Ukrainian company Robotic Complexes is developing CASEEVAK, an armored module that lets the Murakha unmanned ground vehicle carry wounded soldiers off the battlefield, the company told Militarnyi on 28 October. The casualty rides in a closed capsule with ventilation, heating, lighting, and a first-aid kit, and side and rear doors let medics load and reach the soldier from any side.

Drones that can fly long distances pose a threat to both wounded soldiers and the crews evacuating them, making transportation the main challenge, said Ukrainian military medic Daryna Boiko, The Independent reported. Developers are looking for new ways to counter this threat. The current Murakha model is being equipped with passive anti-drone protection elements, the developers say.

An armored capsule that keeps the wounded connected

After a wounded soldier is loaded onto an evacuation platform, it is important not only to transport them to a safe location but also to protect them and monitor their condition during transit.

The module is built around a closed armored capsule made of 3.5 mm-thick Armox 500T steel with an inner lining of HDPE 1000, the media outlet reports. Side and rear doors allow the wounded to be loaded from different directions and accessed during evacuation.

To enable the operator to monitor the person inside and maintain contact with them, the capsule is equipped with a camera with day and night channels and two-way audio communication. The system can be controlled via ELRS, LTE, Starlink, or fiber-optic communications. Militarnyi reports that even if the capsule is detached from the main platform, it retains two independent communication channels.

The developers are also working to integrate vital-signs monitoring systems intended to provide medical personnel with information about the wounded person’s condition during transport.

An electric platform and protection against FPV drones

The evacuation module requires a platform capable of carrying it as it moves through dangerous areas. The Murakha is equipped with two electric motors, delivering a combined torque of 1,600 N·m, and a 35 kWh battery. The system’s stated range is up to 80 km, according to the media outlet.

Another area of development is protection against drones. Measures intended to protect the system include net launchers and electronic warfare (EW) equipment. However, work on a protective cage against FPV drones is still ongoing, according to the report.

The company has already conducted ballistic tests of the armor steel at a distance of 50 meters, using ammunition of various calibers, Militarnyi reports.

The Murakha-Mini logistics platform

The same company previously developed the Murakha-Mini logistics platform. Ukrainian military personnel began using it on the front line to deliver equipment, provisions and other supplies, Militarnyi reported on 24 October 2025.

The UGV can carry up to 250 kg and travel up to 40 km on a single charge, the media outlet reported. During one combat mission, it transported 150 kg of cargo and towed a six-metre platform carrying another drone and provisions, covering 16 km in one direction, Militarnyi reported.

A Russian drone struck a train platform in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro region on Thursday, killing at least 14 civilians, according to Ukrainian officials, as Ukrainian forces fired more than 1,200 drones toward Russia. Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway company, said a jet-powered drone hit the platform as commuters waited to board a train. The […]

The Israeli military intensified its deadly attacks on Palestinians in different parts of the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours that preceded the announcement of the Knesset election results, which are expected by the morning of Friday, October 30.

Read more: Israel’s elections: all roads lead to genocide

At least six Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in Israeli strikes that targeted different areas of the war-torn enclave.

The fatalities include four government employees, who were killed in an Israeli strike on the Ministry of Economy in the Al-Mawasi area, west of the southern city of Rafah. Thirty others were wounded in the same offensive. 

The Gaza-based government media office condemned the assault in a statement published on Telegram, describing it as “a new crime and a horrific massacre that targeted a group of civilian public-sector employees.”

It added that “targeting government teams and civilian public employees is part of the organized crime that the Israeli occupation has practiced, and a malicious exposed attempt to push towards chaos and disorder by undermining the work of government crews and institutions, which seek to maintain the stability and safety of society.”

Meanwhile, two people were killed and several others were wounded when an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle near the entrance to the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the central Deir al-Balah Governorate.

The latest deaths take the toll of people killed by Israel in Gaza since the US-brokered ceasefire deal was reached in October 2025 to more than 1,574 people, with 5,867 others wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry also reported that at least 74,570 people have been killed since Israel started its genocidal aggression on the besieged strip in October 2023.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Russian forces have damaged 165 schools in Sumy Oblast and destroyed 21 beyond repair, according to the head of the regional administration. The administration’s answer is to move classrooms underground. Design documentation for 14 new underground schools has already been prepared, Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, said in an interview with Ukrinform published on 28 October 2026. In addition, 13 such schools are already operating in Sumy region, while nine more are under construction, the media outlet reported.

Sumy region is one of the areas regularly shelled by the Russian military, making it dangerous to hold classes in above-ground school buildings. Of the region’s 280 schools, 225 have shelters, mostly basic ones, while more than 70 have radiation-protective shelters, Hryhorov noted.

“The process is ongoing and is being scaled up as much as possible,” he said, adding that the region is bringing in partners.

Underground classrooms provide a safer learning environment in Sumy Oblast

The construction of new underground schools is primarily focused on the larger cities of Sumy Oblast, where most schoolchildren are concentrated, Hryhorov explained.

The learning process at such a school differs from the usual format. This was explained by Oleksandr Vaniushenko, the principal of one of the first underground schools in Sumy, Suspilne reported on 23 December 2025.

“We have the first shift—entirely younger children, and fifth- and sixth-graders also go out to the open locations. The second shift brings in just as many more children. The total number studying per day is 360–370,” Vaniushenko noted.

The shelter has backup power supplies, allowing children to continue their lessons during air raid alerts and power outages, according to the project, media reported.

Currently, 22 schools operate entirely in person, while 193 use a hybrid learning format, the head of the regional administration said. A total of 75,000 children are currently attending school in Sumy Oblast, he noted.

A Russian bomb hit a Sumy school during lessons in September

On 29 September, Russia struck a school in Sumy with a 250-kilogram aerial bomb while children in grades 1 to 4 were there, Serhii Kryvosheienko, head of the Sumy City Military Administration, reported. He said the Russians aimed the bomb at the school on purpose. About 40 students were in the school’s shelter when the bomb hit, a school employee told Suspilne.

"With no pity or compassion whatsoever, they strike at children? There is nothing human in the enemy! He is not fighting on the battlefield—he is destroying a nation," Kryvosheienko said.

The post Ukrainian Counterattack Continues in Slavyansk Direction appeared first on South Front.

A Jennifer Lawrence tendremos oportunidad de volver a verla en su saga más taquillera, la de Los juegos del hambre, junto a Josh Hutcherson y Woody Harrelson que regresan en la precuela Amanecer en la cosecha, con estreno previsto en cines para el 20 de noviembre. Aunque los tres regresan a Panem solo en unas intervenciones especiales.

El protagonismo de esta nueva entrega basada en los libros de Suzanne Collins recae en los jóvenes Mckenna Grace, como Maysilee Donner, tributo del Distrito 12 en el Segundo Vasallaje de los Veinticinco, y Joseph Rada interpretando al principal protagonista, el de Haymitch Abernathy a los 16 años, el personaje que encarnó Harrelson. Pero ante la inminencia del estreno de la película, Lawrence está también siendo entrevistada en varios medios.

Una de sus intervenciones ha sido en un reciente podcast de Call Her Daddy presentado por Alex Cooper en el que ha recordado la principal anécdota durante el rodaje con Bradley Cooper en El lado bueno de las cosas estrenada en 2012, precisamente el mismo año que la primera de Los juegos del hambre, y por la que obtuvo el Oscar a mejor actriz.

Tras rodar la escena del beso, y que vemos al final de la película, le hizo un comentario a su compañero de reparto, "Le dije: ¿No estás ya harto de tanto besar?", pero al menos en un primer momento parece que a Cooper no pareció sentarle demasiado bien la frase. "A él no le hizo gracia", recordó la actriz.

Para Lawrence, la sensación es que hubo unos instantes algo embarazosos entre los dos en esa escena en concreto que ha definido como una "gran sesión de besos". Y, tras el comentario de ella, "fue uno de esos momentos en los que dices: "¿Verdad?", y la otra persona responde: "Ah...", sin más, sin saber qué responder.

También confesó que antes de rodar la película estaba estaba "definitivamente nerviosa" cuando conoció a Cooper en el set de rodaje. Y es que entonces él ya era una estrella tras el taquillazo de Resacón en Las Vegas. La celebridad más importante con la que había trabajado hasta la fecha., pero no la única porque en el reparto estaba la veterana Jacki Weaver y nada menos que Robert De Niro.

La "hermandad" Jennifer Lawrence y Bradley Cooper

Dirigida por David O'Russell, El lado bueno de las cosas era una comedia dramática romántica sobre la particular atracción de dos singulares personajes en un momento delicado, él como un exprofesor que acaba de salir de un centro psiquiátrico tras agredir al amante de su mujer, y ella una chica del vecindario viuda y también muy herida emocionalmente.

De sus 8 nominaciones a los Oscar, incluida la de mejor película, se hizo con la de mejor actriz para Jennifer Lawrence, en una categoría que tenía rivales de gran altura como Jessica Chastain por La noche más oscura o a Naomi Watts por Lo imposible de J.A. Bayona. Y en taquilla fue todo un éxito recaudando 263 millones de dólares en cines.

En lo referente a la relación entre Lawrence y Cooper, pues no siguió nada mal. Juntos protagonizaron tres películas más, La gran estafa americana (2013) y Joy (2015) repitiendo a las órdenes de O'Russell, y Serena (2014) dirigida por Suzanne Bier. Y siempre resaltando en sus declaraciones que, a parte de buena química, las suyas son solo relaciones de "hermandad", basadas en la amistad y respeto profesional. Nada de romances ni tensiones sexuales no resueltas.

Zaporizhzhia experienced a record number of Russian FPV drone attacks on 29 October, injuring 14 people, including a 14-year-old boy, regional authorities said.

Russian forces used FPV drones and multiple-launch rocket systems to attack civilian infrastructure, targeting municipal transport and damaging residential buildings, warehouses, and cars, prosecutors said.

Zaporizhzhia reports record FPV drone attacks

Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration head Mykhailo Semikin said Zaporizhzhia had experienced a record number of FPV drone attacks on Thursday. After meeting with military officials, he said the authorities were aware of the situation and relevant services and Ukrainian defenders were responding.

He said Russian forces had “changed their tactics and modified their drones,” adding that Ukrainian military personnel were working on countermeasures to address the new threats.

Semikin urged residents to remain calm, heed air raid alerts, and exercise particular caution.

Russian forces launched a record number of FPV drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia on 29 October, repeatedly targeting civilian public transport.

Drones struck a municipal bus, a minibus, and a trolleybus. Four people were injured in the bus attack alone. Across the city, at least 14… pic.twitter.com/WfemZSh7yr

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 29, 2026

Russian drones target municipal transport

The attacks included strikes on a municipal bus, a minibus, and a trolleybus, according to Semikin.

In the morning, a Russian FPV drone struck a municipal bus, injuring four people.

In a separate attack, Russian forces struck 15 vehicles, a warehouse building, and a power line, sparking a fire and damaging a nearby apartment building. Two men, aged 41 and 66, were injured.

At around midday, another FPV drone hit a minibus in central Zaporizhzhia, injuring one person. 

Later, a Russian drone struck a municipal trolleybus, critically injuring a 56-year-old woman and lightly injuring two other women, aged 71 and 66.

Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia injured two men, aged 41 and 66.

The strikes set four cars and an open area on fire, damaged a warehouse, and damaged four cars and four buses.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service pic.twitter.com/oqRfYvMa7T

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) October 29, 2026

Zaporizhzhia’s proximity to the front line

Zaporizhzhia lies relatively close to the front line in southern Ukraine, leaving the city exposed to Russian attacks with weapons that can be used at shorter ranges, including FPV drones and multiple-launch rocket systems. 

The proximity allows Russian forces to threaten civilian infrastructure more easily without relying solely on long-range missiles or drones.

Prosecutors investigate suspected war crime

The Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor’s Office said it had opened a war crimes investigation. Investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine’s regional directorate are conducting the pretrial investigation.

The casualty count and damage reports were preliminary, and authorities said information was still being updated as the attacks continued.

Russian attacks kill civilians in several Ukrainian cities

Zaporizhzhia was not the only major city hit by Russian attacks on 29 October. In Dnipro, a Russian strike on the railway station killed at least 14 people. 

In Chernihiv, two teenage girls were killed and 23 people injured, including four children. In Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, three people were killed and 15 injured, including three children. 

The attacks damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in all three cities.

El intérprete británico Patrick Stewart, consagrado actor de teatro, además de estrella de cine y TV, ha fallecido en su casa de Los Ángeles Leer

As pequenas e médias empresas (PME) devem preparar-se desde já para futuras crises, reforçar a utilização de dados fiáveis na tomada de decisões e encarar o financiamento como um exercício de planeamento e não apenas de emergência, defenderam participantes na 4.ª edição do Fórum PME Magazine, que decorreu na quarta-feira, em Oeiras.

O encontro reuniu empresários, gestores e especialistas para debater temas como gestão do risco, inteligência artificial (IA), financiamento e internacionalização, numa edição que assinalou também o 10.º aniversário da PME Magazine.

Na sessão de abertura, o economista e ex-ministro da Economia Manuel Caldeira Cabral alertou para a crescente incerteza no comércio global, considerando que o fim da “era das regras” exige às empresas maior capacidade de adaptação.

“Não sei qual é a próxima crise. Eu penso que ninguém aqui sabe, mas vai aparecer”, afirmou, defendendo que as PME devem preparar planos alternativos para fornecedores, reforçar a cibersegurança e apostar numa resiliência financeira, operacional e humana.

Num painel dedicado à redução do risco empresarial, Pedro Rodrigues, cofundador e diretor executivo da Indie Energy, apontou a renegociação dos contratos de energia como uma medida imediata de redução de custos, enquanto Sandra Laranjeiro dos Santos, sócia fundadora da Cooperate Legal Services, aconselhou as empresas a reverem os seus contratos mais relevantes, sublinhando que a prevenção reduz encargos jurídicos futuros.

A inteligência artificial foi outro dos temas centrais do fórum. Segundo dados do Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE), recordados durante o debate, apenas 11,5% das empresas com 10 ou mais trabalhadores utilizavam IA em 2025.

Os participantes defenderam uma adoção gradual da tecnologia, assente em dados de qualidade e em equipas preparadas para utilizar as ferramentas disponíveis.

Pedro Monteiro, da Konica Minolta Portugal, considerou que as empresas devem “começar pelos dados”, independentemente da sua dimensão, enquanto Pedro Petiz, da TEKEVER, advertiu para o risco de a IA ser usada apenas para substituir colaboradores mais experientes, cujo conhecimento continua a ser essencial para validar os resultados produzidos pela tecnologia.

A sessão da tarde abriu com uma intervenção de Sílvia Mota, CEO da MEXT, do Grupo Mota-Engil, e fundadora da Moon Capital, que destacou a necessidade de as empresas ganharem escala, prepararem processos de sucessão e procurarem fontes de financiamento alternativas ao crédito bancário tradicional.

“Existe vontade de investimento, mas falta criar as condições para converter em crescimento”, afirmou.

No debate sobre financiamento, os oradores defenderam uma maior previsibilidade nos apoios públicos e criticaram os atrasos nos processos de aprovação.

Tiago Braga, da Start PME, referiu que uma decisão prevista para 90 dias pode demorar até um ano, enquanto Bernardo Seixas, da Granter, considerou essencial reduzir o tempo entre a abertura de concursos e a disponibilização efetiva dos fundos.

Por seu lado, Pedro Flores, diretor executivo do Grupo Your, sustentou que as empresas devem encarar o financiamento como uma componente estratégica da gestão. “Hoje em dia já não se pode pensar em financiamento como emergência, tem de se pensar em financiamento como planeamento”, afirmou.

O responsável da Start PME deixou ainda um apelo às empresas: “Parem de querer dinheiro para o dia seguinte. Façam o planeamento”.

No painel dedicado à internacionalização, os participantes distinguiram os conceitos de exportação e internacionalização e alertaram para a importância da reputação nos mercados externos.

Luís Martins, da Delta Cafés, salientou que “uma coisa é exportar e outra coisa diferente é internacionalizar”, enquanto Nuno Trigo, do Feel Group, explicou que a entrada da empresa no mercado brasileiro foi precedida por mais de um ano de análise e pela identificação de um parceiro local.

Já Ricardo Mira, da ION, resumiu o peso da reputação empresarial: “A comunicação é o que nós falamos de nós. A reputação é o que falam de nós”.

Durante o evento foram ainda atribuídos os Prémios PME Pitch, que distinguiram a PlayerSet, plataforma de inteligência aplicada ao futebol apresentada por Margarida Cavaca, e os Prémios Social CEO 2026.

Na categoria Social CEO, Rui Miguel Nabeiro, líder do Grupo Nabeiro-Delta Cafés, voltou a conquistar o primeiro lugar, repetindo a vitória alcançada em 2025. Mário Ferreira, da Douro Azul, ficou em segundo lugar, enquanto Ana Figueiredo, da MEO, ocupou a terceira posição.

O diretor-geral da PME Magazine, Daniel Marques, considerou que o fórum cumpriu o objetivo de fornecer “ideias concretas para decidir melhor num mundo instável”, encerrando uma edição marcada pelo foco na preparação das empresas para um contexto económico mais incerto.

“Sei que estou a mentir”, ouço em consulta. “Mas não consigo dizer-lhe que perdi o dinheiro das férias e as poupanças da nossa filha. Por isso jogo outra vez. Se ganhar, resolvo tudo. Se perder…”

Egg prices go up 2.1% on Sunday; flour is reportedly set to rise by as much as 14%, with bread, pasta and other staples likely to follow, in fresh blow to households stretched thin by cost-of-living crisis

El actor Patrick Stewart, reconocido por sus papeles en Star Trek y X-Men, ha fallecido a los 86 años en su casa de Los Ángeles tras un "breve" periodo de tiempo padeciendo alzhéimer y demencia con cuerpos de Lewy, según ha declarado su portavoz, Kelly Bush Novak.

"Anunciamos con gran pesar el fallecimiento de Sir Patrick Stewart, ocurrido ayer en su hogar de Los Ángeles, bajo el cariñoso cuidado de su amada esposa Sunny, tras un breve y conmovedor proceso marcado por la enfermedad de Alzheimer y la demencia con cuerpos de Lewy", señala el comunicado.

Y prosigue para tranquilizar a sus admiradores y honrar su memoria explicando que "Ha estado arropado por el cálido abrazo de familiares y amigos, rodeado de música en vivo, oraciones, lágrimas, risas y esa profunda emoción que solo él era capaz de inspirar, tras toda una vida de entrega hacia todos nosotros. Guardaremos para siempre en nuestra memoria la serena tranquilidad y la reflexión que se reflejaban en su rostro; un recuerdo perdurable de su invencible elegancia".

Además de su reconocida trayectoria como actor de teatro y cine, fue un autor superventas del New York Times con la publicación de sus memorias Making It So en 2023, como informa Deadline. Obtuvo en tres ocasiones el premio Olivier y una nominación a los Tony por su labor teatral. También recibió múltiples nominaciones a los premios Emmy, Globo de Oro y SAG por su trabajo en televisión y cine.

De 'Star Trek' a los 'X-Men'

Pero sobre todo es reconocido por las siete temporadas en la serie dramática Star Trek: The Next Generation y en varias entregas cinematográficas, comenzando con Star Trek Generations en 1994. Stewart interpretó el papel de Jean-Luc Picard, personaje que retomaría más tarde en la exitosa serie de Paramount+ Star Trek: Picard por la cual obtuvo un premio Critics Choice Super al mejor actor en una serie de ciencia ficción o fantasía. La serie concluyó su tercera y última temporada en abril de 2023.

Stewart también fue aclamado por su interpretación de Charles Xavier, conocido como el Profesor X; un papel que encarnó por primera vez en la película X-Men (2000) y que repitió en varias de las famosas secuelas de la franquicia, incluida la aclamada Logan, donde compartió pantalla con Hugh Jackman en el papel de Lobezno. Asimismo, Stewart retomó el personaje en Vengadores: Doomsday, que no se estrenará hasta el 18 de diciembre de 2026.

Recordar que Stewart prestó su voz al personaje de Sir Ritchfield, el líder sabio y anciano del rebaño, en la comedia de Amazon MGM Studios Las ovejas detectives estrenada este mismo 2026, en la que también estaba Hugh Jackman en el papel del pastor que es hallado asesinado.

Una voz también para recordar

Su trabajo de voz también fue reconocido con un premio Grammy en 1995, en la categoría de "Mejor álbum hablado para", niños por la grabación en inglés de Pedro y el lobo, de Serguéi Prokófiev. En 2006, Stewart prestó su voz a los 154 sonetos de Shakespeare.

Fue además un firme defensor de la justicia social, los derechos de las mujeres, la lucha contra la violencia doméstica, los derechos de los veteranos, la causa de los refugiados, los derechos de los animales, la reforma política entre muchas otras cuestiones.

Otras de las producciones de cine y televisión más destacadas en las que participó incluyen desde series que se remontan a los 70 como Yo, Claudio o Calderero, sastre y espía y películas como Excalibur, Dune de David Lynch, Lady Jane, Conspiración con Mel Gibson, Lifeforce: Fuerza vital, o Green Room de Jeremy Saulnier. Asimismo, realizó trabajos de doblaje en las exitosas series de animación de Seth MacFarlane Padre de familia y también Padre Made in USA, y en películas como El príncipe de Egipto, Chicken Little, Emoji: La película o Jimmy Neutron: El niño inventor.

Key developments on Oct. 28:

• 'Russia's mass murder:' Drone strike on Dnipro station kills 14 amid deadly daytime attacks on Chernihiv, Kremenchuk
• Ukraine destroys 2 Russian Su-34 bomber jets in Neptune missile strike on airfield, Navy says
• Route demining completed in Russian-occupied Oleshky as humanitarian convoy

The convoy is expected to arrive at the city's central hospital, where humanitarian assistance will be provided to residents, Lubinets said.

A temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine has held for a third day around the occupied town of Oleshky, allowing preparations for food deliveries and civilian evacuations. The agreement, mediated with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump, represents a limited diplomatic development in a war where attempts to establish broader ceasefires have repeatedly failed.

Russia and Ukraine have maintained a localised ceasefire around Oleshky in the southern Kherson region, creating an opportunity to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians who have spent months effectively isolated from regular supplies of food, medicine and drinking water.

Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said on 29 October that neither side had reported violations of the agreement and that teams were continuing to clear mines from roads intended for humanitarian convoys.

According to Associated Press, the six-day arrangement began on 27 October and is expected to remain in force until 1 November.

The first substantial humanitarian delivery is scheduled for Friday, 30 October.

An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 civilians remain in Oleshky, many of them elderly residents whose health, mobility or personal circumstances have prevented them from leaving.

The town is situated on the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the Dnipro River, opposite Ukrainian-controlled Kherson.

Its geographical position has made it particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the fighting, while damaged infrastructure, mines and military restrictions have complicated access for humanitarian organisations.

Melania Trump’s Unusual Diplomatic Role

The agreement has attracted attention because of the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump.

In a White House statement issued on 23 October, her office announced that she had worked with Russian and Ukrainian representatives to secure arrangements for a temporary cessation of military activity.

The statement described her as the intermediary in the negotiations, covering the timing of the ceasefire, humanitarian access, evacuation procedures and operational coordination.

Lubinets subsequently acknowledged her involvement and said communication with his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, had helped maintain the arrangement.

The White House originally announced 29 October as the starting date, but Ukrainian officials later reported that the ceasefire had taken effect at 3am on 27 October.

By Thursday, both sides were describing the agreement as holding without recorded violations.

The participation of the American First Lady is an unusual feature of international humanitarian diplomacy, which is more commonly conducted through governments, international organisations or specialist humanitarian agencies.

However, the immediate significance of the agreement will be determined by whether assistance reaches residents and whether those wishing to leave can do so safely.

A Town Cut Off from Essential Supplies

Oleshky has experienced prolonged humanitarian difficulties under Russian occupation.

The town suffered extensive disruption following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, which caused severe flooding across communities along the Dnipro.

Subsequent fighting, damage to infrastructure and restrictions on movement further complicated access to essential goods.

According to Ukrainian officials, normal deliveries of food to the town have been effectively interrupted since late May 2026.

Residents have faced shortages of medicines and clean water, while the presence of mines has made movement beyond residential areas hazardous.

The remaining population is believed to consist largely of older people and residents requiring medical attention.

For these civilians, humanitarian access is not simply a matter of replenishing household supplies.

It may determine whether individuals can receive essential treatment, obtain prescription medicines or leave areas where normal medical and social services have ceased functioning.

The Evacuation Challenge

The ceasefire provides for humanitarian teams to assess residents’ needs and arrange transport for those who wish to leave.

The White House has indicated that residents should be able to choose their destination, including Ukrainian-controlled territory or Russia.

Ensuring that such decisions are genuinely voluntary is particularly important in occupied territory.

International humanitarian law provides protections for civilians under occupation, including restrictions concerning forcible transfers and deportations.

A credible evacuation process therefore requires clear information, freedom from coercion and practical arrangements allowing residents to travel safely.

The presence of journalists accompanying the mission may provide additional documentation, although media access does not replace independent humanitarian monitoring.

Russian and Ukrainian representatives have also been coordinating mine clearance along routes intended for humanitarian vehicles.

Until those routes are confirmed safe, the delivery of assistance and movement of civilians remain dependent on operational conditions.

A Ceasefire That Does Not Extend Beyond Oleshky

The agreement remains geographically limited.

Russian strikes continued elsewhere in Ukraine on 29 October, killing civilians in several cities, including Dnipro.

The continuing attacks demonstrate that the localised humanitarian arrangement does not represent a broader change in Russian military operations or the strategic direction of the war.

Nevertheless, the pause has also brought some relief to residents of nearby Ukrainian-controlled Kherson, where repeated attacks have disrupted daily life.

The absence of reported violations around Oleshky suggests that the two sides retain the ability to coordinate narrowly defined humanitarian measures when political and operational arrangements are in place.

That does not necessarily imply an increased willingness to compromise over territory or broader security questions.

What Happens After 1 November?

The agreement is scheduled to expire on 1 November, leaving only a limited period for delivering aid and facilitating departures.

Its effectiveness will depend on the quantities of assistance delivered, the number of residents reached and whether evacuation arrangements operate as intended.

It will also be necessary to establish what protection, if any, is available to civilians who remain after the ceasefire ends.

A successful operation could provide a model for similarly limited humanitarian arrangements elsewhere along the front.

However, extending such cooperation would require further political consent and practical security guarantees.

For Oleshky’s remaining residents, the immediate question is more urgent: whether several days without fighting can provide the assistance and safe passage that months of war have denied them.

For more than 300 years, since Peter I's 1708 script reform, Ukrainian lettering has been shaped by imperial Russian norms. Zakon, presented on 29 October 2026, aims to break that pattern and decolonize the letters of Ukraine's state acts and awards.

The national font for official state communication draws on the work of Ukrainian artists, including Heorhii Narbut, who designed a 1918 banknote for the Ukrainian People's Republic, the short-lived independent state that fell to the Bolsheviks. It is meant to replace Izhitsa, Petersburg, and other Russian-origin fonts still often used on honor certificates, letters of thanks, diplomas, battle flags, and signs, adding a visual touch to the country's push to boost its national culture amid the fifth year of Russia's full-blown invasion.

Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk presented Zakon on 29 October, nine months after parliament adopted a resolution that called for a national font and said Russian-origin fonts had no place in official acts or on state awards. The Ministry of Culture developed it with money from the job site Work.ua and its co-owner Artur Mikhno, and the font is still in beta testing, the ministry says.

“The letters in which the word ‘Ukraine’ is written are also part of our state identity,” Stefanchuk wrote. “Decolonization should also concern how Ukraine presents itself.”

“The creation of a national typeface is an important step toward ensuring that state institutions represent Ukraine through our artistic tradition and contemporary Ukrainian design. [...] We want Ukrainian design to shape the image of our country, and for our cultural heritage to become a source of new solutions,” said Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture.

Three typefaces, one of them free for anyone

Zakon comes in three versions. Zakon Text is designed for everyday official paperwork and is free for anyone to use; it's available for download here. Zakon Decor, for ceremonial inscriptions, and Zakon Letterpress, for printing the originals of legal acts, have closed licenses.

Zakon Text has four styles: regular, italic, bold, and bold italic. The ministry asks users to test it and send feedback before a wider rollout, which Stefanchuk said will be gradual.

The designers are Oleksii Chekal, Hennadii Zarechniuk, Dmytro Rastvortsev, and Andrii Shevchenko, with Taras Ishchyk leading the project.

Built on the lettering of six Ukrainian artists

Zakon brings Ukrainian letter forms back to Cyrillic. The Ministry of Culture says that its developers “generalized most of the characteristic features” of six Ukrainian graphic artists’ lettering.

Heorhii Narbut (1886–1920) is credited with 13 of the 24 banknotes issued in 1917–1920, the first Ukrainian postage stamps, and an illustrated Ukrainian alphabet he never finished. His letters drew on Cossack baroque motifs and floral ornament.

Vasyl Krychevskyi (1873–1952) drew the trident that became the coat of arms of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1918, along with its seals and banknotes.

Robert Lisovskyi (1893–1982), a follower of Narbut, made prints, book covers, and emblems, and later led the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

Vasyl Khomenko (1912–1984) created New Ukrainian, a typeface he worked on from 1963 to 1970. Zakon co-designer Zarechniuk is one of the authors of Homenko, a typeface based on his work.

Yakiv Hnizdovskyi (1915–1985) emigrated to the United States in 1949, later settling in New York, and made close to 250 woodcuts, along with book covers and bookplates.

Vasyl Chebanyk (1933–2025) began studying the Ukrainian alphabet in 1971 and in 2001 launched the Rutenia project to restore older Ukrainian forms in a modern shape. Rutenia later grew to more than 60 fonts and won him the Shevchenko National Prize. One of them is on the cover of the ceremonial copy of Ukraine’s Constitution.

How Ukraine's state started dropping Russian fonts

Russia's full-scale invasion turned fonts into a state matter. On 29 September 2022, days after Russia's sham "referendums" in four occupied Ukrainian oblasts, Anna Yakupova, CEO of ParaType, the Russian studio whose Cyrillic versions of Petersburg and other fonts Ukraine's state institutions still use, congratulated colleagues in a chat that "our country got bigger," prompting a campaign to shun the fonts.

In August 2023, MPs from three factions registered bill 9606 to ban the Russian font Izhitsa from Verkhovna Rada documents and move parliament's honor certificates to Volja, a Ukrainian font made in 2022 by Marchela Mozhyna from the lettering of artist Nil Khasevych. A month later, the culture ministry announced plans for a bank of Ukrainian fonts to replace Russian ones.

In July 2026, the fight reached Ukraine's money. The National Bank of Ukraine said it would redraw the lettering on its new 2,000-hryvnia note featuring poet Vasyl Stus, after type designer Bohdan Hdal said the denomination lettering resembled an unofficial Cyrillic adaptation of Bickham Script made by a Russian designer. “No Russian shadows on a banknote with a poet whom Russia killed,” NBU Governor Andrii Pyshnyi said.

Some readers balk at the Z

Not everyone liked the name. Among the top comments under Stefanchuk’s post, readers objected that the Latin spelling starts with Z, the letter Russia painted on its vehicles for the full-scale invasion. Others welcomed the font itself.

Engagé depuis des années dans le sauvetage d’animaux à travers le monde, Jesse Adams a perdu la vie en Ukraine, dimanche 25 octobre, lors d’une mission d’évacuation de chiens et de chats. Le bénévole canadien a été...

Horas depois de a designer de moda Sasha Meneghel, 28, anunciar que está à espera de seu primeiro filho, fruto da relação com o cantor João Lucas, 27, a atriz e melhor amiga da modelo, Bruna Marquezine, 30, celebrou a novidade.

Nos comentários do post que confirma a gestação, Bruna deixou várias comemorações acompanhadas de emojis de corações vermelhos. “Amo, amo, amo vocês”, “Que alegria, meu Deus”, “Viva!!”, escreveu ela em diferentes comentários.

A reação pública de Marquezine era uma das mais esperadas pelos fãs de Sasha e João Lucas, visto que a atriz foi pivô do relacionamento da dupla e é uma das amigas mais antigas da filha da apresentadora Xuxa Meneghel.

Relembre como a amizade de Bruna e Sasha começou

A amizade de Bruna e Sasha teve início quando elas ainda eram crianças, por intermédio da Eterna Rainha dos Baixinhos, Xuxa Meneghel, 63. Na infância, Marquezine gravou um especial com a cantora, que achou a personalidade da atriz parecida com a de sua filha.

Após o fim das gravações, ao perceber as semelhanças da artista mirim, que tinha 5 anos na época, com sua primogênita, a apresentadora convidou a carioca para dormir em sua casa.

“Ela falou para minha mãe: ‘Olha, eu vou levar sua filha para conhecer minha filha, porque elas têm que ser amigas. Aí a Xuxa falou comigo essa noite. ‘Vou te botar no quarto da Sasha, tá? Ela já está dormindo, então amanhã, quando vocês acordarem, vocês vão se conhecer’. Deitei na cama e dormi. Acordei com a Sasha sentada na cama, assim: ‘Oi, quer brincar? E viramos amigas!”, relatou Bruna ao participar do “Quem Pode, Pod”.

Depois de um primeiro contato bem-sucedido entre as crianças, Xuxa passou a promover encontros entre as duas na própria residência, o que acabou fortalecendo a relação entre as famosas. Atualmente, as celebridades seguem melhores amigas e, frequentemente, compartilham momentos juntas nas redes sociais. 

Em meados de 2019, Bruna chegou a ser pivô direto no relacionamento de Sasha e João Lucas, visto que ela foi a responsável por apresentá-los. O casal assumiu namoro em abril de 2020, e o cantor pediu a modelo em casamento em novembro do mesmo ano.

Em maio de 2021, os artistas se casaram no civil e, logo em seguida, comemoraram a união em uma festa intimista na casa de Xuxa, em Angra dos Reis, no Rio de Janeiro.

Gravidez de Sasha e João Lucas

Nesta quinta-feira (29), a dupla anunciou, por meio de um post em conjunto, que está à espera do primeiro herdeiro. Nas redes sociais, o casal compartilhou a novidade com os seguidores, publicando imagens do ultrassom e um registro em que o músico aparecia beijando a barriga da mais nova mamãe.

Sem nenhuma legenda, Sasha e João Lucas escolheram apenas um coração vermelho para acompanhar a publicação, que reuniu diversos comentários carinhosos de fãs e amigos. “Meus amores, estou tão feliz por vocês. Que benção! Amo vocês! Estou emocionada”, disse Sabrina Sato.

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*Com informações de Caroline Ferreira, da CNN Brasil. Sob supervisão de Ana Beatriz Dias, da CNN Brasil

Bruna Marquezine assume que já beijou meninas e Tata Werneck se revolta

 

By William Dunkerley | Ron Paul Institute | October 29, 2026

It’s been said that truth is the first casualty of war. What about the Ukraine war? I’ve followed the news closely, and have found ample evidence in headlines and storylines that the old adage holds true today. Too often the Ukraine news stories we see are misleading instead of informative.

For instance, in March 2014 CNN reported that Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution was “standing up on behalf of democracy.” A month earlier, The Week cited many pundits and policymakers also characterizing events as a victory for democracy. It was a clear and compelling news theme.

But what’s misleading about that? It creates an impression that is contrary to reality. The truth is that the immediate result of the revolution was an abrupt end to constitutional democracy, not a victory for democracy.

The uprising totally dismantled the constitutional democracy that Ukraine had operated under since its independence from the USSR in 1991. The sequence of events makes it clear. Out went the democratic constitution; in came rule by force under the unelected revolutionaries. That’s what Ukrainians were stuck with for months. The stories about a boost for democracy were completely misleading.

This is a good example of truth being a casualty of war. The news celebrated an advance of democracy while in reality democracy itself had been lost.

Media distortion like that is not unique to the Ukraine war. Here’s an example dating back to the Cold War.

The issue was Soviet missiles showing up in Cuba in 1962. Upon discovery, President Kennedy railed against their presence.

On national TV he demanded that en route Soviet ships presumed to be carrying still more missiles be turned around. And Khrushchev complied.

Still there was the issue of removing the missiles from Cuba. How did that turn out?

“We’re eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked,” reportedly said Secretary of State Dean Rusk. News reports characterized JFK as staring down the menacing Soviet leader and winning this round with the communists. The imagery seemed to play upon the title of Kennedy’s book, Profiles in Courage. It all was emblematic of the American Way. The story was almost poetic.

Indeed, this story seems so perfect that it is hard to believe it was actually a hoax. True, there were missiles. But here is a factual account of how that crisis really unfolded:

In late 1961 President Kennedy began placing nuclear missiles in Turkey, strategically close to the Soviet border. Full deployment was completed in 1962. It would take less than 15 minutes for the missiles to hit Moscow.

Then in July of that year Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev sealed a secret agreement with Cuba to deploy Soviet nuclear missiles there, just 90 miles from Florida. It would take them less than 15 minutes to hit Washington DC.

What ended this standoff was something far less poetic than the Kennedyesque example I cited earlier. Khrushchev proposed a quid pro quo: He would remove his missiles from Cuba if Kennedy would remove his from Turkey. Kennedy privately agreed. But he insisted on a significant proviso: the quid pro quo must be kept secret. Khrushchev conceded and Kennedy’s fanciful story of standing tall in the face of a threatening adversary prevailed.

The Cuban missile story thus joins the Ukraine democracy story as another example of truth being a casualty of war.

Now consider this next example from back in Ukraine.

“Parliament votes 328-0 to impeach Yanukovych” reported the Kyiv Post on February 23, 2014. A day earlier the New York Times claimed, “Ukraine’s Parliament voted to remove President Viktor F. Yanukovych from office hours after he abandoned his office.”

Both reports further demonstrate how truth becomes a casualty of war. Neither accurately portrays what really happened.

Radio Liberty was quick to set things straight. In a report titled “Was Yanukovych’s Ouster Constitutional?” staffer Daisy Sindelar presented an in-depth analysis showing that parliamentarians tried to remove Yanukovych from the presidency but failed to achieve a sufficient vote.

She also pointed out that Yanukovych’s alleged abandonment of the presidency was not even a possible basis for declaring the office vacant. Radio Liberty’s corrections are backed up by Constitutional Coup in Ukraine in 2014, a thorough academic study published under the auspices of the Polish Parliament.

Clearly all the examples cited above represent fabricated stories masquerading as the truth. But the news stories are also examples of something much more insidious: the collective impact that a persistent manufactured narrative can have on a given public.

They paint a picture, a vivid narrative, that shapes the cultural schema through which people understand and interpret future events.

This can be seen in how the media have portrayed the fates of Crimea and Donbas. At issue is the question: Did the revolutionary government automatically inherit all the territorial authority of the constitutional democracy they had overthrown?

Crimea, for example, has been a significant stumbling block in discussions of a peaceful settlement of the war. In March 2014 Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN, “Crimea is part of Ukraine. Crimea is Ukraine.” But how is that true? What made Crimea part of revolutionary Ukraine?

Before the revolution, Crimea’s place within Ukraine was established by the democratic constitution. But the revolutionaries abandoned that constitution and claimed authority through force. Their rule by force never extended into Crimea. What, then, was the basis for their claim to Crimea? There was none that holds up to scrutiny. Even the eventual election of Poroshenko as president did not undo the constitutional destruction caused by the revolutionaries.

Why didn’t CNN challenge Kerry’s story? The assumption behind his statement illustrates how an ongoing series of fabricated stories can predispose us to interpret each new story in a particular way. If one can believe that a takeover by force is an advancement of democracy, why question an unsupported claim regarding Crimea? This shows that a lack of scrutiny can lead to creating or reinforcing a cultural schema that impedes our understanding of what is really happening.

The same principle applies to Donbas, but the words are different. Here Ukraine news stories portrayed the situation as “Russia invading Donbas.” But the facts show that notion to be a sensationalized misdirection from the truth.

The actual story can be understood by asking this question: What made Donbas, meaning the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, a part of revolutionary Ukraine?

The logic that clarified the status of Crimea applies here too. Donetsk and Luhansk were not part of revolutionary Ukraine for the same reason. Additionally, their populations actively rejected revolutionary rule. They fought against it when the revolutionaries attacked them. If there were, as reports claimed, Russian volunteers, mercenaries, or regulars helping the population defend their territories, it does not alter the basic scenario.

Calling the territories breakaway regions is a misnomer, as is calling the people separatists. It is not possible to break away or separate from something to which one was not attached in the first place. The Russia invades Donbas story is just sensationalistic fabrication.

What’s worse is that this obscures what really happened there. February 2022 is often cited as the start of the Ukraine war. The facts tell a different story. The hostilities in Donbas beginning in 2014 marked the actual start of the Ukraine war, years before the massive escalation in 2022. Reports say that this Donbas phase of the conflict claimed over 14,000 lives and displaced roughly 1.5 million people.

“Truth is the first casualty of war?” Once again we see that axiom is borne out. The mainstream story about Donbas leaves out the critical parts of the truth. But who will notice that? The facts are obscured from view by the now well-established, yet fundamentally misleading cultural schema.

The false claim of a democratic revolution. The lie about how Yanukovych was dismissed. The false and misleading narratives about the status of Crimea and Donbas. These and other stories have given the American public and our leaders a politically contorted view of the entire Ukraine war dilemma.

These narratives — and the false cultural schema they help create — can also lead people to draw unwarranted conclusions about the reasons behind political leaders’ decisions. As peace-treaty talks approach, there is a danger that proposals and decisions about ending the war might be built on a house of cards — that is, the series of misleading Ukraine news stories and the dysfunctional cultural schema that they helped to create. Together they distort perceptions of how the war began and what is at stake. If negotiators fail to break free of that schema, any resulting peace could prove unsustainable for Ukrainians and their country. What a waste that would be. Haven’t the Ukrainian people suffered enough?

Tankers, tracked by Greenpeace, are first phase of Trump-Putin deal – but there is uncertainty over whether they will unload

Seven oil tankers carrying an estimated 288,000 tonnes of Russian diesel are now sailing towards the US, though it is uncertain if the vessels will be able to unload amid a political row about the legality of the shipments.

The transport, tracked by the pressure group Greenpeace, is the first phase of a contentious supply deal negotiated between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin earlier this month, reversing years of sanctions on Russia oil.

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© Photograph: Martin Witte/Alamy

© Photograph: Martin Witte/Alamy

© Photograph: Martin Witte/Alamy