Michigan’s attorney general is suggesting conservative politics played a role in the acquittal of three men in the final trial related to a plan to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Demonstrators marched in the Iraqi and Iranian capitals Friday to denounce Sweden's permission for protests that desecrate the Koran, as Stockholm withdrew...

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North Carolina Republicans have closed in on enacting new boundaries for the state’s congressional and legislative districts that aim to fortify GOP prospects for Capitol Hill and in Raleigh

Shubhankar Kawle was convicted of cruelty to non-livestock animals, torture, a third-degree felony

By Emma Farge and Marc Jones GENEVA/LONDON A United Nations agency urged global finance ministers to give poor

Micron Technology Inc.’s stock dropped more than 6% after China’s cyberspace regulator said that its products failed to

Ukraine’s counter-offensive breakthrough will come as a “shock” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, an expert has said. Mark Galeotti, professor of Slavonic studies at UCL, said Russians had become “complacent” and believed their defence to be more effective than Kyiv’s progress would suggest. It comes after Ukrainian generals claimed troops had breached Russia’s first line near Zaporizhzhia and were gathering momentum in an offensive many observers claimed had failed. Professor Galeotti explained there were three aspects to Ukraine’s counteroffensive gains that would particularly concern the Russian leadership. “One is on the battlefield,” he told The Independent. “It demonstrates their slow, methodical bite and hold strategy is in fact working and has the chance to hammer the second line of Russian defences.” “The second is political,” he continued. “It is also a response to critics in the West who suggested it is time for Ukraine to negotiate because it wasn’t going to make any move. “And thirdly, in terms of the Russians. I think they had started to get a little bit complacent as autumnal rains got closer. I think they thought they had pulled the defence off. “It will come as a shock, but we have seen on the whole the Russians are quite effective in the defence. So I think they’ll be doing what they can to shore up that second line.” Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavisky, who leads Ukraine’s southern offensive, claimed Russian troops had devoted 60 per cent of their time to its first defence, and only 20 per cent each into its second and third. He claimed Russia would soon run out of its “best” soldiers, giving Ukraine an advantage to attack “more and faster”. However, Chatham House consulting fellow Keir Giles, who researches Russian security, said there was no sign of “imminent collapse” among Russian forces despite Kyiv’s latest breakthrough. He told The Independent: “There are optimistic noises from Ukraine about whether the offensive might progress a little faster now because they have broken through the first and strongest Russian defensive line. “But that of course does not mean that things are going to collapse imminently on the Russian side, as some have suggested. “The resilience of Russia and its forces remains imponderable. There is no sign of imminent collapse of the Russian economy or society.” Mr Giles added there were signs Russia feels it is in a position to “drag the conflict out” and wait for the Western coalition to collapse. Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said their forces had retaken about 1.16 square miles of land in the past week around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian troops in May after months of heavy fighting. Moscow has continued to carry out drone attacks on Ukrainian targets including port infrastructure. Last night, 32 Russian kamikaze drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, damaging civilian and industrial buildings. At least 23 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down by the Ukrainian military, the country’s Air Force said. Soon after, Ukraine’s defence spokesman claimed some of the drones exploded on Romanian territory. Romania’s Ministry of Defence said it “firmly” denied the claim but reiterated its support for Ukraine and said Russian attacks on the country break “all international humanitarian rules”. General Tarnavisky told the Guardian: “When we started the counter-offensive we spent more time than we expected on de-mining the territories. “Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. And this also complicated our advance. “In my opinion, the Russians believed the Ukrainians would not get through this line of defence. They had been preparing for over one year. They did everything to make sure that this area was prepared well.” On Sunday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had decided to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his post and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine‘s main privatisation fund. The announcement, made in his nightly video address to the nation, sets the stage for the biggest shakeup of Ukraine‘s defence establishment during the war launched by Russia in February 2022. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin’s forces pushed back in the south as Moscow launches kamikaze drone attack Zelensky needed to sack his defence minister – but it goes beyond just corruption scandals Ukraine's defense minister resigns following Zelenskyy's announcement of his replacement The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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The White House has postponed a Pride event set to take place on the South Lawn because of the smoke from the wildfires in Canada enveloping the nation’s capital. The event that was scheduled for Thursday is now planned for Saturday. It’s set to be the largest Pride Month celebration in White House history as the Biden administration attempts to push back against the Republican Party’s measures to restrict the rights of the LGBT+ community on the state level. If the hope that the air quality in Washington, DC improves, the event will see thousands of attendees for a celebration of LGBT+ families featuring singer Betty Who and DJ Queen HD from Baltimore, according to Reuters. “Today’s Pride event on the White House South Lawn will be postponed until Saturday based on the projected air quality in the region,” the White House said. Ahead of the planned event on Thursday, the administration announced new measures to protect LGBT+ communities. “Over a dozen states have enacted anti-LGBTQI+ laws that violate our most basic values and freedoms as Americans, and are cruel and callous to our kids, our neighbors, and those in our community,” the White House said. The measures include the launch of an “LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership,” including that the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division will be the liaison to the community. The administration is also working to strengthen “mental health resources for LGBTQI+ youth, launching a new federal initiative to address LGBTQI+ youth homelessness, releasing federal funding to support programs that help parents affirm their LGBTQI+ kids, and advancing new regulations to protect LGBTQI+ youth in foster care”. “The Department of Education will appoint a new coordinator to address the growing threat that book bans pose for the civil rights of students,” the administration said. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments tweeted on Thursday that “current air quality in the DC region is Code Purple, very unhealthy for all due to ongoing smoke from fires in Canada”. The council added that the region “has not previously recorded a Code Purple day for fine particle pollution, the type of air pollution we are currently experiencing,” and urged residents to reschedule outdoor activities or move them indoors. The smoke settled over the US capital after moving down from the more than 100 wildfires in eastern Canada, with a low-pressure area off the east coast moving the winds in the direction of DC, according to WUSA9. The Capital Weather Gang tweeted: “How long will the wildfire smoke last? Unfortunately, may hang around into this evening and be bad again on Friday morning in the DC area.” The office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the issue “is likely to continue or worsen through Friday”. The city’s Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals, cancelled their game on Thursday and the National Zoo closed its doors for the day. Some residents wore masks for their outdoor errands and families who may walk to school organized carpools to limit their time outside. At the Walmart on Georgia Avenue in DC, the shelves for air purifiers were almost empty on Wednesday evening, according to The Washington Post. Read More ‘It’s like being on Mars’: The smoke in the air in New York is so thick you can feel it in your lungs Air quality – live: New York pollution to remain hazardous as no end in sight for Canada wildfire smoke Biden invites thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals, singer Betty Who, to Pride Month celebration Brawl breaks out at LA school discussing Pride month celebrations David Furnish slams Ron DeSantis for ‘diabolical’ ant-LGBTQ+ policies The Independent Pride List: These are the top 50 LGBT+ change-makers of 2023