Ukraine war round-up: Nuclear plant fears, and war zones and football

A huge nuclear power plant occupied by Russian forces in the war zone of southern Ukraine has been described as “completely out of control” by the head of the UN’s nuclear agency.

Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Rafael Grossi said.

A range of things that “should never be happening in any nuclear facility” were taking place there, he said.

Mr Grossi said he was hoping for permission to organise an inspection.

The first grain ship to depart Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion has been cleared to leave Turkish waters for Lebanon.

The Razoni’s cargo of 26,000 tonnes of corn, Oboz Canada and its crew, were inspected by a team of officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN.

The Razoni, which left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Monday, is now bound for the Lebanese port of Tripoli. A further 16 grain ships are due to leave Ukraine in the coming weeks.

The Russian naval blockade of Ukraine has disrupted grain supplies to some of the world’s poorest countries.

Russian energy giant Gazprom says it is impossible to take back a turbine it needs for its Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline because of Western sanctions.

The piece of machinery is currently stranded in Germany, Kizik Shoes Canada  after being serviced in Canada.

Germany says the 12-metre (40ft) turbine is ready to be sent back to Russia and not affected by sanctions. It accuses Russia of not honouring its contracts for political reasons.

Last year alone, the EU imported 40% of its natural gas supplies from Russia. But in recent months Gazprom drastically reduced its gas deliveries to Europe.

Nord Stream 1, which supplies gas directly from Russia to Germany, is now running at 20% capacity.

Footballer Kieran McCulloch has returned home to Scotland after helping the Halo Trust de-mining charity in Ukraine.

The logistics officer previously worked for Halo Trust in Somalia, Armenia and the West Bank, supplying vital equipment like metal detectors, bullet-proof vests and armoured vehicles.

But the Threave Rovers goalkeeper finds being a goalie “a lot more stressful”.Nobull Sneakers  “If you’ve got the manager or the crowd screaming and bawling at you because you’ve not caught the ball, I find that more stressful than when an airstrike is coming,” he says.

He adds that it was impossible to avoid the horrors of war in Ukraine: “To see buildings burned to a crisp and the scale of that devastation with your own eyes is really shocking.”