News Trending

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

By 198 0

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.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Sanna Marin defeated by Finland’s conservatives in tight race

By 191 0

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.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Finland election: Three-way race as Sanna Marin fights for survival

By 179 0

Finns are voting in an election that is seen as a close battle between the center-left of Prime Minister Sanna Marin and right-wing populists, conservatives, and others.

Even though Finland has the longest border with Russia and is just a few days away from joining NATO, the conflict in the Ukraine has had minimal effect on the country’s political landscape. Instead, the economy has been the key issue in the election.

And Finns are making a significant decision for the future of their nation. The results of over 1.7 million advance ballots will be announced at 20:00 (17:00 GMT), when polls shut. Polls began at 09:00 (06:00 GMT). Right-wing opposition to Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats is the biggest threat.

Petteri Orpo’s conservative National Coalition Party is eager to build a coalition after four years of opposition, but the populist Finns Party may have its best chance to become prime minister ever.

Ms. Marin, now 37, made her debut four years ago as the youngest prime minister in history, leading a coalition of five parties that were all led by women. She continues to have strong poll numbers, but she is viewed as divisive and came under fire last summer when a video showed her singing, dancing, and intoxicating herself at a party surfaced.

“She has a substantial following outside her party,” says Vesa Vares, professor of contemporary history at the University of Turku.

The public debt of Finland and how the nation’s cherished welfare state may be financed in the future have been the main campaign issues.

Even though Sanna Marin claims the government had to spend heavily in reaction to Covid and neighbouring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the right has attacked her for raising the national debt.

According to Matti Koivisto, political correspondent for Finland’s public broadcaster YLE, worrying about the public finances is a quality unique to the Finns. But, the country is dealing with a structural issue due to an ageing population and a lack of workers to support it.

The southern region of Uusimaa, where 30% of the population resides, is where the labour shortage is most severe, and it is particularly serious in three of the biggest cities, Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate moved to house arrest

By 291 0

Following a Romanian judge’s decision, controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were transferred from detention to house arrest.

The most recent period of imprisonment, which was scheduled to end on April 29, has been replaced by the Court of Appeal’s decision in Bucharest. Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu, two coworkers, are also getting their freedom.

Unless they obtain legal authority to leave, all four of them have been told to remain in the residences they currently occupy. The Tate brothers were “ecstatic,” a spokesman for the family told the BBC.

After being released, Andrew posted a video of himself pacing in a room while smoking a cigar, saying: “Since last year I’ve been in 24-hour lockdown. No yard time.

“Pacing a 3-metre cell with zero electronics or outside contact. Absolute clarity of mind. Real thoughts. Real plans. Vivid pain. One hour home and I can’t stand my phone.

“Some habits die hard. We must defeat Shaytan.”
Tristan, meanwhile, tweeted: “4 months without putting on a pair of alligator shoes. The struggle was real.”Since December, the brothers have been in custody. They are being looked into for alleged rape, human trafficking, and involvement in organised crime. Each has refuted any misconduct.

Former kickboxer and British-American Andrew Tate was fired from the British television programme Big Brother in 2016 when a video surfaced that purported to show him assaulting a woman.

As a result of his comments that women should “carry responsibility” for being sexually assaulted, he later gained prominence online and was banned from Twitter. He was later given a second chance.

Despite social media bans, he became well-liked, especially among young males, by promoting what he portrayed as an extremely opulent and hyper-masculine lifestyle.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Russia assumes UN Security Council presidency despite Ukrainian anger

By 217 0

Despite Ukraine pleading with other council members to oppose the action, Russia has assumed the leadership of the UN Security Council. On a rotating basis, each of the 15 council members has the presidency for one month.

In February 2022, when Russia last held the president, it started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It denotes that a nation whose president is wanted internationally for alleged war crimes is in charge of the Security Council.

The arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin was issued last month by the International Criminal Court, a non-UN body.

Notwithstanding Ukraine’s complaints, the US claimed it was powerless to prevent Russia, a permanent council member, from taking the helm. The United Kingdom, United States, France, and China are the council’s other permanent members.

Vasily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, informed the Russian Tass news agency that he intended to preside over numerous discussions, including one on arms control. The position is primarily procedural. He promised to talk about the “new world order” that will “replace the unipolar one.”

The Russian presidency has been dubbed “the worst April Fool’s joke ever” and a “stark warning that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning,” according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, a presidential adviser for Ukraine, criticised the decision as “another rape of international law… an entity that wages an aggressive war, violates standards of humanitarian and criminal law, tramples on the UN Charter, disregards nuclear safety, and can’t lead the world’s foremost security organisation.”

Last year, President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that the Security Council be reformed or “dissolved entirely,” accusing it of not doing enough to stop Russia’s invasion.

He has also demanded that Russia lose its membership. Yet, the US has claimed that because the UN charter forbids the removal of a permanent member, it is unable to act.

Russia blocked a resolution meant to put a stop to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of last year (China, India and the United Arab Emirates all abstained).

It rejected a resolution in September that demanded that its unlawful annexation of four Ukrainian territories be undone. India, China, Gabon, and Brazil did not vote.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Technology Trending

ChatGPT banned in Italy over privacy concerns

By 252 0

Italy has become the first Western nation to obstruct ChatGPT, an intelligent chatbot. The model, developed by US start-up OpenAI and supported by Microsoft, raised privacy issues, according to the Italian data protection authorities.

With “immediate effect,” the agency said it will forbid OpenAI and launch an investigation. Since its debut in November 2022, ChatGPT has been used by millions of users.

With the internet as it was in 2021 as its database, it can replicate different writing styles and respond to queries in a manner that is natural and human-like. It was included to Bing last month after Microsoft invested billions in it.

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook will all have a version of the technology integrated into them, according to the company.

Concerns have been raised about the possible downsides of artificial intelligence (AI), including the threat it poses to employment and the spread of bias and false information. Elon Musk and other prominent industry heavyweights called for the suspension of these AI systems earlier this week over concerns that the race to develop them was out of control.

In addition to blocking OpenAI’s chatbot, the Italian watchdog declared that it will look into whether it complies with the General Data Protection Regulation. The GDPR sets rules for the collection, use, processing, and storage of personal data.

The data breach involved user communications and payment details, the watchdog reported on March 20.

It claimed that there was no legal justification for “the widespread collecting and storage of personal data for the purpose of ‘training’ the platform’s operating algorithms.”

It added that the software “exposes minors to utterly improper replies relative to their degree of development and knowledge” because there was no method to confirm the users’ ages.

Due to the same worries, Bard, Google’s competing artificial intelligence chatbot, is currently only accessible to select persons above the age of 18.

The Italian data-protection authority said OpenAI had 20 days to say how it would address the watchdog’s concerns, under penalty of a fine of €20 million ($21.7m) or up to 4% of annual revenues.

Elsewhere, the Irish data protection commission – responsible for upholding the fundamental right of individuals in the EU to have their personal data protected – told the BBC it is following up with the Italian regulator to understand the basis for their action and “will coordinate with all EU data protection authorities” in connection to the ban.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Donald Trump indictment: Ex-US president to be charged over hush money

By 233 0

Donald Trump, a former US president, will face charges related to payments made to a porn performer right before the 2016 election.

His accusation’s specifics have not yet been made public.After looking into a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in an effort to purchase her silence about an alleged affair, a grand jury decided to prosecute him.

Trump, 76, says he did nothing wrong. He is the first sitting or past president of the US to be accused of a crime. The investigation’s lead prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, acknowledged that his office had gotten in touch with Mr. Trump’s lawyer to “coordinate his surrender” on unnamed allegations.

The ex-president, who lives in Florida, is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The hearing is scheduled to last roughly 10-15 minutes, and the counts in the indictment will be read to him during that time.

Security for the court appearance will be handled by the US Secret Service, which is responsible for guarding current and previous US presidents.
Stormy Daniels, an actress of adult films, approached media agencies in 2016 and offered to sell them her account of what she claimed to be an adulterous liaison she had with Donald Trump in 2006, the year after he wed Melania.

When Mr. Trump’s team learned of this, his attorney Michael Cohen paid Ms. Daniels $130,000 to be silent. There is no crime here.

However, when Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour – a criminal offence – in New York.

Prosecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels were motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Pope Francis: Health improving after night in hospital

By 217 0

The Vatican has stated that Pope Francis’ health is doing better after he was sent to the hospital with a respiratory illness.

He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday, for what was initially said to be a planned check-up. According to a statement released on Thursday by Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, the 86-year-old pope’s medical care is still ongoing.

He said, “His Holiness Pope Francis slept soundly last night.” He read a few newspapers this morning after breakfast before getting back to work.

He continued by saying that he then went to the hospital’s chapel, where he prayed and received the Communion.

When the Pope might leave Rome’s Gemelli hospital was not specified by Mr. Bruni. He is anticipated to stay there for “a few days,” according to the Vatican on Wednesday.

According to a source with intimate information who spoke to the BBC, his closest team members—including security—spent the night with him. The Easter holiday weekend is the busiest period of the year for Pope Francis, who has a full programme of events and services.

This weekend is Palm Sunday Mass, followed by Holy Week and Easter activities the following week. Nurses were hopeful that he would be discharged in time for Palm Sunday, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

It stated that testing had ruled out pneumonia and cardiac issues. The Church previously declared that he was not afflicted with Covid-19.

Earlier this month, the Argentine pontiff celebrated his tenth anniversary as head of the Catholic Church. It is a well-known fact that the majority of the world’s population lives in the urban environment.

He maintains a hectic schedule and travels extensively, although he has used a wheelchair for the past year due to knee discomfort and acknowledged last summer that he had to slow down.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Spanish anger over TV star Ana Obregón’s surrogate baby in US

By 220 0

Ana Obregón, a Spanish television actress, has drawn criticism for disclosing that at the age of 68, she gave birth to a girl in the US through a surrogate. Obregón is well recognised for his roles as the lead in several Spanish sitcoms.

She had previously discussed her efforts to move on with her life when her son, who was also her sole child, died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 27. All kinds of surrogacy are prohibited in Spain, however parents who return to the country can adopt the child.

Following the passing of her son, Obregón, who also lost both of her parents, was depicted on the cover of the Hola! magazine earlier this week holding a newborn outside a Miami hospital.

In an Instagram post, she later commented on the magazine cover, saying:

“A light full of love came into my darkness.

“I will never be alone again. I AM ALIVE AGAIN.”

Her remarks ignited debate on Spanish social media, and ministers in Spain’s left-wing government were incensed at the move.

The image of Obregón leaving the hospital was dubbed “Dantesque” by education minister Pilar Alegra in reference to the Italian author’s descent into hell.

Equality Minister Irene Montero claimed the measure was “a form of aggression against women” and added there was a “clear poverty prejudice” against women who become surrogate mothers because they needed the money.

This is not surrogacy, this is renting a womb,” Ms. Alegra added. “As we all know, this is an illegal procedure in Spain.” Presidency Minister Felix Bolaos remarked that “women’s bodies should neither be bought nor hired to satisfy anyone’s demands.”

Cuca Gamarra, the second-ranking member of the conservative People’s Party, was more circumspect, stating that the topic required “deep and quiet debates because it touches on many issues.

Spain’s Socialist-led coalition government came to power almost five years ago and has made women’s rights one of its key areas of policy.

Earlier this year, it imposed tighter restrictions on surrogacy, banning advertisement for surrogacy agencies.

It identifies surrogacy as a form of violence against women and categorises any type of forced pregnancy, abortion, sterilisation or contraception in the same way.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

Food News Trending

Italy’s Quest to Preserve Culinary Tradition: Controversy Surrounds Ban on Lab-Grown Meat

By 280 0

A plan that would outlaw laboratory-produced beef and other synthetic foods has the support of Italy’s right-wing government, underlining the country’s culinary tradition and commitment to public health.

A violation of the ban might result in fines of up to €60,000 (£53,000) if the plans are approved.

The minister of agriculture and food sovereignty under a new name, Francesco Lollobrigida, spoke on the value of Italian cuisine. The measure was applauded by the farmers’ group.

But, it was a setback for certain animal welfare organisations, who had promoted lab-produced meat as a solution to problems like preserving food safety and the environment from carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is one of the 500,000 signatories to a petition that Coldiretti and other agriculture advocacy groups have gathered in recent months to safeguard “natural food vs. synthetic food.”

She addressed a “flash mob” assembled by Coldiretti outside her office in Rome, saying, “We could only rejoice with our farmers a legislation that puts our farmers in the vanguard, not just on the topic of safeguarding quality… but also in defending consumers.”

The proposed bill came hard on the heels of a series of government decrees banning the use of flour derived from insects such as crickets and locusts in pizza or pasta.

Both initiatives were initiated by ministers who cited Italy’s renowned Mediterranean diet as their inspiration.

“Laboratory products can not guarantee quality, well-being, or the safeguarding of the Italian food and wine culture and tradition, to which part of our tradition is related,” said Mr. Lollobrigida, a member of the far-right Brothers of Italy party.

The measures, which were adopted by the ministers on Tuesday, aim to outlaw lab-produced fish and synthetic milk as well as other synthetic meals made from animal cells without harming the animal.

After “careful review,” the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last November approved cell-cultured chicken for human consumption. Singapore’s regulatory body approved the use of lab-grown chicken meat in nuggets in 2020.

Although the European Union has not yet approved any cell-based agriculture practises, such as cultured meat, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has stated that such practises “could be considered as a promising and innovative solution… for healthy and environmentally friendly food systems.”

Commentators noted that due to the free flow of goods and services, Italy would not be able to object to the sale of synthetic beef made within the EU once it receives EU clearance.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright