Society & Culture

Pope Leo XIV spent a significant part of his life in Peru, in the part of the planet where the Catholic Church is growing most dynamically, and this was certainly taken into account during the Conclave. This was stated by the head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelenskyi, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform. Commenting on the fact that this is the fourth Pope who is not a native of Italy, the official noted: "This indicates that Catholicism is losing its European face, although the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope was a…

The issue of the ecclesiastical structure of churches is not a matter for the state, and the UOC should decide on its own how to build internal and external relations. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelensky. When asked about the possible further subordination of the UOC if it refuses to break ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, the official replied: "It seems to me that this church will decide for itself with whom it will communicate, with whom it will not,…

A bill has been table in the Canadian Senate to designate September as "Ukrainian Heritage Month". The bill is sponsored by Senator Stan Kutcher, a lawmaker of Ukrainian descent. “Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the month of September is to be known as “Ukrainian Heritage Month,’” the bill states. The document states that “the first recorded arrival of Ukrainians to Canada took place in the month of September over 125 years ago”, and “by designating the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month, Parliament would provide an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the impactful…

The vast majority of Ukrainians (65%) remain willing to endure hardships for the sake of victory. These are the findings of a sociological survey conducted by the research company InfoSapiens, presented during a press conference at Ukrinform. "We're seeing nearly the same figures as before, but there's a noticeable drop of four percentage points among those who are willing to endure for as long as it takes: from 69% last year to 65% this year. Still, it's a clear majority," said Inna Volosevych, head of InfoSapiens' socio-political research department. Read also: Over 60% of Americans believe supporting Ukraine in line…

Polish President Andrzej Duda awarded Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), one of the highest Polish state honors for foreign citizens – the Gold Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. “For his outstanding contribution to the development of international cooperation and relations that connect the Republic of Poland with other states and nations, President Andrzej Duda has awarded Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the…

Representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine met with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal during their visit to Ukraine to discuss, among other topics, the return of Ukrainian children forcibly deported by the aggressor. Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, reported the meeting on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "I held a conversation with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, who are visiting Ukraine. Also present were U.S. Charge d'Affaires Julie Davis, my deputies Pavlo Palisa and Ihor Brusylo, as well as advisors Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Daria Zarivna, and Oleksandr Bevz," Yermak…

The UK Foreign Office issued a comment on the recent report regarding ethnic cleansing of Ukrainians by Russia’s occupation forces. Referring to the report by the Center for Defense Reform, British diplomacy said at the question of whether Russia has committed crimes shall be decided by competent courts after all available evidence has been considered, Guildhall wrote. "We have always been clear that Russia’s attempted annexations of the temporarily occupied territories are a gross violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as the UN Charter," the UK Foreign Office said. "It is our long-standing position…

The Children Rights Protection Center, one of the largest in Ukraine and the first of its kind in the country's east, has officially opened in Dnipro. This was announced by Mykola Lukashuk, chairman of the Dnipro Regional Council, via Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "The first in the east of the country. This center was established on the initiative of Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets. The regional council provided the most essential support: handing over a modern building, re-equipping it, installing communications, and ensuring access to the shelter. With the help of international partners, the Center is now…

Russia has created a comprehensive system of indoctrination for abducted Ukrainian children – spanning from kindergartens to universities. According to the website of the President of Ukraine, this was stated by Daria Zarivna, Chief Operating Officer of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, during the event titled "Fragile: Childhood, War, Occupation, Deportation," as reported by Ukrinform. “From kindergartens to universities – the entire system is aimed at erasing memory, destroying identity, and raising soldiers who will fight against their homeland. That is why it’s important to speak about this openly. Documentaries like Stolen Childhood are powerful tools for international advocacy,”…

The international project entitled D-CREDO "Digital Health Technologies-augmented Clinical Reasoning Education" is being implemented in Ukraine, funded by the European Union's EACEA Erasmus+ program. This was reported by the Ministry of Health, Ukrinform saw. "The D-CREDO project aims to improve the skills of medical students and faculties in the use of digital medical technologies in clinical reasoning," the Ministry of Health noted. As noted, the project plans to develop high-quality training modules involving virtual patients, as well as evidence-based recommendations on the use of digital tools in teaching clinical reasoning. Their implementation will prepare students for the responsible use of…