A fascinating map shows how bears, wolves and lynx are distributed across Europe and how close they are to holiday destinations.

For thousands of years, the land predators have lived across the continent, from eastern areas of Poland and Romania to Italy, France and Spain.

Today, some of their habitats are closer to tourist destinations than visitors may realize. And a recent bear attack, which hospitalized two people in the Slovak town of Liptovský Mikuláš on March 15, has drawn attention to their presence.

Find out how close your favorite European holiday spot is to bears, wolves and lynx using the interactive map below from MailOnline Travel, based on data from the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE).

Brown bears

According to research, up to 18,000 brown bears live in 22 countries in Europe the LCIEciting data from 2016.

France and Spain are among popular holiday destinations with a growing population of brown bears. This includes Spain’s Cantabrian Mountains, which number between 321 and 335, and the French Pyrenees, where there are 30.

The animals, which can weigh up to 50 pounds (320 kg), can also be found in a part of the Alps that includes Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. The population here is between 45 and 69 years old.

The largest population (7,360) is found in the Carpathians of Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.

While the most far-reaching group is the ‘Dinaric-Pindos’ (3,950), which spans Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

Wolves

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands, there are approximately 17,000 wolves spread across Europe the LCIEwith nine population groups in 27 countries – more than half of the 44 in Europe.

A growing number of wolves prowl the central European lowlands of Germany and Poland, where between 780 and 1,030 wolves live, as well as in the Alps of Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland (420 to 550).

Just like the brown bears, the Carpathians have a healthy wolf population (3,460 to 3,849). But unlike the bears, this extends to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.

The largest wolf population is the Dinaric-Balkan group (about 4,000), found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

Other groups include those in northwestern Spain and Portugal (estimated at 2,500 in 2007), Finland (about 200), and Norway and Sweden (about 430).

Lynx

Europe is home to 8,000 to 9,000 lynxes, spread across 11 groups in 21 countries. LCIE data shows.

The predators, which feed on animals such as deer, birds and sheep, are mainly found in Finland, which has a stable population of 2,500 people.

As with bears and wolves, a large population is found in the Carpathian Mountains (2,100 to 2,400) of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.

Other groups include the Scandinavian lynx found in Norway and Sweden (1,300 to 1,800), the Jura lynx found in France and Switzerland (140), and the Baltic lynx in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine (1,200 to 1,500).

The only two growing populations are found in the Harz Mountains of Germany (46) and the Alpine region of Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland (163).

• The woman and her companion had been hiking in the Low Tatra Mountains

By Ed Holt

Published: 11:26 AM EDT, March 16, 2024 | Updated: 04:03 EDT, March 17, 2024

South Korean popular culture has become a global phenomenon in recent decades, with K-Pop bands – including Black Pink and BTS – topping global charts. 

K-dramas – South Korean TV series – have also proved hugely popular with Western audiences…and it seems, from across the DMZ that divides the two countries, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might now be looking for a piece of the television pie. 

It was revealed yesterday that North Korea is poised to launch a new streaming service that will air the cream of its film, television and news content to audiences across the world. 

Polish-run Shiwani TV is expected to launch this autumn and will livestream state-run Korean Central Television and its affiliated radio station, The Telegraph reported yesterday.

According to the small Warsaw-based organisation behind the deal, Chollima Front, registration has been steady so far, with less than a hundred people signed up in countries that include the US, Poland, Japan and South Korea.

So, what can viewers willing to part with £16 per month – £9 more than the most basic Netflix package – expect from the newest platform on the block? 

The answer is a host of North Korean soap operas, dramas, sitcoms and cartoons. Can you guess the catch? Weaved into the schedules will be anti-West sentiment galore and plenty of propaganda about King Jong-un himself. 

Viewers can binge-watch the North Korean equivalent of box-sets but will also have to endure military parades, missile launches and hours and hours of footage from despot-devoted newsreaders – par for the course when you’re subscribing to Rogue State TV. 

Here, FEMAIL picks out some of the highlights subscribers might expect to see on Shiwani TV:  

LONG-RUNNING SOAP OUR NEIGHBOURS 

Ramsay Street in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang? Not quite but Our Neighbours, a sitcom that takes place in a fancy city apartment is likely to be one of the shows that almost certainly features when Shiwani TV goes global in the autumn. 

Set in the upmarket Changjon Street neighborhood, the action focuses on a set of residents who appear to be doing rather well for themselves. 

A Washington Post article on one episode back in 2017 noted that the apartment’s lift – still a novelty for most North Koreans – featured heavily in the script. 

OUTLAW STATE’S FAVOURITE NEWS PRESENTER  

Like our own rolling news channels, North Korea has its own version, although impartiality is nowhere to be seen. 

The channel will offer newscasts from veteran anchor Ri Chun-Hee, known for her passionate and emotional commentary on Korean Central Television (KCT). 

Now 80, the broadcaster officially retired in 2012, focusing on training up and coming broadcasters instead, but is still trusted with major developments in North Korean news thanks to her high profile. 

In 2016, she announced that the country had detonated a H-bomb, and was on hand to recount Kim Jong-un’s meeting with Donald Trump in 2018. 

NORTH KOREAN CINEMA – INCLUDING ROM-COMS 

Kim Jong-un’s father Kim Jong Il was well known for his love of film. 

The late dictator believed it was the most powerful tool for educating the masses and as such the country is now littered with movie theatres and cinema-going is free.

He is said to have had thousands of films in his personal library and seven theatres built just for him Pyongyang.

The country’s main studio, Korean Film Studio, has produced dozens of films – mostly with communist and revolutionary themes.

There is the odd rom-com equivalent though, with the eighties proving a particularly fertile period, with films such as Traces of Life (1989), Broad Bellflower (1987) and Girls from My Hometown (1991) hitting cinema screens. 

ANIMATION INSPIRED BY LOONEY TUNES

The outlaw country has a long-held passion for animation, with cartoons likely to form a portion of the streamed content.

Former leader Kim Jong-il was reportedly a fan of Looney Tunes character Daffy Duck and many of the cartoons aired are made by animation house SEK. 

The zany Looney Tunes vibes certainly seem to have rippled into North Korean animation, with the action slapstick and high-octane.   

They also stay on message, a 1970s cartoon that remains popular, Squirrel and Hedgehog, sees animals in North Korea portrayed as cute and brave, while their enemies – foxes, wolves and weasels – live across the DMZ in South Korea.   

GLOBAL SPORTS EVENTS – LONG AFTER THEY’VE AIRED 

Catching up on global sporting news is also a possibility for subscribers of Shiwani TV, although if Andy Murray proves victorious on his singles swansong this year, it’s unlikely you’ll see it on the North Korean streaming service until months later – and then only with heavily censored footage appearing. 

PROPAGANDA TV: MISSILE LAUNCHES, PARADES AND KIM JONG-UN GOSSIP 

Plenty of viewers signing up to the streaming service will do so for insight into a country that is famous for censoring.

It’s no surprise that Shiwani TV will be forced to dedicate much of its content to the image of Kim Jong-Un with the military parades and missile launches that already dominate TV schedules in the country featuring heavily. 

The Telegraph reports too that there will be an accompanying app for subscribers who’ll be able to get the latest news on the life and work of Kim Jong-un as it happens. 

What’s already clear is that key messages from the regime, that hard work and devotion to the supreme leader, will run through every genre that appears on the channel. 

 

This is the moment a shocked mother returned home from holiday to find a room in her house covered in 900 meters of aluminum foil – which took five long hours to remove.

Anna Jankowski, 36, was furious when she realized the extent of her 20-year-old son Maks' prank, which left everything from the walls, kitchen cupboards – and even her coffee maker and fruit in a bowl – wrapped in aluminium.

He spent a whopping £225 on supplies for this project – including foil, cello tape and Blue Tack – and worked more than 40 hours on the project.

The social media star claimed he didn't sleep for 40 hours to perform the prank, before taking a two-hour nap and finishing it just in time for Anna to return home.

One clip showed the irritated parent holding her head in shock as she entered the room before picking up neatly wrapped items to inspect Maks' work.

Clearly annoyed but entertained, Anna pretended to hit him with a wrapped pan before ripping some foil off the sofa and throwing it at her son.

Maks, who was happy with the bizarre outcome, says his prank lasted so long because he had to stick every piece of labor perfectly because it would tear if he tried to pull it off.

However, he added that Anna had him make her a cup of coffee as soon as she realized she wouldn't be able to make herself a cup of coffee.

“She just wanted to relax when she got home so I could tell she was a little annoyed, and when she helped me take it off I got that vibe from her,” he admitted.

The prankster's video on his TikTok @thatguymaks has been viewed more than 19.9 million times.

Maks dug into his process, explaining that he had to be “very delicate” with the joke.

“To make sure it happens exactly, I can't rush it,” he said. 'The problem with aluminum foil is that you have to put it in one big strip and stand it up to make sure it's aligned properly, because if you put tape on it you can't remove it. It just tears.

'The hardest part was the chairs, because it took about an hour per chair because they kept sliding off.'

Although Maks is “not the type of person to give up,” he admitted that he “slowly became irritated” by the process.

“I couldn't even cook, so I had to order food,” he revealed. 'It was quite cold at the time, but with the foil on it felt like a heater, so the heater didn't have to be on.'

Maks has pledged to recycle the Blue Tack and aluminum foil and use it in other videos and art projects.

His TikTok video was captioned “This took forever, I need sleep now” and has almost 36,000 comments.

One joked: 'That's it! He's out of the will.'

Another said: 'I thought I was wasting MY life – now I feel better thanks.'

A third added: “That looks so cool!”

Different cultures have their own ways of preparing for Lent. In countries such as Poland and Germany it is now 'Fat Thursday', where people eat donuts with jam.

It is carnival time in Brazil. Although British 'pancake day' may sound less exciting, it is a tradition that I will embrace with gusto.

As the Uranus-linked New Moon approaches, we can find joy even in the ordinary aspects of our lives.

RAM

March 21 – April 20

Being a bold, energetic Aries when you want to be, you can always find ways to make things happen. But this skill doesn't always work in your favor. Sometimes it seems like you spend half your time generating ideas and the other half dealing with the complex consequences. As the New Moon approaches, which aligns with innovative Uranus, you are under pressure to take action. Other people have high expectations and rely on you. Have faith. Whatever you do, at least for the time being the result will be good.

Ready for the powerful New Moon? Go to cainer.com/dm to make the desired change

BULL

April 21 – May 21

Life would be simpler if all our choices and decisions were based on logic. But more often than not, we are motivated by strong emotions. We tend to believe what we believe out of loyalty, empathy, hope, or fear. That is completely natural and normal. Even the most rational people cannot always be objective. It's about finding a balance between what we feel and what we think. The dark of the moon always tends to stir up your emotions. But this time it gives you the insight to focus them in a pragmatic way.

How will the New Moon change your life? There's some inspiring news if you visit cainer.com/dailymail

TWIN

May 22 – June 22

Unconditional love. We are all looking for it, but it is hard to find. Some psychologists say that if we expect to find this in our relationships, it's because we don't have enough self-love. And that when we think we've found it in someone, it can keep us from seeing signs that things aren't as good as they seem. But because it is at the core of creation, it exists in all of us. And we connect with it by being generous with our love. Making a grand gesture in the dark of the moon can bring about positive change in a relationship.

The New Moon brings powerful positive change! Visit cainer.com/dmfree for great news about your future

CANCER

June 23 – July 23

As we head towards the New Moon, when your ruler connects with free-thinking Uranus, it's even more important than usual to communicate both your thoughts and your feelings. You have a deep bond with someone; and despite all the inevitable tensions that sometimes arise, it is valuable and deserves to be cherished. They just want to know that even if you disagree with something, you still have an emotional connection with them. And that means taking the time to explain your opinion. And listen.

The New Moon suggests that good times are coming. For more information, visit cainer.com/dm

LION

July 24 – August 23

People who live along busy roads become so accustomed to the sound of traffic that they do not notice the noise. Likewise, people living in rural areas become accustomed to the 'earthy' smells of nearby farms. The Dark of the Moon draws your attention to a problem in your relationship world that you have overlooked. Now that you are aware of it, you cannot be unaware of it. If it makes you uncomfortable, that's okay. It is simply a natural part of a necessary awakening process that will lead to improvement. Take your time. You will see it.

Discover why this New Moon is so magical for you. Visit cainer.com/dailymail

VIRGIN

August 24 – September 23

There's work to be done, and guess who's responsible for it? You may look at the enormity of the task before you and think there is no point in putting in the effort. It's so complex that even if you manage to achieve a little bit of success, it's hard to imagine that you'll manage to sort it all out. But that's not your normal way of doing things. By nature you are a doer (not a defeatist). So roll up your sleeves and give it a try. If you summon your positivity, you will do better than you expect, faster than you expect. And that will be satisfying.

The New Moon brings the key to the future you dream of. Visit cainer.com/dmfree to get the information you need

SCALE

September 24 – October 23

Even if you feel like you should have anticipated the change, there's no reason to be hard on yourself. When you look back, you will remember that when you initially made a commitment, you were aware of the fact that you would only get so far toward achieving it. Actually, you did a good job. And you are about to discover that your efforts have certainly not been in vain, but that they have brought you into a new situation, which offers significantly different (better) opportunities. As we move towards the New Moon, be open to inspiring news.

Maximize New Moon Energy! Visit cainer.com/dm for your latest predictions

SCORPION

October 24 – November 22

When it comes to generosity, nature is much more generous than us. Society does not encourage us to go back to basics and restart our lives over and over again. But nature offers this possibility endlessly. From new seasons to new moons, we witness its ability to reform and regrow. But because we are part of this wonderful experience, we always have the potential to make a new start. The upcoming New Moon will bring one your way. You can create a change in your relationship world that opens you up to joyful renewal.

The New Moon brings positive change! Find out more! Visit cainer.com/dmfree

ARCHER

November 23 – December 21

“If love beckons you, follow him, even though his ways are difficult and steep.” Just because love isn't always easy doesn't mean we should cut love out of our lives. And these words encourage us; we know that it is worth it when we open our hearts, even if we make ourselves vulnerable. I mention this because a recent experience has reminded you of a difficult time in your emotional life. But that doesn't mean trouble lies ahead. The New Moon brings a situation that contrasts with your memory. Your job is to let go of the past.

The New Moon can transform your world. Visit cainer.com/dailymail for valuable keys of the week

IBEX

December 22 – January 20

Love cannot be bought or sold. In these crazy times, when we can (if we have the money) buy anything we want, it's worth reminding ourselves that the content of our hearts is above price or negotiation. With Venus firmly in your sign, you are aware that your popularity is growing. Also keep in mind that a certain person may want to feel like you belong to him or her. This may not be a romantic connection; your desirability works in all your relationships. But you are not a commodity. Only fair exchanges will benefit you.

Be ready for a special time! The New Moon brings exciting opportunities. Visit cainer.com/dm

AQUARIUS

January 21 – February 19

Sometimes something small happens and we turn it into something big. Sometimes we underestimate big problems and spend more time than necessary on trivialities. The problem is that it's not always easy to figure out what's important enough to deserve our focus and energy. All that matters now is that you do enough to make a difference. Don't do too little. Or too much. How do you know if you have the right balance? When you start to get the right results. It seems like this takes less effort than you think.

The New Moon emphasizes dynamic changes. Your future has enormous potential. Visit cainer.com/dmfree

FISHING

February 20 – March 20

How helpful is it when someone tells you to 'be yourself'? Or 'don't worry about what other people think'? This kind of advice is easy to give, but difficult to implement. Being ourselves is risky. So we are not concerned with the judgments of others. It can make us unpopular. Therefore, for the most part, making friends and finding ways to influence people is a better policy. Under the dark of the moon, your social skills are an asset. Being as kind and supportive as you can will get you the best results.

Wonderful opportunities arise when the New Moon energizes your life. Visit cainer.com/dmfree

In 1989, Holocaust historian Elizabeth White received a package containing the memoir of an unknown Polish Countess, who claimed to have rescued thousands of prisoners from a Nazi concentration camp. 

Her astonishing untold story, if true, would rival the heroics of Oskar Schindler. 

But, unable to verify the remarkable tale, White left the memoir untouched – until 2018, when she partnered with fellow historian Joanna Sliwa to authenticate its contents. 

Now, White can reveal in ‘The Counterfeit Countess’ what they discovered was even more astonishing than she could have imagined.

Majdanek Concentration Camp, Lublin, Poland, April 1, 1944:

Countess Suchodolska heard a whip crack.

Spinning about, she saw Nazi SS Lieutenant Thuman scowling down at her from horseback.

‘What’s in that damn truck of yours?’ he snarled.

The Countess had come to Majdanek at the head of her usual convoy of trucks to deliver bread and vats of soup for thousands of the concentration camp’s prisoners. 

But the truck Thumann was now approaching concealed additional supplies – razor blades and spiked alcohol.

The Countess was smuggling them for prisoners who would soon be transported to another camp. The plan was for them to ply their guards with the drugged booze and subdue them when Polish partisans attacked the train en route.

The Countess had organized the plot by sneaking messages in her humanitarian supplies between the partisans and resistance members imprisoned in Majdanek.

She faced torture and execution if the plot were discovered. The same fate awaited her if it succeeded, for suspicion would immediately fall on her.

It was suicide. But she was willing to pay with her life if it bought the prisoners’ freedom.

Hoping to distract Thumann as the prisoners unloaded the truck, the Countess replied calmly, ‘Soup and bread, plus milk for the sick as usual.’

Thumann wheeled back toward her. ‘You’re lying!’

Straightening to her full 5’1′ height, the 87-pound Countess looked the SS officer looming over her in the eye: ‘Nothing else. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you have it checked?’

Having failed to rattle the Countess, Thumann rode off in disgust.

He hated the Polish aristocrat and dreamed of finding a reason to hang her in his camp.

Fortunately for her, he had not seen behind her disguise.

For the Countess was not an aristocrat, nor was her name Suchodolska.

She was Janina Spinner Mehlberg, a brilliant mathematician, an officer in the Polish resistance … and a Jew.

Janina’s early life prepared her for the role of Countess Suchodolska.

The daughter of a wealthy Jewish estate owner, she socialized with the local nobility, absorbing their manners and customs.

At 22, she obtained a Ph.D. from the prestigious university in Lwów (today Lviv, Ukraine).

With her husband, philosopher Henry Mehlberg, she lived in comfort and actively participated in Lwów’s prewar intellectual circles.

Then the war began. The Germans seized Lwów, and the Mehlbergs experienced the horrors of persecution, privation, and the constant threat of murder.

This is when Janina showed the first signs of unusual bravery.

When Ukrainian militia seized Henry for a mass shooting, she refused to leave his side, even after a militiaman cracked her in the face with his rifle butt.

Her stubborn defiance so impressed a German Army officer that he pulled Henry from the group that was destined for death.

In December 1941, the Mehlbergs were required to move into Lwów’s ghetto, where they knew death awaited them.

Instead, they fled with Janina’s old family friend, Count Andrzej Skrzyński, who promised to provide them false papers as Polish Christians if they went with him to Lublin.

Although Jews were not permitted to travel, they made the dangerous journey safely. But in the Lublin train station, a German policeman suddenly seized Henry, accusing him of carrying contraband.

In a flash, Janina haughtily confronted the policeman in perfect German until, intimidated by her imperious demeanor, he let Henry go.

Years later, Janina wrote about the lesson she learned in this encounter and that she would go on to use to save lives: ‘What do you do with your fear and trembling in a confrontation with a swaggering bully? You confine it to the small prison of the heart, letting none seep into the muscles of the eyes, hands, or legs; you quake within and show calm authority without—you pull off a hoax. You must not toady to them, you must not let them sniff blood. Composure and coolness toward them implied the backing of power, and in the face of power they might very well shrink.’

In Lublin, Janina became Countess Suchodolska. But even as supposed ethnic Poles, the Mehlbergs still faced persecution.

The Nazis viewed Poles as subhuman racial enemies only a little better than the Jews, and Poland’s German occupiers took the lives of nearly two million Poles as well as three million Polish Jews.

Witnessing suffering and death all around her, Janina decided to do everything in her power to save others and resist the Germans.

She proceeded on the basis of a simple mathematical principle: one life has a lesser value than multiple lives, and her own life would have no value if she did not use it to save others.

There are other inspiring stories of rescue during the Holocaust. In German-occupied Poland, Oskar Schindler, Irena Sendler, and Warsaw zookeepers Jan and Antonina Żabiński together rescued perhaps more than 3,000 Nazi victims.

They were non-Jews who rescued Jews.

Janina’s story is unique.

She was a Jew who rescued non-Jews.

Through Count Skrzyński, she became an official of a Polish relief organization that the Germans only allowed to aid non-Jewish Poles.

With her perfect German, she negotiated with Nazi and SS officials, winning the release from captivity of thousands of Poles.

At Majdanek, she persuaded the commandant to permit ever more frequent deliveries of ever greater quantities of food by framing them as measures to preserve his prisoners’ capacity to perform forced labor.

She even won permission to deliver decorated Christmas trees and Easter eggs. And she used the deliveries as cover to smuggle messages, books, medical equipment, and weapons to resistance members imprisoned in the camp.

On every delivery, Janina passed the building that housed Majdanek’s gas chambers.

63,000 Jews were murdered at Majdanek.

Janina saw the smoke from the camp’s crematorium and burn pits, and knew its source.

Still, almost daily, she entered the den of mass murder.

She went there on the day her plot was to see fruition.

Some prisoners called her over to thank her for the aid that had enabled them to survive. As she shook their hands through the wire, a car screeched to a halt behind her.

Thumann jumped out. Reaching for his sidearm, he threatened to shoot her on the spot, but the other passenger, the commandant, stopped him.

Janina watched the prisoner transport depart, then radioed the resistance to prepare to attack the train.

It never happened.

Her resistance commander had led her to risk her life for a plot that he knew his superiors had not approved.

The realization that she had given the prisoners false hope of freedom filled Janina with anguish and rage.

By the end of World War II, Janina negotiated the release from captivity of nearly 10,000 Poles. It is impossible to determine how many more survived thanks to her relief and resistance activities.

And yet, to the end of her days, she was haunted by the many lives she failed to save.

Janina survived the war and was a math professor in Chicago when she died in 1969.

Hers is a story of selfless courage in the face of unspeakable cruelty.

Only now is it being told.

The world needs such stories.

Elizabeth B. White is co-author of The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles During the Holocaust, from Simon & Schuster

Poland was forced to scramble at least three F-16s today as Russia fired missiles towards its NATO border with Ukraine, say reports.

In the event the missiles turned away from the NATO country and hit targets across Ukraine as part of a massive new onslaught unleashed by Russia.

Deeply distressing footage from Kyiv showed residential blocks ablaze.

Among the Russian targets was reported to be a Ukrainian marine drone plant in Mykolaiv, and barrages of attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv.

As buildings burned in Ukraine, the deep threat of a wider war involving NATO – which counts the UK and US as members – was highlighted by the Polish alert early today as Russian missiles appeared to be heading over Ukraine towards Poland.

An attack on a NATO country could trigger the military alliance’s Article 5, which states that if a NATO ally is the victim of an armed assault, other members of the Alliance will consider this an act of aggression against all members.

Poland was struck by a missile in November 2022, near the border with Ukraine, killing two people. Initial reports suggested that it was a Russian missile, raising fears that it could spark a wider conflict, but it was later reported by Poland and the United States that the missile was likely a misfiring Ukrainian air defence missile.

Following the Russian attacks overnight, operational Command of the Armed Forces of Poland stated: ‘Intensive long-range aviation activity of the Russian Federation is being observed due to missile strikes on Ukrainian territory. 

‘All necessary procedures aimed at ensuring the safety of Polish airspace have been launched,’ it said, adding that Poland was ‘constantly monitoring the situation’.

‘We warn you that Polish and allied aircraft have been activated, which may cause increased noise levels, especially in the southeast area of the country.’

Reports from Ukraine said Poland had put three F-16s in the air to counter the possible Russian threat. It is unclear which NATO warplanes were activated.

Russia launched several waves of missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during Wednesday morning rush hour, with falling debris from the downed weapons cutting off electricity to parts of the capital.

All of Ukraine was under air raid alert from around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT), with Ukraine’s Air Force warning on Telegram of a risk of Russian missile attacks across the country.

The first blasts were heard just before 7 am in Kyiv.

Several waves of blasts rocked Kyiv during the attack, the first so far in February, with air defence systems engaged in destroying the missiles, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app.

But smoke was seen rising from Kyiv as five explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital after a nationwide air raid alert in Ukraine. At least two people were injured in Dniprovskyi district that lies along the Dnipro River, Klitschko added. 

‘Explosions in the city. Air defence is working. Stay in shelters!’ wrote the Kyiv mayor.

‘An apartment building caught fire in Holosiivsky district. Firefighters and rescue unit are on its way to the scene,’ he said.

‘And in the Dnipro district of the capital, there are currently two injured people. Both were treated by medics on the spot.’

A car repair shop was also hit.

‘I was scared when air alerts announced and we rushed here,’ Tetyana, 49, told Reuters news agency in a bomb shelter in central Kyiv, wile hugging her two-year-old granddaughter and a small dog.

‘I hope they will shoot down all of them. I pray for our air defence.’

Second city Kharkiv was hit by at least four explosions.

‘We have information about non-residential area being hit. As for the injured, clarification is underway.’ wrote Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov.

US ambassador to Kyiv Bridget A Brink said: ‘Now in Kyiv & around the country, men, women, and children awoke to another massive Russian missile and drone attack.

‘We rely on Ukraine’s air defence – and its heroic air defenders – to protect us all. There is no time to lose. Ukraine needs our security assistance now.’

Russia claimed the strikes on residential buildings were due to Ukrainian air defences.

One person was killed in Mykolaiv, a pensioner.

At least ten people were reported wounded, nine in Kyiv and one in Kharkiv.

Some 20,000 people were left without electricity in Kyiv.

Ukrainian air defence forces over Kyiv and the surrounding area destroyed about two dozen Russian missiles.

‘Air defence forces shot down about two dozen Kh-101/Kh-555/KX-55 cruise missiles over Kyiv and in the vicinity of the capital,’ stated Kyiv Regional Administration.

The missiles entered the capital in several waves from different directions, said spokesman Sergei Popko.

Near Kharkiv – resident Olena Kurylo, called the ‘Face of the War’ after her bloody image was flashed around the world at the start of the conflict in February 2022 – said she was cowering in her bathroom as missiles exploded nearby.

‘My phone is exploding with new missile alerts,’ she said.

‘I can see reports about five mighty explosions in Kharkiv pinging one after another.

‘My mind is numb with fear for my daughter and everyone in the city.

‘I am trying to stay calm; then another missile rushes right close to us, and I hear the whistle of death right close.

‘There are no words to describe what you feel then, just the whole body starts shaking.

‘This is the state I am in, messaging you with my shaky fingers, not knowing if this might be my last message.’

Missiles also hit Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk and other regions in one of the worst onslaughts of the war.

In Mykolaiv, reports said the Ocean plant, where kamikaze sea drones were reportedly made, was targeted along with a warehouse with ammunition.

Reports said Russia deployed 11 TU-95MS aircraft strategic bombers.

They also used six TU-22M3 aircraft.

The strikes came after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday ordered the creation of a separate branch of Ukraine’s armed forces devoted to drones, weapons he and military officials say are crucial to fighting the war against Russia.

Zelensky signed a decree calling on the government and general staff of the armed forces to ‘work out issues on the creation within the Ukrainian armed forces of a separate force for drone systems’.

‘I have just signed a decree which will launch the creation of a separate branch within our armed forces – a drone systems force,’ Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

‘This is not a question for the future. Rather, it must provide concrete results in the very near future,’ he continued.

‘This year must be decisive in a great many aspects. And clearly on the battlefield. Drone systems have shown their effectiveness on land, in the skies and on the seas.’

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister for Digital Transformation, said the separate branch would provide ‘a powerful impetus’ to the military’s technological development.

In the past year, he said, drones had ‘fundamentally changed the situation on the battlefield. They are effective in stopping Russian attacks and back up counterattacks by Ukraine’s armed forces.’

According to Zelensky’s decree, the results of the study would be submitted to the policy-making National Security and Defence Council.

Zelensky has pointed to drones, and production domestically and with partner nations, as a key element in conducting the war against Russia since Moscow’s invasion two years ago this month.

In December, the president pledged that Ukraine would produce a million drones in 2024.

Government officials have said that Ukraine aims to produce tens of thousands of drones every month. 

No figures on current production are available, but since the start of the war, drone production has shot up, with dozens of companies developing and producing different models.

The commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, whose position is in question in view of differences with the president, said in a comment for CNN last week that drones were critical for the conduct of the war.

‘Crucially, it is these unmanned systems – such as drones – along with other types of advanced weapons, that provide the best way for Ukraine to avoid being drawn into a positional war, where we do not possess the advantage,’ Zaluzhnyi wrote.

The waves of strikes also followed confirmation that Vladimir Putin had given an interview to controversial former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in an evidently attempt by the Kremlin dictator to justify himself to Western audiences. 

Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazanskiy posted: ‘Putin decided to please Tucker Carlson, who came to visit him, and in the morning attacked peaceful neighbourhoods of Ukrainian cities with rockets….

‘Everything is the same with non-humans – they hit anywhere with their ‘highly precise’ weapons, just for cannibalistic pleasure.’

Carlson, in Moscow, explained his yet to be broadcast interview with Putin by saying: ‘After two years of war, many people do not know what is really happening.

‘And many Americans are paying for it. The war in Ukraine is a disaster.

‘Hundreds of thousands of people are dead, an entire generation of young Ukrainians. But the long-term effects are even greater.

‘World military and trade alliances have changed their face, the economic system and US dominance are falling apart.

‘These changes determine the lives of our grandchildren.

‘But people in English-speaking countries ignore this because their media lies.

‘From the first day of the war, American publications have published many interviews with Ukrainians, with Zelensky, who demands more and more bringing America into the conflict.’

Critics say he has been used by Putin to transmit Kremlin propaganda to the West.

Denmark's King Frederick

The newly ascended royal, 55, smiled this morning during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.

The pair appeared to enjoy each other's company as they chatted during an official welcome ceremony at the country's presidential palace.

Frederik wrapped up warm with a winter coat worn over a light puffer, combined with black leather gloves.

Photos of him from that day also showed him wearing a black suit and blue shirt, along with a purple tie.

It is the king's first trip abroad since his mother abdicated after 52 years on the throne.

His goals for the three-day visit are energy efficiency and climate-friendly agriculture.

Frederik will also lead a Danish business delegation with 38 participating companies in Poland.

After the welcome ceremony at the palace, he and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen took part in a conversation with President Duda, followed by an official lunch.

Next on the agenda is a wreath-laying ceremony at a grave in memory of unknown soldiers, erected after the First World War; visits to the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish government) and the Senate; and a roundtable discussion on energy efficiency.

The evening ends with a grand dinner in the Kubicki Arcades of the Royal Palace in Warsaw.

It comes as Fredrik unveiled his new signature last week – and it shares a key detail with that of King Charles.

The official Instagram account of the Danish royal family posted a photo of a 100th birthday card signed by the new king.

They captioned the post: 'In a small town in North Jutland, a 100-year-old birthday boy today is the first to receive a congratulations from His Majesty the King.'

The post went on to explain how Frederik has decided to continue this tradition of sending cards to the public celebrating their 100th, 105th and 110th birthdays.

Moreover, the King also reiterated how he will send his congratulations to couples celebrating their 60th, 65th, 70th and 75th wedding anniversary.

In addition, the Danish royal family posted a photo of the birthday card, which was printed on white paper and featured their code.

Under the printed congratulatory message, King Frederick made his first debut since becoming the official monarch.

Like King Charles, the monarch signed his name with an 'R' for 'Rex', which is Latin for king.

Although Queen Mary's new signature has not yet been revealed, she will likely also use 'R', just like Queen Camilla.

In September 2023, King Charles and Queen Camilla signed birthday cards for Britain's oldest living man and woman. John celebrated his 111th birthday this summer while Ethel turned 114.

Shortly after the Queen's death in September 2022, Buckingham Palace unveiled the new Royal Code – which features the initials of the King's name Charles and the King's title Rex, as well as the Roman numeral III.

Earlier this month, the Danish royal family shared an intimate and telling behind-the-scenes look at King Frederick's proclamation.

Queen Margrethe signed her historic abdication papers alongside her son and grandson Prince Christian, 18, present at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

The Queen's last words before leaving the Council of State were: 'God save the King.'

After this, the new king addressed the crowd that had gathered outside the royal palace from the balcony.

Harrowing behind-the-scenes footage on the Danish royal family's Instagram page shows the moment Frederik nervously approached the balcony to make his first public appearance since becoming king.

The father of four – wearing his military regalia – took a deep breath as he looked to an aide for permission to walk onto the balcony.

From the palace you can see Queen Mary, who was dressed for the occasion in an elegant white dress by Soeren Le Schmidt, clinging to her daughter Princess Josephine.

The 13-year-old looked suitably smart in a black jacket with gold buttons and her hair half up, half down and secured with a bow.

As Prince Christian stood behind his mother and siblings, 16-year-old Princess Isabella – who wore a red coat – lovingly placed her hands on the shoulders of her younger brother, Prince Vincent.

The footage then jumps to Queen Mary walking out to the balcony to wave to the crowd of royal fans with her husband.

The couple appeared overcome with emotion as they shared a loving look before being joined by their four children.

From the palace, King Frederick's younger brother Prince Joachim – whose four children were stripped of their royal titles in January 2023 – thoughtfully took in the scene unfolding on the balcony.

The royal, 54, attended the ceremony without the support of his wife Princess Marie and their two children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena of Monpezat, 11.

After Queen Margrethe stripped her grandchildren of their royal titles, Joachim and his second wife moved with their children to Washington DC – where the royal family works as a defense industry attaché at the Danish embassy.

Prince Christian of Denmark is acting as head of state while his father, King Frederick X, is out of the country.

Frederik, 55, is currently in Poland on his first trip abroad as king, leaving his eldest son as head of government in his absence.

The 18-year-old will take on the role until his father returns to Denmark on Friday with possible duties including signing laws, public appearances and appointing or dismissing ministers.

As the king's eldest son, Christian is 'deputy regent' and the role of head of state falls to him in relation to Frederick's wife, Queen Mary.

If he is unable to fulfill his duties, the task will fall to Maria, then Prince Joachim and Princess Benedkeek.

Historian and royal expert Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen from the University of Copenhagen told the Danish publication BT the palace is run 'completely by the book'.

“After all, there is a hierarchy and an order of precedence in the Royal House and that is respected,” he said.

Christian rose through the ranks when Queen Margrethe abdicated the throne on January 14, leaving Frederick as her successor.

The three-day role is the first independent task the prince has taken on since the change of monarch.

Olden-Jørgensen said that if Christian has to sign a law while Frederik is away, he is not expected to doubt it.

“In principle and on paper he can refuse to sign a law, but that has not been an option at all for over a hundred years,” he explained.

“We have a constitution and some laws, but we also have a political culture, and it is just as steadfast and says, among other things, that the regent signs what parliament has passed.”

The prince broke royal protocol when he turned 18 in October 2023 by not accepting his royal allowance and taking up a full-time job until he is 21, to focus on his education instead.

But the study break didn't last long.

The young heir's title changed to Crown Prince Christian of Denmark and it was reported that he now receives government funding.

“It is absolutely certain that he will get his own appanage when the law is presented, because with duties and tasks also comes a reward,” Olden-Jørgensen said.

'Then the question is how big it will be and how it will all be more closely organised.'

Before Frederick's proclamation, BT's head of entertainment, Fie West Madsen, predicted that Christian would receive a very general royal allowance with his added responsibilities.

West Madsen estimated that he would receive about 9 million Danish krone, which is just under 2 million Australian dollars, to cover his expenses.

“He will have a very different role than otherwise planned, and we should also expect that appanage will follow, but how much or how little he has to take on depends entirely on what the Crown Prince couple wants,” she said.

Christian also became a member of the State Council when he turned 18, a role that Olden-Jørgensen 'cemented' when Frederick became king.

'It is customary for the heir apparent to sit on the council, so it is usually just a formality. It is much more important that he was pushed to the front as a public figure on his 18th birthday,” he told BT before the abdication.

'Now that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are at the wheel, it is up to them how many tasks they want to give him. We have to wait and see, but it will certainly be a lot.'

Taking a selfie at the Auschwitz memorial is known to cause a nuisance, but the museum's social media manager says he does not consider it inappropriate.

Pawel Sawicki, 42, from Poland, has spent the past sixteen years working in Nazi Germany's largest concentration and extermination camps.

He has seen a handful of disrespectful people smoking and throwing their butts on the ground or posing on the train tracks that transported Jews to the death camps.

However, in conversation with ShamePawel put forward an alternative narrative, claiming that it is not necessarily disrespectful to take a selfie in the museum.

“Selfies are a visual expression of our times,” he said.

Pawel explained that there are conditions that make a selfie acceptable, such as a sensitive caption.

'Selfies are a visual expression of our times. I think it's very normal that people want to document the places they visit in this way,” he explains.

The social media manager, who holds various positions at the museum, added that he often uses photos of Auschwitz from social media for lectures.

However, he draws the line at individuals “fooling around” and “making funny faces” for the camera, and will inform tourists when they cross that line.

'There are also visitors who take professional photos with expensive cameras and then write an inappropriate caption. When I see those messages, I report them. There are more than 500,000 photos on Instagram under the hashtag,” he added.

Despite the inconsiderate tourists, Pawel stated that most visitors are respectful and interact with the museum in an appropriate manner.

On the social media accounts that the site does have, Pawel monitors all online comments.

Across all platforms, the center receives roughly 5,000 new comments per day, and Pawel reads them all.

Only a small number leave negative comments, and he typically blocks between five and 20 accounts a day, some of which are bots.

Founded shortly after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Auschwitz became the largest killing machine in history.

By the time of the liberation in 1945, more than 1.3 million people had died in the gas chambers, through executions and torture.

It comes after dozens of tasteless photos of tourists posing at Auschwitz appeared online in April last year after the memorial museum urged visitors to show respect at the death camp site.

The debate started after a photo of a woman at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum went viral on Twitter.

The woman's social media post sparked outrage as she was seen sitting on the railway tracks where the Nazis transported 1.1 million Jews, including a million, to their deaths.

The Auschwitz Memorial Museum has since called on so-called 'Holocaust tourists' to 'respect' the site.

But despite the museum's calls for restraint, dozens of other photos have been unearthed on social media of tourists posing crudely at the death camp.

In one case, a glamor model claiming to have the biggest breasts in Spain posed under the 'work sets you free' sign at the entrance to the death camp.

Elsewhere, tourists have posed tastelessly on the tracks that have transported more than a million people to their deaths.