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There are a quite shocking number of Russian corpses left in the wake of the Ukrainian blitz on their eastern front.

Kyiv’s troops are moving so fast and methodically, there’s no time to collect the enemy’s dead.

It’s a grim illustration of Ukraine’s current battlefield successes.

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Alex Crawford in Tors'ke reporting on the ambush of Russia troops, Ukrainian gains and the loss of life on both sides
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There is evidence all around of Russians being ambushed

As we followed their route through the village of Yampil and on to Torske on the edge of the Luhansk border, we saw scores of burnt military vehicles and scorched forest trees, which highlighted the ferocity of the battle.

There are repeated signs the Ukrainians have ambushed their enemy, often it seems, laying in wait for them and attacking them from the front as the Russians try to flee to their defensive positions deeper into the Donbas.

The Ukrainians have the city of Kremina in their crosshairs now. Seizing it will open the gateway for them into Luhansk and the entire region, and leave them poised to reclaim the twin cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.

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The road from Torske to Kremina is scarred with bombed vehicle wrecks.

We saw Ukrainian soldiers loaded with ammunition and kitbags heading off down the road into Luhansk to do more battle.

“Everything will be Ukraine,” one of them shouted after us with a cheery reassurance. “Hear that?” another called, motioning above us.

There’s a constant backdrop of shelling, of the firing of Grad rockets, and at one stage we hear a jet in the air followed by the terrifying thunder of bombs raining down in the direction of Kremina.

“They will drop more here soon,” he cautions.

The pockmarked yellow bus we are nearby has the body of a Russian soldier hanging out of the driver’s seat. The bus door is open, and his arms are dangling down above the road, as if he’d desperately tried to climb out before death claimed him.

His hands are black with ingrained dirt. His head is gouged open. Death and war are tragically ugly yet simultaneously pitiful.

His relatives in Russia have likely no idea of his fate or how he met his end on this mangled, broken bus at the end of a road pitted with vehicle carcasses.

The stretch of roadway next to the bus is covered in a blanket of Russian uniforms and other discarded clothing and belongings. It’s a chaotic, muddled mayhem reeking of panic and fear.

Alex Crawford in Tors'ke reporting on the ambush of Russia troops, Ukrainian gains and the loss of life on both sides
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A car crushed by a powering tank

Digging a grave

A short distance away, a woman called Anna, who’s wearing a colourful woollen headscarf, tells us of the ferocious fighting outside the farmhouse where she lives with her husband. She’s only just retired from farming and probably looked forward to some relaxing time after a lifetime of hard graft.

Instead, she tells us how a Russian soldier had run into her yard days earlier, trying to hide from the onslaught.

He was wearing civilian clothes but had a weapon and green army body armour. When he’s gunned down, she can’t bear to leave his corpse on her yard for the birds and rats to eat.

She can’t stop crying, recounting what happened. It’s still very fresh and raw for her. She and her husband drag the body to the field at the back of their home and dig a grave, on top of which they place the green flak jacket.

The documents they find on him show he’s 30 years old and from Moscow.

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Alex Crawford in Tors'ke reporting on the ambush of Russia troops, Ukrainian gains and the loss of life on both sides
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A Russian life marked with respect by one Ukrainian mother

“He was the first military person I’d ever seen dead,” she tells us between sobs.

“I felt nothing, nothing. He came to kill us.” But her voice trails off as she’s enveloped by weeping.

The trauma of this war has not yet stripped Anna of her basic humanity. He’s around the same age as her own son. Another young man dying in a war he never chose to fight in.

The shells keep landing close and make her constantly flinch. “It’s so scary. It’s so, so, scary,” she says. “When the houses are on fire, it’s terrifying.

Alex Crawford in Tors'ke reporting on the ambush of Russia troops, Ukrainian gains and the loss of life on both sides

In the midst of horror

“This house was burning just here.” She nods towards her neighbour’s home.

We ask if she’d prefer to go to her shelter to hide for a bit and feel safer.

“Can I go? Is that OK?” Even enduring all this death and torment, she’s unfailingly polite to strangers.

She hugs our Ukrainian colleague Artem, who’s around the same age as the dead Russian soldier. He’s a warm, friendly face to her in the midst of this horror.

Alex Crawford in Tors'ke reporting on the ambush of Russia troops, Ukrainian gains and the loss of life on both sides
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Equipment and body armour is left strewn at roadsides

And yet all the political talk is of worse to come – an impending tactical nuclear attack. It’s a threat US President Joe Biden appears to be taking seriously, and which the Ukrainian troops we spoke to seem unnervingly prepared for.

“We are not afraid of anything any more,” a soldier calling himself Lynx tells us. “We know what we’re fighting for – we’re fighting for our land.

“We’re not afraid of nuclear or chemical weapons. We’ve started, and we won’t stop until we liberate all our land.”

‘Mentally, I’m ready to die’

The rest of his unit sitting atop their armoured personnel carrier are equally undeterred by the nuclear threat.

“Mentally I’m ready to die,” Oleksander says, “so if it (a nuclear attack) happens, then it will happen.”

When you’re prepared to give your life in a war, the manner of that dying takes on a very different significance, it seems.

We travel with the crew across an increasingly boggy forest with pools of muddy water dotted everywhere.

The seasons are rapidly changing, and the incoming inclement weather is what the Ukrainians are trying to get ahead of.

Only military vehicles can easily traverse terrain so taxing, and the deteriorating conditions will challenge even these.

The Ukrainians are in a race against winter as well as a ferocious battle with Russian troops – and they cannot afford to lose either.

Alex Crawford is reporting with cameraman Jake Britton and producers Chris Cunningham and Artem Lysak

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Israel removes Greta Thunberg from Gaza aid flotilla – but says she is ‘safe and healthy’

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Israel removes Greta Thunberg from Gaza aid flotilla - but says she is 'safe and healthy'

Several boats from a large aid flotilla trying to reach Gaza have been boarded by Israeli authorities – with campaigner Greta Thunberg among those removed.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of more than 40 civilian boats with an estimated 500 people onboard, and is trying to break Israel’s sea blockade.

But the attempt appears to have been thwarted – at least for now – by about 20 Israeli ships.

Israel’s foreign ministry said “several vessels” had been “safely stopped” with passengers being taken to an Israeli port.

“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” a spokesperson added.

A livestream showed some of the boats in the flotilla as the incident unfolded
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A livestream showed some of the boats in the flotilla as the incident unfolded

A video showed Thunberg sitting on deck while being handed a water bottle and raincoat.

It’s so far unclear how many boats have been intercepted.

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The flotilla ignored requests to turn back and organisers said the interception was illegal as it happened in “international waters” around 80 miles off the coast.

Greg Stoker, a US veteran who’s involved, said water cannon had been used on some of the boats.

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Gaza-bound flotilla ‘aggressively circled’ by warship

The flotilla, which set off from Barcelona and scheduled to arrive this morning, was flanked by NATO warships for some of the journey.

The attempt has received a lot of attention, with Nelson Mandela’s grandson, a former Barcelona mayor and several European legislators taking part.

Israel said the mission was violating a lawful blockade and is only intended to provoke. It also said it had offered a way to deliver any aid peacefully through safe channels.

Organisers said the night-time interception was the second time the flotilla had been approached on Wednesday, after “warships” earlier encircled two of its boats.

The flotilla set off from Barcelona on 31 August and later stopped in Sicily
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The flotilla set off from Barcelona on 31 August and later stopped in Sicily

Last week, drones also reportedly dropped stun grenades and itching powder on some vessels.

Israel didn’t comment, but has said it will use any means to stop the boats getting to Gaza.

Protests have broken out in Italy and Turkey over the treatment of the flotilla.

Italy’s largest union has called a general strike tomorrow, saying the “attack on civilian vessels carrying Italian citizens represents an extremely serious matter”.

Turkey’s foreign ministry called Israel’s interception an “attack” and “an act of terror” that endangered lives of those on board.

Gaza has been dealing with severe food shortages due to the ongoing war.

Thunberg and activist Saif Abukeshek. Pic: Reuters/Nacho Doce
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Thunberg and activist Saif Abukeshek. Pic: Reuters/Nacho Doce

Agencies such as the UN accused Israel of deliberately slowing the delivery of supplies – something it denies.

However, the aid being carried by the flotilla is said to only be a symbolic amount of food and medicine.

An aid boat carrying Thunberg was also intercepted near Gaza in June, with the Swede deported alongside others.

Israel put in it sea blockade when Hamas took control of the territory in 2007 and there have been several attempts to break it since then.

Some of those involved in the latest campaign have said they will start a hunger strike if they’re detained.

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Will Trump’s Gaza plan bring peace?

Meanwhile, all eyes remain on Hamas and whether it will accept Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the two-year war, sparked by the group’s terror attack on Israel.

The 20-point proposal was unveiled alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House this week.

Hamas said it would study the plan and consult with other factions, but didn’t give an indication of when it would deliver its verdict.

Mr Trump said on Tuesday he would give the group “three or four days”.

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Taliban internet blackout has created an extreme scenario in Afghanistan with far-reaching consequences

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Taliban internet blackout has created an extreme scenario in Afghanistan with far-reaching consequences

At Kabul International Airport, there are dozens of confused looking families.

Many are holding flowers, waiting and hoping their loved ones will touch down.

Others came here hoping to take-off but are now sitting bewildered in the hot sun.

After the Taliban imposed a nationwide shutdown of the internet, no one knows if any flights are still operating and no one can use their phones to find out.

The Taliban caught many in the country off-guard with their shutdown. File pic: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
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The Taliban caught many in the country off-guard with their shutdown. File pic: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

“I am waiting for my brother from Australia,” one man tells me, “but I don’t know if he’s coming”.

Beyond the gates, the runway is full of grounded planes.

After hours of waiting on Tuesday, no international flights took off or arrived at Kabul Airport, despite some airlines scheduling departures.

The Taliban caught many in the country off-guard with their shutdown – reportedly even some of their own ministers.

Initially, there appeared to be no official indication of how long the shutdown might last or an explanation for why it was imposed.

A man tries to use Google on his smartphone in the Afghan capital. Pic: Reuters
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A man tries to use Google on his smartphone in the Afghan capital. Pic: Reuters

On Wednesday, the Taliban government rejected reports of a nationwide internet ban, saying old fibre optic cables are worn out and are being replaced.

But, at the airport, people worry it could be indefinite. Others speculate about rumours it’s to do with security protocols and the movement of officials in the country.

No one knows, and the TV and radio stations they get their news from have not been providing the latest information.

Men try to connect their smart TV to the internet. Pic: Reuters
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Men try to connect their smart TV to the internet. Pic: Reuters

The banks are open but no one can get out money. An employee at the bank in our hotel in Kabul told us they haven’t been able to open their operating systems since Tuesday morning and that Western Union isn’t accessible either.

That’s hugely significant in a country where many are reliant on money sent back by relatives abroad and banks are already struggling with sanctions.

No one can call the police, no one can call an ambulance, and hospitals and medical services are wrestling with how to adjust too.

It follows more than a week of temporary connectivity issues in some parts of the country, with the northern region of Balkh among the first to be affected by a ban on fibre optic internet.

Read more: Internet ban ‘extinguishing the only light that still reaches us’

Taliban fighters ride on a pickup truck during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal. Pic: AP
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Taliban fighters ride on a pickup truck during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the US withdrawal. Pic: AP

In the last 10 days, we have been travelling across Afghanistan. People in Nangarhar, Kunar, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat all expressed concern about possible impending blackouts, and we personally experienced a slowdown in connectivity in these places. But nothing as widespread or sustained as this shutdown which is nationwide.

Two weeks ago, the Taliban’s provincial government spokesman Haji Attaullah Zaid said leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had imposed a “complete ban” on cable internet access in Balkh.

“This measure was taken to prevent immorality, and an alternative will be built within the country for necessities,” Mr Zaid said.

It was said to be connected to concerns around pornography – but this was never officially stated by the Taliban.

We have tried to reach the government for comment via satellite phone but with no success.

No one knows how long the shutdown will last. Pic: Reuters
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No one knows how long the shutdown will last. Pic: Reuters

The blackout has disrupted phone services. In countries with limited telecom infrastructure, phone networks are often routed through fibre-optic systems which have now been disabled.

The lack of connectivity has raised immediate concern in the aid community. Amnesty International called it “reckless” and said the shutdown would have “far-reaching consequences for the delivery of aid, access to healthcare and girls’ education”.

After the Taliban banned school for girls over the age of 12, many in the country have been secretly studying online.

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Everyone we’ve spoken to seems dumbfounded.

During the previous temporary blackouts, the Taliban did warn more was to come. But no one appears to have anticipated this – not ordinary citizens, not foreign officials here in Kabul, not big business, not the airlines or the hospitals.

It is an indication of how quickly this country can turn and the power the Taliban has to disrupt and reshape its future.

Internationally, many are raising concerns that this is an attempt by the Taliban at widespread censorship and further restriction of girls’ education.

Whatever the intention of their move, it has created an extreme scenario: no one in this country can currently contact anyone – for an emergency, for a family member, or for guidance – creating a major information vacuum.

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At least 69 dead as earthquake strikes Philippines, as hospital ‘overwhelmed’

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At least 69 dead as earthquake strikes Philippines, as hospital 'overwhelmed'

At least 69 people have been killed in a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked the central Philippines.

The centre of the quake, which knocked out power lines and sent people running out into the streets, was about 12 miles northeast of Bogo, a coastal city of about 90,000 people on the island of Cebu.

Civil defence official Raffy Alejandro told reporters that the city’s hospital has been “overwhelmed,” and that the number of dead remains “fluid”.

Earlier, authorities said at least 14 residents in Bogo had died. Another official said more than 150 people were injured.

The tremor was set off by movement in a local fault at a depth of three miles at around 10pm (3pm in the UK) on Tuesday.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Gemma Villamor, head of the local disaster office, said earlier that in the town of Medellin, near Bogo, at least 12 residents died when the ceilings and walls of their homes collapsed, with some asleep at the time.

And in nearby San Remigio, vice mayor Alfie Reynes added that five people – including three coastguard members, a firefighter, and a child – were killed by collapsing walls while fleeing a basketball game.

He later told DZMM Radio: “It is raining heavily and there is no electricity so we really need help, especially in the northern part because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake.”

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Medical teams in Cebu city, central Philippines, help the injured.  Pic: AP
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Medical teams in Cebu city, central Philippines, help the injured. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Businesses and landmark buildings have suffered damage, including an old Catholic church in the town of Daanbantayan, and roads have shown deep cracks.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a tsunami warning for Cebu and nearby provinces, but later lifted it after no unusual waves were detected.

The quake struck while Cebu and surrounding areas were still recovering from a severe storm that hit the central region days earlier, killing at least 27 people mainly from drownings and fallen trees, cutting power across cities, and forcing evacuations.

The Philippines, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

It also faces around 20 typhoons and storms annually, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.

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