BLAHODATNE, Ukraine: Joyous residents welcomed arriving Ukrainian troops in the center of Kherson on Friday after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it had captured since its invasion in February.
Russia said it had withdrawn 30,000 troops across the Dnipro River without losing a single soldier. But Ukrainians painted a picture of a chaotic retreat, with Russian troops ditching their uniforms, dropping weapons and drowning while trying to flee.
The withdrawal marked the third major Russian retreat of the war and the first to involve yielding such a large occupied city in the face of a major Ukrainian counter-offensive that has retaken swathes of the country’s east and south.
Video footage verified by Reuters showed dozens of people cheering and chanting victory slogans in the southern Ukrainian city’s central square, where the apparent first Ukrainian troops to arrive snapped selfies in the throng.
Two men hoisted a female soldier on their shoulders and tossed her into the air. Some residents wrapped themselves in Ukrainian flags. One man was weeping with joy.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency said Kherson was being restored to Ukrainian control and ordered any remaining Russian troops to surrender to Kyiv’s forces entering the city.
Locals had placed Ukrainian flags in the square as news of the end of more than eight months of occupation filtered out.
“Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to the Nation!” one man shouted in another video verified by Reuters.
As Ukrainian forces surged forward during one of the most humiliating Russian retreats of the war, villagers came out of hiding and, amid tears of relief and joy, described how Russian troops had killed residents and looted homes.
Reuters could not independently verify the accounts and Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to questions about allegations made by residents of the recaptured village of Blahodatne, 20 km (12 miles) north of Kherson.
Serhii Kalko, 43, one of roughly 60 people who stayed in Blahodatne out of a pre-war population of 1,000, was struck by how quiet the final Russian retreat had been. “They left silently. They didn’t even speak with each other,” he said.
Previously, “there was shooting all the time from three directions,” said a tearful but ecstatic Halyna, a diminutive 81-year-old woman standing beside her rusty bicycle. “But they left two nights ago. Now they need to leave Kherson.”
Kherson returns to Ukrainian control
Serhiy Khlan, a member of Ukraine’s regional council for Kherson, said the regional capital was now almost fully under the control of Ukrainian forces.
A large number of Russian soldiers had drowned in the river trying to escape and others had changed into civilian clothing, he said, advising residents not to leave their homes while searches for remaining Russian troops took place.
Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military’s southern command, said “saboteur operations cannot be ruled out” by Russian troops in civilian clothes.
Earlier, the Russian defense ministry said it had finished its withdrawal from the western bank of the Dnipro river, where Kherson city lies, two days after Moscow announced the retreat.
“Not a single unit of military equipment or weapons have been left on the right (western) bank. All Russian servicemen crossed to the left bank,” it added, saying that Russia had not suffered any loss of personnel or equipment.
Pro-Russian war bloggers had reported late on Thursday that Russian forces crossing the river were coming under heavy fire from Ukrainian forces. The Russian ministry said Ukrainian forces had struck Dnipro river crossings five times overnight with US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems.
Ukraine’s advance unfolded far more rapidly than Ukrainian officials had suggested just hours earlier. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov had told Reuters on Thursday it would take at least a week for Russia to pull out of Kherson.
“They managed to scarper, the scum,” tweeted Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky. “There are not many prisoners, mainly losses. But trophies enough.”
Ukrainian social media brimmed with celebratory messages and elation. Many businesses and official institutions, from national mail carrier Ukrposhta to the National Anti-corruption office, inserted images of watermelons into their profiles. The Kherson region is nationally renowned for its watermelons.
“Stealing everything”
There was no sign of Russian forces when Reuters reached Blahodatne. Relieved villagers recounted life under occupation, saying about 100 Russians had held the village for eight months.
The Russians had withdrawn without a fight on Wednesday and Ukrainian troops moved in on Thursday, they said.
The Russians had killed a man who had approached too close to their trenches and taken away two other men and a young woman whose fate remained unknown, the villagers said.
“For the first two months they came in and were extremely aggressive,” said villager Kalko, adding that Russian soldiers fired in the air as they walked down the streets.
The Russian troops had also broken into vacant homes and looted them, removing furniture, televisions, stoves and refrigerators, the villagers said.
Russian reverses
Moscow’s forces were driven from the outskirts of the capital Kyiv in March and ousted from the northeastern region of Kharkiv in September.
Kherson province is one of four that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed from Ukraine in late September.
The loss of the regional capital would appear to dash dreams voiced by some Russians of seizing Ukraine’s entire Black Sea coast, although Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the region’s annexed status remained unchanged.
The only road route near Kherson across the Dnipro river, the already damaged Antonivskiy bridge, collapsed. Russian military bloggers said it was probably blown up as Russian troops withdrew.
The Russian defense ministry said it had adopted “defensive lines and positions” on the eastern bank of the river, which Moscow hopes it will be able to better supply and defend.
Peskov said the decision to retreat was taken by the defense ministry. Asked by reporters if it was humiliating for Putin, Peskov said: “No.”
Ukrainian troops met with joy in Kherson as Russia abandons biggest prize
https://arab.news/5fauz
Ukrainian troops met with joy in Kherson as Russia abandons biggest prize
- Reports of Russian troops ditching uniforms, dropping weapons and drowning while trying to flee
- Ukrainian social media brimmed with celebratory messages and elation
Mother’s fight for education breaks disability stigma in rural Bangladesh
- Rikta Akter Banu is featured on BBC’s 2024 list of 100 inspiring women
- She founded Rikta Akter Banu Learning Disability School in Kurigram in 2010
DHAKA: After three years of struggling to enroll her autistic daughter in a local school, Rikta Akter Banu had had enough. Refusing to accept the constant rejections, she decided to build her own school instead.
It all started in 2007, when Bristi Moni, now 23, was going to start her education. Having also cerebral palsy, which sometimes causes drooling, she was rejected by primary school teachers.
“When I first tried to admit Moni in 2007, I was told that children with special needs are not enrolled in general schools. But Moni was very eager to attend school. I tried again the following year, but once again my attempt failed,” Banu, a senior nurse, told Arab News.
She then traveled to Dhaka to the Ministry of Education and learned that every primary school had a quota to admit five children with disabilities. She cited the rule as she approached her local school again.
But despite the government rule, the authorities had not equipped the schools with the logistics and human resources needed to care for children with disabilities and she was requested to provide an attendant for her daughter. For some time, one of Moni’s friends, also a student, would help but the arrangement was not sustainable.
In 2009, Banu started building a school on her own.
“I was not ready to give up,” she said. “My husband donated a piece of ancestral land to build the school. To help with the construction, I sold a piece of land that I had inherited from my father. In total, it cost me around $8,000 to build the school.”
In 2010, the Rikta Akhter Banu Learning Disability School in Chilmari, Kurigram district opened its doors to the first batch of students.
Initially built for children who are autistic or have a learning disability, it now enrolls 300 students with different intellectual and physical disabilities.
“We teach the students various sign languages, body language, sports, music, sewing, and more. In addition, we provide them with primary health care, meals, and other services. We offer education up to grade 5,” Banu said.
“Our school is registered with the Department of Social Welfare, and as such, our curriculum is also approved by the authorities. A total of 21 teachers and support staff work at our school, with a portion of their salaries paid by the government.”
About 4.3 million Bangladeshis live with different types of disabilities. More than 50 percent of them have not received any kind of education.
The 2021 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities shows that only 23 percent of them have completed primary school.
Banu strives to expand the reach of her school. To run the institution, she spends about $2,500. As government support is limited, much of the amount comes from her own savings, contributions from teachers, and external donors.
“I dream of running a school with residential arrangements for all children with disabilities, so that children from distant areas can enroll here. Sometimes, family members hide these children away at home,” she said.
“My dream is that these children will receive an education and life skills while staying here, and find good livelihood opportunities with dignity. I hope the reputation of this school will spread across the country and around the world, so that many others will come forward to support learning opportunities for children with disabilities. They need cooperation and support, not sympathy.”
Last month, the Rikta Akhter Banu Learning Disability School was recognized for making a “positive impact on the community’s views around disability,” as Banu featured on the BBC’s 2024 list of 100 inspiring women.
It is also recognized at home but needs more support to flourish.
“Her school has become a symbol of possibility, showcasing how local solutions can address systemic challenges. Rikta’s work has not only provided education to children with disabilities but also changed perceptions within her community, fostering greater acceptance and understanding,” said Safi Rahman Khan, director of education, skills development and migration at Bangladesh’s largest development organization, BRAC.
“Her work is a testament to the power of inclusion and a call to action for us all to invest in initiatives that promote accessibility, opportunity, and respect for every individual. By supporting leaders like Rikta, we can create a future where no child is left behind, and every person can contribute to a more equitable and compassionate society.”
Driver ‘hell-bent on carnage’ kills 10, injures 30 on New Year’s Day in New Orleans
- Attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday along Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties
- “He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” said Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick
NEW ORLEANS: A driver in a pickup truck who officials said was “hell-bent on carnage” sped through a crowd of pedestrians in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter district, killing 10 and injuring 30 in an act being investigated as a New Year’s Day terrorist attack.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday along Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties, and with crowds in the city ballooning in anticipation for the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game at the nearby Superdome later in the day.
“He was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did,” said Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick. She said police officers would work to ensure safety at the Sugar Bowl, indicating that the game would go on as scheduled.
“It was very intentional behavior. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could,” Kirkpatrick said.
Officials did not immediately provide an update on the status of the driver, whether there was an ongoing threat to the public or offer a suspected motive in the fatal incident at the city’s famed Canal and Bourbon Street early Wednesday.
Alethea Duncan, an assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans field office, said officials were investigating the discovery of at least one suspected improvised explosive device at the scene.
Officials did not immediately provide an update on the status of the driver, whether there was an ongoing threat to the public or offer a suspected motive.
NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness department, said the injured had been taken to five local hospitals. A police officer was among the injured.
The White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed.
US military appeals court says plea deals related to 9/11 attacks may proceed
- In August, US defense secretary rescinded plea deals Pentagon had entered into with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accomplices
- Under plea deals, it is possible that three men could plead guilty to 9/11 attacks and in exchange not face the death penalty
WASHINGTON: A US military appeals court has ruled that plea deals related to the man accused of masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two accomplices can proceed after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had earlier moved to invalidate the agreements.
In August, Austin rescinded plea deals that the Pentagon had entered into with the trio, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
In November, a US military judge ruled that Austin acted too late on revoking the plea deals and that they were still valid. The order late on Monday by the US military appeals court upheld that ruling.
The Pentagon declined to comment. It has previously said Austin was surprised by the plea deals and that the secretary was not consulted because that process is independent.
Under the deals, it is possible that the three men could plead guilty to the attacks and in exchange not face the death penalty.
Mohammed is the most widely known inmate at the US detention facility known as Guantanamo Bay on the coast of Cuba. It was set up in 2002 by then-US President George W. Bush to detain foreign militant suspects following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Mohammed is accused of masterminding the plot to fly hijacked commercial passenger aircraft into the World Trade Center in New York City and into the Pentagon. The 9/11 attacks, as they are known, killed nearly 3,000 people and plunged the US into a two-decade war in Afghanistan.
Human rights experts, including at the United Nations, have condemned torture at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere during the so-called war on terror and demanded an apology from Washington. Former President Barack Obama acknowledged in 2014 that the US had engaged in torture and said it was “contrary to our values.”
Separately on Monday, the Pentagon said that Ridah Bin Saleh Al-Yazidi, one of the longest-held detainees at Guantanamo Bay, was repatriated from the detention facility to his home country of Tunisia. He was held without charge for over 20 years.
The Pentagon said 26 detainees remained at the facility, of whom 14 are eligible for transfer.
South Korea to send Jeju Air crash black box to US
- South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwestern Muan
- Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the disaster
Seoul: South Korean investigators probing a Jeju Air crash which killed 179 people in the worst aviation disaster on its soil said Wednesday they will send one of the retrieved black boxes to the United States for analysis.
The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before hitting a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except two flight attendants pulled from the burning wreckage.
South Korean and US investigators, including from Boeing, have been combing the crash site in southwestern Muan since the disaster.
“The damaged flight data recorder has been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction domestically,” said South Korea’s deputy minister for civil aviation, Joo Jong-wan.
“It was agreed today to transport it to the United States for analysis in collaboration with the US National Transportation Safety Board.”
Joo earlier said both of the plane’s black boxes were retrieved, and for the cockpit voice recorder “the initial extraction has already been completed.”
“Based on this preliminary data, we plan to start converting it into audio format,” he said, meaning investigators would be able to hear the pilots’ final communications.
The second black box, the flight data recorder, “was found with a missing connector,” Joo said.
Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the disaster, but they have since said the probe was also examining a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which dramatic video showed the Boeing 737-800 colliding with before bursting into flames.
They also said that a special inspection of all Boeing 737-800 models operated by local carriers was examining their landing gear after questions over a possible mechanical failure in the crash.
The ongoing inspections are “focusing mainly on the landing gear, which failed to deploy properly in this case,” said the director general for aviation safety policy, Yoo Kyeong-soo.
Local media reported the landing gear had deployed properly on Jeju Air Flight 2216’s first failed landing attempt at Muan airport before failing on the second.
The issue “will likely be examined by the Accident Investigation Board through a comprehensive review of various testimonies and evidence during the investigation process,” the ministry of land, which oversees civil aviation, said at a briefing.
At Muan airport, hundreds of people queued up Wednesday — a public holiday in the South — to pay their respects at a memorial altar set up to honor the victims.
So many people came to the memorial that the queue stretched for hundreds of meters and the local cell phone network was overloaded, local media reported.
Local officials sent out a safety alert asking mourners to go to a different memorial, as the one at the airport was too busy. Other altars for the victims have been set up nationwide.
Inside the airport, where families have been camped out since the accident, a medical space has been set up to administer IV drips to grieving relatives, many unable to eat due to stress, an official said during a briefing.
Officials have said the bodies were extensively damaged by the crash, making the work of identifying remains slow and immensely difficult, while investigators had to preserve crash-site evidence.
But the country’s acting president Choi Sang-mok, who has been in office less than a week, said Wednesday the process had finally been completed, and that more bodies had been handed over to relatives so that they could hold funerals.
“Our investigators, along with the US National Transportation Safety Board and the manufacturer, are conducting a joint investigation into the cause of the accident,” Choi said at a disaster response meeting.
“A comprehensive analysis and review of the aircraft’s structure and the black box data will reveal the cause of the accident,” Choi added.
The US investigators had arrived Monday and headed straight to Muan, with the initial on-site joint probe focusing on a navigation system known as a localizer that assists in aircraft landings.
The localizer, installed on a concrete structure at Muan International Airport, is the barrier that has been blamed for exacerbating the severity of the Jeju Air crash.
The plane was largely carrying holidaymakers back from year-end trips to Bangkok, with all passengers Korean nationals except for two Thais.
US imposes sanctions on Russian and Iranian groups over disinformation targeting American voters
- The groups, reportedly close to their governments, face accusation of election manipulation in the US
- Russian, Iranian officials reject claims they tried to influence the outcome of the US presidential contest
WASHINGTON: The United States has imposed sanctions on two groups linked to Iranian and Russian efforts to target American voters with disinformation ahead of last year’s election.
Treasury officials announced the sanctions Tuesday, alleging that the two organizations sought to stoke divisions among Americans before November’s vote. US intelligence has accused both governments of spreading disinformation, including fake videos, news stories and social media posts, designed to manipulate voters and undermine trust in US elections.
“The governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Bradley T. Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.
Authorities said the Russian group, the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise, oversaw the creation, financing and dissemination of disinformation about American candidates, including deepfake videos created using artificial intelligence.
In addition to the group itself, the new sanctions apply to its director, who authorities say worked closely with Russian military intelligence agents also overseeing cyberattacks and sabotage against the West.
Authorities say the center used AI to quickly manufacture fake videos about American candidates created scores of fake news websites designed to look legitimate and even paid US web companies to create pro-Russian content.
The Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, is a subsidiary of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, US officials said, which the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Officials say the center worked since at least 2023 to incite political tensions in the United States.
US intelligence agencies have blamed the Iranian government for seeking to encourage protests in the US over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Iran also has been accused of hacking into the accounts of several top current and former US officials, including senior members of Donald Trump’s campaign.
In the months ahead of the election, US intelligence officials said Russia, Iran and China all sought to undermine confidence in US democracy. They also concluded that Russia sought to prop up the ultimate victor Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested cutting funds to Ukraine and repeatedly criticized the NATO military alliance.
Iran, meanwhile, sought to oppose Trump’s candidacy, officials said. The president-elect’s first administration ended a nuclear deal with Iran, reimposed sanctions and ordered the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, an act prompting Iran’s leaders to vow revenge.
Russian and Iranian officials have rejected claims that they sought to influence the outcome of the 2024 election.
“Russia has not and does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries,” a spokesperson for Russia’s embassy in Washington wrote in an email Tuesday.
A message left with officials from Iran was not immediately returned Tuesday.
