Battle in Ukraine’s east rages, Zelensky vows to retake territory

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Self-propelled howitzers M109A3, provided by Norway, are deployed on the front line against Russian invaders in an unknown place of Ukraine. (Handout via AFP)
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Updated 08 June 2022
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Battle in Ukraine’s east rages, Zelensky vows to retake territory

  • Street-to-street fighting in eastern city of Sievierodonetsk
  • US adds more sanctions, World Bank adds to Ukraine help

KYIV: Ukrainian forces struggled to hold their ground in bloody street-to-street fighting in the eastern frontline city of Sievierodonetsk as President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation was difficult, also pledging to retake Russia’s gains.
The days-long battle for the industrial city has emerged as pivotal, with Russia focusing its offensive might in the hope of achieving one of its stated aims — to fully capture surrounding Luhansk province on behalf of Russian-speaking separatists.
“We have to achieve a full deoccupation of our entire territory,” Zelensky said by video link at an event hosted by Britain’s Financial Times newspaper on Tuesday.
Asked about comments by France’s Emmanuel Macron that it was important not to “humiliate” Moscow, interpreted in Ukraine as implying some demands must be accepted, Zelensky said: “We are not going to humiliate anyone, we are going to respond in kind.”

The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said the defenders were finding it hard to repel Russian attacks in the center of Sievierodonetsk.
Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, and Popasna remain the most difficult places, Zelensky said late on Tuesday.
Moscow said its troops have been advancing, while Zelensky said the “heroic defense” of Donbas was ongoing. Reuters could not independently verify the situation on the ground.
Since being pushed back from Kyiv and Kharkiv, Russia has focused on the region known as the Donbas, comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, and closest to the Russian border.
Moscow says it is engaged in a “special military operation” to disarm and “denazify” its neighbor.

'Book of Executioners'
Ukraine and allies call this a baseless pretext for a war that has killed thousands, flattened cities and forced millions of people to flee. Zelensky said Ukraine would launch next week a “Book of Executioners” to detail war crimes.
“These are concrete facts about concrete individuals guilty of concrete cruel crimes against Ukrainians,” he said.
Russia says it has gone out of its way to avoid targeting civilians in its operation in Ukraine.




President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visits a sanatorium in the Zaporizhzhia region serving as refuge for Ukrainians forced to leave their homes amid the Russian invasion. (AFP) 

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies collected on Monday showed significant damage in Sievierodonetsk and nearby Rubizhne.
“Russian multiple rocket launchers, self-propelled and towed artillery are deployed to the northeast and oriented in firing positions toward the cities,” the US company said in a release.
Ukrainian officials had said their forces staged a surprise counter-attack last week, driving the Russians from part of the city center.
Before that, Russia had seemed on the verge of encircling Ukraine’s garrison in Luhansk, attempting to cut off the main road to Sievierodonetsk and its twin city Lysychansk.
Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, was also hit by shelling on Tuesday, and the local mayor said one person was killed. The northeastern city had been quieter in recent weeks.
Viacheslav Shulga, an employee at a pizzeria in the north of Kharkiv that was hit, said there had been hopes the restaurant could reopen soon.
“Everything is destroyed. We are removing equipment, there will be no business here for now,” he said.




Volunteers deliver ready meals to residents of the Saltivka district, north of Kharkiv, on June 7, 2022, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP) 

More than two weeks since a siege of the southern city of Mariupol ended, Tass news agency cited a Russian law enforcement source as saying that over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered there have been transferred to Russia for investigation.

Global crisis
As the effects of the war are felt around the world, the United States added further sanctions to Moscow by banning US money managers from buying any Russian debt or stocks in secondary markets.
The World Bank approved $1.49 billion in fresh funds to help pay wages for government and social workers in Ukraine as it and other countries deal with the damage to its economy.
Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest exporters of grain, and Western countries accuse Russia of creating the risk of global famine by shutting Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

The governor of the region that includes the port of Mykolaiv said weekend shelling had destroyed warehouses in one of Ukraine’s largest agricultural commodities terminals.
Moscow denies responsibility for the international food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Russian-occupied Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol were ready to resume grain exports. Ukraine says any such shipments from territory seized by Moscow would amount to illegal looting.


Spain into last four of Women’s Nations League after 2-1 win over England

Updated 4 min 35 sec ago
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Spain into last four of Women’s Nations League after 2-1 win over England

  • The win moved Spain to 15 points from six games, five ahead of England.
  • Sweden raced out to a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes against Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, eventually winning 6-1 to book the remaining spot in the Nations League semifinals

BARCELONA: Spain’s Claudia Pina came off the bench and scored twice as the reigning Nations League champions came back from a goal down to beat England 2-1 on Tuesday and claim victory in Group 3, booking their spot in the last four of this year’s competition.

With Germany and France having already secured victory in Groups 1 and 2 respectively and Euro 2025 only a month away, world champions Spain and European champions England met to decide their group in an intriguing clash of styles.

Spain piled the pressure on from kickoff, striker Esther Gonzalez forcing England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton into a superb one-handed reflex save early on, and the England defense struggled to deal with the slick passing and movement of the hosts.

However, Alessia Russo gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute. With the Spaniards pleading for a free kick for what they saw as a foul on Salma Paralluelo, Keira Walsh played the ball in behind for Russo, and she scored with a well-taken finish.

Rocked by the goal, the hosts had plenty of possession but created little in the way of dangerous chances until Pina entered the fray in the 58th minute. She equalized less than two minutes later by flashing a shot across Hampton and into the net as England were punished for losing possession when trying to play out from the back.

With Euro 2025 due to start in a month’s time, the 23-year-old Pina staked her claim for a starting spot by getting the winner 10 minutes later, curling home a brilliant dipping effort that left Hampton helpless. The win moved Spain to 15 points from six games, five ahead of England.

England captain Leah Williamson was disappointed with the result and noted that there was work for her side to do ahead of the Euros.

“We didn’t have any real threat. Under that much pressure against the top sides, that’s what happens. We just have to be better on the ball and find solutions quicker. A great lesson,” she said.

“We know what we are capable of. The game changes constantly, we have to adapt a bit quicker. We have time to build and time to push ourselves before the start of the tournament.”

In the evening’s other decisive game, Sweden raced out to a 3-0 lead after 11 minutes against Scandinavian neighbors Denmark, eventually winning 6-1 to book the remaining spot in the Nations League semifinals by winning Group 4 with 12 points, two ahead Italy, who thrashed bottom side Wales 4-0.


‘Rested’ Pacquiao relishing boxing comeback at 46

Updated 43 min 42 sec ago
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‘Rested’ Pacquiao relishing boxing comeback at 46

  • Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, told reporters on Tuesday

LOS ANGELES, United States: Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday shrugged off concerns about his decision to return to boxing at the age of 46 as he prepares for next month’s world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.
The charismatic Filipino boxing icon stunned the sports world last month after announcing he would take on World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas, four years after his last fight ended in a disappointing defeat.
Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, told reporters on Tuesday that the glamor of championship boxing had prompted his return.
“I’m returning because I miss my boxing,” Pacquiao said at a press conference in Los Angeles. “Especially these situations — being interviewed, press conference, training camp, everything like that.
“I missed that. But it has been good for me — I’ve rested my body for four years. And now I come back.”
Pacquiao said that he had been left devastated following his decision to retire in the wake of his loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
“I always thought, even when I hung up my gloves, ‘I can still fight, I can still feel my body, I can still work hard,’” Pacquiao said.
“That moment when I announced hanging up my gloves four years ago — I was so sad. I was crying, I cannot stop the tears coming out my eyes.”
Pacquiao, though, revealed that working out at his home in the Philippines persuaded him he still had the fitness and strength to fight.
“I realized when I’m playing basketball, training at the gym my house — I have complete sport facilities in my house — that I still have that passion. I still have that speed and power,” he said.
Some in boxing have expressed concerns about whether Pacquiao’s comeback against Barrios, who is 16 years his junior, represents a risk to the Filipino’s safety.
Addressing those concerns, Pacquiao noted that his family and loved ones were firmly behind his comeback.
“I’m thankful for them for their concern,” Pacquiao told AFP. “But the people who really concern me, is my family. My family saw how I move, saw how I train, saw my my body condition. They support me because they can see the old Pacquiao style.”
Pacquiao, who has reunited with veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month’s fight, is able to challenge immediately for a title due to a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a title fight when coming out of retirement.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told AFP on Tuesday that Pacquiao had been cleared to return to the ring by the Nevada Athletic Commission after undergoing medical exams, describing the fighter’s comeback as “low risk.”
“Manny Pacquiao is at no higher risk than any fighter going into the ring,” Sulaiman said. “Manny has rested his body for four years. He’s not a drinker. He’s not a drug user. He’s a family man that has taken care of himself. So of the different aspects of dangers, he’s at the lowest risk.”
Pacquiao’s opponent, Barrios, said he would set aside the Filipino’s status as one of the most beloved fighters of his era.
“There’s nothing but good things to say about him outside the ring,” Barrios said of Pacquiao. “He’s a hard guy to dislike. But at the end of the day, you know it’s kill or be killed.
“And I know if at any point he has me hurt, you know he’s going to get me out of there. So I just have to go in there and make sure that my hand is raised at the end of the fight.”


UN Security Council likely to vote Wednesday on Gaza action

Updated 04 June 2025
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UN Security Council likely to vote Wednesday on Gaza action

  • The draft text demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza

NEW YORK: The ten elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties,” said diplomats.
The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale, including by the UN throughout the enclave.
A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France — to pass.

 


Israel army confirms shot Palestinian teen in West Bank

Updated 04 June 2025
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Israel army confirms shot Palestinian teen in West Bank

  • A statement from the local municipality also said Faqha died after being shot by Israeli forces

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s military confirmed on Tuesday it had “neutralized” a Palestinian who threw rocks in the occupied West Bank, where authorities said the slain victim was 14 years old.
In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian Authority announced “the martyrdom of 14-year-old boy Yousef Fouad F aqha, who was shot by Israeli forces in the town of Sinjil” in the central West Bank.
A statement from the local municipality also said Faqha died after being shot by Israeli forces.
Asked about the incident, the Israeli military told AFP on Tuesday that during an operation around Sinjil a day earlier, its forces had “identified a terrorist who had hurled rocks toward a transportation route and thrown two bottles containing hazardous material toward the forces.”
“Immediately after identifying the threat, the forces opened fire and neutralized the terrorist,” it added.
The military later confirmed to AFP that the target was Faqha.
Sources close to the family said that Israeli authorities were still holding onto the body.
In a similar incident in April, a teenager who held US citizenship was shot dead in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, with the Israeli military saying it had killed a “terrorist” who threw rocks at cars.
Sinjil and Turmus Ayya are located next to each other on either side of a main road running through the West Bank.
The Israeli military has recently surrounded Sinjil with a large metal fence that cuts the town off from the road.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence there has soared since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
The West Bank is home to about three million Palestinians, but also some 500,000 Israelis living in settlements that are illegal under international law.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 938 Palestinians — many of them militants, but also scores of civilians — in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
At least 35 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.
 

 


US-backed Gaza aid group names evangelical as chairman

Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore. (X @JohnnieM)
Updated 04 June 2025
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US-backed Gaza aid group names evangelical as chairman

  • Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with neighboring Arab states

UNITED NATIONS: The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Tuesday named as its executive chairman an American evangelical Christian leader who has publicly backed President Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the Palestinian enclave.
The appointment of Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore, a former evangelical adviser to the White House during Trump's first term in office, came as health officials said at least 27 people died and more than 150 were injured trying to reach a GHF aid site.
"GHF is demonstrating that it is possible to move vast quantities of food to people who need it most — safely, efficiently, and effectively," Moore said in the foundation statement. "GHF believes that serving the people of Gaza with dignity and compassion must be the top priority."

HIGHLIGHTS

• GHF says it has delivered some 7 million meals in Gaza

• UN refuses to work with GHF, says aid distribution militarized

• Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, Hamas denies it

The GHF began operations one week ago under a distribution model criticized by the United Nations as the militarization of aid. The GHF says so far it has given out seven million meals from so-called secure distribution sites. It uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to get aid into Gaza.
The U.N. and aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not a neutral operation. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher has said it "makes aid conditional on political and military aims" and uses starvation as "a bargaining chip."
The appointment of Moore could fuel U.N. concerns, given his support for the controversial proposal Trump floated in February for the U.S. to take over Gaza and develop it economically. After Trump proposed the idea, Moore posted video of Trump's remarks on X and wrote: "The USA will take full responsibility for future of Gaza, giving everyone hope & a future."

'BAD GUYS'
The U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appointment of Moore, who has accused the U.N. of ignoring "bad guys" stealing aid in Gaza. The U.N. has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for impediments getting aid into Gaza and distributing throughout the war zone.
Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies. In a reference to the new GHF-led aid model, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week said Israel was "taking control of food distribution" in Gaza.
"The @UN & others should clean up their act & work with America," Moore posted on May 26. "Surely, these old U.S. & E.U.-funded humanitarian orgs won't let people starve in exchange for being 'right' when they know what they have done hasn't worked & has, in fact, made a terrible war worse?"
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies, and Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Moore visited Israel about three months after the 2023 Hamas attack and wrote: "Never have I seen such horror."
Just a couple of weeks later, he posted a video titled "Come visit beautiful Gaza," which sought to portray Gaza as a tourist destination if it wasn't for Hamas militants. Trump has said Gaza has the potential to be "The Riviera of the Middle East."
The United Nations has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in a 1967 war with neighboring Arab states.