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(NEW YORK) — More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces are readying a spring counteroffensive, but Putin appears to be preparing for a long and bloody war.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
May 04, 6:44 AM EDT
Kremlin blames US for drone attack in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman accused the United States of being involved in the drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday.
“We understand well that the decision about such terror attacks are taken not in Kyiv, but in Washington,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a briefing. “Often targets are determined not in Kyiv but in Washington. They don’t Kyiv the right everytime in choosing the means. In Washington they also clearly understand that we know that.”
He added, “Without question. Such decisions — the determining of targets and means — are all dictated to Kyiv from Washington.”
Peskov said it was important that Washington understand the “danger” of such involvement in an attack.
May 04, 12:08 AM EDT
Russia attacks Kyiv with drones and missiles; no casualties or injuries reported
Russian forces launched a “complex air strike” with “drones and missiles” on Kyiv early Thursday morning, the Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram.
The air raid siren went off in Kyiv for three and a half hours during the attack, the Kyiv City Military Administration said.
There were no casualties or injuries from the strikes.
“According to preliminary information, all the missiles and UAVs were destroyed,” the Kyiv City Military Administration added.
This was the third attack on the capitol in four days, the administration said.
May 03, 5:11 PM EDT
US Embassy in Ukraine warns of ‘ongoing heightened threat of missile attacks’
The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine sent an alert to Americans on Wednesday warning of an “ongoing heightened threat of missile attacks,” including in Kyiv.
“In light of the recent uptick in strikes across Ukraine and inflammatory rhetoric from Moscow, the Department of State cautions U.S. citizens of an ongoing heightened threat of missile attacks, including in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast,” the alert stated.
The U.S. Embassy urged U.S. citizens to follow guidance from local authorities and to observe air alarms and shelter appropriately.
May 03, 2:43 PM EDT
At least 21 killed in Kherson region shelling: Ukrainian officials
At least 21 people were killed and 48 injured by shelling in the Kherson region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, as the death toll continues to rise.
A railway station and market in the city of Kherson were hit in strikes, which occurred across the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, officials said.
“A railway station and a crossing, a house, a hardware store, a grocery supermarket, a gas station — do you know what unites these places? The bloody trail that [Russia] leaves with its shells, killing civilians in Kherson and Kherson region,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter.
All the victims were civilians, Zelenskyy said.
An ambulance was also damaged in the strikes, according to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
“No military objects here. Just civilians, including children,” Kostin said on Twitter.
At least one person was killed and three injured in the strike on the railway station, officials previously said.
May 03, 2:00 PM EDT
White House announces $300M military aid package for Ukraine
The Biden administration has announced a new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine.
The package includes additional ammunition for U.S.-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, as well as “additional howitzers, artillery and mortar rounds, and anti-armor capabilities that Ukraine is using to push back against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression,” the Department of Defense said in a statement.
This marks the Biden administration’s 37th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
May 03, 11:50 AM EDT
At least 12 killed in Kherson shelling: Ukrainian officials
At least 12 people were killed and 22 injured by shelling in Kherson on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said.
A market and railway station were hit in the strikes in the southern Ukrainian city, according to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin. An ambulance was also damaged, he said.
“No military objects here. Just civilians, including children,” Kostin said on Twitter.
At least one person was killed and three injured in the strike on the railway station, officials said.
Four additional fatalities were reported from shelling throughout the Kherson region Wednesday, officials said.
May 03, 9:48 AM EDT
Zelenskyy denies involvement in Kremlin attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Russia’s claim that his country was involved in the drone attack on the Kremlin early Wednesday.
Zelenskyy, who is currently in Finland, said the claim was the prelude to a “large-scale terrorist attack” from Russia.
“First of all, Ukraine wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “What for? This does not solve any military issue. But it gives RF grounds to justify its attacks on civilians.”
Zelenskyy went on to say that various attacks in Russia could be the result of “guerrilla activities of local resistance forces.”
May 03, 8:31 AM EDT
Russia says Ukraine tried to kill Putin in Kremlin with two drones
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has accused Ukraine of trying to strike Putin’s residence in the Kremlin with two drones overnight, but said they were brought down before they could reach their target.
No injuries were reported, Kremlin officials said. Putin was not at the residence at the time, they said.
Videos released on official social media channels appeared to show a drone strike the roof of the Senate Palace at the Kremlin.
The Kremlin said “the Russian side reserves the right to retaliate whenever and wherever it deems necessary.”
May 03, 1:30 AM EDT
Ukrainian drone hits Russian port, causing fire
A Ukrainian drone hit a Tamanneftegaz fuel tank in the Port of Taman, Russia, at about 2:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, Kirill Fedorov, a pro-Russian blogger, said on his Telegram channel. The Port of Taman is in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait.
The fire could be seen in a video circulating online.
Local authorities confirmed the fire, which “has been assigned the highest rank,” the governor of the region said. A tank with petroleum products was hit by the drone and is burning, the governor said. No injuries were reported and there was no threat to residents, he added on his Telegram channel.
May 02, 11:45 PM EDT
All drones targeting Kyiv shot down; third attack on capital in six days
All drones that were used by Russians to attack Kyiv early Wednesday morning local time were shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems, the Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram.
There were no reported injuries or casualties, the military administration said.
This was the third attack on Kyiv in six days, the administration added.
May 02, 6:58 PM EDT
Explosions reported in Kyiv
Explosions were reported in Kyiv around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to Suspilne, the Ukrainian public broadcaster.
The Ukrainian Air Defense Forces were activated in response, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported.
S-300 missiles belonging to Ukrainian Armed Forces were hit in Zaporizhzhia, the spokesman of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, said on Telegram.
Reports of damage, and number of people injured or killed were not immediately available.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Max Uzol
May 02, 6:12 PM EDT
Explosions reported in Kyiv
Explosions were reported in Kyiv around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to Suspilne, the Ukrainian public broadcaster.
The Ukrainian Air Defense Forces were activated in response, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported.
Reports of damage, and number of people injured or killed were not immediately available.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Max Uzol
May 02, 12:38 PM EDT
Marine veteran killed while evacuating civilians in Ukraine
A 26-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran was killed in a mortar strike last month in Ukraine while working to evacuate civilians, his family confirmed to ABC News this week.
Cooper Andrews died on April 19 in the Bakhmut area, his cousin Willow Pastard, who is speaking on his family’s behalf, told ABC News.
The State Department announced Monday that an American citizen died in Ukraine, though did not provide more details or an identity “out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement.
At least nine deaths of U.S. citizens who have volunteered to fight in Ukraine have been officially reported since the war began last year, according to the State Department.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
May 01, 3:54 PM EDT
2 dead, 40 wounded in latest Russian strikes
Two men were killed and at least 40 people, including children, were injured after Russian missiles struck Pavlograd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials said.
Serhii Lysak, the head of the military administration of the Dnipropetrovsk, said 19 high-rise buildings, 25 private houses, six schools and preschool education institutions and five shops were hit by the missiles.
Five children were among the wounded officials said. The youngest victim is 8 years old, according to officials.
-ABC News’ Wil Gretsky
May 01, 3:07 PM EDT
Russia suffered 100K casualties in Bakhmut since December: White House
The U.S. estimates that Russia has suffered over 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action, from the battles in Bakhmut since December, White House spokesman John Kirby said Monday
Half of the 20,000 killed in action were members of the Russian-backed private military Wagner Group, according to Kirby. The majority of Wagner fighters killed were allegedly ex-convicts, according to Kirby.
Kirby said that the data came from “some downgraded intelligence,” that the U.S. has been able to collect. He was unable to provide data on deaths of Ukrainian fighters.
Kirby emphasized that the U.S. thinks Bakhmut holds “very little strategic value for Russia” and if captured by Russia it “would absolutely not alter the course of the war in Russia’s favor.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
May 01, 1:41 PM EDT
State Department confirms US citizen dies in Ukraine
The State Department announced Monday that an American citizen died in Ukraine.
“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement.
The State Department declined to provide more details or an identity “out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time.” It is not immediately clear when the death took place.
At least 10 U.S. citizen deaths in Ukraine have been officially confirmed by the State Department since the war began last year. The majority of those deaths were of Americans who volunteered to fight alongside Ukrainians, according to officials.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Apr 30, 5:48 PM EDT
Russian missile attack in Dnipropetrovsk region hits Ukrainian cities: Reports
A Russian missile airstrike was reported in different areas of Ukraine Sunday evening.
Sixteen Russian Tu-95 bombers were reported in the air from various airfields and explosions were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine at 10:51 p.m. local time.
“Presumably, Kh-101 cruise missiles are actively flying at the Pavlograd-1 and Pavlograd-2 railway stations, where trains with APU (Ukrainian Armed Forces) equipment and people were located,” a Russian Telegram channel, Military Chronicle, said.
Several explosions were heard in the city of Pavlograd, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, local Ukrainian media reported.
An air alert was announced for the region at 9:30 p.m. local time and about 10:00 p.m., social networks began to report explosions in Pavlograd.
According to local media, repeated explosions were heard in the city at 10:20 p.m.
The strikes destroyed Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles for the S-300 complex on Pavlograd, Russian Telegram channel Intel Slava reported.
S-300s are long-range surface-to-air missiles.
Supply vehicles with reserve ammunition that belong to the Ukrainian Armed Forces were also hit, the channel said, citing eyewitness accounts.
Intel Slava is funded by the Russian government.
“The detonation of rockets has been going on for almost an hour,” the Intel Slava post said.
It’s unclear how many people were injured or killed.
-ABC News’ Fidel Pavlenko and Anastasia Bagaeva
Apr 30, 2:00 PM EDT
Leader of Russian mercenary group threatens mutiny
The Russian oligarch behind the Wagner private paramilitary group fighting for the Kremlin in Ukraine is threatening a mutiny if his forces are not resupplied with ammunition soon.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner and curator of the Wagner group, penned a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigue, demanding ammunition be provided to his forces on the battlefield.
In the letter, Prigozhin wrote that if supply problems are not fixed fast, he will complain to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his mercenaries would abandon their positions in Bakhmut, Ukraine, where heavy fighting has been going on for weeks, The Moscow Times reported.
“I appeal to Shoigu with a request to immediately issue ammunition. In case of refusal, I consider it necessary to convey to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief information about the existing problem in order to make a decision and about the advisability of further presence of Wagner PMC in Bakhmut in the conditions of a shortage of ammunition,” Prigozhin wrote.
He added, “If the deficit is not replenished … we will be forced to withdraw part of the units from this territory, and then everything else will crumble. Therefore, the bell is already ringing — it is called an alarm.”
Emphasizing the urgency, Prigozhin noted that Ukraine is planning to launch a counteroffensive soon.
There was no immediate public response from Shoigu or the Kremlin.
“We need to stop deceiving the population and telling that everything is fine with us,” Prigozhin wrote. “I must honestly say: Russia is on the brink of disaster. If these screws are not adjusted today, the ‘aircraft’ will crumble in the air.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday wished Ukrainian military forces success in what he described as the “main battles” that are “coming soon.”
Zelenskyy’s statement came a day after he said at a news conference in Kyiv that Ukrainian forces will soon launch a counteroffensive, likely before F-16 fighter jets promised by Western allies arrive.
“Dear warriors, the main battles are coming soon. We must free our land and our people from Russian slavery,” Zelenskyy said at an event where he bestowed medals to members of the county’s Border Guard forces.
Apr 30, 5:52 AM EDT
Counteroffensive expected ahead of Western jet deliveries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian counteroffensive will start before Ukraine receives F-16 fighter jets promised by Western countries.
“Frankly speaking, it would help us a lot. But we also understand that we can’t drag it [the counteroffensive] out, which is why we’ll start before we receive F-16 [aircrafts] or other models,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference for Scandinavian media held in Kyiv on Saturday, according to a script provided by Reuters.
He added, “But to calm Russia down with the fact that we’d still need a couple of months to train on the aircrafts and only then we’d start; No, this won’t happen. We’ll start and go forward, while at the same time, simultaneously, I think this is very important [to receive western fighter aircrafts.]”
He said Ukraine is “capable of putting an end to this war.”
Also on Saturday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine received a signal from some countries about the readiness to start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
According to Kuleba, the F-16 fighter jet is the ideal aircraft due to its technical characteristics, although Kyiv does not overlook other aircraft, either. The minister added that the decisive word on issuing F-16s will be with the United States, because these are American fighters.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres and Max Uzol
Apr 29, 1:49 PM EDT
23 dead in Russian attack on high-rise building, 17 saved from rubble
A Russian attack on a high-rise building in Uman has left 23 people dead. Among the dead were six children between the ages of one and 17 years old, according to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Volodymyrovych Klymenko.
Rescuers, policemen and volunteers managed to save 17 people from the rubble. Heavy machinery and special equipment were involved, according to officials.
Two more women are considered missing, officials said. But the search and rescue operation has concluded, officials said.
“My sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased. We will punish this evil. We will not allow it to grow. We will definitely stand up and win,” Klymenko said.
-ABC News’ Tatyana Rymarenko
Apr 28, 12:18 PM EDT
Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities kill 24, including children
Russian airstrikes targeted several cities across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 24 people, Ukrainian officials said.
The city of Uman in central Ukraine’s Cherkasy Oblast was the worst affected. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed. One of the strikes hit an apartment building, killing at least 22 people, including three children, and injuring another 18 people, according to Cherkasy Oblast Gov. Ihor Taburets. The attack happened at around 4:30 a.m. local time, when most people would have been asleep. An entire section of the nine-story building collapsed, with 27 apartments completely destroyed. There were 109 people who lived in that part of the building, according to Ukrainian police. Rescue teams were expected to spend all day and night searching for survivors in the rubble.
Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city and a major industrial hub located in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, was hit by “high-precision” strikes in the early morning hours, leaving a woman and a 3-year-old child dead, according to Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov.
Russian strikes also targeted Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital and largest city, but there were no reports of any casualties or damages. It was the first such attack on the capital in 51 days, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Preliminary data shows 11 cruise missiles and two drones were destroyed in Kyiv’s airspace, the city military administration said.
Apr 28, 11:54 AM EDT
Ukraine says it’s ‘ready’ for counteroffensive
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday the military is “ready” to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces.
“It’s up to the general staff and the command,” Reznikov said during a press briefing in Kyiv. “We will do it as soon as there is God’s will, the weather and the commanders’ decision.”
Ukraine has received Patriot missile defense systems from the United States as well as Germany and the Netherlands. The Ukrainian military has been trained on how to use the systems and “mastered” them within weeks, according to Reznikov.
“The exact number of batteries, I’m sorry, I won’t say,” he added. “Let the enemy guess.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the world not to consider or call the anticipated counteroffensive “a decisive battle.” Speaking at a press conference in Odesa on Friday, Kuleba said the decisive battle is the one that will lead to the liberation of all occupied Ukrainian territories.
One person was killed and 23 people, including a child, were wounded in a Russian missile strike in Mykolaiv early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The missile struck a block that had apartments, houses and a historic building, according to Zelenskyy.
“The terrorists will not get away with this yet another crime against humanity,” the president said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Apr 26, 12:50 PM EDT
Zelenskyy has 1st call with China’s Xi Jinping since war began
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in what was the two leaders’ first official contact since January 2022, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Xi announced that he will send a special envoy to visit Ukraine and “other countries” to work on a political solution.
“I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on Twitter.
The Chinese government’s official position still refuses to call the war an “invasion.”
The call between the two leaders is said to have lasted an hour, according to Zelenskyy’s office.
“Before the full-scale Russian invasion, China was Ukraine’s number one trading partner. I believe that our conversation today will give a powerful impetus to the return, preservation and development of this dynamic at all levels,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Karson Yiu, Cindy Smith and Will Gretsky
Apr 25, 1:03 PM EDT
At least 2 dead, 10 injured in strike that hit Ukrainian museum
At least two people were killed and 10 injured after a Russian missile hit a Ukrainian museum Tuesday, officials said.
The local history museum is located in the city center of Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region.
“The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely. Our history, our culture, our people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media while sharing a video that showed the damaged building. “Killing Ukrainians with absolutely barbaric methods.”
Apr 24, 5:48 AM EDT
Russian passports pushed on occupied Ukraine
Russian officials have warned Ukrainians in occupied Kherson that they may be “deported” if they don’t accept Russian passports, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said Monday.
“Russia is using passports as a tool in the ‘Russification’ of the occupied areas, as it did in Donetsk and Luhansk before the February 2022 invasion,” the ministry on Twitter.
Residents of Kherson have been warned of penalties for those who don’t accept Russian passports by June 1. Some may be removed from the territory or may have their property seized, according to the U.K.
(NEWBURYPORT, Mass.) — Four workers were found, but one remains unaccounted for following a chemical explosion at an industrial park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, early Thursday.
Authorities first received reports of the explosion at 12:45 a.m., according to a press release from the Newburyport Fire Department.
The four workers who were inside the building were taken to the hospital, treated and later released, the fire department said. Authorities are continuing their search for the fifth worker.
An “industrial-sized vat” that was previously inside the building moved approximately 30 feet as a result of the explosion and was found in a parking lot next to the building, the fire department said.
The building sustained major structural damage as a result of the chemical explosion, and there is no danger to the public at this time, according to the fire department.
(WASHINGTON) — The already fierce debate over the debt ceiling turned more contentious this week as Republicans and Democrats feud over the politically explosive issue of veterans’ health care and other benefits.
Democrats can be expected to hit their claims hard when the Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing Thursday on the potential impact of House Republicans’ 2024 budget.
President Joe Biden and his congressional allies are accusing House Republicans of voting to cut funding for veterans’ services when they narrowly passed the budget proposal last week.
Republicans have shot back that Democrats are “shamelessly lying.”
The bitter back-and-forth comes as lawmakers face a fast-approaching June deadline to reach a solution on the debt ceiling or risk an unprecedented default that would wreak havoc on the economy.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden are set to meet next week for their first conversation on the issue in months. Biden’s insisted the debt ceiling be raised without conditions on spending while Republicans are demanding steep cuts in exchange for a one-year debt ceiling increase.
The House GOP’s Limit, Save, Grow Act would revert government spending to pre-inflationary, fiscal year 2022 levels, which would amount to a cut of 22% across agencies, and limit spending increases to 1% per year.
The bill, however, doesn’t specify the exact agencies or programs that would be on the chopping block.
“The budget itself is silent on veterans and the Veteran Affairs budget,” Carrie Farmer, the co-director of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute, told ABC News. “So, it doesn’t specifically cut the VA budget, but it also doesn’t specifically protect the VA budget.”
The lack of a carve-out for benefits has been a point of concern for major veterans’ groups. More than 20 organizations wrote a letter to Congress last week protesting the budget and urging lawmakers to add in such protections.
“If the proposed budget reductions were applied across-the-board, the impacts would significantly affect the delivery of care and benefits to veterans,” the groups wrote, citing figures from Veterans Affairs that the budget could result in 81,000 jobs cut and 30 million fewer outpatient visits.
It’s also opened Republicans up to attacks from Democrats, with Biden trolling the party on Twitter.
I hear House Republicans out on TV saying they would never vote to cut veterans’ benefits.
In case there’s any confusion, I made a little chart that could help them out. pic.twitter.com/SVvamK3KC2
Republicans have pushed back, stating congressional appropriators will take care to protect veterans and defense funding as they determine what exactly will be cut.
“Republicans have always prioritized veterans in our budgets to ensure the men and women who have served have access to the care, benefits, and services they have earned,” House GOP leaders wrote in a press release.
“Joe Biden and the Democrats are yet again shamelessly lying to the American people,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, tweeted on Monday.
Marc Goldwein, the senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said it’s “misleading” for the Biden administration to connect the budget as is to a specific list of policies such as VA job cuts or reduced telehealth infrastructure.
But he noted critics have a “very good point” that the overall discretionary spending caps sought by Republicans could have an impact on veterans.
“It would be very hard to meet those caps without touching veterans or defense,” he told ABC News. “It would mean very deep cuts for everything else.”
Farmer echoed that analysis, stating it would be “challenging” but perhaps not impossible to meet their proposed spending cuts without touching discretionary VA funding.
“Like anything else, the devil’s in the details of how it is implemented,” she said.
(LONDON) — Camilla, the queen consort, will be crowned with an existing crown on Saturday at King Charles III’s coronation, but one that has undergone a transformation due, in part, to controversy.
Rather than commission a new crown for the coronation service, as has been customary in royal tradition, Camilla, will wear a modified version of the Queen Mary’s Crown during the service at Westminster Abbey on May 6, according to Buckingham Palace.
Among the changes being made to the crown for Camilla, according to Buckingham Palace, include the removal of the replica of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the original version of which was first set on Queen Mary’s Crown in 1911.
The history of the 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond is entangled in a centuries-long chain of conquest and controversy. It passed through the hands of Persian generals, Mughal emperors and Iranian warriors before being presented to Queen Victoria by the deputy chairman of the East India Company in the 1840s.
“It is, in some respects, the ultimate blood diamond in South Asian history,” Priya Atwal, author and historian at the University of Oxford, told ABC News. “Its origins are rather mysterious and quite legendary, and is this ultimate symbol of the internal political histories of the subcontinent.”
It has been reported that controversy surrounding the symbolism of the Koh-i-Noor is likely to have contributed to Camilla’s decision to exclude the gem from the crown she wears at the coronation.
“The Koh-i-Noor is too controversial right now to risk the queen consort wearing it,” Adrienne Munich, professor emeritus at Stony Brook University and author of the book Empire of Diamonds, told ABC News. “The diamond has a bloody history, reaching back millennia, if myth and history come together.”
Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, “Koh-i-Noor” began trending on social media as users discussed royal regalia and the reminders they bring of colonization.
While the United Kingdom has maintained and retained ownership of the diamond over the years, the diamond’s ownership remains a point of international contention. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have all called for its restitution from British possession.
According to Buckingham Palace, Camilla’s decision to not commission a new crown was made, “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.”
The palace also said in a statement the choice to adorn the crown with new jewels is part of a, “longstanding tradition that the insertion of jewels is unique to the occasion, and reflects the Consort’s individual style.”
“Even with commissioning new crowns, none of that is happening in this coronation, and I find that particularly interesting because the language that’s been used in the statements in Buckingham Palace is that these jewels and the older crowns are being recycled in the interest of sustainability and efficiency,” Atwal said. “But nevertheless, monarchs have been very aware and royal committees have been very aware that diamonds and jewels are inherently symbolic.”
On Saturday, when the eyes of the world are on Camilla and Charles, Camilla’s crown will instead feature the Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds.
The diamonds’ inclusion is a tribute to the late queen, who counted the diamonds as part of her personal jewelry collection, according to Buckingham Palace.
The Cullinan III, IV and V diamonds — known as the “Lesser stars of Africa” — are part of a group of stones produced from the Cullinan diamond, which was discovered in 1905 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Known as the famous “Great Star of Africa,” the 530-carat Cullinan I, is the largest-cut diamond made from this stone.
It currently sits on the Sovereign’s Spector with Cross, which will be handed to Charles along with other regalia during the coronation.
Though the Cullinan diamonds have previously been set on the Queen Mary’s Crown, they too are not without controversy.
The Cullinan diamond was purchased by South Africa’s Transvaal government prior to being gifted to King Edward VII as a “symbolic gesture” to heal rifts between South Africa and Britain following the Anglo-Boer Wars.
Over the years, there have been calls from leaders in Africa for the repatriation of “The Stars of Africa.”
“South Africans are increasingly saying this is again a massive symbol of how so much wealth, so much resource was drained from our country,” said Atwal. “If you swap the Koh-i-Noor for the South African diamonds, you’re still in very tricky waters, and I think that is the thing that the monarchy is in, is this catch-22 situation.”
Following the coronation, the Cullinan diamonds will return to a display at the Tower of London, as part of the Crown Jewels collection.
Beginning on May 26, the Koh-i-Noor diamond will also be on public display, and back on the Queen Mother’s Crown, in a new exhibition at the Tower of London.
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) fined three McDonald’s franchisees after an investigation determined that hundreds of children — including two 10-year-olds — were working there in violation of federal labor law.
The investigation was part of the Wage and Hour Division’s efforts to end child labor abuses in the Southeast, the Labor Department said in a news release on Tuesday.
As part of their investigation, officials found that Louisville, Kentucky-based McDonald’s franchisee operator, Bauer Food LLC, hired two 10-year old’s to work at one of its locations — unpaid — and as late as 2 a.m., with one of the children even permitted to operate a deep fryer, a task for which workers must be at least 16 years old.
“Below the minimum age for employment, they prepared and distributed food orders, cleaned the store, worked at the drive-thru window and operated a register,” the Labor Department said Tuesday.
Under Kentucky’s child labor laws, minors younger than 14 years old are not allowed to work.
“Too often, employers fail to follow the child labor laws that protect young workers,” Louisville, Kentucky, Wage and Hour Division district director Karen Garnett-Civils, said in a statement. “Under no circumstances should there ever be a 10-year-old child working in a fast-food kitchen around hot grills, ovens and deep fryers.”
The three franchisees, Bauer Food LLC, Archways Richwood LLC and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC, run a combined 62 McDonald’s locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio.
According to Bauer Food, the 10-year-olds were not employed at the company, but were a night manager’s kids who were visiting them at work.
Bauer Food said that management did not approve of the kid’s being in that part of the restaurant, adding that the company has made it clear to its employees this behavior is against policy, and addressed the policy regarding children visiting their parents at work.
Archways Richwood did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment. Bell Restaurant Group could not be reached for comment.
The investigation concluded that among the three franchisees, 305 minors were employed.
The Department of Labor fined the businesses $212,544 in civil money penalties.
According to federal child labor rules, there are certain types of jobs that minors can work.
Kids who are 14 to 15 years old are limited to working no more than three hours on a school day, eight hours on non-school days. They also can’t work over 18 hours during a school week, and can’t work before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m., except between June 1 and Labor Day, the Labor Department said.
Archways Richwood LLC, Bauer Food LLC, and Bell Restaurant Group I LLC were in violation of having minors working hours beyond the legal limits, according to the Department of Labor.
According to Garnett-Civils, there has been an uptick in federal child labor violations, including instances where minors are operating equipment or doing dangerous work.
Tiffanie Boyd, senior vice president and chief people officer at McDonald’s USA, called the incidents “unacceptable” and “deeply troubling” and go against the company’s ” high expectations” it has for its brand.
“It is not lost on us the significant responsibility we carry to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone under the Arches,” Boyd told ABC News. “I know how important it is that every restaurant fosters a culture of safety. As a mother whose teenage son proudly worked at our local McDonald’s, I feel this on a very personal level. We are committed to ensuring our franchisees have the resources they need to foster safe workplaces for all employees and maintain compliance with all labor laws.”
The Wage and Hour Division discovered that in the fiscal year 2022, nearly 700 children were illegally employed in hazardous jobs, which was the highest yearly count since 2011, the DOL said in a news release.
According to the Labor Department, a 15-year-old was hurt while using a deep fryer at a Morristown, Tennessee, McDonald’s last year. The franchisee, Faris Enterprises of TN LLC, was fined over $3,000, DOL said in March.
Faris Enterprises did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
L-King Charles III, R- Lionel RichieYui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images
This Sunday, Lionel Richie will perform at King Charles III’s Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle. Lionel’s already in the U.K. ahead of the big event, and at a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday — during which he temporarily donned a top hat — he talked about what it feels like for him to be included.
“I mean, pinch me, somebody,” he laughed. “This is a calm moment for me, [but] I’m so excited. I’m a kid at Christmas time, you know? And of course, to have the relationship that I have with King Charles, it’s just, it’s great!”
Lionel has worked with Charles for years on his Prince’s Trust charity initiatives, but he says singing at the exclusive coronation event is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“To be a part of it is everything,” he said. “And I’ve known His Majesty now for a couple of years. So to celebrate this with him and the Queen is just going to be so much fun.”
Lionel added that there haven’t been many occasions in his career that he’s been watched by as many people as are expected to tune in for the concert this weekend.
“There are a few times in life, you know…[the] ’84 Olympics. That was a billion people watching,” he mused. “…[T]here’s Oscars… this doesn’t happen every day! So am I excited about this? Absolutely!”
Lionel, along with Katy Perry, Steve Winwood, boy band Take That and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will all be performing, with the likes of Tom Cruise, Joan Collins and Sir Tom Jones involved in other ways.
The coronation concert will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 3 to 5 p.m. EST.
Foo Fighters have set a Billboard chart record with their new song “Rescued.”
The track, the lead single off the upcoming Foos album, But Here We Are, is Dave Grohl and company’s 29th top-10 entry on the Alternative Airplay ranking. That breaks a tie with Red Hot Chili Peppers for the most top-10 singles in the history of the 35-year-old chart.
“Rescued” previously helped the Foos tie Shinedown for the record for most top-10 hits on Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, which Billboard has been tracking since 2009.
But Here We Are is due out June 2. It’s the first Foo Fighters album since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022. A new drummer has yet to be announced.
Country music’s elder statesman Willie Nelson was recently announced as one of 2023’s inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He follows 2022 member Dolly Parton as the latest country icon to receive this prestigious honor.
The recognition has been a long time coming for Willie, who has made an enduring impact on art and society by co-founding Outlaw Country, launching Farm Aid and championing marijuana legalization in the U.S., among other things.
“He’s somebody who has managed throughout his entire 90 years to find a way to make great music and have an impact on society,” Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement Jason Hanley tells ABC Audio. “I think when he finally ended up on the ballot this year, the voters said, ‘Yeah, this is somebody who’s connected to so many styles, sounds [and] artists.'”
“Every musician who’s come through the Hall of Fame in the last several months since he’s been nominated has said to me, ‘Man, Willie Nelson, an American treasure. Not only what an incredible musician, but what a great guy,'” he continues.
Joining Willie as one of 2023’s inductees is Sheryl Crow, who’s ecstatic that her longtime friend and collaborator is joining the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well.
“Sheryl said one of the things she was most looking forward to during the inductions was seeing Willie get inducted,” Jason shares with a laugh. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them end up onstage at some point during the night together. I can just see that happening.”
Ed Sheeran‘s four-part docuseries, The Sum of It All, is now streaming on Disney+. At the series premiere in New York City this week, Ed said the series is “uncomfortable” for him to watch and gives fans a rare glimpse into his family life.
Ed explained the producers approached him with the idea of doing a film “not really to do with your music, but to do with you as a human.” Ed says he gave them “a load of footage” he’d already shot, then told them they could follow him around.
“They’ve made what I think is a really beautiful documentary,” he said of the series. “It’s uncomfortable for me at times to watch, but I think people will connect to it.”
It shows Ed dealing with the death of his best friend Jamal Edwards, his pregnant wife’s cancer diagnosis and other challenges, which sent him into a depression.
“I had to put a lot of trust in the filmmakers for this,” Ed said. “I mean, my wife, Cherry, she’s never been interviewed before. She’s never been on screen. So that was, like, a big deal. My parents, as well.”
“[The filmmakers] coming to my home, them sorta being around my family and my children … coming to Jamal’s memorial … I’m usually quite a private person, so it was quite a big deal to sort of open the door,” he added.
But he’s glad he did.
“I feel that the series tackles subjects that everyone goes through, so it’s not like me being, like, ‘I’m a famous person. These are famous problems,'” he says. “I feel like everyone goes through grief, everyone goes through mental health troubles and everyone has sickness in their family.”
