European Union to Ban Russia Today and Sputnik, Close Airspace as President Putin Threatens Nuclear Action

Metropolitan Opera after her support for Vladimir Putin resurfaced amid Russia’s devastating invasion of Ukraine.Netrebko, 50, is one of the opera’s highest grossing box office superstars and her exit is a major blow to the Manhattan cultural establishment.“It is a great artistic loss for the Met and for opera,” Met General Manager Peter Gelb announced in a statement on Thursday. “Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine, there was no way forward.”Gelb said last Sunday that the Met would not continue to associate with artists who support Putin.

Russia's assault on Ukraine has been revealed in devastating before and after photos of the city of Kharkiv.Kharkiv has been brutalised by heavy bombardments all week as Vladimir Putin attempts to seize the important city Located in northeastern Ukraine, around 250 miles east of capital city Kyiv, the city sits close to the Russian border and is known as "one of the most important cultural and educational centres of Ukraine". This along with its strategic importance have made it one of Putin's top targets in its invasion so far.Horrific photos from the besieged city show that its architecture has been all but destroyed by the Russian airstrikes which President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as 'war crimes'.Many of its key landmarks, including Freedom Square and the Opera House, have been hit as Ukrainian troops defend the city.In one startling image, the Karazin Kharkiv National University can be seen completely shelled to pieces.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is coming under intense backlash and criticism.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has unleashed a band of mercenaries renowned for war atrocities known as the Wagner Group into the conflict.While the world has marvelled at the brave Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion, Vladimir Putin has quietly slipped the elite group of killers into the country with President Zelensky their number one target.The shadowy organisation is believed to be owned by Putin's close friend Dmitry Utkin and has served as a private military in many of the world's bloodiest conflicts including Syria and the 2014 Donbas conflict. Perhaps in a bid to hammer home that they're the bad guys, the group's insignia bears a skull in the crosshairs of a gun - nice.

Good afternoon Insider team. Max Goldbart back in the saddle for your weekly dose of news as the Russia/Ukraine invasion continues to have huge ramifications for the film and TV world and vice versa.

Vladimir Putin has displayed a distinctive walk, which could be linked to KGB training.

Russian armada has been spotted lurking in the Black Sea and advancing toward Odessa, with fears that the Ukrainian port is Vladimir Putin's next target.The Ukrainian defence ministry warned that invading forces could be prepping for a possible attack.A Russian invasion of Ukraine's third largest city could open a corridor to Kyiv from the south for Russian forces to move through.Landing ships capable of launching tanks and hundreds of troops ashore have been spotted off the coast.Following the sighting of Russian personnel in the Black Sea heading toward Odessa, the Ukrainian defence ministry released a statement.In the statement, the ministry said: "In the waters of the Black Sea, we are observing a landing detachment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, consisting of four large landing ships accompanied by three rocket boats, advancing toward Odessa." Experts have warned that if Russia seize the port then they would be given a "chokehold" on Ukraine's economy, with comparisons made to the UK losing Dover. General Sir Richard Barrons, a former military chief, said the city was a "big prize" in the Russian invasion.

South Park has tackled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in their latest episode ‘Back To The Cold War’, taking aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin.In the episode, which aired on Wednesday (March 2), Putin’s act of aggression against Ukraine is tied to him getting older and because his “dick doesn’t work the way it used to”.You can check out a clip from the episode of Putin dancing shirtless to ‘Two Tribes’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood below.‘Back To The Cold War’ follows Butters as he competes against the Russians in a dressage championship. Mr.

Vladimir Putin's horrifying war on Ukraine have left the world looking on with great concern.

Mila Kunis, 38, has broken her silence on the war in Ukraine, her native country. She uploaded a video along with her husband Ashton Kutcher where they said they would match up to $3 million in donations to relief funds as they encouraged their fans to pitch in. “While we are witnessing the bravery of Ukrainians, we are also bearing witness to the unimaginable burden of those who have chosen safety. Through GoFundMe, this fundraiser will provide an immediate impact on refugee and humanitarian aid efforts,” they captioned the video.

Russian vodka off their shelves for the "foreseeable future" over the invasion of Ukraine, becoming the first UK supermarket to do so.It comes as more than one million people have fled Ukraine while Vladimir Putin's bloody bombardment of the country enters its second week.Russian Standard is one the best selling vodkas in the UK, brought to our shores in 1998 by billionaire Roustam Tariko.It had been priced at £14 per 70cl bottle, but has now disappeared from Co-op's website. Explaining the move, a Co-op spokesperson said: "In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we have taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka."Russian Standard has been taken off sale with immediate effect because it is overtly marketed as being Russian and produced there."It will not be stocked for the foreseeable future."They added: "Our members and customers will also be able to support the humanitarian response to help those displaced by the conflict by donating at our stores to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal."The appeal will launch across our 2,600 stores today (Thursday 3 March 2022) and we’ll be match funding our customers donations up to £100,000."Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and those in Russia who oppose this invasion."Although Co-op are the first supermarket move against Russian vodka, this isn't the first example of UK businesses showing solidarity with the Ukrainian cause.

“You are looking at live pictures of a fire that has broken out at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the town of Enerhohrad after an attack by Russian troops,” said CNN’s Erin Burnett tonight in what could literally be the most explosive story out of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Eastern European nation so far

Ukraine in a desperate bid to break morale, it has been claimed.Since Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded the country last week (February 24) they have incurred heavy casualties against fanatical Ukrainian resistance. And according to some European intelligence officials, Putin could soon turn to grim executions as he seeks to dominate the country.

Vladimir Putin is flanked 24/7 by a team of highly trained bodyguards armed with bulletproof briefcases who are permitted to kill anyone they perceive as a threat to him. Putin has been in power in Russia since 1999 and has always ruled with an iron fist, so its no surprise he takes his security detail incredibly seriously. The Federal Protective Service is responsible for the security of Putin and other high-ranking state officials and has over 50,000 employees.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorABC News anchor David Muir will anchor a live primetime “20/20” special from the border between Ukraine and Poland on Friday night, as the nation’s news networks continue to scramble to cover Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, one of the biggest global stories to take place in recent memory.Muir will report on the refugee emergency taking place along that border as Ukrainians seek safety amid turmoil in their country. The program will air on Friday, March 4, at 8 p.m.

Lord of the Rings character Gollum this week, using the character to criticise the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Serkis was discussing his voice work on The Lord of the Rings. He demonstrated the voice of Gollum and in doing so, criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by taking aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).“Gollum was on this side and Sméagol was on this side,” Serkis said in the segment.“And he would say things like, ‘We wants it.

Chelsea legend dedicated a message to Roman Abramovich.Bryant blasted Terry for his "appalling" tribute to the club’s owner, who recently put the club on sale.Abramovich confirmed on Wednesday that the Premier League club are up for sale in an emotional statement, with the oligarch setting the price at around £3billion.It comes as the billionaire - who bought Chelsea in 2003 for £140million - faces calls from Labour MPs to have his assets seized by the UK Government as they look to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs who are alleged to be affiliated with Vladimir Putin.Abramovich has always rejected accusations of ties to Putin and the Kremlin. Nevertheless, Terry paid tribute to the owner online, posting a picture of them together with a Premier League trophy, one of 19 major trophies won in the Abramovich era.The 41-year-old wrote alongside it: “The best.” But the mark of respect by Terry has come under heavy fire by Byrant, who pointed to the war ongoing in Ukraine.

Ethan Shanfeld The American branch of Russian state-funded media network Russia Today (RT) is shutting down and laying off most of its staff, CNN reports.According to a memo, RT America will be “ceasing production” due to “unforeseen business interruption events.”“Unfortunately, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent, meaning that this will result in the permanent separation from employment of most T&R employees at all locations,” the memo said (via CNN).Per CNN, Misha Solodovnikov, the general manager of T&R Productions, the production company behind RT, delivered the news in person to hosts, correspondents, producers and others in the Washington, D.C. bureau.

Madonna and Canadian producer Sickick have added Nigerian singer Fireboy DML to a second version of their ‘Frozen’ remix.Madonna and Sickick first released a remix of the 1998 classic – taken from the queen of pop’s ‘Ray Of Light’ album – last December, which came after it went viral on TikTok.Today (March 3), the pair have shared another reworking, but this time they’ve brought onboard Fireboy DML, who recently earned acclaim for his ‘Peru’ collaboration with Ed Sheeran.Madonna announced the remix earlier in the week when she took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and DML on the set of the song’s video, which she said is due soon after the release of the track.You can check out the new remix of ‘Frozen’ below:Earlier this week, Madonna weighed in on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, voicing her support for the latter.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24). “Russia’s Pointless and Greed Driven Invasion Of the Ukraine MUST be stopped!!” Madonna captioned an Instagram post that contained a fanmade video set to a remix of her 2005 song ‘Sorry’.“Please Send in Humanitarian Aid to help millions of citizens of the Ukraine who’s lives are being affected by this CRISIS at this very moment !!”She continued: “Putin has Violated Every Human Rights Accord in Existence. Putin has no right to try to erase the existence of the Ukraine.

Iron Maiden have announced that their upcoming summer shows in Ukraine and Russia have been cancelled due to the ongoing conflict between the neighbouring countries.The band were set to perform at VDNG in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 29 before visiting VTB Arena in Moscow Russia on June 1 as part of their 2022 ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ world tour.Sharing a statement on social media, Iron Maiden said “the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows” due to the “ongoing situation in Ukraine”.“We are very sorry to announce that due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the promoters have cancelled the two Iron Maiden shows scheduled for May 29th in Kyiv and June 1st in Moscow on the 2022 Legacy Of The Beast World Tour,” the band tweeted.The band added that ticket-holders would we informed by the respective promoters on refunds, and concluded by stating: “Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.”Ticket-holders for both shows will be informed by the respective promoters on refunds at the appropriate time. Our priority is, and will always be, the safety of our fans.— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) March 3, 2022Since the conflict started, the likes of Iggy Pop, Yungblud, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are among the acts who have scrapped dates due to the ongoing crisis.It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last Thursday (February 24).Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union.

Russia's attack on Ukraine is going 'according to plan' and the violence is set to 'get worse', Vladimir Putin has warned.