Six In The Morning Thursday 7 April 2022

 

'My nerves collapsed': Ukrainian girl vlogs horror of Mariupol under siege – video diary

Elena Morresi, Source: Alena Zagreba

Thu 7 Apr 2022 11.40 BST

When the Russian invasion reached Mariupol in Ukraine at the end of February, Alena Zagreba, 15, went from filming vlogs with her friends to chronicling the destruction of her home city.

While most people hid in bunkers and cellars, Alena and her parents stayed above ground, and her videos are a rare insight into the intense attacks by Russian forces.

Alena melted snow for water while her parents cooked on makeshift fire pits outside. The family survived by moving from house to house as shelling made their home and other shelters uninhabitable. Alena said at one point in the diary that her nerves had been 'destroyed' by the constant bombardment.

Putin’s lapdog wears Prada: Chechen leader Kadyrov poses on TikTok while his men kill civilians in Ukraine

Beyond the brutality and bloodshed associated with Chechnya’s militia, Ramzan Kadyrov is using Russia’s war and posturing on social media to boost his standing with Vladimir Putin, reports Borzou Daragahi

The rugged reputation comes from his ancestors’ centuries of fierce fighting against waves of invaders and occupiers, delivering blow after blow to those who sought to conquer their mountainous homeland.

But Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s combat boots come from Prada’s 2019 collection, priced at about $1,580 (£1,210) retail. His grotesque sensibilities, including an inclination to harm animals and dispatch his henchmen to abduct and kill gay people, dissidents and journalists rather than fight for his homeland.

Kadyrov’s role in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has put him in the spotlight that he craves, albeit less for his fashion choices than accusations of grave war crimes and human rights violations in the suburbs of Kyiv and the besieged port city of Mariupol.

Civil society under pressure worldwide, says new report

The latest "Civil Society Atlas" shows a disturbing trend: All over the globe, rights and freedoms are being curtailed – with particular setbacks also in Europe.

Engagement in civil society can take many forms: environmental activism, fighting for gender equality, Indigenous groups joining forces. People unite for better working conditions, want to live their sexuality freely, defend themselves against various forms of oppression and much more.

Sometimes these initiatives are welcomed by governments – such as when citizens help the state to take care of refugees, as millions of Germans are doing to help those who have fled Ukraine. But many others are not. 

Shanghai to allow parents to stay with Covid-infected kids amid public uproar

Following a public uproar, Shanghai will allow parents to stay with children infected with COVID-19 as China’s largest city sees another jump in cases. A top city health commission inspector on Wednesday said parents who “fully comprehend the health risks” and sign an agreement will be permitted to accompany their children in monitoring facilities.

Turkey suspends Khashoggi trial, transfers it to Saudi Arabia

Khashoggi’s fiancee Hatice Cengiz said she would appeal the decision that comes despite warnings from human rights groups.

A Turkish court has ruled to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

The 59-year-old journalist was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.

Last week, the prosecutor had called for the trial in absentia to be transferred to Saudi authorities.

Turkey’s justice minister later said the government would approve the request.

The quest for égalité: What's at stake for women in the French election

Analysis by Megan Clement, for CNN

At his final campaign event before the first round of the 2022 French presidential election, Emmanuel Macron told a packed stadium that gender equality would be the "grand cause" of his second term if he won. It was also the grand cause of his first.

Gender equality has otherwise featured little in a campaign dominated by the war in Ukraine and the cost of living, but feminist organizations and academics are nonetheless working to highlight the major challenges women in the country face over the next five years, including femicide, gendered Islamophobia, pay inequality and precarious employment.

In his five years in office, Macron's government has racked up a number of policies that have made life easier for women, from making contraception free for under-25s to extending abortion term limits, boosting paternity leave and opening up fertility treatment to lesbian couples and single women for the first time. But French feminist organizations say gender equality causes still require serious structural change and major financing.