A year after deadly South Korean crush, families fight for accountability
By Hyunsu Yim and Daewoung Kim SEOUL One year after Park Young-soo lost her only son in a
1970-01-01 08:00
Maine mass shooting: Suspect Robert Card studied engineering at the University of Maine
Robert Card, the 40-year-old who shot 22 civilians at a bar in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday had studied engineering at the University of Maine
1970-01-01 08:00
Zambia Reaches Deal With Bondholders on Debt Restructuring
Zambia’s government reached an agreement in principle with a steering committee of holders of $3 billion in eurobonds
1970-01-01 08:00
Olivia Dunne inspires fans with glimpse into her award-winning childhood moment: 'I can't fail her'
On Monday, Livvy posted three pictures, one of which depicted her as a young child
1970-01-01 08:00
Russia recruits prisoners for Ukraine war as Putin replicates Wagner
Russia has taken the wheel from Wagner as the Kremlin has recruited up to 100,000 prisoners to fight in Ukraine. The practice was a trademark move of the late mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who filled his group’s ranks with convicted criminals. The army unit, commonly known as Storm-Z, is reportedly seen as a disposable force in Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation”. It comes as the Russian prison population has dropped from an estimated 420,000 to around 266,000, according to deputy minister Vsevolod Vukolov, who disclosed the figures earlier this month. Russian state-controlled media reported that Storm-Z squads exist, that they took part in intense battles and some of their members received medals for bravery, but it has not disclosed how they are formed, or the losses they take. While the Russian defence ministry has never acknowledged creating Storm-Z units, the first reports of their existence emerged in April when the Institute for the Study of War cited what it said appeared to be a leaked Russian military report on the formation of the squads. RTVI, a Russian news website, said Storm-Z “is the same scheme as with the [Wagner] private military company. Prisoners sign contracts with the defence ministry, and after completing them they can go home or continue serving”. However, a Russian soldier who fought alongside members of the penal squad told Reuters that Storm-Z fighters “are just meat”. The soldier, from army unit no. 40318 who was deployed near Bakhmut in May and June, said he’d given medical treatment to a group of six or seven wounded Storm-Z fighters on the battlefield. In doing so, he had disobeyed an order from a commander - whose name he didn’t know - to leave the men. He said he didn’t know why the commander gave the order, but claimed that it typified how Storm-Z fighters were considered of lesser value than ordinary troops by officers. The soldier, who requested anonymity because he feared prosecution in Russia for publicly discussing the war, said he had sympathy for the men’s plight: “If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads.” The UK ministry of defence addressed the emergence of the penal squads in its update on 24 October, saying: “Russia largely continues to rely on specially designated ‘Shtorm-Z’ units for local offensive operations in Ukraine.” It said: “Multiple accounts suggest the units are given the lowest priority for logistical and medical support, while repeatedly being ordered to attack.” The intelligence update added that the squads were “likely first fielded in 2022” and they highlight “the extreme difficulty Russia has in generating combat infantry capable of conducting effective offensive operations”. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Live updates | Israeli troops briefly enter Gaza as wider ground incursion looms Europe's central bank is set to halt rate hikes as the Mideast war casts a shadow over the economy Putin presides over rehearsals of 'massive' Russian nuclear strike
1970-01-01 08:00
David Hunter: Appeal against Cyprus manslaughter verdict begins
David Hunter was convicted of the manslaughter of his ill wife but could be tried again for murder.
1970-01-01 08:00
Andrew Tate claims 'Matrix' is planning to reduce world population to 2B, trolls say Top G won't be on 'keep list'
While promoting his 'Emergency Meeting' podcast, Andrew Tate shared a clip of him talking about the 'Matrix's plans for the world population
1970-01-01 08:00
Who was Qutub Singh Negi? Father of two is one of 8 victims killed in Louisiana's horrific 168-vehicle pileup
A unique climatic condition known as 'super fog' created near-zero visibility, leading to the pileup on the Louisiana highway, near New Orleans
1970-01-01 08:00
First ever Florida Man games will feature beer belly wrestling and 'evading arrest' obstacle course
It ain’t the Olympics, but a group of Floridians plan to host competitions themed according to the collective antics of the beer-loving, gator-possessing, rap-sheet heavy, mullet-wearing social media phenomenon known as “Florida Man.”
1970-01-01 08:00
Fox News host Sean Hannity's report on Cornell professor who called Hamas attack 'exhilarating' sparks furious debate online
Sean Hannity shared an update about Prof Russell Rickford who was placed on a leave of absence
1970-01-01 08:00
US GDP Data to Show Temporary Boost from Summer-Spending Frenzy
US economic activity probably expanded at a nearly 5% annualized rate over the last three months amid a
1970-01-01 08:00
Who are Noah Ney's parents? 16-yr-old 'gangster' who shot girl, 5, sentenced to 50 years in prison
Noah Ney was sentenced as an adult on Monday, October 23 after he pleaded guilty to 12 counts involving firearms, drugs, gangs, theft, and assault
1970-01-01 08:00
