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19 hours agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Grooming gangs scandal inquiry U-turn leaves tin-eared Starmer facing massive questions over his judgment
WELCOME aboard the “far-right bandwagon” then, Prime Minister.
It’s been six months since Sir Keir Starmer airily dismissed those calling for a moment of reckoning over the wave of Asian rape gangs systematically attacking white British girls under the noses of officials and cops.
Sir Keir Starmer faces massive questions over his judgment over the grooming gangs scandal inquiry U-turnAFPTo his credit, Sir Keir had a strong track record in beginning to crack this scandal as Director of Public Prosecution, banging up the first batch of abusers[/caption]
Six months since the PM whipped his Labour MPs to vote down an inquiry into the biggest scandal and cover-up in modern British history, yet mysteriously missed the toxic Commons vote himself.
And six months since our technocratic lawyer leader outsourced the problem to someone else, instead of gripping the issue from the centre.
Now Dame Louise Casey, the go-to woman to write long reports on issues ministers find too sticky, has reached the blindingly obvious conclusion that this blot on our national history deserves more than just mournful words and brushing under the carpet.
As one weeping survivor, Elizabeth, told GB News: “We’re not far-right — we were just children who were abused.”
Horrific abuse
We will find out what exactly Casey has unearthed later today when her report is published — but even on the facts as known already, the case for an inquiry is already overwhelming.
Hundreds of men of Pakistani origin, often working in cabs or takeaways, luring and drugging young girls with drink and drugs and subjecting them to the most horrific sexual abuse.
A generation of victims then failed by simpleton social services across dozens of mostly Labour-run local authorities.
Officials more worried about so-called community cohesion than rape, police forces suspiciously close to so-called community leaders, turning a blind eye or even returning young women into the hands of the evil perpetrators.
Girls branded slags and prostitutes rather than child-abuse victims — all in the name of multicultural harmony and cultural enrichment.
If you weren’t already angry about this before Elon Musk took the issue stratospheric last Christmas, then you were not paying attention.
The court transcripts alone, such as one case in Dewsbury where a victim was told, “we’re here to f*** all the white girls and f*** the Government”, should have been enough to trigger a wider review.
But the Labour Government again and again appeared to close the doors and windows to the much-needed disinfection of sunlight — in what could well be a brand-destroying inquiry into years of failure by the party across swathes of northern Britain.
To his credit, Sir Keir had a strong track record in beginning to crack this scandal as Director of Public Prosecution, banging up the first batch of abusers.
Which makes the lawyer leader’s obfuscation earlier this year even more baffling — and even more personally damaging.
Rightly or wrongly, it looked like a political leader — who in a past life knew the horrors and evil that was wrought across northern cities and towns — now in charge of a party at the centre of the scandal and doing his utmost to avoid scrutiny.
A regularly repeated tale from those who have worked closely with Starmer in both Opposition and government is that the lawyer leader often refuses to take advice from those who genuinely mean him well and want him to do the right thing. Instead, the barrister locks himself away from aides, reads his brief and makes his own decisions, thinking he knows best.
Inevitable U-turns
It’s said to be a trait the PM sticks to, despite the fact he has been shown time and again to suffer from a political tin ear, preferring the comfort of reviews and legalese over instinct and leadership.
And then the inevitable U-turns come when it turns out the lawyer did not know best, after all.
The case for an inquiry was as obvious in January as it is now, but the PM was clearly unwilling to be seen to be bounced into it by Musk, Reform or the Tories.
He could have shown a genuine moment of strong leadership and got on the front foot, but yet again could not see the chance.
So, the rug has now been pulled from under him by the very “audit” he clearly hoped would make this thorny issue go away.
And frankly, the PM has only himself to blame for looking like he’s been dragged into this kicking and screaming — once again facing massive questions over his judgment, nous or even emotional intelligence.
Plenty in Government saw an inquiry as not just the right thing to do, but a political no-brainer, given their hand would be forced eventually.
But it’s not too late for the PM to do the right thing now, as he sets up the probe.
No wishy-washy old human-rights lawyer mate from his past will do at the helm.
Instead, we need a proper judge with a track record of not caving in to politically correct trends.
No Labour council, official or local organiser spared from testimony.
No police force off-limits for a hauling over the coals.
And Covid Inquiry-style powers to have council emails, phone records and court papers turned over and published in full, however politically toxic for Labour.
This inquiry needs to be no- holds-barred and it must be televised.
The victims — and this country — deserve the whole truth about these horrors, however long it takes and however hard that is for the PM and his party.
OUR man in Washington, Peter Mandelson, is proving something of a hit in Republican circles, despite initial concerns the Labour veteran would rub Trump-world up the wrong way.
His lavish bashes have helped, like the one held last week ahead of the President’s controversial parade to celebrate the US Army, first raised to boot out the Brits.
But in a typically Mandelsonian way, he even took credit for that, purring: “My warmest congratulations to the US Army on their 250th birthday. We may have played a rather outsized role in their formation.”
THE mood among Tory MPs remains as bleak as can be, with a growing fear the party has yet to hit rock-bottom in terms of numbers, despite their wipeout last year.
While many are still petrified of yet more bloodletting and regicide, it feels like the balance is shifting towards addressing the Kemi Badenoch problem sooner rather than later.
GettyConservative leader Kemi Badenoch[/caption]
Conservative folklore says the one who wields the knife never wears the crown, which puts last year’s runner-up Robert Jenrick in a tricky spot if he is seen to move against the leadership.
Now a growing number feel the party’s woes will not be fixed until a generation is skipped and a leader emerges who did not serve in any of the previous Conservative administrations.
There were 26 new Tory MPs elected last July, with whips increasingly keeping an eye on a possible ambush emerging from this block of newbies.
19 hours agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Devastated family pay tribute to ‘beautiful baby’ girl, 11, who was killed by Ford Transit van while crossing road
THE family of a schoolgirl who was tragically killed in a horror crash as she crossed the road have begged for answers as they pay tribute to their “beautiful baby.”
Elemie Wainwright was hit by a white Ford Transit van in Mosborough just before 5pm on Thursday June 12.
The 11-year-old was rushed to hospital but tragically died a short time later despite the best efforts of medics.
A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and other traffic offences, he has since been released on bail.
The tragic crash left the Elemie’s family reeling, they released a statement begging witnesses to come forward.
Police are continuing to probe the horror crash after a man was released on bail.
Elemie’s heartbroken family, from Sheffield, have released a statement saying: “Our baby girl, our life and soul, with the biggest smile, the biggest heart, you were the kindest, most sweetest, most beautiful baby girl.
“We have no words right now, but we beg that if anyone knows any information, no matter how insignificant you think it is, please come forward.
“As parents, we need answers for our baby girl. Please, look at her photo, look at her smile, it’s the least our baby deserves.”
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the horror to come forward and assist with their investigation.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Our officers continue to support Elemie’s family and our work to investigate the circumstances that led to Elemie’s death is continuing.
“A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and traffic offences. He remains fully co-operating with officers and has been released on police bail at this time.
“We are continuing to appeal to witnesses, or those with dashcam footage or information to come forward and assist us with our inquiry.
“Elemie’s family has asked that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
“If you witnessed the collision and have not yet spoken to officers, please get in touch online, via live chat or by calling 101, quoting incident number 758 of 12 June 2025.
“Our thoughts remain with Elemie’s family, friends and all those that loved her at this difficult time.”
South Yorkshire PoliceElmie was rushed to hospital but tragically died a short time later[/caption]
19 hours agoUSA UpdateComments Off on How Ioan Gruffudd’s baby bombshell sparked hell for ex Alice Evans ‘rubbing salt in wound’ as she fights homelessness
HOLLYWOOD star Ioan Gruffudd delighted fans on Father’s Day as he kissed wife Bianca’s blossoming baby bump in a silhouette portrait that revealed he is becoming a dad again.
But the joyous photograph has caused fresh turmoil for his “fuming” ex Alice Evans, with concerned pals saying it has “rubbed salt in the wounds” after her battle to avoid homelessness with their two kids.
GettyOver the moon Ioan Gruffudd with Biana Wallace[/caption]
instagramIoan and Bianca announced their news on social media[/caption]
The couple broke their baby news with this Instagram snap
Since the couple’s messy break-up four years ago, the 56-year-old actress has railed bitterly against Fantastic Four star Ioan, 51, resulting in one of the most public and vicious divorce battles in showbiz.
And while he has continued to find work and moved on with new wife Bianca Wallace, who he married earlier this year, Alice has resorted to begging fans for cash on crowdfunding websites as her savings dry up.
A source close to the mum of two said of Ioan’s very public pregnancy announcement: “Alice will be absolutely fuming over this.
“She’s made no secret of the fact she’s destitute looking after the two kids, so to have him rub how well he’s doing in her face is a real gut-punch.
“For Ioan to not only break the news like that, but do it on Father’s Day . . . it’s yet another horribly upsetting saga for her to deal with.”
Since their 2023 divorce, the former sweethearts’ relationship has deteriorated further in public and played out painfully in the courts.
Ioan won a restraining order against Alice following a string of social media posts she made about him, including a claim he told her “he would leave if I gained weight”.
‘Asking if anyone had a spare room’
He, in turn, accused his ex of “child abuse” for allegedly not taking his daughters to all their therapy sessions.
Relations were so strained that their eldest girl Ella, then 13, applied for a restraining order against him, which was denied by a judge.
While Welshman Ioan’s career has continued to flourish — seeing him starring in Will Smith’s Bad Boys comeback last year — Alice has not made a film or TV show since 2018.
In February, she claimed she and her children would end up homeless in Los Angeles.
She has relied on the kindness of fans, launching a crowdfunding appeal on the GoFundMe website and asking if anyone had a “spare room”.
Earlier this month, Alice complained that “nobody even wants to employ me”.
But this month, having collected nearly £14,000 in donations, she finally managed to find a new place to live.
While Alice has struggled as a single mother, Ioan’s social media paints a very different picture of his life.
If you were to glance at his Instagram, you would think things were perfect with wife Bianca.
They frequently post images of themselves smiling and laughing together in swanky locations.
Last month, they shared a video of their intimate wedding, with the pair sipping champagne just after sunset.
And yesterday, actress Bianca, 32, wrote, “Baby Gruffudd poppin’ out to say hello!” next to the image of Ioan kissing her bump.
Our source added: “Alice knows every baby is a blessing, and as a devoted mother herself, she understands how joyous a first baby is. But this will cut her deep.
“Her kids are her top priority and to her, this just looks like they’re moving lower down the pecking order.”
Her social media messages often talk about the “hate” against her online and going “through hell” over the past few years. And work has been tough to come by.
Alice, who was born in the US but grew up in Bristol, has taken to earning money by offering personal videos to fans via the Cameo website.
Other than that, her main income stream seems to be from appearances at conventions for her old TV shows including The Vampire Diaries and Lost.
Both Ioan and Alice have been highly successful performers, starring in big-budget productions, so her financial struggles have come as a surprise to fans.
The couple met while making 2000 Disney movie 102 Dalmations with Glenn Close.
GettyIoan with Alice Evans in 2015[/caption]
InstagramIoan, Alice and their kids before split[/caption]
Alice’s appeal on social media
But the cost of paying lawyers in their long-running divorce proceedings has left the coffers drained.
Alice noted: “If you don’t know divorce court, you simply cannot know how much money is wasted.”
With rents rising, and her facing losing her previous home in Los Angeles earlier this year, Alice said she had nowhere to go with her daughters Ella and Elsie, 11.
She wrote: “We may be on the verge of being thrown out of our current home but I am working like heck to stop it happening and to keep my girls happy and healthy.”
The actress had worried she would end up without a roof over her head or in temporary accommodation.
Now, the sight of her ex-husband kissing Bianca’s bump will no doubt sour her joy over securing a place to live.
It has been obvious since Hornblower star Ioan told Alice in January 2021 he “no longer loves her” that this was the opposite of an amicable break-up.
She told followers on social media that “I will wash my linen in public” — and she has been true to her word.
Alice spoke about her pain and claimed that Ioan “is always angry — he was born angry”.
When he went public about his relationship with Australian Bianca in October 2021, Alice struck back, accusing her estranged husband of being unfaithful.
There was no proof, though, that he had cheated on Alice with his new partner.
In the face of constant accusations from Alice, Ioan filed for a restraining order in February 2022.
The actor’s former wife Alice claims to be brokeRexIoan in Will Smith’s Bad Boys II
The actor claimed she had harassed him with hundreds of text messages and abusive emails.
In the court documents, Ioan alleged: “Alice threatened to tell people I had abused her and our daughters; she threatened to call the police on me if I did not comply with her demands.
“She threatened to tell people I am a drug addict and put me in prison; she threatened to write a fake diary that reflected an abused victim, and to have the diary published.”
In August 2022, Ioan persuaded a judge to issue a three-year restraining order against Alice, which prevented her from making social media posts against him and Bianca.
She was twice accused of breaching it, but charges were dropped.
Their battle for custody over their two daughters, who were conceived using IVF, also turned very nasty.
Alice wants sole custody, while Ioan has pushed for joint custody.
Ella’s application for a restraining order against her dad in 2023 involved claims that Bianca had “slammed a door on her” during a visit.
A couple of months later, though, her case was dismissed by a judge and Ioan responded by claiming that it was Alice who was harming their children’s welfare.
He said: “Alice has continued to inflict serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them.”
The divorce did come through, but the custody battle rolls on.
It is understandable that Ioan and Bianca are excited about their baby news.
Bianca was diagnosed with aggressive multiple sclerosis in 2019, which left her unable to pick up a pen and fearing she would be left unable to walk.
A source close to Ioan added: “Ioan’s only wish is to spend more time with his children, and he’s already gone to court to fight for them.
“Despite Alice’s efforts to freeze him out, he wants nothing more than to keep them in his life and out of this sad tug of war.”
Greens at the 14th and 18th holes were waterloggedGettyPlay was paused during the final round[/caption]
AlamyThere were lightning strikes in Pittsburgh[/caption]
GettyWarnings were sent to spectators to take cover[/caption]
Play has been halted with the greens at the 14th and 18th holes waterlogged.
Warnings were sent out to players and spectators to take shelter.
Tournament organisers plan to resume the final round 45 minutes from the point play was suspended.
The rain is expected to stop shortly but play will not resume until there is no more threat of a lightning strike.
However rain is expected in the evening with the possibility of a thunderstorm returning.
Play was paused with Sam Burns holding a narrow one-shot lead over Adam Scott.
The pair have both shot two over in round four – and that was before the weather affected conditions.
Brit Tyrell Hatton has shot the best round of the contenders so far, and is even after eight holes played.
19 hours agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Americans can get $60k to help buy their first home through a new program – there is still time to apply & no wait list
SOME Americans could get thousands of dollars to help them buy a home.
With housing costs high, a new program is trying to help first-timers out.
GETTY
New home buyers could qualify for thousands in payments[/caption]
GettyYou could get money to help pay for your down payment[/caption]
The city of Raleigh, North Carolina, will pay up to $60,000 toward down payments.
“Homeownership is way more than just having a place to live,” the city’s Housing & Neighborhoods Communications Analyst Chloe McNeal told the local ABC affiliate, ABC 11.
“It’s such a powerful way to build stability, generational wealth for your families,” she added.
There are some wrinkles and requirements to be aware of before applying.
LOAN PROGRAM
The money does have some strings attached.
It’s a loan, rather than a grant – meaning recipients will have to pay it back.
However, there’s no interest on the loans.
Those looking to buy homes in Raleigh can get up to $45,000 in assistance.
People buying in some targeted areas of the city can get up to $60,000.
The loans only apply to single family homes, townhomes, and condominiums.
For much of the city, the maximum eligible home purchase price is $384,750.
For the targeted areas of the city, however, that maximum is $450,000.
If you accept the loan, there are some deed restrictions limiting your rights to proceeds from selling the house.
The program has no waitlist and is on track to help 75 families this year, according to ABC 11.
STEPS
First, you must check that you are eligible for assistance.
That depends on your annual income.
For a family of one, you must make less than $72,951.
For a family of two, that number is $83,401.
For a family of three, it’s $93,801.
For a family of four, it’s $104,201.
For a family of five, it’s $112,551.
For a family of six, it’s $120,901.
Next, you must take a city-mandated homeownership class.
Thirdly, you find a lender who is approved by the city for the program.
Last, you find a home. For more details on the program, check the city’s website.
MORE MONEY
Raleigh is not the only government giving out funds.
A New York program is giving some people direct payments of up to $500 monthly.
The federal government may pay out thousands via the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Meanwhile, some may have to wait for retirement money thanks to a proposal to raise the full retirement age.
19 hours agoUSA UpdateComments Off on Ukrainian TV chef reveals her mum’s heartbreaking last act before being forced out of family home by Russian invaders
MUM and Dad had a good life. Their house was by a bank of the river Dnipro in the south of Ukraine.
Huge golden sunflower fields stretching as far as the eye can see, as hot as the Mediterranean, and just a 50-mile drive from the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea.
Olivia WestOlia Hercules, pictured at home in London, reveals her Ukrainian family’s plight in her memoir[/caption]
Olia’s parents, Petro and Olga, drove for days to escape the Russian invasionOlia Hercules
They planted an orchard and Dad dug out a pond that he filled with carp and sturgeon.
I would visit with my British husband Joe and our children at least twice a year, the last time being August 2021.
There are photos of my big extended family having a barbecue on Ukraine’s Independence Day, my younger son Wilfred eating a peach the size of his head, juice dripping all over his chin and belly.
There is a video of my Joe laughing with my dad, brother and cousins, my father telling Ukrainian dad jokes using a mixture of broken English and expressive gestures. He is such a good actor.
Just six months later he would use those acting skills again.
But this time it wasn’t a family comedy but a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie.
My mum and dad were escaping as Russia’s full-scale invasion of my homeland reached their front door, and I ordered him to play dumb.
“If the Russians stop you,” I said, “Pretend to be an idiot. Do not argue, do not show emotion.”
The Russians drove their tanks into Kakhovka on the first day of the invasion on February 22, 2022.
My parents and other locals went to protest every day in the centre of town. But eventually the invaders started shooting into the crowd.
Torture chambers
Then my dad received a phone call. A man with a sharp Russian accent demanded that he give up the keys to his and mum’s businesses (Mum ran a small B&B in town).
The Russian barked: “We also know that your son joined the Ukrainian Territorial Army. Tell him to put down his arms, or else.”
Dad — headstrong and courageous as he is — completely ignored my instructions and said something like: “Over my dead body.”
The Russian made it clear that he should be careful what he wished for.
I freaked out when Mum told me this and urged them to leave.
We have all seen reports that the Russians set up special “basements” all over the occupied regions.
For basements, read torture chambers.
I wish I was exaggerating, but I am not. People started disappearing in Ukraine’s occupied areas.
My own brother, Sasha, was defending Kyiv with other ex-civilians — people from all walks of life. In his regiment there was a baker, an IT guy, an actor and a builder.
Sasha later told me how they were stuck on one side of the river Irpin near Kyiv, only a thousand of them or so — and on the other were 15,000 of Putin’s Chechen henchmen.
They were lucky, my brother told me — the weather and Russia’s poor logistics organisation meant that not only did he and the others survive, but they were able to repel the attack and save the capital.
Only a few months ago, Sasha admitted to me that shrapnel had grazed against his thigh. Not everyone was so lucky. At home in London, I was freaking out.
Strong Roots
OLIA HERCULES is a London-based chef and writer who was born in Kakhovka in southern Ukraine.
She has published four cookbooks and this week releases a memoir, Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile and Hope.
A regular on TV’s Saturday Kitchen, she co-founded #CookForUkraine – a global initiative to raise money for the war-torn country.
Parents under occupation, brother in Irpin, and then the news about what happened in Bucha, very close to where my brother was located.
I lost my mind and shouted down the phone to my mum for them to leave until they finally relented.
They grabbed two suitcases — one with clothes, another with family photographs, letters and Mum’s hand-stitched embroideries.
They dug any valuables they had into the ground, in case they would return in the future, and they drove.
But not before my mum scrubbed the whole house until it shined. It was one of the most heartbreaking things for me to hear — and for my mum to tell — how she tidied up her house before they left, imagining how a Russian woman might move into it and remark on how tidy everything was.
Petro at a yard in Ukraine with the tractor he is converting into a minesweeperOlia HerculesOlia HerculesOlia’s dad in the kitchen with her eldest son Sasha[/caption]
Ukrainians take huge pride in keeping their homes cosy and beautiful. Just like here in the UK, our home is our castle.
My other family and friends followed them a day later. They had to break through 19 Russian checkpoints and witnessed craters as big as the moon’s, left by artillery and missiles.
Mum and Dad drove for five days through Europe, a difficult thing at the best of times, and even harder given that Dad suffers from Parkinson’s tremors.
They went to stay with my cousins in Berlin. But within the first two months, Dad decided he couldn’t do it. “I will die from inaction and depression here, Olia. I am going back,” he told me.
Mum was so broken, she did not go with him. She said she could not imagine living in Ukraine while Kakhovka was occupied, while Russians lived in her home.
Planning to reunite
To explain the severity of their separation, my mum and dad met at primary school.
They are both 67 and they had known each other for 60 years already, and been married for 50.
My dad is in Ukraine now, and Kakhovka is still occupied by the Russians.
It is a ghost town and is pummelled by Russians on a regular basis (they use old Soviet launchers that are not exactly precise, so when they try to shoot at a town on the front line, it can fall anywhere).
Russian FSB officers moved into my parents’ beautiful home. Dad found out his factory warehouse was used to house Russian tanks, so he told Ukrainian intelligence the coordinates.
When Russia invaded, mum and dad went into town every day to protest. Eventually the invaders started shooting the crowd
Olia Hercules
After careful reconnaissance and making sure that it was safe to do so, the Ukrainian army hit it and destroyed the tanks, along with my dad’s warehouse.
I am sure Dad is heartbroken about his life’s work being turned into rubble, but he told me he had no regrets. He is now with his sister and nephew in another unoccupied region of Ukraine.
Ukraine is now the most mined country in the world, so Dad is using his engineering skills to convert an old tractor into a driverless minesweeper. Mum is still in Berlin, but she is planning to reunite with Dad next year.
She has accepted they may have lost their home forever, and started entertaining the idea to start anew in another part of Ukraine.
Olia HerculesOlia, back left, cuddling Sasha at a family dinner[/caption]
Ingredients for a delicious spreadOlia Hercules
This is because, unlike in the 1990s after independence, Ukrainians do not want to live elsewhere. Everyone just wants to be back home. My parents want to be within their community, speaking their own language.
They crave the south Ukrainian sunshine, they want to dig around in their garden, they want us to visit them there, to clink glasses and eat delicious food, and to tell silly jokes.
For my youngest Wilfred, five, and my older son Sasha, 13, to run around and gorge themselves on massive peaches.
It’s because of this love — love of a country that people like my dad and mum worked so hard to build — that I know we will not stop fighting.
As English author G.K. Chesterton said: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
But you don’t need to be a soldier to fight. My weapon is my pen and my ability to translate our human experience to people in the UK through my cookbooks, which are full of snippets of my family history and now, hopefully, through the family memoir I have written.
Rebuild and flourish
It has been incredible to receive so much support, because people knew me and trusted me.
Within a week of the war starting, I had been able to raise enough money to supply ballistic vests and helmets, boots and even ballistic underwear, and to get it delivered just a day before my brother and 105 people in his regiment went into battle.
I will never forget this generosity of the British, the post-war spirit and the Keep Calm And Carry On philosophy which is so keenly adopted by everyone in Ukraine.
War news fatigue is real — I get it.
It is not easy to keep looking at the horrific news, at the distressing headlines. But with “peace talks” looming, I hope people do not forget that what the media call “territories” are not faceless dots on the map.
They are places that still hold our homes, our memories and our people.
Not everyone was able to leave like my parents did.
I have plenty of friends and family who had to stay behind, to look after the “unmovable” — the elderly or ill parents or even neighbours.
People started disappearing. My brother was defending Kyiv. My father’s life was threatened. Mass graves, all manner of horrors. I lost my mind and shouted down the phone for them to leave
Olia Hercules
If those areas are given to Russia, the war will not cease for them. Like other places that Putin grabbed over the years — Abkhazia and Ossetia in the Caucasus, East Ukraine and Crimea — they will become “grey zones”, internationally unrecognised, with no life and no future.
One thing my parents and my grandparents taught me was to never give up, and to never give up hope.
I will be honest, it has been very up and down. But even on the lowest day I know that Ukrainians will never relent, and will never give up the fight, and the hope that we will return, rebuild and flourish.
As my late grandmother used to say: “Always look at the roots. If the roots are strong, it doesn’t matter if the wind blows off the pretty petals.
“If the roots are strong, it doesn’t matter if a storm breaks the fragile stem.
“It will all grow back again.”
Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile And Hope, by Olia Hercules, is out on Thursday.
Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile And Hope, by Olia Hercules, is out on Thursday
