International
Four Ukrainian Celebrities Who Have Taken Up Arms Against Russia
As Russian invasion of Ukraine rages, celebrities from the war-torn European country are stepping out of their comfort zones to take up arms in defence of their nation.
Top among them is the professional boxer and heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, who has joined the territorial defence battalion and vowed to defend Ukraine even if it costs his blood.
OLEKSANDR USYK
OLEKSANDR USYK
Prime Minister Vladamir Putin had ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, defying threats by the United States to slam heavy sanctions against Russia. But Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky, is putting up stiff resistance, with him and some members of parliament, including Oleksiy Goncharenko, wielding guns to defend their nation.
Speaking to CNN via a video from a basement in Kyiv, 35-year-old Usyk, who defeated Anthony Joshua in September to claim the heavyweight title belts, said he would resist both invaders and looters that might want to cash in on the crisis.
“If they want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it,” he said. “But I don’t want that. I don’t want to shoot, I don’t want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice.”
Usyk was in London, shooting sequences for an upcoming video game when the hostilities started. With the Ukraine airports closed, he flew to Warsaw in Poland and drove almost 500 miles back home and over the border to Kyiv.
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VASLILY LOMACHENKO
VASLILY LOMACHENKO
Lomachenko is another famous Ukranian boxer now at the war front. Lomachenko, 34, was said to be visiting a monastery in Greece, but returned home. Instead of flying directly to his hometown of Odessa, he travelled to Bucharest in Romania, then drove for nine hours to the port and caught a ferry into Ukraine.
Former world boxing champions, 50-year-old Vitali Klitschko and his brother, Wladimir Klitschko, have also taken arms in defence of their nation. Vitali is the current mayor of Kyiv.
ANASTASIIA LENNA
ANASTASIIA LENNA
Also, Ukrainian stars who have made their names in hip-hop as well as a former beauty queen have taken their patriotism to the battlefield.
Anastasiia Lenna, who represented Ukraine in the Miss Grand International beauty contest in 2015, took to her Instagram page in the days leading to the invasion, sharing photos of herself in military fatigues and holding a rifle.
On Sunday, Lenna also showed footage of herself at a shooting range, where she fired a rifle at targets.
She captioned the video: “Training. The invaders will die on our land! All world see this! Wait and see what will happen.”
ANDRIY KHLYVNYUK
ANDRIY KHLYVNYUK
In solidarity to his nation, a popular hip-hop and rock band BoomBox in Ukraine, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, has appeared in a video circulated on Twitter, donning military gear. He bore a firearm while singing a rousing melody.
Khlyvnyuk told Euronews that he drove his children out of Kyiv on Thursday when the full-scale invasion started.
“They bombed us. But what I hear now is complete support from everywhere, from everyone who knows me and listens to my music,” he said.
“Musicians are peacemakers,” he continued. “[But] now it’s not time for playing guitars. It’s time to take the rifles
Daily Trust
International
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel
A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.
The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda Síochána’ announced that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.
Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.
The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.
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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.
He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.
“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”
The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.
Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.
International
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.
Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.
Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.
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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.
“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”
It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.
FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win
International
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.
The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.
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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.
He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.
Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion
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