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France sends Ukraine more rocket systems, Macron says

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France has delivered rocket launchers and weapons to Ukraine and will send more early next year, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview aired on Tuesday. Read FRANCE 24’s liveblog below to see how the day’s events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+1). 

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10:19pm: World Bank approves $610 million Ukraine aid package

The World Bank said Tuesday that it has approved a fresh $610 million package for Ukraine, with financing aimed at sustaining essential services and supporting health care as war rages on.

This comes as Russia’s invasion “continues to have devastating economic and humanitarian consequences”, World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement.

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The war has hit Ukraine’s health sector, critical energy infrastructure, as well as transport networks, he added.

Of the added financing, $500 million comes through a loan to help Ukraine’s government with expenses relating to child and family benefits, public employee salaries, as well as utility payments.

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8:55pm: Russia targets domestic human rights group, maps

The Russian government intensified its crackdown on critics and what it sees as harmful information about its “special military operation” in Ukraine on Tuesday with moves to ban a human rights group and publication of maps that omit annexed Ukrainian land.

The crackdown fits a theme Russian President Vladimir Putin sounded Tuesday in a video address honouring Russia’s military and security agencies. Putin, a former KGB operative, called on those forces to redouble their efforts to protect the stability of society and the security of the government against “direct threats to internal security”.

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His speech coincided with a report by the state Tass news agency that Russia’s Justice Ministry filed a lawsuit to disband one of the country’s oldest human rights organisations, the Moscow Helsinki Group. No reason was given for the action, but it fits a pattern with other organisations the government accuses of working against the country’s interests. One of the group’s leaders told the Meduza news outlet that authorities alleged the organisation was violating its legal registration in Moscow by working on human rights cases outside the Russian capital.

One of the group’s founders, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a human rights pioneer and dissident who challenged the Soviet and Russian regimes for decades, died in 2018. The group, founded in 1976, demanded freedom for political prisoners and establishment of democratic rights.

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7:04pm: France sends Ukraine more rocket systems, Macron says

France has delivered rocket launchers and weapons to Ukraine and will send more early next year, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview aired Tuesday.

“In recent days, France has sent Ukraine more arms, rocket launchers, Crotale (air defence batteries), equipment beyond what we had already done,” Macron told France’s TF1 and LCI television.

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He was speaking aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off Egypt’s coast, a day before visiting Jordan for a regional summit on Tuesday. “We are also working with the armed forces minister (Sebastien Lecornu) to be able to deliver useful arms and ammunition again in the first quarter (of 2023), so that the Ukrainians would be able to defend themselves against bombardments,” Macron said.

The planned shipments include new Caesar mobile artillery units, but Macron provided no precise figures.

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5:49pm: Russia wants Ukraine to spend festive period in darkness, Kyiv says

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday Ukraine should prepare for new Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure because Moscow wanted Ukrainians to spend Christmas and New Year in darkness.

He made his remarks after a series of Russian missile and drone strikes which Ukrainian officials say have left electricity supplies in the Kyiv region at a critically low level, with less than half the capital’s power needs being met.

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“Repairs continue but the situation remains really difficult,” Shmyhal told a government meeting.

He said eight nuclear power units and 10 thermal power stations were operating but the energy deficit was “significant.”

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“Russian terrorists will do everything to leave Ukrainians without electricity for the New Year. It is important for them for Christmas and the New Year to take place in darkness in Ukraine,” Shmyhal said.

4:49pm: Danish journalist denies pro-Russia bias after Ukraine strips accreditation

Ukraine has revoked the press accreditation of Danish state broadcaster DR’s correspondent over allegations of having spread Russian propaganda, DR said on Tuesday, prompting denials from both the journalist and her employer.

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Matilde Kimer, an award-winning journalist who has covered Ukraine and Russia for DR since 2014, said Ukraine initially revoked her accreditation in August.

At a December meeting in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) alleged that she was spreading Russian propaganda and that her social media posts appeared to sympathise with Russia, Kimer told Reuters. According to her, the security service did not provide evidence of their allegations.

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DR’s foreign policy editor, Niels Kvale, called the allegations “completely undocumented and crazy” and Kimer herself denied biased reporting.

“I have not engaged in propaganda. I work with no other task than to inform Danes about what is going on in Ukraine,” Kimer said.

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Kimer, 41, was also expelled from Russia in August amid Moscow’s crackdown on Western media outlets following its invasion of Ukraine.

4:38pm: ‘The light always wins’: Jews celebrate Hanukkah in blackout-hit Kyiv

Ukrainian Jews gathered in Kyiv on Sunday, December 18, to mark the start of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, at a time when much of the country has been plunged into darkness by waves of Russian strikes on energy structure, cutting power to millions. At the city’s iconic Independence Square, people huddled together for warmth to watch the lighting of what officials said was Europe’s largest Hanukkah menorah.

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Click on the player below to watch the report in full. 

A rabbi stands next to a giant menorah during a ceremony for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 18, 2022.
A rabbi stands next to a giant menorah during a ceremony for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 18, 2022. © Valentyn Ogirenko, Reuters

 

4:25pm: EU cuts gas consumption by 20 percent over past four months

EU countries have cut the amount of natural gas they consume by 20 percent over the past four months as they adapt to an energy crunch, the bloc’s statistics agency said Tuesday.

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Taken overall, the number was higher than the voluntary 15 percent target the European Union member states had signed on to in August.

It underlined the bloc’s drive to reduce demand for energy as it copes with greatly diminished supplies from Russia, which has turned off its gas taps in retaliation for EU sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

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Finland led the dive, with gas consumption down 53 percent between August and November, compared with the average consumption for that period between 2017 and 2021, Eurostat said.

All but two EU countries showed declines, with major economies Germany, France slicing the amount of gas used by 25 percent and 20 percent, respectively, over that period.

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4:11pm: Russians conflicted on Ukraine winter offensive, US says

The Russian leadership has conflicting views on whether to launch a winter offensive in Ukraine, which has warned of a new attempt to seize Kyiv, a senior US official said Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly called for his top military brass to present him with “short- and medium-term” plans on how to proceed with the war he launched 10 months ago.

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“I think there are conflicting things that we see,” the US official said of the Russian government deliberations. “Certainly, there are some who, I think, would want to pursue offensives in Ukraine. There are others who have real questions about the capacity for Russia to actually do that,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The official said the United States would “adjust and adapt quickly” if the nature of the invasion changes.

“What we’ve been doing – what we continue to do – is to make sure, to the best of our ability, the Ukrainians have, within their hands, the means to effectively defend themselves against Russian aggression.” For their part, the Ukrainians “show no intention of slowing down” due to the weather in their quest to take back territory, the official said.

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3:54pm: One in four Ukrainians at risk of mental disorder due to conflict, WHO says

A World Health Organisation official said on Tuesday that 10 million people, or about a quarter of Ukraine’s population, may suffer from a mental health disorder in relation to the conflict there.

“WHO estimates that up to 10 million people are at risk of some form of a mental disorder, varying from anxiety and stress to more severe conditions,” Jarno Habicht, WHO’s representative in Ukraine told a Geneva press briefing via video link.

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More severe conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by distressing events. Cases are rising after 10 months of conflict, prompting a separate UN agency to launch online support services.

3:51pm: Putin to set 2023 military aims in defence meeting Wednesday

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet senior defence officials on Wednesday in order to set military objectives for next year and assess the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin announced.

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“On December 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an expanded meeting of the Collegium of the Russian Defence Ministry … the work of Russia’s Armed Forces in 2022 will be summed up and tasks for next year will be set,” the Kremlin said Tuesday.

2:59pm: Russia to give Iran advanced military components in exchange for drones, UK says

Britain accused Russia of planning to give Iran advanced military components in exchange for hundreds of drones, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Tuesday, calling on the West to do more to expose the trade.

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“Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers,” Wallace told parliament as part of a statement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“In return for having supplied more than 300 kamikaze drones, Russia now intends to provide Iran with advanced military components, undermining both Middle East and international security – we must expose that deal. In fact, I have, just now.”

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1:45pm: Zelensky hails ‘courage, resilience’ of Bakhmut’s defenders

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has paid tribute to the “courage, resilience and strength” of troops defending Bakhmut during a visit to the front-line city.

Zelensky’s office released video footage showing the president, dressed in khaki, handing out medals to soldiers fighting Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

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“Bakhmut Fortress. Our people. Unconquered by the enemy. Who with their bravery prove that we will endure and will not give up what’s ours,” Zelensky said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app under photographs of him in Bakhmut.

“Ukraine is proud of you. I am proud of you! Thank you for the courage, resilience and strength shown in repelling the enemy attacks.”

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11:55am: Ukraine’s Zelensky visits front-line city of Bakhmut, presidency says

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the eastern front-line city of Bakhmut this morning, now the epicentre of fighting in Russia’s nearly 10-month invasion of Ukraine, his office has said.

The presidency said Zelensky met military officials and handed out awards to Ukrainian servicemen, who have been holding back a fierce and months-long Russian military campaign for the city.

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The unannounced visit comes just weeks after Zelensky met troops in another front-line area in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas.

11:30am: Bakhmut carnage may yield only pyrrhic victory for Russia, analysts warn

The nearly five-month battle for the small city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine has ground on for so long and wrought so much death and destruction that, even if Russia does prevail, it will be a pyrrhic victory, military experts have told Reuters.

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Gaining control of the city, with a pre-war population of 80,000 that has shrunk to close to 10,000, could give Russia a stepping stone to advance on two bigger cities – Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. But months of fierce fighting have left Bakhmut in ruins while giving Ukrainian forces ample time to build defensive lines nearby to fall back to.

“If Bakhmut had been captured when they started their attack in August then it would have been significant. But it’s all about momentum,” said Konrad Muzyka, a Polish military analyst, noting that the city’s strategic value has been reduced by Ukraine’s fortification of the surrounding area.

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>> The battle for Bakhmut: Ukrainian city’s last residents survive under artillery fire

Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at the US-based CNA think-tank, said Moscow appeared committed to the battle because of resources it had already spent rather than because of “sound strategy”.

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“The fighting for Bakhmut is not senseless, but strategically unsound (for Russia) given weak offensive potential and no prospect of breakthrough even if the city is captured,” he said.

10:15am: ‘A loud blast, then a flash at my window’: FRANCE 24 reports on Kyiv drone attack

Residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are relying on petrol-fuelled generators to battle freezing temperatures as Russia continues to pummel the country’s critical infrastructure with missile strikes and drone attacks, causing daily power cuts.

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Our reporters spoke to residents of the Ukrainian capital shortly after their neighbourhood was targeted by a Russian drone.

Kyiv residents board up shop windows after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Kyiv residents board up shop windows after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital. © FRANCE 24 screengrab

 

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9:30am: Situation in regions Russia claims to have annexed is ‘extremely difficult’, Putin says

The situation in four territories of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed is “extremely difficult”, Vladimir Putin has said. 

Speaking to Russian security services on their professional holiday, Putin singled out those working in the “new regions” of Russia. “The people living there, the citizens of Russia, rely on you, on your protection,” he said.

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Putin also said that “maximum composure, concentration of forces” was required of Russia’s counterintelligence operations “to strictly suppress the actions of foreign intelligence services, to quickly identify traitors, spies and saboteurs”.

8:25am: Kyiv grapples with freezing temperatures as Russia pummels power grid

Residents of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are struggling with freezing temperatures as Russia continues to pummel the country’s power infrastructure. 

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FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar reports from the Ukrainian capital.


 

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7:55am: US Congress to advance $1.7 trillion govt funding bill, including Ukraine aid

A $1.7 trillion (€1.6 trillion) government-wide funding bill for the fiscal year ending next September 30 was unveiled late on Monday as Congress races against a midnight Friday deadline when current stopgap money expires.

The bill includes $44.9 billion in new emergency aid for Ukraine and NATO allies.

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Since the start of Russia’s invasion, US aid to Ukraine has already reached $68 billion.

6:30am: US and Iran clash over Russian use of drones in Ukraine

The United States and its allies have clashed with Iran and Russia at a contentious UN Security Council meeting over Western claims that Tehran is supplying Moscow with drones to attack Ukraine – with the US accusing the UN secretary-general of “yielding to Russian threats” and failing to launch an investigation. 

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US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the council that Ukraine’s report of Iranian-origin drones being used by Russia to attack civilian infrastructure has been supported “by ample evidence from multiple public sources” including a statement by Iran’s foreign minister on November 5.

He insisted that Iran is barred from transferring these types of drones without prior Security Council approval under an annex to the 2015 resolution on Iran’s nuclear programme.

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Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, meanwhile, dismissed what he called the West’s “unfounded allegations”. He also stressed that all restrictions on transferring arms to and from Iran were terminated in October 2020, adding that Western claims that Tehran needed prior approval therefore “have no legal merit”.

3:15am: Russia won’t ‘steal’ Christmas, says Kyiv mayor

Kyiv officials on Monday illuminated a Christmas tree in the city centre, refusing to let Russia “steal” the festive season from Ukrainian children.

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The day, which started with swarms of attacks on critical infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, ended with the unveiling of the 12-metre (40-feet) high artificial tree decorated with white peace doves. 

A few dozen residents braved the sub-zero temperatures to admire the tree located next to the Saint Sophia Cathedral and its emblematic golden domes and take selfies.

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“Russians try to steal normal life away from our citizens, but we won’t give them a chance to steal the biggest holidays – the New Year and Christmas – from our children,” the city’s Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said when unveiling the tree.

People take selfie photographs during the unveiling ceremony of Kyiv's main Christmas tree on Saint Sophia Square in the Ukrainian capital.
People take selfie photographs during the unveiling ceremony of Kyiv’s main Christmas tree on Saint Sophia Square in the Ukrainian capital. © Sergei Supinski, AFP

11:25pm: Putin orders FSB to step up surveillance of Russians and borders

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Federal Security Service (FSB) to step up surveillance of Russian society and the country’s borders to prevent domestic and foreign threats.

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Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s Security Services Day – widely celebrated in Russia – Putin said the “emergence of new threats” increases the need for greater intelligence activity.

“Work must be intensified through the border services and the Federal Security Service (FSB),” Putin said.

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“Any attempts to violate it (the border) must be thwarted quickly and effectively using whatever forces and means we have at our disposal, including mobile action units and special forces,” he added.

9:31pm: Putin says Russia has ‘no interest’ in absorbing Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday his country has “no interest” in absorbing Belarus, Moscow’s main ally that heavily depends on it for cheap oil and loans.  

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“Russia has no interest in absorbing anyone, this would simply make no sense,” Putin said, answering a question from a journalist, saying such rumours came from “ill-wishers”.

The Kremlin has for years sought to deepen integration with Belarus, but its strongman Alexander Lukashenko resisted outright unification with Russia despite being a key ally.

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Putin hailed a relationship between “closest allies and strategic partners … united by a common history and spiritual values.”

“Together we are resisting sanctions from unfriendly countries,” Putin said, “and we do so quite confidently and effectively.”

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(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)

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© France Médias Monde graphic studio

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I’m a travel writer – and here’s why during your Easter getaway flight it’s OK to recline your seat and ask to swap seats (and why no, you’re NOT going to get upgraded because you ironed your shirt)

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When did air travel become such a brain-melting minefield?

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These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties, from whether they can ask someone to swap seats to whether they should or shouldn’t recline their seats and whether they should say something to the parent of the screaming baby.

I’m the MailOnline Travel Editor, and I’m here to remind you that to begin with, holidays are supposed to be fun – and to offer some simple guidance on the do’s and don’ts on your flight.

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And why no, I’m afraid you’re not going to get upgraded because you’ve ironed your shirt.

What’s your pet hate on planes? Vote in the poll at the bottom…

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SEAT SWAPPING

These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties

These days, even the simple act of flying from A to B leaves many travellers almost paralysed with paranoia, their heads filled with a fog of etiquette anxieties

As with most social interactions in life, being polite and firm is the key.

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It’s perfectly fine to ask someone to swap seats if you’ve been split up from your nearest and dearest – just don’t expect your request to be fulfilled.

You’ve paid for your seat and, in all likelihood, picked out this particular berth in which to enjoy some airborne wine and pretzels. No passenger has the right to remove you from it

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Nuts and bolts – smile, and be calm and unconfrontational. Gently explain your reasons for wanting to swap, give the other person room to say no – and make sure that you’re not brazenly expecting your fellow flyer to downgrade.

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The move being negotiated should be to an equivalent seat, or better. Not, for instance, from a window to an aisle seat or, heaven forbid, from business class to economy or even premium economy.

It’s also acceptable to decline a seat-swapping request.

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You’ve paid for your seat and, in all likelihood, picked out this particular berth in which to enjoy some airborne wine and pretzels. No passenger has the right to remove you from it.

How to say no? The best ploy is to explain politely and with a smile that you’ve paid for your seat and don’t want to move.

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If the requester looks particularly desperate you could offer to talk to the cabin crew on their behalf to see if they can offer a solution.

RECLINING

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Economy-class seats can cause frustrating issues for the person behind when in recline mode – it can make it hard for them to exit, eat their meals and watch the entertainment screen.

But that doesn’t mean reclining is a no-no.

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The recline function is there to be used. The solution? Simply turn around and ask the person behind if they mind you reclining.

And assume that it won’t go down well during meal service.

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NOISY BABIES AND CHILDREN – OFFER TO HELP

'Here's a thought,' says Ted, 'instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down'

‘Here’s a thought,’ says Ted, ‘instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down’

Guess what? You won’t be the only one on the plane. So don’t expect the atmosphere to be like a Buddhist temple. Families will be joining you and that means mini-humans will be expressing themselves in a way that may rankle.

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They tend not to favour whispering.

Having said that, yes, screaming babies and children can be irritating.

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But here’s a thought – instead of allowing yourself to become filled with rage that other humans have had the audacity to breed, try offering some help to the parent struggling to keep the decibel levels down. Distract their children. Offer some sympathy.

You’ll feel better, they’ll feel less embarrassed – and believe me, they are embarrassed – and you might end up making a friend or two.

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UPGRADES

'You watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you're at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there's a space? You've been duped,' says Ted

‘You watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you’re at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there’s a space? You’ve been duped,’ says Ted

Those hopes for an upgrade? Let them float away on the jetstream.

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Even if you wear a suit, even if you give the flight attendant a big smile, you’re flying economy.

Suck it up and enjoy the pretzels.

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Wait, you watched a TikTok video about booking the back row and how that means you’re at the front of the queue to leap forward into first class if there’s a space?

You’ve been duped.

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Upgrades are not sweets in a jar for cabin crew to dish out with abandon. Giving one away without authority can result in disciplinary action.

The best way to snare an upgrade is to earn it, to rack up tier status points with an airline. That’s because business and first-class seats are given away as treats in return for loyalty.

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Does all this mean dressing smartly and being nice is a waste of time for those hoping to be given a ride at the pointy end?

Not quite.

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As flight attendant Jay Robert said: ‘When I worked as ground staff for a major US airline, and I was given the authority to provide a free upgrade, and I had no employees or elite passengers waiting, my pick would be elderly passengers, someone dressed nicely, or if I saw someone being a kind human in the gate area.’

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Ukraine downs more than 25 drones in latest overnight Russian strikes

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Ukraine downed 26 drones overnight as Russia launched its latest salvo of aerial attacks, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday.

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“On the night of March 28, 2024, the enemy launched a missile air strike against Ukraine using three Kh-22 cruise missiles and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile (from the Black Sea), an S-300 anti-aircraft guided missile (Donetsk) and 28 attack UAVs of the ‘Shahed-136/131’ type”, Mykola Oleshchuk, the head of Ukraine’s air force, wrote on Telegram.

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“Twenty-six attack UAVs of the ‘Shahed-136/131’ type were destroyed within Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions”, he said, without providing details on the missile strikes.

Russia regularly launches air attacks on Ukraine overnight and has escalated the strikes over the past few weeks, targeting key infrastructure, including power stations, in retaliation for fatal bombardments of Russia’s border regions.

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FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv



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On Wednesday Russian strikes killed three people in eastern and southern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Ukraine’s allies to speed up deliveries of warplanes and air defence systems to bolster Kyiv’s air defences.

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 (AFP)

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You’re never too old to get an STI! Experts call for over-50s to be taught ‘safe sex’ after rates of gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis in retirement villages soar

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Over-50s should be taught safe sex to combat soaring STIs with rates doubling in the last decade, research suggests.

Rising divorce rates, the emergence of Viagra, dating apps and the growth of retirement villages have combined to mean ‘sexual risk taking is now common among older adults’.

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Rates of disease including gonorrhoea and syphilis have surged by almost a fifth in just four years among UK ‘baby boomers’.

Researchers found that, in England, 31,902 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2015, which rose to 37,692 in 2019 - an increase of 18 per cent

Researchers found that, in England, 31,902 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2015, which rose to 37,692 in 2019 – an increase of 18 per cent

Experts said this is likely an underestimate with embarrassment and lack of access to sexual health services meaning many will not seek help.

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Sex must become ‘normalised’ and part of routine healthcare for older generations, they say, rather than simply focusing on the young.

Professor Justyna Kowalska, of the Medical University of Warsaw, said: ‘People do not become asexual with age.

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‘In fact, with preventive medicine and improved lifestyles people are enjoying a healthy life and sex life for longer.

‘Older people often find greater satisfaction in their sex lives due to experience and known expectations.

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‘We need more role models like Samantha Jones in the TV show Sex and the City to challenge stereotypes around older sexuality.’

In England, 37,692 new STIs were recorded in the over 45s in 2019 compared to 31,902 in 2015 – an increase of 18 per cent.

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The study calls for better sex education in Baby Boomers as rates of diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in older people are skyrocketing

The study calls for better sex education in Baby Boomers as rates of diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis in older people are skyrocketing

Meanwhile, half of men and almost a third of women aged 70 and over reported being sexually active, in a survey of sexual health in older adults in England.

Similarly, in a Swedish study, 46 per cent of individuals aged 60 years and older reported being sexually active, one in 10 aged 90 and above.

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But for many, a lack of sex education at school, combined with the no risk of unwanted pregnancies, can heighten risky behaviour.

Presenting her findings at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Professor Kowalska suggested sex education programmes should be tailored to the over 50s, ensuring any facilities are located within existing community settings.

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She added: ‘Sexual health campaigns are focused on young people and overlook the needs and experiences of those aged 50 and older.

‘Health promotion messages give the impression that condoms and concerns about STIs only apply to young people.

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‘But the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated STIs such as HPV-related cancers and onwards transmission are very real, particularly in this age group who are more likely to have underlying conditions such as heart disease and stroke.’

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Blinken and Macron to discuss Ukraine support and Gaza war in Paris talks

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss support for Ukraine during talks in Paris next week with French President Emmanuel Macron, the State Department announced Wednesday.

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France is among the major military suppliers to Ukraine, which is facing an onslaught of Russian attacks.

President Joe Biden‘s request for billions of dollars in new US military aid to Kyiv is held up in the House of Representatives, led by the rival Republican Party.

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“Secretary Blinken will meet with French President Macron to discuss support for Ukraine, efforts to prevent escalation of the conflict in Gaza and a number of other important issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

France has advocated for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, whereas the United States, Israel’s main ally, recently let pass a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan.

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It will be the first visit in nearly two years to France by Blinken, a fluent French speaker who grew up partly in Paris. Macron paid a state visit to Washington in December 2022.

After Paris, Blinken will head to Brussels for talks of NATO foreign ministers ahead of the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington in July.

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Blinken will also hold a three-way meeting in Brussels with EU leaders and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been seeking to branch out from his country’s historic alliance with Russia.

Blinken and the European Union will address “support for Armenia‘s economic resilience as it works to diversify its trade partnerships and to address humanitarian needs,” Miller said.

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Armenia was angered last year by Russia’s failure to prevent Azerbaijan from retaking the Nagorno-Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian rebels.

(AFP)

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Deadly Israeli strikes hit Gaza as fierce fighting takes place in north, south

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Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.

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The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

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In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies. 

For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.

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(FRANCE 24 with AP) 

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Aussie NBA great Andrew Bogut makes shocking claim about what AFL stars get up to in pubs and clubs: ‘If you’re surprised, you believe Santa Claus is real’

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  • Andrew Bogut was typically blunt on Channel Nine’s Today program
  • Claimed AFL stars dabbling in illegal drugs is nothing new
  • Comes as the AFL has been rocked by illicit drugs scandal
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Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has claimed that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs – and that nobody should be shocked by allegations that the league has covered up positive results.

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It follows the code being rocked on Tuesday after a whistleblowing doctor once employed by the Melbourne Demons revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests which saw footy stars able to avoid detection on game days.

Others were allegedly told to fake injuries to avoid testing from World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) representatives.

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Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the bombshell, with the AFL’s controversial three-strike policy for illicit drugs now firmly in the spotlight.

Speaking on Channel Nine’s Today program on Thursday morning, Bogut was typically blunt when quizzed about the supposed anti-social habits of AFL stars.

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Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has made the shocking claim that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs

Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has made the shocking claim that plenty of AFL stars dabble in illegal drugs in Melbourne pubs and nightclubs

Bogut's claim follows the AFL being rocked when a whistleblowing doctor revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests that enabled footy stars to avoid detection on game days

Bogut’s claim follows the AFL being rocked when a whistleblowing doctor revealed allegations of secret illicit drugs tests that enabled footy stars to avoid detection on game days

The AFL declared it's 'unapologetic' about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches (pictured, CEO Andrew Dillon)

The AFL declared it’s ‘unapologetic’ about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches (pictured, CEO Andrew Dillon)

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the illicit drugs in AFL bombshell (stock image)

Federal MP Andrew Wilkie used his parliamentary privilege to drop the illicit drugs in AFL bombshell (stock image) 

‘If you are surprised [by these revelations] you’d be shocked that Santa Claus isn’t real,’ the NBA championship winner with Golden State Warriors said. 

‘I mean, you know, anyone that’s gone out, anyone that’s gone out in Melbourne and visited nightclubs has seen for themselves what goes on.

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‘Put two and two together.’

Bogut said he has no time for performance-enhancing drug cheats in professional sport and believes those caught should be banned for life.

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He added modern day players indulging in recreational drugs such as cocaine ‘happens at some places’, where if you look hard enough, you can ‘see everything you want to see.’

The father of two wasn’t finished, pointing to Federal Government funding the AFL receives – and that as a result, the ‘code doesn’t want star players getting pinged for drug tests’.

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Bogut’s strong views come as the AFL declared it is ‘unapologetic’ about steps taken to ensure players with illicit substances in their system do not take part in matches.

It evoked a furious reaction from respected AFL identities such as former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse, Port Adelaide chairman David Koch and Melbourne Demons great Garry Lyon.

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International

Two bodies recovered from submerged truck in Baltimore bridge collapse

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The bodies of two construction workers were found in the cold waters of Baltimore harbor Wednesday, trapped in their red pick-up truck after a giant cargo ship slammed into the bridge they had been filling potholes on, causing a thunderous collapse.

Maryland police announced the grim discovery at a press conference, adding that sonar shows what they believe are more vehicles trapped within the concrete and twisted steel debris of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

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Six of the eight-man construction crew are believed to have been killed, with four bodies yet to be found.

Warning that it was not safe for divers to try to penetrate the wreckage, police told a press conference that they were shifting to a salvage operation, removing the superstructure and then sending divers back in to recover the rest of the bodies.

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“Based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete that we tragically saw come down,” Colonel Roland Butler, the superintendent of Maryland’s state police, told a press conference.

Federal investigators also gave a detailed timeline of the tragedy based on preliminary findings from the ship’s voice data recorder.

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Marcel Muise, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, told a separate press conference that the container ship Dali, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) long and piled high with cargo, left dock at 12:39 am Tuesday en route to Asia.

At 1:24, alarms began sounding on the ship with indications of power trouble and the pilot soon radioed the port authority that the vessel was headed for the bridge, requesting tug boats.

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The call for help was heard by two Maryland Transportation Authority units on the bridge because of the roadwork, and they shut down all lanes of traffic, likely saving lives.

Muise told reporters that at 1:29 the voice data recorder captured “sounds consistent with the collision.”

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Nearly the entire steel structure — crossed by tens of thousands of motorists each day — collapsed within seconds, cascading over the bow of the ship, blocking one of the busiest US trading ports.

There was no chance to evacuate the eight workers filling potholes on the interstate directly above the oncoming ship.

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Butler named the two victims found Wednesday as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year-old who had lived in Baltimore but was originally from Mexico, and his 26-year-old colleague Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, who lived in the suburb of Dundalk but came from Guatemala.

They were found in 25 feet of water, he said.

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Two others were pulled from the water alive in the moments after the collapse early Tuesday. One was uninjured, while the second was released from hospital Wednesday, Butler said.

Four more workers are presumed dead, vanished into the swirling currents and crumpled tangle of wrecked girders and pylons.

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‘Hard-working’ men

The vessel, which remained entangled in the debris Wednesday, was “stable,” Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier told reporters at the White House, adding that the mostly Indian crew remained on board and were “very much engaged” in the investigation.

The NTSB said that at the time of the crash there were 23 crew on board including the two pilots.

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The agency said the ship held 56 containers of hazardous materials, some of which were breached after the bridge fell, leaving a sheen on the water.

Gautier insisted the ship did not present an environmental danger. Two other containers — of the total 4,700 — were lost overboard, he said.

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Officials said the missing workers were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

“They are all hard-working, humble men,” said Jesus Campos, a colleague of the eight workers, all employed by contractor Brawner Builders.

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One of those now presumed dead was father-of-three Miguel Luna, according to the nonprofit Casa, which serves immigrant communities.

Luna, from El Salvador, had left for work at 6:30 pm on Monday and never returned, Casa said.

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His wife, Maria del Carmen Castellon, told Telemundo 44 that she was “devastated” by the wait for any information.

Busy harbor blocked 

The ship had passed two overseas inspections in 2023, the maritime authority for Singapore, where the ship is flagged, said Wednesday, adding that a fault monitor gauge was fixed in June.

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The Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest major US port in terms of both foreign cargo handled and foreign cargo value, and is directly responsible for more than 15,000 jobs, supporting almost 140,000 more.

The effect on supply chains “clearly will not be trivial,” US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, adding it was “too soon” to know when the port might reopen.

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“Rebuilding will not be quick, or easy, or cheap,” he cautioned.

(AFP)

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