Hospitals cut off as Israel batters southern Gaza
With bombing from all sides and in areas including hospitals and universities, there is no safe corridor for people to escape. Israeli shells have battered Khan Younis, cutting off two hospitals as the city in southern Gaza saw the bloodiest fighting since the New Year. Tanks closed in on Al-Amal Hospital and Al-Khair Hospital on Monday, part of an Israeli offensive that began last week to take control of Khan Younis, with Israel saying the city is now the main headquarters of the Palestinian group Hamas. The bombardment marks a revitalised Israeli offensive in the war, which began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,139 people. Israel’s retaliation has killed 25,295 Palestinians since. Residents told AFP that it was the most intense bombing they had witnessed since the war began. The fighting around the hospitals has made the provision of medical care difficult and halted most ambulance services, cutting the wounded off from medical care. Attack drones have targeted hospitals and Al-Aqsa University, the enclave’s largest, as the area is bombed by land, air and sea, with no safe corridor for people to escape, said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza. Israeli ground troops were also assaulting residential buildings, he added. The city, under heavy bombardment for over a month, was once designated a “safe zone” by Israel, with thousands having fled there from the north. “Now it’s just a scene of devastation and suffering as Israeli forces push deeper into the city,” Mahmoud said. No refuge The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its ambulance centre had been attacked, preventing first responders from reaching the wounded. The rescue agency also said it had lost contact with its staff at its Khan Younis main base. 🚨Urgent: PRCS ambulances unable to reach the wounded in Khan Yunis. Israeli occupation forces are besieging the PRCS ambulance center, and targeting anyone attempting to move in the area.#Gaza #NotATarget ❌#IHL pic.twitter.com/NXOT2Zzvlv — PRCS (@PalestineRCS) January 22, 2024 Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, just like all the hospitals in southern Gaza, is also under intense attack, PRCS spokesperson Nebal Farsakh told Al Jazeera, with ambulances unable to respond to calls. Health officials said at least 20 dead bodies had arrived overnight when the hospital was still accessible. “The occupation has overnight launched an unprecedented ground and air war on Khan Younis. People are trapped near Mawasi, people are trapped in Al-Amal Hospital, in Al-Aqsa University. People are carrying the dead and wounded on donkey carts,” said a medic inside Nasser Hospital. Gaza Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said that dozens of dead and wounded were trapped in areas targeted by Israeli troops. “The Israeli occupation is preventing ambulance vehicles from moving to recover bodies of martyrs and the wounded from western Khan Younis,” he said. Dark days It seems there’s little chance that the fighting will ease in the near future. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that military operations will not only continue, but will be expanded. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now caged in two towns, Deir el-Balah and Rafah, just north and south of Khan Younis respectively. Around 85 percent of the territory’s population has been displaced, with thousands sheltering in United Nations-run camps in squalid conditions, with disease and hunger rife. “Very dark days ahead as the situation gets worse by the hour,” said Mahmoud. Adblock test (Why?)
Modi opens controversial Ram temple in India
NewsFeed India’s prime minister has fulfilled a campaign promise by opening a Hindu temple built on the site of a centuries-old mosque destroyed by far-right mobs in 1992. Published On 22 Jan 202422 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Families of hostages storm Israeli parliament meeting
The demonstration signals growing anger over the fate of the hostages in the fourth month of the Gaza war. Relatives of Israelis being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas have stormed a parliamentary committee session in Jerusalem, demanding lawmakers do more to free their loved ones. The action by a group of around 20 relatives on Monday illustrated the growing anger over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to a deal with the Palestinian group as the Gaza war grinds through a fourth month. One woman held up pictures of three family members who were among the 253 people seized in the cross-border Hamas rampage of October 7 that triggered the massive Israeli operation in the enclave. Around 100 of the hostages were released during a week-long truce in November. Some 130 remain held in Gaza. “Just one I’d like to get back alive, one out of three!” the woman protester cried after pushing into the Knesset Finance Committee discussion. Other protesters, clad in black T-shirts, held up signs reading: “You will not sit here while they die there.” “Release them now, now, now!” they chanted. Riveted US, Qatari and Egyptian efforts at mediation seem far from reconciling the two sides. Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will continue its campaign until Hamas is destroyed. The Palestinian group demands that Israel withdraw and free all of the thousands of Palestinians from its prisons for Israeli captives to be released. The fate of the hostages – 27 of whom Tel Aviv says have died in captivity – has riveted Israel. However, the relatives fear that war fatigue could soften that focus. Demonstrations that initially promoted national unity have become more aggressive. Parliament ushers, often quick to eject hecklers or protesters, stood by during the ruckus in the Knesset Finance Committee. One lawmaker covered her face with her hands. Panel chairman Moshe Gafni, head of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party in Netanyahu’s coalition, stood up, called a halt to the economic briefing under way and sought to calm the protester. “Redeeming captives is the most important precept in Judaism, especially in this case, where there is an urgency to preserving life,” he said, but added: “Quitting the coalition would not achieve anything.” Rally The anger of the families has not been confined to official buildings. Relatives and supporters of the hostages once again rallied near Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem on Sunday night. “We are asking our government to listen, to sit down at the negotiating table and decide whether to accept this agreement or any other that would suit Israel,” said Gilad Korenbloom, whose son is a hostage in Gaza. Jon Polin, father of a hostage, said Israelis serve their country and in return “we expect the government to ensure our safety”. “We are asking the government to play its part, to propose an agreement, to bring it to a successful conclusion and to bring the remaining hostages back alive,” Polin said. Demonstrators have also been camping outside Netanyahu’s coastal home as well as the Knesset building, some demanding a unilateral end to the war or an election that might topple the hard-right government. On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected conditions presented by Hamas to end the war and release hostages that would include Israel’s complete withdrawal and leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. Following that, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum demanded that Netanyahu “clearly state that we will not abandon civilians, soldiers, and others kidnapped in the October debacle”. “If the prime minister decides to sacrifice the hostages, he should show leadership and honestly share his position with the Israeli public,” it said in a statement. Adblock test (Why?)
IOM makes ‘global appeal’ for $7.9bn to help 140 million people
The appeal comes as the number of people forced to migrate reached 117 million by the end of 2022, the IOM said. The United Nations migration agency has launched its first “global appeal”, aiming to drum up $7.9bn to help those forced to leave their homes due to everything from conflict to climate change. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) made its annual appeal Monday, as it seeks to bolster efforts to protect migrants, reduce displacement and expand avenues to migrate legally. The appeal comes at a time when top donor governments face tight budgets. The IOM says it hopes funding will come from individual and private-sector donors in addition to governments. The agency’s new director-general, Amy Pope, said the funding will benefit 140 million people – both migrants and the communities that house them. The appeal comes as the number of people forced to migrate reached 117 million by the end of 2022, the IOM said in a report accompanying the appeal. “Irregular and forced migration have reached unprecedented levels and the challenges we face are increasingly complex,” Pope said. “The evidence is overwhelming that migration, when well-managed, is a major contributor to global prosperity and progress.” Pope said that organisations need to be planning for future migration rather than reacting to waves of migration as they happen. “The evidence shows us that only being reactive means that more people are dying and being exploited as they migrate. This appeal will allow us to save more lives and work together more responsibly,” she said. Migrants often make harrowing, perilous journeys to escape their conditions at home, many dying in the process. The IOM’s “Missing Migrants” project estimates at least 60,000 people have died or disappeared making such journeys in the last nine years, especially those crossing into Libya, then heading across the Mediterranean to reach Europe. IOM data shows that 281 million international migrants, from manual labourers to white-collar jobholders, generate nearly 10 percent of global economic output. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia hands down criminal charges following rare large protest
Activists in Bashkortostan face 15 years in prison on charges of organising ‘mass riots’, assaulting public officials. Russian authorities have laid serious criminal charges against four people following a large protest in the central region of Bashkortosan. Security forces in the city of Ufa, in the Urals mountains, arrested the fourth suspect on Sunday evening, local media reported. The charges follow protests by thousands last week over the jailing of an Indigenous rights activist. Police were swift to crack down on what was a rare large showing of dissent in Russia since Moscow’s war against Ukraine started. Dim Davletkildin was detained after being summoned by police in the town of Baymak, the scene of the rally, which was sparked by the sentencing on Wednesday of Fail Alsynov to four years in a penal colony. Among the charges faced by Alsynov’s fellow activists are organisation of “mass riots” and assault of public officials, reported the OVN-Info monitoring group. The charges carry a potential sentence of 15 years. OVD-Info added that authorities have already opened dozens of lesser administrative cases, accusing demonstrators of joining unsanctioned rallies. The same court in Baymak, 1,400km (870 miles) east of Moscow, that last week sentenced Alsynov for inciting ethnic hatred has jailed several people for eight to 15 days for taking part in the protest, which saw police pelted with snowballs. The authorities responded with tear gas. The charges against Alsynov followed a speech he delivered last year as locals opposed plans for the development of a gold mine. The regional governor said the activist had made racist comments about people from Central Asia and the Caucasus. Alsynov claims that his words were mistranslated from the Bashkir language. The protesters said the verdict was delayed revenge for his role in protests years prior, when activists successfully blocked plans to mine for soda on a hill considered sacred by locals. Large protests are rare in Russia due to the risks of arrests. Thousands of people have been detained in the past two years for opposing the war. Often coming from regions with few economic prospects, Indigenous peoples from across Russia have been actively courted by recruitment officials and heavily represented in the ranks that Russia has sent to the front line in Ukraine. Alsynov was fined last year for criticising the invasion online, saying the war was not in Bashkortostan’s interests. He heads Bashkort, a grassroots movement working to preserve the culture, language and ethnic identity of the region’s people that was banned as an “extremist organisation” in 2020. Bashkortostan is an oil-producing region of 4.1 million people and is one of more than 80 entities that make up the Russian Federation. The Bashkir ethnic minority are among Russia’s 260,000 people who are recognised as Indigenous to Russia. Indigenous peoples living in Russia have long fought for their rights and to protect their traditional territory, which is often located in areas that are used for natural resource extraction, such as mining. Adblock test (Why?)
Spain’s Housing Battles: A pensioner-turned-activist fights evictions
Under threat of eviction, Antonio emerges from his quiet retirement to fight for housing rights in Spain. Antonio and Maria are a Spanish couple in their 80s from Madrid. For the first time in their lives, they are finding it difficult to afford gas and electricity bills. They are struggling with the rising cost of living taking grip across Europe. To make matters worse, their rent has just been increased and there are no housing laws to protect them. Antonio and his wife have nowhere else to go. They decide to join their neighbours who are applying pressure on the Spanish authorities to bring in fair rental regulations. Faced with the possibility of losing his home, Antonio unwittingly goes from a quiet retirement to becoming the face of a grassroots movement that is giving hope to his community. Spain’s Housing Battles is a documentary film by Rodrigo Hernandez and Adriana Cardoso. Adblock test (Why?)
Babri mosque to Ram temple: A timeline from 1528 to 2024
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a grand temple to the Hindu God Ram in Ayodhya in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, culminating a four-decade campaign to build the temple by Hindu far-right groups. The temple, popularly known as Ram Mandir, is being constructed on the land where a 16th-century mosque stood until 1992, when Hindu far-right mobs demolished it, triggering a nationwide Hindu-Muslim riots that killed more than 2,000 people, most of them Muslims. Hindus claim the Babri Masjid was built on the site of a temple during the first Mughal ruler Babar, on land that was the birthplace of their chief deity Ram. Muslims offered prayers until 1949 when idols were placed inside the mosque allegedly by Hindu priests. An Indian Supreme Court ruling in 2019 gave ownership of the land to a Hindu trust. The inauguration of the temple is being seen as a symbol of religious triumphalism, turning India’s secular democracy into a Hindu-first nation, further polarising politics that will likely benefit the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) months ahead of general elections. Here is a timeline of the mosque-temple dispute: 1528 – Mosque construction Babri Mosque is built by Mughal commander Mir Baqi under the rule of the first Mughal king, Babur. 1853 – First recorded instance of conflict A Hindu sect claims that a temple was destroyed during Babur’s reign to make way for the mosque. 1859 – The British erect a fence The British colonial administration partitions the site into two separate sections for Hindus and Muslims. Muslims allowed to pray inside, while Hindus allowed to worship in the outer courtyard. December 23, 1949 – Mosque becomes a ‘disputed property’ The government declares the mosque a “disputed property” and locks its gate after idols of Ram deity are allegedly placed by Hindu priests inside the structure, according to police reports. No Muslim prayers offered at the mosque after that. 1950-61 – Civil suits filed Four civil suits are filed in the court ranging from the rights to perform Hindu rituals at the site to a Muslim group seeking declaration and possession of the site. 1984 – Hindu temple committee A committee is formed by Hindu far-right groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), to spearhead the construction of a Hindu temple. 1990 – BJP’s Ram temple campaign BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani leads a nationwide campaign to build a temple in the place of the mosque. The nationwide campaign leaves a trail of violence in its wake, resulting in Advani’s arrest in the eastern state of Bihar. December 6, 1992 – Hindu nationalist mob tears down the mosque Tens of thousands of Hindus gather in Ayodhya, pulling down the 16th-century mosque. Hindu-Muslim riots break out across the country. December 16, 1992 – Liberhan Commission Ten days after the demolition of the mosque, the central government forms the Liberhan Commission to investigate the incident. 2003 – Archaeological survey Archaeologists begin a court-directed survey to determine whether a Hindu temple existed at the site. The survey says there is evidence of a temple beneath the mosque, but many archaeologists and Muslims dispute the findings. June 2009 Liberhan Commission report The commission submits its report 17 years after the demolition of the mosque. The report names several leaders of the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as responsible for the demolition of the mosque. Some senior BJP leaders, including Advani, face trial. September 2010 – Site to be ‘shared’ Three judges of the Allahabad High Court rule that Hindus and Muslims should share the disputed site. The court says two-thirds of the 2.77-acre (1.12-hectare) site belongs to Hindu groups – Nirmohi Akhara sect and Ramlalla Virajman – and the rest to the Muslim group (Sunni Central Wakf Board, UP). May 2011 – Ruling suspended The Supreme Court suspends the High Court ruling following appeals by Hindu and Muslim groups. March 21, 2017 – Out-of-court settlement The chief justice of India suggests an out-of-court settlement between Hindus and Muslims. April 19, 2017 – Conspiracy charges The Supreme Court revives conspiracy charges against top governing party leaders – Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi – and 13 others in the mosque demolition case. December 5, 2017 – Supreme Court hearing The top court hears 13 appeals in the dispute. January 25, 2019 – Five-judge bench to hear case Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi sets up a five-judge bench to hear the case overruling an earlier order by then-CJI Dipak Misra to set up a three-judge bench. The new bench comprises Chief Justice Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer. The top court sets up a mediation panel headed by former Supreme Court judge FM Ibrahim Kalifulla to reach an out-of-court settlement. The Supreme Court says mediation efforts have failed. August 6, 2019 – Day-to-day hearing Supreme Court commences day-to-day hearing on the Ayodhya land dispute. October 16, 2019 – Hearing concluded, order reserved The Supreme Court concludes the hearing; the five-judge bench reserves the judgement. November 9, 2019 – Supreme Court ruling The Supreme Court rules that the land must be handed over to a trust to oversee the construction of a Hindu temple, subject to conditions. A separate piece of land in Ayodhya is awarded to Muslim groups. February 5, 2020 – Trust set up A 15-member Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is set up to oversee the construction and management of the temple. August 5, 2020 – PM lays foundation stone Modi lays the foundation stone for the temple and unveils its plaque. September 30, 2020 A court in Lucknow acquits senior BJP leaders, including Advani – a one-time mentor of Prime Minister Modi – in the case for lack of evidence. January 22, 2024 – Temple consecration Despite the construction of some wings still pending, the Ram temple is consecrated. A large ceremony featuring prominent figures, Hindu spiritual leaders, and Modi is held in Ayodhya. The ceremony involves a procession of idols and a statue of
Hamas says October 7 attack was a ‘necessary step’, admits to ‘some faults’
The Palestinian group provides its account of what happened before and during the assault on communities in southern Israel. The Palestinian group Hamas has said there were “faults” in the October 7 attack it led on southern Israel, but claimed its fighters only targeted Israeli soldiers and people carrying weapons. In a 16-page report titled “Our Narrative” and published on Sunday, Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it wanted to “clarify” the background and dynamics of the surprise attack it calls Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In its first public report since the attack, Hamas said it was “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people”. Early on October 7, Hamas fighters stormed communities along Israel’s southern fence with Gaza. At least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official Israeli statistics, and about 240 others were seized as captives. Around 100 of the captives were released during a seven-day truce in late November in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli authorities have accused Hamas fighters of committing war crimes during the attack, including torture, rape and mutilation. Hamas has strongly rejected allegations of sexual violence and or mutilation. ‘Maybe some faults happened’ The report said Hamas planned to target Israeli military sites and to capture soldiers, which could be used to pressure the Israeli authorities to release thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The group said that avoiding harming civilians “is a religious and moral commitment” by fighters of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. “If there was any case of targeting civilians; it happened accidentally and in the course of the confrontation with the occupation forces,” read the report. It added that “maybe some faults happened” during the attack “due to the rapid collapse of the Israeli security and military system, and the chaos caused along the areas near Gaza. “Many Israelis were killed by the Israeli army and police due to their confusion,” it added. Israel responded to the attack with a devastating bombardment of Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade for 17 years, killing more than 25,000 people – mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities in the territory. Palestinian officials and human rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes in its assault on Gaza. The Hamas report also addressed the issue of post-war Gaza, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood. “We stress that the Palestinian people have the capacity to decide their future and to arrange their internal affairs,” the report said, adding that “no party in the world” had the right to decide on their behalf. The report also listed the reasons that led to the attack, citing Israel’s campaign of settlements’ construction “and Judaization of the Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem”, and the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians from 2000 until this year. Adblock test (Why?)
Hundreds of thousands protest against far-right in Germany
Rallies to protest against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party are held in Berlin, Munich and other cities. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across towns and cities in Germany to protest against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. On Sunday, rallies against the AfD were held in Berlin, Munich and Cologne, as well as in more traditional AfD voting strongholds in eastern Germany such as Leipzig and Dresden. While national polls show AfD in second place behind the main centre-right opposition bloc and ahead of the parties in the government, demonstrations against the far-right party gained momentum after a January 10 report from investigative news website Correctiv revealed that migration policies including mass deportations of people of foreign origin were discussed at a meeting of German right-wing extremists in Potsdam. Among the participants at the talks was Martin Sellner, a leader of Austria’s Identitarian Movement, which claims there is a plot by non-white migrants to replace Europe’s “native” white population. The AfD has denied the reported migration plans are party policy. On Sunday, demonstrators outside the German parliament in Berlin carried signs that said “no place for Nazis” and “Nazis out”. In Munich, protest organisers said 200,000 people attended, adding that they were forced to end the demonstration early due to overcrowding. Katrin Delrieux, 53, told AFP in Munich that she hoped the protests against the far right would “make a lot of people rethink” their positions. “Some might not be sure whether they will vote for the AfD or not, but after this protest, they simply cannot,” she said. In Frankfurt, protester Steffi Kirschenmann told the news agency Reuters that the rallies are “a signal to the world that we won’t let this happen without commenting on it”. Meanwhile in Dresden, the capital of the eastern region of Saxony, where the far-right party is leading in the polls, authorities had to alter the course of a protest march. The procession was lengthened to make space for an “enormous number of participants”, police in Dresden said on the social media platform X. Politicians, businesses take a stand Business leaders have also voiced their concerns, with Siemens Energy supervisory board chairman Joe Kaeser telling Reuters the reports [revealed by Correctiv] trigger “bitter memories”. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has also come out in support of the rallies across Germany and views them as a sign of strength against right-wing extremism. In a video message on Sunday, Steinmeier said: “You are standing up against misanthropy and right-wing extremism; these people encourage us all.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who joined a demonstration last weekend, highlighted that any plan to expel immigrants or citizens alike amounted to “an attack against our democracy, and in turn, on all of us”. He urged “all to take a stand – for cohesion, for tolerance, for our democratic Germany”. Rechtsextremisten greifen unsere Demokratie an. Wir alle sind gefordert, deutlich Stellung zu beziehen: für unser demokratisches Deutschland. Und für unsere mehr als 20 Millionen Freunde, Arbeitskolleginnen und Nachbarn, die eine Migrationsgeschichte haben. #Kanzlerkompakt pic.twitter.com/Cs1Dj69TwM — Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 19, 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 698
As the war enters its 698th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Monday, January 22, 2024. Fighting Twenty-seven people were killed and 25 injured after shelling hit a market on the outskirts of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Donetsk, according to Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed head of the Donetsk region. Pushilin blamed Ukraine for the attack on the suburb of Tekstilshchik and said Monday would be a day of mourning. Ukraine’s forces in the Tavria, or southern zone, said in a Facebook post that its soldiers were not responsible. “Donetsk is Ukraine!” it said. “Russia will have to answer for taking lives of Ukrainians.” Donetsk is one of four regions in Ukraine that Russia annexed illegally in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not address the attack in his Sunday night video but said that in a single day, Russia had shelled more than 100 cities, towns and villages in nine regions of Ukraine and that the attacks in Donetsk had been “particularly severe”. At least two people were killed in Ukrainian-controlled villages west of Donetsk, according to Ukrainian officials. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces took control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. Volodymyr Fityo, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, told reporters that Kyiv had withdrawn its soldiers and that Russia taking the village of “five houses” was of “no strategic importance”. Fito said Ukrainian forces were still holding the front line. A fire broke out at a chemical transport terminal at Russia’s Ust-Luga Port following two explosions, regional officials said. Local media said the Baltic Sea port, 165km (about 100 miles) southwest of St Petersburg, had been attacked by Ukrainian drones, causing a gas tank to explode. No casualties were reported. Politics and diplomacy Choe Son Hui, North Korea’s top diplomat, said her country was “ready to greet” Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to state media. Choe was in Moscow last week where she met the Russian president. Putin expressed “his willingness to visit the DPRK at an early date”, the statement said, using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. Putin last travelled to Pyongyang in 2000. Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk said it was important for the country’s players to keep winning at the Australian Open to remind people of the continuing conflict. The 21-year-old thrashed Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva 6-2, 6-1 and refused to shake her hand afterwards. Kostyuk will meet US Open champion Coco Gauff in the quarter-final. Sunday marked 100 years since the death of Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union whose body remains on display at his mausoleum on Moscow’s Red Square. Shortly before launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin publicly chided Lenin for his supposed role in dividing the Russian Empire into nation-states like Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)