CNN maps how Kyiv is changing the face of modern warfare
Drone strike data, along with an exclusive interview with a Ukrainian drone manufacturer, sheds light on the scale and ambition of Kyiv's air war against Moscow. CNN's Katie Polglase reports.
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Associated Press
42 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Bucharest gay pride march turns 20 as LGBT people face growing hostility from right-wing groups
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Thousands of LGBTQ+ supporters took to the streets of Romania's capital Saturday for its annual gay pride parade, following a tense election cycle marked by an increase in hate speech against the community. Marchers of all ages walked through Bucharest's streets and down the central Victory Avenue, as many waved colorful flags, blew whistles and held placards that read: 'Be proud, be bold, be you!' Held since 2005, the event marked Bucharest Pride's 20th anniversary. This year's parade comes on the heels of a highly divisive and chaotic election cycle that saw a rise in support for far-right and conservative political figures and parties in the European Union member, one of the bloc's most religious countries. Victor Ciobotaru, executive director of ACCEPT Association, an LGBTQ+ rights group, told The Associated Press that throughout the 2024-2025 election cycle, the organization registered 'a huge increase' in hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. 'We had more people complaining about being harassed on the streets or being attacked,' he said. 'This hate speech doesn't remain without effect, we can feel the tension within the society … We are going to continue to fight for our rights, no matter the political climate.' Earlier on Saturday, right-wing groups who advocate for traditional family values and oppose same sex marriage held an anti-LGBT countermarch in the capital, with many waving the country's tricolor national flags and others holding placards depicting religious icons. Ahead of the parade, the ACCEPT association also reported a large 'STOP LGBT' banner that had been draped over an abandoned Bucharest apartment block, which was later removed. 'These types of actions are now more legitimized by the hate discourse which was spread all during these years, during these electoral campaigns,' Ciobotaru added. 'We will not be afraid to go on the streets.' This year marks 24 years since Romania, a country of about 19 million, decriminalized homosexuality. In ILGA-Europe's 2025 Rainbow Map, which assesses the legal and policy landscape for LGBT people across Europe, Romania ranked last among all 27 EU countries, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, the advocacy group found.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine refutes Russia's claims of disrupting POW exchange
Ukraine has denied Russian claims that it had delayed a planned exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) and the bodies of fallen soldiers, reportedly scheduled for June 7-8. Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed to conduct a major swap, which would include severely injured prisoners and young people aged 18 to 25, during their second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2. After the talks, Russia also pledged to transfer 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and officers to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that preparations for exchanging the bodies would begin after the POW swap. On June 7, however, Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in peace talks, claimed that the contact group of the Russian Defense Ministry was reportedly stationed at the border with Ukraine, but the Ukrainian side "unexpectedly postponed both the transfer of bodies and the POW exchange indefinitely." Ukraine's Defense Ministry dismissed the claim as false, saying it was an attempt by Russia to avoid returning Ukrainian POWs from captivity and take their POWs back to Russia. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is once again facing attempts to retroactively revise agreements. If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," the ministry wrote on Telegram. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs also refuted Russia's claim, saying that "instead of constructive dialogue, Ukraine once again faced manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes." According to the headquarters, Ukraine submitted lists of POWs "formed according to clearly defined categories agreed upon during the negotiations in Istanbul," while the Russian side "provided different lists that do not correspond to the agreed approach." The headquarters also added that an agreement on the repatriation of bodies of fallen soldiers was made, but the date was not set. "Instead of consistently implementing the agreed procedure, the Russian side took unilateral actions that were not coordinated within the joint process," the statement reads. "Unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are once again faced with manipulations and attempts to exploit sensitive humanitarian issues for information purposes. We remain committed to a real outcome — the return of our prisoners and the bodies of the fallen — and are ready to continue working within the agreed framework." The latest direct Russia-Ukraine talks, hosted by Turkish officials, followed the first round of negotiations on May 16. The initial meeting ended with an agreement on the largest prisoner exchange of the war, but without any tangible progress toward a peace deal. Ukraine has returned over 5,000 prisoners via exchanges with Russia since March 2022, according to officials. Kyiv has repeatedly pressed Moscow to agree to an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange, but Russia has rejected the proposal. Read also: 'It's okay, Mom, I'm home' —Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap of the war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Scott Jennings is correct about Wes Moore
Whatever CNN is paying Scott Jennings, it's not enough. His pragmatic, common-sense commentary offering realistic solutions to problems plaguing everyday Americans has become the glue holding the network's evening programming in place. Night after night, Jennings does rhetorical battle with far-left panelists who continually offer up the same two failing lines of attack: They hate Trump, and they believe everything should be viewed and addressed through the prism of identity politics. Surely, the executives at CNN understand that it was precisely those attack lines that enabled Trump to make substantial gains within the Hispanic community, the Black community, young men, independents and even a percentage of Democrats. All these voters switched to Trump because they knew that 'we hate Trump' and 'identity politics' were calculated rants and not a strategy to help keep them safe, lower the cost of essential items, protect their jobs, improve their health care or address the problem of failing public schools. Each evening on CNN, Jennings throws those bread-and-butter issues back at the liberal panelists — and they either sputter to come up with an answer or double down on the attack lines in allegiance to the vocal yet tiny minority making up the far-left wing of the Democratic Party. The next day, various conservative websites then sing the praises of Jennings for sticking it to the Democrats. Except … that is not what he does. Jennings is an honest broker who simply tries to call them as he sees them. His foundation is commonsense and logical, based on his real-world experiences. That acknowledged, Jennings offered up a valid opinion the other night that some Republicans and conservatives undoubtedly wish he had kept to himself — that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) should be taken seriously as we approach 2028. This past Sunday on CNN's 'State of the Union,' Jennings made two statements that got immediate attention. The first: 'I'll defend the Democrats — they are for things. Illegal aliens, you're for boys in girls' sports. That's why you have such struggles right now in your party, because you're not for anything that's on the right side of any of the 80/20 issues that are driving this cultural divide in America.' Jennings's next opinion, about Maryland's Democratic governor, was also worth noting and filing away: 'I think Wes Moore is actually a pretty talented communicator. Moore is interesting, probably more interesting than some of the radicals you have out there, [Jasmine] Crockett, AOC. I mean those are the true leaders of your party right now, but you'd probably be better off replacing them with Moore.' Seconding the problems Democrats are having with voters because of their current 'leaders' and do-nothing policies is Harry Enten, CNN's chief data analyst. During an interview last week, Engen dropped two bombs. The first: 'Take a look at Reuters-IPSOS. What do we see here? Party with a better economic plan. Well in May of 2024, just before Donald Trump was reelected president, Republicans had a nine-point advantage. Look at where we are now in May of 2025. The advantage actually went up by three points. Now Republicans have a 12-point advantage when it comes to the party with a better economic plan.' Next came crushing bad news for Democrats with regard to middle- and working-class Americans. Reported Enten: 'Historically speaking, which is the party of the middle class has been a huge advantage for Democrats. I have polling from NBC going all the way back since 1989, when Democrats held a 23-point advantage. … And now in our latest CNN poll, among registered voters, which is the party of the middle class, it is tied. … Trump and the Republican Party have taken that mantle away. And now a key advantage for Democrats historically has gone. Adios amigos.' And then, on Sam Harris's 'Making Sense' podcast this week, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) —the first openly gay person elected from the Bronx, who has long been a voice for common sense, the working class and the disenfranchised — said this: 'There is a divide between what I would say are two teams in the Democratic Party. 'Team Restraint' and 'Team Resistance.' There are those in Team 'Resistance' who feel like we should react hysterically to everything Donald Trump says or does. And then those who feel like we should pick and choose our battles and be strategic. But I worry that the momentum is on the side of hysterical, hyperbolic resistance.' Obviously, as with the nightly warnings issued by Jennings, Torres is talking about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and others when he speaks of 'hysterical, hyperbolic resistance.' Questions for the Democrats: Is Torres correct? Has the momentum switched to the 'hysterical' and 'hyperbolic'? Is there no appetite in the Democratic Party for commonsense voices like Torres and Moore, who offer up strategies instead of insults? Or is the appetite there and growing, but the party is too afraid to confront its own bullies? No doubt CNN's Jennings will answer those questions and many more as we approach the midterms and the 2028 election. Ignore his opinions and truths at your own political peril. Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
