The New Orleans police department confirmed that at approximately 12.45am on Tuesday officers were called to Faubourg Marigny, located next to the French Quarter, the heart of the revelry, where LaBeouf was allegedly becoming increasingly aggressive at Royal Street Inn and Bar. He was later discharged, arrested and charged with two counts of simple battery. He is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Tuesday afternoon, just as the culmination of New Orleans's weeks-long, annual celebration of carnival hits its climax. Thousands of people, mostly in various costumes, gathered in and outside Royal Street Inn and Bar later Tuesday. A bartender and a bouncer at the establishment said LeBeouf was not welcome back after his release from custody. The celebrity gossip outlet TMZ posted a video of LaBeouf, purportedly taken early Tuesday morning, in which he is shirtless and exchanging words with another person. Reports of LaBeouf engaging in unruly behavior across New Orleans have surfaced for several days. LaBeouf has previously discussed his struggles with sobriety, crediting fellow actors Mel Gibson, Sean Penn and Josh Brolin for their help. He attended court-mandated rehab after a 2017 arrest in Savannah, Georgia, an experience that inspired his semi-autobiographical film, Honey Boy. In 2020, FKA twigs, the English singer whose real name is Tahliah Barnett, sued LaBeouf for sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress, alleging a pattern of “relentless” abuse. In the lawsuit and in an interview with the New York Times, Barnett said LaBeouf, whom she dated from 2018 to 2019 after meeting on the set of Honey Boy, knowingly exposed her to a sexually transmitted infection, attempted to strangle her and slammed her against a car. LaBeouf has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The pair reached a settlement in July 2025. LaBeouf's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

New legislation in several states moves the scope of bathroom bans beyond schools and government buildings. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. In the modern anti-transgender panic, several states have passed laws banning transgender people from restrooms consistent with their gender identity. Early bills focused primarily on K-12 schools, but the scope quickly expanded. Some states extended bans to even private colleges and universities. Others adopted sweeping “government building” prohibitions, barring transgender people from restrooms in all publicly owned facilities — a far broader category than it sounds, encompassing airports, rest stops, and other everyday spaces. A few states went further still, adding punitive enforcement mechanisms; Florida, for example, attached criminal penalties to its ban. Multiple states are advancing a new generation of bathroom bills that would extend these bans into private businesses for the first time. The first clear sign that private business bathrooms could be targeted came this year in Kansas. The legislation drew attention for several reasons, including provisions revoking the driver's licenses of transgender people and forcing them to obtain new ones reflecting their assigned sex at birth. Transgender Kansans would not only be forced to scramble for updated identification documents reflecting their assigned sex at birth, but would also have to navigate daily life by mapping trips around the availability of gender-neutral bathrooms. Any transgender person who simply continues using the restroom they have always used could face lawsuits seeking substantial damages from individuals eager to weaponize the law for harassment — or profit. The bill similarly targets transgender people's access to private business bathrooms. The bill would allow lawsuits against any “place of public accommodation” that permits transgender people to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity. The scope of bathroom bans is no longer confined to schools or government buildings. In Indiana, HB 1198 would apply to any public restroom — whether privately owned or government-run — and would establish criminal penalties for anyone who “knowingly or intentionally enters a restroom that is designated to be used” by someone of a different assigned sex at birth. In Missouri, HB 2314 would weaponize the state's Human Rights Act against private businesses that allow transgender people to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity, effectively turning a civil rights law into a tool for restricting transgender rights. And in Idaho, yet another proposal would not only bar private businesses from permitting transgender people to use certain restrooms but would also impose criminal penalties on violators. It is worth noting that, so far, anti-transgender bathroom bans have had uneven real-world enforcement. In K-12 schools — where administrators wield significant authority — they have been highly effective at policing transgender students. In colleges and public buildings, however, enforcement has been far more sporadic, with only a handful of documented expulsions from restrooms in states like Texas and Florida. But this next wave of legislation could fundamentally alter that balance. The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. We refuse to let Trump's blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice. But we need your help just to fund our basic expenses. Truthout has launched a fundraiser to add 500 new monthly donors in the next 9 days. Erin Reed is a transgender journalist reporting on LGBTQ+ legislation, news and life every day. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. As we rise to confront Trump's fascism, Truthout appeals for your support. Any contribution you can make is a tangible act of resistance.

Follow latest updates as public figures praise civil rights leader who was a protege of Martin Luther King Jr and twice ran for Democratic presidential nomination US political leaders pay tribute to Jesse Jackson Former vice-president Kamala Harris has also paid tribute to Jesse Jackson, describing him as “one of America's greatest patriots”. “He spent his life summoning all of us to fulfil the promise of America and building the coalitions to make that promise real,” she wrote in a post on X, adding that he gave a voice to those who were “removed from power and politics”. He instilled in us that we were somebody. I had a bumper sticker in the back window of my car that read: “Jesse Jackson for President.” I was proud to partner with and learn from him on this work throughout my career, and I am so grateful for the time we spent together this January. Bishop William J Barber II, who co-founded the Poor People's Campaign, recalled Jackson's hope for America's promise as he paid tribute to the late civil rights activist. “Jesse Jackson was a gift from God and a witness that God exists in the ways he cared for and lifted all people, the way he called forth a rainbow coalition of people to challenge economic and social inequality from the pulpit to a historic presidential run, the way he dared to keep hope alive whenever the nation struggled with being who she says she is and yet ought to be,” said Barber. When I was a college student, he was a gift to me as a mentor, and it has been my great privilege to have him walk alongside me through my whole public ministry. May we all take up his hope for the America that has never yet been but nevertheless must be. Jackson, who first travelled to South Africa in July 1979, just after Steve Biko's passing, vigorously advocated for American sanctions on the apartheid regime and supported Nelson Mandela's anti-apartheid struggle. Jackson's impact “can be felt in virtually every aspect of American life,” said Kristen Clarke, a former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, US Department of Justice during the Joe Biden administration. “A tireless and extraordinary public servant, his charge to all of us was to stay hopeful, keep up the good fight and respect the dignity and humanity of all people,” Clarke said in a statement on Tuesday. “Jackson has been, and will always be, a central part of the story regarding America's ongoing quest for justice and equality.” Reciting the poem “I Am Somebody”, which was meant to bolster the self esteem of underserved children in urban environments, Jackson led a group of multiracial children on the show in a call and response: Jackson's version of the 1940s poem, originally written by Atlanta minister and civil rights leader Reverend Dr. William Holmes Borders, would become a popular refrain in Black households after its airing on Sesame Street that year. “I Am Somebody” also served as a rallying call for Jackson throughout his life. Al Sharpton, the veteran civil rights campaigner who Jackson worked closely with after the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, called his friend and mentor “a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world”. In a social media post on Tuesday, Sharpton wrote: “He shaped public policy and changed laws. He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don't have broken spirits.” Senior Democrats, the party for which Jackson campaigned twice as a presidential candidate, in 1984 and 1988, were also quick to pay tribute. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, praised Jackson for embodying “courage, hope, and a relentlessness that will not be denied.” “His historic presidential campaigns paved the way for generations of Black leaders to imagine ourselves in rooms we were once told were closed to us,” Robinson said in a statement. The veteran civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who has died aged 84, made history when he stood for the White House in 1984 and 1988. His run opened the way for Barack Obama two decades later. But Jackson deserves to be remembered as more than a footnote in Obama's biography. Jackson's presence “presents the American Republic with questions and choices it has spent all its history until this hour trying to avoid ... And nothing will ever again be what it was before.” The quote came from Marshall Frady's sympathetic biography, Jesse: The Life and Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson, published in 1996. “Jackson was more than a civil rights advocate – he was a living bridge between generations, carrying forward the unfinished work and sacred promise of the Civil Rights Movement,” Martin Luther King III and his wife Andrea King said in a statement. His life was a testament to the power of faith in action – faith that justice could be won, that dignity belongs to every person, and that love must always have the final word. May his memory be a wellspring of strength and courage for all who continue the sacred work to which he gave his life. As he so often reminded us: keep hope alive. A statement on behalf of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chairman, Leon W Russell, vice-chair, Karen Boykin Towns and the organisation's president, Derrick Johnson paid tribute to Jackson today. His work advanced black America at every turn. He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals, and he reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility. His historic run for president inspired millions and brought race to the forefront of American politics. The mayor of Atlanta said in a statement that he intends to keep Jackson's hopes alive, as he paid tribute to the late civil rights activist. I had the privilege of speaking with him about his vision for a fairer, more equal and just country. Minority leader of the Senate Chuck Schumer has called Jesse Jackson an “icon” and “fearless warrior” for justice. America is a more equal and just place thanks to his work. My prayers are with his family and all of those who were inspired by him. Jackson in the coming days, I will be thinking of the many lessons he taught us: “Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up.” We should all seek to embody that spirit and serve others the way Rev. For those Democratic constituents left behind, however, a challenge was mounting, mostly within US industrial cities whose economies were ransacked by Reagan's “trickle-down” economics. Grassroots resistance campaigns spawned across the country in response to this dire urban crisis that had disproportionately devastated African Americans, and between 1982 and 1984 they had registered 2 million new Black voters – the largest gain in registered Black voters since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. These hands-on voter registration drives were orchestrated much in part by Rev Jesse Jackson, the nationally known civil rights activist who died on Tuesday. Jackson had cut his teeth as one of Martin Luther King Jr's youngest and most charismatic lieutenants in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and throughout the civil rights movement. By the 1970s, in the wake of King's assassination, Jackson had transferred the movement's master-classes in strategic organizing into founding Operation Push, a populist leftist offshoot of the SCLC that coalesced progressive whites, LGBTQ+ communities, environmentalists, Asian Americans, Indigenous Nations, Latinos, anti-war activists, and labor unions. Former president Joe Biden has paid tribute to Jesse Jackson and said the civil rights activist was “determined and tenacious” in his belief in America's promise. He said the late civil rights activist was a man of God, as well as a man of the people and that he was “unafraid to work to redeem the soul of our nation”. In a statement on social media, Biden said: I've seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our Nation forward through tumult and triumph. Whether through impassioned words on the campaign trail, or moments of quiet courage, Reverend Jackson influenced generations of Americans, and countless elected leaders, including Presidents. Reverend Jackson believed in his bones the promise of America: that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we've never fully lived up to that promise, he dedicated his life to ensuring we never fully walked away from it either. We extend our love to the entire Jackson family, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and all those who counted Reverend Jackson as a mentor, friend, and hero. Govenor JB Pritzker has ordered flags to half-staff across Illinois in honor of Jesse Jackson. “He broke down barriers, inspired generations, and kept hope alive,” Pritzker said in social media posts. “Our state, nation, and world are better due to his years of service.” Chairman of the Democrats Ken Martin described Jesse Jackson as “a tireless champion for justice, equality, and human dignity”. We mourn the passing of civil rights legend Jesse Jackson, a tireless champion for justice, equality, and human dignity. Jackson's lifelong fight for civil rights helped shape a more just America, and his historic 1988 campaign for President broke barriers and inspired millions. May his legacy continue to guide us forward. California representative Ro Khanna said Jesse Jackson was a “giant of our times” as he paid tribute to the civil rights activist. “Reverend Jackson spoke for all those who the powerful do not see. “His 1988 Convention speech is one of the greatest in our nation's history. Former vice-president Kamala Harris has also paid tribute to Jesse Jackson, describing him as “one of America's greatest patriots”. “He spent his life summoning all of us to fulfil the promise of America and building the coalitions to make that promise real,” she wrote in a post on X, adding that he gave a voice to those who were “removed from power and politics”. He instilled in us that we were somebody. I had a bumper sticker in the back window of my car that read: “Jesse Jackson for President.” I was proud to partner with and learn from him on this work throughout my career, and I am so grateful for the time we spent together this January.

Palantir Technologies has been hacked, according to well-known blogger Kim Dotcom. The company develops software for intelligence and big data analysis. Instead, it develops software that is sold to government agencies, military organizations, and large corporations. Clients (like the CIA or the German police) upload all their data, and Palantir (its primary platforms are Gotham for military purposes and Foundry for business) then utilizes AI to transform this chaotic information into a coherent picture. Essentially, it creates a ‘digital twin' of reality, revealing connections that analysts could have never recognized on their own: for example, that a terrorist had called the cousin of someone who recently transferred money to a suspicious account. The claims about wiretapping Trump and Musk are likely untrue or highly exaggerated. However, there's no doubt that Palantir serves as a massive surveillance mechanism for monitoring America's adversaries (and not only). It is an “operating system for war and intelligence,” providing agencies with a supercomputer that can see everything. But it's the agencies themselves that feed this computer with data. The company was already at odds with human rights activists globally. In Europe, particularly in Germany and Switzerland, there's growing hesitation to purchase the software out of fear that sensitive data would end up with a US intelligence agency. Should any documentation concerning the development of nuclear or biological weapons fall into Moscow's hands, it could provide invaluable insights into Kiev's ability to create a ‘dirty nuclear bomb' or biological agents. This would eliminate uncertainties and allow for the formulation of preemptive protective measures. Furthermore, disclosing the source codes or AI architecture employed by Israel in Gaza and adapted for use by the Ukrainian army would enable the development of more effective electronic warfare systems capable of deceiving those very algorithms. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

The Department of Homeland Security's top spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, is stepping down, a Trump administration official told CNN. McLaughlin is expected to leave her position as assistant secretary next week. McLaughlin was one of the agency's most vocal — and, apart from Secretary Kristi Noem, most visible — defenders, making appearances across news networks to defend President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda and taking to social media to blast reporting on the agency. CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. McLaughlin started to plan her departure in December but stayed in the aftermath of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, according to a source familiar. Her plans to leave the administration were first reported by Politico. Even before the killings of Pretti and Good last month, DHS' public affairs office faced questions about its credibility after several incidents in which McLaughlin and the agency made claims that were later undermined by video or statements from local officials. The agency's credibility issues, combined with its officers' use of aggressive tactics to carry out Trump's deportation mandate, have led to a drop in public opinion on DHS and its components. A recent Ipsos poll showed that 62% of Americans think Immigration and Customs Enforcement's efforts have gone “too far.” The agency's conduct is a central sticking point in the partial government shutdown that began last week after Congress hit an impasse to negotiate reforms in DHS' immigration operations. She went on to work as a spokesperson for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and later, for Vivek Ramaswamy's 2024 presidential campaign. McLaughlin came under scrutiny last year after ProPublica reported that a firm run by her husband was subcontracted to produce an advertising campaign for DHS in a $200 million deal. McLaughlin told ProPublica at the time that DHS had no visibility into which subcontractors were selected and that she recused herself because of the conflict of interest. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Madison Sheahan announced last month she would also step down from her position to run for Congress in her native Ohio.

If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size. Critics are demanding the censure and even expulsion of a Republican US congressman after his latest bigoted remarks against Muslims. The firestorm began on Sunday when Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) responded to a sarcastic social media post by Palestinian American activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who jokingly suggested that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's election meant that “NYC is coming to Islam,” and it was time to consider banning dogs as pets because “like we've said all along, they are unclean.” “If they force us to choose,” Fine wrote, “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.” Kiswani insisted that her post was not meant to be taken at all seriously, and was rather her attempt to satirize some Americans' fears about having a Muslim elected to lead the largest US city. Many Democratic lawmakers were quick to condemn Fine for suggesting that the US expel Muslims. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined Khanna's call to censure Fine. “This is genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official,” she wrote. “It should not stop shocking us that the Republican Party openly embraces this. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) argued that Fine's statement “is what it looks like when Islamophobia and outrage are the only two items on your political agenda,” and demanded that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) Jennifer Jenkins, a Democrat running against Fine in Florida's 6th Congressional District, said that censuring the Republican lawmaker was not enough. “Randy Fine has spent years spewing hate: attacking entire faiths, calling for violence, targeting kids and families, and dehumanizing Americans,” she wrote. Congress must act now and expel Randy Fine immediately.” Fine appears undeterred by the condemnation he's received, appearing on Newsmax Tuesday morning to push false claims about Democrats wanting to ban pet dogs. The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. We refuse to let Trump's blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice. But we need your help just to fund our basic expenses. Truthout has launched a fundraiser to add 500 new monthly donors in the next 9 days. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. As we rise to confront Trump's fascism, Truthout appeals for your support. Any contribution you can make is a tangible act of resistance.

Stephen Colbert taped a “Late Show” interview with James Talarico, a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary in Texas, on Monday. But CBS lawyers intervened before the interview could air on TV. “We were told in no uncertain terms by our network's lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast,” Colbert told his viewers Monday night. The shocking action seems to be a result of the Trump administration's intensifying pressure against broadcast TV networks. The FCC, which regulates local stations operated by broadcasters like CBS, recently issued new guidance about an old regulation known as the “equal time” rule. The rule requires stations to give equal airtime to all legally qualified candidates for public office — if one is featured, his or her rivals have to be given time, too. There are big exemptions for news coverage, and for the past two decades that exemption has also been thought to apply to late night and daytime talk shows. But FCC chair Brendan Carr is rejecting that thinking. Last month, he said stations should no longer assume that shows like Colbert's are exempted from the rule. “If you're fake news, you're not going to qualify for the bona fide news exemption,” Carr said at a press conference in January. He has been harshly critical of talk shows like ABC's “The View” that feature liberal political commentary. But the FCC's enforcement powers are limited. “The point is to force shows and networks to second-guess their decisions in light of this ‘new' guidance,” the source told CNN on condition of anonymity. Gomez predicted that no meaningful action would be taken, though, and called it another instance of “government intimidation” against the media. Colbert's comments on Monday night indicate that he sees the same thing happening. “Let's just call this what it is,” he said. Because all Trump does is watch TV.” Colbert's show posted the Talarico interview on YouTube as an “online-only exclusive” since the FCC rules don't apply to streaming. They went after you for telling the truth about Paramount's bribe to Donald Trump.” Last year the previous owners of Paramount paid $16 million to resolve an extraordinary lawsuit filed by Trump over a “60 Minutes” news report he didn't like. The funds were allocated to Trump's future presidential library, mirroring a settlement agreement that Disney's ABC struck with Trump earlier. Critics of the settlement described it as a bribe because Paramount was trying to win Trump administration approval for a media mega-merger at the time. CBS and Carr have not responded to CNN's requests for comment about Colbert's on-air assertions Monday night. Most stock quote data provided by BATS. US market indices are shown in real time, except for the S&P 500 which is refreshed every two minutes. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices Copyright S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates. Market holidays and trading hours provided by Copp Clark Limited.

A military police building has collapsed on the grounds of a military unit in Sertolovo, Leningrad Region. - A military police building collapsed on the grounds of a military unit in Sertolovo, the Leningrad Region. - Units from the Emergencies Ministry and the Leningrad Regional Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene. - A TASS correspondent reports from the scene that rescue operations are continuing in the closed area of the training center. - The area has been cordoned off, and emergency services are working on the scene. - According to preliminary reports, there were casualties as a result of the incident. - Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko has ordered assistance to the military in clearing the rubble. - The Military Prosecutor's Office is monitoring the situation involving the collapse of a building on the territory of a military garrison in Sertolovo, the Leningrad Region, the press service of the Main Military Prosecutor's Office said. - Employees of the Military Prosecutor's Office of the St. Petersburg Garrison have arrived at the scene. - Criminal cases have been opened over negligence and violation of fire safety regulations.

"If you stop, you die," said Mykola, a small-framed soldier with dark circles under his eyes and a tired stare. It can take anywhere from a day to two weeks, depending on how often he and his comrades need to take cover from Russian drones. Soldiers and commanders interviewed for this story are not identified by their full names due to security concerns. Located merely five kilometers (about three miles) northeast of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in Donetsk Oblast, Myrnohrad — once a quiet town — has faced an onslaught of Russian offensives since the fall of 2025. Russia appears to have either pushed out or eliminated the last small groups of Ukrainian infantrymen clinging to Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, according to Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, which closely analyzes the war using open-source footage. The situation on their outskirts is likely still "relatively messy," but the fight appears to be mostly over, with Russian troops actively trying to consolidate their latest gains, he added. "Even though Russians gained these urban areas, the slow fight will most likely continue, without very rapid changes from either side," Kastehelmi told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 17. "It was hard to realize that you may not walk out alive because there were a lot of our dead (guys on the way)." Mykola is originally from Kherson, a city temporarily occupied by Russia in 2022. He said he tried to enlist as a teenager but was turned away for being too young until last year. One wrong move could give away the location to Russian drones relentlessly hunting Ukrainian soldiers from above, he said. To this day, Mykola doesn't know the fate of six of his friends who lost radio contact in a field while walking back to the rear from their position on New Year's Day. They are considered missing in action (MIA) since their bodies have not been found. Mykola says his walk to the position during his last mission — which lasted two months until December 2025 — was a nightmare. One of his older comrades was killed, and another was wounded after they could not move quickly enough to evade drones. "You can only help the wounded at the end," Mykola said, stressing how crucial it is to first prioritize your own survival. With Russian drones controlling all routes into Myrnohrad, planning routes for troops to enter and exit positions is the most challenging task, according to a deputy battalion commander with the 38th Marine Brigade, who goes by his callsign "Webster." He said he tries to pick foggy days when drones are not able to work effectively, or brief moments when Russia focuses on another part of the front. The soldiers are usually given a few possible routes in and out since Russia tends to mine the paths as soon as it sees them being used or destroy them with weapons like artillery and aerial guided bombs (KABs), said Valentyn, a platoon commander from the 25th Air Assault Brigade fighting in Pokrovsk. With Russian troops advancing, more drones are reaching the rear of Ukraine's last positions in Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk. Infantrymen have to hold their positions against Russian assaults, one after another. Urban fighting offers both sides shelter in abandoned buildings and houses, where their troops can hide from drones rather than having to try digging dugouts or trenches in winter-hardened ground. Aerial guided bombs (KAB) are the scariest because they can easily zero in on even a multi-story building, leaving soldiers trapped under the rubble, according to soldiers and commanders who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. The first thing Mykola had to do after reaching Myrnohrad's outskirts in the fall of 2025 was turn a two-story house into a position. He knew not to touch the house's exterior to keep his position as discreet as possible, but he placed furniture, such as shelves, in front of windows to protect against shrapnel from potential attacks. Russian troops often assault in the dark or on foggy days, avoiding daylight when it is incredibly risky to move forward without being spotted, according to the soldiers. He said a few Russian soldiers were once waiting in an adjacent house just 10 meters away during his last mission, until he noticed an elderly local woman speaking to them, giving away their position. "If there is a fog, (Russian troops) sit quietly and wait for others to arrive," Mykola recalled. Mykola said some days he could barely even stick his head out the door, while on other days he could patrol the area and collect essentials, such as food and power banks. Knowing which buildings in the Myrnohrad area were still intact or destroyed helped him find cover while patrolling his sector, Mykola said. Even running to thin tree branches, which barely provide cover, is better than doing nothing at all, he explained. Russian drones spotted Mykola and his comrade firing at Russian forces at the neighboring house, and they vacated the house immediately. A KAB strike destroyed the house soon after, leaving nothing but ruins, he recalled. At the Kyiv Independent, we try our best to shed light on both positive and alarming developments in Ukraine. Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor's degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation's “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine. Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference. If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.

The attack on the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Perm Krai was carried out overnight between Feb. 16-17 by deep strike specialists from the SBU's Alpha unit, which regularly strikes targets deep inside Russian territory. The facility, a home to methanol, urotropine, urea and pentaerythritol production — all precursors for weapons-grade explosives — is under international sanctions, the SBU said. Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin confirmed a Ukrainian drone attack in the region but did not provide further details, only reporting that no casualties were recorded. The facility was already attack by Ukrainian deep strike drones before — on that occasion, belonging to the military intelligence agency HUR — in September 2025. Gubakha lies around 1,600 kilometers from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory, showcasing the growing and consistent reach of Kyiv's deep strike program. Over the last year, Ukrainian long-range drones operated by the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies have targeted Russian oil infrastructure and military-related industry with increasing frequency and success. Francis Farrell is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. "Discussions focused on practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions," Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said. Presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev called the European raids on shadow fleet ships "piracy," and expressed concern that the next step would be a full-fledged blockade. The most difficult period was October, when Russia struck the company 25 times and took out nearly 60% of Ukraine's gas production. The Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, which supplies fuel to Russian troops, processes 6.42 million tons of oil annually, according to Ukraine's General Staff. In Odesa, long-range Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential homes saw three civilians injured, according to regional governor Serhii Lysak. The Kyiv Independent's War Crimes Investigations Unit will present a new documentary, “Torture Culture,” exposing the systematic torture of Ukrainian civilians in Russian captivity and highlighting Russia's use of torture throughout history. Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference. If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.

Investigators had spoken to nearly 100 witnesses as of Monday evening as they attempt to piece together what happened earlier that afternoon inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said Monday that the shooter died from an apparent self-inflicted gun wound, though authorities are still investigating. Goncalves credited an unnamed “good Samaritan” who intervened, bringing the attack “to a swift end.” She did not provide details. It is not entirely clear what precipitated the shooting, who was targeted or why. The game was livestreamed by LiveBarn, a streaming platform for youth sporting events, whose videos have been shared on social media showing players on the ice as popping sounds are heard. Chaos quickly unfolds as players on benches dive for cover, those on the ice frantically skate toward exits and fans flee their seats. LiveBarn's social media account has been issuing warnings to those who shared the video that they do not have permission to do so. An e-mail to LiveBarn seeking comment was sent Tuesday. Goncalves identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who she said also went by the name Roberta Esposito, who was born in 1969. Dorgan was an active employee at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a ship building in Bath, Maine, that contracts with the U.S. Navy, David Hench, a spokesperson for the shipyard, said Tuesday. Monday's shooting came nearly two months after Rhode Island was rocked by a shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and wounded nine others, as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. “As governor, a parent, and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students, and everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.” Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Investigators had spoken to nearly 100 witnesses as of Monday evening as they attempt to piece together what happened earlier that afternoon inside the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said Monday that the shooter died from an apparent self-inflicted gun wound, though authorities are still investigating. Goncalves credited an unnamed “good Samaritan” who intervened, bringing the attack “to a swift end.” She did not provide details. It is not entirely clear what precipitated the shooting, who was targeted or why. The game was livestreamed by LiveBarn, a streaming platform for youth sporting events, whose videos have been shared on social media showing players on the ice as popping sounds are heard. Chaos quickly unfolds as players on benches dive for cover, those on the ice frantically skate toward exits and fans flee their seats. LiveBarn's social media account has been issuing warnings to those who shared the video that they do not have permission to do so. An e-mail to LiveBarn seeking comment was sent Tuesday. Goncalves identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, who she said also went by the name Roberta Esposito, who was born in 1969. Dorgan was an active employee at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a ship building in Bath, Maine, that contracts with the U.S. Navy, David Hench, a spokesperson for the shipyard, said Tuesday. Monday's shooting came nearly two months after Rhode Island was rocked by a shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and wounded nine others, as well as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. “As governor, a parent, and a former coach, my heart breaks for the victims, families, students, and everyone impacted by the devastating shooting at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket.” Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.