News Trending War

According to reports, Ukrainian troops have established positions on the east bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson region, which is partially held by Russia. The crossing of the river could be significant in future offensives, and Russian military bloggers have confirmed the advance.

While Ukraine’s military has not yet confirmed the movement, BBC Ukraine’s military sources have reported a “certain movement across [the] Dnipro” near Kherson city. If the reports are true, it could help Ukraine in pushing back Russian troops and possibly cutting the land corridor to Crimea. However, military experts warn that the area’s difficult terrain could make any troop movements a tough task.

Ukraine’s advances could be hindered by Russia’s advantage in the air. Although the Ukrainian military has announced preparations for a counter-offensive, it has not specified where or when it will occur. The Kherson region on the east bank of the Dnipro has been under Russian control until now, with the river serving as a natural barrier.

The Institute for the Study of War has confirmed that Ukrainian forces are operating in areas northwest of Oleshky on the east bank of the Dnipro. However, the scale of the reported advance and the Ukrainian military’s intentions are unclear. Russia’s WarGonzo military blogger reported that Ukrainian troops were trying to gain a foothold on Bolshoi Potemkin island, located between the new and old channels of the Dnipro.

Ukrainian military spokesperson Nataliya Humenyuk did not confirm or deny the reports but stated that “difficult work is continuing” and that operational information is kept confidential until it is safe for the military.

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Entertainment News Trending

Netflix has announced that it will invest $2.5bn in South Korea over the next four years. The announcement was made by the company’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, after meeting with South Korea’s President, Yoon Suk-yeol, in Washington.

The money will be used to create movies and television shows in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, where Netflix has seen success with South Korean productions, including the hugely popular show Squid Game.

Sarandos cited his confidence in the Korean creative industry’s ability to continue telling great stories and expressed his inspiration by the President’s strong support for the Korean entertainment industry. When asked about other potential investments in the region, a Netflix spokesperson declined to comment.

In 2021, the South Korean series Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched show of all time, with 111 million viewers streaming the show in the first 28 days of its release. The show follows the story of people in debt competing for a cash prize in a series of children’s games with deadly consequences. Additionally, the South Korean reality show Physical 100 became Netflix’s most-watched non-English language show globally earlier this year.

As Netflix faces competition from streaming rivals such as Amazon, HBO, and Disney, it has lowered prices in several countries to attract more subscribers. The company has also announced that it will begin cracking down on password sharing in the coming months, which will require subscribers who share accounts with people outside their household to pay an extra fee.

Netflix has been seeking ways to boost growth, which has slowed significantly due to rising costs and market saturation in some of its biggest markets, according to analysts.

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News Trending War

Nikolai Peskov, the 33-year-old son of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, claimed to have served for nearly six months with the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine. He stated that it was his duty and he could not sit back and watch as his friends went off to fight. His father confirmed his son’s claim but declined to give further details. However, several social media users in Russia questioned the authenticity of Nikolai’s claim.

The Wagner group, known for its alleged war crimes and other abuses in Ukraine, is described as a “private military company” in Russia and has recruited convicts from prisons after taking heavy losses. It is uncommon for a member of the Russian elite to join the group, as many have gone abroad to avoid conscription into the regular army. The BBC was unable to verify Nikolai’s claim.

Nikolai Peskov, who is also known as Nikolai Choles and speaks fluent English, has previously worked as a correspondent for Russian state broadcaster RT. He and his father are both under US sanctions. In an interview with the pro-Kremlin daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, Nikolai claimed that he decided to join the Wagner group himself but did not know how to do it, so he turned to his father for help.

He used a false ID to hide his Kremlin connections from his Wagner comrades, and he did not reveal that assumed name in the interview because he might need to use it again. His claim coincides with a new army recruitment drive in Russia, with state ads urging men to do their “patriotic duty” in the Ukraine war. Many men fled Russia last September to avoid conscription after President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilisation”.

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News Trending

China’s Paris ambassador Lu Shaye’s recent comments questioning the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet countries have caused outrage and led to calls for Beijing to clarify its stance. However, on Monday, China’s foreign ministry stated that it respects the independence of all post-Soviet republics.

Despite being a major ally of Russia, China has not condemned President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year, and sees itself as a key player in efforts to bring peace to the region. However, many in the West doubt China’s impartiality on the issue due to its increasing trade ties with Russia amid Western sanctions prompted by the invasion.

Ambassador Lu was interviewed by the French LCI network, where he was asked about China’s view on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. The interviewer argued that according to international law, the region belongs to Ukraine.

Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye’s recent remarks questioning the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet countries, including his suggestion that international law could not be relied on to defend their sovereignty, have been rejected by China’s foreign ministry. The ministry’s spokesperson affirmed Beijing’s respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all countries, and upheld the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The Chinese embassy in Paris issued a statement calling Ambassador Lu’s remarks a personal point of view and not to be over-interpreted. However, the remarks have caused concern among some countries, and the representatives of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have summoned China’s representatives to clarify the situation.

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News Sports Trending

The editor of a German magazine called “Die Aktuelle” was fired for publishing an interview with former Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher that was generated by an artificial intelligence program. Schumacher suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since.

The magazine’s cover featured a smiling picture of Schumacher with the headline “Michael Schumacher, the first interview” and a strapline that read “it sounded deceptively real.” The quotes attributed to Schumacher in the article were created by an AI program called charatcter.ai. The magazine’s publisher has apologized to Schumacher’s family for the article.

“I can with the help of my team actually stand by myself and even slowly walk a few steps,” read the Schumacher ‘quotes’.

“My wife and my children were a blessing to me and without them I would not have managed it. Naturally they are also very sad, how it has all happened.

“They support me and are standing firmly at my side.”

Schumacher’s family said on Friday that they plan to take legal action against the magazine and over the weekend its publisher issued an apology.

“This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way meets the standards of journalism that we – and our readers – expect,” said Bianca Pohlmann, managing director of Funke media group.

“As a result of the publication of this article, immediate personnel consequences will be drawn.

“Die Aktuelle editor-in-chief Anne Hoffmann, who has held journalistic responsibility for the paper since 2009, will be relieved of her duties as of today.”

Michael Schumacher, who won seven Formula One world championships and 91 races in his career, suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013. He was put into an induced coma and brought home in 2014, and his family has kept his medical condition private since then. Schumacher retired from racing in 2006, but returned in 2010 before retiring again in 2012. His son Mick is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes. In a 2021 documentary, Schumacher’s wife Corinna said that they live together at home and do everything they can to make him comfortable, including therapy and spending time together as a family.

“We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.

“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

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News Trending

A court in Paris has convicted a Lebanese-Canadian university professor, Hassan Diab, of planting a motorcycle bomb that killed four people and wounded 38 others at a Paris synagogue in October 1980. Diab, who called his situation “Kafkaesque”, received a life sentence, but refused to attend the trial.

Prosecutors claimed that he was undoubtedly responsible for the bombing, which was the first attack on Jews in France since World War Two and became a model for many similar attacks carried out by militants in the Middle East. Supporters of Diab have criticized the trial as being “manifestly unfair”.

The investigation into the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing has been marked by confusion and persistence by a small group of magistrates. Hassan Diab, a Lebanese-Canadian university professor, was named as a suspect almost 20 years after the attack and was finally extradited from Canada in 2014.

In 2018, the case was closed due to lack of evidence, but an appeal to reopen the case was successful in 2021, leading to Diab’s recent trial and conviction in absentia. Diab has consistently maintained his innocence, and his conviction may lead to a second extradition request, although its success is uncertain. Diab expressed disappointment that “reason did not prevail”.

Responding to the verdict, the Hassan Diab Support Committee in Canada called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make it “absolutely clear” that no second extradition would be accepted.

They said 15 years of legal “nightmare… is now fully exposed in its overwhelming cruelty and injustice”.

At a news conference, Mr Trudeau said his government “will look carefully at next steps, at what the French government chooses to do, at what French tribunals choose to do”.

“But we will always be there to stand up for Canadians and their rights,” he added.

Over three weeks the court heard an account of the known facts of the case, plus arguments identifying Diab as the bomber and counter-evidence suggesting he was a victim of mistaken identity.

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Entertainment News Trending

The Farrell Centre, a new architecture center in Newcastle that was partly funded by architect Sir Terry Farrell, is set to open with an exhibition showcasing innovative ways to reduce cities’ environmental impact. One of the exhibits features a structure made from mycelium, the root network of fungus, which has been grown on a knitted canopy made from sawdust and paper waste.

This approach creates walls that are strong, light, self-repairing, and fully compostable. The exhibition also includes visions from four architecture studios on how to make buildings more sustainable. The center cost £4.6 million to set up.

According to the director of the Farrell Centre, Owen Hopkins, the use of mycelium in building construction is quite different from the traditional approach that relies on concrete, steel, and glass. Buildings and construction contribute to around 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change.

The Farrell Centre, which is part of Newcastle University, has created an exhibit showcasing a “living room” made from mycelium. Although mycelium is not yet a material that can be used in conventional building construction, it is not far off, says Mr Hopkins. The material has the ability to self-repair, making it a promising material for future construction. However, this new approach challenges the traditional idea of architecture as something that is finished and fixed.

The More With Less exhibition at the Farrell Centre includes innovative ideas for using insulation and common low-cost materials to make buildings more environmentally friendly. Despite being part of the problem, architecture and planning have the potential to be powerful solutions to climate change.

The exhibition also focuses on the impact of buildings on life in north-east England and how they can be improved. Sir Terry Farrell, who helped regenerate Newcastle’s quayside in the 1990s and designed landmarks such as the Centre For Life and the MI6 building in London, was instrumental in setting up the center. He also conducted the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment for the UK government in 2014.

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Entertainment News Trending

Actor Alec Baldwin’s criminal charges related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in October 2021 have been dropped. Baldwin had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, but the charges have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation.

The decision to drop the charges does not absolve Baldwin of criminal responsibility, and charges may be refiled in the future. The investigation into the incident will continue to be active and ongoing. The decision comes just before the trial was set to begin.

A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors.

“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement.

During a practice session for firing a gun on the set of the movie “Rust” near Santa Fe, Alec Baldwin fired a shot that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Baldwin denied pulling the trigger, but an FBI report concluded that the gun could not have fired without the trigger being pulled.

Baldwin was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in May, but the charges against him have been dropped due to new information that requires further investigation. However, the charges against the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter, remain unchanged. Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer expects her to be exonerated at the end of the legal process.

The LA Times reported that prosecutors had discovered that the gun used in the shooting had been modified with a new trigger that could have increased the chances of a misfire. However, the prosecutors’ statement released on Thursday did not mention the gun but stated that new information requires further investigation and forensic analysis. Alec Baldwin was accused of recklessly disregarding the safety of his colleagues, and his lawyer had previously criticized the initial decision to charge him as a “terrible miscarriage of justice”.

According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana.

Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.

Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.

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News Trending War

A Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb on the city of Belgorod, which is near the Ukrainian border. The explosion caused extensive damage, including a 20m (60ft) crater, and blew a car onto the roof of a nearby shop. The regional governor ordered the evacuation of a damaged nine-storey block of flats as a precaution.

Three people were injured and several buildings were damaged. The Russian defence ministry acknowledged that one of its Su-34 fighter bombers had accidentally discharged aircraft ordnance at 22:15 local time on Thursday. Video footage on social media showed the blast’s impact, lifting a vehicle onto the roof of a supermarket while traffic was passing by.

The Russian defense ministry’s statement was a bureaucratic way of acknowledging that the fighter jet had accidentally fired a weapon, without specifying which one. The bomb landed at an intersection near the city center, next to residential buildings. Although two women were injured and taken to the hospital, the governor expressed relief that no one was killed in the incident, especially given the potential for greater harm with a bomber hitting a busy residential district. The governor conveyed his gratitude on social media for the absence of fatalities.

The CCTV footage of the incident indicates that local residents had a lucky escape. The video shows several cars passing a crossroads before an object falls to the ground nearby. Although there is no immediate explosion, the ordnance detonates approximately 18 seconds later, blowing up a section of the road and catching one of the passing cars, which sends a parked car flying into the air and landing on the roof of a supermarket.

Although the incident is embarrassing for the Russian military, the acknowledgement of an accident suggests that officials do not expect it to negatively impact public opinion of the Russian government’s ongoing military operations. In times of war and conflict, accidents can happen, sometimes with catastrophic consequences, as demonstrated by a Sukhoi fighter jet crash in the Russian city of Yeysk last October, which killed at least 13 people.

The military has initiated an investigation into the incident, according to reports. A former military pilot was quoted by pro-government news site Moskovsky Komsomolets, suggesting that the conclusions of the investigation would not be made public, but lessons would be learned.

Maintenance workers started repairing the damaged intersection in Belgorod by the morning, and the mayor stated that most of the repair work would occur over the weekend, with the road to be resurfaced on Monday. The regional governor acknowledged that Belgorod’s residents had a difficult night but would manage to get through it.

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News Trending War

There was a mysterious flash in the sky over Ukraine’s capital on Wednesday night, which led to various speculations. Initially, officials in Kyiv thought it might be a Nasa satellite falling to Earth, but Nasa denied it was still in orbit. Ukrainian space officials later speculated that it might be a meteor entering the atmosphere.

The air force ruled out a Russian air attack. The incident occurred at around 10 pm local time, and an air raid alert was activated, but no air defense measures were taken. The head of Kyiv’s military administration suggested it might be caused by a retired Nasa spacecraft that was supposed to re-enter the atmosphere that day.

According to Nasa’s Office of Communications, the RHESSI satellite, which was launched in 2002 and decommissioned in 2018, was still in orbit at the time of the flash and was expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later that night. Satellite-tracking website Satflare showed that RHESSI was not near Ukraine when the incident occurred.

Despite many theories and memes on social media, the Ukrainian air force spokesman and the country’s space agency suggested that the flash was probably caused by a cosmic body entering the atmosphere. Kyiv officials stated that the priority was the safety of the city, and it was for experts to determine the cause of the flash.

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