As Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, the latest reports from ground zero show the grim reality of the Ukrainian cities that are under attack.&nbsp;

Massive loss of life and property has been reported in Ukraine and the crisis has also triggered a refugee crisis, as people are fleeing the country to save their lives.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (March 12) urged the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons from being sent to Ukraine to fight.&nbsp;

WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-ivan-fedorov-mayor-of-ukrainian-city-abducted-by-russian-troops-461462">Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Ukrainian city abducted by Russian troops</a>

In a video address released on Telegram, Zelensky said, "I want to say this once again to Russian mothers, especially mothers of conscripts. Do not send your children to war in a foreign country." &nbsp;

He said, "Check where your son is. And if you have the slightest suspicion that your son could be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately" to prevent him being killed or captured."&nbsp;

Kyiv last week invited mothers of Russian soldiers captured on its territory to come and pick their children up. The Ukrainian defence ministry published phone numbers and an email through which they could obtain information about them.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-tank-man-to-snake-island-defenders-brave-stories-of-resistance-by-ukrainians-against-vladimir-putin-460353">From 'tank man' to snake island defenders: Brave stories of resistance by Ukrainians against Vladimir Putin</a>

On Friday (March 11), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that it remains "gravely concerned by the rising death toll and human suffering in Ukraine".&nbsp;

Requesting an "immediate end to the attacks", spokesperson Liz Throssell said, "Civilians are being killed and maimed in what appear to be indiscriminate attacks, with Russian forces using explosive weapons with wide area effects in or near populated areas. These include missiles, heavy artillery shells and rockets, as well as airstrikes."&nbsp;

As per the OHCHR, 549 civilian deaths have been recorded and 957 injuries since the invasion began after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Although, some of the officials have noted that the actual death toll could be much higher than reported ones.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Turkey taking advantage of war in Ukraine?

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As Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, the latest reports from ground zero show the grim reality of the Ukrainian cities that are under attack. Massive loss of life and property has been reported in Ukraine and the crisis has also triggered a refugee crisis, as people are fleeing the country to save their lives.

As Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, the latest reports from ground zero show the grim reality of the Ukrainian cities that are under attack. Massive loss of life and property has been reported in Ukraine and the crisis has also triggered a refugee crisis, as people are fleeing the country to save their lives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday (March 12) urged the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons from being sent to Ukraine to fight. WATCH | Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Ukrainian city abducted by Russian troops In a video address released on Telegram, Zelensky said, "I want to say this once again to Russian mothers, especially mothers of conscripts. Do not send your children to war in a foreign country." He said, "Check where your son is. And if you have the slightest suspicion that your son could be sent to war against Ukraine, act immediately" to prevent him being killed or captured." Kyiv last week invited mothers of Russian soldiers captured on its territory to come and pick their children up. The Ukrainian defence ministry published phone numbers and an email through which they could obtain information about them. IN PICS | From 'tank man' to snake island defenders: Brave stories of resistance by Ukrainians against Vladimir Putin On Friday (March 11), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that it remains "gravely concerned by the rising death toll and human suffering in Ukraine". Requesting an "immediate end to the attacks", spokesperson Liz Throssell said, "Civilians are being killed and maimed in what appear to be indiscriminate attacks, with Russian forces using explosive weapons with wide area effects in or near populated areas. These include missiles, heavy artillery shells and rockets, as well as airstrikes." As per the OHCHR, 549 civilian deaths have been recorded and 957 injuries since the invasion began after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. Although, some of the officials have noted that the actual death toll could be much higher than reported ones. WATCH | Gravitas: Turkey taking advantage of war in Ukraine? ×

'Prevent him from being killed or captured': Zelensky appeals to mothers of Russian soldiers

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russian soldiers have kidnapped the mayor of southern Ukraine's Melitopol on Friday (March 11), the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian officials said. The abduction of Ivan Fedorov, who is the mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol, was captured in CCTV cameras as he was seen being led away by armed men from a government building on Friday. The video, posted by the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, Kirillo Timoshenko, shows soldiers coming out of a building holding a man dressed in black, his head apparently covered with a black bag. ALSO READ | 'World War III': We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine, says Biden Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs tweeted: "The armed aggression of the RF against #Ukraine is accompanied by gross violations of norms and principles of international law, including int’l humanitarian law. Among such gross violations was the abduction of Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov on March 11." Ukraine's parliament said on Twitter, "A group of 10 occupiers kidnapped the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov. He refused to cooperate with the enemy." It said the mayor was seized when he was at the city's crisis centre dealing with supply issues. Later, Zelensky also confirmed the news. In a video message, he said, "This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders... They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities," he said. IN PICS | From 'tank man' to snake island defenders: Brave stories of resistance by Ukrainians against Vladimir Putin He called Fedorov "a mayor who bravely defends Ukraine and the members of his community". He added, "The capture of the mayor of Melitopol is, therefore, a crime, not only against a particular person, against a particular community, and not only against Ukraine. It is a crime against democracy itself... The acts of the Russian invaders will be regarded like those of Islamic State terrorists." Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media. Watch the video of abduction here: #RussianWarCrimes Russian #CrimesAgainstHumanity ⚡⚡⚡The mayor of occupied City of 🇺🇦 #Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, was abducted by a 🇷🇺group of occupiers today. Mayor Fedorov refused to cooperate with the 🇷🇺enemy. During the abduction, they put a plastic bag on his head. pic.twitter.com/pc24n6Bxnj — Belarussische Diaspora in Österreich (@BelDiasporaAT) March 11, 2022 × The armed aggression of the RF against #Ukraine is accompanied by gross violations of norms and principles of international law, including int’l humanitarian law. Among such gross violations was the abduction of Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov on March 11. https://t.co/pSyJKi8VY8 pic.twitter.com/SdZVCW1xNx — MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) March 11, 2022 ×

Watch: Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Ukrainian city abducted by Russian troops

Ukraine has been under attack after Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 ordered his armed forces to carry out a "military operation" in Ukrainian cities.&nbsp;

Since then, the conflict has escalated with reports of multiple casualties and massive loss of property. The situation has also led to a refugee crisis as people are fleeing Ukraine to save their lives.&nbsp;

The economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is immense as countries across the world are reeling with a surge in prices of various commodities. But panic was caused when the conflict involved the nuclear plants and concerns were raised over radiation leaks.&nbsp;

On February 24, Russian forces seized the defunct Chernobyl plant, the site of the 1986 disaster that killed hundreds and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe.&nbsp;

After that, Russian forces had attacked Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is Europe's largest nuclear power plant, on March 4. The plant and a five-story training facility building next to it were on fire, which was later extinguished.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/napoleons-waterloo-hitlers-barbarossa-5-lessons-putin-can-learn-from-failed-war-campaigns-461556">Napoleon's Waterloo &amp; Hitler's Barbarossa: 5 lessons Putin can learn from failed war campaigns</a>

Ukraine has four active nuclear power plants, providing about half the country's electricity, as well as stores of nuclear waste such as the one at Chernobyl.&nbsp;

In the latest development, the United States on Friday (March 11) accused Russia of violating nuclear safety principles in Ukraine. US also demanded its invading forces stop firing on nuclear power plants.&nbsp;

Important to note that there were no signs detected yet of any radiological release.&nbsp;

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a Twitter post that radiation monitors in much of Ukraine were still functioning although the United States was concerned by the lack of data from safeguards monitors at Chernobyl or Zaporizhzhia.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ukraine-war-what-weapons-are-being-used-in-russias-invasion-461326">Ukraine war: What weapons are being used in Russia's invasion?</a>

The conundrum here is, both sites are under Russian forces' control but are being operated by Ukrainian staff in conditions that the International Atomic Energy Agency says endanger the safety of the facilities.

"We remain concerned about Russia’s reckless actions and violations of nuclear safety principles. We are monitoring reports of damage to a research facility in Kharkiv. Near-term safety risk is low, but the continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities must cease," Granholm said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies are concerned about the risk Russia's invasion poses to nuclear facilities across the country, including power plants and research centres.&nbsp;

'Chernobyl&nbsp;plant still without external power supply'

On Friday (March 10) Ukraine's state nuclear power regulator said that the electricity supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power station had not yet been restored. On the other hand, Russia's energy ministry claimed that it was restored by Belarusian specialists on Thursday.&nbsp;

Ukraine has warned of an increased risk of a radiation leak if the high-voltage power line, damaged in fighting, is not repaired to the plant, which is occupied by Russian forces.&nbsp;

"Attempts to restore the external power supply to the site are in progress," the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said in a statement. When the external electricity supply is severed, an emergency diesel generator kicks in.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;WION Ground Report from Brovary: Russian forces bombarded cities across Ukraine

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(With inpusts from agencies)

Ukraine has been under attack after Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 ordered his armed forces to carry out a "military operation" in Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine has been under attack after Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 ordered his armed forces to carry out a "military operation" in Ukrainian cities. Since then, the conflict has escalated with reports of multiple casualties and massive loss of property. The situation has also led to a refugee crisis as people are fleeing Ukraine to save their lives. The economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is immense as countries across the world are reeling with a surge in prices of various commodities. But panic was caused when the conflict involved the nuclear plants and concerns were raised over radiation leaks. On February 24, Russian forces seized the defunct Chernobyl plant, the site of the 1986 disaster that killed hundreds and spread radioactive contamination west across Europe. After that, Russian forces had attacked Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is Europe's largest nuclear power plant, on March 4. The plant and a five-story training facility building next to it were on fire, which was later extinguished. IN PICS | Napoleon's Waterloo & Hitler's Barbarossa: 5 lessons Putin can learn from failed war campaigns Ukraine has four active nuclear power plants, providing about half the country's electricity, as well as stores of nuclear waste such as the one at Chernobyl. In the latest development, the United States on Friday (March 11) accused Russia of violating nuclear safety principles in Ukraine. US also demanded its invading forces stop firing on nuclear power plants. Important to note that there were no signs detected yet of any radiological release. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a Twitter post that radiation monitors in much of Ukraine were still functioning although the United States was concerned by the lack of data from safeguards monitors at Chernobyl or Zaporizhzhia. IN PICS | Ukraine war: What weapons are being used in Russia's invasion? The conundrum here is, both sites are under Russian forces' control but are being operated by Ukrainian staff in conditions that the International Atomic Energy Agency says endanger the safety of the facilities. "We remain concerned about Russia’s reckless actions and violations of nuclear safety principles. We are monitoring reports of damage to a research facility in Kharkiv. Near-term safety risk is low, but the continued Russian firing on nuclear facilities must cease," Granholm said. Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies are concerned about the risk Russia's invasion poses to nuclear facilities across the country, including power plants and research centres. 'Chernobyl plant still without external power supply' On Friday (March 10) Ukraine's state nuclear power regulator said that the electricity supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power station had not yet been restored. On the other hand, Russia's energy ministry claimed that it was restored by Belarusian specialists on Thursday. Ukraine has warned of an increased risk of a radiation leak if the high-voltage power line, damaged in fighting, is not repaired to the plant, which is occupied by Russian forces. "Attempts to restore the external power supply to the site are in progress," the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said in a statement. When the external electricity supply is severed, an emergency diesel generator kicks in. WATCH | WION Ground Report from Brovary: Russian forces bombarded cities across Ukraine × (With inpusts from agencies)

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Concerns raised over violation of nuclear safety principles in Ukraine

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been summoned by the country's election commission over violating the code of conduct issued during local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Dawn newspaper reported.&nbsp;

The media report added that Khan has been asked by the election commission to explain his position and appear before him or send in a lawyer on March 14 for the purpose.&nbsp;

An ex-parte decision would be taken under Section 234 of the Election Act, 2017 in case he fails to do so,&nbsp;the notice also added.&nbsp;

As quoted by the media outlet, the notice read: "It was conveyed to you that public office holder including prime minister cannot participate in election campaign or canvass in any local council or announce any development scheme after issuance of election schedule."&nbsp;

On Friday (March 11), ahead of the no-confidence motion against his government, the Pakistani Prime Minister used derogatory language for opposition leaders. He also threatened them with consequences once the motion fails.&nbsp;

Launching a verbal attack with profanity-laden language, Khan targetted opposition figures, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif.&nbsp;

All the mentioned leaders are spearheading the no-trust move against him while addressing a public meeting at Dir Scouts Ground in Balambat.&nbsp;

During the address, Khan referred to the trio of Opposition leaders as "Showbaz Sharif, Diesel and Dakoo".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been summoned by the country's election commission over violating the code of conduct issued during local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been summoned by the country's election commission over violating the code of conduct issued during local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Dawn newspaper reported. The media report added that Khan has been asked by the election commission to explain his position and appear before him or send in a lawyer on March 14 for the purpose. An ex-parte decision would be taken under Section 234 of the Election Act, 2017 in case he fails to do so, the notice also added. As quoted by the media outlet, the notice read: "It was conveyed to you that public office holder including prime minister cannot participate in election campaign or canvass in any local council or announce any development scheme after issuance of election schedule." On Friday (March 11), ahead of the no-confidence motion against his government, the Pakistani Prime Minister used derogatory language for opposition leaders. He also threatened them with consequences once the motion fails. Launching a verbal attack with profanity-laden language, Khan targetted opposition figures, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif. All the mentioned leaders are spearheading the no-trust move against him while addressing a public meeting at Dir Scouts Ground in Balambat. During the address, Khan referred to the trio of Opposition leaders as "Showbaz Sharif, Diesel and Dakoo". (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's election commission summons PM Imran Khan for violating poll code

They poured the liquid out — blueberry-flavored, orange-flavored and the original, face-puckering unflavored version — tweeting #DumpRussianVodka and, at gay bars across the country, made do with Absolut and soda instead.

This was 2013, after President Vladimir Putin imposed harsh new measures aimed at LGBTQ Russians.

And now, as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine takes a horrific human toll, turning millions into refugees, the boycotts are back: U.S. consumers channeling outrage into ditching products they assume are produced by Russians in Russia, with ties, somehow, to Putin.

The problem with that logic is that Americans consume hardly any products that are truly Russian. That goes for vodka — and oil, too. Russian oil makes up 3% of what Americans consume on a daily basis.

This mistaken impression has led people to punish businesses that are really Russian in name only. Some states that recently placed a ban on Russian spirits discovered they were setting a policy that affected only two brands with a small footprint domestically — Russian Standard and Ustianochka. President Joe Biden announced a ban on all Russian liquor imports on Friday. But less than 1% of the vodka consumed here comes from Russia, a beverage industry trade group has noted.

The vodka most commonly but incorrectly associated with Russia, Stolichnaya, has again borne the brunt of the online calls for a boycott. It has been produced in Latvia since 2002, and the headquarters of its parent company, the Stoli Group, are in Luxembourg. Recently, the company formally rebranded its signature spirit as just Stoli after bar owners from Vermont to Michigan to Iowa declared they would no longer serve it and shared video of themselves dumping bottles of it down the drain.

In New York, the famous red banquettes in the Russian Tea Room aren’t as full of patrons these days. But the restaurant’s Russian heritage is a bit of a sleight of hand. It was opened in 1927 by a Polish immigrant who called it the Albertina Rasch Russian Tea Room — after a ballet dancer who was Viennese, even though many at the time assumed she was Russian.

In Chicago, a Russian-style bath house called Red Square has reported getting strange phone calls from people trying to pin down whether it has taken a side in the war. But Red Square is co-owned by a man who was born in Ukraine and said he still has family in the country.

In Washington, windows were broken and a door smashed at the Russia House restaurant near Dupont Circle. Its co-owner told local media that the business, which has been closed since the pandemic, has no connection with Russia. According to its website, which advertises caviar spreads as the kind of indulgence that many Americans associate with Russian decadence, one owner fought in the Gulf War and the other was born in Lithuania.

The misplaced anger of the backlash against Russia has been an instructive development for those who study consumer habits, highlighting the ways that boycotts are especially ineffective and often counterproductive as a tool of protest in the social media era. A staple of American political resistance since the Boston Tea Party, boycotts have played a vital role in shaping public opinion about demonstrations for social progress. The civil rights bus boycotts in the South and the grape boycotts in the 1960s and ’70s to protest conditions for agricultural workers helped spur meaningful change.

But that is not as true today, despite the exponential growth in the number of boycotts aimed at large corporations. One study conducted by a pair of scholars, Maurice Schweitzer of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Joseph Gaspar of Quinnipiac University, found that calls for boycotts against Fortune 500 companies had nearly tripled since 2010. The study, which has not yet been published, also found that the most common trigger was politics.

Calls to boycott can be effective by creating bad publicity that tarnishes, temporarily at least, a company’s brand image. Sometimes they spur companies to change, as a backlash against SeaWorld over its treatment of orcas did. The company announced in 2016 that it was ending its breeding program, meaning the generation of killer whales now at its theme parks will be the last.

But more often, consumer boycotts fail to have much of an impact on the targeted company’s bottom line because they are either too hard to stick to, as people discovered when they tried to shun BP gas after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, or because they inspire a spirited response from consumers who want to support a company precisely because it’s under attack.

After the CEO of Chick-fil-A professed his opposition to same-sex marriage in 2012, mayors in liberal cities like San Francisco and Boston said the Southern fried chicken eatery should look elsewhere to open new restaurants. Conservatives like Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher and two-time presidential candidate, rallied their followers to support the chain. Its nationwide expansion continued at a fast pace, and there are now Chick-fil-A restaurants from Brooklyn to Seattle.

“It either turns out to be too delicious or too convenient,” Schweitzer of the Wharton School said of shunning certain products. Another factor, he added, is the sheer volume of news that people find politically motivating. “There’s something to be outraged about on a weekly or monthly basis,” he said. “And in the moment the emotion feels raw and powerful, but we fail to appreciate how fleeting that is.”

One reason calls for boycotts keep growing despite their ineffectiveness is that many people appear to believe they are sticking to their guns when they aren’t.

A draft of a new study by scholars from Northwestern University, the University of Toronto and Harvard Business School examined the impact of several recent politically motivated calls for action, including the campaign to boycott or, conversely, “buycott” Starbucks after its announcement in 2017 that it would hire 10,000 refugees. The move came in response to former President Donald Trump’s order halting migration from seven mostly Muslim countries.

Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 consumers, obtained their actual spending at Starbucks over several months and asked whether they had changed their buying behavior because of the refugee announcement. They found that those who reported they had changed their habits — either in support of Starbucks by buying more or against it by boycotting — didn’t actually do anything differently.

Katy DeCelles, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management and one of the authors of the study, said the results showed that people of all political persuasions believed what they wanted to be true about their own behavior.

Finding that there was no measurable impact on spending with such an emotionally charged and highly publicized issue surprised the researchers.

“We thought if we were going to find an effect on people’s behavior it would be now,” DeCelles added.

As that research — and the current anti-Stoli sentiment — shows, the anger channeled into consumer boycotts often lacks consistent logic. Although some states like Pennsylvania and Oregon have not included Stoli in their Russian spirits ban, New Hampshire has. A spokesperson for the state’s liquor commission confirmed that because Gov. Chris Sununu’s order applies not only to Russian-made products but also to ones that are “Russian-branded,” Stoli would remain off the shelves at state-operated stores.

Damian McKinney, CEO of the Stoli Group, said in an interview that mistaken impressions about the brand had nearly led to major losses of business. He recalled a recent conversation with the head of one major retailer in Britain, who had informed him that Stoli was about to be pulled from its shelves.

“I said, ‘Do you know we’re Latvian?’ And there was a pause,” McKinney said, declining to name the retailer. As he spoke, the background for his Zoom screen was framed in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag alongside the hashtag #StandWithUkraine. “I needed people to understand we’re on the good guys’ side. And this is about an evil man and a regime, not the Russian people,” he added, noting that Stoli employs Russians as well as Ukrainians.

Like many businesses, Stoli has no singular identity that is easy to delineate. Its recipe is Russian, as is its name. “Stolichnaya” translates roughly to “metropolitan.” The company founder, Yuri Shefler, fled Russia after a dispute with the government over control of the Stoli trademark. He lives in Switzerland. For years, Russia has fought Stoli in court over the rights to claim ownership of the name. The company makes its bottle caps and some of its bottles in Ukraine and recently evacuated five Ukrainian employees from the country to Cyprus and Luxembourg, McKinney said.

The Russian Tea Room, where during the pre-theater rush Friday only a handful of tables were occupied, has a similarly complicated lineage, despite the name. Its current owner is a New York real estate developer. But it started in 1927 as a popular hangout among Russians who emigrated to America and became citizens. A New York Times story from 1977 about the restaurant’s 50th anniversary noted that the restaurant was patronized early on by exiles who called themselves “White Russians,” to distinguish themselves from Lenin’s “red” Bolsheviks.

And nearly a century later, drawing those distinctions with the Moscow regime is as important as ever. On the restaurant’s website, a pop-up banner statement on the war in Ukraine greets visitors, noting its history as an institution “deeply rooted in speaking against communist dictatorship.” It adds, “We stand against Putin and with the people of Ukraine.”

They poured the liquid out — blueberry-flavored, orange-flavored and the original, face-puckering unflavored version — tweeting #DumpRussianVodka and, at gay bars across the country, made do with Absolut and soda instead.

They poured the liquid out — blueberry-flavored, orange-flavored and the original, face-puckering unflavored version — tweeting #DumpRussianVodka and, at gay bars across the country, made do with Absolut and soda instead. This was 2013, after President Vladimir Putin imposed harsh new measures aimed at LGBTQ Russians. And now, as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine takes a horrific human toll, turning millions into refugees, the boycotts are back: U.S. consumers channeling outrage into ditching products they assume are produced by Russians in Russia, with ties, somehow, to Putin. The problem with that logic is that Americans consume hardly any products that are truly Russian. That goes for vodka — and oil, too. Russian oil makes up 3% of what Americans consume on a daily basis. This mistaken impression has led people to punish businesses that are really Russian in name only. Some states that recently placed a ban on Russian spirits discovered they were setting a policy that affected only two brands with a small footprint domestically — Russian Standard and Ustianochka. President Joe Biden announced a ban on all Russian liquor imports on Friday. But less than 1% of the vodka consumed here comes from Russia, a beverage industry trade group has noted. The vodka most commonly but incorrectly associated with Russia, Stolichnaya, has again borne the brunt of the online calls for a boycott. It has been produced in Latvia since 2002, and the headquarters of its parent company, the Stoli Group, are in Luxembourg. Recently, the company formally rebranded its signature spirit as just Stoli after bar owners from Vermont to Michigan to Iowa declared they would no longer serve it and shared video of themselves dumping bottles of it down the drain. In New York, the famous red banquettes in the Russian Tea Room aren’t as full of patrons these days. But the restaurant’s Russian heritage is a bit of a sleight of hand. It was opened in 1927 by a Polish immigrant who called it the Albertina Rasch Russian Tea Room — after a ballet dancer who was Viennese, even though many at the time assumed she was Russian. In Chicago, a Russian-style bath house called Red Square has reported getting strange phone calls from people trying to pin down whether it has taken a side in the war. But Red Square is co-owned by a man who was born in Ukraine and said he still has family in the country. In Washington, windows were broken and a door smashed at the Russia House restaurant near Dupont Circle. Its co-owner told local media that the business, which has been closed since the pandemic, has no connection with Russia. According to its website, which advertises caviar spreads as the kind of indulgence that many Americans associate with Russian decadence, one owner fought in the Gulf War and the other was born in Lithuania. The misplaced anger of the backlash against Russia has been an instructive development for those who study consumer habits, highlighting the ways that boycotts are especially ineffective and often counterproductive as a tool of protest in the social media era. A staple of American political resistance since the Boston Tea Party, boycotts have played a vital role in shaping public opinion about demonstrations for social progress. The civil rights bus boycotts in the South and the grape boycotts in the 1960s and ’70s to protest conditions for agricultural workers helped spur meaningful change. But that is not as true today, despite the exponential growth in the number of boycotts aimed at large corporations. One study conducted by a pair of scholars, Maurice Schweitzer of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Joseph Gaspar of Quinnipiac University, found that calls for boycotts against Fortune 500 companies had nearly tripled since 2010. The study, which has not yet been published, also found that the most common trigger was politics. Calls to boycott can be effective by creating bad publicity that tarnishes, temporarily at least, a company’s brand image. Sometimes they spur companies to change, as a backlash against SeaWorld over its treatment of orcas did. The company announced in 2016 that it was ending its breeding program, meaning the generation of killer whales now at its theme parks will be the last. But more often, consumer boycotts fail to have much of an impact on the targeted company’s bottom line because they are either too hard to stick to, as people discovered when they tried to shun BP gas after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, or because they inspire a spirited response from consumers who want to support a company precisely because it’s under attack. After the CEO of Chick-fil-A professed his opposition to same-sex marriage in 2012, mayors in liberal cities like San Francisco and Boston said the Southern fried chicken eatery should look elsewhere to open new restaurants. Conservatives like Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher and two-time presidential candidate, rallied their followers to support the chain. Its nationwide expansion continued at a fast pace, and there are now Chick-fil-A restaurants from Brooklyn to Seattle. “It either turns out to be too delicious or too convenient,” Schweitzer of the Wharton School said of shunning certain products. Another factor, he added, is the sheer volume of news that people find politically motivating. “There’s something to be outraged about on a weekly or monthly basis,” he said. “And in the moment the emotion feels raw and powerful, but we fail to appreciate how fleeting that is.” One reason calls for boycotts keep growing despite their ineffectiveness is that many people appear to believe they are sticking to their guns when they aren’t. A draft of a new study by scholars from Northwestern University, the University of Toronto and Harvard Business School examined the impact of several recent politically motivated calls for action, including the campaign to boycott or, conversely, “buycott” Starbucks after its announcement in 2017 that it would hire 10,000 refugees. The move came in response to former President Donald Trump’s order halting migration from seven mostly Muslim countries. Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 consumers, obtained their actual spending at Starbucks over several months and asked whether they had changed their buying behavior because of the refugee announcement. They found that those who reported they had changed their habits — either in support of Starbucks by buying more or against it by boycotting — didn’t actually do anything differently. Katy DeCelles, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management and one of the authors of the study, said the results showed that people of all political persuasions believed what they wanted to be true about their own behavior. Finding that there was no measurable impact on spending with such an emotionally charged and highly publicized issue surprised the researchers. “We thought if we were going to find an effect on people’s behavior it would be now,” DeCelles added. As that research — and the current anti-Stoli sentiment — shows, the anger channeled into consumer boycotts often lacks consistent logic. Although some states like Pennsylvania and Oregon have not included Stoli in their Russian spirits ban, New Hampshire has. A spokesperson for the state’s liquor commission confirmed that because Gov. Chris Sununu’s order applies not only to Russian-made products but also to ones that are “Russian-branded,” Stoli would remain off the shelves at state-operated stores. Damian McKinney, CEO of the Stoli Group, said in an interview that mistaken impressions about the brand had nearly led to major losses of business. He recalled a recent conversation with the head of one major retailer in Britain, who had informed him that Stoli was about to be pulled from its shelves. “I said, ‘Do you know we’re Latvian?’ And there was a pause,” McKinney said, declining to name the retailer. As he spoke, the background for his Zoom screen was framed in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag alongside the hashtag #StandWithUkraine. “I needed people to understand we’re on the good guys’ side. And this is about an evil man and a regime, not the Russian people,” he added, noting that Stoli employs Russians as well as Ukrainians. Like many businesses, Stoli has no singular identity that is easy to delineate. Its recipe is Russian, as is its name. “Stolichnaya” translates roughly to “metropolitan.” The company founder, Yuri Shefler, fled Russia after a dispute with the government over control of the Stoli trademark. He lives in Switzerland. For years, Russia has fought Stoli in court over the rights to claim ownership of the name. The company makes its bottle caps and some of its bottles in Ukraine and recently evacuated five Ukrainian employees from the country to Cyprus and Luxembourg, McKinney said. The Russian Tea Room, where during the pre-theater rush Friday only a handful of tables were occupied, has a similarly complicated lineage, despite the name. Its current owner is a New York real estate developer. But it started in 1927 as a popular hangout among Russians who emigrated to America and became citizens. A New York Times story from 1977 about the restaurant’s 50th anniversary noted that the restaurant was patronized early on by exiles who called themselves “White Russians,” to distinguish themselves from Lenin’s “red” Bolsheviks. And nearly a century later, drawing those distinctions with the Moscow regime is as important as ever. On the restaurant’s website, a pop-up banner statement on the war in Ukraine greets visitors, noting its history as an institution “deeply rooted in speaking against communist dictatorship.” It adds, “We stand against Putin and with the people of Ukraine.”

That Russian business you’re boycotting isn’t actually Russian

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

As the Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, a civilian area has apparently been targeted by the Russian shelling in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday (March 11).&nbsp;

The emergency services have said that this appeared to be the first direct attack on the city. Reports have emerged that at least one person has been killed. Identity has not been confirmed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-satellite-images-show-russian-military-convoy-northwest-of-kyiv-has-dispersed-redeployed-461121">Satellite images show Russian military convoy northwest of Kyiv has 'dispersed, redeployed'</a>

In a statement, the emergency services noted: "There were three airstrikes on the city, namely hitting a kindergarten, an apartment building and a two-story shoe factory, starting a fire. One person died."

The strikes Ukraine had warned that Russia was mustering forces to encircle Dnipro, home to about one million people before the invasion started.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-tanks-or-40-ton-iron-freezers-freezing-temperatures-might-help-ukraine-to-resist-putins-army-460975">Russian tanks or '40-ton iron freezers'? Freezing temperatures might help Ukraine to resist Putin's army</a>

The strikes came amid preparations by the United States, together with the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, to revoke Russia's "most favoured nation" status over its invasion of Ukraine.

As per news agencies, shelling was also reported Friday in Lutsk, a city in north-western Ukraine.&nbsp;Lutsk mayor Ihor Polishchuk wrote on Facebook,&nbsp;"Explosions at the airport side."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Russian defence ministry said in a briefing on Friday that its troops targeted airports in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, another western Ukrainian city some 250 kilometres south of Lutsk.&nbsp;

"Military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have been put out of order," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russia calls emergency UNSC meeting on biological weapons after claiming that the US is making it

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. As the Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, a civilian area has apparently been targeted by the Russian shelling in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday (March 11). The emergency services have said that this appeared to be the first direct attack on the city. Reports have emerged that at least one person has been killed. Identity has not been confirmed. ALSO READ | Satellite images show Russian military convoy northwest of Kyiv has 'dispersed, redeployed' In a statement, the emergency services noted: "There were three airstrikes on the city, namely hitting a kindergarten, an apartment building and a two-story shoe factory, starting a fire. One person died." The strikes Ukraine had warned that Russia was mustering forces to encircle Dnipro, home to about one million people before the invasion started. ALSO READ | Russian tanks or '40-ton iron freezers'? Freezing temperatures might help Ukraine to resist Putin's army The strikes came amid preparations by the United States, together with the Group of Seven nations and the European Union, to revoke Russia's "most favoured nation" status over its invasion of Ukraine. As per news agencies, shelling was also reported Friday in Lutsk, a city in north-western Ukraine. Lutsk mayor Ihor Polishchuk wrote on Facebook, "Explosions at the airport side." The Russian defence ministry said in a briefing on Friday that its troops targeted airports in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, another western Ukrainian city some 250 kilometres south of Lutsk. "Military airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have been put out of order," ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. WATCH | Russia calls emergency UNSC meeting on biological weapons after claiming that the US is making it ×

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Civilian targets hit in Ukraine's Dnipro, say officials

A new rainbow-coloured fish has been discovered apparently living in the 'twilight zone' far beneath the waves off the coast of the Maldives. It was found living at depths ranging from 40 to 70 meters beneath the ocean's surface.&nbsp;

The scientific name of this rose-veiled fairy wrasse is Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa. The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly coloured.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explainer-xenotransplantation-is-animal-to-human-organ-transplant-likely-to-succeed-in-the-near-future-461144">Explainer: Xenotransplantation; Is animal to human organ transplant likely to succeed in the near future?</a>

Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, the name of this stunning fish is based on its pink hues. It is inspired by the national flower of the Maldives, which is the pink rose. 'Finifenmaa' means rose in the local Maldivian language - Dhivehi.&nbsp;

Focusing on the details and specifications of the fish, a study has been published Tuesday (March 8) in the journal ZooKeys.&nbsp;

This is the first fish to be described by a Maldivian scientist Ahmed Najeeb, who is a co-author of the study and biologist at the Maldives Marine Research Institute.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spiders-fly-using-electric-field-you-are-allowed-to-be-scared-and-ask-why-461024">Spiders 'fly' using electric field, you are allowed to be scared and ask 'WHY'?</a>

Najeeb said, "It has always been foreign scientists who have described species found in the Maldives without much involvement from local scientists, even those that are endemic to the Maldives."&nbsp;

"This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species," he added.&nbsp;

A new rainbow-coloured fish has been discovered apparently living in the 'twilight zone' far beneath the waves off the coast of the Maldives. It was found living at depths ranging from 40 to 70 meters beneath the ocean's surface.

A new rainbow-coloured fish has been discovered apparently living in the 'twilight zone' far beneath the waves off the coast of the Maldives. It was found living at depths ranging from 40 to 70 meters beneath the ocean's surface. The scientific name of this rose-veiled fairy wrasse is Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa. The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly coloured. ALSO READ | Explainer: Xenotransplantation; Is animal to human organ transplant likely to succeed in the near future? Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, the name of this stunning fish is based on its pink hues. It is inspired by the national flower of the Maldives, which is the pink rose. 'Finifenmaa' means rose in the local Maldivian language - Dhivehi. Focusing on the details and specifications of the fish, a study has been published Tuesday (March 8) in the journal ZooKeys. This is the first fish to be described by a Maldivian scientist Ahmed Najeeb, who is a co-author of the study and biologist at the Maldives Marine Research Institute. ALSO READ | Spiders 'fly' using electric field, you are allowed to be scared and ask 'WHY'? Najeeb said, "It has always been foreign scientists who have described species found in the Maldives without much involvement from local scientists, even those that are endemic to the Maldives." "This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species," he added.

It's not photoshop! Rainbow-coloured fish discovered living off the coast of Maldives

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. The latest satellite images, taken on Thursday (March 10), released by a private US company indicate that a large Russian military convoy, which was last seen northwest of Kyiv, has largely dispersed and redeployed. The military convoy that stretched more than 64 kilometres was near Antonov airport, however, Maxar Technologies said that the images show armoured units manoeuvring in and through the surrounding towns close to the airport. As per the US-based company, the images also show military convoy elements further north have repositioned near Lubyanka. The images also showed the military convoy with towed artillery howitzers in firing positions nearby. ALSO READ | Russian tanks or '40-ton iron freezers'? Freezing temperatures might help Ukraine to resist Putin's army Maxar satellite images show that some elements of the convoy have "repositioned" into forests. (Reuters). On the other hand, the Russians have advanced more than 80 kilometres over the last five days on the north-eastern front and closing in on the Ukrainian capital. Meanwhile, in his latest address on Thursday (March 10), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that around 100,000 people had evacuated the country's cities in two days. In the aftermath of the alleged airstrike on a children's hospital that killed at least three people including a young girl, Zelensky further accused Russian forces of targeting a humanitarian corridor in the city of Mariupol. IN PICS | Russia's Tsar bomba: World's most powerful nuclear weapon of mass destruction Zelensky said that he decided to send a convoy of trucks into the besieged port city with food, water and medicine and other humanitarian aid. However, the Russian troops "launched a tank attack exactly where this corridor was supposed to be". The Ukrainian leader said that, of the around 100,000 people who had been able to leave other Ukrainian cities via humanitarian corridors over the past two days, some 40,000 had fled on Thursday alone. WATCH | Gravitas: Will Russia launch a chemical attack on Ukraine? × (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine crisis: Satellite images show Russian military convoy northwest of Kyiv has 'dispersed, redeployed'

With support for Ukraine, Crufts dog show returns after a two-year absence

Jeffery Younger fought for years with his ex-wife, a pediatrician, over the gender identity of one of their twins. While she followed the advice of their children’s doctor to affirm the child’s desire to dress as a girl, grow long hair and be known as Luna, Younger steadfastly objected.

He resisted the new name, insisting instead on boys’ clothes, short haircuts and the name the couple had chosen at birth.

What began in a single household in a small community outside Dallas became a very public custody battle between Younger and Dr. Anne Georgulas, transforming him into a folk hero among conservatives and amplifying a growing effort to roll back transgender protections in statehouses across America.

It paved the way, too, for an order late last month by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to investigate parents for child abuse if they provide certain medical treatments to their transgender children.

The abuse investigations ordered by Abbott, the first of their kind, represent the peak of a new round of action in state capitals aimed at transgender Americans, the most significant push by groups opposed to transgender rights since the national campaign to limit bathroom access foundered in 2017 and 2018. On Tuesday, a bill passed the Idaho House that would make medical treatments for transgender youth a felony, punishable by life in prison.

But few predicted that it would go as far as it has in Texas. The directive by Abbott very quickly resulted in investigations by the Department of Family and Protective Services, prompted a major Houston hospital to restrict its care for transgender children and raised fears among civil rights advocates of copycat efforts in other states. President Joe Biden has condemned the action and asked federal authorities to step in if cases of discrimination arise.

“This is actually the first time that they’ve succeeded in getting something that looks like a success,” said Kasey Suffredini, the CEO of Freedom for All Americans, a national gay and transgender rights group. “It’s incredibly painful. It is devastating.”

A court battle is underway to stop the investigations across Texas, with a hearing scheduled for Friday.

The fight over transgender issues, waged on several fronts in recent years, has increasingly focused on medical treatments for children.

Major medical groups — along with transgender advocates — back what is known as gender-affirming care, which involves supporting a child’s gender identity and social transition, often through clothes or a name. Such care can also eventually include puberty blockers or hormone treatments, though surgery is not recommended for children. While acknowledging some uncertainty and risk, they cite evidence that the approach can improve children’s mental health and reduce suicide.

Opponents — including some large conservative organizations — argue that children are too young to decide for themselves and must be shielded from potentially life-altering treatments that have only recently gained broader acceptance among the medical community.

Those at the center of the conservative push for new state laws include a coalition of familiar groups — the Heritage Foundation, Family Policy Alliance and Alliance Defending Freedom — that came together in the last two years.

Then last month, a newer player on the right, American Principles Project, took up the cause in Texas, spending more than $600,000 to run a series of highly produced ads on cable television featuring the case of Younger, who has become an outspoken supporter of restrictive legislation on transgender issues. The ads directly targeted Abbott during a hard-fought Republican primary, accusing the governor of not taking steps to “protect our children.”

By that point, Younger, 57, had testified repeatedly at the Capitol in Austin on measures to restrict transgender medical treatments. After the bills failed, he entered the Republican primary for an open seat in the Texas House of Representatives.

Last week, Younger came in second place, qualifying for the May runoff.

For conservative activists, the legislative push has been part of a broader national struggle over social issues, including legislation in Florida to ban teaching about gender identity in schools. Some of the same activists who defend the rights of parents in battles over school curriculum argue that, on the question of transgender treatment, children need protection from their own parents.

“Parents make all sorts of decisions with their kids,” said Craig DeRoche, the CEO of the Family Policy Alliance, part of the coalition helping legislators draft new transgender laws. “And as a community, we chime in as to which decisions should or shouldn’t be available to parents.”

But for many families in Texas, the threat of an investigation by the state has introduced new fears into an already challenging set of medical decisions. Children now worry that classmates or teachers could report their parents for possible abuse. Some families have taken steps to leave the state.

“We’re kind of looking over our shoulder a little bit,” said Autumn Tupper, 43, of Frisco, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Because of the governor’s directive, her son, Orion, 17, who came out as transgender over the past year, decided to delay gender-affirming hormone treatment until he turns 18 this summer.

The deeper roots of the current fight over transgender rights in Texas can be traced to a 2015 battle in Houston over a local anti-discrimination ordinance, which would have applied to a range of protected classes, including race, age and gender identity.

Opponents rallied around the notion that the bill would put women in danger by allowing men to enter women’s bathrooms, dubbing it the “bathroom ordinance.” Its defeat helped clear the way for a national conservative push to enact so-called bathroom bills aimed at transgender people.

But the bathroom effort stumbled. The one measure that passed, in North Carolina, was later repealed. In Texas, many social conservatives were angered at the state’s failure to pass such a law.

“This issue is not going to go away,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a firebrand former talk radio host, said at the time, in 2017.

By the next year, the custody case between Younger and Georgulas, in the Dallas suburb of Coppell, began to attract notice in conservative circles.

There have been other such cases of parents fighting over the gender identity of their children. But Younger sought attention with a website and a campaign that featured the birth name of his child. Among the first articles on the case appeared in The Federalist in 2018. Younger sat for many interviews, including with Infowars.

“You cannot understand the political situation in Texas without understanding my political advocacy,” Younger said in a 16-minute call with The New York Times in which he refused to answer questions. “You work for an evil and wicked organization,” he said. “I think you’ll use accuracy against my own values.”

A lawyer for Georgulas declined a request for comment, citing a gag order put in place by the judge in the case.

The couple fought bitterly in court for years. Their marriage was annulled by a court on the grounds of fraud by Younger, who had misrepresented his employment and marital history.

In court transcripts, Georgulas said she had followed the lead of her transgender child, who is now 9, and the determinations of doctors. She has denied forcing her child to identify as a girl as Younger has claimed. She has not provided any puberty blockers or hormones, though she supports their use, if recommended. She filled out intake papers for Genecis, a Dallas clinic specializing in transgender care, but had not yet begun treatment when it shut down last year amid pressure from Abbott.

“Everything that she did was on the basis of professional guidance,” said Karen Hirsch, a friend of Georgulas’s.

A court in August gave Georgulas custody of the children, including control of all medical decisions and the sole right “to make decisions concerning the children’s haircuts.” But it barred her from providing any puberty-blocking drugs, hormones or surgery without a court order.

The case’s growing public profile coincided with broadening medical acceptance of gender-affirming care — and a backlash. The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018 issued its first policy statement on the approach, which urges parents to support the identity expressed by their child and provides guidance for treatment, including medications that delay puberty.

In 2019, the Heritage Foundation, along with the Family Policy Alliance, hosted discussions in Washington on transgender athletes and transgender children, including a panel on the “medical harms” of hormonal and surgical interventions. The groups formed a coalition, known as Promise to America’s Children, and pressed for new laws.

Soon, bills were introduced on restricting transgender athletes and, in more than 20 states, legislatures considered prohibitions on gender-affirming medical care, including in Texas last year.

The bill, which passed in the Senate, failed in the House. And although a measure further restricting transgender athletes passed, some Texas conservatives were angry that the medical treatment bill had stalled.

The governor took note. Then the attorney general, Ken Paxton, facing a tough primary fight, issued an opinion that puberty-blocking drugs or hormone treatments could be considered child abuse under existing law in Texas.

Abbott, who was facing his own primary in days amid a barrage of American Principles Project ads, quickly directed the child protection agency to begin investigations. Among the first to be investigated was an employee of the agency.

The investigation was temporarily halted by a court in Austin last week.

“People don’t understand the treatment; they think it’s always surgery and it’s happening on children,” said Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to stop the investigations along with Lambda Legal. Opponents, he added, have been “weaponizing the confusion.”

Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment. But his top campaign strategist told reporters last week that the issue of “genital mutilation” was a political winner.

“There’s this sense, especially among conservatives, that they’re losing their country,” said Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project. “It was just a few years ago that we were debating gay marriage, and now we’re debating sex changes for minors. I mean, that’s exponential movement in terms of culture.”

Jeffery Younger fought for years with his ex-wife, a pediatrician, over the gender identity of one of their twins. While she followed the advice of their children’s doctor to affirm the child’s desire to dress as a girl, grow long hair and be known as Luna, Younger steadfastly objected.

Jeffery Younger fought for years with his ex-wife, a pediatrician, over the gender identity of one of their twins. While she followed the advice of their children’s doctor to affirm the child’s desire to dress as a girl, grow long hair and be known as Luna, Younger steadfastly objected. He resisted the new name, insisting instead on boys’ clothes, short haircuts and the name the couple had chosen at birth. What began in a single household in a small community outside Dallas became a very public custody battle between Younger and Dr. Anne Georgulas, transforming him into a folk hero among conservatives and amplifying a growing effort to roll back transgender protections in statehouses across America. It paved the way, too, for an order late last month by Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to investigate parents for child abuse if they provide certain medical treatments to their transgender children. The abuse investigations ordered by Abbott, the first of their kind, represent the peak of a new round of action in state capitals aimed at transgender Americans, the most significant push by groups opposed to transgender rights since the national campaign to limit bathroom access foundered in 2017 and 2018. On Tuesday, a bill passed the Idaho House that would make medical treatments for transgender youth a felony, punishable by life in prison. But few predicted that it would go as far as it has in Texas. The directive by Abbott very quickly resulted in investigations by the Department of Family and Protective Services, prompted a major Houston hospital to restrict its care for transgender children and raised fears among civil rights advocates of copycat efforts in other states. President Joe Biden has condemned the action and asked federal authorities to step in if cases of discrimination arise. “This is actually the first time that they’ve succeeded in getting something that looks like a success,” said Kasey Suffredini, the CEO of Freedom for All Americans, a national gay and transgender rights group. “It’s incredibly painful. It is devastating.” A court battle is underway to stop the investigations across Texas, with a hearing scheduled for Friday. The fight over transgender issues, waged on several fronts in recent years, has increasingly focused on medical treatments for children. Major medical groups — along with transgender advocates — back what is known as gender-affirming care, which involves supporting a child’s gender identity and social transition, often through clothes or a name. Such care can also eventually include puberty blockers or hormone treatments, though surgery is not recommended for children. While acknowledging some uncertainty and risk, they cite evidence that the approach can improve children’s mental health and reduce suicide. Opponents — including some large conservative organizations — argue that children are too young to decide for themselves and must be shielded from potentially life-altering treatments that have only recently gained broader acceptance among the medical community. Those at the center of the conservative push for new state laws include a coalition of familiar groups — the Heritage Foundation, Family Policy Alliance and Alliance Defending Freedom — that came together in the last two years. Then last month, a newer player on the right, American Principles Project, took up the cause in Texas, spending more than $600,000 to run a series of highly produced ads on cable television featuring the case of Younger, who has become an outspoken supporter of restrictive legislation on transgender issues. The ads directly targeted Abbott during a hard-fought Republican primary, accusing the governor of not taking steps to “protect our children.” By that point, Younger, 57, had testified repeatedly at the Capitol in Austin on measures to restrict transgender medical treatments. After the bills failed, he entered the Republican primary for an open seat in the Texas House of Representatives. Last week, Younger came in second place, qualifying for the May runoff. For conservative activists, the legislative push has been part of a broader national struggle over social issues, including legislation in Florida to ban teaching about gender identity in schools. Some of the same activists who defend the rights of parents in battles over school curriculum argue that, on the question of transgender treatment, children need protection from their own parents. “Parents make all sorts of decisions with their kids,” said Craig DeRoche, the CEO of the Family Policy Alliance, part of the coalition helping legislators draft new transgender laws. “And as a community, we chime in as to which decisions should or shouldn’t be available to parents.” But for many families in Texas, the threat of an investigation by the state has introduced new fears into an already challenging set of medical decisions. Children now worry that classmates or teachers could report their parents for possible abuse. Some families have taken steps to leave the state. “We’re kind of looking over our shoulder a little bit,” said Autumn Tupper, 43, of Frisco, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Because of the governor’s directive, her son, Orion, 17, who came out as transgender over the past year, decided to delay gender-affirming hormone treatment until he turns 18 this summer. The deeper roots of the current fight over transgender rights in Texas can be traced to a 2015 battle in Houston over a local anti-discrimination ordinance, which would have applied to a range of protected classes, including race, age and gender identity. Opponents rallied around the notion that the bill would put women in danger by allowing men to enter women’s bathrooms, dubbing it the “bathroom ordinance.” Its defeat helped clear the way for a national conservative push to enact so-called bathroom bills aimed at transgender people. But the bathroom effort stumbled. The one measure that passed, in North Carolina, was later repealed. In Texas, many social conservatives were angered at the state’s failure to pass such a law. “This issue is not going to go away,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a firebrand former talk radio host, said at the time, in 2017. By the next year, the custody case between Younger and Georgulas, in the Dallas suburb of Coppell, began to attract notice in conservative circles. There have been other such cases of parents fighting over the gender identity of their children. But Younger sought attention with a website and a campaign that featured the birth name of his child. Among the first articles on the case appeared in The Federalist in 2018. Younger sat for many interviews, including with Infowars. “You cannot understand the political situation in Texas without understanding my political advocacy,” Younger said in a 16-minute call with The New York Times in which he refused to answer questions. “You work for an evil and wicked organization,” he said. “I think you’ll use accuracy against my own values.” A lawyer for Georgulas declined a request for comment, citing a gag order put in place by the judge in the case. The couple fought bitterly in court for years. Their marriage was annulled by a court on the grounds of fraud by Younger, who had misrepresented his employment and marital history. In court transcripts, Georgulas said she had followed the lead of her transgender child, who is now 9, and the determinations of doctors. She has denied forcing her child to identify as a girl as Younger has claimed. She has not provided any puberty blockers or hormones, though she supports their use, if recommended. She filled out intake papers for Genecis, a Dallas clinic specializing in transgender care, but had not yet begun treatment when it shut down last year amid pressure from Abbott. “Everything that she did was on the basis of professional guidance,” said Karen Hirsch, a friend of Georgulas’s. A court in August gave Georgulas custody of the children, including control of all medical decisions and the sole right “to make decisions concerning the children’s haircuts.” But it barred her from providing any puberty-blocking drugs, hormones or surgery without a court order. The case’s growing public profile coincided with broadening medical acceptance of gender-affirming care — and a backlash. The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2018 issued its first policy statement on the approach, which urges parents to support the identity expressed by their child and provides guidance for treatment, including medications that delay puberty. In 2019, the Heritage Foundation, along with the Family Policy Alliance, hosted discussions in Washington on transgender athletes and transgender children, including a panel on the “medical harms” of hormonal and surgical interventions. The groups formed a coalition, known as Promise to America’s Children, and pressed for new laws. Soon, bills were introduced on restricting transgender athletes and, in more than 20 states, legislatures considered prohibitions on gender-affirming medical care, including in Texas last year. The bill, which passed in the Senate, failed in the House. And although a measure further restricting transgender athletes passed, some Texas conservatives were angry that the medical treatment bill had stalled. The governor took note. Then the attorney general, Ken Paxton, facing a tough primary fight, issued an opinion that puberty-blocking drugs or hormone treatments could be considered child abuse under existing law in Texas. Abbott, who was facing his own primary in days amid a barrage of American Principles Project ads, quickly directed the child protection agency to begin investigations. Among the first to be investigated was an employee of the agency. The investigation was temporarily halted by a court in Austin last week. “People don’t understand the treatment; they think it’s always surgery and it’s happening on children,” said Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued to stop the investigations along with Lambda Legal. Opponents, he added, have been “weaponizing the confusion.” Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment. But his top campaign strategist told reporters last week that the issue of “genital mutilation” was a political winner. “There’s this sense, especially among conservatives, that they’re losing their country,” said Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project. “It was just a few years ago that we were debating gay marriage, and now we’re debating sex changes for minors. I mean, that’s exponential movement in terms of culture.”

How medical care for transgender youth became 'child abuse' in Texas

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday (March 9) apologised over a police raid at the North Korean embassy in the country's capital city of Islamabad.&nbsp;

Reports have mentioned that the police conducted a raid at the North Korean embassy earlier this week over inputs about the presence of a large amount of liquor in its premises.&nbsp;

The action prompted the diplomatic mission to lodge a strong protest as it called it a violation of the Vienna Convention.&nbsp;

Responding to that, Rashid apologised and termed the entire incident as a "misunderstanding". He said as quoted by PTI, "We have apologised (to the North Korean mission).&nbsp;

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After the police raid, the North Korean embassy wrote a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying the Islamabad Police violated the Vienna Convention.&nbsp;

Citing the letter, a local media report stated that police entered the mission's premises from the backdoor at approximately 5:00 pm (local time) on March 7 and harassed its workers and damaged the embassy's property.&nbsp;

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Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson took a note and responded to Islamabad Police. "They have also been informed that they cannot perform such a raid next time without having clearance from the Foreign Office," the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

Media reports also quoted Islamabad Police spokesperson, who said that the law enforcement personnel who broke the law will face serious punishment.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday (March 9) apologised over a police raid at the North Korean embassy in the country's capital city of Islamabad.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thursday (March 9) apologised over a police raid at the North Korean embassy in the country's capital city of Islamabad. Reports have mentioned that the police conducted a raid at the North Korean embassy earlier this week over inputs about the presence of a large amount of liquor in its premises. The action prompted the diplomatic mission to lodge a strong protest as it called it a violation of the Vienna Convention. Responding to that, Rashid apologised and termed the entire incident as a "misunderstanding". He said as quoted by PTI, "We have apologised (to the North Korean mission). ALSO READ | US lawmakers seek sanctions against Pakistan; bill sent to US Foreign Affairs Committee After the police raid, the North Korean embassy wrote a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying the Islamabad Police violated the Vienna Convention. Citing the letter, a local media report stated that police entered the mission's premises from the backdoor at approximately 5:00 pm (local time) on March 7 and harassed its workers and damaged the embassy's property. ALSO READ | Afghanistan, Pakistan agree on free movement of cargo trucks Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson took a note and responded to Islamabad Police. "They have also been informed that they cannot perform such a raid next time without having clearance from the Foreign Office," the spokesperson said. Media reports also quoted Islamabad Police spokesperson, who said that the law enforcement personnel who broke the law will face serious punishment.

Pakistan's interior minister apologises after police conduct raid at North Korean embassy

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate. From the day Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a "military operation" in Ukrainian cities till today - the face of the conflict has changed entirely with reports of deaths, massive loss of property and refugee crisis. The latest reports have mentioned that Kyiv will soon be encircled, with Russian tanks in places just a few kilometres from the city limits to the east. The Russian troops, on the outskirts of Kyiv, are maybe waiting for directions from the top officials to proceed further. However, if reports are to be believed, they are currently stranded and are in dire conditions. IN PICS | Russia's Tsar bomba: World's most powerful nuclear weapon of mass destruction Daily Mail reported that Russian troops could freeze to death in tanks and armoured military vehicles this week as temperatures are set to plunge. As per the report, a pronounced cold snap in eastern Europe means the temperatures could drop to -10C overnight in the middle of the week around Kyiv and Kharkiv. It can go down to even -20C in case of the wind chill. News agencies have reported that over the last five days, the Russians have advanced more than 80 kilometres on the north-eastern front and closing in on the Ukrainian capital. IN PICS | What are war crimes? What are the rules of war? Meanwhile, a solid Ukrainian resistance has been quite impactful so far, but apart from the resistance, it has been understood that the Russian troops faced mechanical problems and fuel supply issues. Now the icy conditions are expected to make the situation even worse for the Russian soldiers. The media outlet quoted former British Army Major Kevin Price, who said the tanks will become nothing more than "40-tonne freezers" as the temperature is dropping, weighing in on whether Russian soldiers are capable of Arctic-style warfare. Price said such low temperatures in March is set to become "unbelievably tough". The report also quoted Glen Grant, who is a senior defence expert at the Baltic Security Foundation. Grant said that a tank "is just a fridge at night if you are not running the engine". In the current state, the Russian convoy outside Kyiv cannot afford run engines unnecessarily because there's fuel scarcity. Grant told Newsweek, "You just can't sit around and wait because if you are in the vehicle you are waiting to be killed. They are not stupid." WATCH | US deploys missile system in Poland to secure against potential threats in the area ×

Russian tanks or '40-tonne iron freezers'? Freezing temperatures might help Ukraine to resist Putin's army

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