It was nearly 100 degrees outside in South Texas the day Quintero Jones died. Inside his cinder-block prison cell in the middle of summer, it felt even hotter.
Jones, 37, was asthmatic and had high blood pressure, and like many incarcerated people, he was taking medications that can affect sensitivity to heat.
ZOLOCHIV, Ukraine, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Ukrainian forces swept deeper into territory seized from fleeing Russian troops on Monday, as joyful residents returned to former frontline villages and Moscow grappled with the consequences of the collapse of its occupation force in northeastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s general staff said early on Monday that its soldiers had recaptured more than 20 towns and villages in just the past day, after Russia acknowledged it was abandoning Izium, its main stronghold in northeastern Ukraine.
“People are crying, people are joyful, of course. How could they not be joyful!” said retired English teacher Zoya, 76, north of Kharkiv in the village of Zolochiv 18 km from the Russian frontier, weeping as she described the months she had spent sheltering the cellar.
Nastya, 28, had fled the village in April but returned last week after news of Ukrainian advances: “I think everyone’s in a great (mood)! It’s all over now. At least we hope it’s all over,” she said, queuing for groceries with two small children.
Further north, Ukrainian troops had moved into Udi, a hamlet in what had been no-man’s-land closer to the frontier. Soldiers returning from there said it was still unsafe, littered with land mines, grenades and weapons left behind by fleeing Russian troops, with abandoned farm animals wandering about.
In what remained of Russian-held territory in Kharkiv region, Vitaly Ganchev, the Russian-installed head of Moscow’s occupation administration acknowledged that Ukraine’s troops had broken through to the frontier.
Ganchev, who has ordered the complete evacuation of civilians from Russian-held parts of the province, told Russia’s state-owned Rossiya-24 television that about 5,000 civilians had escaped to Russia but the frontier was now shut.
“The situation is becoming more difficult by the hour,” he said.
‘EMERGENCY DEFENSIVE ACTIONS’
As thousands of Russian troops abandoned their positions, leaving behind huge stocks of ammunition and equipment, Russia fired missiles at power stations on Sunday causing blackouts in the Kharkiv and adjacent Poltava and Sumy regions.
Ukraine denounced what it described as retaliation against civilian targets for its military advances. By Monday morning, Reuters journalists in Kharkiv said the power was back on, although the water was not yet working. The regional governor said power had been restored by 80%. Moscow, which denies deliberately striking civilian targets, did not comment.
Britain’s ministry of defence said Russia had probably ordered its forces to withdraw from all of Kharkiv region west of the Oskil River, abandoning the main supply route that had sustained Russia’s operations in the east.
Kyiv, which reached the Oskil when it seized the railway hub city of Kupiansk on Saturday, suggested Russia was already falling even further back: the Ukrainian general staff said Russian troops had abandoned Svatove in Luhansk province, around 20 km (12 miles) east of the Oskil. Reuters could not confirm this.
The British ministry said Moscow’s forces were also struggling to bring reserves to the frontline in the south, where Ukraine has launched a big advance in Kherson province aiming to isolate thousands of Russian soldiers on the west bank of the Dnipro River.
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Firefighters work at a site of the 5th thermal power plant damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine September 11, 2022. REUTERS/Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern command said Ukrainian forces had recaptured 500 sq km of territory in the south. This could not immediately be independently confirmed.
“The majority of the (Russian) force in Ukraine is highly likely being forced to prioritise emergency defensive actions,” the British update said. “The rapid Ukrainian successes have significant implications for Russia’s overall operational design.”
UNRAVELLING
Ukraine’s swiftest advance since driving Russian forces away from the capital in March has turned the tide in the six-month war, unravelling in a matter of days swathes of the gains Moscow had achieved in months of costly fighting in the east.
Ukrainian chief commander General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said his troops had retaken more than 3,000 sq km (1,160 sq miles) this month, advancing to within 50 km (30 miles) of the border with Russia.
Further Russian retreats, especially east of the Oskil, could soon put Ukrainian forces in position to attack territory that Russia and its local proxies had held since 2014.
Denis Pushilin, leader of the pro-Russian separatist proxy administration in Donetsk province, acknowledged pressure from multiple directions.
“At the very least, we have stopped the enemy at Lyman,” he said in a post on Telegram overnight, referring to a frontline city east of Izium. “We’ll have to see how that develops. But our boys have had clear successes.”
He also described “successes” in fighting at Bakhmut, where Russia had long been concentrating its offensive, and Vuhledar further south.
Moscow has so far remained largely mute since its frontline collapsed in the northeast last week, with President Vladimir Putin and his senior officials withholding any comment on the “special military operation” they have always said was “going to plan”.
After days of making no reference at all to the retreat, Russia’s ministry of defence acknowledged on Saturday that it had abandoned Izium and neighbouring Balakliia, in what it called a pre-planned “regrouping” to fight in Donetsk.
Russian broadcasters, required by law to report only official accounts, have alluded to the setbacks but struggled to explain them, with commentators mainly demanding a redoubled war effort.
“We must win the war in Ukraine! We must liquidate the Nazi regime!” one commentator said on a panel show on NTV television.
“And how many years is that supposed to take?” replied another. “So my 10-year-old children will get a chance to fight?”
Under rules that are more than a century old, any child or grandchild of the monarch can get royal titles. While Harry’s grandmother reigned, the Mountbatten-Windsor children, Archie Harrison, 3, and Lilibet “Lili” Diana, 1, were too far down the line of succession to be automatically entitled to royal titles. (The queen, namesake of little Lilibet, had the power to change that but did not, much to the chagrin of Harry and Meghan fans.) Under King Charles III, Archie and Lilibet as his grandchildren traditionally would be given new honorifics — but it is not clear whether they have received them yet.
Troops parade for Queen Elizabeth II as she arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2002.
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Troops parade for Queen Elizabeth II as she arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, in 2002.
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Queen Elizabeth II’s death has garnered a spectrum of feelings around the world about her life, legacy and the monarchy.
When she took the throne in 1952, more than a quarter of the world’s population was under British imperial power. That was more than 700 million people — including in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific islands.
While her 70-year reign saw the British Empire become the Commonwealth of Nations — and the decline of the United Kingdom’s global influence — the scars of colonialism linger. Many note the enslavement, violence and theft that defined imperial rule, and they find it difficult to separate the individual from the institution and its history.
Moses Ochonu, a professor of African studies at Vanderbilt University, told NPR the queen’s death brought attention to “unfinished colonial business.”
“There is a sense in which Britain has never fully accounted for its crimes,” Ochonu said.
Elizabeth was associated with colonial and de-colonized Britain
The memory of Elizabeth is complicated by the fact that during her rule, more than 20 countries gained independence, Ochonu said.
“It’s her dual status as the face of colonialism, but also a symbol of decolonization that defines how she is perceived in many former British African colonies.”
Ochonu’s own feelings toward the queen’s death are mixed — in part because of his childhood. He was born in Nigeria, a little over a decade after the country saw an end to colonial rule.
He recalled how the queen continued to be fondly associated with prestige and grandeur. Images of Elizabeth as a young woman visiting parts of Africa humanized the crown and the monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave from an open Land Rover to a crowd of schoolchildren at a rally held in Nigeria in 1956. The country would gain independence four years later.
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave from an open Land Rover to a crowd of schoolchildren at a rally held in Nigeria in 1956. The country would gain independence four years later.
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But coupled with that nostalgia is “residual anger” over the brutal price paid for many countries’ independence. Ochonu said in Nigeria, many are still haunted by Britain’s role in their civil war, when the global power secretly tried to prevent the Republic of Biafra’s secession efforts. In Kenya, Britain tortured thousands of rebels in detention camps, for which it apologized in 2013.
That’s why Ochonu said her death prompts a time of reflection rather than mourning.
Elizabeth was a symbol of Britain’s denial for colonial crimes
Others find it difficult to celebrate the queen’s life — in part because they feel she should accountable for what her country did.
“We essentially have to respect her for her very long service, but as the monarch, she cannot be disentangled from colonization of South Asia,” Mou Banerjee, a professor of South Asian history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told NPR.
Banerjee is from India, which gained independence from Britain in 1947. Although Elizabeth was crowned five years later, Banerjee said many Indians hoped the queen would express remorse for the damages of colonialism.
That was the case in 1997 during what would be the queen’s last visit to India. Elizabeth told Indians “history cannot be rewritten” in reference to the1919 massacre in Jallianwala Bagh, where hundreds of Indians were shot and killed by British troops.
Those sentiments have resurfaced as many wonder what will happen to the queen’s crown jewel following her death. During colonial times, India was forced to hand over the 105-carat Kohinoor diamond to Britain. Many are also calling for the return of the Cullinan diamond back to South Africa.
“The jewels represent a history of coercion, subjugation, loot, loss, grief,” Banerjee said.
Similarly, the queen’s death has also reminded many people of the lack of reparations to former colonies.
People calling for slavery reparations protest outside the entrance of the British High Commission during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this year.
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People calling for slavery reparations protest outside the entrance of the British High Commission during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this year.
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Opal Palmer Adisa, the former director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies, told All Things ConsideredBritain has yet to even apologize to the African diaspora.
Palmer Adisa said in Jamaica, children were not taught specifics about what happened under British rule — even when discussing slavery.
“The implications and the horrendous actions of the British … were never delineated,” she said.
Many people are wondering why the British monarchy still exists
For some, the queen’s death has reignited conversations around the purpose and place for a monarch today.
Banerjee has been skeptical of the crown from a young age, when she would hear her grandparents’ anecdotes of the Bengal famine of 1943, where at least 3 million people died of starvation as a result of Britain’s overseas economic policies.
Although Elizabeth’s eldest son now sits on the throne, Banerjee believes this can still be a time of reckoning over the institution.
“They say, the sun never sets on the British Empire. I think it has set with the death of Queen Elizabeth,” Banerjee said.
“It is time that we come to terms with that history of enslavement, that history of colonization.”
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly told aides in the days following his 2020 election loss that he would remain in the White House rather than let incoming President Joe Biden take over, according to reporting provided to CNN from a forthcoming book by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.
“I’m just not going to leave,” Trump told one aide, according to Haberman.
“We’re never leaving,” Trump told another. “How can you leave when you won an election?”
Trump’s insistence that he would not be leaving the White House, which has not been previously reported, adds new detail to the chaotic post-election period in which Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat and numerous efforts to overturn the election result led to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.
Haberman’s book, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” is being released on October 4.
The revelations from the book come as investigators in the US House and the Justice Department probe Trump’s refusal to cede power after the 2020 election. The House select committee investigating January 6 is planning more hearings and a final report this fall, while federal investigators have recently served several former Trump aides with subpoenas.
Haberman, a CNN political analyst, has covered Trump for the New York Times since his 2016 presidential campaign. Her stories made her a frequent target of Trump’s vitriol on Twitter.
Haberman writes that in the immediate aftermath of the November 3 elections, Trump seemed to recognize he had lost to Biden. He asked advisers to tell him what had gone wrong. He comforted one adviser, saying, “We did our best.” Trump told junior press aides, “I thought we had it,” seemingly almost embarrassed by the outcome, according to Haberman.
But at some point, Trump’s mood changed, Haberman writes, and he abruptly informed aides he had no intention of departing the White House in late January 2021 for Biden to move in.
He was even overheard asking the chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, “Why should I leave if they stole it from me?”
Trump’s vow that he would refuse to vacate the White House had no historical precedent, Haberman writes, and his declaration left aides uncertain as to what he might do next. The closest parallel might have been Mary Todd Lincoln, who stayed in the White House for nearly a month after her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated, the author noted.
Publicly, Trump dismissed questions about whether he would leave office. On November 26, 2020, he was asked by a reporter whether he would leave the White House if the Electoral College voted for Biden. “Certainly I will, and you know that,” Trump said in response, as he continued to spread lies about the election being stolen.
A longtime New York-based reporter who has worked for both of the city’s tabloid newspapers, Haberman writes that Trump’s post-election period was reminiscent of his attempts to claw his way back from dire financial straits three decades earlier, in which he tried to keep all options open for as long as he could.
But Trump couldn’t decide which path to follow after his 2020 defeat. Haberman writes that he quizzed nearly everyone about which options would lead to success – including the valet who brought Diet Cokes when Trump pressed a red button on his Oval Office desk.
The reporting provided to CNN from the forthcoming book also reveals new details on what those around Trump were doing in the aftermath of an election loss he refused to accept. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was reluctant to confront Trump on the loss, according to Haberman.
When he encouraged a group of aides to go to the White House and brief the then-President, Kushner was asked why he wasn’t joining them himself. Trump’s son-in-law likened it to a deathbed scene, Haberman writes.
A fast-moving wildfire in Northern California is burning north and northeast in Placer County, triggering additional evacuations as firefighters battle the flames.
The Mosquito Fire started on the evening of Sept. 6 near Mosquito Ridge Road on the north side of the Oxbow Reservoir. The Oxbow Reservoir is about 11 miles east of the community of Foresthill. Foresthill is located about 20 miles northwest of Auburn.
The fire continues to threaten several communities across Placer and El Dorado counties, including Georgetown and Foresthill.
As of 7 p.m. on Sunday, the Mosquito Fire has charred 46,587 acres, according to Cal Fire. The state’s wildfire fighting agency says the fire is now 10% contained. With additional evacuations ordered, there are 5,848 structures threatened.
“Firefighters have been working diligently to build control lines along the area of Foresthill Road and out in front of the head of the fire toward the north and northeast,” Cal Fire said in a Sunday morning update.
While crews’ air response has been limited by the smoke for the past few days, the smoke helped “lay down” the fire. Cooler temperatures also aided crews as they strengthened containment lines.
“It is very hard to build a solid containment line on a fire in this kind of terrain,” said Chris Vestal, a spokesperson for the incident. “There are very steep canyons, steep slopes. It takes a very wide line.”
(Watch officials give Sunday evening update on Mosquito Fire below.)
While fire crews have started gaining containment on the Mosquito Fire, there is still no word as to the number of homes lost. Sunday morning KCRA 3 surveyed as much area as possible behind fire lines.
Homes were found burned down on Michigan Bluff Road, parallel to Gorman Ranch Road, while many homes near the historical district of Michigan Bluff are still standing.
Homes observed in Foresthill and down Chicken Hawk Road were also untouched by fire as of Sunday morning. Though many homes in the area are down a private road and could not be seen from the public road.
Cal Fire hopes to fully contain the fire by Oct. 15. However, containment is not a measure of how much of the fire is extinguished but rather a gauge as to how much of a line crews have around the fire perimeter to prevent the fire from spreading.
“Combined with very low fuel moistures fire conditions are likely to replicate today’s behavior during the overnight period and into tomorrow’s operational period,” Cal Fire said.
Sierra College — 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677
El Dorado County
Cameron Park Services District — 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park, CA 95682. Overnight shelter, meals, showers, limited health services and parking for trailers will be provided. Animals in crates and carriers will also be accepted.
Animal evacuation centers
Placer County
Placer County Animal Services Center — 11232 B Avenue, Auburn, CA 95603
Nevada County Fairgrounds — 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949
Road Closures
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said hard road closures are in place on Foresthill Road and Lincoln Way in Auburn. There are also closures at the Old Foresthill Road at the Confluence.
The eastbound Interstate 80 offramp to Foresthill Road is closed due to the fire.
(Click through the gallery below for a glimpse at the firefight.)
A firefighter battles the Mosquito Fire burning near the Michigan Bluff community in unincorporated Placer County, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
Firefighter Stephanie Endsley battles the Mosquito Fire burning near the Michigan Bluff community in unincorporated Placer County, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
Scorched vehicles rest in a clearing as the Mosquito Fire burns along Michigan Bluff Rd. in unincorporated Placer County, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
A destroyed structure rest in a clearing as the Mosquito Fire burns along Michigan Bluff Rd. in unincorporated Placer County, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
An air tanker drops retardant while trying to stop the Mosquito Fire from spreading along Chicken Hawk Rd. in unincorporated Placer County, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
Firefighters battle the Mosquito Fire along Mosquito Ridge Rd. near the Foresthill community in Placer County, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
Firefighters and residents in the Foresthill community of Placer County, Calif., watch the as a plume rises from the Mosquito Fire on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
Seen from the Foresthill community in Placer County, Calif., a plume rises from the Mosquito Fire on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
A dog rides through the Foresthill community in Placer County, Calif., as the Mosquito Fire burns on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
PHOTO: Noah Berger
State of emergency declared
Placer County issued a local emergency due to the blaze on Thursday.
“A local emergency proclamation asserts continuing risk to life and property and that the response is beyond the capabilities of local resources,” a release from the county said. “Placer’s proclamation requests state and federal assistance, but neither a state nor a federal disaster has yet been declared that would authorize individual disaster assistance for residents and businesses.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday also declared a state of emergency in Placer and El Dorado counties due to the fires. With the state of emergency declared, that opens up federal resources to assist in combating the fire.
JUST IN; Gov. Newsom declares a state of emergency for El Dorado and Placer Counties due to Mosquito fire and Riverside County for the Fairview Fire.
This emergency, on top of the state’s heat and energy related emergency stretching from last week.
Smoke from wildfire leaves Northern California skies hazy
| VIDEO BELOW | Here’s an aerial look from LiveCopter 3 of the Mosquito Fire
Drivers moved through a haze along Highway 50, going through areas like Folsom and El Dorado Hills.
“It smells really smoky. It looks really hazy. There’s not an ounce of blue in the sky,” said Pam Malone of Folsom.
Like many, she was limiting her time outdoors because of the unhealthy air quality.
At the El Dorado Hills Town Center on Friday, some people masked up and most avoided spending too much time walking around outside.
“The parking lot has a lot of cars. I think people are just trying to get out of the outdoors and come inside,” said Andrea Riso, owner of Talisman Collection Fine Jewelers. “It definitely slows business. People are concerned for the air quality value.”
Still, she did what she could to make things comfortable for her customers inside her shop.
“It’s like Armageddon outside, but we’re battening down the hatches and making sure that it’s easy to breathe inside. Nice and cool,” Riso said.
More El Dorado County residents had to evacuate when Mosquito Fire jumped the American River
Mandatory evacuations in El Dorado County included parts of the communities of Volcanoville, Bottle Hill and Georgetown. The Main Street area of Georgetown was bustling with activity Thursday, as people heeded the evacuation orders and left town.
KCRA 3’s Orko Manna spoke to Volcanoville residents who had to evacuate. Linda Gamble explained how a sheriff’s deputy had to escort her during the evacuation Thursday.
“He had to drive through the fire to get us out,” Gamble said. “We live in a trailer, and if we lose it, we’ve lost everything… If our trailer burns down, where are we going to live? It’s just very scary.”
Judy Habig, who evacuated her Volcanoville home with her husband Clifford, said they left their residence a little bit earlier in the day. Still, she described the whole ordeal as a blur.
“Horrible. Sad,” Judy Habig said. “We didn’t cry or panic. We were in shock. You just go like a robot.”
Mandatory evacuations expanded into Georgetown in El Dorado County and the community of Todd Valley in Placer County on Thursday.
Evacuation warnings for issued for the El Dorado County communities of Cool, Pilot Hill Garden Valley and Kelsey, along with the surrounding areas. With evacuation warnings, you are not lawfully required to leave but are recommended to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice in case fire behavior becomes threatening.
Some homes destroyed in the Mosquito Fire
The fire burned through the area of Michigan Bluff Road near High Street Wednesday afternoon, destroying some homes.
Cal Fire has not yet confirmed how many structures may have burned.
PG&E files incident report to CPUC
It’s still unclear how the Mosquito Fire started. However, PG&E filed a report with the state’s public utility commission for a pole near where the fire started.
The U.S. Forest Service had placed “caution tape around the base of a PG&E transmission pole” the report said on Thursday. “Thus far, PG&E has observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the pole or our facilities near Oxbow Reservoir, has not observed down conductor in the area or any vegetation related issues.”
PG&E is investigating.
Here’s a look at the current air quality in Northern California
Smoke from the Mosquito Fire burning in Placer and El Dorado counties will continue to impact areas across the Sacramento region on Sunday, according to Spare the Air. The Sacramento Metropolitan, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer and Yolo-Solano air districts forecast unhealthy air quality for the region that will range from moderate to hazardous.
Ukraine launched a massive counteroffensive against Russian troops in the eastern region of the country last week, forcing the Russians to retreat from key cities and settlements.
While Russia continues to hold onto large parts of Ukraine, experts say the Ukrainian rout of Russian forces in Kharkiv could be a sign of a major shift in the war.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN anchor Dana Bash the gains indicated a weakening Russian position.
“Let’s see how this plays out,” Warner said on “State of the Union” on Sunday. “The Ukrainians are demonstrating their will to fight, and that’s one of the things you can never fully estimate no matter how good your intelligence is. And, candidly, the Russians’ inability and lack of supplies to their troops is playing out as well.”
Warner noted Russia had expected a counteroffensive in the south, not in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where its forces were forced out of at least 40 settlements.
Fighting continues in the regional cities of Kupiansk and Izium, according to an intelligence update from the United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remained optimistic on Sunday. Zelensky told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday that his troops are “slowly, gradually moving forward” until Ukraine reclaims all of the lost territory.
“We have no other way. And it’s not our weakness. I believe it’s our strength,” Zelensky said. “Because Russia does have a way out. They can go back home. We have only this home to defend.”
The counteroffensive could provoke a more aggressive reaction from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who last week promised to “carry it through” to the end, in response to a question about the war.
Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted Sunday that Russia attacked power stations and critical infrastructure in “an act of desperation” following “immense losses and retreat in eastern Ukraine.”
“Even with their terrorist tactics, they are doomed to lose this war,” Nikolenko wrote.
Ukraine’s counteroffensive offers the latest cause for optimism in its efforts to expel Russian forces.
When Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, his forces launched a blitz offensive with attacks across the country.
Ukraine pushed Russian troops out of the capitol region of Kyiv within a few months, forcing Russia to regroup and concentrate on taking territory in the east.
While Russia succeeded in taking over key eastern cities — including large parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions — Ukraine’s counteroffensive has erased significant gains achieved over the spring and summer.
The regional head of the Luhansk tweeted Saturday that Ukrainian troops were headed into the city of Lysychansk, a major city Russia captured over the summer.
Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said Russia is likely losing the larger war effort because of “unclear goals.”
“Russia needed to be able to defend an enormous front line and control the areas it was occupying. Not an easy task,” Lee tweeted.
“It was never clear how Russia could achieve conflict termination, especially since Ukraine had a morale advantage,” he added.
Mick Ryan, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in a Twitter thread Sunday that if Ukrainians overtake Kupiansk, a key rail hub, that would “compromise Russian operations on their eastern front.”
Ryan also said the surprise counteroffensive “introduces a larger psychological issue with Russians fighting in the east.”
“The Russians, while not beaten, are in real trouble,” Ryan said. “Ukraine now has the initiative in this war, as well as tactical and operational momentum going into winter. The war is not over, but perhaps the tide is finally turning.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misidentified the Sunday show on which Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) appeared.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman addressed more than 3,000 people at a rally on Sunday.
The rally in Montgomery County focused on women and abortion rights.
It was the Democrat’s second major rally since suffering a stroke in May.
BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania — It was a risky play, pitting a midterm election rally against the opening day of Philadelphia Eagles football. But the bet was that voters in this blue-leaning suburb would care more about abortion rights than Jalen Hurts’ ability to hit receivers downfield.
“Thank you for missing the game today, for this,” Annie Wu Henry, a campaign staffer for Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, told those who decided to spend their Sunday afternoon in a gymnasium listening to a Democrat talk about defending reproductive rights and abolishing the filibuster.
In the end, the Eagles’ defense held on to a 38-35 victory in Detroit. And in Blue Bell, a capacity-breaching crowd came to hear Fetterman address supporters in the Philly suburbs for the first time since returning to the campaign trail last month after suffering a stroke in May.
In all, more than 3,000 people attended, the campaign said, some wearing their favorite player’s jersey. Most were women. One anti-abortion activist, a man, also showed up, helping personify the theme of the day’s event.
Chris Hoyler, a nurse practitioner who works in an emergency room in the city, said she’s driven to vote this November by the threat Republican control over the Senate could have on abortion rights nationwide now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. More than a dozen states have already banned the procedure.
“It’s harming women — it’s killing women — to not have the ability to get the medical care that they need, when they need it,” Hoyler said as she waited in a line that snaked around Montgomery County Community College. “They’re like dictators, trying to tell women how to live their lives. It’s so energizing. And disgraceful.”
The rally, which coincided with a Philadelphia Eagles game, attracted a largely female audience of more than 3,000 people.
Charles Davis/Insider
Rally attendance does not necessarily equate to electoral success. Thousands also turned out to hear former President Donald Trump speak earlier this month outside Scranton with Fetterman’s GOP rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz. But pollsters have also captured a shift in momentum since the June court decision turned just about every election into a referendum on choice: Democrats are now seen as likely to hold the Senate in a cycle that typically inflicts large losses on an incumbent president’s party.
“You know what? Don’t piss women off,” Dayle Steinberg, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeastern PA, said in a speech at the rally. She received the loudest cheers when she talked of getting rid of the filibuster, which in theory would allow a slim Democratic majority to pass a federal law protecting abortion.
“We’re seeing what abortion bans across the country are doing, and what they were actually designed to do,” she said. “They’re forcing women to become pregnant and give birth. Forced pregnancy is what we’re working against.”
Fetterman, running to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, could help Democrats actually expand their majority in the upper chamber. If elected to serve there, he said Sunday, he would fight to codify abortion rights.
“You know what I would do if I were that 51st vote? Get rid of the filibuster,” Fetterman said, referencing the Senate rule requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation. Mention of the rule drew almost as much ire from the crowd as the name of his opponent, Oz, who has fought off repeated attacks from the Fetterman camp over where he actually lives. A long-time resident of New Jersey, Oz last year moved in with his in-laws outside Philadelphia to run for Senate, although he has since been accused of returning to his NYC-area mansion to record a campaign video.
In return, the celebrity doctor’s campaign has stepped up attacks on the health of Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, who suffered a stroke just before winning the Democratic primary.
“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke,” Rachel Tripp, a spokesperson for Oz, told Insider last month.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman promised to be the “51st vote” for abortion rights in the US Senate.
Charles Davis/Insider
Sidelined until August, Fetterman — still suffering from auditory processing issues related to his health scare — on Sunday sought to make his recovery relatable. Speaking with apparent deliberation, occasionally halting to find the right word, the Senate candidate opened his 11-minute address with a question.
Who, he asked, has ever known someone who has faced a major health problem? Practically everyone, of course.
“I certainly have,” Fetterman said. “And I hope — I truly hope for each and every one of you — you didn’t have a doctor in your life making fun of it, making light of it, telling you that you’re not fit to serve. But unfortunately, I do. I have a doctor in my life doing that.”
That may be a smart way to deflect personal attacks in a state where nearly 50,000 people a year are hospitalized due to strokes and where heart disease is the leading killer. But for Lucy Thimme, a recent college graduate from nearby Chester County, her decision to attend Sunday’s rally was all about policy and the prospect that Fetterman could be the Senator who helps deliver it.
“It’s a chance to flip a Senate seat. And we can then have the possibility of passing bills and laws, for example, to safeguard people’s rights to reproductive freedom,” Thimme said.
As for her thoughts on his opponent, Dr. Oz: “Well, I suppose the obvious answer is he’s from New Jersey.”
The latest: Grain shipments from Ukraine are gathering pace under the agreement hammered out by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations in July. Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports had sent food prices soaring and raised fears of more hunger in the Middle East and Africa. At least 18 ships, including loads of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, have departed.
The fight: The conflict on the ground grinds on as Russia uses its advantage in heavy artillery to pummel Ukrainian forces, which have sometimes been able to put up stiff resistance. In the south, Ukrainian hopes rest on liberating the Russia-occupied Kherson region, and ultimately Crimea, seized by Russia in 2014. Fears of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station remain as both sides accuse each other of shelling it.
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death last Thursday, King Charles III inherited a realm of wealth and he doesn’t have to pay inheritance tax on any of it.
Driving the news: A rule introduced in 1993 by the U.K. government safeguards the royal family’s assets from being wiped out if two monarchs were to die in a short period of time, Business Insider reports.
The Queen Mother passed away 20 years ago in 2002, exercising the first part of the provision.
By the numbers: Charles inherits the Duchy of Lancaster estate, which racked in $27 million in revenue for the Queen last year.
The Crown Estate, estimated to be worth over $34.3 billion in assets, will now belong to Charles III, CBS reports.
Prince William, Charles’ eldest son, inherited the $1 billion Duchy of Cornwall estate from him.
Why it matters: Members of the royal family do not have to pay the 40% levy on property valued at more than $377,000 while their constituents do.
However, the Queen started paying income and capital gains tax on the estate in 1993 of her own accord. Charles may decide to do the same.
(Update: Lane County SO evacuations update; Hwy. 58 closure shortened; adding other Oregon fires)
Cascade Lakes Highway, Hwy. 58 closure shortened; infrastructure prepped at Lava Lake Resort
OAKRIDGE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Extreme fire behavior and strong winds made for another big run by the Cedar Creek Fire east of Oak Ridge on Saturday, putting up towering pyrocumulus smoke clouds, along with lightning, forcing continued evacuations (though reduced in some places) and breaching lines, prompting a rollback to zero containment of the 6-week-old blaze.
Nearly 1,000 firefighters but 29 states have been called in to help fight the fast-growing fire.
Here’s Sunday morning’s full update:
Cedar Creek Fire September 11, 2022
Daily Update – 7:00 AM
Cedar Creek Fire Quick Facts
Size: 85,926 acres Contained: 0% Start Date: August 1, 2022 Location: 15 miles E of Oakridge, OR Cause: Lightning Total personnel: 994 Resources: 53 engines, 19 crews, 62 heavy equipment, 8 helicopters Current Situation: A Level 3 evacuation remains in place for the greater Oakridge, Westfir, and High Prairie area. There have been no changes in evacuation levels or areas in the last day. The fire grew significantly due to the weekend’s weather event (over 32,000 acres), primarily to the west, driven by strong easterly winds and dry fuels. Because the fire breached existing lines, the fire’s containment has been dropped to 0%.
Currently, 2,230 homes and 443 commercial structures remain under threat from the Cedar Creek Fire. The Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal has committed seven task forces and an incident management team to protect homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure in the area. Due to strong east winds and triple-digit temperatures, that work has primarily focused on the west side of the fire. As conditions change and winds shift, firefighters with the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office will continue to evaluate threats to lives and properties. Fire crews will continue working day and night shifts to access structures and patrol critical areas where the fire is encroaching.
Status: Yesterday evening, as winds started moving toward the east, firefighters on the western flank completed strategic burning operations near Eagle Butte, 5 miles northeast of Oakridge. The fire remained north of Highway 58, south of Forest Road 19, and east of Eagle Butte. Today, resources will maintain a heavy presence on the Highway 58 and Forest Road 19 corridors as they continue direct attack on the fire. Crews on the western flanks will mop up and secure burnout operations.
In the east zone, direct checking actions continued on the southeast edge of the fire in the Waldo Lake area. Efforts are focused on creating fire breaks along existing roads and other barriers and burn-out operations to reduce fuels. Heavy equipment is arriving on site for use near Cultus Lake and Little Cultus Lake, and along the Cascade Lakes Highway and forest roads. The Cascade Lakes Highway remains closed to protect the public and firefighters as crews remove brush.
Crews are preparing Forest Road 4290 between Charlton Lakes and the Cascade Lakes Highway to control the spread of the fire to the southeast. Brushing along the Cascade Lakes Highway continues to create fuel breaks 100-200 feet in depth on both sides of the road. Crews are working in the Brown Mountain area to reinforce a barrier east of the highway between Crane Prairie and Wickiup reservoirs. These fire breaks are high priority and will likely take most of a week to complete. In addition, crews are prepping infrastructure around Lava Lake Resort and evaluating values around Odell Lake.
Weather/Fire Behavior: The extreme weather from the last two days has eased. Winds are shifting to northwesterly direction and have calmed. It is still very dry, but temperatures are starting to cool, and the heavy smoke layer has the effect of shading and moderating fire activity. Spotting and torching are still anticipated, and fire will continue to advance through lichens and heavy fuels.
Closures: The Deschutes National Forest and Willamette National Forest have implemented closures for the Cedar Creek Fire. Please visit Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest for detailed closure orders and a joint map. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place. The use of drones is prohibited in the fire area, please make it safe for our firefighters to use aircraft on the fire. Pacific Crest Trail hikers should visit pcta.org for current information.
Some areas near Cedar Creek Fire downgraded to a Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation notice; others remain at Level 3 (GO NOW) Lane Co. Sheriff’s Office – 09/11/22 11:47 AM
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with the fire teams, is able to reduce the follow areas to Level 2 (Be Set):
Oakridge west of Salmon Creek, south of Laurel Butte Road, and north of the Middle Fork Willamette River
The City of Westfir
The following areas remain at a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notification and re-entry is not allowed at this time:
High Prairie area, including all of High Prairie Road, Brock Road, Bar BL Ranch Road, Nubian Way, Mountain View Road, and Huckleberry Lane
Westfir-Oakridge Road from Westfir city limits to Roberts Road
McFarland Road
Oakridge north of Laurel Butte Road, and Oakridge east of Salmon Creek
Hills Creek Reservoir area south of Highway 58 and Greenwaters Park
While every effort is being made to protect the communities of Oakridge, Westfir and High Prairie, it is possible that conditions may require moving back to a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notice in some or all of these areas and that can happen at any time.
People who have mobility limitations, specials needs or who are medically fragile are encouraged not to return to the Level 2 (Be Set) area. People who lack access to reliable transportation and those with large animals or pets that can be time-consuming or difficult to move are also encouraged not to return to the Level 2 (Be Set) area.
Highway 58 will remain closed from milepost 37 on the east side of town to milepost 70 at Crescent Lake.
Lane County Animal Services will continue to operate the large animal evacuation shelter at the Lane Events Center to provide a safe place to house animals from properties in Level 2 (Be Set) and Level 3 (GO NOW) areas.
ODOT advisory Sunday afternoon:
ODOT: Valley, No. Coast: The east side closure point for the OR 58 Willamette Highway Cedar Creek Fire closure is now at Willamette Pass, milepost 62. On the west side the road is open between Interstate 5 and Oakridge. Expect traffic on the west side as some evacuation levels have been lowered and people are returning.
Klamath Falls, Ore. – Today, firefighting operations on the Van Meter Fire will transition fully into mop-up with the completion of hoselays into the southern portion of the fire. Firefighters will use water to cool hot-spots and wet burning fuels. This will increase the efficiency of mop-up and support firefighting activities to widen the black, cold area along the fire perimeter.
The fire remains within the existing footprint and is 2,502 acres.
Last night crews used hand-held infrared viewers to detect hot spots along the perimeter on the northeast side of the fire. Firefighters will pay special attention through the day to these areas, cooling with water, exposing burning material, and ensuring the spots are cool to the touch. Use of the hand-held infrared devices will continue tonight.
Structural task forces from the Rogue Valley and Deschutes County returned to their home units Saturday. The Klamath County Structural Task Force is available if needed for structural protection and wildland resources will continue to monitor, patrol, and mop-up within the residential areas.
One minor accident occurred on the fireline Saturday during dayshift and falling snags and trees continue to be a primary safety concern for firefighters on the line. Significant effort is focused on safely falling snags near the fire perimeter and in travel routes for firefighter safety.
Residential traffic is allowed in the fire area, but residents are encouraged to drive slowly and be aware of fire operation traffic as they travel through the fire. Bureau of Land Management lands in and around the fire area remain closed to the public.
Evacuation levels continue to be evaluated based on fire behavior. For the latest up-to-date evacuation information, please visit the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KlamathSheriff or call 541-205-9730. The Red Cross Evacuation Shelter at the Klamath County Fair and Event Center has been closed.
Temperatures today on the fire will be cooler with higher humidity and the potential for some precipitation tonight and possible showers and thunderstorms on Monday. As the weather transitions from hot and dry to these cooler conditions there will be an increase in the wind.
A Temporary Flight Restriction exists around the fire to limit any aircraft not associated with firefighting activities in the airspace. Wildfires are always a no-fly zone for drones. A drone flying in the area can ground all operational aircraft and impact suppression activities.
Crockets Knob Fire Wildfire Update HIGH DESERT TYPE 3 TEAM Incident Commander: Ron Simpson September 11, 2022
High Desert Type 3 Incident Management Team took command of the Crockets Knob Fire today.
Weather: Today will be slightly warmer with calm terrain driven winds. Temperatures will reach the low-80s and relative humidity will drop into the upper teens. Moisture will steadily increase today with expected cloud cover by this evening.
Operations: Yesterday, crews continued pulling hoses and excess equipment from containment lines. Much of the chipping and cleanup was completed along FSR 45 yesterday, and some work will continue today along other containment lines. Crews are checking containment lines for any remnant heat and mopping up using hand tools. Crews continue with suppression repairs along FSR 45 and other containment lines. Helicopters are available to assist firefighters if needed.
Closures and Evacuations: Grant County has lifted the Level One evacuation advisory in the area of the fire, and County Road 20 (Middle Fork Road) has been fully reopened.
Smoke may be visible to nearby communities and Forest visitors. Smoke and air quality impacts within the state can be monitored by visiting: http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com
The Malheur National Forest’s Public Use Restriction is Phase C on the Blue Mountain and Prairie City Ranger Districts. No campfires or personal chainsaw use is allowed. The Umatilla National Forest remains in at Phase B, which allows campfires only in designated campgrounds and recreation sites. For more information, please go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/malheur/fire, and
Fire Danger remains High for the surrounding area. The vegetation is still very dry, and one spark or ember could start a significant fire. The public can help us by making good decisions when they recreate on public lands and by following local fire restrictions.
Quick Facts: SIZE: 4,337 Acres PERSONNEL: 410 LOCATION: 19 miles north of Prairie City
There is a Temporary Flight Restriction over the Crockets Knob Fire area. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone – if you fly, we can’t.
Double Creek, Sturgill, Nebo, Goat Mountain Two Fires September 11, 2022 Daily Update – 8:00 AM
Highlights: The Double Creek Fire spotted across the Imnaha River yesterday afternoon near Imnaha Grange and is approximately 500 acres. Six additional large air tankers were called in to join suppression efforts aided by the support of Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center. The air tankers worked with resources from the Double Creek Fire, Nebo Fire, Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM), local resources and tactical firefighting aircraft air attack on the spot fire. Crews from Double Creek and Nebo Fires remained on the fire into the morning, continuing suppression efforts.
Double Creek Fire: 152,301 acres | 15% contained | 773 personnel assigned The lightning-caused Double Creek Fire is a full suppression fire, and the protection of lives and property remain the primary objectives of this incident. The spot fire near Imnaha Grange is part of the Double Creek Fire acreage growth. The River Group on the eastern side of the fire, along the Snake River, made good progress on structure protection along the fire side of the river and are near completion of those efforts. In the north, crews continue working on the east-west containment line and are exploring opportunities to further strengthen control features.
Weather: Elevated fire weather conditions occurred Saturday with warm, sunny, and dry conditions. Relative humidity dropped to 10 to 20 percent for much of the area. South winds at 10 to 15 mph were observed across the ridgetops with gusts up to 25 mph. Temperatures and relative humidity values today will be similar to Saturday. Wind speeds will be strongest in the morning before weakening by 1:00 p.m., which will aid firefighting efforts.
Smoke: The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Advisory that is in effect until 2 PM PDT Monday for Deschutes, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa counties. A smoke outlook for northeast Oregon is available from the wildland fire air quality response program. Additional information can be found at PurpleAir website.
Evacuations: Level 3 “Go Now” is in effect for Fence Creek north to Dug Bar and Freezeout south to the 39 Road. Level 2 “Get Set” is in effect for lands west of Imnaha River to Bear Gulch Road, south of Highway 350 to intersection of power lines and Harl Butte Road; Upper and Lower Imnaha Road from Fence Creek to Freezeout; and for Lostine River Road from Fir Road south to Two Pan (including all campgrounds and trailheads). Level 1 “Be Ready” is in effect for lands west of Bear Gulch Road, south of Highway 350 to power lines and Harl Butte Road, and for Lostine River Road from Highway 82 to Fir Road.
Road Closures: Lostine River Road from Moffitt’s south is closed. Highway 350 (Little Sheep Creek Highway) at mile marker 6.5 is closed due to the following closures: Lower Imnaha Road and Dug Bar Road are closed, Upper Imnaha Road is closed, Hat Point Road is closed, and FS 39 Road is closed from Target Springs Junction to Ollokot Campground [including the Canal Rd (3920) and Lick Creek Road (3925)].
Airspace: Airspace restrictions have been issued for the Double Creek, Nebo, Sturgill, and Goat Mountain 2 Fires. Temporary Flight Restrictions were updated for the Double Creek Fire (TFR 2/5592) and the Sturgill Fire (TFR 2/3189) to provide a safe environment for firefighting aircraft operations over the fires. Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) 08/234 and NOTAM 08/235 were issued to provide safe airspace for the Nebo and Goat Mountain 2 Fires. Flight restrictions also apply to drones. Drones flying in areas of wildfire activity will cause firefighting aircraft to be grounded.
Restrictions: Forest Order #06-16-00-22-04 covers Phase B Fire Restrictions for all National Forest System Lands within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, except for the area within a ¼ mile of the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam, River Mile 247.5, downstream to the Oregon-Washington border at Snake River Mile 176.0, which is regulated by Forest Order #06-16-04-22-01.
Rum Creek Fire update Sept. 11, 2022 Size: 21,347 acres Percent of perimeter contained: 69% Total personnel: 977 Cause: Lighting
Rum Creek Fire passes the weather test MERLIN, Ore. – The Rum Creek Fire has now been tested by several days of critically low relative humidity, high temperatures, and periods of gusty winds. Few flare-ups were reported and no spot fires were found outside the containment lines. Acreage has not changed for two days, and containment has increased to 69% despite the adverse weather.
Last night, an air mass moved into the area, bringing clouds, cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Tonight and tomorrow, remnants of Tropical Storm Kay will pass over the fire vicinity, possibly bringing showers.
Operations Section Chief Manny Mendoza summarized the Rum Creek Fire’s status as: “We are cautiously optimistic that things are going our way.”
Any moisture will quickly infiltrate fine fuels like grasses and dead twigs, making them less likely to burn. These are the fuels which usually catch fire first and cause fires to spread and grow rapidly. Increased moisture in fine fuels is akin to using damp paper to start a campfire. Relative humidity usually drops during the day, but rises at night.
Larger fuels like stumps and logs take much longer to absorb moisture from the air and rain. In the interior of the fire, these larger fuels may continue to smolder or burn until they are extinguished by heavy winter rain and snow. Most of the fine fuels near them have burned or will have a higher moisture content, making fire spread unlikely.
Near the fire’s edges, firefighters continue to search for and extinguish burning logs, stump holes, and other hot spots. They are also pulling out surplus equipment, no longer needed for fire suppression. The firefighters camped near the northwest edge of the fire will complete their mission today and return to the main camp near Merlin tonight. Firefighters will continue to monitor and suppress this part of the fire.
As suppression work is completed on a section of the fire, resources will begin repair work to fix damage done by the firefighting efforts. A major part of repair is erosion control, mainly stabilizing exposed soils on fire lines by constructing waterbars.
Waterbars are a series of dips and mounds placed at an angle across the fire line. Runoff from rain and melting snow flows down the fire line until it is intercepted by a waterbar. Water is directed off of the erodible soil onto more stable ground. Some waterbars are constructed using heavy equipment such as dozers and excavators; others are dug by hand. This erosion control keeps soil on slopes and out of streams and rivers, where it can harm water quality and spawning habitat for salmon.
Road control: Josephine County Sheriff’s Office has established traffic access points around the fire zone. Road blocks are located at Galice Store; Bear Camp Road at Peavine (top intersection); Lower Grave Creek Road at Angora Creek (Grays Ranch); Quartz Creek Road about 3 miles up (end of County maintenance); Dutch Henry Road near Kelsey Creek (42 44’56.2/123 40’35.4); and Hog Creek at Galice Road. Only residents (must show proof of residency) and permitted users will be allowed through.
River status: The Wild section of the Rogue River below Grave Creek will remain open unless fire conditions warrant closure. River status is determined on a day-to-day basis. Please call 541-471-6535 for more information regarding Rogue River permits. No new boating permits will be issued at this time.
Russia targeted infrastructure facilities in central and eastern Ukraine on Sunday evening in a response to a dramatic Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv province that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling. The mayor of Kharkiv city, Ihor Terekhov, said a strike had knocked out power and water to much of the city, in what he described as an act of “revenge” by Russia for Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes. There were reports of blackouts in Dnipro, Poltava and other eastern cities, potentially affecting millions of civilians. “A total blackout in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, a partial one in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions,” Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a statement on social media. “No military facilities,” he added. “The goal is to deprive people of light and heat.” He denounced the “deliberate and cynical missile strikes” against civilian targets as acts of terrorism.
(Bloomberg) — Sweden’s right-wing opposition took the lead from the Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s camp in parliamentary elections after a late surge by an anti-immigration party that’s eroded the dominance of her Social Democrats.
A bloc that includes the nationalist Sweden Democrats is likely to gain 175 mandates in the 349-seat parliament in Sunday’s vote, versus 174 for the alliance that would be led by the ruling party, the country’s Election Authority said after the preliminary tally with 5,132 of 6,578 districts counted.
The data follows exit polls that gave a slight edge to Andersson’s bloc in what was expected to be a very close race between the two camps in the Nordic nation. The Sweden Democrats, led by Jimmie Akesson, are headed for their best result ever — emerging as the country’s second largest political force — while Andersson’s party is set to remain the biggest in parliament.
The gains by Swedish nationalists are emblematic of a broader shift in European politics. While French President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance remained the largest bloc in the April legislative election, the far-right National Rally fared much better than expected. Italy’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party, whose roots stretch back to Italy’s post-fascist movement, leads the right-wing coalition that looks poised for a landslide win in the Sept. 25 elections, according to the latest opinion polls.
The Sweden Democrats have campaigned on a promise to “make Sweden safe again,” by introducing longer prison sentences and reducing immigration to a minimum, as well as supporting the construction of new nuclear reactors.
After the 2018 election, it took four months for Andersson’s predecessor, Stefan Lofven, to form a government as the nation’s traditional political blocs imploded following the emergence of the Sweden Democrats, which fragmented the electoral landscape.
Akesson, 43, joined the anti-immigrant party in 1995, eight years after its formation as a part of Sweden’s far-right and neo-Nazi scene, and he has been central in ushering the group into parliament, where it got its first seats in 2010.
During his 17-year tenure, the nationalist leader has sought to make his party more palatable by weeding out extremists and abandoning some controversial policies, including more restrictive policies on abortion and a demand for Sweden to leave the European Union.
“For the first time we have a real chance of not only being an opposition party but actually being an active part of a new government that can take politics in a new direction,” Richard Jomshof, party secretary for the Sweden Democrats, told SVT.
The largest Nordic nation, at the top of most global welfare rankings, sought to be a safe haven in the recent decades by taking in waves of immigrants. Parties across the political spectrum have taken a tougher stand on migrants after Europe’s refugee crisis in 2015.
While the nationalist party’s emergence tracked the country’s growing difficulties of integrating immigrants, gang-related violence and crime has taken over in past years as the driver of the Sweden Democrats’ support.
Andersson, 55, has pledged to expand the police force as part of efforts to curb a wave of gang-related gun violence, to compensate consumers and companies hurt by soaring electricity costs and ban profit-taking from Sweden’s private schools. Since taking office late last year, her approval ratings have been consistently high, which helped her party secure its position as Sweden’s largest.
A former youth swimmer who changes into sneakers to move between government offices, Andersson has shown her pragmatism in the 9 months since she became Sweden’s first female prime minister. She led her party through a painful process of abandoning opposition to Sweden’s inclusion in military alliances, backing an application this year for NATO membership.
Read More: Finnish, Swedish Leaders Laud US Senate Ratifying NATO Accession
If Andersson should win after all, when all votes are counted, she will still face a daunting task of crafting an agenda that her supporters could agree on. Her potential allies span the gamut from former communists of the Left Party to the free-market Center Party, which is dead set on keeping the leftists out of the cabinet.
(Updates with preliminary count by election authority.)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden marked the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, taking part in a somber wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon held under a steady rain and paying tribute to “extraordinary Americans” who gave their lives on one of the nation’s darkest days.
Sunday’s ceremony occurred a little more than a year after Biden ended the long and costly war in Afghanistan that the U.S. and allies launched in response to the terror attacks.
Biden noted that even after the United States left Afghanistan that his administration continues to pursue those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Last month, Biden announced the U.S. had killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the al-Qaida leader who helped plot the Sept. 11 attacks, in a clandestine operation.
“We will never forget, we will never give up,” Biden said. “Our commitment to preventing another attack on the United States is without end.”
The president was joined by family members of the fallen, first responders who had been at the Pentagon on the day of the attack, as well as Defense Department leadership for the annual moment of tribute carried out in New York City, the Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
In ending the Afghanistan war, the Democratic president followed through on a campaign pledge to bring home U.S. troops from the country’s longest conflict. But the war concluded chaotically in August 2021, when the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops at Kabul’s airport, and thousands of desperate Afghans gathered in hopes of escape before the final U.S. cargo planes departed over the Hindu Kush.
Biden marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan late last month in low-key fashion. He issued a statement in honor of the 13 U.S. troops killed in the bombing at the Kabul airport and spoke by phone with U.S. veterans assisting ongoing efforts to resettle in the United States Afghans who helped the war effort.
Biden on Sunday said an “incredible debt” was owed to the U.S. troops who served in Afghanistan as well as their families. More than 2,200 U.S. service members were killed and more than 20,000 were wounded over the course of the nearly 20-year war, according to the Pentagon.
He also vowed that the nation will “never fail to meet the sacred obligation to you to properly prepare and equip those that we send into harm’s way and care for those and their families when they come home — and to never, ever, ever forget.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday criticized Biden’s handling of the end of the war and noted that the country has spiraled downward under renewed Taliban rule since the U.S. withdrawal.
“Now, one year on from last August’s disaster, the devastating scale of the fallout from President Biden’s decision has come into sharper focus,” McConnell said. “Afghanistan has become a global pariah. Its economy has shrunk by nearly a third. Half of its population is now suffering critical levels of food insecurity.”
The president also remembered the words of comfort Queen Elizabeth II, who died last week, sent to the American people soon after the 2001 attacks: “Grief is the price we pay for love.” Biden said those words remain as poignant as they did 21 years ago but the weight of loss also remains heavy.
“On this day, when the price feels so great, Jill and I are holding all of you close to our hearts.” Biden said.
Biden has recently dialed up warnings about what he calls the “extreme ideology” of former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA Republican” adherents as a threat to American democracy. Without naming Trump, Biden again on Sunday raised a call for Americans to safeguard democracy.
“It’s not enough to stand up for democracy once a year or every now and then,” Biden said. “It’s something we have to do every single day. So this is a day not only to remember, but also is a day for renewal and resolve for each and every American in our devotion to this country, to the principles it embodies, to our democracy.”
First lady Jill Biden spoke to a crowd at the Flight 93 National Memorial Observance in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where she recalled the concern she had about her sister Bonny Jacobs, a United Airlines flight attendant.
She said the attacks showed that “with courage and kindness we can be a light in that darkness.”
“It showed us that we are all connected to one another,” said Biden, who was joined by her sister in Shanksville for Sunday’s commemoration. “So as we stand on this sacred and scarred earth, a record of our collective grief and a monument to the memories that live on each day, this is the legacy we much carry forward: Hope that defies hate.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband attended a commemoration ceremony at the National September 11th Memorial in New York.
WASHINGTON, Sept 11(Reuters) – The Biden administration plans next month to broaden curbs on U.S shipments to China of semiconductors used for artificial intelligence and chipmaking tools, several people familiar with the matter said.
The Commerce Department intends to publish new regulations based on restrictions communicated in letters earlier this year to three U.S. companies — KLA Corp (KLAC.O), Lam Research Corp (LRCX.O) and Applied Materials Inc (AMAT.O), the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The plan for new rules has not been previously reported.
The letters, which the companies publicly acknowledged, forbade them from exporting chipmaking equipment to Chinese factories that produce advanced semiconductors with sub-14 nanometer processes unless the sellers obtain Commerce Department licenses.
The rules would also codify restrictions in Commerce Department letters sent to Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O) last month instructing them to halt shipments of several artificial intelligence computing chips to China unless they obtain licenses. read more
Some of the sources said the regulations would likely include additional actions against China. The restrictions could also be changed and the rules published later than expected.
So-called “is informed” letters allow the Commerce Department to bypass lengthy rule-writing processes to put controls in place quickly, but the letters only apply to the companies that receive them.
Turning the letters into rules would broaden their reach and could subject other U.S. companies producing similar technology to the restrictions. The regulations could potentially apply to companies trying to challenge Nvidia and AMD’s dominance in artificial intelligence chips.
Intel Corp (INTC.O) and startups like Cerebras Systems are targeting the same advanced computing markets. Intel said it is closely monitoring the situation, while Cerebras declined to comment.
One source said the rules could also impose license requirements on shipments to China of products that contain the targeted chips. Dell Technologies (DELL.N), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE.N) and Super Micro Computer (SMCI.O) make data center servers that contain Nvidia’s A100 chip.
Dell and HPE said they were monitoring the situation, while Super Micro Computer did not respond to a request for comment.
A senior Commerce official declined to comment on the upcoming action, but said: “As a general rule, we look to codify any restrictions that are in is-informed letters with a regulatory change.”
A spokesperson for the Commerce Department on Friday declined to comment on specific regulations but reiterated that it is “taking a comprehensive approach to implement additional actions…to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” including to keep China from acquiring U.S. technology applicable to military modernization.
KLA, Applied Materials and Nvidia declined to comment while Lam did not respond to requests for comment. AMD did not comment on the specific policy move but reaffirmed it does not foresee a “material impact” from its new licensing requirement.
‘CHOKE POINT’
The planned action comes as the President Joe Biden’s administration has sought to thwart China’s advances by targeting technologies where the United States still maintains dominance.
“The strategy is to choke off China and they have discovered that chips are a choke point. They can’t make this stuff, they can’t make the manufacturing equipment,” said Jim Lewis a technology expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “That will change.”
In an update on China-related measures last week, the Chamber of Commerce, a U.S. business lobbying group, warned members of imminent restrictions on AI chips and chipmaking tools.
“We are now hearing that members should expect a series of rules or perhaps an overarching rule prior to the mid-term election to codify the guidance in recently issued (Commerce Department) ‘is-informed’ letters to chip equipment and chip design companies,” the chamber said.
The group also said the agency plans to add additional Chinese supercomputing entities to a trade blacklist.
Reuters was first to report in July that the Biden administration was actively discussing banning exports of chipmaking tools to Chinese factories that make advanced semiconductors at the 14 nanometer node and smaller. read more
U.S. officials have reached out to allies to lobby them to enact similar policies so that foreign companies would not be able to sell technology to China that American firms would be barred from shipping, two of the sources said.
“Coordination with allies is key to maximizing effectiveness and minimizing unintended consequences,” Clete Willems, a former Trump administration trade official said. “This should favor broader regulations that others can replicate instead of one-off ‘is informed’ letters.”
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia attacked power stations and other infrastructure Sunday, causing widespread outages across Ukraine as Kyiv’s forces pressed a swift counteroffensive that has driven Moscow’s troops from swaths of territory it had occupied in the northeast.
The bombardment ignited a massive fire at a power station on Kharkiv’s western outskirts and killed at least one person. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the “deliberate and cynical missile strikes” against civilian targets as acts of terrorism.
Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv appeared to be without power Sunday night. Cars drove through darkened streets, and the few pedestrians used flashlights or mobile phones to light their way.
Separately, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the Russia-occupied south completely shut down in a bid to prevent a radiation disaster as fighting raged nearby.
Kyiv’s action in recent days to reclaim Russia-occupied areas in the Kharkiv region forced Moscow to withdraw its troops to prevent them from being surrounded, leaving behind significant numbers of weapons and munitions in a hasty flight as the war marked its 200th day on Sunday.
Ukraine’s military chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyy, said its forces had recaptured about 3,000 square kilometers (1,160 square miles) since the counteroffensive began in early September. He said Ukrainian troops are only 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the Russian border.
One battalion shared a video of Ukrainian forces in front of a municipal building in Hoptivka, a village just over a mile from the border and about 19 kilometers (12 miles) north of Kharkiv.
Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Ukrainian troops have reclaimed control of more than 40 settlements in the region.
In Sunday night’s missile attacks by Russia, the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions seemed to bear the brunt. Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy had only partially lost power, Zelenskyy said.
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov called the power outage “revenge by the Russian aggressor for the successes of our army at the front, in particular, in the Kharkiv region.”
Ukrainian officials said Russia hit Kharkiv TEC-5, the country’s second-biggest heat and power plant, and Zelenskyy posted video of the Kharkiv power plant on fire.
“Russian terrorists remain terrorists and attack critical infrastructure. No military facilities, only the goal of leaving people without light and heat,” he tweeted,
But Zelenskyy remained defiant despite the attacks. Addressing Russia, he added: “Do you still think you can intimidate, break us, force us to make concessions? … Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst for us are not as scary and deadly as your `friendship and brotherhood.’ But history will put everything in place. And we will be with gas, lights, water and food … and WITHOUT you!”
Later in the evening some power had been restored in some regions. None of the outages were believed to be related to the shutdown of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
While most attention focused on the counteroffensive, Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, was reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor to safeguard it amid the fighting.
The plant, one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for shelling around it.
Since a Sept. 5 fire caused by shelling knocked the plant off transmission lines, the reactor was powering crucial safety equipment in so-called “island mode” — an unreliable regime that left the plant increasingly vulnerable to a potential nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that has two experts at the site, welcomed the restoration of external power. But IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said he is “gravely concerned about the situation at the plant, which remains in danger as long as any shelling continues.”
He said talks have begun on establishing a safety and security zone around it.
In a call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the withdrawal of Russian troops and weaponry from the plant in line with IAEA recommendations.
The pullback of Moscow’s forces in recent days marked the biggest battlefield success for Ukrainian forces since they thwarted a Russian attempt to seize Kyiv near the start of the war. The Kharkiv campaign seemed to take Moscow by surprise; it had relocated many of its troops from the region to the south in expectation of a counteroffensive there.
Yuriy Kochevenko, of the 95th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, tweeted a video from what appeared to be central Izyum. The city was considered an important command and supply hub for Russia’s northern front.
“Everything around is destroyed, but we will restore everything. Izyum was, is, and will be Ukraine,” Kochevenko said in his video, showing the empty central square and destroyed buildings.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff said Russian troops also had left several settlements in the Kherson region, in the southern part of the country, as Kyiv’s forces pressed the counteroffensive. It did not identify the areas.
But an official with the Russian-backed administration in the city of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, said on social media that the city north of the Crimean Peninsula was safe and asked everyone to stay calm.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday the withdrawal from Izyum and other areas was intended to strengthen Moscow’s forces in the neighboring Donetsk region to the south. The explanation was similar to how Russia justified pulling back from Kyiv earlier this year.
But Igor Strelkov, who led Russia-backed forces when the separatist conflict in the Donbas erupted in 2014, mocked the Russian Defense Ministry’s explanation of the retreat, suggesting that handing over Russia’s own territory near the border was a “contribution to a Ukrainian settlement.”
The retreat angered Russian military bloggers and nationalist commentators, who bemoaned it as a major defeat and urged the Kremlin to step up its war efforts. Many criticized Russian authorities for continuing with fireworks and other lavish festivities in Moscow that marked a city holiday on Saturday despite the debacle in Ukraine.
In Moscow, Putin attended the opening of a huge Ferris wheel in a park on Saturday, and inaugurated a new transport link and a sports arena. The action underscored the Kremlin’s narrative that the war it calls a “special military operation” was going according to plan without affecting Russians’ everyday lives.
Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov criticized the Moscow festivities as a grave mistake.
“The fireworks in Moscow on a tragic day of Russia’s military defeat will have extremely serious political consequences,” Markov wrote on his messaging app channel. “Authorities mustn’t celebrate when people are mourning.”
In a sign of a potential rift in the Russian leadership, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed head of Chechnya, said the retreat resulted from blunders by the Russian brass.
“They have made mistakes and I think they will draw the necessary conclusions,” Kadyrov said. “If they don’t make changes in the strategy of conducting the special military operation in the next day or two, I will be forced to contact the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of NATO cautioned Friday the war would likely go on for months, urging the West to keep supporting Ukraine through what could be a difficult winter.
Ukraine’s battlefield gains would help as the Biden administration seeks continued financial support of the war effort from Congress and Western allies, said Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland and now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
“The Biden administration policy is evolving in a direction that is more and more justified,” Fried said.
The Cedar Creek fire pictured Friday, the day officials ordered the evacuation of the towns of Oakridge and Westfir.
Justin Wood/U.S. Forest Service
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Justin Wood/U.S. Forest Service
The Cedar Creek fire pictured Friday, the day officials ordered the evacuation of the towns of Oakridge and Westfir.
Justin Wood/U.S. Forest Service
A wildfire in Oregon has quadrupled in size since late last week, threatening thousands of homes and draping the Interstate 5 corridor, including the Portland metropolitan area, in heavy smoke.
The Cedar Creek fire began during a lightning storm on August 1st. As of Sunday, it had grown to nearly 86,000 acres, officials said, and the fire “breached existing lines,” meaning containment dropped to 0%.
The fire threatens more than 2,200 homes and hundreds of commercial buildings, officials said, mostly in the nearby towns of Oakridge and Westfir, which have a combined population of about 3,500 residents. Officials ordered evacuations on Friday.
Gusty winds, high temperatures and dry conditions late last week and into Saturday exacerbated the fire, fueling its growth from about 18,000 acres on Wednesday to more than four times that number by Sunday.
On Friday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state fire emergency, allowing the state’s fire marshal to support local firefighting agencies.
“The Cedar Creek Fire grew rapidly towards Oregon communities this morning, and the fire’s growth potential in the coming days is troubling, requiring additional resources to battle the fire and support the state’s response,” she said.
By Sunday, officials said weather conditions had eased. “That gives us an opportunity to be defensible with where our primary control lines are,” said Adam Veale, an incident commander trainee, in a video update Saturday.
Firefighters said Sunday they had completed strategic burning operations along the fire’s northwest edges and were working to set up protective measures along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, a 66-mile stretch of highway east of the fire dotted with campgrounds and resorts, including the Mt. Bachelor ski area, which is hosting a fire command center. “These fire breaks are high priority and will likely take most of a week to complete,” officials said.
The rural and mountainous area affected by the Cedar Creek fire is mostly within the Willamette National Forest, a popular recreation destination with lakes and trails. Much is currently closed to the public.
A Red Cross shelter has been set up at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, about 50 miles to the northwest.
Oregon fire agencies are battling several other blazes statewide, including the Double Creek Fire in the northeastern part of the state. Utilities had shut down power to tens of thousands of customers Friday as a preventative measure amid the windy conditions.
The first lady, Jill Biden, commemorated the day by visiting Shanksville and recalled the sorrow of realizing that her sister Bonny Jacobs, a flight attendant, could have lost colleagues in the attack.
“When I got to her house, I realized that I was right. She hadn’t just lost colleagues; she had lost friends,” Dr. Biden said. “As we learned more about that dark day, she felt pride for what happened here as well — pride that it was fellow flight attendants and passengers of United Flight 93 who fought back, who helped stop the plane from taking an untold number of lives in our nation’s capital.”
The scene outside the memorial in New York followed a familiar pattern. Vice President Kamala Harris and Mayor Eric Adams stood by as family members carried photos of their loved ones while others carried American flags or roses. There were sudden looks of recognition, and hugs, between people who saw one another once a year. As the honor guard entered and the national anthem was sung, participants who had been gripping pictures of their loved ones held them aloft.
There were moments of silence at 8:46 a.m., when Flight 11 struck the north tower of the World Trade Center, and at 9:03, when Flight 175 struck the south tower. The reading of the victims’ names brought both tears and fond remembrances.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian troops on Sunday successfully pressed their swift counteroffensive in the northeastern part of the country, even as a nuclear power plant in the Russia-occupied south completely shut down in a bid to prevent a radiation disaster as fighting raged nearby.
Kyiv’s action to reclaim Russia-occupied areas in the Kharkiv region forced Moscow to withdraw its troops to prevent them from being surrounded, leaving behind significant numbers of weapons and munitions in a hasty retreat as the war marked its 200th day on Sunday.
A jubilant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mocked the Russians in a video address Saturday night, saying “the Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back.”
He posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers hoisting the national flag over Chkalovske, another town reclaimed in the counteroffensive.
Yuriy Kochevenko, of the 95th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, tweeted a video from what appeared to be the city center of Izyum. The city was considered an important command and supply hub for Russia’s northern front.
“Everything around is destroyed, but we will restore everything. Izyum was, is, and will be Ukraine,” Kochevenko said in his video, showing the empty central square and destroyed buildings.
While most attention was focused on the counteroffensive, Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, was reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor to safeguard the plant amid the fighting.
The plant, one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world, has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for shelling around it.
Since a Sept. 5 fire caused by shelling knocked the plant off transmission lines, the reactor was powering crucial safety equipment in so-called “island mode” — an unreliable regime that left the plant increasingly vulnerable to a potential nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that has two experts at the plant, welcomed the restoration of external power. But the agency’s director-general, Rafael Grossi, said he remains “gravely concerned about the situation at the plant, which remains in danger as long as any shelling continues.”
He said talks have begun on establishing a safety and security zone around the plant.
In a call Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the withdrawal of Russian troops and weaponry from the plant in line with IAEA recommendations.
In fighting, Ukraine’s military chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyy, said its forces had recaptured about 3,000 square kilometers (1,160 square miles) since the counteroffensive began in early September. He said Ukrainian troops are only 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the Russian border.
Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Ukrainian troops have reclaimed control of more than 40 settlements in the region, noting he couldn’t give a precise number because the operation is still unfolding.
Widespread power outages were reported Sunday night by Ukrainian media, including in the regions of Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. Officials in various regions said Russian forces had caused the outages by attacking infrastructure, knocking out electricity and water, with explosions preceding the outages.
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov called the power outage “revenge by the Russian aggressor for the successes of our army at the front, in particular, in the Kharkiv region.”
Local officials said they were trying to repair the damage, and none of the outages were believed to be related to the shutdown of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Defense Minister Anna Malyar said Ukrainian forces are firing shells containing propaganda into areas where they seek to advance.
”One of the ways of informational work with the enemy in areas where there is no Internet is launching propaganda shells,” she wrote on Facebook. “Before moving forward, our defenders say hello to the Russian invaders and give them the last opportunity to surrender. Otherwise, only death awaits them on Ukrainian soil.”
The Ukrainian General Staff said Russian forces had also left several settlements in the Kherson region as Ukrainian forces pressed the counteroffensive. It did not identify the towns.
An official with the Russian-backed administration in the city of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, said on social media that the city was safe and asked everyone to stay calm.
The Russian pullback marked the biggest battlefield success for Ukrainian forces since they thwarted a Russian attempt to seize the capital, Kyiv, near the start of the war. The Kharkiv campaign came as a surprise for Moscow, which had relocated many of its troops from the region to the south in expectation of a counteroffensive there.
In an awkward attempt to save face, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday the troops’ withdrawal from Izyum and other areas was intended to strengthen Moscow’s forces in the neighboring Donetsk region to the south. The explanation sounded similar how Russia justified its pulling back from Kyiv earlier this year.
Igor Strelkov, who led Russia-backed forces when the separatist conflict in the Donbas erupted in 2014, mocked the Russian Defense Ministry’s explanation of the retreat, suggesting that handing over Russia’s own territory near the border was a “contribution to a Ukrainian settlement.”
The retreat drew an angry response from Russian military bloggers and nationalist commentators, who bemoaned it as a major defeat and urged the Kremlin to step up its war efforts. Many criticized Russian authorities for continuing with fireworks and other lavish festivities in Moscow that marked a city holiday on Saturday despite the debacle in Ukraine.
Putin attended the opening of a huge Ferris wheel in a Moscow park on Saturday, and inaugurated a new transport link and a sports arena. The action underlined the Kremlin’s narrative that the war it calls a “special military operation” was going according to plan without affecting Russians’ everyday lives.
Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov criticized the Moscow festivities as a grave mistake.
“The fireworks in Moscow on a tragic day of Russia’s military defeat will have extremely serious political consequences,” Markov wrote on his messaging app channel. “Authorities mustn’t celebrate when people are mourning.”
In a sign of a potential rift in the Russian leadership, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed head of Chechnya, said the retreat resulted from blunders by the Russian brass.
“They have made mistakes and I think they will draw the necessary conclusions,” Kadyrov said. “If they don’t make changes in the strategy of conducting the special military operation in the next day or two, I will be forced to contact the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground.”
Despite Ukraine’s gains, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of NATO warned Friday the war would likely drag on for months, urging the West to keep supporting Ukraine through what could be a difficult winter.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Ukrainian advances very encouraging.
“I’m proud that the U.S. and our allies have locked arms to support the Ukrainian people in this fight,” Kaine said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We and our allies must keep standing with Ukraine. Putin needs to recognize that the only way out is to end his failed war.”
—-
Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed.
King Charles has inherited the Duchy of Lancaster estate valued at more than $750 million.
He will not have to pay inheritance tax on the estate due to a rule approved in 1993.
The duchy generated income of $27 million for the Queen last year, financial records show.
King Charles will not have to pay inheritance tax on the Duchy of Lancaster estate he inherited from the Queen due to a rule allowing assets to be passed from one sovereign to another.
The new king will avoid inheritance tax on the estate worth more than $750 million due to a rule introduced by the UK government in 1993 to guard against the royal family’s assets being wiped out if two monarchs were to die in a short period of time, i News reported.
The provision was first exercised in 2002 when the Queen Mother passed on an estate worth about $80 million to the Queen including a collection of Faberge eggs.
The clause means that, to help protect its assets, members of the royal family do not have to pay the 40% levy on property valued at more than £325,000 ($377,000) that non-royal UK residents do.
The Lancaster estate generated revenue of £24 million ($27 million) last year, its financial records state, and the King is now entitled to its income.
It had assets worth more than £650 million ($754 million) at the end of March this year, the duchy’s website states. A law passed in 1702 forbids the monarch from selling any of the assets.
The Queen began voluntarily paying income and capital gains tax on the estate in 1993 and Charles may decide to follow suit.
The Duchy of Lancaster estate, founded in the 13th century, consists of “commercial, agricultural and residential” properties, including a portfolio of financial investments, according to its website.
Its five rural units, or Surveys, cover about 18,000 hectares of land in England and Wales.
The Foreshore Survey covers about 36,000 hectares (one hectare is equal to about two and a half acres) from the river Mersey, on which the city of Liverpool is built, to Barrow-in-Furness in the north of England. It also consists of the Minerals Survey, comprising limestone and sandstone quarries from south Wales to North Yorkshire.
However, most of its income comes from the Urban Survey, which includes extensive commercial property interests in central London such as the Savoy Hotel.
The Savoy Hotel in central London is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster.
John Keeble/Getty Images
The Balmoral and Sandringham residences are owned by the royal family, while most of the other properties they use including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are part of the Crown Estate.
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