhstan2BBC cuts Apprentice contestant from spin-off show3Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere4McCann suspect in German trial for unrelated rape5Parents of Brianna and Molly join forces to combat online harm6Get back! 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[ad_1] In it, the special counsel concluded that Mr Biden, 81, had “wilfully” retained classified files after leaving the vice-presidency in 2017. He then emphasised he would struggle to secure…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 17yearold
• 1980s
• February 9, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSwitzerland: Police shoot dead axe-wielding hostage-taker on trainPublished42 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Police attempted to talk to the hostage taker for several hoursBy Imogen Foulkes & Ian Casey BBC News, Geneva and LondonPolice in Switzerland have shot dead a man armed with an axe and a knife who took 15 passengers hostage on a train on Thursday night.The hostage-taker, reported to be a 32-year-old asylum seeker from Iran, boarded a local train near Yverdon.He forced the driver to stop the train and to join passengers in the carriage.Officers stormed the train and “fatally wounded” the man after he attacked them, police reports say. The hostages were all released unharmed.According to local media, the authorities were alerted by passengers on the train and more than 60 officers were in attendance. Police, including a special unit from Geneva, surrounded the train and spent several hours trying to talk to the man in English and in Farsi, without success. Late at night, when they observed the hostage-taker moving away from the passengers, they stormed the train using stun grenades. According to police reports, the man attacked the police, at which point they used their firearms to protect the hostages and themselves, and the hostage taker was fatally shot.Police say the motive for the hostage-taking is unclear. One passenger on the train said the perpetrator appeared “very stressed”. Local reports say hostages and their families are being supported by the Swiss health service’s psychological department.Little is known about the man, except that he was originally from Iran and had been assigned to an asylum seeker centre in Neuchatel.Hostage dramas are rare in Switzerland, but have previously taken place at banks and businesses. In January 2022, employees at a watch-making firm were taken hostage and forced to open a vault.Related TopicsSwitzerlandMore on this storyHow London hotel sting caught Swiss museum heist thievesPublished20 JanuaryGambia ex-minister faces Swiss trial for murderPublished8 JanuaryWolves win against farmers as Swiss cull put on holdPublished30 December 2023Top StoriesLive. Prince Harry hacking case hearing if more claims are settled’My memory is fine’ – Biden hits back after report on classified filesPublished2 hours agoPutin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinPublished1 hour agoFeaturesWeekly quiz: Who beat Miley to win Song Of The Year?Political grenade thrusts Biden’s age into spotlight’Fat people can be heroes, not just the punchline’Putin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to KremlinWhy I shared my mum’s murder story on TikTokWatch: Japan earthquake leaves smouldering wasteland. VideoWatch: Japan earthquake leaves smouldering wastelandHow Taylor Swift ‘supersized’ the history-making Kelce brothersAttributionSport‘Get it up ye!’ How 17-year-old Kevin Bridges conquered the worldChris Mason: The politics of Starmer’s U-turnElsewhere on the BBCHow did a booming computer manufacturer go bust?Commodore computers were huge in the 1980s, so why couldn’t the business adapt and survive?AttributionSounds’It was 23andMe’s biggest ever security breach’Was a recent, unprecedented DNA data theft a racially motivated attack?AttributionSoundsCould you be owed cash over car finance deals?Martin has been investigating and shares his step-by-step guide on how to find outAttributionSoundsThe surprising health benefits of doing the plankMichael Mosley explores whether it outshines crunches or sit-ups…AttributionSoundsMost Read1Putin takes charge as Carlson gives free rein to Kremlin2Nationwide’s Dominic West advert reported by rival3Juniors doctors to strike over five days, BMA says4Green Party loses ‘gender critical’ court battle5’My memory is fine’ – Biden hits back at special counsel6Weather warnings across UK for snow and floods7Warning over ‘surge’ in deadly dog disease cases8‘Get it up ye!’ How 17-year-old Kevin Bridges conquered the world9Woman catches police watching Netflix in her home10US warns Israel sending troops into Rafah risks ‘disaster’

[ad_1] The emergency lasted several hours and hostages were freed unharmed.

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• 1994Dermot
• 2022.He
• January 23, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaScott Morrison: Former Australian prime minister to quit politicsPublished14 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, European Photo Press AgencyImage caption, Scott Morrison oversaw Australia’s pandemic responseBy Hannah RitchieBBC News, SydneyAustralia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced he will quit parliament to join the private sector.Mr Morrison, a conservative who was first elected in 2007, was the country’s leader from 2018 to 2022.He oversaw Australia’s pandemic response, the Aukus defence pact, and was embroiled in a historic scandal for secretly appointing himself to several ministerial positions while PM.”The time has come for me to return to private life,” he said on Tuesday.”After having served in the parliament for more than sixteen years, including almost four as Prime Minister during a very challenging time for our country, now is the time to move on,” he added in a statement.Mr Morrison said he would now take on “strategic advisory roles” across Asia to focus on security matters in the Indo-Pacific.A devout Christian, he said he was “looking forward to being more active” in his church and spending time with his family. Mr Morrison’s retirement has long been expected following a shattering election loss to Labor’s Anthony Albanese in 2022, during which his party dropped 18 seats. Australia’s reputation as a climate laggard was a major factor in his government’s demise – with voters favouring candidates committed to more ambitious emissions cuts. Later in 2022, he became the first former prime minister to be censured by Australia’s parliament – over secret powers he had given himself during the pandemic.Mr Morrison said his decision to make himself the joint minister for health, finance, treasury, and home affairs had been in keeping with the “extraordinary times” the country was facing.An investigation found his appointments were legal, and that he used his extra powers only once. During his time in office, Mr Morrison had a particularly rocky relationship with China, Australia’s largest trading partner. His government led calls for an international investigation into the origins of Covid, prompting a tit-for-tat trade dispute and a years-long diplomatic freeze. In a strategic pivot, Mr Morrison instead focused on bolstering Australia’s security alliances, helping to set up the Quad partnership with India, Japan and the US, and signing the Aukus nuclear submarine deal with the UK and US. The 55-year-old first garnered national attention in 2013 when he was appointed to cabinet as immigration minister and oversaw Operation Sovereign Borders – which hardened Australia’s controversial asylum seeker policies.He then served as social services minister and treasurer, before succeeding Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal Party leader and prime minister. Mr Morrison famously defied polls to win the 2019 federal election.After a decade of political leadership challenges in both major parties which upended governments, he became the first prime minister to serve a full term since John Howard in 2007. Related TopicsScott MorrisonAustraliaMore on this storyEx-Australia PM’s secrecy prompts historic censurePublished30 November 2022What went wrong for Australia’s defeated PM?Published21 May 2022Top StoriesUS and UK launch fresh strikes on HouthisPublished4 hours ago UK officials probe Iran generals’ antisemitic talks to studentsPublished6 hours agoManhunt after eight shot dead in Illinois cityPublished51 minutes agoFeaturesWar in Yemen: UAE funded political assassinationsThe Papers: ‘Weight-loss horror’ and Elon Musk visits AuschwitzUS man says wait for untested execution like ‘torture’Is North Korea’s leader actually considering war?’Frozen eyes, frozen toes’ – the brutal race that may never returnAttributionSportHow Storms Isha and Jocelyn get their namesRankin: I’m trying to change the whole idea of what beauty isWhere have all the UK tech ‘unicorns’ gone?No bail, no trial: Freedom on hold for Indian activistElsewhere on the BBCThe bizarre origins of a world-altering act of violenceJon Ronson returns with more unexpected, human stories from the culture warsAttributionSoundsThe alternative sounds of 1994Dermot takes you back in time with Weezer, The Beastie Boys, The Prodigy and moreAttributionSoundsHow can we make a decision and stick to it?Dr Lucy Maddox shares practical, life-changing insights and tools for navigating lifeAttributionSoundsHow much do you know about huge and tiny measurements?If you’re not familiar with gigaseconds and hectometres, this is the quiz for youAttributionBitesizeMost Read1’Weight-loss horror’ and Elon Musk visits Auschwitz2US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthis3Manhunt after eight shot dead in Illinois city4Storm Jocelyn to bring strong winds and heavy rain5Iran’s antisemitic speeches to UK students probed6MrBeast reveals he made $250,000 from X video7Two million ‘could see energy cut off this winter’8Oscar nominations to reflect Barbenheimer success9Is North Korea’s leader actually considering war?10Russian sanctioned for Australia’s worst data hack

[ad_1] His legacy includes Australia’s pandemic response, the Aukus security pact, and several controversies.

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