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Jeremy Renner describes snowplough accident: ‘My mistake and I paid for it’

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Jeremy Renner, star of the Avengers, claimed that his January accident in which he was crushed by a snowplough was “my mistake, and I paid for it.” On New Year’s Day, Renner attempted to stop the car from running over his nephew and broke more than 30 bones in the process.

On Thursday, the American network ABC aired his first in-depth interview since that time.

“You shouldn’t be outside the vehicle when you’re operating it, you know what I mean? It’s like driving a car with one foot out of the car,” he said.

“But it is what it was. And it’s my mistake, and I paid for it.” Renner, 52, is best known for playing Marvel’s Hawkeye and has been nominated for two Oscars.

He told ABC’s Diane Sawyer that he and his nephew Alex, 27, had been removing one of the family’s trucks from the snow with the help of the 6.5-tonne vehicle.

Renner claimed that without applying the parking brake, he stepped out of the cab to see if Alex was in the way of the snowplough when it began to slide on the ice. But, he slipped and fell out.

“I just happened to be the dummy standing on the dang track a little bit, seeing if my nephew was there.”

Renner attempted to re-enter the vehicle out of concern that it might “sandwich” Alex against the truck. But, he stepped across the moving wheel tracks of the plough, which propelled him ahead and caused the vehicle to run over him.

Asked if he remembered the pain, he replied: “Oh yeah, I was awake through every moment.

“It’s hard to imagine what that feels like… It felt like someone took the wind out of you.

“Pain is everything – it’s like if your soul could feel pain.”

Recalling his thoughts at the time, he continued: “I said, ‘Oh, that [leg], that one’s really messed up… that leg’s [going to] be a problem.

“[I’m thinking], what’s my body [going to] look like? Am I just gonna be like a spine and a brain like a science experiment?”

However, after three months of intensive treatment, Renner was seen in the ABC programme being able to walk with the aid of a frame.

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People were taking drugs in Spain 3,000 years ago, study finds

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According to new research, people were using hallucinogenic drugs in Spain around 3,000 years ago.

Experts claim that hair from a Menorca burial site demonstrates the use of medications by prehistoric human civilizations that were produced from plants and bushes. It is thought to be the earliest direct indication of drug use by humans in Europe.

Researchers discovered that they would have caused delirium and hallucinations. The research, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports, revealed evidence of human activity at the Es Càrritx cave on Menorca’s southwest coast.

More than 200 human tombs can be found in the cave, which is thought to have been used for religious and funerary purposes for roughly 600 years, up until 800 BCE.

The drugs, which had the potential to be highly potent, may have been utilised in rituals performed at the cave, according to researchers. Shamans “who were capable of regulating the side-effects of the plant medications” may have been involved in these.

Three psychotropic compounds were found in the locks’ analysis, which had been reddened during the ancient rites and might have been applied by more than one person.

Researchers also discovered ephedrine, which increases energy and alertness, along with the hallucinogens atropine and scopolamine.

Moreover, jugs with spiral carvings on their lids were discovered in the cave, according to researchers. According to the report, some academics have connected these carvings to a person’s “altered states of consciousness” while using hallucinogens.

Indirect evidence, such as the portrayal of narcotic plants in works of art, had previously been used to support claims of prehistoric drug use in Europe.

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Stormy Daniels Says Donald Trump Shouldn’t Go To Jail In Hush Money Case

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The adult film star Stormy Daniels, who is at the centre of the legal case against Donald Trump, stated that she does not believe the former president should go to prison if found guilty of hiding the hush money payments he made to her.
“I don’t think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration. I feel like the other things that he has done, if he is found guilty, absolutely,” Daniels, 44, said in an interview with Fox Nation’s Piers Morgan to be broadcast on Thursday.

Regarding allegations that he organised hush-money payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal before the 2016 American election to censor publication of their alleged affairs, Trump was charged in New York on Tuesday with 34 felonies for falsifying business records.

Trump, 76, is also under criminal investigation in Washington for mishandling confidential materials and trying to rig the 2020 election; he is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Georgia for attempting to rig the state’s election.

Trump, the first U.S. president to be charged criminally while in office or afterward, was accused by prosecutors in Manhattan of attempting to hide a violation of election rules during his successful 2016 campaign.

Trump, who is currently in the lead for the GOP nomination in 2024, has admitted the payment but denies having an affair with Daniels.

The case’s subsequent hearing is scheduled for December 4. According to legal experts, a trial might not even begin for a year, and an indictment or even a conviction would not be legally binding.Daniels told Morgan that if the case goes to trial, she would like to testify.

“I have nothing to hide. I’m the only one that has been telling the truth,” she said.

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Macron counting on Xi to ‘bring Russia to senses’

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Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has pleaded with Xi Jinping, the leader of China, to assist in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

He told Mr. Xi in Beijing, “I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses, and bring everyone back to the negotiating table.” China and France, according to Mr. Xi, have the “capacity and obligation” to preserve world peace.

Moscow, meanwhile, declared that the onslaught will carry on since there were currently “no prospects for a peaceful conclusion.”

After years of deteriorating relations between the West and China, which has hesitated to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Macron is in China on a state visit that is being closely watched.

Also, Mr. Macron wants to improve business connections. He is joined by a sizable business group as well as Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who he asked to participate in meetings with the Chinese leadership.

In the late afternoon on Thursday, Mr. Macron was treated to a lavish military display in Beijing before meeting Mr. Xi for private talks that were described as “frank” and “warm” by Chinese and French officials.

Following the meeting, Mr. Xi addressed the media and urged “reasonable restraint” from the international community, stating that China “advocates for peace talks and wants a political settlement.”

He also reaffirmed the prohibition against using nuclear weapons in the conflict. Earlier this week, Russia declared its intention to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, close to the ally’s western border with Nato countries.

Mr Macron said “we can’t have a safe and stable Europe” as long as Ukraine remained occupied, and that it was “unacceptable” that a member of the UN Security Council had violated the organisation’s charter.

The French president addressed Mr. Xi directly throughout the press conference, striking a friendly tone throughout his statement. It contrasted with Mr. Xi’s lethargic press conference delivery.

Later, in a different press conference, Ms. von der Leyen emphasised that it would be against international law and “seriously undermine” the relationship between the EU and China if Beijing sent weapons to Russia.

She said that she wanted Beijing to play a role that “promotes a just peace” and that she “firmly” supported Volodymyr Zelensky, the leader of Ukraine, in his peace proposal, which asks for the complete departure of Russian soldiers.

China has released its own peace plan which Western nations have been generally dismissive of, saying it sides too much with Russia. But Mr Zelensky has expressed interest in it and called for direct talks with Mr Xi – who has yet to publicly respond.

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Climate change: Norwegian seafloor holds clue to Antarctic melting

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According to new research, the melting ice sheet in Antarctica may recede far more quickly than previously anticipated.

The proof comes in the form of seafloor traces off the coast of Norway that show the retreat of a vanishing European ice sheet thousands of years ago. The glaciers in Antarctica that are receding the fastest are now seen to do so at a rate of up to 30 metres per day.

Yet, if they accelerated, the additional melt water would have significant effects on sea level rises all throughout the world. Since the 1990s, the surface of the world’s oceans has already risen by almost 1 centimetre due to ice loss from Antarctica brought on by climate change.

The maximum retreat with the Norwegian sheet, according to the researchers, was more than 600m per day.

“This is something we could see if we continue with the upper estimates for temperature rise,” explained Dr Christine Batchelor from Newcastle University, UK.

“Although, worryingly, when we did the equations to think about what would be needed to instigate such retreat in Antarctica, we actually found there are places where you could get similar pulses of withdrawal even under the basal melt rates we know are happening at the moment,” she told BBC News.

Significantly, the areas with the fastest rates were those with relatively flat seafloors. These are areas where the thickness of the ice above is more likely to be uniform and where less melting is needed to make the ice float to speed up its retreat.

On the seafloor near Antarctica, there have been reports of similar corrugations, but the examples are rather small. Because the Norwegian research region is so much larger, it provides a much clearer picture of how quickly ice can retreat in a warming climate.

Currently, scientists utilise satellites to keep an eye on the glaciers that terminate in the ocean in Antarctica. The spacecraft can determine where the tides are raising and lowering the ice.

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Lukaku Racially Abused by Juventus Fans

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Romelu Lukaku was subjected to racial taunts from Juventus supporters after converting a last-second penalty for Inter Milan and receiving a red card in the Coppa Italia match.

After scoring a penalty in the 95th minute, Lukaku received a second yellow card for celebrating in front of the home crowd.

The abuse was “beyond horrible,” according to Michael Yormark, head of Lukaku’s agency Roc Nation Sports International. Juventus promised to collaborate with the police to find the culprits.

A statement read: “Juventus Football Club, as always, are collaborating with the police to identify those responsible for the racist gestures and chants which took place last night.”

Following Lukaku’s equaliser, fights broke out amongst players from both teams.

At the final whistle, Inter captain Samir Handanovic and midfielder Juan Cuadrado received red cards, and the brawl continued down the tunnel.

“Tonight’s racist remarks made towards Romelu Lukaku by Juventus fans in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted,” Yormark said in a statement..

“Romelu scored a penalty late in the game. Before, during and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse.

“Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals. The referee’s response was to award a yellow card to Romelu.

“Romelu deserves an apology from Juventus and I expect the league to condemn the behaviour of this group of Juventus supporters immediately.

“The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse.”

During his first stint at Inter between 2019 and 2021, Lukaku, who returned to Inter on loan from Chelsea, experienced racism.

He claimed the sport “was moving backwards” in September 2019 after being subjected to racial taunts from Cagliari supporters.

As Cagliari were later exonerated of using racist chants, Piara Powar, the head of the anti-discrimination organisation Fare, claimed that the Italian football league’s disciplinary procedures were “not fit for purpose.”

Football racism, according to Lukaku, is at a “all-time high” and needs to be addressed further, players, football officials, and social media, in September 2021.

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Russia cafe bomb suspect charged with terrorism

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Russian officials have charged Darya Trepova with terrorism in connection to the killing of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Trepova was arrested in St Petersburg and appeared in court in Moscow, where she was ordered to remain in custody until June 2.

Tatarsky was killed in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday in a blast that injured over 30 people. A video released by authorities showed Trepova admitting to bringing a statuette to the cafe that later exploded, but she did not admit to knowing about the explosion or any further involvement.

She was accused of “a terrorist attack carried out by an organised group inflicting purposeful death” and “illegal possession of explosive devices by an organised group,” according to Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes into significant crimes.

She should be kept in detention, according to the court’s recommendation. Judge Valentina Levasheva was quoted by Russian media as saying following the court session that the investigators’ request for Darya Trepova to be kept in confinement had been approved and that she would be held until June 2.

The group also stated that it had proof the attack had been planned by Ukrainian security forces with assistance from the Anti-Corruption Foundation of imprisoned Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

But Kyiv presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak described the blast as part of a Russian “internal political fight”

Tatarsky, 40, was a guest speaker at a patriotic gathering with supporters in the cafe late on a Sunday afternoon. Tatarsky’s real name is Maxim Fomin.

A young woman with a brown coat was seen entering the cafe in a video that went viral on social media. She appeared to be carrying a cardboard box.

Before the woman sat down, the box was seen being placed on a table in the cafe in the images. A statue was presented to Tatarsky in another film. With more than 500,000 followers, Tatarsky was a well-known blogger with a troubled history.

He said that he joined the separatists supported by Russia after they freed him from prison, where he was serving time for armed robbery. He was born in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

He belonged to a pro-Kremlin military blogging group that has gained somewhat of a reputation since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine got underway in February 2022.

Tatarsky is one of many who has gone so far as to criticise the Russian government, blaming President Vladimir Putin, the military, and even the generals for defeats on the battlefield.

But, Mr. Putin presented him with the posthumous Order of Courage on Monday.

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Nato’s border with Russia doubles as Finland joins

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As Finland becomes the Western alliance’s 31st member, the Finnish flag will be raised at the Nato headquarters in Brussels. Sauli Niinisto, the president of Finland, and the secretary of state of the United States will attend a ceremony to officially join NATO.

The addition of Finland is a blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who frequently bemoaned Nato’s growth prior to his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s border with NATO members has now doubled in length.

In response to Russia’s conflict, Finland and Sweden officially asked to join NATO in May. Finland and Russia share an eastern border of 1,340 km (832 miles). They had both previously decided to follow a non-alignment policy. But, following the invasion of Ukraine, they decided to rely on NATO’s Article Five, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

It effectively means that, in the event of an invasion, all Nato countries, including the US, would support Finland. Following Russia’s invasion, support for Finland’s membership in NATO increased to 80%.

According to Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this will strengthen NATO and make Finland safer. “President Putin has a clear goal of having less Nato along its borders and no more membership in Europe, but he’s achieving exactly the opposite,” said one observer.

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Stockholm of welcoming Kurdish militants and allowing them to hold public demonstrations, which has put an end to Sweden’s application for the time being. Hungary still needs to ratify Sweden’s membership. Nato, according to Mr. Stoltenberg, will ensure that Sweden becomes the next member to join. 

Nato will now have seven members on the Baltic Sea, further isolating Russia’s coastal access to St Petersburg and its small exclave of Kaliningrad.

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Darya Trepova: Russia releases video of suspect in cafe killing of Vladlen Tatarsky

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In their search for the perpetrators of the stabbing death of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russian investigators have apprehended a lady.

Darya Trepova is heard admitting she handed over a figurine that later blew up in a video that the authorities published, which was probably filmed under duress. She does not, however, claim in the video that she was aware of the impending explosion. She also denies any additional roles.

Authorities claimed they had proof the assault had been planned out of Ukraine. Officials in Kiev claimed that it was a case of Russian intramural conflict.

Injuries from the blast in Russia’s second-largest city exceeded 30. Late on Sunday, Tatarsky had been a guest speaker at a patriotic gathering with supporters in the cafe.

Images showed the box being placed on a table in the cafe before the woman sat down. Another video showed a statue being handed to Tatarsky.

In a brief excerpt of her interrogation released by the ministry, Darya Trepova, 26, appeared under duress as she sighed repeatedly.

When her interrogator asked if she knew why she was detained, she replied: “I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky’s murder… I brought the statuette there which blew up.”

Asked who gave it to her she responded: “Can I tell you later please?”

The “terror strike” was allegedly planned by Ukrainian special forces “with people cooperating with” Alexei Navalny, according to Russia’s anti-terrorism commission.

Later on, the investigation committee said that it had proof that it was “planned and organised from Ukrainian territory.” It stated that it was attempting to identify the “entire chain” of parties involved.

It was “extremely handy,” according to Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, for the Kremlin to point the finger at its critics since Navalny was about to face an extremist trial. The foundation has published a number of exposés on corruption involving the Putin entourage.

After his arrival back in Russia from Germany in January 2021, Navalny has been imprisoned. He survived a nerve toxin attack in Russia in August 2020 that the Russian FSB security was accused of carrying out.

Ivan Zhdanov, the head of the Foundation, claimed that all evidence pointed to FSB agents. Certainly, we have nothing to do with this, he continued, adding that Moscow needed both a local adversary in Navalny’s group and an external opponent in the form of Ukraine.

According to Russian media, Ms Trepova was detained in a St. Petersburg flat belonging by her husband’s acquaintance. She reportedly spent a couple of days in detention on the day of Russia’s complete invasion last year for taking part in a pro-war demonstration.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who heads Russia’s infamous Wagner mercenary force and has participated in much of the fighting in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, once operated the café, Street Food Bar No 1 along the River Neva.

Cyber Front Z, a group that describes itself as “Russia’s information troops,” claimed to have rented out the cafe for the evening, according to Prigozhin, who claimed to have given it to them.

Tatarsky, whose true name was Maxim Fomin, was honoured by Prigozhin in a late-night video that he claimed was shot at Bakhmut’s town hall.

He waved a flag that read, “in good memory of Vladlen Tatarsky,” and he did so.

Tatarsky was neither a Russian official nor a military officer, despite being a vociferous advocate of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. He had a criminal record like Prigozhin and was a well-known blogger with more than 500,000 subscribers.

Born in the eastern Ukrainian province of Donetsk, he claimed to have joined separatists who were supported by Russia when they released him from jail, where he was serving time for armed robbery.

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Sanna Marin defeated by Finland’s conservatives in tight race

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In a closely contested three-way election, Finland’s conservative leader Petteri Orpo defeated the center-left of prime minister Sanna Marin.

“We got the biggest mandate,” said the leader of the National Coalition Party, after a dramatic night in which the result gradually swung away from Ms Marin’s Social Democrats. Prior to the center-left and the right-wing populist Finns Party, Mr. Orpo won 20.8% of the vote.

A record 20.1% went to the populists. Ms. Marin, who increased the number of seats for her party and received 19.9% of the vote, suffered a crushing defeat.

She continues to receive favourable ratings in polls and has won accolades for guiding Finland towards its impending membership in NATO and guiding it through the Covid-19 pandemic.

The center-left candidate conceded the contest shortly after the conservative candidate declared victory.

“Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken,” she told supporters.

The three parties had been almost evenly matched in the polls for weeks, but when the results poured in, it became impossible to predict. The National Coalition of Petteri Orpo won the most seats in parliament, according to a prediction from public broadcaster YLE.

By winning more regions than any other party in mainland Finland, the Finns highlighted their accomplishment. Riikka Purra received more votes than any other candidate, and commentators emphasised how her party engaged younger people by using social media platforms like TikTok.

Three other parties in the departing coalition, the Centre Party, Left Alliance, and Greens, also suffered significant setbacks.

Sanna Marin, who is now 37, entered politics in 2019 and quickly rose to the position of leader in the world. She oversaw a coalition of five female-led parties.

Notwithstanding her effective response to neighbouring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland’s economy and public debt dominated the election debate because all of the major parties supported Nato membership.

Many Finns see her as a polarising figure. She came under heavy scrutiny last year when a video emerged of her singing, dancing and drinking at a party. Supporters said the controversy was steeped in sexism and women across Finland and the world shared videos of themselves dancing in solidarity.

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