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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

World Front Pages As Ukraine Marks Independence Day & 6 Months Of War

Ukraine is marking a somber independence day that coincides with the six-month milestone of the Russian invasion. Here’s how newspapers around the world are covering the event.

Photo of a woman walking in Kyiv next to a disused Russian tank

Walking in Kyiv next to a disused Russian tank

Every year on August 24, Ukraine celebrates its 1991 independence from the Soviet Union. The anniversary of the peaceful transition is traditionally marked by military parades and other displays of patriotic pride across the country.

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But this year, celebrations will be subdued, as the event coincides with the grim milestone of six months since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of the country.


With the conflict at an impasse and the specter of renewed Russian attacks looming over Ukraine, here's how newspapers across the world are covering the six-month milestone:

POLAND - Gazeta Wyborcza


“A parade of Russian wrecks” — Gazeta Wyborcza

THE NETHERLANDS - De Volkskrant


"Hit hard, grown strong” —De Volkskrant

GREECE - E Kathimerini


"Fights on Independence Day" - E Kathimerini

BELGIUM - Le Soir


"How the Ukraine invasion shook the world” - Le Soir

GERMANY - Rheinische Post


“6 months of war” — Rheinische Post

LUXEMBOURG - Luxemburger Wort


"Death, suffering and destruction” — Luxemburger Wort

SWITZERLAND - Tages-Anzeiger


"6 months of war: Kyiv afraid on its national holiday” — Tages-Anzeiger

AUSTRIA - Kleine Zeitung


"Six months of war: the grueling struggle for freedom” — Kleine Zeitung

FRANCE - Libération


“6 months of conflict in Ukraine: Life in war” — Libération

PORTUGAL - Público


"“The war that was supposed to be quick has now been going on for six months” — Público

U.S. - USA Today


USA TODAY

CANADA - The National Post

The National Post

CANADA - The Toronto Star


The Toronto Star

COLOMBIA - El Espectador


“No wind of peace” — El Espectador

MEXICO -


"Half a year at war” — Diario 24 Horas


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Society

Flexing Against Sexism: Meet The Women Bodybuilders Of Nepal

Women bodybuilders are rare in a society that prefers them thin, soft — and fully clothed. But with sports, gold-medal winners like Rajani Shrestha are helping inspire change.

Photograoph of four female bodybuilders holding their country's flags on stage.

Judges and attendees observe the 55th Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship in Kathmandu

Yam Kumari Kandel/GPJ NEPAL
Yam Kumari Kandel

KATHMANDU — Rajani Shrestha exercises at a gym near Baneshwor Height, a neighborhood in Kathmandu, as she prepares for a major bodybuilding championship. As the 42-year-old lifts around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) in a deadlift, her veiny arms and neck muscles bulge out. A woman with “muscles like a man,” she says, is a very rare sight here.

The men bodybuilders in the club stare at her. “I don’t care what anyone says or does. I must win the competition anyway,” Shrestha says. As the day progresses, she is the only one left in the club. For Shrestha, there is no time to waste. On this August weekday, it’s only a month to go till the 55th Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship.

In 2019, Shrestha won silver medals at the 12th South Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship, held in Kathmandu, and the 53rd Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship, in Batam, Indonesia. The National Sports Council also recognized her for excellence.

Shrestha does not fit the normative definition of an ideal woman in Nepal. In a society where a thin body is considered beautiful, women bodybuilders with brawny bodies are labeled “men” and are often the target of ridicule and derision.

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