By Marine Strauss and Charlotte Van Campenhout BRUSSELS/DUBAI (Reuters) -A Belgian aid worker arrived back in Belgium on Friday night

Russia’s drone strike in western Ukraine likely targeted the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power station, president Volodymyr Zelensky said. He said the strike on Wednesday presented yet more evidence that tougher sanctions were needed against Russia and its dangerous acts that bypass international sanctions. At least 20 people were injured in the attacks in Khmelnytskyi region that also led to shattered windows at the nuclear power plant and nearby sites, and destroyed power lines, causing outages, Ukrainian officials said. Power was temporarily cut to some off-site radiation monitoring stations at the power plant and hundreds of buildings in the area sustained damage. “It is highly likely that the target for these drones was the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant – the shockwave from the explosion shattered windows, including those on the territory of the NPP [nuclear power plant],” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Every Russian strike, especially ones as audacious as those targeting nuclear plants and other critical facilities, is an argument that the pressure on the terrorist state is insufficient,” he said. He said the assessment of the drones used in the attack showed their “missiles, originate from various countries, various companies, including Western ones”. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said blasts from the drone attack did not affect the plant’s operations or its connection to the grid, but raised concerns over the proximity of the attack to the plant. “The fact that numerous windows at the site were destroyed shows just how close it was. Next time, we may not be so fortunate,” said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi. Some 1,700 buildings in the area sustained damage. These included 282 apartment blocks, more than 1,400 private homes, 41 educational institutions and six healthcare buildings, regional governor Serhiy Tyurin said. The incident also caused damage to power lines, affecting over 1,800 consumers in the neighbouring towns of Netishyn and Slavuta, resulting in power outages. The Ukrainian air force repelled all 11 Russian drone attacks overnight, the military said, adding that the damage was caused by blast waves and falling debris. "At night, the enemy struck territory near the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant. As a result of the explosion, windows in administrative and laboratory buildings have been damaged," the energy ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Earlier, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv was preparing for the attacks on their energy infrastructure not only to defend but to respond, ahead of the second winter of the Kremlin’s invasion of the country. “We are preparing for terrorist attacks on our energy infrastructure,” Mr Zelensky said. “This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond.” Russia has launched assaults on the Ukrainian cities of Kupiansk in the north and Avdiivka, seeking to besiege the strategic grounds on the battlefield. Read More Ukraine-Russia war - live: Putin turns to new weapon for winter attacks as bombing of Avdiivka continues Russian forces simulate nuclear strike as upper house rescinds ratification of test-ban treaty Study finds ‘deepfakes’ from Ukraine war undermining trust in conflict footage

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Former England footballer Fara Williams has spoken out about the sexist and homophobic abuse she has suffered online, saying she’s been told to “get back in the kitchen”. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, the ex-midfielder turned football pundit said trolls question her knowledge of the sport, telling her she knows “nothing about the game”. The 39-year-old, who is England’s most capped player, said the online abuse is “definitely sexist” and gets worse and is “more aggressive” when she is reporting on men’s football rather than the women’s game. “When I’m doing punditry in a women’s game, the percentages in terms of the abuse you get is really, really minimal compared to when as a female, I talk on the men’s game as a pundit,” Williams said. “The abuse heightens and it’s more aggressive, more direct. Definitely more abusive.” The football commentator said she thought “jealousy” was “probably one of the main things” which drives people to perpetrate online abuse. She said many people think trolls are people who you are “really close to”, adding: “You get trolled by people that you think are your friends and they are the ones that know the most about you.” The former Lioness said she is able to cope with the online hate because she has a “thick skin”, but her ability to handle abuse could potentially change if the harassment were to ramp up. The “daily” abuse suffered by footballers she used to play with who are now prominent in the media is “not acceptable”, she stated. Ms Williams added: “I’ve seen a change in them as people because of social media – close friends that have really been affected by some of the awful abuse that they get online.” She said: “If you are bombarded with abuse daily, at some point it will affect your mental health, whether you think you are strong headed or not.” Ms Williams said: “As I said, I’m quite strong headed now, but there is nothing to say that if I was to be absolutely bombarded with abuse on a daily basis, that couldn’t change how I start to think and see myself.” Her friends are targeted with “horrific abuse” for simply “having an opinion in a workplace that they are supposed to have an opinion in”, she added. Discussing homophobic online abuse, she said: “I’m sure they’re aware that there are a lot of gay people within the women’s game, and it’s easy for them to drop a comment in.” Ms Williams, a member of Hope United, a team of footballers committed to tackling online sexist hate, reflected on whether the abuse she endures would worsen if her punditry for men’s football ramps up. "They could talk about the way I talk, the way I look, the way I sound,” she added. “Who I think I am.” Ms Williams said she hoped abuse on social media would improve when the online safety bill is rolled out as a change in the law would make people “accountable” for their comments. The legislation, which aims to tackle hate speech, cyberbullying, and disinformation, is in its final stages in parliament and would see social media companies also held accountable for abuse published on their sites. The ex-footballer attended a roundtable meeting at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday to demonstrate her backing for proposed changes to the online safety bill, which would boost the online protection of women and girls. “For me, social media has become a fantasy world where you can do whatever you want and get away with it without any consequences,” Ms Williams said. Turning her attention to the World Cup kiss saga, she said it was “disappointing” that it “took so long” to be dealt with. Her comments come after the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales has come under sustained criticism for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain secured their 1-0 win over England last month. Rubiales, who was also condemned for grabbing his crotch after Spain won the women’s world title for the first time in history, refused to step down over his behaviour but was suspended by Fifa. He eventually resigned as president on Sunday, after weeks of pressure, after Hermoso filed a legal complaint. Jorge Vilda, head coach of Spain’s women’s team, was fired last week after he was among those who praised Rubiales’ refusal to step down. “It’s the only thing that’s been spoken about when Spain were phenomenal in the World Cup and these women should be celebrated,” she added. “For me, it’s a celebration of their success and I think that’s been forgotten and the girls probably haven’t been able to celebrate.” Discussing Rubiales, she said: “I think the right thing has been done now. He stepped away from it. He still hasn’t apologised.” Read More Fara Williams: England’s most-capped footballer announces retirement England winning Euro 2022 ‘a real proud moment’ for ex-midfielder Fara Williams Jill Scott says World Cup kiss saga ‘overshadowed’ Spanish women’s team playing ‘great football’ Lioness Demi Stokes says misogynistic abuse online ‘really affected’ England players’ game ‘History in the making’: Lionesses’ Euros success sparks booming interest in women’s football Women’s sport is bigger and better than ever in 2023 – rundown of the best in the calendar

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