Russian troops take control of key Ukrainian city – Newstrends
Connect with us

International

Russian troops take control of key Ukrainian city

Published

on

Russian forces have seized control of a key port city in southern Ukraine, the city’s mayor says.

Kherson is the first major city to be taken by Russia, after heavy fighting, since it invaded a week ago.

Its mayor, Igor Kolykhaev, said Russian troops had forced their way into the city council building and imposed a curfew on residents.

Several cities have come under intense shelling in one of the most destructive days of the invasion so far.

An investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine has been launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Russia has for the first time admitted taking heavy military casualties during its attack on Ukraine, with 498 troops killed and a further 1,597 injured. Ukraine says Russia’s losses run into the thousands.

Ukraine reports that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the invasion began last Thursday. The conflict has also caused 870,000 people to flee Ukraine – at a rate the UN said would make it the worst refugee crisis this century.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kolykhaev said Russian forces were in control of Kherson, a port on Ukraine’s southern Black Sea coast with a population of more than 280,000 people.

READ ALSO:

He urged Russian soldiers not to shoot at civilians, saying there were no Ukrainian forces in the city.

Mr Kolykhaev called on residents to follow conditions set by Russian forces in order to “keep the Ukrainian flag flying”. These include:

  • Observing a strict curfew from 20:00 to 06:00
  • Only going out in groups of two at most
  • Allowing only cars carrying food, medicine and other supplies to enter the city, driving at minimum speed

The capture of Kherson came as Russian forces bombarded frontline cities on Tuesday.

In the east, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, came under a fierce aerial assault. Its mayor told the BBC shelling and cruise missile strikes were hitting residential areas and inflicting heavy civilian casualties.

And in the southern port of Mariupol, hundreds are feared dead following hours of sustained shelling.

But Russian efforts to encircle the capital Kyiv have slowed, with one US official saying a huge Russian convoy to the north of the city has barely moved all day.

An investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine has been launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Pictures of fighting in Ukraine have prompted international condemnation of Russia, with an overwhelming majority of UN countries calling on Moscow to immediately withdraw its troops.

Only five countries voted against the resolution, including Syria and North Korea.

The ICC said it was collecting evidence into possible violations after 39 countries called for it to open an inquiry.

They include the UK, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson personally accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing “horrific” atrocities on Ukraine’s cities.

‘Hundreds dead’ in Mariupol

Joel Gunter, BBC News, Ukraine

After more than 15 hours of continuous bombardment by Russian forces, the key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is “near to a humanitarian catastrophe”, the city’s deputy mayor told the BBC.

“The Russian army is working through all their weapons here – artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, airplanes, tactical rockets. They are trying to destroy the city,” Serhiy Orlov said.

Mr Orlov said Russian forces were several kilometres from the city on all sides and had launched strikes on key infrastructure, cutting water and power supplies to parts of the city. One densely populated residential district on the city’s left bank had been “nearly totally destroyed”, he said.

“We cannot count the number of victims there, but we believe at least hundreds of people are dead. We cannot go in to retrieve the bodies. My father lives there, I cannot reach him, I don’t know if he is alive or dead.”

Ukraine’s army has resisted Russian forces so far in key parts of the country but the increased aerial bombardment of cities has raised fears Russia is shifting tactics.

“The Ukrainian army is very brave and they will continue to defend the city but the style of the Russian army is like pirates – they do not fight with their army, they just destroy entire districts,” Mr Orlov said.

“We believe in our Ukrainian army, but we are in a terrible situation.”

MSN

International

Nigerian man kills wife months after relocating to UK

Published

on

Olubunmi Abodund with late wife Taiwo
Nigerian man kills wife months after relocating to UK

Olubunmi Abodunde, a Nigerian living in the United Kingdom, reportedly beat his wife, Taiwo, to death with their son’s skateboard, according to the Daily Mail.

The couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022 and frequently feuded over reported relationships and financial disagreements.

According to the news outlet, 48-year-old Abodunde had been investigated by Suffolk Police several times for domestic abuse and was scheduled to stand trial for murder, but changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday after the jury was sworn in.

During the abuse, officers heard ‘a number of fringes’ inside the house, which Abodunde had entered despite bail restrictions imposed the day before that barred him from the residence due to another violent incident.

When they arrived 25 minutes later, they discovered Taiwo, 41, with her’skull bashed in’.

However, Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, cautioned him that the only conceivable penalty was life imprisonment.

Suffolk Constabulary submitted itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which confirmed that three officers were being investigated.

An IOPC spokesman said, “We advised two Suffolk officers that they are under investigation for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.

“We advised another officer that they are under investigation at the level of misconduct.”

READ ALSO:

Abodunde has a history of mistrust and distrust towards his wife, accusing her of having affairs. He had been probed by police several times for alleged domestic abuse episodes prior to his wife’s murder.

He was detained on April 27 of last year, when police came to the couple’s house in Newmarket, Suffolk, and discovered Mrs. Abodunde with a split lip.

Later that day, he was released on police bail with the condition that he stay away from the marital residence and avoid approaching his wife.

However, after completing a night shift at Tesco, he returned home shortly after 9 a.m. to reportedly pick up his mobile phone.

At 9.20 a.m., two cops arrived to take Mrs. Abodunde’s testimony regarding the previous night’s incident, and they heard persistent banging inside.

But it wasn’t until 9.55 a.m. that they pushed their way in with permission from senior officers and discovered Mrs. Abodunde ‘clearly dead’ near the front entrance.

A post-mortem examination revealed that she had been throttled until unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were fractured, before her husband used the skateboard to kill her off. The hits were so hard that the skateboard was ruined.

Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court that the hammering officers heard was most likely caused by Abodunde continuing to assault his wife after she was unconscious or dead.

Mrs. Abodunde worked as a care home assistant in Cambridge, but her husband, a civil engineer by training, was unable to find work and took shifts at Tesco and Wickes.

Following his arrest for the murder, Abodunde was taken to the hospital “because he appeared to have some sort of mental episode.”.

He later argued in a police statement that he had acted in self-defence, saying, “My wife has subjected me to physical abuse for a number of years.

“On November 28, we got into an argument. She ran at me with a knife. I grabbed the knife and cut my hand. I was defending myself.”

However, the court heard that, while he had a hand injury, no knife was found near his wife’s body.

Nneka Akudolu KC, defending, said the amount of violence was ‘completely out of character’ for her client and could have been influenced by the medicine he was on. However, she stated that no medical evidence would be supplied to back her assertion.

Following the court, Suffolk Police Detective Inspector Dan Connick stated, “This was an awful attack on a woman that has had a long-term impact on the community and, most importantly, on the victim’s family.”

“We are pleased that Taiwo’s family will no longer have to go through the pain of a trial.

“Our thoughts remain with Taiwo’s family and friends, and we hope this result will bring some small comfort to them.”

Nigerian man kills wife months after relocating to UK

Continue Reading

International

Updated: Elon Musk $9.8bn richer in one day, despite Tesla revenue decline

Published

on

Elon Musk

Updated: Elon Musk $9.8bn richer in one day, despite Tesla revenue decline

Elon Musk, the former world’s richest man, saw his net worth increase by $9.8 billion in just one day, bringing it to $187.7 billion.

This came despite the revenue of its top electric vehicle manufacturing company decline, Tesla, declining substantially.

This was reported on Thursday by Nairametrics quoting data from Forbes Real-Time Billionaire Index.

Tesla reported disappointing results, missing estimates on both the top and bottom lines. Revenue experienced a 9% year-over-year decline, the most significant drop since 2012.

Auto sales also fell by 13% compared to the same period in 2023. Additionally, free cash flow turned negative.

READ ALSO:

For example, revenue decreased from $23.33 billion a year earlier and from $25.17 billion in the fourth quarter. Net income plummeted by 55% to $1.13 billion, or 34 cents a share, from $2.51 billion, or 73 cents a share, in the previous year.

Despite these challenges, Tesla shares surged by 13% in extended trading on Tuesday after the earnings report. Some of the optimism stemmed from Tesla’s announcement of plans to commence production of new affordable electric vehicle models in “early 2025, if not late this year.”

As Musk owns 13% of Tesla, significant fluctuations in share price on the trading markets can result in substantial increases or losses in his net worth.

Elon Musk is $9.8 billion richer in 1 day, despite Tesla’s revenue decline

Continue Reading

International

UK University offers £37k scholarships, flight allowances to Nigerians, others

Published

on

UK University offers £37k scholarships, flight allowances to Nigerians, others

The University of East Anglia, located in Norwich, UK, has announced scholarships worth £33,150 (N44.3 million) and transportation cost of £4000 (N5.3 million) to Nigerians seeking masters programmes.

According to the information on the school website, the funding opportunity is the David Sainsbury Scholarships in Global Plant Health, which is fully funded for students planning to travel to the UK for study.

The offer by the University of East Anglia is hugely available for Nigerians and other foreign students willing to do their masters programmes under scholarships, covering travel expenses.

The applications from its David Sainsbury Scholarships in Global Plant Health is for candidates wishing to undertake an MSc in Plant Health at the University of East Anglia in the 2024/2025 academic year.

Among other benefits catered for in the scholarship at the University of East Anglia are tuition fee, living stipends and transportation allowance.

READ ALSO:

The scholarship offers funding to the tune of £33,150 (N44.3 million) and transportation costs of £4000 (N5.3 million).

Interested candidates must first apply and be accepted into the University of East Anglia beforebeing considered for the scholarships, the school website said.

The information on UEA website reads, “Provided you meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically be considered for the scholarship, on a competitive basis – no separate application is required.

“You will be evaluated for the scholarship based on the same criteria used to evaluate your application to enrol on the course.

“The criteria are: academic achievement and academic awards together with knowledge/experience/potential of molecular biology, genetics, molecular interactions, data science such as bioinformatics and statistics, laboratory skills, and independent study.”

Addressing interested Nigerian applicants, it says, “All self-funded Nigerian students applying to a Master’s course at UEA starting in September 2024 will automatically be awarded the UEA Nigeria Award scholarship.

“The scholarship is worth £4,000 – if you meet UEA entry requirements, £5,000 – if your final undergraduate grade is a CGPA 4.1 and above. Amounts will be deducted from your tuition fees, in line with terms and conditions.”

The applications for the scholarship are currently open and expected to close on May 31, 2024.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) was founded in 1963 and is located in Norwich, a historic city in the east of England.

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content