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Russia claims deadly drone strike varsity hostel killed 21 students

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Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly drone attack on a university complex in Starobelsk, in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region, claiming that 21 students were killed in the strike.

According to a statement circulated by Russian officials, the attack occurred on the night of May 22 and targeted the academic building and dormitory of Lugansk State Pedagogical University.

Russian authorities alleged that 16 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including four heavy drones, were deployed in three waves during the operation.

Officials described the incident as one of the deadliest attacks on a civilian educational facility in the region since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming that the victims were students residing in the university dormitory.

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“Just a week ago, they were students with dreams, plans and a future. Today, all that remains are photographs, memories and unbearable grief,” the statement said.

The authorities further alleged that the strike was deliberate and targeted civilians rather than military infrastructure.

The claims could not be independently verified, and Ukrainian authorities had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.

Since the start of the conflict, both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of carrying out attacks on civilian infrastructure, allegations that are often difficult to verify independently due to ongoing hostilities and restricted access to affected areas.

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The reported incident has renewed concerns among humanitarian organizations about the impact of the war on educational institutions and young people caught in the conflict.

The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, widespread displacement and extensive damage to homes, schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure across both countries.

International observers have consistently called for independent investigations into attacks involving civilian casualties, regardless of the parties involved, to establish the facts and ensure accountability under international humanitarian law.

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Nepal flood: Death toll hits 1,222, 4,875 missing

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The death toll from last week’s devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,222, with 4,875 people still missing as rescuers continue to search through debris and isolated communities a week after the disaster.

According to The Hindu, citing Nepal Police and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, bodies have been recovered across eight districts, with Chitawan recording the highest number at 348, followed by Nawalparasi East with 218 and Nawalparasi West with 208.

Nuwakot has recorded 155 deaths, while 127 bodies have been recovered in Rasuwa, 69 in Gorkha, 60 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahu.

The scale of the disaster has also complicated the search for missing people, 583 of whom are foreigners, while thousands remain unaccounted for in areas where roads, bridges and communication networks were swept away.

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The joint security operation involving the Nepal Army and other security agencies has so far rescued 11,993 people by helicopter and land routes. About 21,314 security personnel have been deployed for search and rescue operations.

The humanitarian crisis was underscored on Wednesday in Bidur, where survivors were forced to use a temporary cable crossing over the swollen Trishuli River after floodwaters destroyed roads and bridges.

The Nepal Army installed the roughly 250-metre cable, which residents and soldiers have been using to move people across the river, including those needing medical treatment, medicines, food and other essential supplies.

The disaster has also spread across the Nepal-China border. In Tibet’s Gyirong county, where flooding struck near the Nepal border, 21 people have died, and 541 remain missing, according to Chinese authorities cited by The Hindu.

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China reopened the highway leading to the Gyirong border crossing on Wednesday after floodwaters destroyed sections of the route, allowing heavy rescue equipment to reach the disaster zone.

Reuters reported that search teams equipped with life-detection devices and dogs were subsequently deployed.

India has also stepped up its response, with a fifth aircraft arriving in Nepal carrying an 11-member rescue team, specialised equipment and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The disaster has meanwhile renewed scrutiny of development and environmental practices in the Himalayan region. Environmentalist Sunita Narain said the scale of the flooding was linked to decades of treating rivers and mountains as though they could be continually re-engineered, particularly through extensive hydropower development.

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The continuing recovery operation comes as authorities confront the destruction of transport links and the large number of people still missing, leaving the final human cost of the disaster uncertain.

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Popular Champion Golfer, Tiger Woods, Loses Driver’s License Over Reckless Driving

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Tiger Woods has been fined and suspended from driving for five years after entering a plea agreement to a reckless driving charge, following March’s rollover car crash in Florida.

The 15-time major champion was arrested in March and spent eight hours in jail before being bailed, after the Land Rover he was driving rolled over in a collision with a pick-up truck towing a trailer.

Woods previously entered a written plea of not guilty via his lawyers to charges of driving under the influence, property damage and a refusal to submit to testing.

The former world No 1 attended a plea conference hearing at Martin County Courthouse in Florida on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving and the refusal to submit an unlawful test.

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Judge Darren Steele accepted the plea agreement, which amended the original DUI charge and resolved the refusal to submit a test charge, while Woods also entered a plea to a careless driving citation.

On the reckless driving second offence charge, Woods received a $1,000 (£748) fine and a five-year driving suspension.

On the second count, the refusal to submit to a lawful test, he received a $500 (£370) fine.

“There are no exceptions. If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would go ​immediately back to jail,” Steele told the court.

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Woods was ordered to pay the minimum fine for the careless driving citation, which also carries a five-year driving ban to run concurrently with the suspension on the reckless driving charge.

The 50-year-old said little during the hearing. He arrived at the courthouse with Vanessa Trump, his girlfriend and President Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law, who sat behind him during a hearing that lasted under 10 minutes.

He was also fined court costs, according to court documents. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but means the accused will offer no defense.

The plea is treated as a conviction in the criminal justice system.

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The police report from the March 27 crash said deputies found two hydrocone pills – used to treat pain – in his pocket, and he showed signs of impairment.

It described Woods’ movements as slow and lethargic when speaking to deputies at the scene.

The report also said Woods appeared to be sweating, his eyes looked glassy, and his pupils were dilated.

Woods managed to crawl out of his car without any injuries and told a deputy he was looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he hit the truck.

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Woods has not featured in a professional golf event since missing the cut at The Open in July 2024.

He made his first public appearance since returning from treatment in Switzerland on June 23, when he introduced the PGA Tour’s plans to revamp its schedule for 2028.

Woods remained as chairman of the PGA Tour’s Future Competition Committee after his arrest.

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Like Mother, Like Daughter? Brigitte Macron’s 42-Year-Old Daughter Dating 22-Year-Old Man

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The daughter of France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, has reportedly sparked public interest after going public with a new relationship involving a man nearly half her age.

Tiphaine Auzière, 42, is said to be dating 22-year-old Antoine Lecomte, a business-school student, with the couple recently sharing glimpses of their romantic getaway in Amsterdam.

Auzière, who is the youngest of Brigitte Macron’s three children, reportedly confirmed the relationship through an Instagram post documenting a trip to the Netherlands with Lecomte.

The pair were pictured travelling in a campervan before checking into the Faralda Hotel in Amsterdam.

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They also reportedly spent time exploring the Dutch capital, including visiting exhibitions and taking walks around the city.

Lecomte shared his own glimpse of the trip on social media, captioning it: “48h in ’Dam with Madam.”

The relationship has attracted attention largely because of the couple’s reported 20-year age difference.

French magazine Madame Figaro noted that while the age gap was likely to generate discussion, Auzière and Lecomte appeared comfortable with their relationship.

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Their romance was reportedly first revealed by Gala magazine last month, with reports suggesting that the pair initially met at Le Touquet, a seaside resort on the French Channel coast that has long been associated with the Macron family.

According to people familiar with the relationship, the connection between the two was immediate.

One friend reportedly described Lecomte as adventurous and said Auzière shares some personality traits with her mother.

“Antoine is an adventurer who is afraid of nothing, while Tiphaine is very like her mother,” the friend was quoted as saying.

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“Like Brigitte, she only listens to her heart and does not care what others think.”

Another source reportedly said the relationship developed quickly because the pair discovered that they had several interests in common.

“It was an instant connection between them,” the source said.

“They have a lot in common: a love of Le Touquet and thrills, but also travel and entrepreneurship.”

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The romance has inevitably drawn comparisons with the relationship between Brigitte Macron and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Brigitte, now 73, met Emmanuel Macron when he was a teenager while she was an older woman and his teacher. Their relationship later developed into a marriage, and Emmanuel Macron eventually became France’s president.

Because of that history, reports have highlighted what some observers see as a striking parallel between mother and daughter, particularly regarding relationships involving significant age differences.

However, the circumstances of the two relationships are not identical, and the reported relationship between Auzière and Lecomte involves two adults.

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Despite the attention surrounding the couple, Brigitte Macron is reportedly supportive of her daughter’s relationship.

A friend of Auzière reportedly told Gala that the French First Lady’s primary concern was her daughter’s happiness.

“She reacted like all mothers would,” the friend was quoted as saying.

“All that matters to her is her daughter’s happiness, so she is very happy to see her fulfilled.”

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The reported approval from Brigitte has further fuelled interest in the relationship, given the striking similarities people have drawn between the couple’s age gap and Brigitte’s own unconventional love story.

Tiphaine Auzière is a French lawyer and public figure who has occasionally attracted media attention because of her connection to the Macron family.

She is Brigitte Macron’s youngest daughter and has remained involved in public life while largely maintaining a degree of privacy around her personal affairs.

Her reported relationship with Lecomte represents a new chapter in her personal life and has generated considerable discussion in French celebrity and lifestyle media.

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For now, the couple appears unfazed by the attention surrounding their 20-year age difference, with their recent Amsterdam trip offering a public glimpse into their relationship.

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