ALL EU countries will take in Ukrainian refugees for up

ALL EU countries will accept Ukrainian refugees for up to three years without asylum applications

The EU will accept Ukrainian refugees without asking them to apply for asylum first, it was announced tonight, as hundreds of thousands of terrified citizens continue to flee their homes amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

The decision was reached unanimously among all members of the 27-nation bloc on Sunday after a meeting of interior ministers.

The open door policy will remain in place for up to three years in an effort to tackle what is rapidly becoming Europe’s worst humanitarian crisis in decades.

This comes as nearly 370,000 frightened Ukrainians have already fled Vladimir Putin’s forces in neighboring countries, with queues on the border with Poland stretching for more than eight miles.

But Britain has not yet pledged to welcome such refugees unconditionally, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson currently allowing only those with stranded families who already live in the country to enter.

This means that dozens of desperate Ukrainians who have no connection to the United Kingdom will still be denied asylum in Britain. When Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was told this morning, she was asked if the policy would change.

She said: “We are urgently looking for what we can do. We are working with European partners on how to support refugees leaving Ukraine. So, yes, that’s the answer. ‘

This comes as crowded masses of Ukrainian women and children fleeing Russian bombs today traveled by train, car and ferry from cities, including Lviv in the country west to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.

Loved ones were torn apart in Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II as women said goodbye to their husbands after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky ordered men aged 18-60 to stay and fight the Kremlin.

The families traveled to Vyshne Nemeke in Slovakia, while the queue of vehicles on the Polish-Ukrainian border stretched for 8.7 miles and those fleeing had to endure a long wait in sub-zero temperatures at night. More than 100,000 people have moved to Poland alone, according to Polish officials.

Against the backdrop of rushing to escape the bombs and tanks, there was also what seemed like a trickle of brave men and women who wanted to go home to defend Ukraine or help others do so. At a border crossing in southern Poland, journalists from the Associated Press spoke with people in line against the tide. They included a group of about 20 Ukrainian truck drivers who wanted to face a fight.

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, Sunday, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, Sunday, February 27, 2022

People coming from Ukraine descend from a ferry boat to enter Romania after crossing the Danube river at the Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing between Romania and Ukraine on February 26, 2022

People coming from Ukraine descend from a ferry boat to enter Romania after crossing the Danube river at the Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing between Romania and Ukraine on February 26, 2022

Ukrainian refugees arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

Ukrainian refugees arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine sit in a bus near the Korczowa border crossing, Poland, Sunday, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine sit in a bus near the Korczowa border crossing, Poland, Sunday, February 27, 2022

Refugees make their way through snow blizzard, at the Medyka border crossing, in Poland, February 27, 2022

Refugees make their way through snow blizzard, at the Medyka border crossing, in Poland, February 27, 2022

A couple embrace prior to the woman boarding a train carriage leaving for western Ukraine, at the railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, February 27, 2022

A couple embrace prior to the woman boarding a train carriage leaving for western Ukraine, at the railway station in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, February 27, 2022

Huddled masses of Ukrainian women and children escaping Russian bombs rode trains, cars and ferries from cities including Lviv in the country’s west to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania

Huddled masses of Ukrainian women and children escaping Russian bombs rode trains, cars and ferries from cities including Lviv in the country’s west to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

Astonishing videos show a vast exodus at the city’s railway station as Ukrainian civilians race to neighbouring countries to escape Vladimir Putin’s forces

Astonishing videos show a vast exodus at the city’s railway station as Ukrainian civilians race to neighbouring countries to escape Vladimir Putin’s forces

Huddled crowds of devastated Ukrainian women and children fleeing the Russian invasion last night rode trains from Lviv in the country’s west to NATO ally Poland

Huddled crowds of devastated Ukrainian women and children fleeing the Russian invasion last night rode trains from Lviv in the country’s west to NATO ally Poland

A Slovak soldier carries a baby in car seat as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

A Slovak soldier carries a baby in car seat as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

A woman checks clothes from volunteers aid as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

A woman checks clothes from volunteers aid as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

Ukrainians arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

Ukrainians arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

Photographs from the Ukrainian-Slovak border at the Velke Slemence border crossing, February 27, 2022

Photographs from the Ukrainian-Slovak border at the Velke Slemence border crossing, February 27, 2022

Two refugee African students comfort each-other after they manage to pass the Romanian-Ukrainian border crossing point in Siret, northern Romania, February 27, 2022

Two refugee African students comfort each-other after they manage to pass the Romanian-Ukrainian border crossing point in Siret, northern Romania, February 27, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday says his country is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus, which was a staging ground for Moscow’s invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that his country is ready for peace talks with Russia, but not in Belarus, which has been the site of Moscow’s invasion.

Putin is ‘prepared to lose 50,000 troops’ intelligence chiefs claim as leaked document reveals Moscow is bracing for ‘medical emergency’ from Ukraine invasion

Vladimir Putin is “prepared to lose 50,000 troops in the invasion of Ukraine, as a leaked document from the Russian Ministry of Health reveals that Moscow is preparing for” emergency medical care.

Intelligence chiefs are believed to be ready to lose up to 50,000 troops, while the death toll in Russia could now be around 3,000.

There are fears that Putin will order military commanders to use “chemical weapons” and “attack hospitals” as fighting continues in Ukraine, with Kyiv remaining under Ukrainian control.

Weapons expert Hamish de Breton-Gordon told The Mirror: “If Russia sinks, I will not be surprised if they use chemical weapons.”

It comes as a document signed by Deputy Health Minister Plutnicki, urging medical companies to “get involved in saving lives and protecting people’s health in Russia in a timely manner.”

Russian medical companies have been ordered to send a list of details of medical professionals and workers to the Ministry of Health so that civilian personnel can be deployed, according to documents received from ITV News.

Emma Burroughs, ITV’s news editor, said documents dated February 25 showed that Russia was expecting a “massive health emergency”.

The Ministry of Health is specifically looking for doctors who specialize in trauma, maxillofacial and cardiac activities, as well as nurses, pediatricians, anesthesiologists and radiologists.

The number of Ukrainian refugees who have reached neighboring countries has risen to 368,000, the UN refugee agency said. This figure more than doubles the agency’s estimate from the previous day.

European leaders are preparing to deport up to 4 million after at least 300,000 refugees entered the EU on Thursday.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ilva Johansson said on Sunday: “I am proud of how European citizens at the borders are showing concrete solidarity with Ukrainians fleeing this terrible, aggressive war.” She said she would announce a solidarity platform at a special meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels to support Ukrainians fleeing their country and countries most affected by arriving refugees.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss insisted the government was “urgent” to do more to help Ukrainians, but declined to say how many refugees the UK would accept.

On Saturday, a woman was “killed in a clash on the Polish border” while people waited in line for 25 hours to escape bombs in the besieged country.

A Briton in chaos with his Ukrainian girlfriend called the scene an “absolute disgrace”, adding: “There was a very small organization and the closer you got to the front, the more people pushed and pushed.

“Everyone will have these big jumps so often and people will scream. He had very young children and he felt very dangerous. Terrifying. Fighting broke out when people accused others of pressuring or hurting them. There was blood on their faces. We saw several women fainted and carried over the crowd.

“And there was a strong rumor that someone had been crushed to death – Polish border guards confirmed that they had heard that it was true.

“It was very dangerous.” I have bruises from the whole push and I’m just happy that we finally managed to get to Poland. ‘

Some Ukrainians traveled many miles at night, while others fled by train, car or bus, forming miles of long queues at border crossings. They were greeted by waiting relatives and friends or headed alone to reception centers organized by neighboring governments.

That comes when Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on high alert on Sunday amid tensions with the West over its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at a meeting with senior officials, the Russian president said NATO’s leading forces had made “aggressive statements” along with the West, imposing severe financial sanctions on Russia, including the president himself.

He ordered the Russian Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff of the Army to place the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special combat duty regime”.

“Western countries are not just taking hostile action against our country in the economic sphere, but senior officials from leading NATO members have made aggressive statements about our country,” Putin said in television comments.

His order raised the threat that tensions with the West over the invasion of Ukraine could lead to the use of nuclear weapons.

This week, the Russian leader threatened to retaliate harshly against all nations that intervene directly in the conflict in Ukraine.

Former Estonian Defense Chief Riho Terras has said Putin’s war will not be planned because Russia is running out of money and weapons quickly and will have to start talks with Vladimir Zelensky’s government if Kyiv detains the Russians for 10 days.

The Russian president is said to have convened a meeting with the oligarchs in a bunker in the Urals, in which he said he vehemently said he thought the war would be “easy” and “everything will be done in one to four days”.

Citing Ukrainian intelligence sources, Terras said the war cost Russia about £ 15 billion a day and that they had missiles for a maximum of three to four days, which they used sparingly.

Street fighting erupted in Ukraine’s second-largest city, with Russian troops squeezing strategic ports in the south on Sunday, progress that appears to mark a new phase in Russia’s invasion following a wave of attacks on airports and fuel facilities elsewhere.

Kyiv was ominously quiet after huge explosions lit up the morning sky and authorities reported explosions at one of the airports. Only occasionally did a car appear on a deserted main boulevard, as a strict 39-hour curfew prevented people from taking to the streets. Instead, terrified residents huddled in homes, underground garages and subway stations in anticipation of a full-scale Russian attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Last night was difficult – more shelling, more bombing of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.

People coming from Ukraine descend from a ferry boat to enter Romania after crossing the Danube river at the Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing between Romania and Ukraine on February 26, 2022

People coming from Ukraine descend from a ferry boat to enter Romania after crossing the Danube river at the Isaccea-Orlivka border crossing between Romania and Ukraine on February 26, 2022

Ukrainian refugees arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

Ukrainian refugees arrive at Zahonyi railway station close to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and heading over the border into Poland on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and heading over the border into Poland on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and heading over the border into Poland on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and heading over the border into Poland on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and crossing the border into neighbouring Poland on February 27, 2022

People leaving Ukraine and crossing the border into neighbouring Poland on February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

Refugees from Ukraine arrive to the railway station in Przemysl, Poland, February 27, 2022

A woman observes volunteers aid as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

A woman observes volunteers aid as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, February 27, 2022

A boy sleeps on the table as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia

A boy sleeps on the table as people fleeing Ukraine arrive to Slovakia, at border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia

Hundreds of Ukrainians are seen desperately trying to flee to Poland from Lviv railway station

Hundreds of Ukrainians are seen desperately trying to flee to Poland from Lviv railway station

Some Ukrainians have walked many miles through the night while others have fled by train, car or bus, forming lines miles long at border crossings

Some Ukrainians have traveled many miles at night, while others have escaped by train, car or bus, forming long miles of queues at border crossings.

West agrees to REMOVE Russian banks from Swift payments system: UK, EU, the US and allies take ‘financial nuclear option’ as they set up task force to go after oligarchs and strip them of ‘yachts, money and ability to send kids to Western schools’

Russia has been cut short by a crucial global banking system as efforts to hurt its economy if it invades Ukraine have intensified.

In a coordinated move, Britain, the United States, Canada and the European Union have announced that selected Russian banks will be excluded from the global Swift payment system.

At the same time, they said the imposition of “restrictive measures” to prevent Russia’s central bank from deploying its international reserves “in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions”.

After a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Mr Johnson said the West should do everything possible to change the “very difficult chances” against Ukraine in its fight against Moscow’s forces.

He confirmed that Britain would send additional weapons to Ukrainians and said financial measures were essential to put pressure on the Kremlin.

“This is extremely important for tightening the economic bond around the Putin regime,” he said during a visit to RAF Brize Norton.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that he was withdrawing from his country’s resistance to take action to remove a major obstacle to an international agreement.

“The horror of what is happening in Ukraine is becoming clear to Western audiences, and this in turn is putting enormous pressure on Western politicians,” Mr Johnson said.

“There is not a single facility in the country that the occupiers do not consider acceptable targets.”

After its conquests to the east in the city of Kharkiv and numerous ports, Russia has sent a delegation to Belarus for peace talks with Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Zelenski suggested other places, saying his country did not want to meet in Belarus, as it had served as a base for the invasion.

Until Sunday, Russian troops remained on the outskirts of Kharkov, a city of 1.4 million about 12.4 miles south of Russia’s border, while other forces crossed to push the offensive deeper into Ukraine.

Videos published in Ukrainian media and social networks show Russian vehicles moving through Kharkiv and Russian troops circling the city in small groups. One showed Ukrainian soldiers firing on the Russians and damaging Russian light vehicles abandoned nearby.

The images underscore the resolute resistance faced by Russian troops as they try to enter Ukraine’s larger cities. Ukrainians have volunteered en masse to help defend the capital, Kyiv and other cities, taking weapons proliferated by the authorities and preparing incendiary bombs to fight Russian forces.

The Ukrainian government is also releasing prisoners with military experience who want to fight for the country, prosecutor Andriy Sinyuk told Hromadske television on Sunday. He did not specify whether the move applies to prisoners convicted of all levels of crime.

Putin has not revealed his final plans, but Western officials say he is determined to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with his own regime, redrawing the map of Europe and reviving Moscow’s Cold War-era influence.

Pressure on strategic ports in southern Ukraine appears to have taken control of the country’s coastline, which stretches from the border with Romania to the west to the border with Russia to the east. A spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said Russian forces had blocked the cities of Kherson on the Black Sea and the port of Berdyansk on the Sea of ​​Azov.

He said Russian forces had also taken control of an air base near Kherson and the city of Henichesk in the Sea of ​​Azov. Ukrainian authorities also report fighting near Odessa, Mykolaiv and other areas.

Interrupting Ukraine’s access to its seaports would deal a severe blow to the country’s economy. It could also allow Moscow to build a land corridor to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014 and has so far been connected to Russia by a 12-mile bridge, the longest bridge in Europe that opened in 2018.

The blaze erupted from an oil depot near an air base in Vasilkov, a town 23 miles south of Kyiv, where there was intense fighting, according to the mayor. Russian forces blew up a gas pipeline in Kharkov, prompting the government to warn people to cover their windows with a damp cloth or gauze to protect them from smoke, the president’s office said.

The death toll from Europe’s biggest land conflict since World War II remains unclear amid the fog of battle.

Ukraine’s health minister said on Saturday that 198 people, including three children, had been killed and more than 1,000 injured. It was unclear whether these figures included both military and civilian casualties. Russia has not released information about the victims.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, Sergei Kislitsya, wrote on Twitter on Saturday that Ukraine had appeared before the International Committee of the Red Cross “to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of bodies of Russian soldiers.” The accompanying chart claims that 3,500 Russian soldiers were killed.

Leticia Courtois, the ICRC’s permanent observer at the United Nations, told the Associated Press that the situation in Ukraine was “a constraint on our teams on the ground” and “therefore we cannot confirm figures or other details.”

The UN refugee agency said on Sunday that about 368,000 Ukrainians had arrived in neighboring countries since the invasion began on Thursday. The UN estimates that the conflict could lead to 4 million refugees, depending on how long it lasts.

Zelensky denounced Russia’s offensive as “state terrorism.” He said attacks on Ukrainian cities should be investigated by an international war crimes tribunal and cost Russia its place as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Ukrainians fleeing their country after the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin arrive at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka in south-eastern Poland

Ukrainians fleeing their country after the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin arrive at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka in south-eastern Poland

Ukrainian families are seen at the border with Poland in Medyka as thousands of citizens are fleeing the war-torn country after Russia announced an invasion this week

Ukrainian families are seen at the border with Poland in Medyka as thousands of citizens are fleeing the war-torn country after Russia announced an invasion this week

People wait for their friends and relatives at the Medyka border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, as Polish Border Guards close lanes for vehicles to allow more pedestrian traffic

People wait for their friends and relatives at the Medyka border crossing between Poland and Ukraine, as Polish Border Guards close lanes for vehicles to allow more pedestrian traffic

A man embraces a boy as people arrive at the Medyka border crossing between Poland and Ukraine on Saturday

A man embraces a boy as people arrive at the Medyka border crossing between Poland and Ukraine on Saturday

Belarus poised to declare war on Ukraine as special forces are ‘loaded onto planes in preparation for major air assault on Kyiv’

Belarusian special forces are loading planes in preparation for an air strike against Kyiv that would escalate the conflict and declare war on Ukraine by dictator Alexander Lukashenko, military sources say.

Ukrainian intelligence reportedly learned from Belarus that “special” troops had been spotted loading planes for a major attack.

The escalation of the war with the potential involvement of Russian ally Belarus may signal Vladimir Putin’s growing anger and frustration as the Russian campaign appears to be mired in fierce battles around Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. In addition, there may be a risk of sucking other countries, including NATO allies, into pan-European conflict.

A senior source told the Mirror: “If this happens, it will mean that Belarus has openly joined Russia in its invasion of sovereign Ukraine. We believe that they are aimed at Kyiv and Zhytomyr. ‘

Andriy Zagorodniuk, a former Kyiv defense minister, says Belarus is on track to declare war on Ukraine. The Guardian quoted Zagorodniuk as saying: “The Republic of Belarus is very likely to join the Russian war against Ukraine. From the Russian side. There is information about paratroopers from the Republic of Belarus loaded on the planes entering Ukraine.

“This is a terrible development, as it includes a country that until recently was a great friend of Ukraine; which people have always considered Ukraine a fraternal nation. Ukraine and Belarus have never been at war with each other in their centuries-long history.

We believe that the only reason for this decision is a personal request from the President of Russia, which depends entirely on Putin in his policy.

“Russia has taken the path of evil and the world must come to deprive it of its seat on the UN Security Council,” he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a Russian delegation of military officials and diplomats arrived in the Belarusian city of Gomel on Sunday for talks with Ukraine. Zelensky offered on Friday to negotiate a key Russian request: to give up its ambitions to join NATO.

The President of Ukraine said that his country is ready for peace talks, but not in Belarus.

Peskov claims that Ukraine has offered to hold talks in Gomel. He added that Russian military action continues pending talks.

Zelensky’s adviser Mikhail Podoliak rejected Moscow’s proposal as a “manipulation”.

As Russia moves forward with its offensive, the West is working to supply superior Ukrainian forces with weapons and ammunition, while punishing Russia with comprehensive sanctions designed to further isolate Moscow.

The United States has pledged an additional $ 350 million in military aid to Ukraine, including anti-tank weapons, bulletproof vests and small arms. Germany has said it will send missiles and anti-tank weapons to the besieged country and will close its airspace to Russian planes.

The United States, the European Union and Britain have agreed to block “selected” Russian banks from the global financial communications system SWIFT, which transfers money to more than 11,000 banks and other financial institutions around the world as part of a new round of sanctions aimed at imposing heavy costs to Moscow for the invasion. They also agreed to impose “restrictive measures” on the central bank.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that his country was spending $ 112.7 billion in a special fund for its armed forces, raising its defense spending by more than 2 percent of gross domestic product. Scholz said at a special session of the Bundestag that the investment was needed “to protect our freedom and our democracy.”

Putin has sent troops to Ukraine after weeks of denying he intends to do so, while amassing nearly 200,000 troops along the country’s borders. He claims that the West has failed to take seriously the security concerns of NATO, the Western military alliance to which Ukraine aspires to join. But he also expressed contempt for Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state.

Russia says its attack on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but bridges, schools and residential areas have been damaged.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said Ukraine was gathering evidence of shelling of residential areas, kindergartens and hospitals to be handed over to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague as possible crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court prosecutor said he was closely monitoring the conflict.

The quake warned on Sunday that Putin could use “the most unpleasant means,” including banned chemical or biological weapons, to defeat Ukraine.

“I urge the Russians not to escalate this conflict, but we must be prepared for Russia to seek to use even worse weapons,” she told Sky News.
Source

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The saddest journey I have ever seen Families crowd platform

The saddest trip I’ve ever seen: a platform for crowds of families at Lviv railway station in western Ukraine

Fourth platform, the main railway station of Lviv, lunch today. Another place where the fear of war and the scale of the refugee crisis in Ukraine were all too obvious.

What an unusual and pathetic sight he presented. Several thousand people — mostly women and children — were lined up at several depths a quarter of a mile from the edge of the platform.

Of all their secular possessions, they were only able to bring hand luggage and pets. Many of the youngest were wrapped in blankets as the temperature was just above zero. Most had been there for many hours; some overnight, waiting, waiting.

It was not clear why everyone chose to gather on this particular platform. One suggested that they had been told that the next train to the Polish border and security would stop there. If so, they have been misinformed.

“Quick! Train is coming soon! An alarming female cry echoed at the far end of the platform. A pandemonium followed.

The stationary train on the sixth platform had protected for most those waiting for the presence of another train on a distant platform 16.

Hundreds of refugees who spotted him grabbed their children and luggage and began a frantic, unworthy, up and down race of obstacles across 12 platforms and several major railroads to reach a potential rescue.

Scenes at Lviv station in Western Ukraine as thousands of women and children try to catch trains to Poland to escape fighting

Scenes at Lviv railway station in western Ukraine as thousands of women and children try to catch trains to Poland to escape battle

Too late for everyone except a handful. The waiting train was already full of refugees, just a place to stand.

He began to move west, leaving hundreds disappointed on the platform.

Sergei from Kyiv removed it. As a man of war, he knew he could not leave the country. But he managed to get his wife, son and three daughters on the train. “It’s very sad, but I’m relieved,” he told me. At least they’ll be safe.

Lviv is the capital of western Ukraine, 64 km east of the Polish border. Its train station is a worn Art Nouveau relic from the golden age of steam.

Today, the ornate entrance hall was a scene of complete chaos, a large football crowd of refugees studying the board of departure or making their way to the platforms beyond.

But not everyone wants to go west. In the hustle and bustle of the reservation room, I ran into Max, a young Englishman living in Warsaw. What were you doing here?

“I’m trying to get to Kyiv,” he replied. Why? “Let’s help the Ukrainians.” How? – As I can.

But when he arrived in Lviv, he encountered only delays and suspicion. “There is a lot of paranoia about Russian infiltrators,” he said. “They already took me out with a gun in the toilets at the station because they thought I was a spy.”

He did well even to enter the men’s bathroom.

A couple of thousand people – mainly women and children – were lined several deep for a quarter of a mile of the platform edge

Several thousand people – mostly women and children – were lined up at several depths a quarter of a mile from the edge of the platform.

At the entrance was a narrow throat of ten men and ten women trying to enter and use the facilities. The cafe was closed.

Outside on platform four, the wait continued. The dogs thanked, the children cried, played, ate sandwiches, or asked, “Where are we going?” The common cry was “sit down!” – usually from a mother at the end of a relationship. Towards the middle of the afternoon it began to snow. The temperature dropped again and some were pessimistic about ever getting off the platform and reaching Poland.

“I drove to the border two days ago and couldn’t get through,” said Julia, 21, a student. “That’s why I bought a train ticket, because I thought it would help. But now I see that the ticket means nothing. She gestured to the mass of humanity around her. “Now I’m not sure how I can get out.”

We witnessed trains full of refugees heading west as we traveled in the opposite direction to Lviv.

Heading east at night and against a wave of frightened humanity, this was one of the most extraordinary, sad and surreal journeys I have ever made.

At 1 o’clock on Saturday morning, our train was moving through a besieged country, on its way to pick up more innocent people and take them to safety. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of families fleeing the Russian invasion were heading in the other direction.

Along the way, we have witnessed the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities to relocate as many women and children as possible by rail from Poland.

Cold comfort: Hugs for a child wrapped up against the winter chill as hundreds of women and children gathered at Lviv train station in Western Ukraine

Cold comfort: Hugs for a child wrapped up against the winter cold while hundreds of women and children gathered at Lviv railway station in western Ukraine

These services were described to me as “ghost trains”. They are unplanned and are not widely advertised so as not to be flooded. A few days ago, warning shots were heard at Kyiv Central Station as frantic crowds tried to board trains outside the city.

Our journey began in the small village of Shekhini, on the Polish border, where it seemed that a large part of the population of Ukraine was trying to cross.

The traffic jammed the narrow main street. Hundreds, if not thousands, had already gotten out of their vehicles and carried small children as they dragged their suitcases through the dirt.

The streetlights were poor, so it was difficult to read their faces as they passed the other side. But no one seems to appreciate Putin’s efforts to “denazify” his country.

It was a real misery. Winter and war in the personification of the middle of nowhere: endless plains that disappear in the icy fog, interrupted here and there by small forests of silver birch.

We were also stuck. There were no taxis in Shehini. Indeed, no local wanted to drive us east, no matter what money we offered.

The roads were too crowded with refugees, the gas was running out, the Russians might be nearby; in any case, curfew will be introduced at 10 p.m. There wasn’t even a hotel to stay in.

Then we were told that there was a chance we would get to Lviv tonight; a small train station stood at the end of the village. The main line from Krakow in Poland to Lviv passed through it. There was a train to Lviv at 8 p.m.

So we dragged our luggage along the road and down a lane until we reached an open-air crossing beyond.

Next to the gates was a small platform for passengers, and beyond it was a home-lit villa lit by a window and a rose garden behind a fence. In front of the door of the villa stood a healthy woman in a high coat: the guard.

She waited for the gates to close so that the next special refugee heading west would pass. A distant whistle and white light flew along the line in the direction of Lviv, the refugee train heading west.

He moved slowly, crowded with people and their belongings. A woman was sleeping, facing the window. The children stared at us or into the darkness. Then he was gone, a red taillight winking on his way to Poland. The night grew colder.

Lviv train station's ornate entrance hall was 'a scene of utter chaos, a big-match football crowd of refugees studying the departure board or pushing through to the platforms beyond'

The ornate entrance hall of Lviv station was “a scene of complete chaos, a large football crowd of refugees studying the board or going to the platforms beyond.”

After consulting with Google Translate and the observer at the crossroads, we learned that a train going east will stop at her stop. And if we take this train to the next station on the line, we could move for the intercity service to Lviv. And a train appeared. Small, modest, completely empty. He stopped and we boarded.

There were only a dozen strangers gathered for the war.

Half are refugees who have previously tried to cross the border on foot and gave up because of the queues. Now they were returning east to try to take one of the ghost trains to Poland.

They had brought their most valuables with them. The effect was entirely Alice in Wonderland.

A young woman was sensibly dressed in winter clothes and carrying a backpack. But you couldn’t help but notice that she was holding a huge Angora rabbit that seemed completely resigned to its circumstances.

Another passenger was Veronica. She was a young educator who had brought her own rat. She allowed him to snuggle sleepily into the leather-trimmed collar of his quilted coat.

“I just woke up and heard the crash and decided, ‘That’s too much.’ I have to leave Ukraine, “Veronica told me.

And so she left home, a dwarf from her backpack. “I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight,” she said. “I have a tent, but I prefer not to camp outside. It’s too cold. ‘

Passengers wait at the platform inside Lviv railway station today while waiting to board trains out of Ukraine and into the safety of Europe as the Russian invasion continues

Passengers wait on the platform at Lviv railway station today as they wait to board trains from Ukraine and in the safety of Europe as the Russian invasion continues

At the direction of the woman crossing, we got off at the next station. “What are you doing here?” Asked a surprised employee of the platform. “We are waiting for the train to Lviv,” they told him. “But the train you just got off was the train to Lviv.”

And so many more hours of waiting began. But we were far from alone, because the station itself was used as a center for ghost trains.

The big waiting room was at least warm. Children for whom all this was an adventure, running and shouting, their parents were too exhausted to keep quiet. Other parents comforted young people for whom this was an unbearable ordeal.

Among our group was a young Brazilian doctor who crossed into Ukraine from Poland earlier in the day.

He came to try to save his daughter, who he said was trapped in a town near Crimea that is said to be under threat, if not attacked, by Russian forces. Meanwhile, in the station hall, he tried to help a mother who ran away with her child, but was unable to bring her own medicine for epilepsy.

Does anyone know anyone who came here from a city where he could find such a medicine, he asks. Nobody did it.

The influx of refugees was weakening and rushing in when special trains arrived at the station and unwanted gusts of night air rushed into the hall.

The men lifted benches from the floor below to make the waiting women and children more comfortable.

A boy, probably ten or 11, sat down next to me. After a while he asked me politely and in good English where I was from.

‘From London.’

“Oh, very good!” He exclaimed.

Where are you from? I asked.

“Ternopil,” he said. Then he smiled because people often made the mistake. This is Turn-Opil, not Chernobyl, where the nuclear explosion took place.

He was growing very late, and morale had weakened. But in the station hall, two young musicians unpacked their guitars and began to choose the opening bars of Nirvana’s Come As You Are.

They played sweetly and the atmosphere they created was both sad and inspiring. Outside, another train, full of exhausted women and children, was waiting to head west. Beyond him, in the darkness, stood a row of freight cars. The people on the platform were pounding to keep warm, and their features were hidden by a mist of breath.

“It could be a World War II scene,” someone said. For the Ukrainians on the train and at the station, there was no “can” for that.

Then, at last, a sad rumble came from the west, and the headlight of a locomotive pierced the darkness.

This was the midnight night especially for Lviv. He stopped on the far platform and they took us on foot across the rails.

The train was completely empty, but the sad remains in the car – discarded food, sweet packaging and water bottles – confirmed that it was also one of the refugee “ghost trains” moving to the border and beyond.

Now he was returning to Lviv to gather more refugees.

The train took a step until it accelerated excitingly through the dangerous night.

At one point we were walking parallel to the M11 – the main road to the west and safety – and here they are – a fixed line of headlights and taillights; mile after mile vehicles for refugees who are not going anywhere.

An employee moved slowly down the car, checking the few passengers. Did we have to buy tickets from him, they asked him.

‘No,’ he replied. “It doesn’t matter now. This is a war. ‘
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Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage

Nicole Hannah-Jones criticizes media for “insidious racism” after widespread coverage of Ukraine’s invasion

The left-wing New York Times reporter and creator of the controversial 1619 project accused the media of portraying “insidious racism” in its abundant coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – compared to other conflicts – and accused some journalists of being interested only in “Europeans with blond hair and blue eyes. ‘

“Every journalist covering Ukraine must really, really look inside. That is why I say that we must stop pretending to be objective and instead acknowledge our biases so that we can report against them. Many of us see racial analysis and language, “Nicole Hannah-Jones tweeted Sunday.

Hannah-Jones, whose Project 1619 initiative aims to reshape American history by placing the effects of slavery at the heart of the national narrative, also argues that “acknowledging shock” for Ukraine demonstrates racial bias and a lack of attention to “people, which are not considered white ‘.

“Frankly, these confessions of shock that this is happening in a European country are unhistorical and also justify the lack of sympathy for other invasions, other professions and other refugee crises involving peoples who are not considered white.” she added.

While criticizing the wide coverage of the crisis in Kyiv, she also noted that people “should take care of Ukraine” and that “all people deserve to be free.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since the invasion began. The ongoing conflict has forced at least 200,000 people to flee.

Kyiv and Moscow agreed to hold peace talks Monday on the border with Belarus, although Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has admitted he is unsure of a positive decision.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, left-wing New York Times reporter and creator of the controversial 1619 Project, accused the media of depicting 'insidious racism' in its coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, alleging some journalists only have concern for 'Europeans with blond hair and blue eyes'

Nicole Hannah-Jones, a left-wing New York Times reporter and creator of the controversial 1619 project, accused the media of portraying “insidious racism” in covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, claiming that some journalists were only interested in “blond-haired Europeans.” . and blue eyes

1646009170 915 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 399 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage Hannah-Jones made her allegations in a string of controversial tweets published Sunday

Hannah-Jones made her claims in a series of controversial tweets posted on Sunday

Despite her claims that the media coverage of the invasion included “racial analysis and language”, Hannah-Jones added: “To be clear: we need to care about Ukraine. But not because it’s European, or people look white, or they’re “civilized” and not “poor.”

“All people deserve to be free and welcome when their countries are at war.”

She also noted that “Europe is not a continent by definition” and said it was “a geopolitical fabrication to separate it from Asia”.

“So the alarm of attacking a European, civilized or civilized nation or a First World nation is a dog whistle that tells us we should care because they are like us.”

Her conflicting remarks sparked a negative response on Twitter.

Sky Media coordinator Maurice Anton Brown responded to the journalist, accusing her of saying it was untimely.

“I do not think it is time to focus on that. Maybe in a few years, but not today, tomorrow or next week, “he responded to her post, urging the media to acknowledge their bias.

Hannah-Jones replied: “This is absolutely ridiculous. Shouldn’t journalists focus on improving their coverage in real time? ‘

Sky Media Coordinator Maurice Anton Brown hit back at the journalist, accusing her remarks of being ill-timed. Hannah-Jones responded: 'That’s absolutely ridiculous. Journalists shouldn’t focus on improving their coverage in real time?'

Sky Media Coordinator Maurice Anton Brown hit back at the journalist, accusing her remarks of being ill-timed. Hannah-Jones responded: ‘That’s absolutely ridiculous. Journalists shouldn’t focus on improving their coverage in real time?’

1646009170 903 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 962 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage The New York Times' reporter's controversial remarks prompted negative response on Twitter

The New York Times’ reporter’s controversial remarks prompted negative response on Twitter

‘Too short-sighted. I understand your perspective but the shock is real and it’s because it’s simply nearer to our own countries and it’s a new dimension here in Europe for young generations,’ Twitter user @tommyberlin7 told the reporter. ‘It’s human to feel more affected when the it’s happening closer to you.’

‘Don’t Forget that Ukraine is a strong country with real democracy and a interest to join UE (sic),’ echoed @AkokaElie.

‘European have one big ideal in which they will always stand for and its freedom. When conflicts are against country Where they don’t see this freedom (of speech and votes) its not the same.’

‘Wow, did you pay any attention to the Syrian war and refugee crisis? Millions of Syrians and Afghans came to Europe. I know, i worked at the refugee camps,’ @leesteffy1 added.

‘Bosnia/Serbia was a civil war. Yugoslavia coming apart,’ argued @Leopard24601.

Others applauded Hannah-Jones, citing examples of alleged inaccuracies and racism in the news.

‘YES! first ground war in 70 years? What about Bosnia?!?!?! How can editors let such rash statements pass? Oh right, no more editors…’ wrote author Tim Riley.

‘I think of when Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western civilization and replied “I think it would be a good idea.” War is terrible everywhere, people should not care more or less just because a war is happening in Europe,’ said @RichardrjMcCoy.

1646009170 748 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 505 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 703 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 633 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage 1646009170 440 Nikole Hannah Jones blasts media for insidious racism after heavy coverage Others applauded Hannah-Jones, citing examples of alleged inaccuracies and racism in the news

Others applauded Hannah-Jones, citing examples of alleged inaccuracies and racism in the news.

“Thank you for that,” wrote @THArealKWOODS. “I also think it’s’ funny ‘how people here say’ I didn’t know that, thnx BUT the proximity to nuclear war is more worrying than the racial consequences We know. We also know how its reporting is wrong and harmful to culture. 2 things may be right. ‘

Twitter user @ Shoes4Indstry, responding to Hannah-Jones, included two examples of alleged racial bias over the conflict in Ukraine.

The commentator on social media shared a post by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin claiming that Ukraine had been invaded by “Soviet dictator Vladimir Putin”, despite the fact that the Soviet Union was disbanded in 1991.

The user also shared a video from CBS News, covering the conflict, in which the local correspondent said: “This is not a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, where the conflict has been raging for decades.

“It’s relatively civilized, relatively European – and I have to choose those words carefully – a city you wouldn’t expect or hope would happen.”

Hannah-Jones' tweets came as Ukraine's health ministry said Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since the beginning of Russia's invasion. (Pictured: Russian forces taking control of the village of Nikolaevka, Ukraine on Sunday)

Hannah-Jones’ tweets came when Ukraine’s health ministry announced on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since the Russian invasion began. (Pictured: Russian forces take control of Nikolaevka village, Ukraine on Sunday)

Fighting in Ukraine has claimed dozens of civilian lives, forced hundreds and thousands of to flee west and could, according to the EU, eventually displace up to seven million people (Pictured: Refugees from many different countries, mostly students of Ukrainian universities, are seen at the Medyka pedestrian border crossing fleeing the conflict in Ukraine on Sunday)

Fighting in Ukraine has claimed the lives of dozens of civilians, forced hundreds and thousands to flee to the west and, according to the EU, could eventually displace up to seven million people. the Medica pedestrian border crossing, fleeing the conflict in Ukraine on Sunday)

Ukraine and Russia agreed to hold peace talks on Monday at the border with Belarus, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted he wasn't confident of a positive resolution (Pictured: Firefighters inspect the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv on Friday)

Ukraine and Russia agreed to hold peace talks Monday on the border with Belarus, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is unsure of the positive decision.

Ukraine war latest, at a glance

  • President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko warns that Western sanctions against Russia are pushing the Kremlin into World War II
  • EU launches new package of sanctions against Putin’s regime, closing airspace to all Russian planes and banning Kremlin propaganda publications Russia Today and Sputnik
  • Kyiv and Moscow will hold peace talks on the border with Belarus, Vladimir Zelensky confirmed
  • The Ukrainian president’s office said the two delegations would meet “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River, north of Chernobyl.
  • Putin has ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on alert amid heightened tensions with the West
  • The United States considers Putin’s nuclear order “unacceptable” and says the war crimes tribunal is not leaving the table
  • Putin’s desperate troops adopt “siege tactics” after being driven out of Kharkov by resistance fighters
  • The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine claims that the death toll in Russia is 4,300
  • The Ministry of Health of Ukraine announced on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the beginning of the invasion
  • At least 200,000 people have fled Ukraine to three countries, with 150,000 reportedly moving to Poland alone
  • Ukraine’s Defense Ministry appeared today to get foreigners out to join its armed forces and fight Putin’s army
  • US and EU agree to limit Russia’s use of SWIFT messaging system, which is vital for global financial transactions
  • Iskander missiles were fired from Belarus to Ukraine
  • Russia has admitted losing troops for the first time today, but did not give a number
  • BP says it is giving up its controversial 20 percent stake in Russia’s Rosneft energy group “with immediate effect

Hannah-Jones often makes conflicting remarks on her Twitter account.

Earlier this month, she summoned civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton for speaking out about widespread petty theft in New York and accused him of “legitimizing the state of solitary confinement.”

Last month, she criticized Americans listening to podcast Joe Rogan, saying the reason he had millions of followers was “not a mystery” and “open racism.” The tweet was later deleted, according to Fox News.

In 2020, she accused the New York government of setting off fireworks “to disorient and destabilize the #BlackLivesMatter movement.” She deleted the tweet, the National Review reported, and issued a statement saying it was “irresponsible” to use her platform to promote an unproven theory.

Meanwhile, fighting in Ukraine has claimed dozens of civilian lives, forced hundreds and thousands to flee to the west, and the EU says it could eventually displace up to seven million people.

Ukraine and Russia agreed to meet on Monday at the border with Belarus in a bid to hold peace talks. Although President Zelenski has admitted that he is not convinced there will be a positive decision, he says he owes his people at least to try to get involved.

Zelenski said the two delegations would meet “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River, north of Chernobyl, in a deal reached by telephone with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Ukrainian president described his discussion with Lukashenko as “very important”, adding that he had made it clear that he did not want troops to move from Belarus to Ukraine, and Lukashenko “assured him”.

The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that he had ordered troops to apply nuclear deterrence to a “special duty regime” in light of “aggressive statements” by NATO leaders and “hostile economic action”. . Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg then replied: “This is dangerous rhetoric.”

Lukashenko also made a chilling threat Sunday night that Western sanctions against Russia were pushing the Kremlin toward World War III after Vladimir Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on alert.

In addition, the EU unveiled a new package of sanctions against the Putin regime on Sunday night, closing its airspace to all Russian planes and banning Kremlin propaganda publications Russia Today and Sputnik. In response, the Russian carrier Aeroflot said it was suspending all flights to Europe.

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What men REALLY want their wives to do in bed

What men REALLY want their wives to do in bed

What men REALLY want their wives to do in bed: husbands admit their secret breakups and desires – from one who wants her to cheat on him, to another who longs for sex with a man

  • The men revealed what their wives want to do in the bedroom
  • Some spouses said they wanted to be “dominated” by their partner
  • Others wanted their wives to try watching porn, threesomes or swinging

Married men shared their secret quirks and desires in an eye-opening online topic, including a husband fantasizing about his wife cheating on him.

Spouses from all over the world have used an anonymous app to share secrets Whisper to confess the things they want to try in the bedroom. While some have told their wives, others are hiding their thoughts from their partner.

Several men said they wanted their partner to be more assertive when it came to having sex and taking on a “dominant” role between the sheets.

Another said he wanted to have sex while another couple was in the same room. Boyfriends also joined in, sharing details of their dream night with their girlfriend.

Here FEMAIL shares some of the most eye-opening confessions …

Disappointment: A man from Johnson Crossroads, Florida, has an unfulfilled fantasy

Disappointment: A man from Johnson Crossroads, Florida, has an unfulfilled fantasy

Others want more: This couple has two different ideas about how often to have sex

Others want more: This couple has two different ideas about how often to have sex

Three's company: A Green man, Maine, wants to experiment with another man

Three’s company: A Green man, Maine, wants to experiment with another man

Do not deceive anyone: This husband knows that his wife is not as happy as he claims to be

Do not deceive anyone: This husband knows that his wife is not as happy as he claims to be

In Control: Someone living at the Southern Marine Corps Camp Pendleton in California wants his girlfriend to be more assertive in the bedroom

In Control: Someone living at the Southern Marine Corps Camp Pendleton in California wants his girlfriend to be more assertive in the bedroom

All tied: Fifty shades of gray inspired this married man from Wald Lake, Michigan

All tied: Fifty shades of gray inspired this married man from Wald Lake, Michigan

Mixing things up: A man from Walsall, in the West Midlands, wants his girlfriend to watch porn

Mixing things up: A man from Walsall, in the West Midlands, wants his girlfriend to watch porn

Tired of taking the lead: A man had sharp feedback from his girlfriend about her performance

Tired of taking the lead: A man had sharp feedback from his girlfriend about her performance

Disappointed: This man from Fort Worth, Texas, sounds resentful of his wife

Disappointed: This man from Fort Worth, Texas, sounds resentful of his wife

The more, the more fun!  A man from Fayetteville, Arkansas, believes swing is the answer

The more, the more fun! A man from Fayetteville, Arkansas, believes swing is the answer

Time for experiments: A married man from Twin Brooks, Alberta, is afraid to share his secret

Time for experiments: A married man from Twin Brooks, Alberta, is afraid to share his secret

Doubts: A man from Hinesville, Georgia, wonders if he and his wife are compatible

Doubts: A man from Hinesville, Georgia, wonders if he and his wife are compatible

Three times more fun!  A man from Woodstock, Ontario, wants to invite another woman

Three times more fun! A man from Woodstock, Ontario, wants to invite another woman

Happy to share: A man from Valdosta, Georgia, wants his wife to cheat and tell him

Happy to share: A man from Valdosta, Georgia, wants his wife to cheat and tell him

What men REALLY want their wives to do in bed Read More »

RUSSIA UKRAINE LIVE The battle for Kyiv reaches the decisive 24

RUSSIA-UKRAINE LIVE: The battle for Kyiv reaches the decisive 24 hours

RUSSIA UKRAINE LIVE The battle for Kyiv reaches the decisive 24

RUSSIA-UKRAINE LIVE: Putin’s “threat of nuclear war” as battle for Kyiv reaches decisive 24 hours – and Russian and Ukrainian officials meet TODAY

Boris Johnson call Russia invasion of Ukraine “President Putin’s catastrophically abusive endeavor” as Kremlin forces continue to face resistance.

Before an emergency The united nations General Assembly of Ukrainian President Vladimir Green said the next 24 hours would be a “crucial period”.

Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian forces have resumed heavy fighting ahead of an expected attack on the capital.

Ukrainian defenders resisted, but a US official warned that far stronger Russian forces would inevitably learn and adapt their tactics.

A Ukrainian delegation is due to meet with the Russians “without preconditions” today on the border with Belarus, although Zelensky said he did not see much prospect of any meaningful dialogue.

Mr Johnson, meanwhile, dismissed Vladimir Putin’s dramatic statement that he was putting Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert as a “distraction” from the failure of his troops to break into Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said Putin’s nuclear order seemed to be an attempt to deviate from the fact that his efforts to restore order after the Cold War in Europe were failing.

Follow the MailOnline live blog for all updates on the crisis in Ukraine today:

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SAG Awards 2022 WINNERS Thespians recognized on one of television

WINNERS of SAG Awards 2022: Thespians awarded in one of the biggest TV and movie nights

Troy Kotsur made history at the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday.

The 53-year-old actor was the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG Award award, as he won first prize in the male supporting actor category for his work at CODA.

In the film, the talented actor plays Frank Rossi, the father of CODA (Child of the Deaf Adults) named Ruby (played by Emilia Jones), who is the only hearing person in her family of the deaf. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby is torn between pursuing his love of music, wanting to go to Berkeley College of Music and his fear of abandoning his parents.

What a moment: Troy Kotsur was the first ever deaf actor to win an individual honor at the SAG Awards as he took home the first award in the male actor in a supporting role category for his work in CODA

What a moment: Troy Kotsur was the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG Award award, as he won first prize in the male actor category in a supporting role for his work at CODA

On top: He beat out A-list competition including Ben Affleck ('The Tender Bar'), Bradley Cooper ('Licorice Pizza') , Jared Leto ('House of Gucci'), and Kodi Smit-McPhee ('The Power of the Dog') Trailblazer: Coming into the event Kotsur already made history as he was also the first solo deaf actor to receive an individual SAG Award nomination on top of winning it

Top: He beat A-list competition, including Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar), Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza), Jared Leto (House of Gucci) and Cody Smith-McPhee. the dog ‘)

He beat the competition in the A-list, including Ben Affleck (“The Tender Bar”), Bradley Cooper (“Licorice Pizza”), Jared Leto (“House of Gucci”) and Cody Smith-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”).

Entering the event, Kotsur has already made history, as he was the first solo deaf actor to receive an individual nomination for the SAG Award, in addition to winning it.

The award was presented by Scenes from a Marriage co-stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, and Mesa-born Arizona was emotional as he covered his face when his name was announced.

Incredible: The award was presented by Scenes From A Marriage co-stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac and the Meza, Arizona native was emotional as he covered his face when his name was announced

Amazing: The award was presented by Scenes From A Marriage co-stars Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, and the Mesa-born Arizona was emotional as he covered his face when his name was announced.

Kotsur was grateful to be part of the Screen Actors Guild as he opened his speech by saying, via interpreter: 'Wow! Wow! Thank you so much to all the members of SAG. I am so proud to be a member. I've been a member since 2001, and so now I feel like I'm finally part of the family'

Kotsur was grateful to be part of the Screen Actors Guild when he began his speech, saying through an interpreter, “Wow! Come on! Many thanks to all the members of SAG. I am so proud to be a member. I have been a member since 2001 and so now I feel like I am finally part of the family.

Transformative: In the film the talented actor played Frank Rossi, the father of a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) named Ruby (played by Emilia Jones) who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music by wanting to go to Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents

Transforming: In the film, the talented actor plays Frank Rossi, the father of CODA (Child of the Deaf Adults) named Ruby (played by Emilia Jones), who is the only hearing person in her family of the deaf. When the family’s fishing business is threatened, Ruby is torn between pursuing his love of music, wanting to go to Berkeley College of Music, and fearing abandoning his parents.

Kotsur was grateful to be part of the Screen Actors Guild when he began his speech, saying through an interpreter, “Wow! Come on! Many thanks to all the members of SAG. I am so proud to be a member. I have been a member since 2001 and so now I feel like I am finally part of the family. And I know you’re all artists and I know what it’s like to be a hungry actor.

“I was sleeping in my car then. I slept in my dressing room behind the scenes. I was surfing on the couch and you can feel it all, don’t you? And so thank you very much. I am so grateful to SAG for protecting our actors. ‘

The second prize for the evening was given to Ariana DeBois, as she won a supporting actress for her work in West Side Story.

Earned it: The second award of the night was given to Ariana DeBose as she earned Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her work in West Side Story Beaming: She grinned from ear-to-ear

Win it: The second prize of the evening was given to Ariana DeBois as she won a supporting actress for her work in West Side Story

Aww: The 31-year-old actress was emotional and tears streamed down her eyes as her name was announced by Selena Gomez and Martin Short

Wow: The 31-year-old actress was emotional and tears came to her eyes when her name was announced by Selena Gomez and Martin Short

Eyes on the prize: She beat out Caitríona Balfe ('Belfast'), Cate Blanchett ('Nightmare Alley') , Kirsten Dunst ('The Power of the Dog'), and Ruth Negga ('Passing)

Eyes on the prize: She beat out Caitríona Balfe (‘Belfast’), Cate Blanchett (‘Nightmare Alley’) , Kirsten Dunst (‘The Power of the Dog’), and Ruth Negga (‘Passing)

The North Carolina native began her acceptance speech by saying: 'Oh, my gosh. Thank you. My heart is beating in my chest right now. It's taken a long time for me to feel comfortable calling myself an actor'

The North Carolina native began her acceptance speech by saying: ‘Oh, my gosh. Thank you. My heart is beating in my chest right now. It’s taken a long time for me to feel comfortable calling myself an actor’

Epic: She played the iconic character of Anita in the Steven Spielberg directed film which was an adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds

Epic: She played Anita’s iconic character in the Steven Spielberg-directed film, which was an adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores the forbidden love and rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

The 31-year-old actress was emotional and tears welled up in her eyes when her name was announced by Selena Gomez and Martin Short.

She defeated Caitriona Balf (Belfast), Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley), Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) and Ruth Nega (Passerby).

Ariana played Anita’s iconic character in the Steven Spielberg-directed film, which was an adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores the forbidden love and rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

The North Carolina resident began her acceptance speech with the words, “Oh, my God. Thank you. My heart is beating in my chest right now. It took me a long time to feel comfortable calling myself an actor.

“My roots come from the world of dance, from the Broadway stage, and the man we see on screen took every bit of me, but it took ten years to do, and I’m extremely proud of her and our film. And I really believe that when you recognize one of us, you recognize all of us in some way. So thank you, SAG, for this recognition.

The comedy TV categories were dominated by the AppleTV + series Ted Lasso, as the sitcom won an outstanding performance for an ensemble in a comedy series, as well as an outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series for Jason Sudeikis.

The 46-year-old actor accepted his individual honor via satellite, as he was joined by his colleagues, as they are currently filming Season 3 in London.

He won the victory over comedy legends and even a collaborator, including Michael Douglas (The Chimney Method), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Martin Short (“Only Murders”). ‘). in the building”).

The A-List stars attended the glamorous TV event at the Barker hangar in Santa Monica, California.

At the head of the leading event there was no confirmed host for the presentation and there has not been one since 2020, when Schitt’s Creek stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy opened and closed the show, but there was an introduction and monologue made by well-known actors on stage and screen.

Hamilton stars Lynn-Manuel Miranda, David Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. kicked off the award ceremony when they took the stage after the traditional “I’m an Actor” segment.

Fran Drescher, the newly appointed president of SAG-AFTRA, said last month: “After such a long time apart, we are excited to be together again this year at the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.”

Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens named the nominees in an Instagram Live presentation last month.

The hit TV shows Succession and Ted Lasso lead the nominees and are tied with a total of five nominations each.

Helen Mirren, who has received a total of five SAG Awards from 13 nominations, will receive the prestigious Achievement Award.

The storied career of 2022 SAG Awards winner Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren has had a rather legendary career as she has won numerous accolades, including being the only person to achieve the Triple Crown Actor (film, television and stage) in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

She won an Oscar and a British Academy Award for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film The Queen.

Mirren also won a Tony Award and a Lawrence Olivier Award for the same role in the 2013 play The Audience, written by playwright Peter Morgan.

Bond: Mirren and Winslet starred together on 2016 film Collateral Beauty, as they are seen together at the Academy Awards in 2007

Bond: Mirren and Winslet starred together on 2016 film Collateral Beauty, as they are seen together at the Academy Awards in 2007

She does it all: Mirren (pictured performing at the Academy of Music Anniversary Concert in Philadelphia in 2019) has had quite the storied career as she has earned multiple accolades including being the only person to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (film, television, and stage) in both the United States and United Kingdom

She does it all: Mirren (pictured at the Philadelphia Academy of Music Anniversary 2019 concert) has had a long history as she has won numerous accolades, including being the only person to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. television, and stage) in both the United States and the United Kingdom

When it comes to television, she won three British Academy Awards and two Primetime Emmys for the drama The Suspect, which aired for seven seasons from 1991 to 2006.

Mirren also won two more Emmy Prime Awards for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in 2005’s Elizabeth I and her portrayal of Amy Rand in 1999’s Amy Rand’s Passion. She has been nominated a total of 10 times.

In addition to winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2007, she was nominated three more times, including in 1995 for King George’s Madness, in 2002 for Gosford Park and in 2010 for The Last station.

Signature role: She received an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 film The Queen

Signature role: She received an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 film The Queen

Golden hour: Mirren is seen proudly posing with her Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in February 2007 in Los Angeles

Golden Hour: Mirren is seen proudly posing with her Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in February 2007 in Los Angeles

She began her career in her late teens, excelling on stage with the National Youth Theater.

Her performance as Cleopatra in Anthony and Cleopatra in 1965 led her to be invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company before making her stage debut in the West End in 1975.

Mirren made her breakthrough in the film years later when she starred in 1980’s Good Friday.

In 1984, she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Cal.

Shining star: Mirren was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1995 for The Madness Of King George

Shining star: Mirren was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1995 for The Madness Of King George

Golden: She was later acknowledge for her role in Gosford Park in the Best Supporting Actress category once again

Golden: She was later acknowledge for her role in Gosford Park in the Best Supporting Actress category once again

Storied career: In 2010 she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Last Station

Career History: In 2010, she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Last Station

She has starred in several critically acclaimed films, including: 2010 (1984), The Chef, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989), Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Calendar Girls (2003), Hitchcock (2012), The Journey of a Hundred Feet (2014), Woman in Gold (2015), Trumpet (2015) and The Leisure Seeker (2017).

Mirren has not starred in major drama, as she has starred in several action films, including Red (2010) and Red 2 (2013), playing a former MI6 killer, and Fast & Furious The Fate of the Furious (2017). ), Hobbes and Shaw (2019) and F9 (2021).

As if that weren’t enough, she was named Lady (DBE) for Merit’s Drama in 2003’s Queen’s Birthday Honor.

Icon: When it comes to television she earned three British Academy Television Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards for drama Prime Suspect which aired over seven seasons from 1991 to 2006

Icon: As for television, she won three British Academy Television Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards for the drama The Suspect, which aired for seven seasons from 1991 to 2006.

She also received a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.

In 2014 he received a BAFTA scholarship for achievements in life from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Mirren’s career is still going strong as she has four film projects along the way, including the superhero movie Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and the thriller Sniff.

The big time: Mirren made her breakthrough in film years later as she starred in 1980's The Long Good Friday

The big moment: Mirren made her breakthrough in the film years later when she starred in 1980’s Good Friday.

“Lady Helen Mirren is just a brilliant and brilliant talent,” Drescher said in a statement.

“Her work includes a set of characters from a not-so-retired CIA super killer and a ruthless Russian spy to a Hungarian janitor and the most exquisite Elizabeth II.”

“She has set the bar very high for all the actors and in role after role she surpasses even her own outstanding performances.”

The awards are presented by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Founded in 1952, the awards recognize outstanding performances in film and television in prime time.

SAG AWARD NOMINATIONS 2022

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Murray Bartlett (‘The White Lotus’)

Oscar Isaac (‘Scenes From a Marriage’)

Michael Keaton (‘Dopesick’)

Ewan McGregor (‘Halston’)

Evan Peters (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Jennifer Coolidge (‘The White Lotus’)

Cynthia Erivo (‘Genius: Aretha’)

Margaret Qualley (‘Maid’)

Jean Smart (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Kate Winslet (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Kate Winslet ('Mare of Easttown')

Kate Winslet (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael Douglas (‘The Kominsky Method’)

Brett Goldstein (‘Ted Lasso’)

Steve Martin (‘Only Murders in the Building’)

Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’)

Jason Sudeikis (‘Ted Lasso’) – WINNER

Jason Sudeikis ('Ted Lasso')

Jason Sudeikis (‘Ted Lasso’)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Elle Fanning (‘The Great’)

Sandra Oh (‘The Chair’)

Jean Smart (‘Hacks’) – WINNER

Juno Temple (‘Ted Lasso’)

Hannah Waddingham (‘Ted Lasso’)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

‘The Great’ (Hulu)

‘Hacks’ (HBO Max)

‘The Kominsky Method’ (Netflix)

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (Hulu)

‘Ted Lasso’ (Apple TV Plus) – WINNER

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Brian Cox (‘Succession’)

Billy Crudup (‘The Morning Show’)

Kieran Culkin (‘Succession’)

Lee Jung-Jae (‘Squid Game’)

Jeremy Strong (‘Succession’)

Brian Cox ('Succession')

Brian Cox (‘Succession’)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston (‘The Morning Show’)

Jung Ho-yeon (‘Squid Game’)

Elizabeth Moss (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’)

Sarah Snook (‘Succession’)

Reese Witherspoon (‘The Morning Show’)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Hulu)

‘The Morning Show’ (Apple TV Plus)

‘Squid Game’ (Netflix)

‘Succession’ (HBO)

‘Yellowstone’ (Paramount Network)

Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Caitríona Balfe (‘Belfast’)

Cate Blanchett (‘Nightmare Alley’)

Ariana DeBose (‘West Side Story’) – WINNER

Kirsten Dunst (‘The Power of the Dog’)

Ruth Negga (‘Passing)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Ben Affleck (‘The Tender Bar’)

Bradley Cooper (‘Licorice Pizza’)

Troy Kotsur (‘CODA’) – WINNER

Jared Leto (‘House of Gucci’)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘The Power of the Dog’)

Ben Affleck ('The Tender Bar')

Ben Affleck (‘The Tender Bar’)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’)

Olivia Colman (‘The Lost Daughter’)

Lady Gaga (‘House of Gucci’)

Jennifer Hudson (‘Respect’)

Nicole Kidman (‘Being the Ricardos’)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (‘Being the Ricardos’)

Benedict Cumberbatch (‘The Power of the Dog’)

Andrew Garfield (‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’)

Will Smith (‘King Richard’)

Denzel Washington (‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’)

Denzel Washington ('The Tragedy of Macbeth')

Denzel Washington (‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

‘Belfast’ (Focus Features)

‘CODA’ (Apple Original Films)

‘Don’t Look Up’ (Netflix)

‘House of Gucci’ (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

‘King Richard’ (Warner Bros)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

‘Black Widow’

‘Dune’

‘The Matrix Resurrections’

‘No Time to Die’ – WINNER

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

 Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

‘Cobra Kai’

‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’

‘Loki’

‘Mare of Easttown’

‘Squid Game’ – WINNER

Source

WINNERS of SAG Awards 2022: Thespians awarded in one of the biggest TV and movie nights Read More »

Ukrainian boxer Vasil Lomachenko posted a photo of himself in

Ukrainian boxer Vasil Lomachenko posted a photo of himself in full military uniform

World boxing champion in three categories Vasil Lomachenko published a photo of himself in a full Ukrainian military uniform after returning to his homeland to enlist in the territorial army and help fight Russian troops

  • Vasil Lomachenko enlisted in the Ukrainian Territorial Army to fight Russia
  • The boxer initially left for Greece, but then returned to his hometown of Odessa
  • He is now posting a photo of himself wearing a full military uniform in Ukraine
  • Russian troops invaded last week, killing hundreds

Ukrainian boxing hero Vasil Lomachenko returned home and enlisted in the territorial army in an attempt to help protect his people from Russian soldiers.

It was initially reported that the 34-year-old, who is a world boxing champion in three different weight categories, has left for Greece after Russiainvasion of, but now back to join the battle.

Posting a second message from local mayor Vitaly Hrazhdan, who is also in the photo, Lomachenko shared a photo of his Facebook page wearing a military uniform.

The statement reads: “The Territorial Defense Battalion of Belgorod-Dniester has been formed and armed. Boxer Vasil Lomachenko is in defense. ‘

According to reports, it took several days for the boxing legend, whose trip back to Ukraine from Greece was long and complicated.

It is said that he first had to go to Bucharest, Romania, before going to Ukraine to get to his hometown of Odessa.

Lomachenko is not the only famous Ukrainian boxer to change his luxury life to the front line, with Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko also joining the fight.

Vasil Lomachenko (left) enlists in the Ukrainian Territorial Army to fight Russia

Vasil Lomachenko (left) enlists in the Ukrainian Territorial Army to fight Russia

The 34-year-old boxer (left) is a world champion in three different weight categories

The 34-year-old boxer (left) is a world champion in three different weight categories

Explosions were heard during the night in several Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, and Chernihiv, north of the capital.

This comes at the beginning of the crucial 24 hours for the country with the highest tensions after the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring his nuclear deterrence forces into “combat readiness”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv and Moscow would hold peace talks on the northern border with Belarus on Monday, but he said frankly that there was no hope that the conflict would be resolved. Zelenski will not be part of the delegation personally.

Ukraine’s health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since Russia’s invasion last week. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”

Lomachenko initially left Ukraine when the war broke out, but has now returned to his homeland

Lomachenko initially left Ukraine when the war broke out, but has now returned to his homeland

Ukrainian boxer Vasil Lomachenko posted a photo of himself in full military uniform Read More »

Moment man is arrested for kicking woman down subway stairs

A man is currently under arrest for “kicking a woman on the subway stairs and smashing her head with a hammer”

A 57-year-old man has been arrested after kicking a woman down the stairs of a New York subway station and smashing her repeatedly in the head with a hammer – just days after Mayor Eric Adams promised to quell violence in the transit system.

William Blount was pictured as he was escorted from Transit District 20 on Sunday after being arrested for the hammering of Nina Rothschild at Queens Plaza Tube Station on Thursday.

Blount, who was accused of attempted murder, robbery and assault, allegedly kicked the 57-year-old city health worker down the stairs and hit her repeatedly with a hammer in a subway station, leaving her seriously injured.

Surveillance footage from outside of Queens Plaza, Long Island City, shows a man reportedly Blount walking with a cane as he approaches Rothschild as she carefully descends stairs to a subway platform on Thursday. at 23:22.

Blount started by kicking her in the back and trying to knock her down, but when Rothschild stayed on his feet and seemed to be trying to escape slowly, he pulled out a hammer, according to authorities.

He then continued to hit her in the head 13 times while she was fighting, with the last blow knocking her down.  

William Blount, pictured center, is arrested on Sunday for the hammer attack of a woman at the Queens Plaza subway station Thursday

William Blount, pictured center, is arrested on Sunday for the hammer attack of a woman at the Queens Plaza subway station Thursday

Pictured: Nina Rothschild, the 57-year-old city health worker who was kicked down the stairs and had her head repeatedly hit a hammer

Pictured: Nina Rothschild, the 57-year-old city health worker who was kicked down the stairs and had her head repeatedly hit a hammer

Blount, pictured center, as he is escorted by police from the Briarwood subway station in Queens

Blount, pictured center, as he is escorted by police from the Briarwood subway station in Queens

Police escort Blount, 57, after his vicious attack on Nina Rothschild, also 57, at a Queens subway station on Thursday

Police escort Blount, 57, after his vicious attack on Nina Rothschild, also 57, at a Queens subway station on Thursday

Blount, pictured being taken to the back of a police car, has a half-dozen prior arrests including charges of robbery and criminal possession of a controlled substance

Blount, pictured being taken to the back of a police car, has a half-dozen prior arrests including charges of robbery and criminal possession of a controlled substance

Rothschild, pictured, was taken to nearby Weill Cornell Medical in critical condition

Rothschild, pictured, was taken to nearby Weill Cornell Medical in critical condition

Blount, whose last known address is in Astoria, had half a dozen previous arrests, including charges of robbery and criminal possession of a controlled substance, then snatched her bag and fled, according to the New York Post.

He was convicted in the late 1980s of attempting to criminally sell a controlled substance, records show.

Police found the woman lying on the ground, with a broken skull and a torn head.

Blount reportedly stole two cell phones, debit cards, credit cards and an unknown amount of money from Rothschild, according to police, who were taken to nearby Weill Cornell Medical in critical condition.

The attack comes just a week after Adams announced his initiative for a subway safety plan and sent 1,000 additional staff and teams of health workers to tackle rising crime in the subways.

The man in the video kicked the woman down the stairs at the Queens Plaza subway station and proceeded to pull out a hammer and attack her

The man in the video kicked the woman down the stairs at the Queens Plaza subway station and proceeded to pull out a hammer and attack her

He bashed her head 13 times with the weapon and stole her purse

He bashed her head 13 times with the weapon and stole her purse

The suspect walks out slowly from the subway, with both cane and hammer in hand

The suspect walks out slowly from the subway, with both cane and hammer in hand

Police investigating the case were on the lookout for this man, who they say attacked the woman on Thursday night, prior to Blount's arrest

Police investigating the case were on the lookout for this man, who they say attacked the woman on Thursday night, prior to Blount’s arrest

The attack is the latest in a string of stabbings and robberies that have occurred in the past week in New York City's subway system, which serves more than 3 million people daily

The attack is the latest in a series of stabbing and robberies committed last week in the New York subway, which serves more than 3 million people a day.

Adams said NYPD staff will be stationed on lines A, E, 1, 2, N and R to ensure public safety.

Trains E and R pass through Queens Plaza, where the attack took place on Thursday night. The station is at the eastern end of Long Island City, a wealthy area home to many young professionals and where Amazon is considering opening its second headquarters in 2019.

An MTA employee at the station told the New York Post that he was surprised by the attack in the community.

“Look around, they’ve done a lot with this area, so it’s usually pretty safe,” he said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the new Subway Safety Plan initiative on Friday as a way to crackdown on crime and violence in the city's transit system

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new initiative for a subway safety plan on Friday as a way to curb crime and violence in the city’s transportation system

According to Adams’ plan, officers and service staff will be part of the End of the Line teams with officers to make sure trains are released at their final stops.

Health workers will be there to help the mentally ill and refer them to city support services, while staff are focused on enforcing laws against bed, sleep, stretching, waste disposal, drug use and aggressive behavior towards riders.

The plan comes after a series of recent crimes committed by homeless people, including a break dancer who was stabbed by a homeless man last Thursday and the murder of Michel Go, in which the 40-year-old was pushed under the train last month by a homeless man with a history of mental illness.

“Let’s make this clear, [the homeless] are not dangerous,” Adams said. “The vast majority are not dangerous, but we must be honest about the number of people who deal with mental health crises. They are dangerous to themselves and dangerous to New Yorkers. ‘

The mayor’s plan received support from Governor Kati Hochul, who said the state would supply 600 new psychiatric beds and another 500 beds in shelters in the city to try to provide assistance to those currently living in the subways, many of whom suffer from severe mental illness.

“We will achieve what New Yorkers deserve, and that is safe travel in our subway system, while acknowledging the very real humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding before our eyes for too long.”

The city has deployed an additional 1,000 officers to patrol the subway system starting Friday

The city has deployed an additional 1,000 officers to patrol the subway system starting Friday

Thursday's attack happened at the Queens Plaza Station, which services the E and R lines that were supposed to be enforced better under the Mayor's plan. An MTA worker at the station said he was shocked to learn about the attack because the area is usual safe

The attack on Thursday took place at Queens Plaza, which serves lines E and R, which should have been better implemented according to the mayor’s plan. An MTA employee at the station said he was shocked to learn of the attack because the area is usually safe

But despite their efforts, crime continues to plague the city’s transportation system, which serves more than 3 million people every day.

New York’s subway drills and cuts have risen 29 percent in the past year, 182 incidents, compared with 141 in the previous year in 2020.

And 2022 will be even worse. So far this year, there have been 27 attacks on subway passengers – a 35% increase over the 20 reported for the same period in 2021.

One of the latest victims, a Trader Joe employee named Kevin Young, was repeatedly cut in the face, arm and behind the ear after accidentally crashing into a disturbed passenger on 12 February.

The incident happened around 5:45 a.m. at Union Square Subway Station on East 14th Street when Young tried to get off the South Q train on his way to work to start his shift at 6 p.m.

“Subway crime is out of control,” Young, 36, told the New York Post.

“He’s trying to get on the train, and I’m trying to get out, and after a push-up game, he grabs his blade,” Young recalls.

“I tried to defend myself as much as possible. As soon as I held him, he took his blade and set to work. ‘

1645804883 256 Horrifying footage shows a woman kicked on the stairs of New York City has seen a nearly 50 percent spike in criminal incidents this year when compared to the same span in 2021. Felony assaults have increased by more than 20 percent, while shootings are up by a marked 30 percent

New York City has seen a nearly 50 percent spike in criminal incidents this year when compared to the same span in 2021. Felony assaults have increased by more than 20 percent, while shootings are up by a marked 30 percent

Evelina Rivera, a 30-year-old chef, was struck by a homeless man wielding a metal pole on her way home from her shift on Monday morning The 30-year-old chef

Evelina Rivera, a 30-year-old chef, was hit by a homeless man with a metal rod as she was returning from her shift Monday morning

What does Adams’s subway safety plan for NYC look like?

The mayor’s plan outlines how the Adams administration, in partnership with the MTA and other government agencies, will address these concurrent challenges to New York’s subway systems. Investing in people will provide immediate support and protection for New Yorkers, while investing in places such as accommodation, safe havens, stabilizing beds and wellness vans for the homeless, as well as changes in local, state and federal policies will provide medium-term and long-term solutions. They include:

  • Deploy up to 30 joint response teams bringing together DHS, the Department of Health and Mental Health, the NYPD and community providers in high-demand locations across the city
  • Training NYPD staff in the city’s subway system to enforce the rules of conduct of the MTA and the New York City Transit Authority in a fair and transparent manner
  • Expanding the B-HEARD’s Emergency Response Team to six new areas, more than doubling the areas covered to 11. These teams will expand the already successful pilot response to non-violent 911 mental health calls with professionals on mental health
  • Incorporate medical services into DHS sites serving vulnerable homeless people. DHS ‘Extended Safe Asylum Programs and Stabilizing Beds will offer on-site physical and behavioral health care to meet customer needs immediately
  • Immediate improvement of inter-government coordination with weekly meetings of the “Working Group on Improved Work”, which brings together senior leaders from 13 city and state agencies for rapid problem solving
  • Creating new Drop-in Centers to provide people with an immediate way to get indoors, and exploring the possibility of locating Drop-in Centers near key metro stations for people to go directly from trains and platforms to safe spaces
  • Simplifying the process of accommodation in a maintenance home and reducing the amount of documents required to prove eligibility
  • Calls on the state government to expand resources for psychiatric beds and amend Kendra’s law to improve the provision of mental health care for New Yorkers in assisted outpatient treatment
  • Requirement – instead of asking – everyone to leave the train and the station at the end of the line

Young needed 25 stitches to close his wounds, and underwent surgery at Bellevue Hospital on Thursday to repair nerve damage to his left middle finger during the attack.

“And I have to put pin pins in my right index finger so the bones can grow back,” he groaned.

His attacker, who has not yet been identified or arrested as of Saturday, was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jeans, a black Adidas bag and glasses, police said.

The attack on Young comes just days after a 39-year-old woman was cut in the forehead by another woman with a boxing knife while traveling by train 5 on 59th Street and Lexington Avenue.

On Monday, just hours before Adams’ security plan went into effect, a man was attacked with an ax and a woman was crushed on her nose ring by a homeless man holding a metal pipe.

The first of Monday’s brutal attacks came at around 12:30 p.m., when Kyle Westby, 42, was returning home from a late dinner with his girlfriend when he arrived at Prospect Heights station and saw two men, one of whom asked, “Why are you staring at me?” , writes the New York Post.

“I saw him reach into his jacket and pull out a brown object,” Westby told the Post. “He swung at me and I ran away, so I ran up the stairs and thank God the cops were there.

I told the police, this man swung an ax at me. “They immediately went down and detained him. ‘

Police say they have detained Robert Griffith, 58, after the attack and accused him of attempted assault, threat and criminal possession of a weapon, saying Griffith also had a dagger and a screwdriver.

Hours later, 30-year-old chef Evelina Rivera was hit by a homeless man with a metal rod as she was returning from her shift.

She was returning to train 4, which was heading for the Bronx at 2.39 am, when a homeless man who had previously poured honey asked her and another passenger: “Oh, boys, just shut the hell up ** * up? ‘

“We’re like, ‘Anyway, and we keep talking, and he’s like,’ I’m going to shut you up, ‘” she told the Post.

At that moment, she said, the man tried to hit the other woman, “dropped her by a millimeter” and instead broke the subway window because the future victim used pepper spray to blind him.

Unable to see, Rivera said, the man began to sway wildly and hit me so hard that the ball came out of my piercing barrier. It’s wrong. ‘

Rivera said she was about to have a panic attack “after the attack” and she and the other woman got off at the next stop to report the incident to police.

But when the cops showed up, the Post reported, they patrolled the subway to look for a suspect who was described as having a facial piercing and was last seen dressed entirely in black, but was unable to find him.

Several other New Yorkers were also attacked during the brutal weekend raids, with some subway stops interrupted by police as blood stained the walls.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan later said the attacks should not be considered “normal”.

“People who would be victims of New Yorkers traveling on public transportation need to understand that this will not be tolerated,” he told the New York Times, adding that they “emphasize the urgent need” for the new security plan.

A spokesman for Mayor Fabien Levy also said Adams strongly condemned the attacks, noting that “they should not be the subject of broad summaries”.

“We must not combine such isolated acts of violence in the subway with broad statements about the behavioral and mental health challenges facing the city, or with the issue of helping the homeless, to which the mayor’s plan directly addresses. “

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A man is currently under arrest for “kicking a woman on the subway stairs and smashing her head with a hammer” Read More »