13-year-old Willis Gibson from Oklahoma is believed to have become the first human being to have beaten the classic Nintendo video game Tetris, more than three decades after it was first released.

Gibson, who goes by the moniker ‘Blue Scuti’ online, posted a video of his record-breaking achievement online after taking just 38 minutes to reach level 157, before it crashed into its so-called “kill screen” – the de-facto conclusion to the game. His score read ‘999999.’

“Please crash,” Gibson says in the video as he completes another line of falling blocks, just before the game finally freezes. “Oh my God!” he exclaims. “Yes! I’m going to pass out. I can’t feel my hands.”

It was only considered possible to advance to level 29 until just a few years ago. Previously, only specially-designed artificial intelligence bots had been capable of forcing the game to its kill screen.

It is considered to be one of the most beloved and enduring video games in history and remains popular to this day, with a new generation of players participating on consoles and on mobile phones.

“It’s never been done by a human before,” said Vince Clemente, president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, according to the New York Times on Wednesday. “It’s basically something that everyone thought was impossible until a couple of years ago.”

Gibson, who maintains his Tetris skills without about 20 hours of practice a week, has become one of the United States’ top competitive players since he started playing just two years ago.

“When I started playing the game I never expected to ever crash the game, or beat it,” he wrote on his YouTube channel. Gibson also claims to have broken the overall scoring record, as well as three other Tetris world records.

He dedicated his achievement to his late father Adam, who passed away last month.

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan has been issued a ticket after entering a restricted zone at Wyoming’s Yellowstone national park, multiple media outlets reported, citing court records. 

The 70-year-old was cited for “foot travel in a thermal area” of Yellowstone during a trip to the vast nature reserve last month, according to documents reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.

Brosnan has been reportedly ordered to appear at a US District Court in Wyoming on January 23 to begin his legal proceedings.

The actor – who had been filming for the upcoming movie ‘Unholy Trinity’ in nearby Montana – was also cited for “violating closures and use limits” at Yellowstone. While it remains unclear whether he will be charged criminally, such cases can carry fines and up to six months behind bars, according to the Justice Department.

Safety guidelines on the park’s website urge visitors to “always walk on boardwalks and designated trails,” noting that thermal formations such as geysers and hot springs can “cause severe or fatal burns.”

“New hazards can bubble up overnight, and pools are acidic enough to burn through boots, so you must stay in designated walking areas. The park service has established boardwalks for an easy and safe approach to thermal features,” the guidelines state.

According to NBC News, at least 20 people have been killed by Yellowstone’s natural thermal features since 1890.

Earlier this year, a Michigan man suffered severe burns after allegedly meandering into a restricted area of the park while intoxicated. He was later charged with federal crimes over the incident, with US attorneys deeming the man a “danger to himself or others.” He has since pleaded not guilty.

The actor is well known for his lead roles in James Bond films throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the fifth actor to portray the British super spy. Brosnan has appeared in dozens of Hollywood productions over his four-decade career, most recently ‘The Rifleman’ and the forthcoming ‘Unholy Trinity,’ in which he will co-star with Samuel L. Jackson.

Rapper Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s Hebrew-language apology for anti-Semitic comments appears to have been generated by the ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool, the outlet TMZ has claimed.

The African-American artist ended up “canceled” last year over statements that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) declared to be anti-Semitic. He lost major sponsorships and got banned from a number of social media platforms – including X (formerly Twitter) – after he praised Adolf Hitler. 

On Tuesday, he returned to Instagram with a post written entirely in Hebrew, claiming to be sorry for the things he said and that he did not intend to harm anyone. The machine translation to English left a lot of people online suspicious that the statement had been written by someone other than Ye, however.

The celebrity-oriented tabloid TMZ decided to test the theory, running Ye’s apology through the ‘AI Content Detector’ Scribbr, which said there was an 85% chance that the text had been AI-generated.

TMZ then asked ChatGPT to write an apology for anti-Semitic comments. What they got, after “some trial and error,” was something that they say remarkably overlapped with Ye’s Instagram post (in bold):

"I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for my recent unintentional outburst. It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain caused. I'm committed to learning from this experience, promoting unity, and making amends. Your forgiveness means a lot to me."

The best-selling artist lost sponsorships and partnerships with Adidas, Balenciaga, Gap, Vogue and the Universal Media Group in 2022, over statements that were denounced as anti-Semitic. The ADL blamed his rhetoric for several instances of "hate-speech vandalism, harassment, and violence” across the US.

ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, has been credited with the uncanny ability to mimic human writing. The New York Times sued both companies earlier this week, claiming they trained their AI tools through copyright infringement of their “uniquely valuable” journalism.

Donald Trump has rejected a claim by movie director Chris Columbus that he “bullied” his way into his brief appearance in the 1992 hit movie ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.’ He argued that the scene with him helped to make the iconic Christmas film a success.

Writing on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, Trump insisted that the sequel producers at the time were “begging me to make a cameo appearance.”

In the film, a sequel to the 1990 classic ‘Home Alone,’ Trump is briefly seen speaking to central character Kevin McAllister in a scene, who was played by the then-eleven-year-old Macaulay Culkin. “They rented the Plaza hotel in New York, which I owned at the time,” Trump wrote. “I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent.”

But once an agreement was struck, “that little cameo took off like a rocket and the movie was a big success,” he stated.

In his 2020 interview with Business Insider, Columbus said that Trump’s brief appearance came about as a condition demanded by him to permit the production team to use the Plaza’s lobby for a scene in the film. Trump owned the iconic New York hotel between 1987 and 1995.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Trump insisted on Truth Social. “That cameo helped make the movie a success, but if they felt bullied, or didn’t want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years?” Trump added that Columbus’ contradiction is an example of “another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself.”

Trump’s cameo has been a source of several headlines in recent years. In 2019, he claimed that an edited-for-TV version of the film for Canadian audiences removed Trump’s bit part at the behest of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

A spokesperson for the CBC television network said at the time that the scene, along with several others, were removed due to time constraints because it was “not integral to the plot.”

Meanwhile, in 2021 the star of the Home Alone films Macaulay Culkin, who is now 43, said he was “sold” on the idea of Trump’s cameo being digitally removed from all future versions of the film.

In the Home Alone films, Culkin plays a young boy who is accidentally separated from his family during the Christmas holidays, and who fights off a pair of thieves played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. The film made $359 million at the box office and was 1992’s third highest-grossing movie.

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, star of Oscar-winning movie ‘Parasite’, was found dead in Seoul on Wednesday amid a police investigation into alleged drug use.

The 48-year-old was found unconscious in his car at a central park in the capital on Wednesday morning. Police had received a call from his manager earlier in the day, reporting that the actor had left home after writing a “memo akin to a suicide note,” according to Yonhap news. The manager had visited the star’s home after being unable to contact him.

Lee had faced three rounds of police questioning over alleged drug use, amid a wider government crackdown on narcotics. The latest session lasted 19 hours on Saturday and Sunday. 

The star was suspected of taking illicit substances with a hostess from a high-end Seoul bar. The actor insisted he had been tricked and wasn’t aware of what he was taking, according to Yonhap. In October, Lee filed complaints of blackmail against two people, including the hostess, who was arrested last month. The actor was examined for narcotics in his system and tested negative.

Breaking South Korea’s drug laws can lead to six months in prison, or a maximum of 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed a crackdown on narcotics, while the nation’s drug crimes department has been expanded. 

The actor’s agency, HODU&U Entertainment, released a statement offering its condolences to the bereaved. “Please respectfully refrain from spreading false information via speculation or malicious statements so that the final path of the deceased will not be unfair,” the agency wrote. 

A prolific actor in South Korea’s film industry, Lee starred in everything from TV series to smaller art-house films, as well as on the big screen following his debut in the sitcom ‘Lovers’. 

Lee is survived by his wife, award-winning actress Jeon Hye-jin, as well as two children.

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, posted a formal apology to “the Jewish community” to his Instagram account on Tuesday. Written in Hebrew, the post has replaced all of Ye’s previous content on the platform.

In the statement, Ye expressed remorse for “any ‘unintended outburst’ caused by my words or actions,” which many interpreted as referring to the artist’s frequent tirades about Jews and their alleged control of industries including entertainment, education, and medicine – rants that effectively ended his career last year as corporate partners raced to distance themselves from him.

“It was not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused,” Ye wrote, adding that he was “committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future.” 

“Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity,” he concluded.

The rapper, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, made headlines when he wore what appeared to be a black KKK hood at a listening party for for his forthcoming album earlier this month. Released under the moniker ¥$, ‘Vultures’ is a collaboration with artist Ty Dolla Sign. A line from the title track references the anti-Semitism accusations dogging the rapper and also came under fire. 

Ye was repeatedly locked out of Instagram and other social media platforms starting last year over comments perceived as anti-Semitic, including one in which he announced he was going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” which was interpreted as a threat despite presumably referencing the defensive US “defcon” military readiness scale. 

While Ye declared in March that watching Jewish actor Jonah Hill’s performance in the film ‘21 Jump Street’ had “made [him] like Jewish people again,” he was filmed earlier this month once again ranting about “Jewish ni**as,” Zionists, and Rothschilds at a Las Vegas hotel following a listening event for his new album. 

The rapper’s apparent fascination with Hitler, which first came to public attention during his viral appearance on Alex Jones’ ‘Infowars’ show last year, resurfaced during his diatribe, as he shouted, “Jesus Christ, Hitler, Ye – sponsor that!” in an apparent jab at his erstwhile corporate collaborators, including Balenciaga, Gap, and Louis Vuitton, whom he mentioned by name.

Ye claimed to have lost $2 billion in a single day as collaborators rushed to drop him after his comments about Jews. Despite initially bragging that he could “say antisemitic s*** and Adidas cannot drop me,” the brand did so after “reviewing” the deal, acknowledging that it stood to lose $1.3 billion in profits for 2023.

Over 50 French actors, writers, producers, and musicians have signed an open letter calling for an end to the “public lynching” of film legend Gerard Depardieu, who has been accused of rape and sexual harassment.

The letter comes after the release of a documentary film titled ‘Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre’, which interviewed 16 women who alleged that the 74-year-old had harassed, groped, or sexually assaulted them. Depardieu has remained under investigation over an alleged rape since 2020, but denies the accusations against him.

In a letter published by Le Figaro on Monday – which was signed by 56 people, including actors Pierre Richard, Vincent Perez, Carole Bouquet, and singer Carla Bruni – French celebrities insisted that “justice should do its work” and that the “torrent of hatred” against Depardieu should be stopped.

“Gerard Depardieu is probably the greatest of actors. The last big beast of cinema. We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching that fell upon him,” the signatories said. They further argued that public condemnation of the actor contradicted the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’, which they said Depardieu should be afforded like any other person.

“When we attack Gerard Depardieu in this way, it is art that we attack,” the letter reads, arguing that the actor, who has starred in some 200 films, has made an immeasurable contribution to French history and culture throughout his life, for which the country is indebted to him.

Following the release of the letter, some of those who signed it have also faced a backlash from women’s rights groups. That includes legendary actor Pierre Richard, who lost his position as an ambassador for the Les Papillons association, which works with child victims of violence.

Actor Kevin Spacey resumed his post-cancelation Christmas tradition of appearing in character as corrupt politician Frank Underwood from the hit Netflix show House of Cards, announcing on Sunday that he might run for president in real life. He made the statement during a surprise appearance on conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s talk show on X (formerly Twitter). 

Spacey, speaking in Underwood’s trademark southern drawl, said that a run for the White House was “a sacrifice I’m willing to make for this great nation,” suggesting it was time to “get some adults back in the room.” 

‘Underwood’, who eventually becomes president in House of Cards through underhanded means, told Carlson it was time for “our country to stop apologizing and stiffen up.” He added, “let’s stop blaming bots and college kids” for “spewing ridiculous ideas” and “start telling leaders what leadership really is.”

The star was careful to avoid taking any political positions beyond leveling a few barbs at his former employer, offering up only what he called a “long and very solid relationship with the public” as his main qualification for the presidency – “a bond that has never been broken.”

Ep. 56 A Christmas Eve election surprise pic.twitter.com/Z7nofE1KT4

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 24, 2023

“We need someone in the White House who’s not afraid, like me, not afraid to push our country – or a journalist – in the right direction, if it comes to that,” Spacey stated.

Pressed on “what role” he saw himself playing in the political process or elsewhere, Spacey refused to commit to actually entering the already-packed 2024 race, instead turning the question back on Carlson. The conservative pundit should consider serving as Spacey’s vice president, he hinted.

Spacey’s career was nearly destroyed after multiple men accused him of sexual assault. He was ultimately cleared of all nine charges pending against him in the UK in July. 

Last year, a US judge dismissed the initial 2017 case, which saw actor Anthony Rapp accuse Spacey of drunkenly groping him at a party decades earlier, when Rapp was 14. The star has denied all claims against him.

Netflix killed off Underwood in the middle of House of Cards’ sixth season before a single court date in the case, opting not to wait for due process in what the actor and critics condemned as a “rush to judgment.” The company also shelved a planned biopic on writer Gore Vidal starring Spacey, even though the film was fully shot and in post-production when the controversy erupted.

These days, Hollywood produces endless quantities of cultural dross – superhero franchise epics that Martin Scorsese has said have nothing to do with cinema at all; boring, lengthy, reverential biopics (‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Maestro’); and the crude #metoo propaganda of the ‘Barbie’ movie.

Yet last month a remarkable American film was released that stands out for its political realism and insight.

The film is ‘Leave the World Behind’ – a dystopian political tract directed, written, and produced by Sam Esmail, and based on a novel by Rumaan Alam published in 2020.

The movie features Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon – three Hollywood stars of note – and their involvement in such an iconoclastic film is not only surprising, but very much to their credit.

Esmail was born in New Jersey. His parents were Egyptian immigrants. Alam was born in Washington, to parents who emigrated to America from Bangladesh. It is surely their immigrant backgrounds that account for the film’s unique and critical perspective on contemporary America.

Leave the World Behind is not easily categorised – thematically, it is similar to the 2022 European film ‘Triangle of Sadness’, but it is much more politically sophisticated. The film also harks back to the science fiction films that Hollywood churned out with monotonous regularly in the 1950s and 60s.

That entire film genre was, of course, the ideological product of the Cold War.

In science fiction films of that era, the irrational fear of an imminent Russian invasion was cinematically transformed into attacks by aliens from remote galaxies – and a powerful, liberal-democratic America was pictured as being threatened by these sinister forces from without.

Inevitably in these films, after a stirring heroic conflict, a victorious America prevailed over those malevolent alien forces that had sought to destroy the home of liberty and the land of the free.

Now that a weakened America is seeking to wage a recalibrated Cold War – against China as well as Russia – it is hardly surprising that an American film should echo the science fiction films of the Cold War era, albeit in a radically different form and with more realistic content.   

Leave the World Behind is firmly based in current American political reality – no need to resort to fictitious aliens, as the threat the global elites pose to liberal democracy in America is all too apparent – and the film resolutely refuses to provide the bogus solace that was an integral ideological component of the science fiction films of the 1950s and 60s. 

The film is bleakly pessimistic – a reflection of America’s dramatic decline as a world power since the 1960s, as well as its current state of acute internal cultural and political disintegration.  

This is perfectly understandable – no intelligent and politically aware contemporary American filmmaker could embrace the complacent optimism that characterised America in the 1950s and 60s.

The plot of the film – a middle class Brooklyn family holiday in a mansion on Long Island, only to be caught up in a series of cataclysms that are gradually revealed to be part of an unfolding elite political coup – could only take place in a post-Trumpian America.

In fact, the film eerily reflects a prediction made by the astute conservative political commentator P. J. O’Rourke shortly before he died in 2022.

O’Rourke despised Donald Trump and regarded him as a buffoon, but realised that his political significance lay in the fact that he was a crude and inept harbinger of an America that could easily come to be ruled by a competent elite dictatorship.

O’Rourke’s insight into Trump is, in fact, the central theme of Leave the World Behind – the film is about a successful coup, of which Trump was the harbinger, that a culturally and politically disintegrating America is unable to comprehend, let alone resist.

The January 6 riots were a crude insurrection fomented by Trump in order to prevent Vice President Mike Pence from certifying the 2020 election result. The riots were not an attempted coup – and Trump, as O’Rourke recognised, has more in common with the farcical 19th century French politician General Boulanger (whose attempt to overthrow the Third Republic in 1889 failed) than with a Hitler or Mussolini. 

Leave the World Behind depicts a successful modern political coup – qualitatively different from fascist coups – carried out by global elites. 

The coup’s genesis is revealed in an exchange between the owner of the mansion, a wealthy black funds manager played by Mahershala Ali, and the misanthropic wife of the Brooklyn family, played by Roberts, who have rented his palatial residence on Long Island. 

As the family’s holiday is disrupted by a series of catastrophes – their technological devices cease to work; an oil tanker runs aground on the beach where they are swimming; airplanes fall from the sky; leaflets falsely suggesting that foreign invasions are occurring are dropped from drones; and hundreds of self-driving Teslas crash into each other, blocking highways – Ali tells Roberts about a conversation that he had recently with one of his wealthy clients with links to the defense department and arms manufacturers. 

The client recently moved his considerable fortune offshore and told Ali in some detail how easy it would be to stage a coup in advanced Western societies.

First, the populace would be isolated by disabling all their technological devices. Havoc would then be created by spreading disinformation amongst the populace. Finally, internal fighting would break out, and society would collapse as a result of its own internal divisions and political apathy. 

As the catastrophes pile up around them, Ali and Roberts realise that this is precisely what is happening – and that they are powerless to do anything about it.    

Shades of C. Wright Mills’ ‘power elite’ and Eisenhower’s ‘military-industrial complex’ in a modern, more frighteningly totalitarian guise – save the elites behind the successful coup that engulfs America in the film are global elites, a reflection of the fact that the world economy is now a truly globalised one.

The themes of cultural decadence and dependence upon technology are depicted in graphic detail in the film. The scene involving the out-of-control Teslas is both prophetic and horrifying. 

Roberts and Ali understand what is happening only because Ali has a close connection to the elites that are staging the coup. No one else in the film – including Roberts’ genial academic husband, played by Ethan Hawke, has any notion of what is occurring. 

The real horror at the heart of the film, however, arises from the depiction of the main characters’ millennial teenage children.

The three children are portrayed as mindless victims of a completely worthless popular culture that deprives them of any understanding of themselves or the society in which they live.

They are completely dependent upon technology, and immersed in a vacuous celebrity culture that is utterly divorced from reality. Even their relations with their parents are meaningless and perfunctory.

Roberts’ teenage son spends his time masturbating and taking salacious pictures of Ali’s daughter as she sunbathes in a bikini by the swimming pool. She in turn tries to sexually entice the middle-aged Hawke in Lolita-like fashion.

Roberts’ and Hawke’s young daughter is obsessed with the television program ‘Friends’, and the only affection that she is capable of is fixated upon the characters of that mindless soap opera.

As the nuclear cloud spreads, she gains entry to a fallout shelter in the basement of the house and compulsively watches the final episode of Friends – completely oblivious to what is happening outside and her own fate.

The film ends with her grinning and gazing narcissistically and moronically at the television screen. 

In interviews since the film was released last month, Esmail and Roberts have attempted to place a positive spin on the film – by suggesting that the other characters may have also eventually found their way to the fallout shelter.

Given the relentlessly pessimistic tenor of the film, however, this is surely beside the point. As D. H. Lawrence once said. “Always trust the tale, never trust the teller.”

Leave the World Behind is an extraordinary and compelling film. Anyone with an interest in the cultural and political decline of contemporary America should make the effort to see it.

The second of two men seen in a viral video removing a Banksy artwork from a south London street corner on Friday has been arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damages, Metropolitan Police told reporters on Sunday. The man, said to be in his 40s, was not named.

The alleged art thief’s partner in crime, said to be in his 20s, was arrested on the same charges on Saturday and is already out on bail pending further inquiries, according to the Met.

The two men were filmed removing the artwork – a stop sign decorated with three combat drones – less than an hour after Banksy had authenticated it on the artist’s Instagram page. After initially attempting to remove the sign with their bare hands, according to onlookers, the thieves returned with a bolt-cutter and made short work of the hardware affixing the red octagon to the Commercial Way signpost in the borough of Peckham.

A brand new Banksy artwork was stolen from a South London street today less than an hour after it was revealed to be a genuine piece on the artist's Instagram pic.twitter.com/5rFTUFhWlM

— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) December 22, 2023

Police have urged anyone with information about the incident – specifically, the fate of the sign itself – to call in, as the art has not been recovered.

A new stop sign, minus the drones that were interpreted by the artist’s followers as a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, has reportedly been installed, and another street artist decorated the site with her own reproduction of the Banksy piece on Saturday.

The sign is likely to be worth over £500,000, gallerist John Brandler, who sells Banksy’s art, told the Guardian, noting that the media attention had likely increased its value.

Last year, eight men were convicted in France of stealing a Banksy painting paying tribute to the victims of the 2015 Bataclan concert massacre. Stolen from the door of the Paris venue in 2019, it was eventually tracked to a farm in Italy and recovered. Another eight people were arrested by Ukrainian authorities in December for stealing a mural the artist had painted on a wall in Gostomel, a town on the outskirts of Kiev.

China unveiled new rules on Friday aimed at reducing spending on online video games. Under the draft regulations, gaming companies must warn players engaging in “irrational consumption behavior.”

The rules were published by China’s National Press and Publication Administration, which regulates the gaming industry. They forbid companies from giving players rewards for logging in every day, spending money on the game for the first time, or making consecutive purchases, Reuters reported.

Beijing is seeking public comment on the regulations until January 22.

China is the world’s largest gaming market, but Beijing has worked to limit the spread of gaming addiction among Chinese youth. In 2021, regulators forbade under-18s from playing online games for more than three hours per week, and demanded that gaming companies introduce name and age verification to enforce these limits.

Chinese state media described games as “spiritual opium” and “electronic drugs” at the time.

However, the strict limits hammered the stock value of Chinese gaming corporations, including Tencent and NetEase. While both firms recovered, Friday’s announcement sent similar shockwaves through the industry, with Tencent’s stock price down 12.5% as of Saturday, and NetEase down 16%. Tencent is the world’s largest video games publisher by revenue.

Actor Charlie Sheen was attacked by a neighbor at his Malibu home on Wednesday, in what the star told police was not his first encounter with the woman, TMZ reported on Friday. 

Electra Schrock was arrested at her home and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, force likely to create bodily injury, and burglary, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement on Friday. The 47-year-old allegedly forced her way into Sheen’s home after knocking, ripped his shirt, and attempted to strangle him before eventually leaving. 

Sheen called 911 and paramedics were reportedly dispatched to the scene, though the actor did not opt for transportation to the hospital. 

While Sheen has regularly made headlines in the past for his own bizarre behavior, attributed to the well-documented drug and alcohol abuse that led to the loss of his high-paying role on TV sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men’, the actor recently told People magazine that he has been sober for nearly six years and has begun to seek out acting roles again.

Two men were filmed removing a sticker-decorated stop sign from a south London street corner less than an hour after street artist Banksy had claimed it as one of his works in a video shared to social media on Friday.

The footage shows two men working together to remove the stop sign, one propping up an electric bike while the other uses tools to remove the red octagon the artist had recently decorated with three decals of drone aircraft from its signpost. The man carrying the sign then appears to run to a waiting car.

The sign, located at the corner of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in the borough of Peckham, was removed in full view of several phone-wielding onlookers and traffic, shortly after an image depicting the artwork – and, crucially, the name of the street on which it was located – was posted to Banksy’s Instagram page.

A brand new Banksy artwork was stolen from a South London street today less than an hour after it was revealed to be a genuine piece on the artist's Instagram pic.twitter.com/5rFTUFhWlM

— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) December 22, 2023

Followers of the artist generally interpreted his latest artwork as a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the Palestinian Health Ministry says Israel has killed upwards of 20,000 people in just ten weeks in a bombing campaign internationally condemned for its brutality.

A witness told the Associated Press that Banksy was apparently not responsible for the removal, as the alleged thief initially attempted to remove the sign with his bare hands before coming back with tools and successfully liberating it.

Onlookers can be heard in the video sighing and expressing dismay as the broad-daylight heist is pulled off, though no one apparently thought to stop it.

Last year, eight men were convicted in France of stealing a Banksy painting paying tribute to the victims of the 2015 Bataclan concert massacre. Stolen from the door of the Paris venue in 2019, it was eventually tracked to a farm in Italy and recovered. Another eight people were arrested by the Ukrainian authorities in December for stealing a mural the artist had painted on a wall in Gostomel, a town on the outskirts of Kiev.

An autistic British teenager who was a key member of the international hacker gang Lapsus$ and leaked 90 clips of the yet-to-be-released game Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA6) was involuntarily committed to a secure hospital on Thursday. The court specified that he should remain there until doctors deem him no longer dangerous.

While in custody, 18-year-old Arion Kurtaj of Oxford demonstrated violent behavior and damaged property, multiple news outlets reported. Following an assessment, the teen was deemed “not fit to stand trial” due to a medical diagnosis of acute autism, so the jury was instructed to decide if he had carried out the incursions, according to a City of London police press release published Thursday.

The Guildford Crown Court judge who sentenced Kurtaj took into account his mental health assessment, which said the teen “continued to express an intention to return to cybercrime as soon as possible” and was “highly motivated” to do so, according to British media.

Kurtaj was arrested in January and March of 2022 and charged with involvement in hacking activities; both times he was released on bail. In April and September 2022, Kurtaj was charged with six violations of the Computer Misuse Act, three counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud and failing to disclose a password that allows access to electronic data to legal authorities, according to police.

“If Rockstar doesn't contact me on Telegram within 24 hours, I will start revealing the source code,” his message read. The young hacker then posted snippets of the game, which is expected to be released in 2025, and its code. The company reportedly told the court that recovering from this attack would cost it $5 million.

The hacker group Lapsus$ is believed to be involved in numerous attacks on a range of companies, including telecoms, a computer parts manufacturer and game makers, between August 2020 and September 2022. Tech giants such as Nvidia, BT/EE, Uber, Revolut, and Rockstar Games were among those affected.

The police also said that another 17-year-old Lapsus$ member, whose name is being withheld for legal reasons, was found guilty of computer misuse and blackmail in the same trial. He was sentenced to a youth rehabilitation center with 18 months of supervision.

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing harsh criticism following a statement that he would never support what he called a “manhunt” against legendary actor Gerard Depardieu.

During an interview with the broadcaster France 5 on Wednesday, Macron was asked if he supported the initiative by Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak to strip Depardieu of the Order of the Legion of Honor following a recent documentary in which 16 women said the actor had harassed, groped, or sexually assaulted them.

The film entitled ‘Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre’ also featured footage from the 74-year-old actor’s trip to North Korea, in which he’s shown making obscene comments about women, including a 12-year-old girl, and sexually harassing a female translator. Malak described the documentary as “absolutely shocking,” saying that she was “disgusted” by Depardieu’s behavior.

The movie star also remains under formal investigation over alleged rape since 2020, but denies any wrongdoing.

“You’ll never see me participate in a manhunt… hate that type of thing,” the president responded. Malak overstepped “a bit too much” when she announced a procedure that would deprive the movie star of the country’s highest state award, he said, adding that the order is “is not a moral tool.”

Macron’s statements caused an angry outcry from women’s rights groups and his political opponents, with Green Party spokeswoman Sophie Bussiere calling him “the promoter in chief of rape culture.” 

In an interview with BFMTV, Anne-Cecile Mailfert, the president of France’s Foundation for Women labeled Macron’s statement “disgraceful, despicable and of another era.” 

Former French President Francois Hollande told France Inter radio on Thursday that he was “not proud of Gerard Depardieu” after watching the documentary adding that he expected Macron “to talk about women, and not simply to say that Gerard Depardieu was a great actor.” 

The Grevin Museum in Paris removed Depardieu’s figure from its “Pantheon of wax celebrities,” citing negative reactions from visitors after the documentary, AP reported on Monday.

Online gaming enthusiasts have posted several pages from a manual for the US-built M2A2 AIFV to War Thunder forums as part of a heated discussion about the precise technical details of their favorite military tech.

At least two pages from the manual, detailing the commander’s hatch, as well as the turret and spall liner assemblies down to every bolt and nut, were leaked during discussions about the game developed by Gaijin Entertainment, a Budapest-based company with distinct Russian origins.

“There was a post containing classified or restricted information regarding Bradley on December 12th,” the company’s founder, Anton Yudintsev, confirmed in a statement provided to PC Gamer on Thursday. The moderators deleted the sensitive info “within minutes,” but not before several users had downloaded and shared it with the media.

While not classified as top secret, the technical manual in question contains export-controlled data which should only be accessible by the Pentagon and its contractors.

This year alone, War Thunder fans spilled some classified beans on the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, the F-117 Nighthawk, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F-15E Strike Eagle. Previous disclosures involved France’s Leclerc and British Challenger-2 tanks, as well as Chinese DTC10-125 anti-armor shells. In total, over the years, gamers have shared classified and sensitive info on at least 14 separate occasions, according to Task & Purpose.

US President Joe Biden would be a better candidate than his predecessor Donald Trump to hold office, even if he was completely incapacitated, iconic American actor Robert De Niro has suggested.

In an interview with Rolling Stone on Wednesday, De Niro, 80, responded in the affirmative when asked if he thought Biden would be the “right guy” to defeat Trump, who is widely seen as the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential election.

“I think that if Biden was on a gurney and couldn’t move anything but his eyes to blink ‘yes’ or ‘no’, he’s our person. There’s no way that he’s not the guy to take Trump down,” the Oscar-winning actor said.

According to De Niro, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who used to serve as US ambassador to the UN under Trump, could also come in and “at least throw him off,” and become the GOP’s nominee. “But Biden is the best person at this point,” he said, adding that “we need anything to get rid of Trump.”

In 2018, he famously dropped an expletive on Trump during the Tony Awards, receiving an ovation from the audience. This November, he accused the ex-president of being a “charlatan” who lied to Americans “more than 30,000 times during his four years in office.”

A month earlier, he also warned the US against reelecting Trump – whom he described as an outright “evil” person – saying that “democracy won’t survive the return of a wannabe dictator.”

In December, the former US president hit back, calling De Niro a “total loser,” condemning his “foul and disgusting language” and advising him to “focus on his life, which is a mess, rather than the lives of others.”

Despite the actor’s fierce criticism, several recent polls have suggested that Trump would beat Biden in a potential rematch, with this month’s Morning Consult and Bloomberg News survey showing that he was leading his archrival in seven swing states.

A group representing musicians in Iceland has called on the Nordic country’s broadcaster RUV to withdraw from the next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate.

More than 19,400 people, mostly women and children, have been killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, the latest figures from the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave suggest. The IDF launched its attacks on Gaza in response to an incursion into Israel by Hamas on October 7, which left some 1,200 dead.

“We all have a duty to take a stand against war and the killing of civilians and innocent children,” the Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland (FTT) said in a statement on Facebook last week.

The FTT called on the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV) “not to participate in Eurovision in 2024 unless Israel is denied participation in the competition on the same grounds as Russia in the last competition.”

“We owe it to the nations that act with military force to not share with them in an event that is always characterized by joy and optimism,” the musicians said.

The statement by the FTT was made in the wake of the RUV’s board meeting though the issue of withdrawing from the Eurovision was reportedly not considered during the gathering.

The European Broadcast Union (EBU), which stages the Eurovision, said in a response to several media outlets that it’s “a competition for broadcasters – not governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has participated in the Contest for 50 years.”

The union argued that its stance “is aligned with other international organizations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”

The EBU made similar statements after the launch of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. However, as pressure from Kiev’s backers on the union mounted, it changed its stance, arguing that “the inclusion of a Russian entry… would bring the competition into disrepute.” Russia ended up missing the Eurovision in 2022 and 2023.

Over the course of two weeks, the main symbol of the Games of the Future, which combine e-sports and traditional athletic competitions, made appearances in eight Russian cities, which hosted events to promote the new movement. While phygital football was played in Nizhny Novgorod and a phygital curling event took place in Ulyanovsk, participants of a car rally visited Tatarstan’s capital Kazan, Innopolis University, and the Aviation Museum in Samara. After a tour of Russia, the trophy of the Games of the Future was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on December 1.

The trophy of the Games of the Future was first displayed to the general public at the All-Russian Exhibition Center VDNKh in Moscow during an event celebrating the start of the last 100-day stretch before the games commence in Kazan. The trophy symbolizes the five “challenges” of the tournament: sports, technical, speedrun, tactical, and battle.

After presenting the trophy, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Russia’s deputy prime minister, passed it on to volunteers, who embarked on a drive across several Russian cities. The trophy itself was transported in an iconic SGR Bukhanka (“Bread Loaf”) van, accompanied by several buses and vans manufactured by Sollers Atlant, as well as UAZ-made Patriots, Pickups, and SGRs.

Some of the first people to see the symbol of the innovative championship were residents of the Bogoyavlensky Children’s Home in Nizhny Novgorod. The kids there are well-aware of what this is all about since they have their own phygital football team and love to compete with other enthusiasts.

“What really matters is not that phygital allows you to jerk your joystick around, play video games, and score points. It’s also a chance to get out on the court and put your physical fitness to the test. That is one of the purposes of phygital,” he said.

From Nizhny Novgorod, the rally continued to Tatarstan. It visited Kazan and nearby Innopolis, the focal point for some of the country’s brightest minds, where the drivers and passengers could experience cutting-edge developments in robotics: they were able to see a sorting robot at work, learn about the operation of a robotic arm, and try giving directions to a robodog.

Kamila Valieva, an Olympic champion in figure skating, was among those who welcomed the trophy in the Ulyanovsk Region.

“I wish all phygital athletes success in Kazan in 2024,” she said on the ice of the Volga Sport Arena, where spectators could take selfies of themselves with the trophy and Kamila on the skating rink as well as watch the first phygital curling tournament, which is a candidate sport for the Games of the Future. Guests took part in an interactive trivia quiz and watched a spectacular drone show.

“What we’re seeing right now is the approaching merger between modern technology and centuries-old traditions of sport. The phygital movement may be very young but it’s already won over many fans throughout Russia, including people in the Ulyanovsk Region. That is why we’re enthusiastically promoting it. The region has an accredited federation, and our athletes have achieved some important first victories,” Ulyanovsk Region Governor Alexei Russkikh said.

“Next year, we’re going to launch a phygital sports center using funds from the federal Business Sprint project. We’d also like to start training our first phygital coaches. I’m convinced that hundreds of our young residents will take to this new sport and make our region proud really soon,” he added.

The death of Canadian-American actor Matthew Perry in late October was caused by the powerful anesthetic ketamine, which is also used recreationally and as alternative therapy for a range of psychological conditions, the LA County Department of Medical Examiner has revealed.
Perry, who rose to stardom with his role as Chandler Bing in the sitcom ‘Friends’, had for years struggled with alcohol and substance abuse, which he opened up about in his 2022 memoir, as well as numerous media interviews.

In a press release published on Friday, the coroner’s office said Perry’s passing was brought on by the “acute effects of ketamine,” namely, “cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.”

“Drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder)” were named as contributing factors.

The autopsy confirmed that Perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy, adding, however, that the last session had taken place one and a half weeks before his death. The coroner thus ruled out the idea that it could have led to his death in and of itself.

Back in October, the Food and Drug Administration issued an alert, warning against the dangers of ketamine, which has recently gained popularity for treating psychological and psychiatric disorders. Perry’s assistant said in a witness statement that the Friends star had indeed been seeing a psychiatrist, and had also been on the opioid buprenorphine.

The actor joined the iconic sitcom’s cast in 1994 when he was 24. The final season was released in 2004. The series has come to attract a cult following over the years. Perry also starred in movies such as ‘Fools Rush In’ with his father and Salma Hayek, ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ with Bruce Willis, ‘Three to Tango’, ‘The Kid’, ’17 Again’, ‘Getting In’, and many others.

Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy has joined Yeezy, the fashion brand founded by rapper Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West – as head of design. The rapper announced the appointment on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

The announcement described Rubchinskiy’s hire as “a milestone in design history” and Yeezy as “the pre-eminent global brand in music and fashion.”

Rubchinskiy produced the cover artwork and some of the merchandise released alongside Ye’s most recent album, ‘Vultures’. 

The items include “pre-dirtied” concert tour t-shirts with stained sleeves and strategic rips that cost $50 and $80. 

Rubchinskiy previously ran his own eponymous brand, which he launched in 2008 in partnership with Comme des Garcons. The label closed its doors in 2018, declaring “We are putting an end to the Gosha Rubchinskiy brand as you’ve known it” and teasing that “something new is coming.”

In 2018, Rubchinskiy was accused of soliciting inappropriate photos of Jan Silfverling, a 16-year-old male model, allegations which promptly resurfaced in the wake of the Yeezy announcement. 

Rubchinskiy countered at the time that their interaction was limited to standard “street casting for a lookbook shoot” amounting to no more than a request for a quick snapshot for the designer’s files and categorically denied anything inappropriate had occurred. Rubchinskiy claimed Silfverling had deceptively edited the conversation in a “planned provocation.”

Rubchinskiy had just released a World Cup-influenced fashion line for Adidas, the third collaboration between the two brands during their two-year creative relationship, before the scandal broke out. The brand promised to look into the allegations, though it does not appear anything became of them.

Ye also left a creatively fruitful partnership with Adidas on bad terms last year after the rapper made a series of controversial public statements about Jewish people. He was also dropped from partnerships with Balenciaga and Vogue. Media outrage over Ye’s latest album has already begun after the rapper wore a black KKK hood to a listening party.

Every single cinema in Lithuania will boycott the latest anime film from legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki over its distribution firm’s links to Russia, Lithuanian state news outlet LRT reported on Thursday.

The final film of Miyazaki’s six-decade career, ‘The Boy and the Heron’, was due to hit theaters in the country before the end of the year. That was until cinema operators and distributors released a statement on Thursday announcing the movie's effective cancellation.

“The Lithuanian film community calls on the other Baltic countries to react to this information and Russia’s potentially harmful actions to the Baltic economy and the film industry, and also to prevent the aggressor state from doing business,” the statement added.

Bizarrely, the statement claimed that Artgene threatened that the country of Lithuania “would be publicly slandered in the world for sabotaging the film.” No evidence was provided for this claim.

The decision is not unusual for Lithuania, whose government has been one of the staunchest backers of Ukraine on the world stage. As Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis pushed his Western allies for more sanctions and military aid to Kiev earlier this year, Culture Minister Simonas Kairys announced a “mental quarantine” on Russian culture, art, and media. 

The renowned Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is rethinking the way museums manage crowds, according to comments by its director.

In an interview with Russian media outlet RBK published on Saturday, Mikhail Piotrovsky cited the way access to Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ is arranged at the Santa Maria delle Grazie church in Milan, saying, “there will be such restricted access to the reliquary of [medieval Russian ruler] Alexander Nevsky.”

Piotrovsky said large groups are a “plague for the museum” as they tend to “move loudly [and] congest the passages.” The Hermitage is now working to relegate group tours to mornings and evenings, shifting the focus to individual repeat visitors.

According to Piotrovsky, the museum stopped charging foreigners higher prices for tickets a few years ago – a practice he described as “colonial mentality.” At present, the standard price for entry is 500 rubles ($5). He noted that the museum grants free or discounted access to certain categories of Russian nationals, accounting for 30% of all visitors.

Regarding cooperation with Western museums and galleries, Piotrovsky said there is a de facto boycott in place which prevents his European and American colleagues from interacting with Russians. He added that while “this situation is far worse than during the Soviet times,” personal relations remain. Piotrovsky said that Russia will invariably remain not just “part of European culture, but Asian as well.”

Grammy Award-winning conductor Justus Frantz has been snubbed by the organizers of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (SHMF) in Germany, an event he founded more than three decades ago, Bild reported on Saturday. The festival’s current management has chosen to stop collaborating with the maestro after he continued to work in Russia.

In a public statement, the current SHMF director, Christian Kuhnt, said that “an invitation to Justus Frantz was made impossible for a number of reasons. His engagement in Russia is one of them.”

The conductor has referred to his expulsion as “cowardly” and “unfair.” He said the situation was regrettable but added that “the world is big and beautiful, [and] one can be someplace else,” according to Bild.

Frantz is one of the judges for Russia’s prestigious Tchaikovsky competition, an Olympics-like music event that takes place once every four years. It was axed from the World Federation of International Music Competitions after the beginning of Moscow’s military operation against Ukraine in February 2022.

Throughout the years, Frantz has worked with the Mariinsky Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and many other orchestras internationally.

Following criticism of his attendance at this year’s Tchaikovsky competition, he wrote, “When I founded the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in the days of the Cold War, it was not only about organizing outstanding music with outstanding artists, but also about the desire to do something for peace!”

In February of this year, Frantz was one of the first signatories of a petition for Germany to stop funding the Ukraine conflict.

Frantz isn’t the first person who has faced being canceled over their association with Russia. Russian ballet companies have had their shows canceled all over the world since the beginning of the Moscow-Kiev conflict.

Anna Netrebko, a star soprano singer of the New York Metropolitan Opera House, was dropped from all shows. She faced demands to publicly condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin, was fired after refusing to do so, and is suing her previous employer.

A work by Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli thought to have been lost for 50 years has been found in the southern Italian town of Gragnano, local Mayor Nello D’Auria announced last week. The painting, which depicts the Virgin Mary and infant Christ, is believed to be among the last by the master and is valued at around €100 million ($108 million).

According to CNN, the Botticelli had been kept in the Santa Maria delle Grazie chapel since the early 1900s, after the church it was originally given to was destroyed by fire. After an earthquake damaged the chapel in 1982, the parish gave the canvas to a local family for safekeeping with the official decree on file, the outlet said, citing a spokesman for the Italian Ministry of Culture.

For the first few years, local authorities monitored the condition of the canvas and helped the family move and clean it until the checks stopped. The piece was listed on the Ministry of Culture’s inventory of missing works, according to CNN.

While that list was being updated, traces of the painting were seen this summer, Commander Massimiliano Croce said during the presentation of the find. He noted that the family “will retain ownership of the work, but it will be kept in a museum.”

The family kept the canvas for decades to protect it from the hands of art traffickers, claiming they knew nothing about it, Il Matino reported.

Botticelli died in 1510, and the recently discovered ‘Madonna and Child’ is believed to date from the late 15th century, during the final stages of his career.

The artist worked for the Medici family, during which time he painted his best-known work, ‘The Birth of Venus and Spring.’

Along with other artists, Botticelli was summoned to Rome in 1481 by Pope Sixtus IV to decorate the walls of the Sistine Chapel. His contribution consisted of three paintings, ‘The Life of Moses,’ ‘The Temptation of Christ,’ and ‘The Punishment of Corach.’

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the founders of the feminist punk band ‘Pussy Riot,’ has strongly denied allegations that she had ever inserted a dead chicken into her vagina as performance art.

US-based Tolokonnikova, for whom Russia has issued an arrest warrant for hate speech, took to social media platform X to make a bold statement on the matter. “Chicken, into c**t, was not stuffed by me,” the activist wrote in an all-caps message.

While the ill-fated chicken was actually stuffed into the body cavity of another activist, poet, and journalist, Elena Kostyleva, over the years it somehow turned into a widespread belief that the stunt was performed by Tolokonnikova. Apparently, the mix-up occurred since the two activists performed assorted obscene acts under the pretext of political activism, with both of them taking part in the infamous mass orgy at the Timiryazev State Biological Museum in Moscow in early 2008.

Tolokonnikova’s denial, apparently triggered by the ongoing influx of trolls into her social media feed to blame her for the 2010 poultry-snatching stunt, has seemingly only attracted more of them to mock the activist.

While some trolls bluntly insisted it still was her, given the common belief, others cheekily suggested she should share the “common responsibility” for the chicken affair in an apparent nod to the practice of universally blaming all the Russians for the Ukrainian conflict, used by some opposition figures and critics of the Kremlin.

Suspiciously specific denial pic.twitter.com/CxommfnLJE

— xrealroman (@xrealroman) December 3, 2023

The troll infestation itself is presumably at least partially linked to Tolokonnikova’s recent conversation with the notorious Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, during which she admitted to financing “humanitarian aid” for the Ukrainian military.

A team from the region treated guests to a gastronomic performance, with tutorials on making Siberian dishes using local ingredients and considering both the culinary traditions of small ethnic communities in northern Russia as well as the latest gastronomic trends across the region.

A Farmers’ Fair is also taking place at VDNH in pavilion 48, where vendors from all over the country are presenting their unique produce.

For example, from November 28 to December 3, visitors can sample or purchase captivating confectionery from a farmer representing the Republic of Bashkortostan. According to the press service, the brand is named ‘Artisanal Chocolate from Bashkiria’, and only cocoa beans and natural locally sourced ingredients are used.

“These include herbs, various berries, fruits, vegetables, grains, cheese, honey, and even koumiss,” the release adds.

Guests will have the opportunity to taste or buy “very unusual” sweets, such as milk chocolate with porcini mushrooms and basil, the organizers said.

Chefs from Tyumen prepared dishes that were much loved by famous Tyumen natives – Dmitry Mendeleev, Grigory Rasputin, and Pyotr Yershov.

On the day devoted to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, visitors to the Farmers’ Fair had the chance to try fish delicacies, tea and dishes using reindeer meat hailing from the region.

On November 26, chefs from Nizhny Novgorod presented a special dessert named ‘Gorodetsky gingerbread’, as well as Volga street food – the catfish burger. They also prepared special dishes popular in towns along the Volga River – Volga brined catfish with katanka porridge, scrambled eggs and farmer's cheese, ‘Kalya’ soup, made from five kinds of fish, with pickled green tomatoes and farro, and Voskresensk bread with smoked bream cream.

The opening of the ‘House of Russian Cuisine’ pavilion at VDNH took place on November 4 as part of international exhibition and forum RUSSIA EXPO. The Moscow government, restaurateur Aleksey Vasilchuk and Ekaterina Shapovalova’s ‘Gastronomic Map of Russia’ project presented a new gastronomic food hall that revives Russia's rich culinary traditions and gathers together some of the gastronomic highlights from Russia’s regions.

The new pavilion will host the ‘Russia – Territory of Taste’ food festival that will run for the duration of the exhibition, from November 4, 2023 to April 12, 2024. There are more than a hundred events already on the program, featuring chefs, restaurant owners and experts from all over Russia.

The festival showcases the culinary traditions and cultures of Russia’s many different peoples, as well as restaurant projects from Karelia to Sakhalin. Guests are welcome to attend tasting events and workshops, as well as performances by creative groups.

Teams of chefs, restauranteurs, farmers and food producers from 63 Russian regions will treat guests to local delicacies and dishes, and give workshops on how to prepare them.

Cuisines on the menu include Buryat, Far Eastern, Don, Pomor, Siberian and many more, including antique Russian street foods (like kalach bread and pirozhki, or pasties), northern delicacies, sweets and traditional drinks.

Up to January 14, popular folk groups and musicians will perform at the festival, including the famous ‘Grannies from Buranovo’, Sofiya Gorbunova, the bell ringer of the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Tashtyp, and bands from Arkhangelsk and Kamchatka Region. Other themed programs are scheduled after the New Year’s holiday period – Days of the Arctic, ‘Maslenitsa – 2024’, ‘Feast of Pies’, wedding table spreads of the peoples of Russia, ‘Five Seas, Three Oceans’, and more.

The ‘House of Russian Cuisine’ features 15 corners dedicated to different Russian regional cuisines, stretching from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka all the way to Kaliningrad, as well as a stage for regular culinary masterclasses and the ‘Library of Russia’s Tastes’ tasting events. There are traditional sweets, culinary mementos, Russian wine and national drinks on offer, as well as a festival atmosphere!

More than 400 food producers from 89 regions of Russia will participate over the six months of the Farmers’ Fair at RUSSIA EXPO, bringing a wide range of local products with them – including cheese, sausage, meat delicacies, teas, mushrooms and much more. Visitors can sample all of these things at free tasting events, and buy whatever takes their fancy.

According to the organizers, visitors can reach the food fair on foot or by free electric bus.

The bus stops are located to the right and left of the central entrance to VDNH. For more information, see the map that the organizers have provided.

You can find the full list of events at the website of the Exhibition https://russia.ru/events.

In the past two years, Russian pop culture has taken a bizarre turn. Rappers who used to sing about drugs, amorous conquests, and ‘cool stuff’ in general, now go on stage with Russian flags and proclaim their love for the motherland. On the front line, soldiers listen to girly pop music about self-love and toxic partners. Online, there’s been a renaissance of ironic memes, many of which are also patriotic.

All these, however, are internal Russian trends. But what’s going on with Russian culture in the ‘outside world’? As a matter of fact, the nation’s pop culture is setting new trends on TikTok – and surprisingly, by means of a tune penned 20 years ago. As I write, a Russian pop song is storming the music charts in the US and Europe.

What happened?

In early November, videos with the song ‘Moi Marmeladnyi’ (‘My Marmalade’, also known as ‘I’m wrong’) by Russian singer Katya Lel started to appear on TikTok. Soon, the trend exploded. Accounts large and small posted videos of people dressed up in fur coats and hats to the accompaniment of the song. These clips racked up tens of millions of views. By now, over 160,000 videos with Lel’s song have been uploaded to the platform.

The idea is simple – inspired by the ‘Slavic vibe’, users dress up as Russians, taking the opportunity to show off their fur coats and other accessories. Others recall their Russian origins and the advice given by their parents who emigrated to the West from Russia and the USSR. And some users who don’t speak Russian and had never previously expressed any interest in learning it, try to pronounce the lyrics of the viral song and share their desire to finally learn the language.

Some users note how catchy the song is, and others joke about the discussions around “bad Russian culture.” Finally, Lel’s song simply serves as a musical accompaniment to all kinds of videos in which TikTokers share their thoughts and lives. 

The viral trend became so widespread that in just a month, ‘My Marmalade’, which was initially released in Russia 20 years ago, reached third on Spotify’s Viral 50-Global chart, and also made it to Shazam’s Global Top Ten (Pop).

Who wrote the hit song?

Singer, actress, and TV personality Ekaterina Chuprina, who later took the pseudonym Katya Lel, was born in 1974 in the city of Nalchik in southern Russia. In the mid-’90s, she moved to Moscow, where she started studying music.

The beginning of Lel’s singing career was moderately successful, but she rose to new heights in 2003. That year, Lel released three hit songs: ‘Doletay’ (‘Fly’), ‘Musi-pusi’, and, of course, ‘My Marmalade’. The last track was heard everywhere – even radio stations that specialized exclusively in Western music wanted to play it. Anyone who lived in Russia in the mid-2000s knew the tune by heart.

The album ‘Jaga-Jaga’, released the following year, became a best-seller and marked the peak of the singer’s career. According to Lel, she even received collaboration offers from Western labels. The singer did not disclose all the labels that made offers, but mentioned Universal and Sony Music. Moreover, famous Colombian star Shakira became interested in Lel’s work and wanted to record a song with her as a featured artist. However, Lel’s further career was affected by legal proceedings with her first producer. She eventually left him to work with the producer responsible for her triumph – Maxim Fadeev.

Born in Western Siberia in the late 1960s, Fadeev began studying music in his childhood and dreamed of becoming a singer. At the beginning of his career, his outstanding musical abilities and unique style were not appreciated by famous Russian pop artists, but these difficulties only strengthened his resolve. Fadeev went on to write numerous hit songs and become a top producer, promoting a long list of successful artists including girl group SEREBRO, third-place finishers at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. 

Fadeev wrote ‘My Marmalade’ and other hit songs performed by Lel. However, soon after the success of the song, the paths of the singer and producer diverged.

Lel continued to write music, sing, act, and make TV appearances, and is active to this day. But ‘My Marmalade’ remains her biggest success.

Reaction to success

Back in 2004, when Lel was at the height of her popularity, Fadeev decided to promote her in other countries, and they released an English-language version of ‘My Marmalade’. However, at the time, the clip wasn’t a hit and the song was completely ignored by foreign audiences.

For Lel, the popularity that caught up with the song 20 years later came as a pleasant surprise. She learned about the interest on TikTok from her daughter. “I come to work – [it ranks in] fourth place [in the Spotify global chart], by the time I leave work — it’s in third place. It's a miracle that is hard to believe,” the singer shared.

“You have no idea how important it is for Russians when people from different countries put on fur hats, pronounce Russian words, and draw attention to themselves by means of the Russian language. This is very important and necessary today, in our times.”

Fadeev was also pleased with the song’s newfound impact. “I always said that one day, thanks to our culture, many people who felt confused would turn back to Russia. People don't want Russian culture to be canceled, they love it,” he said.

Even Russia’s Foreign Ministry agrees. Commenting on the success of ‘My Marmalade’ on her Telegram channel, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it a “slap in the face for Russia cancelers.”

“Trying to cancel culture is like trying to drink the sea or sweep the desert. Because evil – as the heroine of our great Oscar-winning film ‘Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears’ once said – should and will be punished,” Zakharova said.

So what is the song about?

Although Lel’s success is even being discussed in the Foreign Ministry, the song itself is far from serious. The text boasts inventive rhymes and imagery which was common for Russian pop music in the ‘00s. But the lyrics are somewhat unsophisticated and share a girl’s perspective on a passionate, slightly neurotic, on-off relationship.

The song’s chorus, which TikTokers particularly liked, is a totally meaningless bunch of words. The lines “poprobuy mua-mua” (“try mwamwa") and “poprobuy jaga-jaga” (“try jaga-jaga”) are just suggestive sensual gibberish. However, the lyrics leave plenty of room for interpretation.

For example, in the ‘00s, Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin wrote that the line “try mwamwa” makes him think that this is how “one speaks with a mouthful of great secrets and stones, in the winter language of birds that died last season.”

“Without a doubt, the new anthem of the era has been designated. This is the modern gnosis, a feast of correct, strictly nurtured feelings and sacrificial orientations,” Dugin wrote in his book ‘Pop Culture and the Signs of the Times’. Of course, the philosopher was joking – but with a touch of truth, as he is known to do.

Lel recently admitted that when she recorded and released the song, she did not know what “jaga-jaga” meant. “For me, it’s about love and friendship, tenderness and joy. ‘Jaga-jaga’ is the most beautiful thing on Earth,” she said. But producer Fadeev actually implied something else, explaining that “it means ‘Hey, how are you, everything’s cool!’”

However, even before the authors of the song explained its meaning, in Russia “jaga-jaga” became a euphemism for sex, and some adult stores in Russia even took the name.

The lyrics also hint at thoughtful and nervous feelings, but the song itself is lightweight and even frivolous. It’s a perfect match for the visual content created by TikTok users.

Why fur coats and hats?

Fadeev believes that “today, thanks to this song, Russian furs, Russian fur hats are trending [in the West]. Now, there is even a Slavic makeup trend. It's true.”

Fur coats and hats are perhaps the most widely known ‘Russian’ attributes, second only to hats with earflaps. From classical paintings to Family Guy episodes, Russians have been most often associated with furs.

Stylish and warm in the cold Russian winter, fur coats have not changed much since the times of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. However, today they are mostly worn by rich women, while men prefer coats and jackets. An increasing number of Russians, however, refuse to wear natural fur for ethical reasons.

There are also many types of fur hats in Russia: from army and Caucasian headwear to ‘aristocratic’ boyar hats. Most headgear seen on TikTok, however, resembles the type that was popular in Russia in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.

At that time, fur coats and fur hats were one of the main ways to show off wealth. Those who lived through the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent crises needed to prove to others and to themselves that they had survived in the new reality and were able to provide for themselves and their families. In the early ‘00s, when the Russian economy recovered from the shocks and began to rapidly grow, many people were finally able to legitimately earn money.

In those times, Russians listened to disco music only when feeling nostalgic, while Russian rap and electronic music were just starting to emerge. The most popular genres were rock and high production value pop music. Lel represented the latter genre.

Modern TikTokers definitely did not explore the complexities of Russia’s socio-economic and cultural situation at that time, but they managed to capture the image of freedom, fun, and hope, which appeared in Russia in the ‘00s and is still alive.

Why does this matter?

Surely, we may find some dissatisfied comments under ‘My Marmalade’ videos – usually from Ukrainians who condemn using Russian music to create videos.

Also, some people call it a “Slavic song” for “Slavic girls” – which, of course, is true, but only formally.

‘My Marmalade’ is Russian music, which – like Russian movies, books, and theater – remains relevant and alive. It’s definitely annoying when the West ‘cancels’ Dostoevsky or the films of Tarkovsky, or declares the painter Aivazovsky a Ukrainian. But there is no way to permanently cancel Russian culture, which is an integral part of world culture. It is both stupid and pointless to believe otherwise.

Of course, Lel’s viral TikTok popularity is only a small part of this story. But it demonstrates that content makers fell in love with ‘My Marmalade’ not because of an expensive promotional campaign or a state cooperation program to promote Russian culture. They simply liked the song – and the image of beautiful people in fur coats and hats.

In a strange way, this image also resonates with girls in modern-day Russia. Many of them are more independent and they don’t like to talk about men as much as girls did 20 years ago. But they still sing about love and passionate feelings, which are best described by “jaga-jaga.”

Kazan hosted a phygital hockey tournament among six Russian teams, where Liga Pro Team from Moscow clinched a difficult victory against NBSK in a tense final game to secure a spot in the 2024 Games of the Future. The tournament also saw the debut of ZaryaD, a team led by three-time world champion Danis Zaripov, whose son, Artur, played on the team and scored several goals.

Phygital sports, a revolutionary blend of traditional sports and gaming, are gaining traction in Russia, with more than 2,000 people expected to compete in 21 disciplines at the Games of the Future, which will kick off in three months. Earlier this year, qualifications in football and basketball were held, followed by a phygital hockey tournament in Kazan.

The regulations were the same as in the other comparable sports. Participants first confronted each other on gaming consoles before three seven-minute periods of four-on-four play ensued on the ice.

Apart from the cup, the winner took home a spot at the Games of the Future. The six contenders were Liga Pro Team, HC Butyrka, NBSK, RFSO Lokomotiv, 3FRENZY, and ZaryaD.

“We wanted to give it a go and signed up. We took the first steps, but the results so far are modest, as we didn’t make it to the semifinals. We learn from our mistakes though. There’s still a long way to go. We’ll try to do our homework, and it’s going to be a different story at the next tournament,” Zaripov Sr. said.

The likelier contenders were those that combined competent ice hockey players with excellent gamers. That is especially true of Liga Pro Team. On the one hand, it invited Pavel Zdunov, the KHL’s top rookie in 2010/11 and Gagarin Cup winner Vladimir Malinovsky, while on the other, it had Igor Motov, a champion of Russia in cybersports.

During the group tournament, Liga Pro Team thrashed ZaryaD and Lokomotiv as it secured a comfortable lead early at the e-sport stage.

“We’re a close-knit team, and we discuss everything in the locker room. We can always give the guys some tips on ice hockey play, where we have more experience. They, however, can teach us about cyberhockey. It has its own theory and tactics,” Malinovsky said.

The second semifinalist that emerged from Group B was Lokomotiv, which beat ZaryaD in a game for second place. The other group of three teams had a lot more intrigue. First, HC Butyrka conceded an unexpected defeat to 3FRENZY, the current Media League silver medalist, before beating NBSK. NBSK, in its turn, routed 3FRENZY in an epic game for the second spot in the playoffs.

The second semifinal followed the same pattern, with Liga Pro Team securing an eight-goal lead with a 10-2 victory in cyberspace. To the credit of the team from Voronezh, they put up a formidable fight on the ice. During the first period, the teams had a total of six unsuccessful penalty shots, while goals by Glazunov and Mokrushin helped HC Butyrka narrow their opponents’ lead.

The Moscow team, however, did not allow Butyrka to gain momentum. Butyrka pulled their goaltender during the final stretch of the game but only managed to score once, while Zdunov leveraged his years of experience and scored twice when his team needed it the most. Even though Liga Pro Team conceded a 5-4 loss, it still won the semifinal by a comfortable margin.

The decisive games, however, were rich in suspense. HC Butyrka defeated Lokomotiv to win the bronze medal. After the initial draw in the digital game, Lokomotiv surged to a lead in the hockey rink, yet only to be thwarted by Butyrka, which scored three goals in a matter of minutes and cemented its victory.

The final standoff was the crown jewel of the tournament. NBSK pulled ahead of Liga, scoring two goals at the beginning of the first period of the cyberhockey game yet was unable to keep their advantage and eventually lost 5-2.

The rest of the game was playing catch-up, with Liga scoring and NBSK trying to narrow the lead. With 90 seconds remaining, NBSK was trailing by two goals and pulled their goalie but was unable to save the game.

Liga Pro Team won and earned a chance to compete at the Games of the Future. The champions say their success was the result of great teamwork, as well as a strong lineup.

“We’re overwhelmed. We haven’t had so much excitement in a long time. The final game was awesome, both the cyber part and the physical part. NBSK were great, but luck was on our side. We did a lot of work and set a clear goal ahead of us. Add to that discipline and professionalism. There was strict order in the locker room, which was really helpful. Another important factor was that we got really close. The team was one well-oiled machine, where everyone fought for his teammates,” a triumphant Sergei Filippov, the captain of the winning team, said.

A character in a classic play who shares his surname with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been renamed in a production by a popular Kiev theater, local media have reported.

A hapless butler named Zelensky is among the personages of ‘The Master’, one of the most famous works by Ukrainian playwright Ivan Karpenko-Karyi.

The author himself described his 1900 comedy as “angry satire,” denouncing the greed of the bourgeois class in the Ukrainian lands of the Russian Empire.

However, the list of characters in the new production of the play by the Teatr na Podole doesn’t appear to include the name ‘Zelensky’, but a ‘Zalusky.’

The editor-in-chief of Ukrainian outlet Glavkom Nikolay Podvezyany was first to point out the modification made to the classic work.

“In ‘The Master’, Karpenko-Kary has a not-the-most-skilled housekeeper named Zelensky. As you remember, in the play he complains about his subordinates, ‘the kholops,’ who according to him ‘have the power,’ and is scared that they’ll ‘say something inappropriate,’” Podvezyany recalled in a post on Facebook on Monday.

Podvezyany also noted that the surname ‘Zalusky’ sounds a lot like ‘Zaluzhny,’ referring to the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Valery Zaluzhny, with whom President Zelensky reportedly has fallen out.

Ukrainian outlet NV Life contacted the Teatr na Podole about the name change, but was told that its artistic director Bogdan Benyuk would not be commenting.

The issue of censorship has been a hot topic in Ukraine recently, with the editor-in-chief of the Zerkalo Nedeli paper Yulia Mostovaya claiming last month that Zelensky had ordered journalists to avoid reporting on corruption in his government until the end of the conflict with Russia.

Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has been dropped by her talent agency after criticizing Israel at a pro-Palestine rally last weekend, a spokesman for the agency confirmed. The star also came under fire for sharing social media posts by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza.

In a statement on Tuesday, United Talent Agency (UTA) told Deadline it would no longer work with the Oscar-winning actress after she spoke at a pro-Palestine protest in New York. In particular, Sarandon drew criticism for stating: “There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country.”

“People are questioning, people are standing up, people are educating themselves, people are stepping away from brainwashing that started when they were kids,” she told attendees at the rally, going on to thank “the Jewish community who’s come out to have our backs.”

UTA’s decision to part ways with Sarandon is the latest controversy linked to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the world of entertainment. Last month, a senior official at the CAA talent agency, Maha Dakhil, resigned after suggesting Israel was committing “genocide” in a social media post. She later deleted the message from her account, however, saying she had “made a mistake.”

Actress Melissa Barrera, who had been tapped for the lead role in the upcoming horror flick ‘Scream VI’, was also reportedly fired from the production over pro-Palestine social media activity, according to Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. The entertainer had reportedly posted: “I too come from a colonized country,” while sharing a Mexican flag emoji, adding “Palestine WILL be free.”

Cities across Russia are switching into high gear to prepare for an international youth festival early next year that is expected to attract thousands of up-and-coming young leaders from across the globe in various fields, with a major run-up conference to take place in Moscow on Tuesday.

Celebrations marking 100 days before the kick-off of the World Youth Festival are set to unfold at Moscow’s All-Russian Exhibition Center, VDNH, where participants will have a chance to explore the opportunities open to Russian youth and see their achievements.

Prominent speakers at the conference include Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and Ksenia Razuvaeva, the head of Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, as well as several renowned Russian athletes and artists.

More than a dozen major Russian cities across the country will join in the festivities, including by changing the illumination of some their landmarks to reflect the theme of the festival. Notably, the initiative will also be supported by Donetsk, a frontline Russian city that has been under relentless Ukrainian attacks since 2014.

The World Youth Festival is being prepared in accordance with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree on the development of international youth cooperation. The event is expected to draw 20,000 young leaders in a wide range of fields, including business, media, education, sports, culture and charity, half of whom will be from foreign countries.

One of the groundbreaking features of the festival is that it could bring in a total of 1,000 minors aged 14-17 from Russia and abroad.

With more than three months to go before the festival, young dancers from Moscow who are set to participate made their debut performance at the Opera Ball in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as part of a cultural program that featured performances by several world-class artists, including Italian tenors Riccardo Massi and Vittorio Grigolo.

Noted marijuana smoker Snoop Dogg’s announcement last week that he was “giving up smoke” was actually a carefully worded marketing ploy for a smokeless fire pit, the rapper revealed on Monday.

“I know what you’re thinking: Snoop! Smoke is kind of your whole thing! But I’m done with it. I’m going smokeless,” the rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, said in a video ad posted to X (formerly Twitter), before delivering the tagline: “Solo Stove fixed fire. They take out the smoke.”

The ad showcases the Snoop Stove, a limited-edition smokeless fire pit “hot enough to make the Doggfather go smokeless.” To encourage fans to drop $349.99 like it’s hot so they can “blaze like Snoop this holiday season,” the company has thrown in a carrying case, a bucket hat, and four stickers.

Snoop’s music is thickly interwoven with cannabis consumption. The promotion, which appeared to announce he was quitting his drug of choice, had led to feverish speculation among his fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg)

“After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday, asking followers to “please respect my privacy at this time.” The text was accompanied by a solemn-looking black-and-white photo of the performer.

In a 2013 interview with GQ, Snoop made the dubious claim that he often smoked as many as 80 marijuana joints a day. In another interview, he admitted to having an employee whose sole job was to roll blunts for him. Even his YouTube podcast features the rapper and his guests lighting up together.

The Grammy-winning rapper, who has 19 albums under his belt, is no stranger to lending his name and image to popular brands. Last month, he starred in a marketing campaign for food delivery app GrubHub, complete with a music video and an original tune. 

He also teamed up with interior design icon turned convicted felon Martha Stewart to release a line of wines called 21 Crimes and, more recently, a limited edition bag-and-lighter set called Best Buds Bags – the perfect compliment to his cannabis brand, Leafs by Snoop.

Pop singer Shakira has chosen to settle the €14.5 million ($15.7 million) tax fraud case leveled against her by the Spanish authorities out of court. She had been set to testify on Monday in Barcelona and could have faced a prison term if convicted. 

Although born in Colombia, the 46-year-old performer was considered by the authorities a resident of Spain for tax purposes between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutor’s office was seeking eight years in prison in addition to payment of unpaid taxes.

The pop singer, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, bought a property in Barcelona in 2012, which she used as a family home, according to the prosecution. She lived with former Barcelona and Spain soccer player Gerard Pique for 11 years, having two children. Following the couple’s separation, the musician moved to Miami.

On Monday morning, Shakira accepted a deal to pay half of the money owed, which comes out to just over €7 million. She paid a further fine of €438,000 to avoid a three-year prison sentence, said the judge.

Shakira replied “yes.”

The pop star’s most popular songs include ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, a duet with musician Rihanna ‘Can’t Remember to Forget You’, and ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’, the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Shakira and her co-creator DJ Bizarrap won awards for song of the year, and best pop song at the Latin Grammy Awards in Seville, Spain on Thursday. This was the first time the awards ceremony was held outside of the US.

Shakira’s case is not the only instance in which the Spanish authorities have brought tax evasion charges against foreign celebrities. Other examples include soccer stars such as Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, which were settled for a respective €19 million and €15 million.

Ukrainian pop star Jamala, who won the Eurovision song contest in 2016, has been placed on the wanted list in Russia, according to a database of the country’s Interior Ministry.

Jamala was actually put on the list mid-October, but TASS and several other Russian outlets only reported the development on Sunday.

The 40-year-old is wanted in Russia over a criminal offense, according to the database, but no further details are provided.

A law enforcement source told TASS that Jamala might have appeared on the wanted list for allegedly distributing fake information about the Russian military.

The Telegram channel Shot has claimed that the singer is being sought for statements about the events in March 2022 in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where Kiev accused Russian forces of massacring civilians. Moscow, however, has denied those accusations, saying that the purported evidence of the crimes was fabricated as part of efforts to derail the peace process between Russia and Ukraine.

Jamala, who is of Crimean Tatar origin, was critical of Crimea’s reunification with Russia in 2014. The song ‘1944,’ with which she secured her Eurovision victory, was dedicated to the Soviet Union’s deportation of the Tatars from Crimea to Central Asia during the rule of Joseph Stalin.

The singer, who condemned the Russian military operation, reportedly fled Ukraine after the outbreak of the conflict. According to media reports, she first went to Türkiye and later moved to Poland. Recently, she has been performing in Europe and the US and said that the proceeds from those concerts is being sent to Ukrainian humanitarian organizations.

A Taylor Swift concert set to take place in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday was called off at the eleventh hour after a fan died at her show the day before amid sweltering heatwave conditions in the South American country.

The postponement of Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ gig comes as Brazil faces record-breaking temperatures in its eighth heatwave of the year, a whole month before the official start of summer in the southern hemisphere. Inmet, the country’s national meteorological institute, had warned of potential risks to life as temperatures hovered five degrees Celsius above the average for more than five consecutive days.

The warning came as the region recorded a heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, of 59.3 degrees Celsius on Friday (138.7F). On Saturday, it was 59.7 degrees Celsius (139.5F).

The extreme conditions are thought to have contributed to the death of Ana Clara Benecides Machado, a 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan, who collapsed in the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos arena on Friday. Health officials said that Machado died after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest and that an investigation has been launched to determine the precise causes.

“I’m writing this from my dressing room in the stadium,” Swift posted to social media as she announced that Saturday’s show was off shortly before it was due to begin. “The decision has been made to postpone tonight’s show due to extreme temperatures in Rio.”

Addressing the death of Machado in an earlier statement, Swift said that she was “overwhelmed by grief” and that her “broken heart goes out to her family and friends.” Videos circulating on social media of Swift’s performance on Friday show her urging stewards to distribute water to fans. Another clip shows the 33-year-old pop star appearing to struggle to breathe in the conditions.

Brazil’s justice minister, Flavio Dino, addressed the situation on Saturday, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that attendees must be allowed to bring their water supplies into the venue. “It is unacceptable that people suffer, faint, and even die due to lack of access to water,” he said.

Swift’s fans criticized the move to call off Saturday’s concert about two hours before showtime. “Postponing a show when the stadium is practically full will not go down well,” one fan wrote on Reddit as news of the postponement broke. “Her team failed today, not by postponing the show, but by taking so long to report.”

Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua was crowned Miss Universe at a ceremony in El Salvador on Saturday.

The 23-year-old beauty queen runs a charity which raises funds to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters in her home country.

Miss Universe Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios Swimsuit Competition

Miss Universe 2023 Preliminary Competition📷📷#Missuniverse#MissUniverse2023#Mu2023#72ndMissUniverse#PreliminaryCompetition#SwimsuitCompetition pic.twitter.com/VQo2FjDF4G

— MissMiss (@MissMiss1546642) November 16, 2023

The first runner-up was Anntonia Porsild of Thailand, followed by Moraya Wilson of Australia. 

The organizers had changed the rules in an effort to make the competition more “inclusive,” allowing married women and mothers to participate for the first time.

This year’s pageant included two transgender contestants – Rikkie Kolle of the Netherlands and Marine Machete of Portugal. Machete finished among the Top-20 finalists.

Jane Dipika Garrett from Nepal, meanwhile, became the first plus-size model to compete for the title. 

Snoop Dogg, one of pop culture’s most celebrated pot smokers, has revealed in a social media post that he is giving up smoking the drug to which he has been inextricably linked for much of his career.

The 52-year-old, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, has built a reputation throughout his three decades in the public eye as a vocal advocate for the substance, with much of his music and business empire closely linked to his enthusiasm for marijuana.

But in a surprise announcement to his almost 83 million followers on the social media platform Instagram on Thursday, the veteran rapper announced that he had smoked his last blunt. “After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke,” he wrote. “Please respect my privacy at this time.”

The announcement will likely come as a surprise to his legions of fans. In 2013, Snoop Dogg – who was then performing as ‘Snoop Lion’ – told GQ magazine that he frequently smoked as many as 80 marijuana cigarettes per day. He also revealed years later that he had employed a staffer whose sole responsibility was to prepare blunts for him.

In another interview, Snoop Dogg also claimed to have smoked marijuana in the White House.

The rapper’s sudden sobriety comes despite his involvement in several marijuana-related businesses, including the company Merry Jane, which has been called a “cannabis-focused digital media platform.” He has also been involved in a range of cannabis products called ‘Leafs by Snoop.’

Anti-drug advisory service Frank says that smoking marijuana can increase the risk of lung cancer and can cause long-term issues of anxiety and paranoia as well as increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.

Snoop Dogg has released 19 albums since 1993’s ‘Doggystyle’ and has been nominated for a Grammy Award 17 times.

The 2023 Miss Universe pageant has proudly advertised allowing married women and mothers to participate for the first time, featuring a plus-sized model and two transgender contestants. In the November 18 final, Russia will be represented by a 22-year-old model from St. Petersburg.

Margarita Aleksandrovna Golubeva was finishing her studies in Moscow to become a federal customs agent when she won the Miss Universe Russia pageant. The eldest of four siblings got into modeling accidentally, going to audition for a dumpling commercial at the age of 15 and knocking on the door of a talent agency instead. 

👑 Miss Russia 2023 Margarita Golubeva presented her Swan Princess outfit at the Miss Universe competition. pic.twitter.com/runawvPaOh

— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) November 17, 2023

Golubeva already wowed the audience with her Swan Princess outfit, modeled after a character from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake, at the national costume pageant on Thursday.

This year’s pageant included contestants from 85 countries. Maria Camila Avella Montanez of Colombia and Michelle Cohn of Guatemala were the first wives and mothers allowed to compete. Jane Dipika Garrett of Nepal was the first-ever “plus-size” contender.

In another historic first, the competition featured two “transwomen,” namely Marina Machete from Portugal and Rikkie Valerie Kolle from the Netherlands. Angela Ponce of Spain was the first ever “transwoman” to compete in 2018 but did not make it to the finals.

TRANS POWER! 🏳️‍⚧️

Netherlands' bet Rikkie Kollé and Portugal candidate Marina Machete make 'herstory' as Miss Universe features two trans women candidates for the first time.

(Courtesy: IMG Universe, LLC dba and MISS UNIVERSE,LLP) pic.twitter.com/UdTX7DyUQC

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) November 16, 2023

El Salvador has been eager to host the pageant and showcase the fruits of President Nayib Bukele’s reforms in cutting down on violent crime and poverty. Bukele proudly shared the video of his country’s contestant, Isabella Garcia-Manzo, wearing a volcano-inspired costume on Thursday evening.

🇸🇻🌋 pic.twitter.com/DcyrzO4cjZ

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) November 17, 2023

Miss Universe was once owned by New York real estate mogul Donald Trump, but he sold the pageant in 2015 after announcing his ultimately successful candidacy for the 2016 US presidential election. In 2020, the pageant was acquired by Thai tycoon and transgender activist Anne Jakrajutatip of the JKN Global Group for $20 million.

JKN Global filed a petition for “business rehabilitation” before a Thai bankruptcy court earlier this month. However, Jakrajutatip has offered assurances that this would not affect the Miss Universe pageant in any way.

Hip-hop icon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been accused in a US federal court by former girlfriend Casandra Ventura of numerous instances of rape and sex trafficking in what she says was a decade-long campaign of abuse and violence against her.

The lawsuit, filed in the Federal District Court in Manhattan on Thursday, claims that the rap performer and producer repeatedly raped and physically abused Ventura – a singer who performed under the name Cassie – over a period of ten years beginning when she was 19 and he was 37. It added that Combs controlled every aspect of her life under a constant threat of violence until their relationship ended in 2018.

In a statement published by the New York Times on Thursday, Ventura said she was “finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”

The lawsuit describes Combs as a “serial domestic abuser” who it says would frequently physically abuse Ventura “leaving black eyes, bruises and blood.” It also alleges that Combs “plied the vulnerable Ms. Ventura” with drugs and alcohol to the point that the substances “controlled her life.”

Among various other allegations described in the lawsuit, it adds that Combs forced Ventura to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters and that, in 2018, he forcibly entered her home and raped her. In another incident, the suit says Combs dangled an associate of Ventura’s over a balcony in a high-rise hotel.

A representative for Combs said in a statement that the music mogul denies the “offensive and outrageous” allegations which were made public after she sought $30 million to maintain her silence.

“Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday,” the statement said, according to the New York Times. Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, added separately to BBC News that Ventura’s allegations were “blatant blackmail.”

However, a lawyer for Ventura, Douglas Wigdor, told the Times that “Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit. She rejected his efforts.”

Ventura is seeking unspecified damages for lost wages in addition to mental pain and severe emotional distress.

Three-time Grammy Award-winner Combs, who was previously known as Puff Daddy, has been a major player in the American music industry since he founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, forming collaborations with the likes of the Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige and Lil’ Kim.

Infowars provocateur Alex Jones released an arcade-style video game called New World Order Wars based on his political escapades on Thursday.

Players get to “save the world from the evil globalists’ plot to turn everyone into bug-eating pod-dwelling libtards,” according to the game’s website, which promises fans a chance “for the first time in history” to “experience the world through Infowars leader Alex Jones’ eyes and see the WAR he fights!”

In the role of Jones, players square off against monsters based on the conspiracy theorist’s favorite nemeses, including billionaire currency speculator George Soros (“Nazi Dragon”), former US President Bill (“The Rapist”) Clinton and and wannabe-president Hillary (“Crooked Witch of the West Wing”) Clinton, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (“Big Tech Lizardnerd,” complete with a hammer labeled “thought police” and jailed Trump fans), in game clips featured on the website.

Billed as the “ultimate retro nostalgia throwback game,” NWO Wars costs the user a patriotic $17.76 and is playable on PC, Mac, iOS and Android systems. AlexJonesGame.com claims it has already been downloaded 10,000 times.

The game was developed by SVGS, which according to its website is the “leading free-speech-inspired game development studio, ready to create monumental games for influential figures who tackle serious worldly issues.” The company purports to fight cancel culture and protect privacy. 

In a nod to his deplatforming woes, Jones urges fans to download the game sooner rather than later – “because as we all know, anything badass gets censored” – after letting out a prolonged yell. 

Jones still owes over $1.5 billion to family members of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and an FBI agent after two juries and a judge meted out the hefty punishment for Infowars’ promotion of claims that the shooting did not take place. The families blamed Jones’ broadcasts for the stalking, harassment and death threats they allegedly endured from his followers.

The conservative commentator, who filed for bankruptcy in December, has been raising money from his followers since the rulings to pay for his legal expenses, having vowed to appeal the decisions against him. However, he faces yet another lawsuit by some of the Sandy Hook families, who claim he hid millions of dollars in assets to avoid having to pay it out to them. 

A Russian video-game industry organization has called for an investigation after a terrorism-themed multiplayer tournament featuring a level based in a Moscow metro station.

The custom-made map was reportedly commissioned by the transport department in Moscow, and served as a key feature of the Counter-Strike 2 tournament, which took place last weekend under the patronage of the city administration. The fictional location used visuals modeled on real-life public services, including Moscow’s electric buses, metro interiors, and navigation aids.

The details also included some tongue-in-cheek jokes for the audience. One direction sign pointed to stairs leading to a memorial park dedicated to a man, whose family name roughly translates to “One-Who-Shouts-On-In-Anger” – presumably alluding to players who react badly to losing a game.

Another location was named “Old Dedust camping site” – a reference to the de_dust map for the original Counter Strike game and the practice of ‘camping’, or abusing players re-entering the game after being killed near the respawn location.

According to a complaint filed to the Prosecutor General’s office and the Russian Investigative Committee, the organization believes “it is unacceptable to translate to the young people content, which allows them to try on a terrorist role, amid the rising threat of terrorism.”

The complaint, which was reported by TASS on Wednesday, implied that using familiar visuals of the Moscow public transit system and the stated intention of sharing the map with players worldwide made the situation worse. It claimed that the nature of the fictional ‘Cybersports’ station was revealed only at the tournament, even though the transport department had extensively used it to promote the event.

Russia has suffered from a number of terrorist attacks in modern times, including deadly bombings of the Moscow metro in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2010.

Russian authorities have previously targeted video games that they accused of encouraging terrorism, such as the infamous ‘No Russian’ mission in the 2009 shooter ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’.

Publisher Activision withheld this part of the game from the Russian version following an outcry about the content, avoiding a full ban of the game in the country.

A ceremony heralding that 100 days remain until the ‘Games of the Future’ has been held at Russia EXPO, which is taking place at the All-Russian Exhibition Center VDNKh in Moscow. The games, which combine e-sports and traditional athletic disciplines, will kick off in Kazan on February 21, 2024. The preview ceremony included a presentation of the games’ trophy, which will travel through seven Russian cities and into space before arriving at the competition. The audience also got to see the event’s official mascots: Mira the firebird and five virtual characters symbolizing the five challenges of phygital sports.

The kickoff of the first Games of the Future in Kazan will bring e-sports and traditional athletic disciplines together in one tournament. The preview event was held at VDNKh’s Space Pavilion; it was attended by both avid gamers and some renowned athletes.

The event began with a video address by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who noted that the tournament works with Russia's image as a country that is open to everything new and welcomes progress.

“The participants and guests of the Games of the Future will be able to see this for themselves when they come to Kazan: a city where different traditions and cultures develop and enrich each other. Russia understands very well the value of diversity, including in sport. Sport is so much more to us than just a test of strength and skill or the foundation of a healthy and active lifestyle. Sport is a symbol and an embodiment of justice, equality, and the human spirit – a way to promote understanding between countries and nations,” Putin said.

According to Russia’s president, the philosophy behind the Games of the Future is based on Olympic values. The new tournament already has participants from 50 countries on its roster, and this is just the beginning.

“There is no doubt that the upcoming games will resonate with millions of people and clearly demonstrate that harmonizing intellectual and physical perfection is one of the absolute priorities of the emerging multipolar world,” he said.

After presenting the trophy, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko passed it on to volunteers. Before arriving in Kazan, it will be driven from Moscow through seven Russian cities and then sent to the International Space Station orbiting our planet. Sergey Krikalev, the executive director for manned space programs at Roscosmos, pointed out that this is not the first flight of its kind.

After returning to Earth, the trophy will be delivered to Kazan. According to the head of the project, Igor Stolyarov, in the future, the trophy relay might include destinations outside Russia as well.

“We want to export this domestic project outside of Russia. At least four more countries are interested in hosting these games. We are currently in talks, so I can’t say which nation will be the next host,” he told RT.

The audience at the ceremony also got to see the games’ main mascot, Mira the firebird. This is a bird made of light that represents a neural network guiding humans through the world of phygital sports. The organizers wanted to deliver an entirely new kind of mascot and decided to make it fully digital, Stolyarov explained.

“We’re creating an innovative tournament. It just didn’t feel right to voice this ambition and then present everyone with yet another stuffed animal, like a bear or a beaver. That would be the easiest thing to do, of course, but we want the firebird to exist fully in a dimension that’s different from the material world. It’s an image that’s even hard to capture on paper. It only exists in our virtual metaverse,” Stolyarov said.

The mascot will also have five virtual companions representing the ‘challenges’ involved in the phygital tournament: sports, tactics, strategy, speed, and technology. Chernyshenko hopes that the games’ new format will win over many fans around the world.

“It’s true that our youth needs a well-rounded education. This new movement will help millions of young boys and girls around the world find the harmony they’re seeking, not only by using gadgets, but also by taking part in real sports. The preparation for the games, which will start in 100 days in Kazan, has been in progress for two years. We have held more than a dozen test tournaments. We plan to involve a total of 100 countries and present the world with some new disciplines that have never existed before,” Chernyshenko said.

“We will have new heroes, and I would very much like to see Russian teams among the first winners. The playoffs are now underway, and only the strongest contenders will compete at the tournament. The new format we’re offering is also accessible to all other countries, since it makes use of traditional sports venues and equipment,” he added.

Participating athletes especially liked what they saw. FC Lokomotiv’s forward Artyom Dzyuba asserted that cybersport is the future of sports, while noting that the synthesis of traditional and cyber-sports is very unusual.

“I am proud that my country has come up with an idea like this. In my free time, I love competing with teammates in virtual tournaments online. It’s a lot of fun, and you can learn a lot. They say a large number of countries will participate, including the Brazilians, and they are generally trendsetters,” Dzyuba said.

The ‘RT.DOC: Time of Heroes’ film festival, which offers a glimpse into everyday life in war-torn Donbass, was held overseas for the first time last weekend. Four movies were shown in the Turkish capital on Saturday.

The event that took place at the Russian House in Ankara had been organized jointly by RT and the Russian federal government agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which fosters cultural ties with other nations.

Since the start of this year, screenings of the documentaries have also been held in Moscow, Krasnodar, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, and Kursk. More Russian cities are awaiting the festival’s arrival in the coming months.

The program in Ankara included four films. Dr. Donbass: Behind the Frontline, directed by Olga Kiriy, tells the story of a doctor, Alinat, who helps wounded soldiers, both Russian and Ukrainian, as well as civilians near the front line in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

She recounts how the hostilities began back in 2014, the conditions she works under, what her fears are, and perhaps most importantly, what keeps her going.

Young Hope of Donbass by Olga Starostina and Mikhail Burov, tells the story of a young boy, Sasha, and his vocation helping others. Having survived a shelling that destroyed his family home, he resolves to do everything in his power to alleviate the suffering that surrounds him. Sasha joins the Food for Life charity, a volunteer project that supplies Donbass residents living in war-ravaged cities and towns with hot meals on a daily basis.

While most films presented at ‘RT.DOC: Time of Heroes’ were directed by Russian cinematographers, it also features documentaries shot by foreign crews. One such movie was Oblast (‘Region’) by the Turkish TV channel Ulusal, whose correspondents visited Donbass.

At the event, the audience also got the opportunity to ask the organizers about the dangers of field work when artillery shelling is an everyday occurrence.

RUSSIA EXPO, an international exhibition and forum, is currently being held at Moscow’s All-Russian Exhibition Center, VDNH. All 89 constituencies of the Russian Federation are taking part, as well as federal authorities, large corporations, representatives of other countries, and public organizations. The exhibition runs from November 4, 2023 to April 12, 2024.

A total of 129 displays are showcased at the exhibition space, which boasts a total area exceeding 90,000 square meters.

The opening and presentation of the new pavilions were accompanied by concerts, educational events, and master classes at VDNH. Since its opening, 868,540 people have attended the exhibition.

One of the central events on the first day was the opening of the ‘Portal to the Future’, which was attended by Larisa Dolina, Julianna Karaulova, SHAMAN, and Natalia Podolskaya. Visitors also took part in a large-scale flash-mob dance at ten VDNH venues.

Andrey Belousov, first deputy prime minister of the Russian Federation, declared that shifting the consciousness of citizens to focus on the future was modern Russia’s most important achievement.

On November 5, he spoke at the ‘Knowledge First’ educational marathon held by Russia’s ‘Knowledge’ society, which took place as part of RUSSIA EXPO.

“Today we are proud that among our country’s many achievements, we see the people’s mood shifting to a strong focus on the future. This is very important motivation. After all, if you look at where we were a quarter of a century ago, mired in some sense of hopelessness, this transition to a forward-looking spirit is truly impressive,” Belousov noted.

Cultural, entertainment, educational, and business programs are all planned during RUSSIA EXPO, which will continue until April 12. There will also be Russian Region Days, when various parts of Russia will demonstrate their economic, cultural, and tourism potential. In addition, wedding ceremonies will take place according to national traditions.

In 2024, Russian Economy Days will take place from January 15 to February 9, and a National Achievements Forum will be held from February 12 to March 7.

At culinary festivals, visitors will be able to sample the diversity and specifics of the cuisines of various Russian peoples. A market will offer visitors a wide selection of goods from Russia’s regions, including food, handmade souvenirs, musical instruments, and clothing.

As part of the exposition, there will be illustrative examples of advanced Russian achievements, including the Crimean Bridge, the Russian Bridge, Moscow City, the Sirius education center and Skolkovo Innovation Center, the Lenin nuclear icebreaker, the Akademik Treshnikov scientific research vessel, the MS-21 aircraft, perinatal center, the Almazov National Medical Center, the Burdenko Neurosurgery Center, ‘Gosuslugi’ public service centers, Yandex’s and Sber’s digital ecosystems, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, and the Arctic-M satellite, as well as the Arkhyz, Rosa Khutor, Dombay, Sheregesh, Krasnaya Polyana, and Manzherok resorts.

Russia on the map

On arriving at RUSSIA EXPO, visitors will be greeted by an embroidered map of Russia.

Natalia Virtuozova, the director of exhibitions highlighting Russia’s 21st century achievements, said the Live Map consists of kinetic elements, which will accommodate all of Russia’s 89 constituencies.

“Just as the Russia exhibition shows all the richness of the regions through displays, the embroidered map reflects their cultural diversity through patterns. Therefore, we decided to present it in the form of a work of art that will meet our guests right at the entrance to VDNH,” Virtuozova said.

In 1939, the first embroidered map of the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was presented at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. The craftsmen of Algeshevo’s ‘Paha Tere’ factory worked on the map for a year. It is now preserved in the Museum of Chuvash Embroidery.

In 2022, a map of the whole of Russia was hand-embroidered with the support of Russia’s Ministry of Culture and Federal Agency for Nationalities. The country’s new regions have also joined the project, with the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions, included on the map.

Svetlana Kalikova, Chuvashia’s minister of culture, noted that the embroidered map of Russia was created with the help of craftsmen from all over the country. It’s now part of Russia’s museum collection and preserved in the Chuvash National Museum.

“It is a great honor for us that the brainchild of Chuvashia is so highly valued and recognized as a symbol of our country’s unity and cultural diversity that will become the hallmark of large-scale projects like RUSSIA EXPO," said Kalikova.

Chuvashia will display its strengths in culture and tourism at the exhibition, as well as its potential for investment and industry – all that the republic has achieved over the past 20 years as part of a larger Russian family.

Travel

At Irkutsk Region’s stand, there will be a lottery draw for a trip to Lake Baikal.

“There will be a drawing for a comprehensive tour package to Lake Baikal, as well as 12 more vouchers for accommodation, excursions, and other services,” said Evgenia Naidenova, head of Irkutsk Region’s tourism agency.

In addition, a presentation of opportunities for tourism, including business events and meetings with regional tour operators, are planned at the exhibition.

Krasnodar Region’s stand offers visitors a virtual journey and active entertainment. Thanks to virtual technology, it will be possible to see the region’s sights and admire the beauty of its nature, as well as learn about the region’s modern achievements. Guests will be able to snap a selfie against the backdrop of the famous Crimean Bridge and take virtual tours of a cheese factory and winery.

“Our region is one of the leaders in socio-economic development. We have something to show and be proud of. At RUSSIA EXPO, we will present our innovations and achievements in industry, agriculture, health spas, education, healthcare, culture, and sports,” said Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of Krasnodar Region.

Vladimir Region has prepared a unique white-stone stand combining traditional architecture and modernity.

The aim of the region’s exhibition is to present its history and modern achievements. The exhibit is based on Vladimir’s world-famous Church of the Intercession on the Nerl – a 12th-century masterpiece made from white stone.

“We have created a modern interpretation of this church, which will represent white stone portals with digital technologies,” said Olga Semonenko, the Vladimir Region stand’s project manager.

Voronezh Region will present an immersive video show with full immersion in virtual reality.

The video project will take visitors on some real adventures: a parachute jump, a rocket launch into space, and a colorful fireworks display await guests virtual space. And most importantly, you’ll be able to see Voronezh Region without leaving VDNH.

Culinary Program

As part of the food festivals, a giant cake weighing 45kg with a diameter of 1.5 meters will be prepared at the exhibition, where visitors will have the opportunity to try Tomsk Region’s signature delicacy.

Pastry chef Anastasia Charkova will prepare a honey cake with roasted cedar, honeysuckle sauce, and a willow herb-tea custard in front of guests. The unusual dessert has long been a signature treat in Tomsk Region.

In addition, delicacies from all over the country await guests at the fair, where farmers will sell their best products: cheeses, honey, sausages, and much more.

Guides

More than 2,000 guides participating in a ‘Guides to Meaning’ contest will help visitors learn about the achievements and successes of their native land.

For six months, guides will tell visitors about important centuries in Russian history and their country’s 21st-century achievements in an interactive format.

In addition to the sightseeing tours, a theatrical performance by actors in polyphonic audio format is planned.

About 50 guides will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions and tell them about RUSSIA EXPO’s program of events every day.

Exhibition tours will be offered in six languages: Russian, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Arabic.

On the russia.ru website, there is a page showing RUSSIA EXPO events, where you can sign up for tours. The section will be updated regularly for the convenience of visitors.

Uruguayan actress and singer Natalia Oreiro should be deprived of Russian citizenship for promoting LGBTQ values in violation of the country's legislation, activists have insisted.

Earlier this week, the human rights group Radetel from Novosibirsk in central Russia, filed a complaint with the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and the Interior Ministry over the behavior of the Latin American TV and movie star.

Oreiro, who is beloved in Russia for her role in the 1998-1999 Argentinean soap opera ‘Wild Angel’ (Muneca Brava), obtained a Russian passport in 2021, following in the footsteps of other foreign celebrities like actors Steven Seagal and Gerard Depardieu, boxer Roy Jones Jr. and MMA fighter Jeff Monson.

At the time, the actress said that she was not planning to live in Russia permanently, but suggested in one interview that she could own a country house there when she becomes a grandmother. She also holds Uruguayan and Spanish citizenship.

During her career, Oreiro starred in dozens of Spanish-language TV shows and movies, including ‘I’m Gilda,’ ‘Super Crazy’ (Re Loca) and ‘Clandestine Childhood’ (Infancia Clandestina). As a singer, the 45-year-old sold more than 10 million records worldwide, being nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards and other prizes.

The actress has been “consciously and deliberately” promoting non-traditional values for many years, they claimed, describing Oreiro as “one of the main ‘gay-icons’ of Latin America.” The complaint also listed other examples of Oreiro supporting the LGBTQ agenda, including taking part in a naked photo-shoot in 2022, while only sporting rainbow-colored high boots.

Becoming a naturalized Russian citizen requires swearing an oath to comply with the country’s constitution and laws, and to respect Russia’s culture, history and traditions, the activist group said. “Committing public actions aimed at promoting non-traditional relationships violates the provisions of the Russian Constitution and laws,” it insisted.

The activists said that Oreiro “knowingly gave a false oath” when she got her Russian passport, which makes them “believe that there are grounds for terminating her Russian citizenship.”

Free online video chat Omegle has been taken offline by its founder, Leif K-Brooks, who bemoaned a pile-up of challenges in running the platform. The site was taken down on Wednesday, with K-Brooks posting a lengthy statement to explain his decision.

“Virtually every tool can be used for good or for evil, and that is especially true of communication tools, due to their innate flexibility. The telephone can be used to wish your grandmother ‘happy birthday’ but it can also be used to call in a bomb threat. There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledging that some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes,” the site’s founder wrote.

Omegle first went online in March 2009, promptly becoming extremely popular and soon getting its iconic videotelephony feature, allowing random strangers to talk with each other.

“Over the years, people have used Omegle to explore foreign cultures; to get advice about their lives from impartial third parties; and to help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. I’ve even heard stories of soulmates meeting on Omegle, and getting married,” K-Brooks stated.

While the platform has increasingly cooperated with law enforcement and introduced tighter moderation over the years, the issues persisted, K-Brooks admitted. Running the platform had ultimately become “no longer sustainable, financially nor psychologically” and he did not want to “have a heart attack in my 30s.”

“In recent years, it seems like the whole world has become more ornery. Maybe that has something to do with the pandemic or with political disagreements. Whatever the reason, people have become faster to attack and slower to recognize each other’s shared humanity,” the founder of the now-defunct platform suggested.

Hollywood actors are set to end a near-four-month strike after a labor union representing them agreed a “tentative deal” with movie studios, bringing to a close the longest work stoppage in its history.

The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA voted unanimously to end the 118-day strike on Wednesday following the latest round of deliberations with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and TV Producers (AMPTP). The dispute, coupled with a separate months-long writers’ strike that ended in late September, had caused major disruption to the lucrative film and television industry in the US for the past several months.

The union had been seeking various assurances for its members, including better pay and safeguards against the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said the deal agreed with studios was of “extraordinary scope” and is “valued at over $1 billion.” It added that the strike would end at 12.01am US Pacific time on Thursday and that all picket lines would cease.

“We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers, many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work,” the union said.

With the deadlock broken, Hollywood studios can restart full production for the first time since May once the deal is formally ratified by a member vote in the coming weeks.

The SAG-AFTRA strike began in July and was backed by several of the industry’s most prominent names. Actor George Clooney called the action “an inflection point in our industry,” and said the work stoppage had been necessary for Hollywood “to survive.”

Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass welcomed what she said was a “fair agreement,” adding that the deal would have a significant impact on the local economy.

“Today’s tentative agreement is going to impact nearly every part of our economy,” she said. “Now we must lean on local production to ensure that our entertainment industry rebounds stronger than ever and our economy is able to get back on its feet.”

California’s film and TV production industry supports more than 700,000 jobs and provides almost $70 billion in annual wages for its in-state workers, according to the California Film Commission.

Rockstar will release a teaser trailer for the next installment in its hugely-popular Grand Theft Auto series in December, the gaming giant confirmed on Wednesday, in what is expected to be one of the most expensive entertainment products ever made.

“We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto,” Rockstar president Sam Houser said in a statement posted to social media. “We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with you,” he added of the release of the trailer, which coincides with the company’s 25th anniversary.

A release date for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ is expected to be confirmed in December, some 20 months after Rockstar formally revealed it was working on the latest episode to its hugely-popular series. Critics of the GTA franchise have frequently cited it as glorifying violence, including a mission in the fifth game where players were compelled to torture a character in order to receive information.

The fifth game in the franchise, released a decade ago, has sold more than 185 million copies worldwide and quickly became the world’s fastest-selling game, taking in an estimated $800 million in its first 24 hours. Rockstar and its parent company, Take-Two, have reported more than $7.7 billion in earnings from Grand Theft Auto Five since then, making it – by far – the biggest-selling entertainment product of all time.

Speculation has suggested that the game is to be released before the end of 2024 after Take-Two declared projected earnings of $8 billion in financial statements for next year, indicating that its expected income from GTA6 will dwarf even the previous iteration in the series.

While neither Rockstar or Take-Two have commented on the financials associated with the upcoming release, reports online have suggested that the game could have a budget as high as $2 billion – a figure significantly higher than any movie ever made.

“In 1998, Rockstar Games was founded on the idea that video games could come to be as essential to culture as any other form of entertainment,” Houser wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

Several details of the game are already known, owing to an unprecedented hack of the notoriously secretive gaming company’s servers in 2022, which led to the conviction of two British teenagers for leaking unfinished content online. The game is to be set in Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami, and will feature a female protagonist for the first time in the franchise.

Steven Tyler, lead vocalist with the Grammy Award-winning rock act Aerosmith, is facing new allegations of sexual assault after a lawsuit was filed in New York on Thursday. It follows separate sexual assault claims submitted by another woman last year.

The latest claims, which date back to the 1970s, allege that former child model Jeanne Bellino, who was then 17, suffered “permanent emotional distress” after she was groped and kissed against her will by Tyler, who is now 75.

Bellino claims in the lawsuit that Tyler, who was 27 at the time of the alleged incidents, sexually assaulted Bellino twice after they met in a New York hotel in the summer of 1975, according to details of the case published by Rolling Stone magazine. Tyler and his representatives have yet to comment on the new allegations.

The lawsuit, which is seeking unspecified damages from the singer, cites “gender-motivated violence” as being central to the claim, Rolling Stone said. It adds that she was groped against her will when Tyler pushed her into a phone booth, and that she was forcibly kissed against her will later that same day in Manhattan’s Warwick Hotel.

It added that she was “hospitalized and medicated as a result of the incident” and that she was “held captive” by Tyler, who groped her breasts, buttocks and genitals in the phone booth while members of his entourage looked on and laughed.

Bellino says she was dependent on a friend for transportation, so returned with Tyler to the hotel where the second assault allegedly took place. The lawsuit does not explain why she waited almost 50 years to make the allegations, according to Rolling Stone.

The latest allegations follow claims filed last year in California in which another woman, Julia Holcomb Misley, says she was the victim of sexual battery and assault of a minor throughout a three-year relationship with Tyler in the 1970s, which began when she was 16. Misley said Tyler used his influence as a prominent musician to “groom, manipulate, exploit [and] sexually assault” her over a period of several months. Tyler has denied Misley’s allegations.

Aerosmith has sold upwards of 150 million albums worldwide, including more than 85 million in the US, making them the biggest-selling American hard rock act of all time. The band has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, who has served as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for 20 years, has condemned Israel for bombing Gaza.

On Wednesday, she posted a statement on Instagram calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, noting that the densely populated Palestinian enclave was “becoming a mass grave.”

The Hollywood star described Israel’s actions as “the deliberate bombing of a trapped population who have nowhere to flee,” adding that Gaza “has been an open-air prison for nearly two decades.”

Jolie noted that “millions of Palestinian civilians – children, women, families – are being collectively punished and dehumanized,” and accused world leaders of “complicity in these crimes” by refusing to call for a ceasefire.

IDF international spokesman Jonathan Conricus said on Thursday that the camp is “a Hamas stronghold full of terrorists.” The official claimed that the settlement was “the permanent residence of Palestinians” and “there are no refugees there,” noting that Israel had warned Jabalia residents two weeks ago to evacuate south.

Commenting on the IDF strike, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said on Wednesday that “the fighting has entered an even more terrifying phase.”

He said the families of hostages held by Hamas after the surprise attack on Israel “continue to live in anguish, unsure about the fate, wellbeing and whereabouts of their loved ones,” while civilians in Gaza “have lost all faith in humanity and all hope of a future,” calling on both sides of the conflict to agree a pause.

Referring to the beginning of the current escalation in the conflict, Jolie also posted a statement on Instagram on Monday, saying that Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 was “an act of terror” that nevertheless “cannot justify the innocent lives lost in the bombing of a civilian population.” 

The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel declared war and began striking Gaza, killing more than 9,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,000 children, according to the enclave’s health authorities.

The Malaysian government has demanded that organizers of concerts featuring foreign bands have a ‘kill switch’ ready to turn the lights off. It follows an incident in July, when two male members of the British indie band The 1975 kissed on stage in a gesture of protest.

The requirement was revealed on Monday by Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Teo Nie Ching, after she was asked about the kiss incident and the government’s reaction to it during a parliamentary session.

In addition, Malaysian police are now involved in checking the backgrounds of foreign bands invited into the country, the minister said, as quoted by the local newspaper The Star. But blacklisting performers would only be decided on by the Foreign Ministry, Teo noted.

Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, lashed out at Malaysia’s attitude towards the LGBTQ community, after performing at the Good Vibes Festival in the southern Sepang District of the Muslim-majority country. He claimed he made a mistake when he agreed to participate in the event.

The musician identifies as straight, but is a vocal advocate of LGBT rights.

Waving a bottle of what appeared to be an alcoholic drink in his hand, Healy proclaimed himself “f*cking furious” with the policies of the Malaysian government and said he believed that many members of the audience were “gay and progressive.” He then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald.

The government suspended the rest of the three-day event, which was subsequently canceled by organizer Future Sound Asia (FSA). The company accused The 1975 of disrespect and sued it for damages. Their contract reportedly included an obligation not to violate local laws and customs.

The band itself was banned from performing in Malaysia and canceled shows in Muslim-majority Indonesia and in Taiwan after the uproar.

Malaysia has laws against sodomy, which it inherited from the British Empire, its former colonial overlord. A separate ban is in place for Muslim states under the country’s parallel Sharia legal system. The punishments for violators include canning, fines, and jail time. Around 60% of the Malaysian population is Muslim.

An esports team comprised of Russian and Ukrainian gamers has clinched first place in the prestigious international Dota 2 competition. This is the second time Team Spirit has triumphed in The International, with their first win in 2021.

In the grand final on Monday, Team Spirit got the better of Gaimin Gladiators – a team made up of a Russian, an American, a Dane, a German, and a Dutchman. The top dog was represented by three Russians – Denis ‘Larl’ Sigitov, Magomed ‘Collapse’ Khalilov, Yaroslav ‘Miposhka’ Naidenov, and two Ukrainians – Ilya ‘Yatoro’ Mulyarchuk and Miroslav ‘Mira’ Kolpakov.

TEAM SPIRIT - THE INTERNATIONAL 12 CHAMPIONS 🏆

The path to victory has always been challenging and demanding. This season, we took on a tremendous responsibility and worked on every aspect of our game. There were failures and difficulties at the beginning, but we never gave up.… pic.twitter.com/J3DQNJa3vk

— Team Spirit (@Team__Spirit) October 30, 2023

Team Spirit raked in $1.4 million, which pales in comparison to the $18.2 million they were awarded when they won The International the first time in October 2021.

Last August, the Russian and Ukrainian gamers also came out on top in PGL Dota 2 Arlington Major in Texas, netting $200,000 out of the total $500,000 pot on offer.

Soon after Russia launched its military campaign against Ukraine last February, Team Spirit relocated to Belgrade, Serbia, and now positions itself as an international esports team.

Following the move, the Ukrainian Esports Federation (UESF) announced in August that it had slapped sanctions on the country’s nationals playing for Team Spirit. The organization explained that the Ukrainians had failed to show enough support to their motherland, hinting that failure to share their winnings was also a factor.

From Hollywood studios to beer makers and personal hygiene brands, for the past decade corporate America has been pushing increasingly progressive ideology, often to the outrage of a large portion of its target audiences and even to the detriment of its sales. But judging by recent statements made by some of the most influential figures in finance, there may be a small glimmer of hope at the end of this “woke” nightmare.

Over the years, the phrase ‘get woke, go broke’ has time and time again proven to be more than just a popular catchphrase. Take for example Gillette, which cost its owner Procter & Gamble $8 billion after the release of its infamous commercial that tried to take a dig at “toxic masculinity.” Or Budweiser, whose Bud Light used to be one of America’s top-selling beers but is now facing a nationwide boycott after the company did a catastrophic collaboration with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. 

And, of course, there are Disney and Netflix who are still trying to win back their audiences after consistently releasing formulaic, preachy, LGBTQ agenda-driven films and TV shows that audiences are refusing to watch.

But, despite the boycotts, diminishing sales, and an increasingly frustrated customer base, these companies have refused to back down from their ‘woke’ messaging and have not shown any sign of going under any time soon.

ESG standards

As with all billion dollar corporations, money is made not only by selling stuff, but also by attracting investments. For years, companies like Disney, Netflix, Budweiser, and Gillette relied on their ESG ratings to draw in investors and keep their shareholders happy.

The concept of ESG was first introduced at the United Nations back in 2004. On paper, these principles were meant to be a force for good and encourage companies to be more transparent, plus environmentally and socially responsible. The non-financial metrics were supposed to serve as a basis for companies to evaluate and rank their commitments to goals such as promoting diversity, fighting climate change, and performing social outreach, among other issues.

But in practice, ESG-compliant companies have instead consistently faced accusations of exclusively promoting progressive, liberal, or ‘woke’ ideology and focusing too much on keeping up their ESG ratings instead of listening to their customers and giving them what they ask for.

Billionaire Elon Musk, for example, has described ESG standards as “the devil” and a “scam” perpetrated by “phony social justice warriors” after several tobacco firms and oil giants like Exxon scored higher in the ratings than Tesla.

The forces behind ESG

Financial giants like BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street (aka Big Capital), which manage trillions of dollars in investments and control some of the largest shares in most Fortune 500 companies have been using their influence to strong-arm companies all over the world to feverishly embrace ESG principles.

ESG ratings have effectively become a means to blackmail companies to push progressive ideology. Environmental responsibility has been distorted to mean unrealistic Net Zero demands. The Social rating is used to judge how much a company focuses on promoting modern gender ideology. And to get a good Governance score, companies have to hire Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officers and make sure their boards are of the ‘correct’ political mindset.

Meanwhile, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who has become known as “the face of ESG,” has warned that if a company, either public or private, doesn’t embrace ESG and refuses to engage with the community and have “a sense of purpose,” it will “ultimately lose the license to operate from key stakeholders.”

Change of heart?

However, this year, those same money managers have seemingly started to reverse course and drop support for ESG investment strategies.

In September, the Vanguard Group announced that it had approved just 2% of ESG resolutions brought by shareholders this year, down from 12% in 2022. Meanwhile, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, approved only 7% of the social and climate proposals that it faced this year, compared to 24% in 2022. 

BlackRock’s global head of investment stewardship, Joud Abdel Majeid, explained the low approval ratings by citing a “continued” decline in quality of proposals, describing them as “overreaching, lacking economic merit, or simply redundant.”

Even Fink, who almost single handedly pushed these standards to the forefront of the business world in order to “force behaviors,” has also recently stated that he himself “doesn’t use the word ESG anymore, because it’s been entirely weaponized” and “politicized by both the left and right.” 

That was after Fink reported earlier this year that his company had lost approximately $4 billion in managed assets tied to ESG backlash. Admittedly, those losses have had a negligible impact on BlackRock’s nearly $9 trillion fortune.

‘Woke’ companies, especially in Hollywood, might have to focus on something other than divisive culture wars

It could be argued, however, that the move away from ESG, or at least certain aspects of it that have proved to be particularly counter-productive, has already been taking place. For example, when it comes to the Governance aspect, a large number of companies, including major corporations like Amazon, X (formerly Twitter), Nike, and Disney have already started to purge their DEI divisions and have fired tens of thousands of “diversity staff” and laid off their Chief Diversity officers over the past few years. 

But now with the biggest money managers starting to publicly shy away from ESG, the companies that have relied on these ratings over the past decade might also have to re-assess their strategies if they want to stay on top.

According to a recent report by Needham financial analyst Laura Martin, Disney CEO Bob Iger unexpectedly told a 120-person investor event in September that he wanted to “quiet the noise” on culture war issues because it was “not healthy” for Disney’s business, stressing that content should be “entertaining, not issues-focused.”

However, it’s debatable whether Iger actually wants to remove Disney from the culture wars or is simply looking for a way to make the company's role in pushing the progressive agenda less prominent and minimize blowback. 

So far, Disney hasn’t announced any concrete steps to move away from the “culture war” and it will likely take at least a year or more to see if it has indeed changed its direction. In the meantime, the media giant, like most of its competitors, continues down the path of stuffing its releases, like the upcoming Snow White remake, full of progressive ideology and digs at traditional values.

Netflix, which has become infamous for race-swapping popular characters in the name of diversity and pushing preachy LGBTQ content, is seemingly also trying to move away from the ‘woke’ crowd, albeit at a snail’s pace.

After losing over a million subscribers in 2022, the streaming service started crawling back to form by canceling progressive shows about antiracist babies, instead focusing on true crime documentaries and refusing to censor controversial comedians like Dave Chapelle and Chris Rock. 

In the wake of Chappelle’s “The Closer” special last year, which drew the ire of many progressives, the streaming service even told its outraged staff in a memo that they should look for another job if they had issues working on content they didn’t agree with.

However, save for a few successful recent films and shows, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and One Piece that managed to distance themselves from the current culture wars and actually entertain their audiences, neither Netflix nor Hollywood as a whole have really ditched their old habits.

However, this summer’s Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike could result in changes to the industry, the screenwriter said on a recent podcast. After a nearly five-month stand-off, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) finally signed a deal with the WGA under which writers will get more money for their work and will receive certain protections, including from AI.

But, at the same time, those changes also mean that studios will have to pay more for a single project, meaning they will be incentivized to maximize profitability by choosing quality over quantity. Script Doctor also noted that reforms to how writer rooms operate will also push showrunners to hire the best writers they can, instead of bringing on expensive “diversity hires” who bring little to no value to the table.

With ESG ratings slowly but surely making their way out the door, one can hope that companies will finally be incentivized to start focusing more on pleasing their customers rather than preaching and pushing fringe ideologies on their already frustrated target audiences.

American actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the 90s sitcom ‘Friends’, was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, law enforcement sources told TMZ and NBC.

Perry’s body was reportedly found in a jacuzzi at his LA-area home, with no foul play suspected and no drugs found at the scene, police sources told TMZ. 

The incident was treated as a “water rescue,” according to a law enforcement source cited by NBC. Police sources also confirmed Perry’s death to Rolling Stone.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said that officers “responded at 4:10 this afternoon to a death investigation for a male in his 50s.” However, the authorities have yet to officially confirm the identity of the deceased or details of the incident.

Perry, a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer, was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in the US. However he was raised in Ottawa, Canada where his mother, Suzanne Morrison, a journalist who served as press secretary for the country's former PM Pierre Trudeau, moved following divorce from his, father, the American actor John Bennett Perry.

While ‘Friends’ is his biggest claim to fame, he also starred in memorable films such as ‘Fools Rush In’ along with his father and Salma Hayek, ‘The Whole Nine Yards’ with Bruce Willis, ‘Three to Tango’, ‘The Kid’, ’17 Again’, ‘Getting In’, and many others. 

Perry also acted in various TV shows – ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘Growing Pains’, ‘Silver Spoons’, ‘Charles in Charge’, ‘Sydney’, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, Home Free’, and more. 

His roles in ‘West Wing’ and ‘The Ron Clark Story’ earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. 

Despite his humorous side, Perry struggled with drugs and alcohol. He was hooked on the painkiller Vicodin for years and was in and out of rehab even when filming ‘Friends’.

Although Perry became sober a year ago, his appearance during a ‘Friends’ reunion show drew concern from his fans as he appeared unwell, slurring words and looking disorientated. 

He never married, but was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz, a literary manager, before calling off the engagement in June 2021.

Curtis Jackson, the Grammy Award-winning rap artist better known as ‘50 Cent,’ has hit out at US President Joe Biden for taking a beach vacation in his home state of Delaware last week while his administration faces several concurrent crises.

“Hey Joe,” Jackson wrote to his 30 million Instagram followers on Sunday along with a picture of Biden and his wife, Jill, relaxing on sun loungers at a closed-off Rehoboth Beach last week. “Get the f*ck up, we in trouble man!”

The rapper, 48, later posted a second image of the Bidens sunbathing on a beach, writing: “We got some real sh*t going on out here Joe. What’s the plan to get a tan and chill, come on now.” The initial post from Jackson had received around 175,000 ‘likes’ on Instagram as of Monday afternoon.

Jackson’s call to action for the commander-in-chief comes as his presidency faces myriad challenges both at home and abroad, with a conflict raging in the Middle East while the US Congress spars over military aid to Kiev.

Biden returned to Washington early on Thursday after a brief visit to Israel, where he reaffirmed US support for its ally amid deadly fighting with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Bidens subsequently traveled to Delaware on Friday evening.

The US House of Representatives, meanwhile, remains in political gridlock as Republicans struggle to agree on the election of a new speaker following Kevin McCarthy’s removal earlier this month, stifling Biden’s legislative agenda in the process.

McCarthy was ousted by members of his own party – in particular hardline Florida Republican representative Matt Gaetz – after he passed a stopgap measure with Democratic approval to continue to fund the federal government, averting a disruptive shutdown. Last week, Biden addressed US citizens from the Oval Office and asked Congress for $100 billion to fund support for Ukraine, Israel and for other “key national security priorities.”

Many social media users agreed with Jackson’s take on Biden’s apparent inaction. “Destroying the country is hard work,” wrote one commenter. “Let him rest.” Another said: “We gotta get this senior citizen outta office.”

According to a Republican-led research group in May, Biden had spent at least 331 days, or 40% of his presidency, on vacation.

The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards show has been canceled due to security concerns stemming from the Hamas-Israel war. The annual event featuring live performances and attended by many artists and other celebrities was due to be held in Paris on November 5.

“Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew members, artists, fans, and partners who travel from all corners of the world to bring the show to life,” the organizers wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. 

“As we watch the devastating events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration. With thousands of lives already lost, it is a moment of mourning,” the statement read. The organizers added that the eventual winners will still receive their awards this year.

European countries have seen a wave of politically motivated violence and riots since the fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants erupted this month. There have also been demonstrations by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups.

On October 13, a teacher was stabbed to death by a former student in Paris. According to the prosecutors, the suspect shouted Islamist slogans. France has since been placed on the highest level of terrorism alert. The level of alert has also been raised in Spain. 

On Monday, another Islamic radical gunned down two people in Brussels and wounded another person. On Wednesday, six French airports were briefly evacuated due to bomb threats.

On October 7, Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups carried out a surprise attack on Israel, killing soldiers and civilians alike, including more than 200 people at an open-air music festival in the desert near Gaza. Israel responded by conducting airstrikes on Gaza. Overall, more than 1,400 Israelis and around 3,500 Palestinians have died.

The Israeli government has accused American model Gigi Hadid of “turning a blind eye” to the events that sparked a war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, after the 28-year-old posted a message of support for the Palestinian people on social media.

“There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians,” Hadid, whose father Mohamed Hadid is Palestinian, wrote in a temporary Instagram Story over the weekend to her online following of almost 80 million people.

She added that “condemning the Israeli government is not antisemitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas.”

Hadid’s message quickly drew a rebuke from Israel. “There is nothing valiant about Hamas’ massacre of Israelis,” a message on the official Instagram account of the state of Israel said, along with a screenshot of Hadid’s original post.

“Condemning Hamas for what it is (ISIS) is not anti-Palestine and supporting Israelis in their fight against barbaric terrorists is the right thing to do,” the Israeli account said. The message went on to pour scorn on Hadid’s post, accusing the model of “turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes.”

“Your silence has been very clear about where you stand. We see you,” it added.

Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, massacring around 1,400 people on Israeli soil, most of whom were civilians. The group also took as many as 250 hostages, according to Hamas statements. Israel says the number of captives is closer to 199.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government responded to the attack with an unprecedented bombardment of Gaza, showering the enclave with thousands of bombs in the ensuing days. The latest figures show that about 2,700 people have died in the air raids, which have devastated the densely-populated region’s infrastructure.

About one million people – roughly half of Gaza’s total population – have been displaced by Israel’s aerial assault, the UN has said. Israel is rumored to be planning a ground offensive in Gaza in the coming days.

Gigi Hadid and her sister Bella Hadid, who is also a model, have been vocal advocates for Palestinian rights for several years.

Singer Justin Bieber’s call to his 293 million Instagram followers to “pray for Israel” on Wednesday was accompanied by an image of Israeli-inflicted damage to the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The Canadian-born pop star shared the image as part of a Story on the Meta-owned platform. It was missing on Wednesday afternoon, however, after numerous social media users pointed out the incongruity. Bieber’s replacement Story kept the “pray for Israel” text but used a blank background and a broken-heart emoji instead.

The awkward combination of picture and sentiment that Bieber shared appears to have originated with Churchome, a non-denominational Christian group that he is a member of. They have since deleted it from their Instagram profile as well.

Popstar Justin Bieber posts the words "Praying for Israel" over a picture of Gaza. pic.twitter.com/z2ttzxaU49

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) October 11, 2023

The Associated Press file photo used in the original post shows the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, a Palestinian territory used as a base by Hamas. The militant group launched rockets and commando attacks against Israel on Saturday, in the deadliest escalation of the ongoing conflict in decades.

“To vilianize [sic] all Palestinians or all Israeli people to me seems wrong,” Bieber wrote in an earlier post. “I’m not interested in choosing sides, but I am interested in standing with the families who have been brutally taken from us.”

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis made a similar faux pas on Tuesday, sharing a photo captioned “terror from the skies, Israel” which she then deleted when it emerged that the children in the photo were actually Palestinians in Gaza looking at an incoming Israel airstrike.

.@jamieleecurtis posted what she thought was a photo of Israeli kids looking up at Hamas rockets & wrote “terror in the skies 🇮🇱.” Then she learned they were Palestinian kids looking up at Israeli air strikes so sh deleted it. #israeliLivesMatterButNotPalestinian. @samarabuelouf pic.twitter.com/Zsm6wBRUFH

— Katie Halper (@kthalps) October 10, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war against Hamas, while his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, called the group “animals” and ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza. The US government has given unequivocal support to Israel.

Playboy has cut its ties with adult entertainer Mia Khalifa after the Lebanese-born porn star posted a series of tweets celebrating Hamas’ attack on Israel, Fox News reported on Tuesday. Khalifa insists that she didn’t endorse violence.

“Over the past few days, Mia has made disgusting and reprehensible comments celebrating Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the murder of innocent men, women and children,” Playboy said in an email to content creators on Monday, according to the US news site. “At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. We expect Mia to understand that her words and actions have consequences.”

The controversy began on Saturday when Khalifa posted a tweet encouraging “the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal,” later explaining that “I just wanna make sure there’s 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open-air prison they’ve been forced out of their homes and into so we have good options for the history books that write about how how they freed themselves from apartheid.” 

Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel that morning, firing a barrage of rockets at Israeli cities and storming Jewish settlements near the country’s border with Gaza. As of Tuesday, at least 800 Israelis have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded, while Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Gaza have claimed at least 770 Palestinian lives. Hamas is also thought to be holding at least 150 Israelis as hostages.

Throughout the weekend, Khalifa posted a stream of pro-Palestinian content. She compared a photo of a truckload of armed Hamas members to “a renaissance painting,” and declared that anyone siding with Israel was “on the wrong side of apartheid and history will show that in time.”

Khalifa’s comments also saw her fired from Red Light Holland, an hallucinogenic mushroom company with whom she worked as a social media advisor. “I’d say supporting Palestine has lost me business opportunities, but I’m more angry at myself for not checking whether or not I was entering into business with Zionists,” she tweeted in response.

GRX @smoda 🩵
Shot by Fabien Montique Estillo por Nono Vazquez pic.twitter.com/K1NTBKNjhQ

— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) September 29, 2023

Born in Lebanon, Khalifa shot to fame as Pornhub’s top-rated star in 2014, before quitting the industry after just three months in front of the camera. She later claimed that she only earned $12,000 in the pornography industry, and has since moved to producing X-rated content on OnlyFans, a platform that allows users to pay creators directly for photos, videos and other virtual erotica.

No stranger to controversy, Khalifa was accused of anti-Semitism in 2021 after she posted a photo of herself drinking wine from Nazi-occupied France, which she boasted was older than the “apartheid ‘state’” of Israel. Three years earlier, she received death threats from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) for filming a sex scene wearing a hijab.

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has warned his online followers that his likeness had been used in an artificial intelligence-generated promotional footage without his consent.

“Beware! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it," Hanks wrote on his Instagram page on Sunday.

The star of ‘Forrest Gump’ and ‘Toy Story’ also shared a picture of his younger self, which appears to be his deep fake version from the dental plan ad.

Hanks didn’t name the company that was responsible for allegedly stealing his likeness. Several media outlets said they’d contacted the actor’s representatives but haven’t gotten a response yet.

Ironically, Hanks has been among the staunchest opponents of the increased usage of artificial intelligence in the movie industry.

The two-time Oscar winner said during his appearance on the Adam Buxton Podcast earlier this year that there’s a major discussion underway in Hollywood regarding the need for the likenesses of actors to be protected as intellectual property.

According to Hanks, it’s a problem that “anybody can now recreate themselves at any age they are by way of AI or deepfake technology.”

“I could be hit by a bus tomorrow, and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on. And outside of the understanding that it’s been done with AI or deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge, but it’s also a legal one,” he explained.

Concerns that AI could displace human creators have been one of the main drivers of strikes announced by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) this May and July, respectively.

While the SAG-AFTRA is continuing its action, the WGA ended its strike last week after reaching a deal with Hollywood studios that assures better pay for the writers and introduces rules for using AI.

The actor and comedian Russell Brand is under investigation by a second UK police force amid new allegations of “harassment and stalking,” numerous UK media sources reported on Monday.

Brand, 48, who is being investigated by London’s Metropolitan Police following the publication two weeks ago of an array of sexual-abuse allegations by The Times, the Sunday Times and broadcaster Channel 4, is also the subject of a separate probe by the Thames Valley police, several media sources, including The Guardian and the BBC, said.

Brand has denied all allegations made against him.

“Thames Valley Police in the past two weeks received new information in relation to the harassment and stalking allegations dating back to 2018,” the police force said in a statement without directly naming Brand. “This information is being investigated. As such, it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation.” 

Thames Valley Police is the force that operates in the Henley-On-Thames region of Oxfordshire, where Brand resides and where he also owns a pub. The entertainer didn’t immediately comment on the new allegations when contacted by the BBC.

Last week, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it had opened an investigation into allegations of sexual offenses by Brand in London, as well as “elsewhere in the country.” Dates given for the alleged offenses are not recent, the force added.

In a video published online on the eve of allegations against him being made public, Brand said that he “absolutely refutes” the “very serious criminal allegations,” which he described as “extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.” He added that his sexual relationships had “always” been consensual.

Among the original allegations against Brand made public in September is one by a woman in her 30s who is accusing him of assaulting her when she was 16. Another woman claims that she was raped by Brand at his residence in Los Angeles. Dates for all these alleged offenses are given as between 2006 and 2013.

Brand, who has published several videos online in recent days, has not directly referenced the specific allegations against him, other than to deny them and to thank supporters for “questioning” the claims.

At least 325 people are seeking compensation over alleged sexual abuse by the deceased Japanese talent agent Johnny Kitagawa, his company said on Monday. The claims come weeks after an independent inquiry concluded that the music mogul had sexually assaulted hundreds of boys and young men throughout a six-decade career.

The talent agency, Johnny & Associates, said that 478 people had contacted a website set up to address alleged victims of Kitagawa, 325 of whom expressed a desire to receive financial compensation. It added that 150 of these were former talents that had been represented by the company.

The agency will also rename itself ‘Smile Up’, a newly-formed entity whose sole task will be to identify and compensate Kitagawa’s victims, its current president, Noriyuki Higashiyama, announced during a televised press conference.

“We will disband Johnny & Associates and face the victims in a sincere manner,” Higashiyama, a former actor and singer, said. “The new company will create a new future with its fans.” He added that compensation will be determined based on each individual victim’s complaint.

Higashiyama, who replaced Kitagawa’s niece, Julie Fujishima, as chief executive earlier this year, has also been accused of sexual misconduct, but denied the allegations on Monday. “I have never sexually harassed anyone,” he said. “Some people may have felt I was power-harassing them, but it was 35-40 years ago, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to understand what sexual abuse is.” 

The rebranding of Johnny & Associates is being interpreted as a move to win back support from both the public and high-profile sponsors. The agency was dropped from partnerships with Nissan, Asahi, and Suntory last month following the inquiry.

The scandal has drawn significant media attention in Japan, and has been compared to similar cases involving movie producer Harvey Weinstein in the US and radio broadcaster Jimmy Savile in the UK.

American-born Japanese businessman Kitagawa, who died in July 2019 at the age of 87, was for years viewed as one of the country’s richest and most influential media figures. He was the creative force behind numerous J-pop bands but faced numerous allegations of sexual impropriety – which he consistently denied – before his death.

Tesla founder Elon Musk has reiterated his defense of Russell Brand, saying in a podcast appearance this week that the multiple allegations of sexual assault levied against the actor and comedian represent the “witch-burning phase” of an investigation into his alleged wrongdoing.

Two weeks ago, 48-year-old Brand was accused of sexually assaulting four women –one of whom claims she was raped– between 2006 and 2013, following an intensive investigation jointly undertaken by The Times, The Sunday Times and UK broadcaster Channel 4. Brand has denied all claims against him.

“There needs to be, obviously, a conviction here,” Musk said during a Thursday podcast appearance with conservative media personality Ben Shapiro. “It can’t be guilty until proven innocent.”

“Because obviously we’re just in the sort of witch-burning phase here,” Musk added. “Just being declared a witch is enough to make you a witch and be burnt.”

Musk had previously appeared to offer a defense on behalf of Brand after the Briton released a social media video on the eve of the publication of the allegations earlier in September. In the video published to his millions of followers online, Brand suggested that the claims against him were part of a coordinated agenda orchestrated against him by mainstream media.

Brand’s accusers, who remain anonymous, include one who says she was 16 years old when she became involved in an “emotionally abusive and controlling relationship” with him. She also said that on one occasion, Brand forced his penis down her throat, leading to her gagging. The then-teenager said that Brand only stopped once she punched him in the stomach.

Another woman says she was raped by Brand at his residence in Los Angeles in 2012.

English police have confirmed that investigations are underway related to the allegations. Brand’s YouTube profile was demonetized for a violation of company policy soon after, removing the possibility for Brand to earn advertising revenue from his content on the platform. A UK comedy tour by Brand was also postponed.

Additionally, Musk said on the podcast that the entertainer has been targeted because he frequently “rattled the cage” of “the powers that be,” adding that Brand’s accusers are “destroying” his life “on the potential of false allegations.”

“Seems like an odd coincidence that it’s happening when Russell is really gaining traction, questioning a lot of the conventional wisdom,” Musk said. “I think we’re running out of conspiracy theories that didn’t turn out to be true.”

Russian model Alla Burletova, the star of a recent Bentley commercial that became a viral sensation, has declared herself “proud to be Russian.”

The ASMR video-style commercial, which gained huge traction globally, was commissioned by a Russian car dealership and released mid-summer. It features Burletova exploring a luxury Bentley car. She runs her nails over the car’s grille, turns its engine on, uses the turn signals, and places a glass into the cup holder.

The video promptly went viral, with #bentleygirl hashtag spreading like a wildfire across TikTok and yielding numerous parodies. The spin-off video commonly featured less-than-luxury cars, including old dilapidated jalopies and even armored military vehicles, while tiktokers who shot them parodied the model’s moves with not-so-glamorous activities, such as drinking vodka.

The model told the online outlet Mash that she was happy to receive such internet-wide recognition and was particularly proud that the original video was apparently widely watched overseas.

“I’m Russian and I’m proud of it, and now I’m somehow getting a worldwide reach. That’s cool,” Burletova told Mash, adding that she is now considering pursuing an acting career, which has been her “childhood dream.”

Police in Nevada have arrested a man in connection with the drive-by slaying of rapper Tupac Shakur on the Las Vegas strip 27 years ago, according to media reports citing sources. Charges are expected to be made public later on Friday when a formal indictment is unveiled.

On September 7, 1996, the rapper was shot four times while waiting at a red light in a car with record company executive Suge Knight shortly after leaving a Mike Tyson boxing match. He died of his injuries a week later.

Shakur was 25-years-old at the time of his death, one of the most infamous unsolved murders in the recent history of American popular culture.

According to multiple reports, the arrested man has been identified as Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, though the exact nature of the charges have not yet been revealed. Davis had previously admitted in his 2019 tell-all memoir ‘Compton Street Legend’ that he was in the Cadillac from which the fatal gunshots were fired at Shakur. He has previously stated that he is one of the last surviving witnesses to the shooting.

In a 2018 interview he gave after receiving a cancer diagnosis, Davis appeared to implicate his nephew, Orlando ‘Baby Lane’ Anderson, as being involved in the shooting, saying that he was one of two people in the back seat of the Cadillac from where the shots were fired. Anderson died in a gang-related shooting in Compton, California in 1998.

The murder of Shakur occurred shortly after a brawl in a casino involving the rapper, Anderson and several others. Anderson denied all links to Shakur’s murder before he died.

Nominated for six Grammy Awards during his career, Shakur is considered to be one of the most influential rap artists of all time. He has sold more than 75 million albums across the globe, while his songs ‘California Love,’ ‘All Eyez On Me’ and ‘Changes’ are considered to be genre-defining hits.

At the time of his death, Shakur was involved in a high-profile feud with the New York-based Notorious BIG, who was shot dead in a separate incident in March 1997. Both were considered to be at the forefront of an East Coast-vs-West Coast rivalry prevalent in hip hop and rap at the time.

The Indian art market is soaring and it feels apt that work by Amrita Sher-Gil – the undisputed queen of modern Indian art – is leading the charge. Her 1937 masterpiece ‘The Story Teller’ recently became the most expensive Indian painting ever sold at auction.

During Saffronart’s high-profile Evening Sale on September 16, ‘The Story Teller’ fetched a staggering 618 million rupees ($7.4 million), a price nearly twice its upper estimate, according to Saffronart co-founder Minal Vazirani. 

Long recognized as a national treasure by the government, Sher-Gil (1913-1941) consistently stood out among India’s overwhelmingly male-dominated art scene. The record sale of ‘The Story Teller’ “marks a significant milestone in the South Asian art ecosystem, as it is not only the highest value work but is a record held by a woman – certainly a marker to be celebrated in India,” Vazirani tells RT. 

However, Sher-Gil is hardly the only Indian artist whose paintings have become brand names or status symbols worth millions of rupees. Barely a week before the sale of ‘The Story Teller’, the late Sayed Haider Raza’s abstract reverie, ‘Gestation’ (1989), made headlines when it fetched 517.5 million rupees ($6.27 million) at Pundole’s, a Mumbai-based auction house. 

Raza was a founding member of the iconic Progressive Artists’ Group formed in 1947 in post-independent Bombay. His contemporaries included M.F. Husain, V.S. Gaitonde, F.N. Souza, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, and Krishen Khanna – all of whom would go on to become key figures in Indian modern art. In the current market, their works command astronomical prices. 

In 2021, a towering abstract canvas by Gaitonde was snapped up for almost 340 million rupees ($5.5 million) at the Saffronart Spring Live auction. A year later, in February 2022, that record was surpassed when a monumental Gaitonde work racked up an eye-popping 420 million rupees ($5.9 million) at a Pundole auction in Mumbai.

Big Ambitions, Big Expectations

If India is currently ranked among the fastest growing economies in the world, then the country’s art industry is a fascinating case study with tremendous growth potential and latent firepower of its own. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on businesses, the modern and contemporary art market has gradually bounced back and is now conquering new heights. According to data from Grant Thorton’s Indian Art Market Report, the market had reached a record turnover of 10.25 billion rupees ($137 million) as of 2022, a startling 281% increase since 2012. 

“The Indian art market has witnessed a significant growth over the last five years, with 2022 surging to establish a new peak in the art market (public auctions exceeded the previous peak of 2008 which was $143 million),” says Vazirani. 

Mumbai-based auction house AstaGuru also has huge expectations from the Indian art market. Its most recent auction, ‘Modern Treasures: Modern Indian Art’, garnered a total sale value of 647 million rupees, with works by artists such as Ganesh Pyne, KH Ara, and B Prabha setting new records. 

“With a 9% increase in turnover and a 6% rise in sold artworks as compared to 2022, India’s art market is witnessing a steady incline. The number of works offered on auction has seen an 11% increase from the previous year, indicating that both the desire to collect and as a result, the amount of offerings on auction have symbiotically grown,” explains AstaGuru CEO Tushar Sethi. 

The Indian art business still lags behind the American ($30.2 billion) or French ($5 billion) art markets in terms of sheer revenue and infrastructure, but Sethi dismisses the comparison as unfair. 

“The Indian art auction market, although expanding at a rapid rate, cannot be compared to the Western market. The Indian art market holds a distinctive position in the global art landscape, marked by its rich cultural heritage, diverse artistic traditions and a burgeoning community of talented artists,” Sethi says.

“Nonetheless, when juxtaposed with other global art hubs such as New York, London, or Hong Kong, it presents several notable distinctions. Only in the last few decades has art come to be seen as a valuable aesthetic possession in this country. There is a large difference in both market size and number of collectors when looking at Western and Indian art markets.”

This is not the first time the Indian art market has experienced a boom. Around 2006, it climbed rapidly on the tailwinds of a bullish economy but soon plummeted, sending shockwaves through the industry. But slowly the market recovered and reinvented itself. 

Auction marketplaces are sometimes criticized for being speculative in nature. ‘Billionaire’s playground’ at best? ‘Secondary market’ at worst? Either way, there’s no denying that they have fueled the overall growth of the art world. Particularly commendable is their role in recognizing and enhancing artists’ brand value and wooing even those who do not take active interest in art to the charming whims of cultural buy-and-sell. 

Most ironically, artists themselves are known to share a love-hate relationship with auctions. Despite his indifference to the skyrocketing prices of his art, the late modern artist Akbar Padamsee acknowledged in a 2012 interview with ‘Open’ magazine that “valuation is important because that is how you are judged.”

The Rise of Social Media

Auctions, however, are just one aspect of the Indian art market. There are also commercial galleries, museums, biennales, and art fairs that have contributed to the current boom. Many believe that hot-ticket events like the India Art Fair, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Mumbai Gallery Weekend, Serendipity Arts Festival, and Delhi Contemporary Art Week have succeeded in bringing art to the general public. Meanwhile, the opening of private institutions like the Museum of Art & Photography (also known as MAP) in Bangalore and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center (NMACC) in Mumbai has significantly boosted the cultural scene. Elsewhere, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) recently unveiled plans for a second museum in New Delhi. 

Indians can now finally see world-class art within their own country, without traveling to Europe or America. While wealthy Indians continue to be major investors in fine art, a growing number of middle-class urbanites with increasingly disposable incomes are also entering the market. Biennales and art fairs, some believe, are deliberately courting this demographic these days.

Over the past decade, Indian art has wowed audiences on the global stage, boosting the country’s soft power. Indian creativity has captured the world’s imagination by showcasing what it is capable of in terms of its thought-provoking language and penchant for boundary-pushing, highly philosophical subject matter. Many Indian artists have enjoyed blockbuster shows in venerable Western institutions, earning both plaudits and popularity. 

For instance, from well-known masters such as Sayed Haider Raza and Nalini Malani at the Pompidou Center in Paris, to younger and more experimental artists such as Shilpa Gupta and Ranjani Shettar at the Barbican Center in London. And let’s not forget VS Gaitonde’s sprawling retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2015 and the iconoclastic Bhupen Khakhar’s career-spanning show at the Tate Modern in London in 2016. 

“This exposure has not only enhanced the recognition of Indian artists but also fostered cross-cultural exchange, injecting the Indian art scene with fresh perspectives and ideas,” adds Kakar.

The youth has become a momentous and influential part of the international art scene as a whole, says Kakar. No wonder then that contemporary galleries like Latitude 28 are eagerly engaging with younger people through a variety of strategies that consider their interests, preferences and digital connectivity in an effort to globalize the art network. 

The rise of social media appears to be another explanation for the youthful optimism one sees in an otherwise conservative and niche industry like the art market. 

As Kakar argues, “this is more important because as per reports, the average collector in India is between 35 and 39 years of age. A growing number of young Indians are collecting art as an investment. Additionally, with social media democratizing art, access to art has moved beyond white cubes and taken a turn towards marrying technology with the traditional way of seeing. Not only that, but we can also see a wave of emerging talent using technology as a medium to draft and create art online, and these artists are using platforms like Instagram and Pinterest to showcase their creativity to the world. Who would have imagined that a few decades ago?” 

Priyanka Raja, co-founder and director of Experimenter gallery, which has spaces in Kolkata and Mumbai, agrees: “Many of these younger buyers may be first-generation collectors but their knowledge and enthusiasm is absolutely terrific. I attribute this enthusiasm largely to social media because they have the world at their fingertips.” 

While admitting that her industry has been doing well lately – especially in the aftermath of the pandemic – she remains even more hopeful about the future. “It is only a matter of time that learning built on a constant consumption of images and sharing of information amongst friends and peers, will lead to a keen eye and a developed collecting behavior. Furthermore, the democracy of the internet ensures that these collectors are no longer geographically bound.”

A group of Russian MPs has called for the creation of a home-grown alternative to The Sims, one which would promote “traditional values.” The iconic games series has been actively promulgating a gay agenda and is therefore not suitable for the country’s gamers, the legislators argue.

The MPs raised the issue with Deputy PM Dmitry Chernyshevsky on Thursday, insisting that the creation of a domestic analogue to The Sims was long overdue and that merely hiding the series behind a mature rating was not enough.

“This game actively promotes LGBT and other forms of behavior that contradict traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. Despite receiving a formal ‘18+’ rating, the game is still popular among Russian teenagers,” the MPs said in a statement.

Therefore, saving the teenagers from the purportedly harmful influence of The Sims can be reached only if a solid alternative to the game series is offered domestically, the legislators suggested.

Such a game would apparently provide teenagers with valuable insight on how to create a traditional family, childbirth, basic Russian legislation, and so on. It was not immediately clear whether the MPs provided any concrete plan on who exactly may develop such a game, but they argued it might become a commercial success.

The fourth installment of the iconic series caused controversy in Russia early last year after its publisher, video games giant EA, announced that the ‘My Wedding Stories’ pack for The Sims 4 would not be sold in Russia. The company argued that the heavy presence of LGBT characters in its marketing may cause troubles with the Russian law. Still, it made a U-turn on the decision shortly after, promising to release the pack for the game, which already had the 18+ tag in Russia over homosexuality portrayal.

The whole affair with ‘My Wedding Stories’ ended somewhat inconclusively, since the pack was released a day before the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, with EA pulling from the Russian market entirely shortly after.

Irish actor Michael Gambon has passed away aged 82, his family said on Thursday. Gambon received multiple awards over a six-decade career, and is best known for his portrayal of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the ‘Harry Potter’ film series.

“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” the Gambon family said in a statement. “Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia.”

Already a veteran of the silver screen by 2004, Gambon endeared himself to younger audiences when he assumed the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore in ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, following the death of Richard Harris a year prior. Gambon played the Hogwarts headmaster in the five subsequent Harry Potter movies.

“We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon,” the Harry Potter social media account stated on Thursday. “He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts.”

Throughout his career, Gambon received three Tony awards, two Screen Actors Guild awards, and four BAFTAs. Gambon was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999 for services to the entertainment industry.

Gambon married mathematician Anne Miller in 1962, and the couple had one son, Fergus. The late actor also fathered two sons with girlfriend Philippa Hart, with whom he had a long-running affair.

Russian professional esports players Daniil ‘Putrick’ Abdrakhmanov and Egor ‘Swizzy’ Licko have accused Epic Games of discrimination after they were denied the prize money for winning a Fortnite championship last month because of their nationality.  

The two Russian nationals won the Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) Major 3: Chapter 4 Season 3, and were supposed to receive a $200,000 cash prize. However, Epic Games – the creators of the game and organizers of the championship – refused to pay up and even disqualified Putrick from an upcoming FNCS Copenhagen event.  

The gamer has since shared his email exchanges with Epic Games, in which he was told by company representatives that the money was withheld because he and Swizzy hailed from a ‘Prize Restricted Region’ – a designation given to Russia after it launched its military operation in Ukraine last year.   

According to FNCS rules, cited by Epic Games, players who reside in such countries are ineligible to receive prizes from events, and are effectively disqualified. Notably, the rules make no mention of a participant’s citizenship, only his “residence.”  

Additionally, Putrick revealed in an interview that his bank account is based in Kazakhstan, which is also not listed as a restricted region, meaning that transferring the $200,000 prize money should not have been an issue.  

Nevertheless, Epic Games has refused to reverse its decision and has continued to send identical responses to the pro gamer, insisting that Russian residents are not entitled to payments.  

While some have noted that Putrick and Swizzy may have yet to obtain residency status in Belarus, explaining Epic Games’ decision, others have argued that the company should have warned the gamers and not allowed them to enter the championship in the first place.  

Last year, 18-year-old Russian professional gamer Ivan ‘Pure’ Moskalenko was denied a US visa to take part in a major Dota 2 tournament after he was caught up in a scandal for drawing a ‘Z’ symbol during a competition. Moskalenko said he had “accidentally” drawn the letter used by the Russian military on an in-game minimap, after which he and his team were booted from the competition.

Back in July, Sarvjeet Tamta, lead vocalist for Indian folklore collective Rehmat-e-Nusrat, had no idea where Kazan was. Six weeks later, however, the 28-year-old and his six-member band were sharing the stage in Tatarstan, Russia, with musicians performing Russian rock, African soul, Brazilian jazz, and Chinese reggae.

When he was barely 17, Tamta took to qawwali – music associated with Islam’s mystical Sufism in South Asia – and to Kumaoni folk in his native Uttarakhand, an Indian Himalayan state. He had never traveled abroad in his career as a self-taught musician. However, fate had a surprise in store. 

In August, Amarrass Records – an Indian homegrown record label, artiste, and event management company that has worked with Rehmat-e-Nusrat since 2019 – received an email invitation from Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin, the organizer of the Kazan festival, to play in the capital of Tatarstan in central Russia. 

Rehmat-e-Nusrat is an ode to the late Pakistani qawwali exponent Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (and Tamta’s musical guru), and was one of the headline acts on the opening day on September 8 at the Kazan Family Center, where non-stop performances on two separate stages by the bands immersed the audience in the diverse genres.

Rehmat-e-Nusrat shared the stage with 150 international musicians from nine countries, such as Mali’s Vieux Farka Toure, who was part of the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa (incidentally, whose only live recording in India was at the 2011 Amarrass Desert Music Festival in Rajasthan); Afro-soul singer Nomfuzi; Armenian duduk composer Jivan Gasparyan; rock bands Kino, The Hatters, and Komsomolsk; Brazilian jazz-funk musician Joao Selva; and indie singer Zulya Kamalova, who represented her native Tatarstan and adopted homeland Australia.

Tamta and his bandmates returned to Delhi and were still reliving the “amazing Russian hospitality in the picture-postcard city of Kazan by our gracious hosts.”

The artist profusely thanked Mayor Metshin for giving Rehmat-e-Nusrat the opportunity to perform on a “global stage along with musicians from Russia, Brazil, China, Mali, Armenia, South Africa, Turkey, and Australia.”

Time was of the essence at the festival, meaning the band only managed to play two numbers – ‘Allah Hoo’ and ‘Man Kunto Maula’ – in their 23-minute stipulated slot as a tribute to Khan. A qawwali number can run up to 20-odd minutes, as the performance reaches a crescendo like the swirling dervishes of the Sufi shrines across South Asia.  

As the curtain came down on this edition of the festival – heralding the end of the bright summer season – Azat Abzalov, the head of the Department of Culture in Kazan, had already set his sights on the coming years. 

“The festival has the potential to become an exchange of ideas, an excellent way to strengthen cross-cultural understanding and attract attention to the diversity of talents,” he said.

“Amazing Russian hospitality”  

Pratyaksh Prajapati, a techie-turned-music executive with Amarrass Records, was full of praise for the organizers. 

However, Prajapati regretted their “brief stay of a little over 48 hours.”

“I wish we had more time to explore. I was awestruck by the Kazan Kremlin, a defining and enduring image of the city. It’s truly an architectural marvel along with the Kul Sharif mosque.”

Tamta fondly remembered his companion Daria, who “took us out on Bauman Street for shopping amid fickle weather, as it was raining even minutes before our performance.”

Metshin’s jovial nature struck a big chord with the band members.

“While defining our music in the press conference, I explained to him through the interpreter that our music is spiritual and connects us with the Lord… so when the mayor was asked the question by a journalist as to what he would do if it rains during the festival… he simply said he will ask Rehmat-e-Nusrat band members to speak with the Lord to stop it!” Tamta recounted fondly.

“And, as luck would have it, the rain did stop, much to the delight of the audience,” he added.

His brothers-in-arms are Deepak Kumar, a permanent fixture since the launch of Rehmat-e-Nusrat in 2014, siblings Sahil and Samir Hussain from the famous Rampur school of qawwali, Neeraj Upreti, and Anubhav Singh. All expressed gratitude to Amarrass Records for their maiden international trip.  

Amarrass Records – a musical odyssey

The label’s name is a portmanteau of two words in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit – ‘Amar’ means eternal and ‘Rass’ means the essence – and is the brainchild of Delhi-based Ashutosh Sharma – who runs a travel agency as a day job – as well as Wisconsin-settled Ankur Malhotra, a DJ and a music enthusiast. The transatlantic project is a classic example of a new-age digital venture that transcends geographical barriers and is bound by a common cause: to promote talented artists for a global audience.   

Amarrass Records is the only indigenous music label where each record is individually hand-cut on precision-crafted machinery imported from Germany and assembled in India. All the album artwork and jacket designs are also done in-house by Sharma and Malhotra, with some help friends such as Mahuaa Sen for ‘Dubfunded’, an album by electronic music producer Ravana and Rajasthani folk poet Jumme Khan.

Sharma, who dabbled in amateur theater in his youth, felt a critical gap in India’s music industry, where “95% of the regulation fare comprises Bollywood and largely belted out at big fat weddings and corporate events.”   

The label also owes its genesis to a trend in which talented musicians such as Sakhar Khan could not travel to big music festivals because of “health issues due to advanced age.”

Amarrass Music Tour is one of the label’s innovative ways to promote alternative music that aims to take an intimate audience to an artiste beyond the urban landscape. Though the concept started with Rajasthan, the Covid-19 pandemic in the interim put paid to the ambitious plans and the project is now in revival mode.    

On a similar musical tour to Uttarakhand, Sharma met Tamta at his native Almora a few years ago, and that’s how the band joined the label in 2019.

Amarrass Nights is another annual event of the label, which usually runs between September and April in Delhi.  

A brand-new season of musical soirees began on September 22 in Sunder Nursery, a 16th-century heritage park and Delhi’s first arboretum, which was restored and renovated by the Archeological Society of India and the Aga Khan Foundation, and has a seating capacity for around 2,000 music lovers.  

This year’s opening concert, organized in association with the Israel Culture Center, included a live performance by Guy Buttery, a guitarist with national treasure status in South Africa, soulful jazz reinterpreted by Israel’s Danny Kuttner, followed by a live performance of the soundtrack of a play by thespian M.K. Raina on the 14th-century Indian mystic poet and saint Sant Kabir called ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’ with contemporary pop and jazz vocals.

Buttery, Kuttner, and Tamta’s Himali Mou – the Kumaoni folk alter ego of Rehmat-e-Nusrat – are also performing at the 10th edition of the Ziro Music Festival, which will be held in the remote northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh from September 28 to October 1.

On October 14, Rehmat-e-Nusrat will be back for the second show of Amarrass Nights followed by a live performance by siblings Sreeusha and Sireesha, the young Carnatic mandolin players from Chennai. 

Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland’s latest film was released to support a supposed Russian plot to flood Poland with migrants, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski claimed during a news conference on Friday.  

Kaczynski, who summoned reporters specifically to denounce Holland’s newly-released film, ‘The Green Border’ (‘Zielona granica’), claimed the director was acting in support of an alleged Russian and Belarusian conspiracy to overwhelm Poland with migrants when she made the film, which dramatizes the arrival of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East at the border between Poland and Belarus.  

The former prime minister accused Holland of “oikophobia” – hatred of one’s own homeland – in rejecting the film, which he is not known to have seen, as “simply shameful, repulsive and disgusting.” The Polish border guards, police and military “were portrayed shamefully,” he insisted. 

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) is struggling to maintain its anti-immigration image following an alleged visas-for-cash scandal at Polish consulates in Asia and Africa. Seven people have been charged in connection with the purported fraud ring, which reportedly sold a quarter of a million work visas for thousands of dollars each.  

Kaczynski is not alone in denouncing ‘The Green Border’ sight unseen. Last week, Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro likened the film to “Nazi propaganda,” triggering lawsuit threats from Holland along with demands for an apology and a donation to a Holocaust survivors’ group.  

The Federation of European Screen Directors has backed Holland, praising the director’s “strength and courage in the face of the appalling attacks against her and the film in Poland” and rejecting Ziobro’s comments as “slanderous and unfounded.”  

The European Film Academy expressed shock at the “personal hostility and threats” toward Holland, who is its president. The Nazi comparison was particularly abhorrent because “the filmmaker is the…granddaughter of victims of the Holocaust,” the group said.  

Holland herself has said the film makes no judgment about the Polish military or border guards and avoids “black and white propaganda,” releasing a statement earlier this month decrying the out-of-context use of certain scenes by the media to rile up audiences. 

She joins a growing list of filmmakers who have been accused by Russophobic politicians of supporting Putin. Danish director Lars von Trier was attacked in the press for a social media post stating “Russian lives matter also,” while the Berlin Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival banned all entries that received funding from the Russian government last year.

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has said the British government is attempting to silence him, in his first statement since a string of sexual assault allegations against him were published by UK media last Saturday.

“By now you’re probably aware that the British government have asked Big Tech platforms to censor our online content and that some online platforms have complied with that request,” Brand said in a video statement released late on Friday on platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Rumble.

The performer was demonetized by YouTube earlier this week following the publication of a years-long investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and broadcaster Channel 4 into claims of sexual misconduct and rape. Brand denies all allegations.

“It’s clear that these [mainstream media organizations] collaborate in constructing narratives,” Brand further alleged in the three-minute video. “Whether it’s about the war or the pandemic, and of course there are other examples. It’s very clear to me that we have to be very, very cautious indeed.”

Brand’s allegations of a government-backed censorship campaign against him comes days after Chris Pavlovski, CEO of the Rumble video streaming platform, issued an open letter in response to what he referred to as a “deeply inappropriate” enquiry from UK MP Caroline Dinenage. The Conservative lawmaker had asked if Rumble intended to follow YouTube in removing Brand’s ability to generate income from content published on the website.

“Although it may be politically and socially easier for Rumble to join a cancel-culture mob, doing so would be a violation of our company’s values and mission,” Pavlovski wrote. It has been estimated that Brand had been earning about £1 million ($1.2 million) per year from YouTube prior to his suspension, distributing content to a subscriber base in excess of 6.6 million people. His initial video, in which he first referenced the allegations, has been viewed more than more 2.3 million times in the past seven days.

Brand added in the video that Rumble had demonstrated a “clear commitment to free speech” and that he intends to continue to discuss “deep state and corporate collusion” on the platform.

He made no direct mention of the allegations against him, other than to thank supporters for “questioning the information you are being presented with” during what he called an “extraordinary and distressing week.”

A teacher in Texas has been fired after assigning eighth-grade students an illustrated novel adaptation of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ containing sexual content that had not been approved as part of the curriculum by the school district.

The unnamed teacher was removed from the Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District on September 14, according to an initial report by local outlet KDFM. Education officials later notified parents in an email that the content, which they say had not been approved, will no longer be distributed to children.

“The reading of that content will cease immediately,” the email read, according to KDFM. “Your student’s teacher will communicate her apologies to you and your students soon, as she has expressed those apologies to us.”

The original ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ recounts the attempts of the 13-year-old girl and her family to evade detection in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. It is generally considered to be among the most important and historically significant literary reflections on World War II. It was published in 1947 – two years after Frank and sister died in a concentration camp.

The unedited version of Frank’s diary has been withdrawn from schools in conservative states Texas and Florida amid complaints about its sexual content. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation in 2021 that restricts how certain subjects, including race and gender, can be taught in the classroom. The state has banned more than 400 books from its schools.

Ari Folman, the artist who helped to create ‘Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation’, said in an interview with NBC News he was “devastated” that a teacher had been fired for teaching children about the historical significance of Anne Frank.

However, Clay Robison of the Texas State Teachers Association told The Guardian that it was “troubling” to see literature that has been part of accepted curriculum for decades be restricted from students.

“No teacher should be fired for teaching the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ to middle-school students,” Robison said, adding that “it is a political attack on truth. It’s not a woke agenda. It’s not a liberal agenda. It’s a truth agenda.”

Toronto-based online video-sharing platform Rumble has rejected what it called a “deeply inappropriate” question posed by a UK member of parliament who had asked if the website intended to join YouTube in demonetizing Russell Brand’s channel after a string of sexual-assault allegations were made against the actor and comedian.

In a statement issued on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Rumble chief executive Chris Pavlovski wrote that it was “deeply inappropriate and dangerous” for Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative chair of the culture, media and sport committee, to question if Brand should be permitted to publish content and earn money via the website.

“Singling out an individual and demanding [Brand’s] ban is even more disturbing given the absence of any connection between the allegations and his content on Rumble,” Pavlovski wrote. The statement added that Rumble aspires to be an online community “where no one arbitrarily dictates which ideas can or cannot be heard, or which citizens may or may not be entitled to a platform.”

Elsewhere in her letter, Conservative MP Dinenage also asked Rumble if it was taking steps to ensure that its content creators did not use the service to potentially affect victims of “inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior.”

As part of its statement, Rumble said that it has “different values” to those of YouTube, and that it was committed to supporting a “free internet.” It added that, while it might be easier to “join a cancel culture” mob, this would be a violation of the company’s ethics.

Last week, Brand was the subject of an exposé jointly published by The Times, the Sunday Times and broadcaster Channel 4 which alleged that the 48-year-old had engaged for years in sexually inappropriate activity, and included a rape allegation. Brand denies all accusations against him.

He posted a video to his various platforms, including Rumble, on the eve of the accusations being made public, to issue a denial. The video has been viewed more than 600,000 times on Rumble, where he has in excess of 1.4 million subscribers.

Rumble, which has built a reputation as a space for alternative voices, claims to be among the few “neutral” video-streaming platforms on the internet.

YouTube has suspended advertising earnings for Russell Brand, saying his channels were demonetized in order to “protect” users after multiple women accused the UK entertainer of rape and sexual assault.

The video streaming giant issued a statement on Tuesday saying it had “suspended monetization” on Brand’s several channels, which together have amassed some 7 million followers, in the wake of the allegations.

“If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” a spokesperson for the platform said, adding that Brand had violated its “creator responsibility policy.”

The decision came after British media outlets published reports citing multiple women who claimed Brand had sexually assaulted or raped them between 2006 and 2013. He has vocally denied the charges, issuing a preemptive statement calling them “very serious allegations that I absolutely refute” and part of a “coordinated attack.”

In addition to his demonetization on YouTube, the BBC later confirmed that it had removed “some” of Brand’s material from its podcasting services, claiming it fell “below public expectations.”

“There is limited content featuring Russell Brand on iPlayer and Sounds,” the state broadcaster said, adding “We’ve reviewed that content and made a considered decision to remove some of it.”

The sexual abuse accusations have prompted the UK government to reach out to TikTok, a major YouTube competitor on which Brand has some 2.3 million followers. In a letter to the platform’s director of government relations, Theo Bertram, Britain’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee asked whether Brand was still monetized on TikTok, suggesting he was using the streaming site to “undermine the welfare of victims.”

“While we recognize that TikTok is not the creator of the content published by Mr Brand,
and his content may be within the Community Guidelines set out by the platform, we are concerned that he may be able to profit from his content on the platform,” the committee said.

In a separate statement, the committee’s chair, Caroline Dinenage, added that she had contacted social media sites and news outlets in order “to understand the actions they are taking as we consider some of the issues around these allegations.”

Russian electronics stores will not sell the new Call of Duty game, titled Modern Warfare III, out of fear that in-game violence against Russian characters might break local laws, news agency RBK reported on Tuesday, citing four popular retail chains.

According to the report, retailers M.Video-Eldorado, DNS, Buka, and EMSI have all opted not to distribute the first-person shooter game, at least until they see its final version.

An official at DNS was quoted as saying that “the probability of this game containing violence against Russian citizens is very high,” which, in turn, can be viewed as a violation of the country’s hate speech laws. 

Representatives of Buka and EMSI similarly said they would refrain from selling the game during its worldwide release and would only change their mind if the game’s content does not break the law. “The probability of such content is quite high,” a representative for Buka told RBK, citing previous media reports.

Yasha Haddaji, the head of the Russian Association of Distributors and Importers of Video Games, told the news agency that the game’s marketing campaign depicts a Russian character as a villain. “The game contains calls to violence against a Russian citizen. We believe it is unacceptable,” Haddaji, the former head of Nintendo Russia, said. 

The trailer for Modern Warfare III released last month focuses on the game’s main antagonist, Vladimir Makarov, whose tattoos include an image of a roaring bear.

The series, which has had other Russian villains in the past, first stirred controversy in 2009. Modern Warfare 2 contained a level which allowed players to take part in a massacre of civilians at a Russian airport. The mission sparked outrage in Russia, eventually prompting developer Activision to remove the level from the Russian version of the game.

Multiple big-name foreign video game publishers have left Russia in the wake of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine, which was launched in February 2022. While companies and marketplaces banned digital sales in Russia, stores continue to sell physical copies of the games imported from abroad. 

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has lashed out at the UN for its “politicized” decision to recognize a prehistoric ruin in the West Bank as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

The Tell es-Sultan location outside of Jericho was nominated for the World Heritage List of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by the Palestinian Authority. It was accepted on Sunday during a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The site is an oval-shaped mound with evidence of human settlement dating back to the Neolithic era. The nomination was separate from Jericho, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The city is administered by the Palestinian Authority and serves as a significant tourist attraction.

Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s assistant director general, stressed the distinction during the meeting.

“Later historical developments, which span over millennia and are demonstrated by material remains beyond the boundaries of Tell es-Sultan, constitute a rich cultural context, worthy of historical interest and preservation, covering among others, Jewish and Christian heritage,” he remarked. “However, this is not the focus of the proposed nomination.”

The ministry will seek to “change all the distorted decisions that were made,” the short statement added.

The Jewish state captured the West Bank along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The Israeli government perceives the West Bank as the historic cradle of the Jewish people and accuses Palestinians of trying to erase the connection.

Palestine has been a UNESCO member state since 2011. The organization has since recognized three other world heritage sites in Palestine: the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem, the farmed stone terraces near Battir, and the old town of Hebron. The new entry is listed as “Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan.” Israel left UNESCO in 2019 citing its alleged pro-Palestinian bias.

The conference in Saudi Arabia added multiple new locations to the list of over 1,100 sites, including three Jewish buildings in the medieval historic center of Erfurt, Germany.

Legendary Russian poet Nikolay Dobronravov, who wrote the lyrics for the theme song of the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics and other many other hits, has died at the age of 94, his friends and colleagues announced on social media.

Dobronravov passed away at a hospital in Moscow early on Sunday after a lengthy illness, sources close to the poet told Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.

The lyricist and his wife, composer Aleksandra Pakhmutova, 93, were hospitalized with Covid-19 in late 2020. They were discharged after a month, but the poet never fully recovered after the virus. His health kept deteriorating and he could barely walk in recent months, sources said.

The song “Goodbye, our affectionate Misha!,” co-written by Dobronravov and Pakhmutova, accompanied one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history. It was performed at the closing ceremony of the Moscow Olympics in 1980 as the giant inflatable figure of the Games’ mascot – a bear, named Misha – took to the skies from Luzhniki stadium. The live broadcast from the Soviet capital captured numerous locals and foreign guests in the stands shedding tears.

Dobronravov and Pakhmutova, who were married in 1956, wrote numerous songs together, which were performed by the country’s most popular singers and are well-known and loved by Russians of all ages. He also worked with other famous composers.

Dobronravov’s death is “an irretrievable loss,” Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram page as he offered condolences to the poet’s family.

His songs “have always given strength [to people], being with them in moments of sorrow and in joy,” he wrote.

The poet will be laid to rest in Novodevichy Cemetery in the Russian capital, Sobyanin said.

A lot famous Russian artists are buried at the cemetery, including writers Anton Chekov and Mikhail Bulgakov, as well as composers Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergey Prokofiev.

British actor and comedian Russell Brand has said that he “absolutely refutes” allegations made by four women after being accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse, in an article published by The Times on Saturday. One of the quartet was aged 16 at the time of the alleged offenses.

The allegations, which the newspaper said were compiled following an investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times, and broadcaster Channel 4, detail a range of claims made against the 48-year-old related to incidents that allegedly occurred between 2006 and 2013.

One woman claims she was raped by Brand at his Los Angeles home on an unspecified date. She was treated at a rape crisis center, the Times said, citing medical records. A text message exchange seen by the newspaper shows the woman telling Brand: “When a girl say[s] NO it means no.” Brand texted in response that he was “very sorry.”

Among the other allegations, a woman claims that she was involved in an abusive relationship with Brand when he was 31 and she was 16, during which he repeatedly referred to her as “the child.” On one occasion, the woman said that Brand once “forced his penis down her throat” and that he only stopped when she punched him in the stomach.

“The relationships I had were absolutely always consensual,” Brand said, addressing a period in his life in which he said he was “very, very promiscuous” and that he has always been transparent about his past. “To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, which I absolutely deny, makes me question: is there another agenda at play?”

The Times also wrote that they had given Brand and his legal team eight days to respond to the allegations. Lawyers representing Brand wrote that their client believed the claims to reflect “a deeply concerning agenda to all this, namely the fact that he is an alternative media broadcaster competing with the mainstream media.”

Responding to Brand’s video on X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk wrote: “Of course. They don’t like competition.”

Elsewhere in the video clip, Brand noted what he called “coordinated media attacks” against outspoken figures online such as Joe Rogan “when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn’t approve of.” Rogan said in 2021 that he was taking the deworming drug ivermectin to treat Covid-19.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced the decision of the Berlin State Opera to bring back Anna Netrebko, the world-famous Russian soprano previously “canceled” for refusing to denounce her country.

“The voice of Ukraine in Germany should be heard louder than the soprano Anna Netrebko,” the ministry said in a Facebook post. The ministry also revealed that Kiev had made efforts to prevent the Russian singer from performing in Berlin, but its efforts were “not met with the proper response.”

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden, as the Berlin opera is officially named, announced at the end of August that it intended to resume cooperation with Netrebko, noting that she has not performed in Russia recently.

Netrebko was among the Russian artists “canceled” in the West after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. The Metropolitan Opera in New York City dropped her after she refused to “repudiate her public support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. She won a $200,000 arbitration claim against the Met in March 2023, but has sued them for another $360,000 in damages since.

The Krasnodar-born Netrebko began performing in 1994, and made her international debut the following year. She has since become famous for her roles as Natasha Rostova in ‘War and Peace’, Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’, Rosina in ‘The Barber of Seville’ and Lucia di Lammermoor in Donzinetti’s opera of the same name. Russia honored her with the title of People’s Artist in 2008.

Three of the ‘Miss Ukraine 2023’ contestants were disqualified and two more withdrew on Wednesday. The exits came after the pageant set up an “ethics review” board to investigate claims by a local comedian that some of the women had connections to Russia. 

The organizers did not clarify who exactly was purged and for what kind of violations. According to the Russian Telegram channel Mash, two more contestants voluntarily withdrew from the pageant. Their names were also not disclosed.

“Based on the results of [an] investigation conducted by a special ethics board, we inform you that the unethical facts regarding the contest participants have unfortunately been confirmed. Therefore, the committee is forced to exclude three participants from the competition,” the pageant organizers said in an Instagram post on Wednesday evening. 

Miss Ukraine cited “great demand of the public” to set up the board on Tuesday, adding that it reserves the right to disqualify contestants based on the results of its investigations.

“We are sincerely grateful for all the information that comes to us. It is also important that each of us separate unsubstantiated words from real facts, apply critical thinking and verify information coming from various sources,” the organizers added.

The drama began on Monday, when Ukrainian comedian and social media personality Andrey Luzan wrote on his Instagram about the connections some ‘Miss Ukraine 2023’ contestants may have with Russia.

Luzan claimed that one of the models, Ksenia Magera, is “friends with Russians” and has visited a restaurant owned by Russian businessman Arkady Novikov, who previously had close ties to President Vladimir Putin. Magera used to live in Moscow, took part in the ‘Future of Russia’ contest, and has continued to communicate with Russian models even after moving to Dubai last year, Luzan said.

Luzan also claimed that many of the contestants “attend parties of Russian oligarchs as escorts in Courchevel,” the posh French ski resort, though he did not name any names.

Other social media users piled on, accusing the aspiring beauty queens of insufficient patriotism for using Russian on social media, or earning income from sources linked to Russia.

One of this summer’s biggest Hollywood blockbusters, ‘Barbie’, has been leaked in full to the Russian YouTube alternative called RuTube. The film was not officially released in Russia, as Western movie studios left the country due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The full 1 hour, 54-minute movie was uploaded to the video hosting site in 1080p quality and featuring a full Russian dub. The leak came a day before the film’s planned international digital release.

Last week, several movie theaters across Russia also started showing pirated copies of the film with tickets as low as 280 rubles (around $3). Some cinemas, according to Telegram channel Baza, also showed ‘Barbie’ as well as Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ under code names such as ‘Quick Dates’ and ‘Dubak’ (extreme cold), respectively.

Late last month, Russia’s Culture Ministry stated that it would not order the licensing of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, explaining that neither of the films meets the “goals and objectives set by the head of state to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.”

The ministry noted that there are plenty of high-quality domestic films, such as the family comedy ‘Cheburashka’ – a Soviet-era cartoon character with big ears – available in Russia.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with RT in May that if major Hollywood studios and other Western businesses leave the Russian market, then he would have no problem with Russians pirating Western intellectual property.

Medvedev has also called on Russians to “find proper pirates and download everything from them” in order to inflict “maximum damage” and cause Western companies that left Russia to go broke.

Ukraine has lashed out at a Chinese opera singer who performed a Russian song in a ruined theater in the Donbass city of Mariupol, while demanding an explanation from Beijing. The controversy has resulted in a different Chinese singer mistakenly receiving death threats.

On Thursday, Denis Pushilin, the head of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said he had welcomed several Chinese bloggers and media figures, including opera star Wang Fan. He also shared a clip of Wang singing a Russian folk song called Katyusha, which is widely regarded as one of the symbols of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. She was shown standing in the ruins of Mariupol’s Academic Regional Drama Theater, which was badly damaged in March 2022 when Russian troops were besieging the city.

The video sparked outrage in Kiev, with Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko saying that Wang sang in a place where “the Russian army killed 600 innocent people,” and branding the show a “complete moral degradation.”

The spokesman also said the arrival of Chinese bloggers in the city – which Ukraine still claims as its own – was “illegal.” Nikolenko stressed that Kiev “respects China’s territorial integrity” and expects Beijing to explain the purpose of the Chinese citizens’ stay in Mariupol, as well as how they entered the city.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, the controversy has spilled over to another Chinese singer, Ying Fang, who was apparently mistaken for Wang. The soprano said she had been receiving “life-threatening messages and comments about an event that completely has nothing to do with me.”

The Mariupol theater was severely damaged early in the Ukraine conflict, with Moscow and Kiev trading accusations over who was to blame. Ukraine claimed the theater, which was sheltering a large number of civilians, was targeted by a Russian airstrike. Moscow has denied the allegation, claiming the building was blown up by Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.

Celebrity and influencer Kim Kardashian has penned an op-ed calling on US President Joe Biden to prevent “another Armenian genocide” from taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over the territory in 2020, and Yerevan now claims that Azeri forces are trying to starve its population into submission.

“Since December of last year, Azerbaijan has blockaded the only lifeline between the indigenous Christian Armenians of Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) and the rest of the world,” Kardashian and Armenian-American doctor Eric Esrailian wrote in Rolling Stone magazine on Friday. 

An Armenian enclave within Azeri territory, Nagorno-Karabakh is linked to Armenia by the Lachin corridor. This mountain road allowed vital supplies to reach Nagorno-Karabakh’s approximately 120,000 Armenian residents, until it was blockaded by environmental activists last year. Baku claims that alternate routes exist, but Yerevan appealed to the UN Security Council last month for assistance in lifting the blockade.

Amid reports of a buildup of Azeri troops on Nagorno-Karabakh’s borders, Armenian officials have sought Western protection. Despite Armenia being a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), its government has sent aid money to Ukraine, announced military exercises with the US, and begun ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which would place the country under obligation to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to travel there.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed that Moscow was “abandoning the [South Caucasus] region,” and that Russian peacekeepers were “unable or unwilling” to control the Lachin corridor.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador in Moscow on Friday to strongly protest Yerevan’s overtures to the West. The ministry has called the actions of Pashinyan’s government “unfriendly,” and said that it “firmly believes that Russia and Armenia remain allies.”

Biden has not commented on the Lachin blockade, or on Yerevan’s claims of an impending conflict.

A yoga class in the English county of Lincolnshire was briefly thought to be the scene of a grisly “ritual mass murder” when members of the community alerted the police after mistaking a group of meditating yogis as being victims of a killing spree.

Five police cars arrived at the North Sea Observatory in Skegness on Wednesday evening after dog walkers raised the alarm to a group of seven people lying prone on the ground in a dimly lit room, with an eighth person walking around their apparently lifeless bodies.

However, unbeknownst to the alarm raisers, the group was practicing shavasana, sometimes known as the corpse pose – a position often used at the end of a yoga session in which people lie on their backs and slip into a deep meditative state.

“They reported to the police that they’d seen somebody walking around in a room lit up with candles and what looked like dead people lying all over the floor,” yoga teacher Millie Laws told the Washington Post. “The couple thought it was some sort of ritual mass killing.”

The Seascape Cafe, which was hosting the yoga class at the North Sea Observatory, posted to social media on Thursday to thank the police for their prompt response to the scene. “Dear General Public,” the statement said, “Please be mindful that the Observatory has lots of yoga classes happening in the evenings. We are not part of any mad cult or crazy clubs.”

Speaking to the Washington Post in comments published on Friday, Laws said that she couldn’t help but laugh at the idea that she had been briefly suspected of being responsible for what would have been one of the worst massacres in recent UK history.

“It’s hilarious,” the 22-year-old, who only moved to the town three months ago, reacted. “On the flip side, these people were managing to enter such a deep state of relaxation that – although it’s awful to compare it to death – they look so relaxed and comfortable.

“I mean, you can say the medication worked, though it’s definitely ironic they were in corpse pose,” she said.

Danny Masterson, the American actor best known for playing the character Steven Hyde on the long-running US sitcom ‘That 70s Show’, was imprisoned on Thursday for 30 years to life following his conviction in May for the rape of two women in his Los Angeles home 20 years ago.

Los Angeles superior court Judge Charlaine Olmedo issued Masterson, 47, with two terms of 15 years to be served consecutively. Masterson’s lawyers failed in a bid to hold a new trial, as well as to have the two convictions run concurrently.

“Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here,” Judge Olmedo said in court after hearing emotional statements from the women at the center of the case. “Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that’s why you are here.”

In May, a jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape following seven days of deliberation. A verdict could not be reached on a third count which alleged that Masterson had also raped a former girlfriend.

“You relish in hurting women,” one of the women said, addressing Masterson in court on Thursday as part of a victim impact statement. “It is your addiction. It is without question your favorite thing to do.”

Throughout the trial, prosecutors had argued that Masterson had used his status as a prominent member of the Church of Scientology to avoid accountability for his actions. The three women – who were all members of the church at the time – each testified in court that they had been discouraged from notifying police by figures in the church.

In a statement, the Church of Scientology said it had “no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone – Scientologists or not – to law enforcement.”

Hailing the verdict, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said that “justice was finally served,” and added that his top priority was to “ensure that Los Angeles will no longer be a hunting ground for Hollywood elites who feel entitled to prey on women.”

Masterson maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings and his attorneys have indicated that they plan to appeal the sentence.

Police in Nevada are investigating the death of an individual during a storm at the Burning Man festival. Access to the festival site remains barred due to swamp-like conditions, and attendees have been advised to conserve food and water.

In a statement on Saturday evening, the Pershing County Sheriff's Office said that it is "currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event.” No details on the person’s identity or suspected cause of death were provided.

Festivalgoers were instructed to conserve food and water in case the terrain does not dry up by Monday, and reports from the festival on Sunday indicate that toilets have become unusable. 

Pershing County Sheriff's Sergeant Nathan Carmichael told local media that around 70,000 people are stuck at the site. Those leaving Burning Man on foot can hike five miles (8 kilometers) to the closest highway and catch shuttle buses to the city of Reno, some 100 miles (160km) away.

Billed as a celebration of community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance, Burning Man was founded in 1986 with the torching of an 8-foot wooden man on San Francisco’s Baker Beach. It has been held in the Black Rock Desert since 1990, and draws hippies, celebrities, influencers, and tech billionaires. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos are among the many business elites who attended the festival in recent years.

Jimmy Buffett, best known for his 1977 hit Margaritaville, passed away on Friday at the age of 76, an obituary posted on his website reads. US President Joe Biden extended his condolences to the musician’s family, who he described as a “poet of paradise.”

The statement on Buffett’s website and social media accounts said that “Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs.”

“He lived his life like a song till the very last breath,” it added.

Buffett recorded several albums starting from the early 1970s, none of which resulted in much popularity, before hitting it big with ‘Margaritaville’ from his 1977 album ‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’.

By this time, the singer had created his own unique style, blending country, folk rock, and calypso, which critics dubbed ‘tropical rock’, and Buffett himself once described as “drunken Caribbean rock and roll.”

His lyrics typically dealt with the carefree beach lifestyle – Margaritaville being a prime example. However, the song concludes on a more serious note, as he ponders whether a failed relationship was his own fault.

In April this year, Margaritaville was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

Commenting on the recognition at the time, Buffett said he was lucky to have “put [his] thumb on the pulse of something that people can connect with.”

Over his decades-long career, the musician released more than 30 records, with more than half certified as gold or platinum.

Commenting on Buffett’s passing, Biden posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), in which he hailed the musician as an “American music icon who inspired generations to step back and find the joy in life and in one another.”

He added that Buffett was “full of goodwill and joy, using his gift to bring people together,” both on stage and in life.

Many of us spend an entire lifetime trying to get famous. But in today’s social media-obsessed world, an arguably bigger achievement isn’t making it in Hollywood or winning an Oscar – it’s becoming a meme. 

Luckily for Jason Statham (and at the risk of getting him canceled by the Western media), he’s both a movie icon and now something else – a “Great Russian philosopher.”

Confused? So are many of his English-speaking fans. One look at Statham’s comment section on Instagram will have you baffled. Hundreds and hundreds of Russian comments have been flooding the actor’s posts since May.

“Is he Russian?” one user asks under a snap of ‘The Transporter’ actor. “Seriously, what’s with all Russian comments here, what’s going on?” queries another.

So, I took it upon myself to put all the non-Russian speakers out of their misery.

In a nutshell, it’s no secret that Statham is known for his portrayal as the tough-as-nails masculine macho man in action-thrillers such as ‘The Mechanic’, ‘The Expendables’, and the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise. The characters are often so macho and impossible to kill off that they become the target of mockery and parody – so much so that screenwriters have since embraced the ridicule and integrated sarcasm and senseless quotes.

For example, Statham’s character in the film ‘Spy’ says ever so calmly: “I watched the woman I love get tossed from a plane and hit by another plane mid-air. I drove a car off a freeway on top of a train while on fire. Not the car: I was on fire.”

His character in ‘The Transporter’ says “you don’t need your mouth to pee,” while in ‘The Transporter 2’ he observes “have a good life… what’s left of it” to a henchman just before he kills him.

Of course, it helps that Statham’s dry British humor and his ability to perform the roles with his trademark pokerface have made him one of the leading men in Hollywood – and an even bigger star, it seems, in Russia.

One Statham fan explains: “There were loads of [VKontakte] communities (similar to Facebook) for ‘real men’with tips and secrets how to be a real man and quotes of famous guys, and Jason Statham was one of the most popular authors of those quotes.

“Even though there was no real proof that he’d really said any of those words, it became a meme. You can literally say any phrase that will sound like advice and add Jason Statham there,” he adds.

Indeed, the fact that Statham’s real-life character mirrors many aspects of his Hollywood roles makes his portrayal in the movies, and the memes, even more relatable.

From practicing Chinese martial arts, kickboxing and karate, to selling fake perfume and jewelry on street corners, Statham is the ultimate self-made alpha male icon – and the ideal target for a meme, it turns out.

Some of the made-up quotes credited to Statham under his Instagram posts include: “A weak man looks for excuses. A strong man has prepared them in advance,” and “If you get lost in the woods, then go home,” as well as “If you have fallen, get up. If you get up, get down.”

But he’s not just a “Great Russian philosopher.” As one fan pointed out, “also Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen and Tajik enjoy these jokes. Most probably all the post-Soviet Union countries are enjoying them.”

Yet besides drawing in millions of Russian fans to Statham’s account – the number of comments on his posts has risen from around 4,000 to a staggering 14,000 under some pictures – the memes have had another surprising effect on his English-speaking fans. Some now want to take up the Russian language and head over to the country to visit.

“I need to learn Russian as quickly as possible,” says one. “It’s worth it,” another says, while one follower writes: “I’m planning to visit Russia soon and I’ve always wanted to learn Russian because it sounds really cool.”

So, could Jason Statham make Russia cool again in the West? He may be the action hero Russia never knew it needed. Either way, I’m just glad Russians have made English-speakers eager to understand our world a little bit better – even if it’s just over an inside joke.

Tens of thousands of attendees at the internationally renowned Burning Man festival have become trapped in their camps in the Nevada desert after a slow-moving rainstorm turned the festival terrain into a muddy swamp.

Roads in and out of the popular event were closed as of Saturday afternoon, and airline and bus services were suspended.

The organizers described the unusual weather conditions as “treacherous” and urged the ‘burners’ to shelter in place, warning that the “adverse weather conditions will continue.”

“The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in BRC, conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space. More updates to come”, Burning Man Traffic tweeted on Saturday afternoon.

🚨#BREAKING: Burning Man Festival Declares National Emergency as over 73,000 Campers are trapped Urged to Shelter in Place Amid Flooding Crisis

📌#Blackrock | #Nevada

Currently, more than 73,000 festival attendees and campers are trapped with no access in or out of the… pic.twitter.com/gMxoFiFKdm

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) September 2, 2023

According to local media, more than 73,000 people attended the festival this year. However it remains unclear if they will be able to leave at the scheduled end of the event, known as Exodus, on Monday, and if not, whether they have sufficient supplies.

Some attendees are reportedly concerned about keeping food at safe temperatures, as some generators are unable to run due to the weather. Ice is reportedly being rationed.

ADD'L SWAMPED BURNING MAN FOOTAGE pic.twitter.com/TlNycd9A5P

— iBankCoin, A Reliable Source (@iBankCoin4tw) September 3, 2023

Concerns were also raised regarding the servicing of the portable toilets. Burning Man Radio hosts have urged people to not "use the playa as a bathroom.”

Burning man got rained on.

pic.twitter.com/VZDd41PgrW

— Johnny (@tallyman2023) September 3, 2023

Wi-Fi and cellphone service are virtually nonexistent in the remote area, and few people have access to satellite internet for updates.

The event is dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance, culminating in the torching of a 40-foot effigy. The practice originated with the burning of an 8-foot wooden man in 1986 on San Francisco’s Baker Beach, which evolved into the annual event in the Black Rock Desert.

Due to the unfavorable weather conditions, all Saturday burns, including that of the Man effigy, were “postponed indefinitely.”

Games publisher Activision has announced that it will use artificial intelligence to listen in on the voice chat of ‘Call of Duty’ players and punish anyone using “hate speech” or “discriminatory language.” 

The feature was rolled out on Wednesday for US players of Call Of Duty’s ‘Modern Warfare II’ and ‘Warzone’ titles, and will be launched globally with ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’ on November 10.

Activision’s announcement made no distinction between private chat among teammates and public chat audible to all players in a server. Presumably, both will be subject to the same monitoring.

Call Of Duty’s code of conduct bans insults based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, culture, faith, and country of origin. Players deemed to have breached this code of conduct will be punished with temporary voice chat restrictions, temporary account bans, or permanent bans for repeat offenders, Activision said.

Around 90 million gamers worldwide play Call of Duty every month. At present, Activision depends on reports from other players and text chat monitoring to weed out allegedly “toxic” conduct. According to the developer, around one million accounts have been penalized since the launch of ‘Modern Warfare II’ last October.

Purging “hate speech” from Call of Duty will likely please the US military, which reportedly planned on using the game to recruit women and minorities. While the Pentagon identified Call of Duty as a “potentially useful branding and recruiting tool,” it canceled a deal to sponsor in-game ads and an esports tournament at historically black universities in the US when allegations of sexual harassment within Activision surfaced in late 2021.

German authorities have dropped their sexual assault investigation into Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, it was announced on Tuesday. The probe was launched after several women alleged that Lindemann had made sexual advances toward them at private parties.

In a statement, the Berlin prosecutor’s office said the investigation had not provided any evidence of wrongdoing, including allegations that Lindermann had used drugs to incapacitate the women.

The authorities added that they had terminated a similar investigation into Alena Makeeva, a former member of Rammstein’s management, whom the accusers had named as arranging Lindemann’s parties.

Commenting on the decision, the rock artist’s legal team said it demonstrated that there was no evidence that Lindemann had committed sexual offenses.

That same month, the Berlin prosecutor’s office revealed that it had launched an investigation into Lindermann “on allegations relating to sexual offenses and the distribution of narcotics.”

In May, Shelby Lynn, a fan from Northern Ireland, claimed that during a Rammstein concert in Vilnius, Lithuania she had been invited to a private party with Lindermann. The 24-year-old alleged that she had felt drugged up after consuming a drink there, and that the singer had suggested having sex. According to Lynn’s account, Lindermann reacted aggressively after she refused his advances.

Lynn later acknowledged that a urine test had shown no trace of a date-rape drug. She also tweeted: “I’d like to clarify again. Till did NOT touch me. He accepted I did not want to have sex with him. I never claimed he raped me.”

Several other women later came forward with similar claims against the singer.

In June, prosecutors in Vilnius refused to open an investigation into the Rammstein frontman after finding no evidence of wrongdoing.

Officials in Berlin said that documents provided by Lithuanian authorities had shown that Lindemann was not guilty of the claims against him.

Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy has learned that his love for Eminem apparently isn’t reciprocated, as the rapper has demanded that the upstart US politician stop using his music at campaign events.

Music licenser BMI has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Ramaswamy campaign’s lawyer, raising the specter of legal action if he continues to play Eminem’s music. The letter, dated August 23 and later obtained by the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper, was sent at Eminem’s request.

“BMI has received a communication from Marshall B. Mathers III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions” and asking the company to exclude his songs from its licensing agreement with the candidate, the letter said.

Ramaswamy’s association with Eminem’s music was made famous earlier this month, while the candidate was campaigning at the Iowa State Fair alongside Governor Kim Reynolds. Asked by the governor to name his favorite “walkout” song, he quickly chose Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself.’ When the song started playing, the 38-year-old Ramaswamy rapped along. A video of his performance went viral on social media.

“Vivek just got on the stage and cut loose,” Ramaswamy’s campaign said in a statement about the BMI letter. “To the American people's chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real ‘Slim Shady.’”

Ramaswamy, who has emerged as one of the top-polling Republican candidates behind former President Donald Trump in the 2024 race, told the New York Times earlier this month that he used to rap during his days as a college student at Harvard University. He performed under the name 'Da Vek the Rapper.' He also told the newspaper of his love for Eminem.

“I did not grow up in the circumstances he did, but the idea of being an underdog, people having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me,” he said.

The 38-year-old tech entrepreneur is trying to replicate Donald Trump’s 2016 success as a political outsider who storms onto the scene from the business world. He has followed in Trump’s footsteps in at least one aspect: running into controversy over his campaign music. More than a dozen recording artists, ranging from the Rolling Stones to Rihanna, demanded that Trump stop using their music on the campaign trail in both 2016 and 2020.

Rock star Brandon Flowers has said that he faced an “impossible situation” during a recent concert in Georgia, in which the crowd turned on the band for inviting a Russian fan on stage to play drums.

The Killers were playing at the Black Sea Arena in Batumi this month when Flowers spotted a fan with a sign reading “If destiny is kind, I’ll be your drummer tonight.” Flowers invited the fan on stage, and upon learning he was from Russia, asked the crowd “are you OK with a Russian coming up here? I’m alright with it.”

The crowd responded with boos and jeers, which grew in intensity after Flowers told them that all The Killers fans are “brothers and sisters.” When their set was finished, the band left the stage without saying goodbye.

The band issued an apology to the crowd after the show. “We recognize that a comment, meant to suggest that all of the Killers’ audience and fans are ‘brothers and sisters’ could be misconstrued,” it read. “We did not mean to upset anyone and we apologize. We stand with you and hope to return soon.”

A former Soviet republic, Georgia is split between those who view Russia as an “aggressor” after the 2008 war over South Ossetia and Abkhazia – and side with Ukraine and NATO in the current conflict – and those who want to maintain their cultural and economic ties with Russia. 

US conservatives are crying foul over the hostile reception they say the media has shown for a blockbuster movie about child sex trafficking. But have they misconstrued legitimate criticism with yet another right-wing conspiracy theory?

The movie ‘Sound of Freedom’ has made waves in America. It’s a thriller based on the real-life adventures of Tim Ballard, a former DHS agent who launched Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), a nonprofit organization devoted to rescuing children from sex trafficking rings.

‘Sound of Freedom’ is one of those groundbreaking films that almost dare audiences not to like it. The gut-wrenching production by Mexican director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde throws a haunting spotlight on the child sex trafficking industry. As far as criminal activities go, human trafficking is now second only to the illegal drug trade in terms of raw profits in the US. According to data collected by the International Labour Organization, there were 24.9 million victims of human trafficking in 2016, of which 3.3 million were children. To put that stark figure another way, there are more people enslaved now, whether for labor or sex, than there were when slavery was deemed a legal trade.

Despite those sobering statistics, the sleeper hit movie has managed to attract no shortage of detractors. That should come as no surprise considering that the American heartland is fractured down the middle, with God-fearing conservatives on the one side and progressive liberals on the other in an eternal cultural war that takes no prisoners. On top of that, we are just one year away from yet another US presidential election. In other words, the venal world of politics has successfully derailed the crucial message of this film, which is simply the protection of children, who, it goes without saying, are equally precious to Democrats and Republicans alike.

So much for an impartial movie review, and it went downhill from there. The article went on to question the judgment of the film’s star, James Caviezel, who in the past has purportedly endorsed wild claims by the QAnon conspiracy that members of ‘the elite’ prey on children, not least to harvest their blood. Regrettably, ABC opted for cheap clickbait as opposed to focusing on the merits of the film itself, not to mention the gravity of the human trafficking situation.  

CNN, meanwhile, seemed determined to radically play down the undeniable fact that the child sex trafficking industry is a serious problem. To support this view, the channel brought on Mike Rothschild, author of ‘The World’s Worst Conspiracy Theories’, to settle the score. But in doing so, the guest unwittingly made the case for such films.

“These films are created out of moral panic, they’re created out of bogus statistics, they’re created out of fear,” Rothschild said. “And with something like ‘Sound of Freedom’ it is specifically looking at QAnon concepts of these child trafficking rings that are run by the high-level elites, and only people like Tim Ballard and only people like Jim Caviezel, and by extension only people like the ticket buyer can help bring these trafficking rings down. So there’s a very participatory element. You’re not just going to see a movie… you are helping to bring down these pedophile rings and save children. Now it’s not true, but it’s a very comforting and warm feeling to have.”

Ballard, the former DHS investigator who risked everything to save children, stated for the record that every victim and predator represented in the film was based on true stories, and called it “sick” for critics to lump the production together with conspiracy theories.

“This is just some other agenda, who would want to get the backs or run interference for pedophiles and human traffickers? That’s the more important question in all this. Why would you want to lie to push an agenda whose goal is to have children be in captivity? It’s kind of sick,” Ballard told Fox News. 

This brings us to the question: why have the major streaming companies, such as Netflix and Amazon, refrained from showing this film that promotes a very worthy cause? After all, these companies wasted no time signing up the hugely controversial 2020 French film, ‘Cuties’, featuring provocatively-dressed, twerking 11-year-old girls. Ironically, when ‘Cuties’ was released, QAnon conspiracy theorists claimed Netflix was distributing child porn and started tweeting about it with the hashtag #SaveTheChildren.

Meanwhile, many American conservatives argue they will never get a balanced review from Hollywood and the media due to the “anti-Christian slant” that they believe is working in the shadows against them. Caviezel believes ‘Sound of Freedom’ would win the Oscar for Best Picture “in a fair world,” Dexerto reported, but, just like ‘The Passion of the Christ’, the Academy “won’t touch it” due to anti-Christian bias.

Although such sentiments are tricky to prove, one need only reflect upon the dearth of religious Hollywood films – in a nation with 210 million Christians, or about 63% of the total population – to get the feeling that there just might be something to the argument. And considering that Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’, which reeled in $370 at the domestic box office, is the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, it certainly can’t be argued that there is no market for faith-based productions in the US.

“It is worth noting that the movie took creative liberties in depicting the different methods of child trafficking,” wrote distribution company Angel Studios. “While instances do exist where children are transported in various vehicles, the majority of trafficking occurs through a manipulative grooming process.” 

All things considered, it is vital to know how the majority of children are made victims to predators. At the same time, however, leveling criticism at this film for taking “creative liberties,” while introducing a subject that has been forever treated as taboo by the entertainment industry, appears to be the height of cynicism. After all, it would be nearly impossible to name a single Hollywood production that is not guilty of the very same charges.

The creators of this film, who have taken no small risk in exposing the dangerous trade in human flesh, deserve all the awards and trophies Hollywood has at its disposal. After all, it’s films like this that truly have the potential to change the world into a much better place, most of all for its most vulnerable inhabitants. This is probably something that both conservatives and liberals can agree on. It’s just unfortunate that politics has disrupted a vital message important to all Americans. Again.   

Award-winning Danish director Lars von Trier has been attacked in the press and on social media after a post he made asserting that “Russian lives matter also!” went viral on Wednesday.

The ‘Dancer in the Dark’ and ‘Antichrist’ filmmaker took to Instagram to react to a meeting between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, both of whom posed for photographs inside an F-16 jet fighter.

“Like someone head over heels in love, [they] posed in the cockpit of one of the scariest killing machines of our time, grinning from ear to ear,” von Trier wrote, responding to the news that Denmark would be donating F-16s to Ukraine after Zelensky had demanded them for months.

Von Trier’s post was quickly slammed by the Ukrainian government. National Security and Defense Council head Aleksey Danilov posted a screenshot of the text to X (formerly Twitter), declaring that “behind every living Russian terrorist, there is a dead Ukrainian,” while insisting that Ukraine exists “in a cruel reality in which Russians are murderers.”

“The choice between the executioner and the victim becomes a tragedy when the artist chooses the side of the executioner,” Danilov wrote. He went on to advise the renowned filmmaker to imagine that “it is a Russian missile that is flying into his city every day,” rather than engage in “hypocritical ‘humanism.’” 

Von Trier hit back with a reminder that he was “just stating the obvious: that all lives in this world matter!” 

“A forgotten phrase it seems, from a time when pacifism was a virtue,” the director added.

Russia has repeatedly denied Kiev’s claim that its troops were targeting civilians, accusing the Ukrainian military of indiscriminately using Western-supplied weapons, including cluster munitions, against civilians in Donbass and elsewhere in Russia. 

Denmark and the Netherlands have committed to deliver F-16s to Ukraine by January after receiving permission from the US. Zelensky has been touring other European countries, including Sweden, to attempt to secure more jets in the hope of salvaging the ongoing offensive, which has so far failed to win significant ground for Ukraine.  According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Kiev has lost upwards of 43,000 troops since the offensive began in early June.

Rocker Alice Cooper described “gender-affirming” medical procedures for children as a “fad” in an interview with Stereogum magazine on Wednesday, drawing criticism from Billboard and other establishment outlets. 

Cooper, whose on-stage look features theatrical costumes, long hair and plenty of eyeliner, acknowledged that “there are cases of transgender,” but argued it was “also a fad,” with “a lot of people claiming to be this just because they want to be that.”  

He criticized adults who he said are planting the idea in children’s heads and confusing them at a vulnerable time, explaining: “You’re still trying to find your identity, and yet here’s this thing going on, saying, ‘Yeah, but you can be anything you want. You can be a cat if you want to be.’” 

Cooper, whose real name is Vincent Furnier, continued with a broader swipe at “the whole woke thing,” questioning who was “making the rules” that imposed politically-correct neologisms on the English-speaking population. 

While the interviewer mentioned other glam rockers who had opined on the trans issue and then eaten their words after public backlash, Cooper insisted he was not being “old school” in his views but simply “logical,” arguing his opinions were those of the vast majority.  

The 75-year-old rock star said that biological males identifying as women could pose a threat to women and girls in public bathrooms, saying that a predator could “just say ‘I just feel like I’m a woman today’ and have the time of his life in there.” 

“Somebody’s going to get raped,” he warned. Transgender activists have attempted to downplay such incidents, and a Virginia school district even moved a supposedly gender-nonconforming pupil who assaulted a girl in the restroom to another school – only for him to reoffend.  

Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley was excoriated earlier this year over comments on the “dangerous fad” of gender-affirming care for children.  

When Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider retweeted those comments, he was similarly attacked and even had his invitation to march as a grand marshal with the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade retracted due to his alleged transphobia, despite insisting he supports the community.

The Australian authorities have decided to drop a case against American actress Amber Heard over allegations that she feigned ignorance while explaining in court how her two Yorkshire terriers sneaked their way into the country in a breach of strict biosecurity regulations almost ten years ago.

In a statement on Tuesday, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry announced that “prosecution action will not be taken against… Heard over allegations related to her sentencing for the illegal import of two dogs into Australia in 2015.” The agency noted that the decision was made by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions after it was provided with a brief of evidence.

The dog saga started in May 2015 when Heard and her ex-husband and Hollywood star Johnny Depp brought two Yorkshire terriers – Pistol and Boo – into Australia, where Depp was filming the fifth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The dogs, which flew on the couple’s private jet, never spent the required ten days in quarantine, with the authorities learning about the violation only after a local groomer posted pictures of the pets on social media.

However, in 2020, as part of another lawsuit, a former Depp employee, Kevin Murphy, told a London court a different story. He claimed that Heard had been repeatedly warned that she could not bring the dogs to Australia without complying with a strict set of rules. These allegations sparked an investigation by the Australian authorities into a possible perjury offense by Heard.

The 37-year-old actress escaped being embroiled in yet another case after a lengthy legal battle with her former husband, Johnny Depp. As the pair was going through divorce proceedings in 2016, Heard accused Depp of domestic abuse, with both actors suing one another for defamation. In 2022, a Virginia jury ruled in favor of Depp, with Heard’s suit being largely dismissed.

The same Instagram account Danish film director Lars von Trier used to solicit a muse earlier this month has posted a message in response to Copenhagen’s promise to send fighter jets to Kiev.

“Russian lives matter also,” the Instagram post said in Danish, with an English translation appended in the caption. 

It was addressed to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, described as someone who, “like someone head over heels in love, posed in the cockpit of one of the scariest killing machines of our time, grinning from ear to ear.”

Frederiksen and Zelensky famously posed for the cameras inside an F-16 on Sunday. Denmark has promised Ukraine 19 of the US-made fighter jets.

The 67-year-old von Trier is Denmark’s best-known filmmaker, famous for movies such as ‘Antichrist’, ‘Melancholia’, ‘Nymphomaniac Vols. I and II’, and ‘Dogville’.

Denmark and the Netherlands have led the push to arm Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, despite Russia’s warnings that this would escalate the conflict. Copenhagen has already started training some Ukrainian pilots, while the Dutch have pledged to deliver an unspecified number of the fighters at a future date, with Washington’s blessing.