Europe swelters as heatwave spreads
Soaring temperatures have gripped parts of Europe, which has barely recovered from its last heatwave.
Droughts and forest fires have hit Spain and Portugal and the scorching heat has spread to France and the UK.
Temperatures are set to peak on Thursday in France and Spain and authorities have cancelled traditional fireworks displays on France's national day to reduce the risk of fires.
Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting because of climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began.
This is the picture as seen by our BBC colleagues sweltering on the continent.
- Source: BBC
Jamaica 4 – 0 Haiti: Reggae Girlz qualify for back-to-back World Cups
MONTERREY, Mexico – Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz qualified for their second consecutive senior FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 4-0 win over Haiti at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship at the Estadio BBVA.
It follows their historic first-time qualification in 2019.
The USA won the group with maximum nine points following their 1-0 win over Mexico who ended pointless. Jamaica finished second on six points ahead of Haiti on three points.
Jamaica’s all-time top scorer Khadija Shaw notched a double in the 58th and 69th minutes for her 53rd and 54th goals for her country.
Trudy Carter had opened the floodgates in the 26th before Drew Spencer put the icing on the cake in the 79th minute.
Jamaica punched their ticket to the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup that was first played in 1991 and skipper Shaw was elated.
“It’s amazing. That’s all I can say, amazing,” Shaw.
“We came out here and we know it was gonna be hard but we stick together and at the end of the day we got the job done,” she added.
The Reggae Girlz became the 15th team to qualify joining Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Phillipines, Vietnam, Sweden, Spain, France, Denmark, United States of America, Canada and Costa Rica.
“We always believed in it as much as how there was a lot of doubt and haters but we stayed positive because we believed in ourselves and we believed in the group and we know once we come together and work for each other and put in the effort anything is possible,” said Shaw.
The 2023 tournament will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand – the first time this is happening with the number of teams expanding from 24 to 32.
The fairly newly-built Estadio BBVA venue has a 52,000 capacity but with approximately 200 persons including staff and officials in attendance, the Reggae Girlz went about their business and got the job done in front of a handful of loudmouth Jamaicans.
Jamaica brought in Satara Murray at the heart of the defense for her tournament debut to partner Chantelle Swaby. Allyson Swaby was pushed to right-back while Tiernny Wiltshire, regular right-back, switched to left-back.
Drew Spence made a return to the starting team in the middle of the park alongside Havana Solaun and Atlanta Primus. Skipper Khadija Shaw was flanked by the speedy and skillful duo of Jody Brown and Trudy Carter upfront.
But after just four minutes, Jamaica were in a spot of bother as Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay raced down the right flank and her cutback was missed by Batcheba Louis from close range.
The Reggae Girlz responded as Shaw collected a ball on her chest, turned and kicked, but goalkeeper Nahomie Ambroise turned away for a corner.
But from the resulting corner kick, Haiti countered and almost found the breakthrough as Dumornay, despite the attention of two players, got off a shot that hit the inside of Rebecca Spencer’s left upright.
Shaw, who was having a more impactful game than the last one, found herself with space from a Trudy Carter freekick but fired tamely at goal in the 23rd minute.
But three minutes later, the Reggae Girlz struck following a beautifully orchestrated team goal ending with Shaw turning her marker and feeding Carter who made no mistake in the 26th minute, firing across the goalkeeper.
The half ended with Jamaica in front by a goal and 45 minutes away from another World Cup appearance. They strolled through the tunnel with heads high and were greeted by their teammates.
The resumption of the second half didn’t start too well for the Jamaicans as a slip by Satara Murray in the 53rd minute allowed Roselord Borgella through on goal but she somehow kicked wide with only goalkeeper Spencer to beat.
But things got better for Jamaica as Shaw found space to rifle home in the 58th minute giving Jamaica that cushion they deserved.
Haiti came really close in the 63rd minute as Dumornay’s powerful shot from just outside the box had goal written all over it before goalkeeper Spencer, somehow, got a hand to it and parried it onto the upright.
Four minutes later, Spencer again came to Jamaica’s rescue with a double save. Firstly, turning away Batcheba Louis’ low effort and saving well from a close-range header.
But all Jamaican nerves were calmed when Carter’s goalbound shot was handled and American referee Ekaterina Koroleva pointed to the spot for a penalty.
Skipper Shaw stepped up and buried the penalty kick in the 69th minute for her second goal of the match and her 54th overall.
But the Reggae Girlz were not done and Drew Spencer powered home a looping header in the 79th minute for her first goal for Jamaica and put the icing on the cake.
Teams
Jamaica: 13-Rebecca Spencer, 02-Satara Murray, 04-Chantelle Swaby, 06-Havana Solaun (03-Vyan Sampson 63rd), 09-Drew Spence (21-Olufolasade Adamoluken 86th), 10-Jody Brown, 11-Khadija Shaw, 17-Allyson Swaby, 18-Trudi Carter (22-Mireya Grey 83rd), 19-Tiernny Wiltshire, 20-Atlanta Primus (07-Chinyelu Asher 83rd).
Subs not used: 01-Sydney Schneider, 23-Yazmeen Jamieson, 05-Jade Bailey, 08-Kayla McCoy, 12-Jayada Pelaia, 15-Kalyssa Vanzanten, 16-Paige Bailey-Gayle.
Booked:
Coach: Lorne Donaldson
Haiti: 12-Nahomie Ambroise, 02-Chelsea Surpris, 03-Jennyfer Limage, 06-Melchie Dumornay, 07-Batcheba Louis, 09-Sherly Jeudy (05-Maudeline Moryl 81st), 10-Nerilia Monddesir (16-Milan Pierre 81st), 14-Claire Constant, 20-Kethna Louis, 21-Ruthny Mathurin, 22-Roselord Borgella.
Subs not used: 01-Madelina Fleuriot, 23-Lara Larco, 04-Tabita Joseph, 08-Meghane St-cyr, 11-Valentina Ornis, 13-Betina Petit Frere, 15-Florsie Joseph, 17-Mikerline Saintfelix, 18-Estericove Joseph, 19-Dayana Pierre.
Booked: Ruthny Mathurin 44th, Kethna Louis 76th.
Coach: Nicolas Delphine
Twitter sues Elon Musk over $44bn takeover deal
Twitter has taken billionaire Elon Musk to court to try to force him to buy the social media firm, setting up a legal battle with the world's richest man.
It comes after Mr Musk announced he was walking away from his proposed $44bn (£37bn) takeover of Twitter on Friday.
He claimed Twitter had not given information about the number of fake and spam accounts on the platform.
Now Twitter has asked a Delaware court to order Mr Musk to complete the merger at the agreed $54.20 per Twitter share.
"Having mounted a public spectacle to put Twitter in play, and having proposed and then signed a seller-friendly merger agreement, [Mr] Musk apparently believes that he - unlike every other party subject to Delaware contract law - is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk away," said the lawsuit.
The lawsuit went on to accuse Mr Musk of "a long list" of violations of the merger agreement that "have cast a pall over Twitter and its business".
Twitter chairman Bret Taylor tweeted that the microblogging site wanted "to hold Elon Musk accountable to his contractual obligations".
Mr Musk tweeted on Tuesday: "Oh the irony lol [laughing out loud]."
The lawsuit said Mr Musk had backed out of the deal because it "no longer serves his personal interests".
Mr Musk is the chief executive of electric car company Tesla.
The lawsuit said that after Mr Musk agreed to the deal, the stock market fell, along with Tesla shares.
"The value of Mr Musk's stake in Tesla, the anchor of his personal wealth, has declined by more than $100bn from its November 2021 peak. So [Mr] Musk wants out," it said.
"Rather than bear the cost of the market downturn, as the merger agreement requires, [Mr] Musk wants to shift it to Twitter's stockholders," it added.
Twitter's share price has fallen more than 8% in the past month, and in May tumbled from highs of more than $50 per share, as Mr Musk questioned the number of fake and spam accounts on Twitter and said the deal was "temporarily on hold".
On Friday, Mr Musk said he was pulling out of the deal, claiming a lack of information about spam accounts and inaccurate representations amounted to a "material adverse event".
He also said Twitter sacking executives meant it was not living up to its obligations.
In response, Twitter said it planned to pursue legal action to enforce the agreement, saying it was "committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr Musk".
The original merger agreement includes a $1bn break-up fee.
Mr Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist", had pledged to loosen Twitter's content moderation rules once the company was under his ownership.
He has been a vocal critic of Twitter banning some accounts, such as that of former US President Donald Trump.
Mr Musk has also called for more transparency over how the platform presents tweets to users - a system that currently allows some to be promoted and given wider audiences.
Twitter shares rose by more than 4% in New York on Tuesday and added 1% in after-hours trade. However the shares are still around $20 lower than Mr Musk's offer price of $54.20.
- Source: BBC
Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees the country on military jet
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled the country on a military jet, amid mass protests over its economic crisis.
The country's air force confirmed the 73-year-old flew to the Maldives with his wife and two security officials.
They arrived in the capital, Male, at around 03:00 local time (22:00 GMT), BBC Sinhala understands.
Mr Rajapaksa's departure ends a family dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for decades.
He had been in hiding after crowds stormed his residence on Saturday.
The president had earlier pledged to resign on Wednesday 13 July. On Wednesday morning officials told Reuters news agency that he had yet to submit his letter of resignation to the parliamentary speaker.
His brother, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, has also left the country, sources have told the BBC. He is said to be heading to the US.
As Sri Lankans awoke to news of the president's departure, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Colombo. Many gathered at Galle Face Green, the city's main protest site. Some listened to fiery speeches at a makeshift stage set up for ordinary people to take the mic.
Punctuated by cries of "Victory to the struggle" in Sinhalese, the rallying cry of the protest movement, speakers railed against a government and the leaders they feel have failed them.
Sri Lankans blame President Rajapaksa's administration for their worst economic crisis in decades.
For months they have been struggling with daily power cuts and shortages of basics like fuel, food and medicines.
The leader, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is president, is believed to have wanted to flee abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new administration.
- Source: BBC
Invest Turks and Caicos hosted Investment Policy Stakeholder Engagement Forum
As part of its strategic planning for 2022, on 24 February Invest Turks and Caicos Agency (Invest TCI) hosted a stakeholder engagement forum to review the 2018 Investment Policy to encourage dialogue that will facilitate the realignment of investment priorities for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The agency says that the end goal is to ensure that the Investment Policy Statement clearly communicates the country’s investment goals and the strategies that will serve as guideposts for managing its portfolio of investment projects.
Invest TCI was joined by government departments, industry leaders, and business sectors, at the Blue Haven Resort. The forum kicked off at 10am with opening remarks from Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, The Honourable Charles Washington Misick, who thanked the attendees for their participation and Invest TCI for their efforts.
In his remarks, Premier Misick stated that it is very important that the Turks and Caicos Islands government make it exceptionally clear what they want the future of the investment climate in the islands to be.
The Premier noted that his government is favourable to green lighting investments that benefit the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. He stressed that growth needs to not only be organic but intentional and inclusive to the advantage of Turks and Caicos Islanders.
In his remark, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment, and Trade, Honourable E. Jay Saunders, discussed the government's vision for investment in the TCI. Honourable Saunders began his remarks by firstly stating that the most important aspect is that investment benefits Turks and Caicos Islanders; otherwise, it makes no sense.
Saunders noted that the government envisions investment to go beyond brick-and-mortar development. He stated that there is a focus on a wide range of sectors such as medical and sports tourism, eco-tourism, financial and secretarial services, international law and accounting firms, and fintech services, amongst other areas. He expressed that MSMEs are vital, and the government looks favourable upon companies that want to assist small businesses by providing venture capital and training for Turks Islanders.
Following the remarks, participants were divided into teams of 6-8. The groups were allocated a specific time frame to have an open discussion on various questions regarding Invest TCI’s investment services, process improvement, investment target, and investment incentives.
The teams then presented their responses to the entire plenary. At the end of the day, a series of practical solutions were generated for consideration to update the Investment Policy.
Acting CEO for Invest TCI, Angela Musgrove, noted that their review of the policy seeks to ensure that the investment policy statement encourages the right investor and investment.
Acting CEO of the Invest TCI Agency, Angela Musgrove.
Applied Behavioural Analysis Training Completed
Parents of children with autism and related disabilities (including ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome), took part in and complete an intense training workshop, which was held from 28 February to the 3rd of March. Participants were exposed to the first five modules of a 15-module course in Applied Behavioural Analysis, also known as ABA.
The workshop was hosted by the Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The department says that the goal of the training was to empower parents of children with special needs and equip them with skills to become effective interventionists in their homes.
Dr. Theo Gossou, a former special education teacher and a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst, and Ms. Sheryl Patterson, a master-level special education teacher and a Board-Certified Inclusive Education Specialist, facilitated the training.
According to the department, parents who attended the training spoke about how thrilled they were to have benefited from the initiative and how comforting it felt to be in a room with other parents who could empathise with their unique challenges.
Director of the Department of Mental Health, Dr. Alicia Malcolm says that the training was very much needed.
The training is set to continue in April 2022 as participants complete the remaining modules in the ABA course. Additionally, the department says that parents of children with special needs can also look forward to ongoing psychosocial support and peer group support.
For more information about this training, initiative contact the Department of Mental Health & Substance Dependence on 649-338-3613 or email mmsimmons@gov.tc
Ministry Hosts UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
The Ministry of Tourism and Environment says it will be hosting representatives from the UK's Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) from 2nd - 11th March. The main purpose of the visit is to meet with local stakeholders to discuss the Darwin Plus: Environment funding for the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs).
Tourism and Environment Minister, Honourable Josephine Connolly, noted the importance of the Darwin Plus programme.
While in the TCI, DEFRA representatives will engage with the ministry to determine how well the Darwin Fund is fulfilling its purpose and whether it is required to make necessary adjustments to the programme to better serve overseas territories and the UK.
DEFRA is the UK agency responsible for funding and ultimately deciding what is funded through the Darwin Plus programme. The ministry says that it has funded applied conservation work on the Caicos pine; the Turks and Caicos rock iguanas; wetlands and coral reefs; other species and habitats; and has developed capacity in management tools such as marine spatial planning, natural capital accounting, and fisheries science, in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The visit will include meetings with various government departments, including the Department of Environment and Coastal Resource (DECR), the Energy and Utilities Commission, the Department of Planning, and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR).
A trip to South Caicos will include a visit to sites of historical and ecological importance as well as to the local fishing community. The team will also travel to North and Middle Caicos for a tour featuring visits to sites where conservation work has been supported by Darwin Plus and previous DEFRA funding initiatives.
The ministry says that most importantly, this visit will bring together both conservation management staff and on-the-ground conservation team members in DECR with the UK Department responsible for managing the funding, to assess the efficacy of funding and how best to address environmental challenges and how the funds are accessed.
Darwin Plus is also known as the Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund and provides funding for a total of fourteen (14) UKOTs' environmental projects, as well as fellowships for nationals of UKOT’s to bolster technical and scientific expertise and broaden knowledge and experience of environmental projects.
Minister of Health and Human Services visits Salt Cay
The Minister of Health and Human Services, Honourable Jamell Robinson, on Friday visited the island of Salt Cay. The ministry says that during his official visit, Honourable Robinson’s first stop was the Primary Health Care Clinic where he met with his health team, followed by a sit-down with District Commissioner, Mrs. Almaida Wilson.
RTC News spoke with Minister Robinson, who said that the visit was a continuation of his planned series of visits to show support for healthcare workers across the country.
The Health Minister had an opportunity to walk on the temporarily constructed bridge before engaging in a full driving tour of the island with DC Wilson. Later in the day, Honourable Robinson noted his pleasure with works being done under the government’s COVID Works programme to enhance the beauty of the environment.
The government has said that this programme ensures that able-bodied individuals on the tiny island are gainfullyemployed and that there are economic opportunities for the people.
Minister Robinson promised to address any outstanding matters under his portfolio responsibility including upgrades to the clinic, completion of the Environmental Health Department building, and the fencing of the landfill site.
We asked the minister how soon residents could expect their outstanding concerns to be addressed.
Honourable Robinson noted that his stay on the island was much too short and promised Salt Cay residents that he would be back.
Virtual Civil Servants Meetings
On Friday March 4, 2022, the Office of the Deputy Governor announced that it would be hosting a virtual meeting for civil servants on Monday 7th March from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
The Deputy Governor’s Office says that the meeting is being held to update Civil Servants on the progress and implementation of the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Sector Employee Pension Plan.
Her Excellency, Deputy Governor Anya Williams, spoke with RTC News earlier today about what civil servants can expect from the meeting.
As the Deputy Governor mentioned, last year, the government held an in-person meeting with civil servants around the country to introduce them to the details of the plan and answer any questions they had.
Civil Service Association President, Demarco Williams, has encouraged all civil servants to log on for this very important meeting.
Fighting reaches the outskirts of Kyiv
- Putin urges Ukraine military to overthrow leaders
- Zelenskiy takes to the streets to rally citizens
- Artillery rounds and gunfire heard in Kyiv on Friday evening
- EU and Britain to freeze assets of Putin and Lavrov
KYIV, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The Russian and Ukrainian governments on Friday signalled an openness to negotiations even as authorities in Kyiv urged citizens to help defend the capital from advancing Russian forces in the worst European security crisis in decades.
Ukraine and Russia will consult in coming hours on a time and place for talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's spokesman Sergii Nykyforov said on social media, offering the first glimmer of hope for diplomacy since the invasion began.
The Kremlin said earlier it offered to meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk after Ukraine expressed a willingness to discuss declaring itself a neutral country, but that Ukraine had proposed Warsaw as the venue. That, according to Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov, resulted in a "pause" in contacts
.
"Ukraine was and remains ready to talk about a ceasefire and peace," Nykyforov said in a post on Facebook. "We agreed to the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation."
But U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Russia's offer was an attempt to conduct diplomacy "at the barrel of a gun", and that President Vladimir Putin's military must stop bombing Ukraine if it was serious about negotiations.
The diplomatic overtures stood in stark contrast to events unfolding on the ground and Putin's harsh rhetoric against Ukrainian leaders, including a call for a coup by the country's military.
Kyiv residents were told by the defence ministry to make petrol bombs to repel the invaders, and on Friday evening witnesses reported hearing artillery rounds and intense gunfire from the western part of the city. The sound of frequent artillery fire, apparently some distance from the city center, continued in the early hours of Saturday.
Zelenskiy filmed himself with aides on the streets of the capital, vowing to defend Ukraine's independence.
"Tonight, they will launch an assault. All of us must understand what awaits us. We must withstand this night," he said in a video address posted to his Telegram channel. "The fate of Ukraine is being decided right now."
Some families cowered in shelters after Kyiv was pounded on Thursday night by Russian missiles. Others tried desperately to get on packed trains headed west, some of the hundreds of thousands who have left their homes to find safety, according to the United Nations' aid chief.
After weeks of warnings from Western leaders, Putin unleashed a three-pronged invasion of Ukraine from the north, east and south on Thursday, in an attack that threatened to upend Europe's post-Cold War order.
"I once again appeal to the military personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine: do not allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to use your children, wives and elders as human shields," Putin said at a televised meeting with Russia's Security Council on Friday. "Take power into your own hands."
Putin has cited the need to "denazify" Ukraine's leadership as one of his main reasons for invasion, accusing it of genocide against Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies dismiss the accusations as baseless propaganda.
The United States imposed sanctions on Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The European Union and Britain earlier froze any assets Putin and Lavrov held in their territory. Canada took similar steps.
However, the steady ramping-up of economic restrictions has not deterred Putin.
Moscow said on Friday it had captured the Hostomel airfield northwest of the capital - a potential staging post for an assault on Kyiv that has been fought over since Russian paratroopers landed there in the first hours of the war. This could not be confirmed and Ukrainian authorities reported heavy fighting there.
Early on Saturday, Ukraine's air force command reported heavy fighting near the air base at Vasylkiv southwest of Kyiv, which it said was under attack from Russian paratroopers. It also said one of its fighters had shot down a Russian transport plane. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.
The mayor of Kyiv and its 3 million people, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, said on Friday Russian saboteurs had already entered the city. "The enemy wants to put the capital on its knees and destroy us," he said.
'GLORY TO OUR DEFENDERS'
In New York, Russia vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow's invasion, while China abstained, a move Western countries viewed as proof of Russia's isolation. The United Arab Emirates and India also abstained while the remaining 11 members voted in favor.
read more
Amid the chaos of war, a picture of what was happening on the ground across Ukraine - the second largest country in Europe after Russia itself - was slow to emerge.
Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter that there had been heavy fighting with deaths at the entrance to the eastern cities of Chernihiv and Melitopol, as well as at Hostomel.
"Glory to our defenders, both male and female, glory to Ukraine," he said, flanked by the prime minister and advisors in a video posted to confirm he was in the capital.
Witnesses said they had heard explosions and gunfire near the airport in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, close to Russia's border. Ukraine's military said Russian troops had been stopped with heavy losses near the northeastern city of Konotop.
Britain's defence ministry said Russian armoured forces had opened a new route of advance towards the capital after failing to take Chernihiv.
Ukraine said more than 1,000 Russian soldiers had been killed so far. Russia did not release casualty figures.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart and condemned reported civilian deaths, including those of Ukrainian children, in attacks around Kyiv, the State Department said.
read more
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said hundreds of thousands of people were on the move in Ukraine.
The White House asked Congress for $6.4 billion in security and humanitarian aid for the crisis, officials said.
read more
Ukraine has banned men of fighting age from leaving, and at borders with Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, those seen crossing by Reuters journalists were mostly women and children.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the coordinated decision to sanction Putin - something U.S. President Joe Biden had avoided until now - was intended to send a clear message of allied unity.
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Russia's foreign ministry said the new sanctions reflected the West's "absolute impotence," the RIA news agency reported.
Western countries have announced a barrage of sanctions on Russia, including blacklisting its banks and banning technology exports. But they have so far stopped short of forcing it out of the SWIFT system for international bank payments.
On Friday, European soccer's governing body moved May's Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris, and Formula One cancelled this year's Russian Grand Prix. The European Broadcasting Union shut Russia out of the widely watched Eurovision Song Contest for 2022.
read more
'BURN IN HELL'
U.S. officials believe Russia's initial aim is to "decapitate" Zelenskiy's government.
Putin says Ukraine, a democratic nation of 44 million people, is an illegitimate state carved out of Russia, a view Ukrainians see as aimed at erasing their more than thousand-year history.
He says he does not plan a military occupation, only to disarm Ukraine and remove its leaders, but it is not clear how a pro-Russian leader could be installed unless Russian troops control much of the country.
Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence at the fall of the Soviet Union and Kyiv hopes to join NATO and the EU - aspirations that infuriate Moscow.
As air raid sirens wailed over Kyiv for a second day, some residents sheltered in underground metro stations.
Windows were blasted out of a 10-storey apartment block near the main airport. "How can we be living through this in our time? Putin should burn in hell along with his whole family," said Oxana Gulenko, sweeping broken glass from her room.
Hundreds crowded into a cramped shelter beneath one building after a televised warning of air strikes.
"How can you wage a war against peaceful people?" said Viktoria, 35, as her children aged 5 and 7 slept in their winter coats.