- Ava DuVernay on Making Venice History as First African American Woman in Competition: I’ve Been Told ‘Don’t Apply, You Won’t Get In’ Variety
- How Ava DuVernay Made ‘Origin’ an Adaptation of the Best Seller ‘Caste’ The New York Times
- Ava DuVernay Says Black U.S. Directors Are Told “Not to Apply” to International Film Festivals But ‘Origin’ Has “Opened the Door” Hollywood Reporter
- Neon Snaps Up Worldwide Rights For Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ Ahead Of Venice Premiere, Unveils First Trailer Deadline
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Tag Archives: apply
“Didn’t Apply Ourselves…”: Rohit Sharma’s Brutal Verdict On WTC Final Loss – NDTV Sports
- “Didn’t Apply Ourselves…”: Rohit Sharma’s Brutal Verdict On WTC Final Loss NDTV Sports
- Sunil Gavaskar says Virat Kohli should be questioned over shot selection on WTC final’s last day timesofindia.com
- World Test Championship final: Australia beat India by 209 runs – as it happened The Guardian
- Key moments of the WTC Final: One mammoth partnership, a selection gamble and clutch catches ICC Cricket
- We’ll fight to reach the next final: Rohit Sharma refuses to blame players for another humiliation in ICC tournament Crictoday.com (Cricket News)
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Student loan borrowers should still apply for relief, Cardona says
Biden’s plan faced its first substantive hurdle Friday evening, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit granted an administrative stay for one of the lawsuits, brought by six Republican-led states. The administrative stay is not a decision on the merits of the case, but rather a temporary pause until the court decides whether to grant an injunction.
Until Friday, it had appeared that the Biden administration was remaining clear of the legal challenges aimed by Republicans at its debt relief plan. A U.S. district judge had on Thursday dismissed the states’ lawsuit for lack of standing, the same day Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied a separate lawsuit by a conservative legal institute on behalf of a taxpayers’ association, which argued that Biden does not have the authority to waive debt so broadly and that the debt relief was unconstitutional.
The group, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, had earlier argued in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin that the loan forgiveness was unconstitutional, in part because its aims to narrow the racial wealth gap amounted to an “improper racial motive.”
However, the group dropped the race-related part of its argument in its request to the Supreme Court. The district judge, William C. Griesbach, had dismissed the lawsuit for lack of standing.
The six Republican-led states — Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina — have argued that the debt relief would lead to a drop in revenue stemming from the loans that were set to be forgiven. Judge Henry E. Autrey of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri wrote in his order that concerns over lost tax revenue were “merely speculative.”
In an op-ed published Saturday in USA Today, Cardona disputed the Republicans’ argument, saying they did not take issue with billions of dollars of pandemic relief for business owners in their states, with tax cuts for high-earners or with loan forgiveness that helped Republican members of Congress. “It’s only when relief is going to working and middle-class Americans that these elected officials have a problem,” he wrote.
Despite the lawsuits, Cardona encouraged eligible borrowers to apply for relief as the Education Department moves “full speed ahead with preparations for the lawful implementation of our program so we can deliver relief to borrowers who need it most,” he wrote.
In August, Biden announced plans to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student debt for individuals making up to $125,000, or up to $250,000 for married couples. Pell Grant recipients are eligible for another $10,000 in relief. Applications for relief are open until the end of next year, though the administration has encouraged borrowers to apply sooner in hopes that the cancellations could hit accounts before a pause on student loan payments expires Dec. 31.
Luke Herrine, a law professor at the University of Alabama who has argued that the president has the authority for widespread student debt cancellation, said debt relief could still come soon despite the hurdle in the federal appeals court. Herrine said that although it was not certain how the appeals court would rule, “I would expect them to uphold the District Court decision” against the Republicans’ suit.
He said he expects a decision from the appeals court “at least within a couple weeks” given that the stay was “an emergency motion.”
Borrowers seeking relief should still apply despite the legal noise, he said. “If you get your application in now, you’re more likely to get relief,” Herrine said. “There’s no harm in applying,” he added.
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Kelly Kasulis Cho contributed to this report.
clarification
This story has been updated to reflect that the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty included arguments that President Biden’s debt relief program had an “improper racial motive,” but that the group removed that part of its argument in its request to the Supreme Court.
Payments giants to apply new code identifying sales at U.S. gun stores
Fire arms are seen at the Bobâs Little Sport Gun Shop in the town of Glassboro, New Jersey, United States on May 26, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Visa, the world’s largest payments processor, said on Saturday it will implement a new merchant category code for U.S. gun retailers, which will identify transactions at firearms stores.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved creation of the merchant code on Friday following pressure from gun-control activists who say it will help track suspicious weapons purchases.
“Following ISO’s decision to establish a new merchant category code, Visa will proceed with next steps, while ensuring we protect all legal commerce on the Visa network in accordance with our long-standing rules,” Visa said in a statement.
Mastercard said on Friday that following ISO’s approval, “we now turn our focus to how it will be implemented by merchants and their banks as we continue to support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy and decisions of individual cardholders.”
American Express said when ISO develops a new code, the company will work with third-party processors and partners on implementation.
The code will show where an individual spends money but not what items were purchased.
Several top U.S. pension funds including those for government workers in New York City and California had submitted shareholder resolutions asking payment companies to weigh in on the issue.
Some gun-rights activists have worried the new code could lead to unauthorized surveillance.
Mass shootings this year, including at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, have added to the long-running U.S. debate over gun control.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban as well as $37 billion for crime prevention programs, with $13 billion to hire and train an additional 100,000 police officers over the next five years.
California gas car ban will apply to Virginia, too, due to 2021 law
Kingsview Wealth Management Scott Martin discusses the issues with California’s vote to ban new gas cars by 2035 on ‘Fox Business Tonight.’
Despite having a Republican governor, Virginia is on track to adopt the new Californian restrictions on the sale of gas-powered vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board issued the rule and held a final hearing this week requiring all new cars sold after 2035 to be electric. According to the same plan, 35% of cars sold in the state should be fossil-fuel free as soon as 2026.
Virginia will follow California due to a 2021 law signed by former Gov. Ralph Northam that tied Virginia to the Golden State’s emissions regulations.
HERE’S WHAT THE ELECTRIC F-150 LOOKS LIKE
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (AP Photo/Steve Helber) ((AP Photo/Steve Helber) / AP Newsroom)
“In 2021, Governor Northam and the far-left controlled General Assembly signed a law that binds Virginia to California’s emission vehicle regulations, which, among other things, bans the sale of gas-powered cars in Virginia by 2035,” a spokesperson for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office said in a statement to Fox 5 DC.
The spokesperson added, “The Attorney General is hopeful that the General Assembly repeals this law and discontinues any trend that makes Virginia more like California. Unelected California bureaucrats should not be dictating the will of Virginians.”
Other states like Washington and Massachusetts likewise follow California’s emissions rules.
WASHINGTON AND MASSACHUSETTS TO FOLLOW CALIFORNIA’S GAS CAR SALES BAN
Traffic is bumper to bumper on the inner loop of the Beltway and heavy on the outer loop during the evening rush near the American Legion Bridge July 27, 2021 in McLean, Virginia. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
AUSTRALIAN BANK WILL END LOANS FOR NEW GAS AND DIESEL CARS IN SHIFT TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The California order fulfills Newsom’s September 2020 executive order aiming to ban new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035.
“The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
China’s Alibaba to apply for dual primary listing in Hong Kong
A man walks past the Alibaba Group office building in Beijing, China August 9, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
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SHANGHAI, July 26 (Reuters) – Alibaba (9988.HK) will apply for a primary listing in Hong Kong and keep its U.S. listing, the first big company to take advantage of a rule change allowing high-tech Chinese firms with dual class shares to seek dual primary listings in Hong Kong.
The e-commerce giant’s move, announced on Tuesday, comes as both Washington and Beijing sharpen scrutiny over Chinese companies’ listings, and after a devastating regulatory crackdown in China left Alibaba with a $2.8 billion fine and scuppered an initial public offering (IPO) of its affiliate Ant.
Alibaba’s stock jumped 4% at the start of trading in Hong Kong as analysts said the change should give mainland China investors easier access to the shares via a link to the Hong Kong bourse known as the Stock Connect. At 0303 GMT, the shares were up 5% while the Hong Kong benchmark (.HSI) was up 1.2%.
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Already present on the Hong Kong bourse with a secondary listing since 2019, Alibaba said it expects the primary listing to be completed by the end of 2022. Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said the dual listing would foster a “wider and more diversified investor base”.
The move comes after the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) in January changed its rules to allow “innovative” Chinese companies – operating an internet or other high-tech business – with weighted voting rights or variable interest entities (VIE) to carry out dual primary listings in the city.
Under a VIE structure, a Chinese company sets up an offshore entity for overseas listing purposes that allows foreign investors to buy into the stock.
“Hong Kong is also the launch pad for Alibaba’s globalisation strategy, and we are fully confident in China’s economy and future,” Alibaba’s CEO Zhang said in a statement.
SWEEPING CRACKDOWN
Alibaba listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2014, marking what was at the time the largest IPO in history.
Since 2020, the company’s share price has tanked in both markets, as a sweeping regulatory crackdown by Beijing has battered Chinese tech companies.
At the same time, U.S. regulators have stepped up scrutiny of accounts of Chinese firms listed in New York, demanding greater transparency.
While broad in scope, a core focus of China’s crackdown has been regulators seeking to expand oversight of public offerings.
Last year, Chinese authorities launched a probe into ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing just after it listed in New York, citing data privacy concerns.
The company later de-listed and began preparations to list in Hong Kong, leading analysts to interpret the probe as driven by a desire on Beijing’s part for data-rich companies to list domestically.
ANT DECOUPLING
Alibaba also found itself in similar crosshairs when regulators abruptly halted Ant Group’s planned $37 billion IPO in Hong Kong in Shanghai in late 2020.
Concurrent with the announcement of its dual primary listing, Alibaba said on Tuesday in its annual financial report that several Ant Group executives had stepped down from their posts in the Alibaba Partnership, a top decision-making body for the e-commerce giant. read more
The departures are part of an ongoing decoupling of the fintech division from Alibaba, spurred by the botched IPO. read more
Justin Tang, head of Asian research at investment advisor United First Partners in Singapore, said that Alibaba’s decision would boost Alibaba shares due to its potential inclusion in Stock Connect.
“With regards to other tech listings of similar kind, this will be the playbook for companies looking to hedge against regulatory risk that Chinese companies are facing on the U.S. bourses,” he said.
In order to switch to a dual primary listing, the HKEX said companies had to have a good track record of at least two full financial years listed overseas, and a capitalisation of at least HK$40 billion ($5.10 billion) or a market value of at least HK$10 billion plus revenue of at least HK$1 billion for the most recent financial year.
($1 = 7.8493 Hong Kong dollars)
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Reporting by Josh Horwitz in Shanghai, Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Why You Should Apply Sunscreen To Your Eyelids, According To Experts
We all know we’re supposed to wear sunscreen every day to protect the health and appearance of the skin.
But that doesn’t mean everyone does it ― and even for those of us who try, we tend to overlook certain areas of the skin. One key spot that people often miss is the eyelid area.
“I have seen some of the worst skin cancers in the eyelid area,” Dr. Karan Lal of Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hillsborough, New Jersey, told HuffPost. “Skin cancer surgery in this area is complicated and can cause significant scarring which can cause chronic dry eyes. I have seen people lose their whole lower and upper eyelid skin from skin cancer.”
Applying sunscreen to the eyelids may feel counterintuitive. All our lives, we’ve been conditioned by labels that warn us to avoid applying anything near the eye area, and it has clearly stuck with many of us.
“Because the skin in this area is delicate, people may sometimes be wary of applying sunscreen to this area, or they may hold off because they think it will run into their eyes,” said New York City dermatologist Dr. Hadley King. “Or they may hold off because sunscreen they’ve used in the past in this area irritated their skin or messed up their eye makeup.”
Still, when it comes to sun protection, you definitely want to make sure you’ve got your eyelids covered. And there are ways to do this without experiencing irritation and discomfort. Below, experts break down the function of sunscreen on the eyelids and offer their advice for choosing the right product and applying it for maximum protection.
Natdanai Pankong / EyeEm via Getty Images
Why is it important to apply sunscreen to the eyelids?
“It’s important to apply sunscreen to all areas of skin exposed to UV radiation, and this includes the eyelids,” King said. “We frequently see sun-related skin cancers in the eye area, and in some cases, skin cancers in the eye area can be more difficult to treat and more aggressive.”
Dr. Papri Sarkar, a dermatologist in Newton, Massachusetts, emphasized that the eyelid is an especially unpleasant spot to need surgery on for skin cancer.
“There are a few places that are really not fun to have skin cancer surgery, and the area around the eye is definitely one of them,” she said. “Using sunscreen here prevents that.”
Cancer protection aside, applying sunscreen to the delicate eyelid skin also makes a difference from a cosmetic standpoint.
“The eyelids are prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from rubbing and scratching because the skin in this area is so thin,” Lal said. “Because eyelid skin is so thin, it is extremely susceptible to sun damage. This can result in droopy and crepey eyelid skin. Using sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing early-onset droopy eyelid skin.”
In addition to decreasing the formation of wrinkles on thin, sensitive eyelid skin, sunscreen can also help prevent dark circles from forming around the eyes.
“Sometimes, it’s due to volume loss or vessels under the skin and sometimes it’s due to an actual darkening of the skin in that area,” Sarkar said. “Using sunscreen around the eyes can help to prevent new or further pigmentation or darkening of the skin there.”
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What’s the best kind of sunscreen for this area?
All of the dermatologists who spoke to HuffPost recommended using mineral sunscreens when possible.
“Eyelid stinging and burning is very common, especially after the use of chemical sunscreens ― such as those containing oxybenzone and avobenzone ― so I only recommend physical blocking sunscreens that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for eyelid skin,” Lal said, adding that you can use your eyelid sunscreen for the rest of your face as well.
Try to choose a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher. If a regular face sunscreen irritates your eyelids, King advised looking for a sunscreen made specifically for the eye area, such as Supergoop Bright Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40 or powder sunscreens.
“There are now makeup eyeshadows that have sunscreen in them to allow for easier and elegant application,” Lal noted. “Many of them are combination physical and chemical sunscreens, so be careful and test them out to make sure you aren’t someone who is sensitive to chemical sunscreens.”
He does not recommend using these products as primary protection, however, because reapplying tends to be difficult and they aren’t particularly practical for the beach or other outdoor activities.
“I prefer using a tinted mineral sunscreen around the eyes, so I don’t need a concealer and tend to use two layers instead of applying one thick coat all at once,” Sarkar said.
What’s the best way to apply it?
Once you’re set on your sunscreen product of choice, make sure you actually apply it thoroughly.
“Always start with clean, dry hands,” Sarkar advised. “Use a small quantity at a time and apply in small areas and blend it in. I tend to apply to the skin right below the eyebrows, then the corner of the eye closest to the nose, then the actual eyelid, and then the undereye area.”
She recommended letting it dry completely and then repeating the process. Avoid getting sunscreen in your eyes, and wash your hands when you’re finished.
“If needed, apply makeup on top of sunscreen vs. beforehand,” Sarkar said. “You’ll get the best color payoff and correction this way.”
How else can you protect the eyelids?
“People who hate the feel of sunscreen or simply can’t tolerate it on their eyelids (and even people who can) should remember the benefit of adding sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat to your skin and your style,” Sarkar said. “I recommend polarized UV protective sunglasses that are in a larger size so it protects your eyes and the skin around it.”
She noted that a wide-brimmed hat also protects your upper face, neck, scalp and ears. Plus, it can make for a chic accessory.
“If you really want to go all-in, you can even add a UV face shield or sun visor,” Sarkar said. “They can be purchased from many stores/brands, but Bluestone Sunshields is one that is reputable and has good UV testing data.”
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Elon Musk proves once again that rules, norms don’t apply to him
Elon Musk has once again proven he’ll do things his own way, announcing Friday that his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter is on hold. He shared this news in a tweet rather than in a formal filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The drama over the deal has continued to play out in a series of tweets between Musk and the company.
Because the SEC ruled back in 2013 that using Twitter and other social media platforms are an acceptable way for public companies to disclose material information, this might be one of the legal ways he’s flouted convention.
But many other moves by Musk over the years have broken actual rules, not just skirted norms, yet none of it has slowed him down or changed his behavior.
The financial penalties that regulators or business partners might put in place mean little to someone as wealthy as Musk. He’s walking, tweeting proof that normal rules don’t apply to the ultra-rich if they choose to ignore them.
One example: Musk recently acquired nearly 10% of Twitter’s stock — without making the legally required timely public disclosure.
An investor who buys 5% or more of a company’s stock has 10 days to disclose the purchases, so other investors can be aware of what is affecting share prices.
Musk waited 21 days to make the disclosure, by which point he had completed buying 9.6% of Twitter’s stock. News of the acquisition sent Twitter shares soaring even before he announced his bid to buy the platform and take it private.
Had Musk made the required timely filing, it likely would have cost him a lot more to accumulate the 15 million shares he bought after the 10 day deadline had come and gone.
The delayed disclosure saved Musk $143 million by keeping the share price lower than it might have been as he continued to buy shares, estimates Daniel Taylor, a University of Pennsylvania accounting professor.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the SEC is probing Musk’s late reporting of his stake in Twitter.
“I think it could be laziness or the belief that rules don’t apply,” Taylor said. “But if you look at when the SEC enforces late filing, it’s relatively rare. From a cost-benefit basis, it makes sense not to file. Even if the cost for reporting late is a $100,000 fine or a multi-million-dollar fine, why wouldn’t he [delay filing]?”
Musk’s previous big battle with the SEC back in 2018, when he tweeted that he had “funding secured” to take Telsa private, sending shares higher, only emboldened the billionaire.
Musk eventually paid a $20 million fine and gave up his position as chairman of Tesla, although he kept the CEO title, which the SEC had threatened to strip him of as well. He also has to have tweets with material information about Tesla approved by others at the company, but it’s not clear how closely he has complied with that requirement over the last four years.
Musk is still seething over that settlement he signed with the SEC, claiming he only did so because banks might otherwise have cut off Tesla’s funding and forced the automaker into bankruptcy. But Taylor said the action by the SEC amounted to little more than a slap on the wrist.
“They had the opportunity to send a strong signal and chose not to,” Taylor said.
Other rules Musk ignores
The regulations on disclosing ownership stakes are only the latest in a long series of rules that Musk has flouted -— with little if any consequence.
Traditional automakers issue recalls when they discover a flaw in the design or construction of a car. That’s why the National Highway Safety Administration, the federal regulator, has named the office that looks into consumer complaints and accident data the Office of Defects Investigation.
But Tesla has been ordered to issue recalls for building its cars precisely as planned. Musk has complied, but has also attacked safety regulators for requiring him to make his vehicles less “fun.” And Tesla has faced no significant costs for its actions.
Tesla features that prompted recalls include allowing front seat passengers — and conceivably drivers — to play video games on the touch screen in the middle of the dashboard while the car is in motion and enabling cars to deliberately roll through stop signs when in self-driving mode.
Musk has also battled with the Federal Aviation Administration over the testing of SpaceX rockets without the requisite permission. In 2020, for example, the company conducted a brief test flight of its forthcoming Mars rocket, called Starship, without giving the FAA proper documentation or assessments for the risks to “public health and safety,” according to the agency.
Even before the test flight took off, the FAA had denied a safety waiver that SpaceX had requested. But the company moved forward anyway.
An FAA investigation ensued, but SpaceX ultimately walked away with little more than orders for “corrective action.”
During the early days of the pandemic, Musk reopened his Tesla factory in California that had been shut down due to stay-at-home orders he attacked as “fascist.”
The county health department, which had ordered the business closures to stem the spread of Covid-19, eventually caved into to his reopening plans.
— CNN Business’ Jackie Wattles contributed to this report
Finland, Sweden apply to join NATO, face Turkish objections
BRUSSELS, May 18 (Reuters) – Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday at allied headquarters, a decision spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but face objections from Turkey to an accession process that is expected to take only a few weeks.
Neutral throughout the Cold War, Sweden’s and Finland’s decision to join NATO is one of the most significant changes in Europe’s security architecture for decades, reflecting a sweeping shift in public opinion in the Nordic region since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion.
“This is a historic moment, which we must seize,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a short ceremony in which the Swedish and Finnish ambassadors to the alliance handed over their application letters, each in a white folder embossed with their national flag.
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“I warmly welcome requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners, and your membership in NATO will increase our shared security,” Stoltenberg said. The alliance considers that the accession of Finland and Sweden would hugely strengthen it in the Baltic Sea.
With the applications formally submitted, the Nordic countries and their many backers now face uncertain months where any resistance to their bids needs to be overcome, with all 30 of NATO’s members needing to approve the enlargement.
Ratification by all allied parliaments could take up to a year, diplomats say.
Turkey has surprised its allies in recent days by saying it had reservations about Finnish and Swedish membership, saying the two countries harbour individuals linked to groups it deems terrorists and hitting out at arms export embargoes imposed on it after its Syria incursion in 2019. read more
Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that he thought the issues could be resolved.
“We are determined to work through all issues and reach rapid conclusions,” Stoltenberg said, noting strong support from all other allies.
Seeking to move the membership process along, Sweden’s defence minister has already headed to Washington and will be followed by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto later this week. read more
The countries hope speedy ratification by the United States, the alliance’s premier power, will help smooth their path to membership with the White House having said it is confident any obstacles can be overcome. read more
The decision to seek a place under the NATO umbrella represents a setback for Moscow, with the war in Ukraine triggering the very kind of enlargement of the alliance on Russia’s borders that it took to arms to prevent.
So far, Moscow’s response has been unexpectedly muted, having previously warned of steps of a “military-technical” nature and that it could deploy nuclear weapons in its European exclave of Kaliningrad were the countries to join.
President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Swedish and Finnish NATO membership posed no threat to Russia, but cautioned that Moscow would respond if the Western alliance boosted military infrastructure in the new Nordic members. read more
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Reporting by Robin Emmott, Marine Strauss; writing by Robin Emmott and Niklas Pollard; editing by David Evans
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Finland to apply to NATO; Russian effort slows
Antony Blinken to NATO: US to maintain pressure on Russia over war
The Secretary of State spoke in Berlin to diplomats of NATO countries, echoing continued support to Ukraine and vowing to fight for its freedom.
Patrick Colson-Price, USA TODAY
Russia’s military advance in Ukraine is “losing momentum,” a senior NATO official noted Sunday, adding that with the alliance’s help, Kyiv could come out of the war victorious.
“The brutal invasion (by) Russia is losing momentum,” NATO Deputy-Secretary General Mircea Geoana told reporters in Berlin. “We know that with the bravery of the Ukrainian people and army, and with our help, Ukraine can win this war.”
An intelligence update from Britain’s Ministry of Defence on Sunday echoed Geoana and also said the invading army has probably lost one-third of the ground combat forces it committed at the beginning of the war.
Top NATO diplomats, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met Sunday in Berlin to discuss added assistance to Ukraine. Also on the agenda was expansion of the alliance to include Finland and possibly Sweden.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Blinken on Sunday. He noted on Twitter that more American aid and weapons are on the way.
Blinken and Kuleba “also discussed the impact of Russia’s brutal war, including on global food security, and committed to seeking a solution to export Ukraine’s grain to international markets,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
MAPPING THE WAR: Mapping and tracking Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Latest developments:
►Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office said Sunday that 227 children have died and over 400 have been injured since the invasion began.
►The U.S. is again accusing Russia of using the U.N. Security Council to spout disinformation and conspiracy theories about biological weapons in Ukraine to distract from its war in Ukraine. U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills called the Russian claims “categorically false and ludicrous.”
USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive the latest updates straight to your inbox
Russia’s offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where the invading forces have focused their efforts after failing to take Kyiv, has “lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule.”
That was Sunday’s intelligence assessment from Britain’s Ministry of Defence, which added that Russia has not gained any substantial territory in the last month and has probably lost one-third of the ground forces it had when the war began.
Low morale and diminished combat effectiveness are also hampering Russia, said the British statement, noting those circumstances are likely to continue and it would be difficult for Moscow to turn the tide of the war in the coming weeks.
“Under the current conditions, Russia is unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days,” the update said.
IS PUTIN BLUFFING? ‘Consequences you have never seen’: How to read Putin’s nuclear threats
PUTIN’S RICHES: A port city, a steel cage, a palace: The steps that made Putin ‘the richest man in the world’
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna said on ABC News’ “This Week” that the likely acceptance of Finland and Sweden into NATO would show the alliance has learned from how it handled Ukraine’s 2008 membership application.
One of the mistakes to learn from, Stefanishyna said, was “making promises without delivering on decisions in terms of membership, which has basically led to three wars, two of which are now happening on Ukrainian territory.”
Finland formally announced Sunday it would seek entry into NATO, citing the Russian invasion as a major factor, and Sweden’s governing party endorsed a bid for membership, which could lead to an application in days.
Both nations are hoping to avoid the brutal assault Ukraine is now trying to repel. Stefanishyna noted Russian troops are now pulling away from major areas in western Ukraine, but her country is not “overly optimistic.”
“We see that Putin has readjusted his strategy,” she said, adding, “the only possible winning scenario for him is the long-lasting war, which is not the case for us and for the democratic world.”
Republicans visit Kyiv: Sen. Mitch McConnell, other GOP leaders meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine
Finnish President Sauli Niinsto said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “quite calm and cool” when Niinsto told him that Finland would be applying for NATO membership.
Niinsto said Sunday on CNN that Putin did not repeat earlier threats about what would happen if the neutral Nordic country that borders Russia tried to join the alliance. He said he was surprised Putin “took it so calmly.”
Niinsto said he doesn’t believe Russia will attack Finland for trying to join NATO, though Putin did call the move “a mistake.” The Finnish leader noted the security situation has changed to the point Finland has no choice but to align itself with other Western countries in NATO.
“Europe, the world, is more divided. There’s not very much room for nonaligned in between,” he said.
A day after he and other Republican senators visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday that Finland and Sweden would be “important additions” to NATO.
”I think the United States ought to be first in line to ratify the treaty for both these countries to join,” McConnell, a longtime NATO supporter, told reporters from Stockholm. He noted Finland and Sweden, unlike some members of the Western alliance, would likely be in a position to pay their NATO obligations and would offer significant military capabilities.
Finnish leaders expressed their support for joining NATO last week, and on Sunday they formalized their intentions by announcing the Nordic nation will apply for membership.
President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin declared their intent at a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. “This is a historic day. A new era begins,” Niinisto said.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, Finnish support for joining NATO has jumped by 25%, according to poll results reported by France24.
Independent since 1917, Finland has been militarily nonaligned since a 1948 treaty with the Soviet Union. The Nordic country shares an 830-mile border with Russia.
ICYMI: The week in Ukraine’s war with Russia: Key events explained in 5 graphics
From nearly the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has teased the use of a nuclear weapon.
But most political scientists, nuclear arms experts, Western officials and seasoned Kremlin watchers say it’s highly unlikely he would detonate a nuclear weapon to break an impasse over Russia’s stalled offensive in Ukraine, now in its third month.
“If the conflict in Ukraine essentially remains an overt one between Russian and Ukrainian forces, with the West playing more of a proxy role, if we stay where we are today in terms of Western involvement in the conflict, I see no likelihood at all,” said Dmitri Trenin, until recently director of the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank.
Read more on Putin’s strategy here.
– Kim Hjelmgaard
Ukraine celebrated a morale-boosting victory in the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.
The folk-rap ensemble Kalush Orchestra won the glitzy, televised Eurovision contest with its song “Stefania,” which has become a popular anthem among Ukrainians during the war. Votes from home viewers across Europe cemented the victory.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed his nation would claim the customary honor of hosting the next annual competition.
“Step by step, we are forcing the occupiers to leave the Ukrainian land,” Zelenskyy said.
Contributing: The Associated Press