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Ukraine Russia War: Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has sparked fears it will spill over into Poland

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Poland is holding its breath as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on its doorstep. It is vulnerable on two fronts: the number of refugees entering the country is increasing, and a military base near its Ukrainian border has been attacked.

According to the latest UN figures, over 1.7 million Ukrainians have chosen to flee to Poland as a first responder in one of Europe’s largest refugee crises since World War Two. Some leave, but the majority choose to remain due to cultural, linguistic, or familial ties. As a result, the population of Warsaw, Poland’s capital, has increased by 15% in the last two weeks.

Alarm bells are also ringing in terms of security. Russia bombed a Ukrainian military base in Yavoriv, just 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the Polish border, over the weekend.

For years, Poland has warned the West that Russia was planning to redress the power balance in Europe in its favour. At the time, Polish leaders were dismissed as alarmists. But that is no longer the case. Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish Prime Minister, said on Monday that Ukrainian soldiers needed and deserved Western assistance. He insisted that they were fighting not only for their own liberties, but also for the liberties of their Eastern European neighbours. He also described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine as part of a calculated geopolitical strategy.

The Western defence alliance’s charter says an attack against one of its nations will be viewed as an attack against all. That would mean a face-off between two global nuclear powers – Russia and the US – something the West is keen to avoid. Moscow too, it hopes.

Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and a high-profile political figure, told me that his country was not panicking, but that people were beginning to ask questions, particularly in light of Russia’s missile strike so close to the Polish border and Nato’s suggestion that Russia was planning chemical attacks. The mayor insisted that something urgent be done about the refugee crisis as well.

Mayor Trzaskowski has also urged the UK to “get rid of its red tape” and make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to enter the country.

Poland’s painful past, it could be argued, makes it fearful of the future. The arrival of Ukrainian refugees in this country has brought back memories of war and Soviet occupation. I met Kristina, a Polish pensioner, and her friends in Warsaw this week, who were busy making Ukrainian flag solidarity ribbons. “Kristina explained, “I’m too poor to give money and too old to hold a gun, so I do what I can for the refugees.” Partly because I am concerned about my own future.”

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‘The Power Of The Dog’ and ‘Dune’ win top honours at the BAFTA Film Awards 2022; Will Smith wins Best Actor

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The Power Of The Dog, directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, took home the top prizes (Best Director and Best Film Awards) at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday. While Campion became only the third woman in BAFTA history to win the coveted Best Director’s Award, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi film ‘Dune’ also made the winners’ list with five awards wins in London on Sunday.

While ‘The Power Of The Dog’ and ‘Dune’ took home the top prizes, Will Smith won the Best Actor’s Award for his outstanding performance in ‘King Richard,’ and Joanna Scanlan won the Best Actress Award for her outstanding performance in ‘After Love.’ While the BAFTAs were held online last year, the organisers managed to pull off a grand event in London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday evening, hosted by actor-comic Rebel Wilson and featuring a slew of well-known celebrities.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Film — The Power of the Dog

British Film — Belfast

Director — Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Actor — Will Smith, King Richard

Actress — Joanna Scanlan, After Love

Supporting Actor — Troy Kotsur, CODA

Supporting Actress — Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Rising Star — Lashana Lynch

British Debut — Director Jeymes Samuel for The Harder They Fall

Original Screenplay — Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

Adapted Screenplay — Sian Heder, CODA

Film Not in the English Language — Drive My Car

Musical Score — Hans Zimmer, Dune

Cinematography — Greig Fraser, Dune

Editing — No Time to Die

Production Design — Dune

Costume Design — Cruella

Sound — Dune

Casting — West Side Story

Visual Effects — Dune

Makeup and Hair — The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Animated Film — Encanto

British Short Film — The Black Cop

British Short Animation — Do Not Feed the Pigeons

Documentary — Summer of Soul

BAFTA chairman Krishnendu Majumdar joined host Rebel Wilson, welcomed everyone along on Sunday evening with a message for Ukraine. “We stand in solidarity with those who are bravely fighting for their country and we share their hope for a return to peace,” he said.

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Brent Renaud, a journalist and filmmaker from the United States, killed in Ukraine

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According to police, a US journalist working in Ukraine was shot and killed in the town of Irpin, just outside of Kyiv.

Brent Renaud, 50, had previously worked for the New York Times as a journalist and filmmaker. Andriy Nebytov, the police chief of Kyiv, said he had been targeted by Russian soldiers. Two more journalists were hurt and had to go to the hospital. It’s the first time a foreign journalist covering the conflict in Ukraine has been killed.

Juan Arredondo, one of the injured journalists, told an Italian reporter that he was with Brent Renaud when they were shot at. Renaud’s press ID was issued by the New York Times, according to photos circulating online. The newspaper said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Renaud’s death, but that he had not been working for it in Ukraine.

According to the Times, Renaud last worked for the publication in 2015, and the press ID he was wearing in Ukraine was issued years ago. NBC News expressed its condolences to Renaud’s family and praised his “significant contributions” to NBC News reports, despite the fact that he was not working for them in Ukraine.

Renaud had reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Haiti for a number of US news organisations. He won a Peabody Award for his work on the Last Chance High series about Chicago schools, which aired in 2014.

He was based in New York and Little Rock, Arkansas, and frequently collaborated with his brother, Craig, who was also a filmmaker. It’s unclear whether Craig had also visited Ukraine.

“Tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist,” a Ukrainian police officer told PBS news journalist Jane Ferguson.

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TikTok Sensation Sam Ryder to Sing Space Man for the UK at Eurovision 2022

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This year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Turin, Italy, and Sam Ryder will represent the United Kingdom.

With 12 million fans on TikTok, he’s one of the most popular singers in the UK, and he’ll perform his song Space Man at the grand final in May. “Eurovision is one of my favourite television shows. It’s such a privilege to be able to do it, in my opinion “According to Radio 1 Newsbeat, he says.

Mneskin, an Italian rock band, won last year’s competition in Rotterdam. Sam is competing after the United Kingdom has finished last in Eurovision for the past two years. “I don’t want the stigma or fear of sitting in a specific spot at a table to keep me from doing something and being a part of something I love,” he says. James Newman’s entry Embers received the dreaded “nil points” in 2021, and Michael Rice’s ballad Bigger Than Us finished last in 2019.

The competition for 2020 has been cancelled.

“Everything else is out of my control as long as I can go to Eurovision and know in my heart of hearts that I’m going to do the best job I can,” he says. The last time the UK placed in the top ten in a Eurovision final was in 2009, with Jade Ewen’s song It’s My Time.

Who is Sam Ryder?

After performing snippets of songs on TikTok during the first lockdown, Sam amassed a sizable social media following. Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys have praised his covers, and he became the most viewed UK artist on the platform in 2020.

In 2021, he signed with record label Parlophone and began his solo career. Sam claims that his admiration for Lordi, the 2006 Finnish monster rock winners, influenced his decision to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision. “Lordi’s victory was a watershed moment in my life because I had admired them long before they competed in Eurovision.”

In the last five years, Eurovision has evolved into a completely different game, and contestants must arrive as a complete package. It’s not enough to have a good song. When you look down the camera lens, you need to make eye contact with the audience. On TikTok, Sam Ryder has already nailed it. A “good” performance is also no longer sufficient. It must astound the audience. Consider the Go A techno rave in Ukraine in 2021 or Norway’s fiery Spirit In The Sky in 2019. Despite the fact that neither won, they were crucial in getting the public to vote for them at home.

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Ukraine War: Kyiv and Moscow meet for high-level talks

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As Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbour enters its third week, the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Turkey.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, stated ahead of his face-to-face meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that his expectations were “limited.” It comes after Ukraine accused Russia of committing a “war crime” by bombing a children’s hospital. The attack in Mariupol killed three people, including a child, according to officials.

According to the local mayor’s office, seventeen people were injured, including staff and patients. A building that once housed a maternity ward has been reduced to a shell, with a massive crater nearby. The Kremlin announced on Thursday that it would seek information from the Russian military about what had occurred.

Overnight, Russian strikes in north-eastern Ukraine claimed the lives of seven more people: four people, including two children, were killed near Kharkiv, and three people, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed on Okhtyrka in the Sumy region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister announced that seven evacuation routes would open on Thursday, including routes out of Mariupol and Sumy.

Western officials, including the White House, have warned that Russia could use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine or stage a “false flag” operation, in which the other side is falsely blamed and a counter-attack is staged.

Moscow previously claimed that Ukrainian forces had transported 80 tonnes of ammonia to the country’s north-east, but provided no proof.

The US House of Representatives approved nearly $14 billion (£10.6 billion) in aid for Ukraine, as well as a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports. The bills must still pass the Senate, which is expected to vote on them later this week. Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris is in Poland, a day after the US rejected Poland’s plan to transfer its jet fleet to the US rather than to Ukraine directly.

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Pasha Lee, a Ukrainian actor, killed in a Russian bombardment

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Pasha Lee, a Ukrainian actor, was reportedly killed in a Russian airstrike on the town of Irpin, just outside of Kyiv.

According to the report, the 33-year-old Ukrainian actor and Irpin resident enlisted in Ukraine’s territorial defense force during the war’s early days. In addition, the report stated that Russian artillery bombarded Irpin for days, causing casualties.

Residents of Irpin and the north-eastern city of Sumy were able to leave on Tuesday as part of a Russian evacuation corridor en route to the central city of Poltava, according to the report. Lee has acted in a number of films, and his voice can be heard in the Ukrainian adaptations of The Lion King and The Hobbit.

Lee also appeared in a number of films and TV talent shows, including Star Factory and X-Factor. Lee posted a link to a Ukrainian refugee charity a few days before he was killed, encouraging his followers to contact them for assistance or to volunteer. His most recent Instagram post is a photo of himself and a coworker with the message “we’ll be ok and everything will be Ukraine.”

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Ukraine Russia War: If Oil Ban Remains in Place, May Cut Gas Supplies

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If the West goes ahead with a ban on Russian oil, Russia has threatened to shut down its main gas pipeline to Germany.

The rejection of Russian oil, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, would have “catastrophic consequences for the global market,” causing prices to more than double to $300 a barrel. As a means of punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the US has been discussing a possible ban with allies. On Monday, however, Germany and the Netherlands both rejected the plan.

The EU imports roughly 40% of its gas and 30% of its oil from Russia, and there are no easy alternatives if supplies are disrupted.

While the UK would not be directly affected by a supply disruption because it imports less than 5% of its gas from Russia, it would be affected by rising global market prices as European demand grows. Russia is the world’s second-largest gas producer and third-largest oil exporter, and any sanctions against its energy sector would be disastrous for the country’s economy.

Although sanctioning Russia’s oil and gas exports is appealing, “practically it is challenging,” according to Nathan Piper, head of oil and gas research at Investec.

Ukraine has urged the West to impose an oil and gas embargo, but there are concerns that this would drive up prices. Fears of an embargo pushed Brent crude oil up to $139 (£106) a barrel on Monday, its highest level in nearly 14 years.

Brent crude prices were little changed on Tuesday, with a barrel costing $121, up 3%.

Meanwhile, wholesale gas prices increased to 565p per therm from 501p earlier in the day.

Following a volatile Monday caused by US discussions about a potential Russian oil and gas ban, UK stock markets rose slightly in early trading.

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Ivan Kuliak, a Russian gymnast being investigated for wearing a pro-war symbol

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Ivan Kuliak, a Russian gymnast, is being investigated after wearing a national war symbol on his leotard while competing on the podium in Qatar on Saturday.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) announced that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against Kuliak for his “shocking behaviour” at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha. Kuliak took bronze in the parallel bars final and stood next to gold medalist Illia Kovtun of Ukraine, who had a letter ‘Z’ taped to his chest. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the letter Z has become symbolic, and it has been seen painted on the sides of tanks and military vehicles, as well as worn by pro-war politicians in Russia.

This weekend was the last chance for Russian and Belarussian gymnasts to compete after their countries were sanctioned by the FIG following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Athletes, officials, and judges from Russia and Belarus will be barred from competing in FIG or FIG-sanctioned competitions beginning Monday.

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Evacuation of Mariupol Halted Due to the Death of Civilians Near Kyiv

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Three civilians were killed while attempting to flee Irpin, a town just outside Kyiv.

A photographer for the New York Times captured a heartbreaking image of three members of a family of four – a mother and two children – lying dead on the pavement, while Ukrainian soldiers try to save the wounded father’s life.

Due to the graphic nature of the image, we are not publishing it here.

According to the newspaper, the children were a teenage son and an eight-year-old daughter.

The family had fled the fighting, carrying a suitcase and a few backpacks, as well as their small dog.

A mortar attack was launched at them.

Russian forces have been firing mortar shells at evacuating civilians, including children, who were using an already-collapsed bridge.

After a railway track was hit and damaged on Saturday, Ukraine accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting the evacuation routes from Irpin.

In addition to Irpin, heavy fighting has recently erupted in the small towns of Hostomel and Bucha to the northwest of Kyiv.

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John Stahl, Game of Thrones Actor, Has Died at the Age of 68

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Game of Thrones actor John Stahl has died at the age of 68, according to his agent.In two seasons of the popular HBO fantasy show, the Scottish actor played Rickard Karstark.

He was also known for his role as Inverdarroch in the long-running soap opera Take The High Road. According to his agent, Amanda Fitzalan Howard, he is “an actor of remarkable skill and a stalwart of Scottish theatre.”

During his career, Stahl, who was born in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, appeared in numerous theatre productions, including appearances at The Royal Shakespeare Company and The National Theatre. Peter May, a Scottish screenwriter, remembered the actor and how he had recently attended his online wedding.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of my old friend, John Stahl,” he said. I wrote a lot of scenes for the character of Inverdarroch in Take The High Road. “I only recently went to his online wedding.” I last saw him in Adelaide, Australia, for a fun reunion. John, rest in peace.”

Ian Rankin, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels, expressed his desire to work with the actor again after he appeared in his play Long Shadows, describing his portrayal as “terrifying and charismatic.” David Greig, a Scottish playwright and theatre director, described him as a “truly great actor” and said the Scottish theatre world will miss him.

Mr. Stahl died on the Isle of Lewis on March 2, leaving behind his wife, Jane Paton.

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