Monday briefing
So far, 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, Zelenskiy said
About 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s massive invasion began two years ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. It is the first time that he has announced a concrete figure for Ukraine’s toll.
Zelensky declined to reveal the number of wounded or missing soldiers, saying that information would allow Russia to estimate the size of Ukraine’s active armed forces. His count could not be independently verified.
Last summer, U.S. officials estimated much higher losses, saying nearly 70,000 Ukrainians had been killed and 100,000 to 120,000 injured. Russian military losses were about twice as high, officials said.
Zelensky’s recognition comes at a time when Ukraine is facing a shortage of soldiers and ammunition. A week ago, Moscow captured the city of Avdiivka.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would enter Rafah whether there is a ceasefire or not
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would enter the city of Rafah regardless of the outcome of talks to break the fighting. A ceasefire would delay any move into the city, he added.
Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, has become a refuge for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the war. The military push toward Rafah has prompted warnings from the US, Israel’s closest ally, over the potential for massive civilian casualties.
Netanyahu’s comments came as an Israeli delegation prepared to leave for Qatar for talks on a temporary ceasefire with Hamas and the release of some hostages held in Gaza.
Opposition parties are all banned – belonging to one is a crime – and the four approved parties participating in the elections have struggled only to outdo each other in their show of unwavering loyalty to Lukashenko.
THE LAST NEWS
Europe News
An inflationary effect has rippled through the layers of English football, as a stake in major Premier League players like Manchester United is beyond the reach of all but those with wealth akin to that of a nation state. There are dozens of investors pouring huge amounts of money into teams in the semi-professional National League, and even in the vast, hyper-local amateur levels below.
The result is that England’s smaller football leagues have become a place where even the very rich can feel poor.
Lives lived: Alfred Grosser was a French political scientist and historian who played an important role in reconciling France and Germany after World War II. He died at the age of 99.
The power of an Oscar
For Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie Kyagulanyi, an Oscar-nominated film feels like a bulletproof vest.
That’s what she said about the film “Bobi Wine: The People’s President”, one of this year’s nominees for best documentary.
Wine is a leading opponent of President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. The film examines the 2021 presidential elections in Uganda. Wine, who is also a popular singer in the country, has been arrested several times and has been under house arrest.
The film shows Kyagulanyi’s determination to free her husband, as well as tender moments between the couple. “The more the world knows about our plight, the safer we will become,” Wine said in an email. “An Oscar win would mean life is secured.”
The Oscars will be presented on March 10 in Los Angeles.
– Lynsey Chutel, a briefing writer in Johannesburg.