Author: Reporter

President Zelenskyy shares concerns about excluding Ukraine from US-Russia talks about the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that excluding his country from talks between the U.S. and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be “very dangerous” and asked for more discussions between Kyiv and Washington to develop a plan for a ceasefire. Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Zelenskyy said Russia does not want to engage in ceasefire talks or to discuss any kind of concessions, which the Kremlin interprets as losing at a time when its troops have the upper hand on the battlefield. He said U.S. President Donald Trump could bring Russian President Vladimir Putin...

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A sense of duty: Why more wounded Ukrainian soldiers are returning to battle after amputation

The Ukrainian intelligence soldier does not know how long his clinical death lasted after an explosive detonated beneath him. All Andrii Rubliuk remembers is overwhelming cold, darkness, and fear. When he regained consciousness in his shattered body — missing both arms and his left leg — excruciating pain engulfed him, and hallucinations clouded his mind. “It’s an experience you wouldn’t wish on anyone,” the now 38-year-old said. Two years later, Rubliuk is again dressed in military fatigues, his missing limbs replaced by prosthetics — hooks in place of fingers, one leg firmly planted on an artificial limb. From the...

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Inside the Ukrainian military operation that captured two North Korean soldiers fighting for Putin

When Ukrainian soldiers captured two North Korean prisoners of war in January, it provided the first undeniable proof of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war against Ukraine. It also shed some light on the mindset and training of the conscripted North Korean soldiers sent to fight Russia’s war a continent away from their home. Highly disciplined, ready to die but also very young and with little battlefield experience they elicited curiosity and even some pity from the Ukrainian soldiers who captured them during two separate missions on January 9. Their capture confirmed what Ukraine, South Korea and the U.S....

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Democracy is not static: How authoritarians are rapidly chipping away at freedoms across the globe

In November, the world’s most powerful democracy elected as its next president a man who schemed to overturn its last presidential election. A month later, South Koreans swarmed their legislature to block their president’s attempt to impose martial law. The contrast sums up a year that tested democracy on all sides. Incumbent parties and leaders were battered in elections that covered 60% of the world’s population, a sign of widespread discontent in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It also was a sign of democracy working well, as it continued its core function of giving citizens the opportunity to...

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Threats of climate change, nuclear war, pandemics, and AI move “Doomsday Clock” closer to midnight

Earth is moving closer to destruction, a science-oriented advocacy group said in January as it advanced its famous “Doomsday Clock” to 89 seconds till midnight, the closest it has ever been. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists made the annual announcement — which rates how close humanity is from ending — citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations. The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and “when you are at this precipice,...

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Seasonal Affective Disorder: How light therapy is helping people who suffer from winter depression

As winter approaches and daylight hours grow shorter, people prone to seasonal depression can feel it in their bodies and brains. “It’s a feeling of panic, fear, anxiety, and dread all in one,” said Germaine Pataki, 63, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is among the millions of people estimated to have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Her coping strategies include yoga, walking, and an antidepressant medication. She is also part of a Facebook group for people with SAD. “I try to focus on helping others through it,” Pataki said. “This gives me purpose.” People with SAD typically have episodes of...

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