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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 25 august 2023

Ukraine marks Independence Day and vows to keep fighting

Russia

By SUSIE BLANN and ended with a cheeky
Associated Press “thanks for the F-16s” and
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — the words “too soon?” The
Ukraine on Thursday U.S. has agreed its allies
marked its second Inde- can send Ukraine the fight-
pendence Day since Rus- er jets, but the lengthy pro-
sia’s full-scale invasion, with cess has been a source of
officials vowing to keep up frustration to Kyiv.
their fight to drive out the Britain was thanked to the
Kremlin’s forces and local tune of The Clash’s punk
people remembering their classic “London Calling,”
fallen loved ones. while Canada received
The national holiday co- gratitude for sniper rifles,
incided with the war’s howitzers, armored vehi-
18-month milestone, giv- cles and long underwear.
ing a somber mood to the France was sent a mes-
commemorations. sage of love to the strains
“We remember everyone of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Je
who gave their lives for t’aime … moi non plus.”
freedom and indepen- The more than 20 clips
dence, for the free future of were tagged UkraineSaysT-
Ukraine,” Ukraine President hankYou perhaps a riposte
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in to British Defense Secretary
a social media post. A woman cries at her son’s grave who died fighting in the war, as Ukrainians mark Ben Wallace’s suggestion
He said that an indepen- Independence Day in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. last month that Kyiv should
dent Ukraine is “what we Associated Press express more gratitude and
are fighting for.” dreamed of something,” said Ukraine was fighting lowed Ukraine to launch a not treat its allies like Ama-
In the northeastern Kharkiv she told The Associated for “the values we all stand grinding counteroffensive. zon’s delivery service.
region, families visited a Press. “Therefore, he did for:” sovereignty, indepen- Ukraine’s defense ministry Britain’s deputy U.N. am-
cemetery where fallen not accept the fact that dence and territorial integ- marked the day with a se- bassador, James Kariuki,
Ukrainian soldiers are bur- war had come to our land rity. ries of social media videos recalled that 92% of Ukraini-
ied. and decided to (sign up) That battle has earned the that mixed gratitude with ans voted in a 1991 nation-
Kateryna Krotchenko, the voluntarily,” she said. “We support of foreign allies, wry humor to thank those al referendum to declare
mother of Serhii Krotch- agreed with his decision. especially NATO alliance allies individually for their independence from the
enko who was killed near We didn’t think it would be member countries that support. former Soviet Union, and its
Bakhmut, cleaned his like this.” have provided Kyiv with so- The United States’ video existence was recognized
grave. European Union foreign phisticated new weaponry. was set to Frank Sinatra’s by the United Nations in-
“He was an ordinary policy chief Josep Borrell The new weapons have al- “Our Love is Here to Stay” cluding the USSR’s succes-
boy who loved life and sor, Russia.q

Official leading search for Mexico’s disappeared resigns

By MEGAN JANETSKY have disappeared over in the run-up to presidential fighting impunity.” to approve the move by
Associated Press past decades of violence elections. Populist President Andrés Quintana, whom he ap-
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The has stepped down as crit- Escalating cartel violence Manuel López Obrador’s pointed in 2019.
head of Mexico’s com- ics accuse the government has increasingly eclipsed government has recently Speaking at his Thursday
mission leading the search of trying to undermine the large swaths of Mexico, come under criticism for morning news confer-
for tens of thousands who true numbers of the missing leaving thousands of Mexi- announcing it would carry ence, he said when asked
cans reported missing this out a census of the coun- about the resignation that
year alone. try’s disappeared. Critics it “closed a circle, and we
Karla Quintana, head of say this is a tactic to manip- are free.”
the National Search Com- ulate numbers and “ pres- He added that his govern-
mission, did not elaborate ent a fictitious decrease “ ment continues to make
on the motives for her resig- in those missing ahead of progress in the search for
nation, saying on Wednes- elections next year. the disappeared.
day only that she is leaving More than 110,000 remain Last year, the special pros-
her post “in light of current missing across the country, ecutor leading an investi-
circumstances.” according to Quintana’s gation into the notorious
“The challenges surround- commission figures likely an 2014 abduction and disap-
ing the disappearance of undercount due to lack of pearances of 43 students in
people remain,” Quintana reporting, distrust in authori- southern Mexico resigned,
posted on X, the social ties and endemic impunity. citing disagreements with
platform formerly known as Many families of those dis- the Attorney General’s Of-
Twitter. appeared have taken it fice. International watch-
A photo composite of people holding an image of their missing “The State must continue upon themselves to seek dogs said at the time that
relative in Iguala, Mexico and surrounding towns, April and to push for a comprehen- justice, often with fatal con- his unit lacked support to
August of 2015. sive policy geared toward sequences. collect evidence and carry
Associated Press
prevention, searching and López Obrador appeared out judicial proceedings.q