Oksana Markarova: 5 Things About The Ukrainian Ambassador Seated With FLOTUS For State Of The Union

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers have allegedly been told to condemn Russia and Vladimir Putin, or 'never come back' to the BBC show.

Russian troops abducting a Ukrainian mayor after he "refused to cooperate with the enemy" which officials have since branded a war crime. The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine uploaded the clip following the frightening kidnap on Friday (March 11).In the video, a person can be seen being escorted out of the city's crisis centre by a team of around ten Russian troops while his head is covered in a black bag.President Volodymyr Zelensky compared the soldiers to “ISIS terrorists” following the release of the footage, believed to show the abudction of the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov.“They have transitioned into a new stage of terror, in which they try to physically liquidate representatives of Ukraine’s lawful local authorities," he said in a video on Friday.It has been reported that the prosecutor’s office of the Luhansk People’s Republic, a Moscow-supported rebel region in eastern Ukraine, alleged there was a criminal case against the mayor and accused him of “terrorist activities.” However Ukraine's Foreign ministry refuted the claims and said the abduction was a war crime before urging Ukraine's allies to add pressure on Russia in response to the ongoing attacks and the kidnap, reports New York Post.

Russian soldiers are living in fear of being killed if they are sent back home after being captured by Ukrainian soldiers. At a press conference in Kyiv, one of the soldiers spoke of being killed by firing squads when they are returned to Russia following a prisoner exchange.

Russian tank, and is now the proud owner of the vehicle that launches missiles. Throughout Russia's seemingly ill-fated insurgency into Ukraine they have faced many embarrassing losses and comical mishaps which included a farmer who stole one of their tanks.

Russian spy who trained on the same military program as Vladimir Putin has warned that the Russian President 'will go to the end' in Ukraine. Aliia Roza now lives in a £15million California mansion running a multi-million-dollar fashion PR business, but previously had a drastically different lifestyle.

Russian president Vladimir Putin's apparent propaganda grip on his people is slipping if Russian media is anything to go by. According to local reports, one of the biggest talk shows in the country, hosted by pro-Russia, pro-Putin Vladimir Soloviyev had two guests on a recent episode – both of whom portrayed negative views about the invasion of Ukraine.

Judge Rinder is set to travel over 1000 miles to Poland, in an effort to help the Ukrainian family of his former Strictly Come Dancing partner, Oksana Platero. The TV star, who was on the show in 2016, revealed that Oksana's grandparents were struggling to find sanctuary in a safe country and has pledged to be at the Polish border on Monday to help them across, as the brutal war waged by Vladimir Putin continues to rage in the Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, the judge - real name Robert - said, "Oksana Platero my Ukrainian dance partner on BBC Strictly gifted me so much.

The news Chelsea and their fans were dreading was confirmed this morning as Roman Abramovich was named as one of the Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid the current war in Ukraine.

Strictly Come Dancing partner Oksana Platero’s grandparents to safety.The Good Morning Britain presenter, who recently branded Vladimir Putin ‘pure evil’, explained his aim to rescue the professional dancer’s family from the war-torn country as the Russian invasion continues.Detailing his mission in a series of tweets, Rob said he would aim to get to Poland for Monday to reunite with Oksana’s grandparents.‘Oksana Platero my Ukrainian dance partner on @bbcstrictly gifted me so much,’ he said. ‘Right now her grandparents are a week into their struggle to find sanctuary in a safe country.‘I’ll be trying to meet them on the border next week.

BBC presenter has been left astonished by a former Russian spy’s shocking claim that ‘Ukrainian Nazis’, including President Volodomyr Zelenskyy, are bombing their own citizens.Maria Butina is a Russian political activist, and was convicted of acting as a spy in the US in 2018. She is a member of the State Duma, or the lower house of the Russian parliament, which has supported Vladimir Putin in his decision to order the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian family whose death sparked a global outcry has been identified as a devoted mum and her two young kids.Tatiana Perebeinis, 43, and her two children Alise, 9, and Nikita, 18, were fatally shelled by Russian forces along with an unknown male while they were being escaping out of the suburb of Irpin in Kyiv.The IT worker had reportedly refused to leave her home in the under-fire capital city because she wanted to look after her mother who has been suffering from Alzheimer's, according to the New York Post.An image of the family laid out over a road drain surrounded by luggage and pet carriers reached the front covers of newspapers around the world, and prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to issue an angry vow to kill “every b****d” who had caused their deaths.The tragic loss has left her husband Sergey Perebeinis — who was in Russian-hit Donetsk also tending to his own mother — as the sole surviving member of the family.The Perebeinis family, including Tatiana and the children, had moved from the area afterHe took to Facebook to share pictures and a tribute to his slain family, which read: "He took them all. Tatiana couldn’t make it.

Editor’s note: In Hollie McKay’s newest special report for Deadline, the seasoned foreign affairs correspondent and Only Cry for the Living: Memos from Inside the ISIS Battlefield author is still in Ukraine, where Vladimir Putin’s invasion is turning increasingly brutal & resistance is intensifying.

Vladimir Putin piggyback fancy dress costume may just be the most offensive party outfit ever. The costume has been listed for sale on eBay while Russia's president wages war and widespread suffering on the people of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin is known for his aggressive 'short-man syndrome' but Russia's leader has just got a whole lot smaller as a voodoo doll.The president has become the target of dark magic and creepy superstition in the form of a sea of seven inch figures each impaled with pins.In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a craftswoman from Florida, US is selling handmade Putin voodoo dolls for £23.89 so customers can "stick it to him" and prevent him causing more "chaos". Di Di who sells arts and crafts on Etsy under the name BadCherrybyDD, told the Daily Star that Putin is already proving popular with 150 dolls sold.

Two million Ukrainians have fled the country after it was invaded by Russia over a week ago, with civilians leaving behind their homes, unsure if they will return.

Angelique Jackson Ms. Opal Lee, whose march to Washington helped make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday, has signed with CAA for representation.The 95-year-old activist is often referred to as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” after making it her life’s mission to bring national awareness to the cause.

McDonald's and Starbucks have been accused of "double standards" after announcing they will be closing 800 restaurants in Russia while they remain open in Guantánamo Bay. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin's ordered troops into Ukraine, sporting leagues, blue tick companies and brands around the world have announced boycotts of the country.

Vladimir Putin, according to fresh reports.In 2009, the politician made an offer to buy a controlling interest in the NBA franchise, then known as the New Jersey Nets, with the sale approved the following year.His 80 per cent stake made him the majority owner of the team, and after overseeing the switch to Brooklyn, he also acquired a 45% interest in the team's new home venue, the Barclays Center.The purchase made Prokhorov, 56, the first ever non-North American team owner in the NBA, a fact that was met with contrasting opinions from opposing team owners at the time.During his tenure, the Nets reached the conference semi-finals in 2014, but some three years later he agreed to sell 49 per cent of his stake - valued at USD$1.2billion, to Joseph Tsai.In 2019, Prokhorov sold the remaining 51 per cent of the Nets to Tsa for a further USD$1.35bn, and also freed himself of the Barclays Center for USD$1bn, in the biggest transaction ever for a US sports team.And now a report in the New York Post has claimed that the sale was made not due to Prokhorov's desire to get out of the NBA, but because of pressure from Putin to relinquish his control."As tensions between the US and Russia over Crimea grew, Putin in 2016 also began pressuring Prokhorov to sell the Nets, according to sources," read the report."That’s because Putin, especially during times of political turmoil, will test the loyalty of oligarchs with assets in the West to show they won’t get too close to the US or Europe."Should Russian sports team owners now be subject to sanctions? Let us know in the comments section.A source was also quoted as saying: “Putin strongly suggested he sell the Nets."And if Prokhorov refused, he risked losing his considerable assets in

At Disney’s last shareholder meeting the big issue was a sad girl scout who couldn’t see Raya And The Last Dragon with her troop because their local theater hadn’t accepted Disney’s stiff rental terms to show the film.

Bloom Twins have covered John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ for UNICEF – listen to it below.It’s part of a campaign to help raise money for UNICEF’s #IMAGINE initiative that aims to unite “millions of people to raise awareness and funds for children’s rights globally.”The duo wrote: “Imagine a better world for children where EVERY child can play in peace. This is our solo version of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’.You can listen to it here:Speaking to NME recently, Bloom Twins’ Anna Kuprienko spoke out about the war in Ukraine and urged people “to something to stop this.”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 month (February 24).“It’s important to strike for change,” Kuprienko told NME. “Now is the time for push for that.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorA New York State Supreme Court judge ruled that a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed against Fox News Channel by the voting-technology company Smartmatic can proceed, despite Fox’s motion to have the matter dismissed. The suit is the second of its kind that has cleared a potential legal hurdle and has been allowed to continue making its way through the courts.In the suit, filed in February of last year, Smartmatic alleged that Fox News and three of its popular on-air personalities at the time — Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro —  made false claims about the company’s actions and influence on the 2020 presidential election, or allowed such claims to continue to circulate.