Panic attacks have haunted Ukrainian serviceman Yaroslav since he returned home in the summer, leaving him gasping at night. Frustration with his commanders drove the 33-year-old to go absent without...

The Kyiv Independent is proud to announce that the Kyiv Independent’s reporter Asami Terajima has been shortlisted for the 2026 One World Media Awards in the Print Award category. Terajima's piece "Inside Ukraine’s AWOL and Military Desertion Crisis" was shortlisted alongside works from queerbeat and National Geographic Magazine. The One World Media Awards, organized by the U.K.-based charity One World Media, recognize outstanding journalism and media coverage on global issues. This year's shortlist was selected by sixty judges from over 20 countries across 14 categories. Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military affairs, front-line developments, and politics. Originally from Japan, she has called Ukraine home since 2010 and chose to remain in Ukraine when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She is also a co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter alongside Francis Farrell. The shortlisted article, published in January 2026, provides an on-the-ground account of a deepening crisis within Ukraine's Armed Forces, as the number of AWOL and desertion cases...

National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) members Kalki Subramaniam (@queenkalki) and Abhina Aher (@abhina_aher) recount to queerbeat a troubling encounter with officials from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment over proposed amendments to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act. It was marked by dismissal, evasion, and condescension.The conversation reveals how a stubborn and non-empathetic bureaucracy stands to undo decades of hard-won victories for transgender rights in India.Check out the slides above to know what transpired when NCTP members went for a meeting with the ministry. Spread awareness—share this post with trans and queer networks and communities. Repost, share on stories, and send it to your online groups on all the social media platforms.Reporting by @prabhasvaramitra and @talesoftavag#TransBill2026 #NoGoingBack

Excerpted from the book ‘Desi Queers: LGBTQ+ South Asians and Cultural Belonging in Britain’ by Churnjeet Mahn, Rohit K. Dasgupta and DJ Ritu published in India by Westland Books…