Bruce Willis ‘stepping away’ from acting following aphasia diagnosis

 

The 67-year-old star who is known for his roles in hit films such as ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Die Hard’ – has been diagnosed with the condition which seriously affects the ability to communicate and as a result will be taking a break from his career, his daughter Rumer has confirmed.
The ‘House Bunny’ actress wrote on Instagram: “Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”

Belgian footballer, Miguel van Damme tragically passes away at 28 after long battle with Leukaemia

 

Belgian footballer, Miguel van Damme has tragically passed away at the age of 28 after losing his battle with Leukaemia. Van Damme was first diagnosed with the disease during a medical check-up ahead of the 2016-17 season, and bravely fought against the illness for over five years. He leaves behind his wife and young daughter.
After the blood cancer returned twice, Van Damme sadly told supporters in September 2020 that it had returned for the third time, and would be incurable.
 His partner, Kyana Dobbelaere, paid a touching tribute after his passing.  

Taliban bar government employees without beard from work

Taliban has instructed all government employees to wear a beard and adhere to a dress code or risk being fired.
 Representatives from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were patrolling the entrances to government offices on Monday March 28, to check that employees were in compliance with the new rules.
According to the sources, “Employees were being instructed not to shave their beards and to wear local clothing consisting of a long, loose top and trousers, and a hat or turban.

Barcelona do not want Lionel Messi back because we’re building a new team with young people, club President Joan Laporta insists

Barcelona president, Joan Laporta has stated that the club has no interest in re-signing Lionel Messi after allowing the 34-year-old to join Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
 The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner joined PSG after Barcelona released a bombshell statement stating that he would be leaving the club due to financial restrictions placed upon them by LaLiga amid their colossal debts.  
However, Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona after just one season because he is reportedly 'unhappy' with the Ligue 1 side and disappointed about their Champions League exit.
Barcelona president Laporta has now dismissed claims that Messi could be returning back to the Nou Camp

Ivory Coast legend, Yaya Toure reveals Pep Guardiola has ignored his attempts to apologise for claiming his old boss has 'problems with Africans'

 

Ivorian football legend, Yaya Toure has revealed he still hasn't heard from his former boss Pep Guardiola since he tendered an apology for comments he made about his ability to work with Africans four years ago.
 Toure had two spells working under Guardiola during his trophy-laden career, winning the Champions League together at Barcelona before reuniting at Manchester City in the Premier League.
Toure's last season at the Etihad ended in a terrible way as he made just one start in the final home game of the season.

Will Smith and Chris Rock's clash helps boost Oscars ratings as more than 15.4 million people tuned in to the Academy Award

 

Hollywood actor, Will Smith and comedian, Chris Rock's clash at the 2022 Oscars helped the organisers achieve higher ratings as millions of people tuned in to the Academy Award,
 The Sunday's ceremony reached an estimated 15.36 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen company numbers released on Monday March 28 by ABC. A more detailed estimate is expected Tuesday, with elements like out-of-home viewing added. The 2021 ceremony had reached a startlingly low 9.85 million viewers. That led to several changes in the Oscars going into this year, including the addition of hosts and awarding eight categories ahead of the broadcast, and editing them into the live show.

Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich confirms suspected poisoning attack left him blind for several hours and caused his skin to peel off after peace talks in Kyiv

 

 Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich recently suffered a suspected poisoning along with Ukraine peace negotiators that caused the skin to peel off their faces and temporary blindness.
 A representative for Abramovich confirmed in a statement the Russian oligarch had suffered the reported symptoms but refused to give any further details.
The Chelsea FC owner was allegedly poisoned just weeks ago after a meeting in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv whilst he acted as a 'peacemaker' in the Russian war in Ukraine, reports the Wall Street Journal. 
Following the meeting in Kyiv on March 3, Abramovich as well as two senior members of the Ukrainian team developed symptoms that included red eyes, painful streaming eyes as well as peeling skin on their faces and hands, sources told the newspaper.

Spike in cholera in Cameroon kills 29 in one week

 

 Most of the deaths occurred in three cities in the west of the country, which has seen a spike in cases of the water-borne disease. Cholera is an acute form of diarrhoea that is treatable with antibiotics and hydration but can kill within hours if left untreated.
“We saw a spike in cases of cholera in the Southwest region between March 16 and 22, 2022, with more than 300 cases registered,” Health Minister Manaouda Malachie tweeted.
He said there were “20 deaths in Kumba,… two deaths in Buea,… five deaths in Tiko (and) two deaths in Yaounde”, the capital.

Interpol's Emirati president , Gen. Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi faces French probe into "acts of barbarism"

 

 French anti-terror prosecutors have opened a preliminary inquiry into torture and acts of barbarism allegedly committed by Emirati General Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi who in November became head of Interpol, judicial sources said on Thursday.

 The probe follows a legal complaint by an NGO, which accused Raisi of torturing an opposition figure when he worked as a top official at the United Arab Emirates interior ministry.
 Raisi is also one of a number of UAE officials facing legal action from Matthew Hedges, a British academic detained by Emirate authorities in 2018.

African mask sold for $4.6 million in France despite protest

 

A carved mask from Central Africa, dating from the 19th century, was sold in France for 4.2 million euros ($4.6 million) on Saturday, despite Gabonese protesters in the auction house calling for the item’s “‘restitution”.
The rare wooden “Ngil” mask, used in ceremonies by the Fang ethnic people of Gabon, smashed its estimate of 300,000-400,000 euros at the auction in the southern French city of Montpellier.
“It’s a case of receiving stolen goods,” a man describing himself as a member of the Gabonese community in Montpellier exclaimed from the back of the auction room, surrounded by half a dozen compatriots.

Elon Musk says he's seriously considering creating a new social media platform

 

 Elon Musk said he is giving "serious thought" to creating a new social media platform in a tweet Saturday. Musk's tweet follows criticism of Twitter, where he claimed the platform doesn't allow for free speech.
"Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy," Musk tweeted Friday. "What should be done?"
He then asked if a new platform is needed.
A 2018 agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission requires that Musk gain pre-approval from other Tesla executives prior to posting tweets about the company.

Russia - Ukraine war: US and allies plan to kick Russia out of G20

 

 The US and other Western nations are considering a move to exclude Russia from the G20, Reuters has reported, citing sources. The G20 refers to the group of the worlds 20 most important economies
which aims to coordinate action on issues affecting the global economy, including climate change and development.
Reuters on Wednesday, March 23 said that Poland on Tuesday had suggested to US officials that it replaces Russia in the group, and that they received a "positive response".
Such a move would add to the existing economic sanctions against Russia from the West which has places trade embargoes, seized assets of Russian oligarchs and sanctioned Russian politicians including president Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

President Putin loses his 15th top commander as Ukraine continues to take out elite troops

 

Russian president, Vladimir Putin has lost another commander - the 15th of his top military leaders to be killed as the country's invasion of Ukraine heads into its second month.
Colonel Alexei Sharov became the latest high-ranking Russian official to die in what has become the country's biggest loss of military higher-ups since World War II. His death was announced by Ukrainian armed forces on social media Tuesday.
The commander of the 810th Guards Separate Order of Zhukov Brigade in the Russian Marines, Sharov was reportedly killed in Mariupol, a city in which over 100,000 people have been trapped amid a siege by the invading Russians.

Plastic pollution cuts power in DR Congo

 

 Among rolling hills around the southern tip of majestic Lake Kivu, huge layers of plastic waste ride the water and block the turbines of the largest hydroelectric plant in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ruzizi dam is polluted by thousands of bottles, cans and other objects thrown into the lake, which stretches 90 kilometres (56 miles) along the border between DR Congo and Rwanda.
“Since the lake flows towards the Ruzizi River, all the waste thrown into it comes here little by little,” Lievin Chizungu, production manager at the dam’s power station, told AFP.
The mountainous terrain and rainy climate around lakeside Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, do not help.

#Oscar2022: Full list of winners

 

 The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, aka the Oscars, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022.
 The ceremony was hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
 The ceremony honored the best films released between March 1 and December 31, 2021
 Below is the full list of winners at the Oscars 2022.

Tunisia train collision injures 95

 

A collision between two passenger trains injured 95 people on Monday morning in the south of the Tunisian capital, emergency services said.
“The injured were taken to hospitals and there were no deaths,” civil defence spokesman Moez Triaa told AFP, adding that one train contained passengers, while the other was empty.
Most of the injured were suffering from fractures, none of them life-threatening, he said.
The accident happened at 9:30am local time (0830 GMT) in the Jbel Jelloud area of southern Tunis.
The cause was not immediately clear.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis rejects transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' win, chooses runner up as the winner of US national college Women's swimming title

 

 Florida governor Ron DeSantis has rejected transgender swimmer, Lia Thomas win in the US national college swimming event.
 Last week Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win the title, after beating Emma Weyant. However, De Sanctis, a Republican governor has signed a proclamation recognising runner-up Emma Weyant as the winner of the event which she lost to transgender athlete Lia Thomas.
Lia was born a man, but transitioned to a woman and has been winning all her swimming events ever since.
After taking victory in the women's 500-yard freestyle in Atlanta, DeSantis said the result "undermined the integrity of the competition".

Black box of Chinese jet found as it's revealed pilots did not respond to multiple calls from air-traffic controllers

Chinese authorities searching the site where a China Eastern jet crashed, killing all 132 people on board, have found the aircraft's black box.  Liu Lusong, a spokesman for China's aviation authority told reporters the flight recorder 'from China Eastern MU5735 was found on March 23'.
 The discovery comes after the head of aviation safety revealed pilots of the doomed flight did not respond to multiple calls from air-traffic controllers as the plane entered a fatal dive into a mountainside.
 The Chinese Boeing 737-800 was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew from Kunming in Yunnan province to Guangzhou when it crashed on Monday afternoon March 21, outside the city of Wuzhou in the Guangxi region.

Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny retires from football at 36

 

 Former Arsenal captain, Laurent Koscielny has officially announced his retirement from football following his acrimonious departure from Bordeaux in January.
 The 36-year-old made over 350 appearances for the Gunners and was the cornerstone of the club’s defence for almost a decade, playing a pivotal role in two consecutive FA Cup triumphs.
Kosicelny decided to call time on his career having spent the last two months as a free agent, but his spell with the Ligue 1 club ended on a sour note after he was frozen out of the team before being faced with the claims from fans.

Liverpool star, Mo Salah 'emerges as Barcelona's top alternative to Erling Haaland this summer amid his contract stand-off at Anfield

 

 
Barcelona have selected Liverpool star, Mohamed Salah, as a potential alternative to Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Erling Haaland.
 The Egypt international's contract is set to expire in 2023 and, despite the Red's efforts to tie him down to a new deal, the club and player have yet to reach an agreement.
 Haaland remains the primary target for the Catalan giants, but they have made a shortlist of alternatives should that fall-through, according to Spanish reports.
Mundo Deportivo has reported that if a potential deal for Manchester City target Haaland falls through, Salah is the next in line, along with the likes of Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea target man Romelu Lukaku.

Mesut Ozil, former Arsenal midfielder, suspended by Fenerbahce with immediate effect

 

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid attacking playmaker Mesut Ozil has been suspended by Turkish outfit Fenerbahce, however, no official reason has been provided. The player is not the only one with his fellow team-mate Ozan Tufan too has been suspended with immediate effect.
A statement released by the club's official account read: "Our Football A Team players Mesut Özil and Ozan Tufan have been excluded from the squad as per the decision taken. It is announced to the public."

Six killed after car drives into crowd in Belgium

 

At least six people have been killed after a car drove into a crowd of carnival-goers in southern Belgium. The incident happened in the small town of Strépy-Bracquegnies, about 30 miles (50km) south of the capital Brussels. The car drove at high-speed into dozens of people who were preparing to take part in a traditional parade on Sunday morning.
Around 40 people were injured and several are in a serious condition, the town's mayor said.
"There were about 150-200 people who were following the parade and [the] car arrived from behind and drove into the crowd," Jacques Gobert said.

Some artificial sweeteners used in food and drink raise the risk of cancers by up to 13 per cent - New study

 

 Scientists from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, have carried out a new study suggesting that some artificial sweeteners used in food and drink raise the risk of cancers by up to 13 per cent
 The scientists say they monitored the diet and health of 100,000 people over eight years and found a 13 per cent higher rise of cancer risk for people who regularly consumed artificial sweeteners.
This highest risk was observed for the sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame-K, used in soft drinks like Diet Coke and Coke Zero, as well yogurts and cheese.

WWE legend Triple H retires from wrestling after 27 years

 

WWE legend Triple H has announced his retirement from wrestling.
The 52-year-old, real name Paul Levesque, is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He is a five-time world heavyweight champion, a five-time WWE Intercontinental champion, and the winner of two Royal Rumble matches.
He had many rivalries with the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock, Batista, and former wrestling partner Shawn Michaels.
He debuted in 1995, and his last fight was in 2019 against Randy Orton in Saudi Arabia

Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins found dead in hotel room

 

 
Taylor Hawkins, the longtime drummer for rock band Foo Fighters, has died at the age of 50, the band has announced.
 “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the band’s official account tweeted.
“His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.
 “Our hearts go out to his wife, children, and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.” No cause of death has been announced.

European champions Italy fail to qualify for 2022 World cup after losing 0-1 to lowly placed North Macedonia

 

European champions Italy will not participate in the 2022 World Cup after being stunned by North Macedonia 0-1. The play-off match on Thursday night, March 24 in Palermo, Italy resulted in a heartbreaking end for Italy after Aleksandar Trajkovski picked up the loose ball in the 92nd minute, drove forward and fired a sensational winner from outside the area.
 Once the ball entered the net, there were celebrations from the North Macedonians, while the italian players and coaching staff including Roberto Mancini dropped to their knees in disappointment.

China grounds 223 Boeing aircrafts from flying after crash

 

 
China has banned 223 of its Boeing aircrafts after a deadly crash earlier this week that killed 132 people on board . China's Eastern Airlines on Ghursy, March 24 announced they have temporarily grounded 223 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, airline spokesperson Liu Xiaodong said in a press conference .
The grounded aircraft is undergoing safety inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are safe to fly, Liu said.
 The move comes days after China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashed in a remote, mountainous region in the south of the country as it flew from Kunming to Guangzhou, with reports that up to 132 people on board have died as no survivors had been found after a third day of search efforts.

Kelly Clarkson explains why she is legally changing her name to Kelly Brianne

 

 
Singer and show host, Kelly Clarkson has explained why she decided to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne.  Kelly made the changes just after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock was settled. Speaking at the premiere of “American Song Contest”, she said;
 “I just got divorced, so I had to drop my married last name.
“I just kept my middle name for my personal life. I’m still Kelly Clarkson.”
 The “American Idol” Season 1 winner then joked;
 “I don’t think I can change Clarkson at this point. I’m 20 years in!”

I’ve wasted five years at Old Trafford, Man United season is dead – Paul Pogba slams Rangnick three months before his contract expires

 

Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba has taken a swipe at interim boss, Ralf Rangnick and the club saying he's wasted the last five years at Manchester United.
 Pogba re-signed for United in 2016 years after leaving the club to join Juventus as a teenager.
The Frenchman’s contract expires at the end of this season and talks to extend his deal at Old Trafford have not made any progress.
 But in a new interview while away with his national team the Frenchamna has stated he has wasted five years of his career and that Manchester United’s season is dead even as the likes of PSG, Juventus and Real Madrid are all interested in signing him as a free agent.

Anonymous claims it has hacked Russia's Central Bank and will 'release 35,000 files with secret agreements in 48 hours'

 

In a post on Twitter, Anonymous revealed its latest hack with brief details.
 Alongside an image of a smiling mask,  the group wrote: 'JUST IN: The #Anonymous collective has hacked the Central Bank of Russia. More than 35.000 files will be released within 48 hours with secret agreements. #OpRussia'.
It comes as speculation has mounted in recent days over the future of central bank head, Elvira Nabiullina.
 Elvira was recently pictured looking dejected at a Kremlin meeting and posted a cryptic video, in which she admitted that the Russian economy was in an 'extreme' situation and said, 'We all very much would have liked this not to have happened.'

Manchester United and Arsenal legends, Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

 

Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira have become the latest players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. Rooney is the Premier League's all-time second top scorer, with 208 goals for Manchester United - with whom he won five league titles - and Everton.
Vieira won three Premier League titles during 11 seasons with Arsenal and captained the 'Invincibles' team to the title in 2003/04, when they did not lose a match.
 Rooney and Vieira are the ninth and 10th players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham.

Prince William and Duchess Kate cancel 1stsStop on Caribbean tour amid colonialism protests

 

  
Amid Prince William and Duchess Kate’s Caribbean tour, they’ve been forced to rearrange their schedule. The royal couple — who are scheduled to arrive in Belize on Saturday, March 19 — canceled their first outing at a sustainable cocoa farm in Indian Creek amid protests about indigenous rights and colonialism.
Ahead of the 39-year-old Duke of Cambridge and the 40-year-old Duchess of Cambridge’s arrival, local villagers staged a protest where they called the appearance a “slap in the face.”
“We don’t want them to land on our land, that’s the message that we want to send,” Indian Creek chairman Sebastian Shol told the Daily Mail on Friday, March 18. “They could land anywhere but not on our land.”

Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed in Ukraine

 

 
A cameraman for Fox News, Pierre Zakrzewski, has been killed in Ukraine outside Kyiv, the US network said Tuesday March 15.  Zakrzewski was killed and his colleague Benjamin Hall was wounded when their vehicle was struck Monday by incoming fire in Horenka, outside the capital, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement.
 Hall, a Briton who works as the network’s State Department correspondent, remains hospitalized in Ukraine, Scott said.
 “[Zakrzewski] was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us,” Scott said.

Kylian Mbappe in image rights row with the French Football Federation

 

 PSG superstar, Kylian Mbappe has been embroiled in an image rights row with the French Football Federation (FFF) after he reportedly refused to take part in a sponsorship commitment.
French publication L'Equipe, as per Get Football News France, have reported that Mbappe didn't want to take part as he does not want his image to be associated with certain brands.
The report said the player’s representatives have been arguing with the federation for some time over the use of his image and no resolution has been found.
It's said that sponsors of the French national team 'did not appreciate' that arguably the country's biggest star refused to be involved.    

Russian forces take 400 hostages at Mariupol’s main hospital in Ukraine

 

Russian forces have reportedly entered the largest hospital in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol and are preventing doctors and patients from leaving the building.
 Donetsk Oblast Governor said on Tuesday afternoon that Russian forces "drove 400 people from neighbouring houses to the Regional Intensive Care Hospital and they can’t leave".
Pavlo Kirilenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said: "It is impossible to get out of the hospital. There is a heavy shooting, we sit in the basement.

Russia set to be suspended from UEFA after controversially showing interest in hosting the European Championship

 

 
Russia are set to be suspended from UEFA after controversially showing interest to bid for either the 2028 or 2032 European Championship.
 In what is being viewed by UEFA as an overtly political act, Russia and Turkey each submitted late declarations of interest just before Wednesday's 5pm deadline to try to prevent the UK and Ireland’s joint bid from winning hosting rights unopposed.
UEFA had been eager to appoint the hosts without a competitive process with the Home Nations bid viewed as certainties to win, as revealed by Sportsmail, so Russia’s 11th-hour move has caused consternation at their headquarters in Switzerland.

No survivors found after crash of Chinese airliner

 

 No survivors have been found yet in the horrific Monday crash of the China Eastern plane that plunged into forested mountainous area with 132 people on board, state media confirmed Tuesday.
“Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found,” state broadcaster CCTV said more than 18 hours after the wreck in southern China.
The cause of the crash, which Chinese officials say is the country’s worst air disaster over a decade, was not immediately clear.

Ukrainian politician’s wife caught at border trying to sneak $28m, €1.3m cash to Hungary (photos)

 

 The glamorous wife of a prominent Ukrainian tycoon and politician was caught at a border with ' £22 million while crossing into the EU', it is alleged.
 The money - in US dollars and euros - was spotted by Hungarian customs in the baggage of the spouse of controversial ex-MP Igor Kotvitsky, 52, say reports.
The woman, Anastasia Kotvitska, had taken the cash through a refugee border crossing into the European Union while fleeing the war-torn country.  
 A criminal case has been opened into a failure by Anastasia Kotvitska to declare the removal of the large sum from the war-ravaged country, say reports in Kyiv.

Mali's ex-Prime Minister Soumeylou Maiga dies in detention

 

 Mali's former prime minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, arrested over corruption allegations last year, died of an undisclosed illness in hospital.
 He died on Monday, March 21, one of his lawyers said.
Maiga, 68, was detained in August over his suspected role in the purchase of a presidential plane during the rule of ex-president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, ousted in a military coup a year earlier.
 He was charged with multiple counts of graft and was awaiting trial.
 His lawyers maintained that he was innocent.

Man last seen in 2012 is found dead in a freezer by builders renovating pub

 

 Builders renovating a pub were horrified to find the body of a man in a freezer 10 years after he disappeared. Roy Bigg, 67, was last seen on February 1, 2012, in Newham, east London, before his body was discovered by builders working at what used to be Simpson’s Wine Bar on October 15 last year.
Now police are appealing to anyone who knew Roy to get in touch and have released a picture of him.
 They said a post-mortem was inconclusive, but he was identified from his dental records.
 Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen of the Met's Specialist Crime Command said: "We believe that Roy's body may have been in the freezer for a number of years.

Ashleigh Barty: World number one makes shock call to quit tennis

 

 
World number one Ashleigh Barty has shocked the sporting world by announcing she will retire from professional tennis at just 25. The Australian made the announcement on social media on Wednesday, saying she was leaving to "chase other dreams".
"I'm so happy and I'm so ready. And I just know at the moment in my heart, for me as a person, this is right," she said in a video.
Barty won her first Grand Slam at the 2019 French Open.
She has remained the top-ranked player since then, backed up by success at Wimbledon last year.
In January, she became the first home player to win the Australian Open men's or women's singles title in 44 years.

Russia to expel US diplomats in retaliatory move

 

 
Russia has said it will expel a number of US diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after the US removed 12 Russian diplomats from Washington. Washington last month said it was expelling the Russian diplomats at the country's UN mission in New York over national security concerns, and later announced it would remove an additional Russian at the UN who it claimed acted like a spy.
Also on Monday March 21, the Russian foreign ministry summoned US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan to protest President Joe Biden’s labelling of Russian president, Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal”.
A State Department spokesperson now says the US has "received a list of diplomats declared 'persona non grata' from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 23."

Paris to build $145M cable car system

 

Paris is already home to some of the most popular attractions in the world, and the French capital could be about to get its very first urban cable car.
Proposed plans for a brand new 4.5 kilometer-long aerial tramway connecting various suburbs in the southeast to the Paris Metro are pressing ahead, with construction expected to begin this year.
Scheduled to open in 2025, the "Cable 1" project will travel from the Parisian suburb of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges to the Pointe du Lac station in Creteil in the Île-de-France region within just 17 minutes, less than half the time the journey would take on a bus.
Renderings for the cable car line, helmed by architecture studio Atelier Schall, have just been released, providing a closer look at the much-anticipated project, which recently cleared pre-construction feasibility studies.

17-month-old baby is killed by dog her parents bought just a week ago

 

 
A baby girl has been mauled to death by a dog her parents bought just a week ago, police have confirmed. Merseyside Police said officers received a report that a child had been attacked by a dog at an address on Bidston Avenue in Blackbrook, St Helens, Merseyside, England, at around 3.50pm on Monday afternoon, March 21.
The 17-month-old girl was taken to hospital where she died as a result of her injuries.
 The dog has been put down following the attack.
Detective Inspector Lisa Milligan said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the child’s family at this devastating time. The little girl’s parents and wider family are absolutely devastated and our specialist Family Liaison Officers are providing them with support at this horrendous time.

Young brothers aged 6 and 8 found in Amazon forest after going missing for almost four weeks

 

 Two young brothers who got lost in the Amazon during its rainy season, when moving in the jungle is even more difficult than usual, have been found four weeks later .
 Glauco and Gleison Ferreira, eight and six, got lost trying to catch small birds in the jungle near Manicoré, Amazonas state, on 18 February.
But Reuters now reports that the young boys were found on Tuesday, March 15 by a local tree cutter. After the boys disappeared, hundreds of residents spent weeks looking for them.
 But lost during the rainy season of the Amazon, they were nowhere to be found and emergency services decided to call off the search on 24 February.

Spain seizes £458m 'Crescent' mega-yacht 'owned by President Putin ally' Igor Sechin

 

 A superyacht owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch has been detained by Spanish authorities.
 The £458m vessel Crescent is said to belong to the head of Russian oil giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin.
 The 135-metre-long boat was docked in the port of Tarragona, Catalonia, when officials took action, Spain’s Transport Ministry said.
 According to the monitoring site Marine Traffic, the boat arrived in Spain from Italy in November last year and is registered in the Cayman Islands.
 Mr Sechin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was one of many Russian billionaires sanctioned by the European Union on 28 February – including having all his assets in the bloc frozen.

Chinese airliner carrying 132 people crashes in southern China

 

 
A China Eastern Airlines jetliner carrying 132 people crashed in the mountains in southern China's Guangxi region on Monday afternoon, according to China's Civil Aviation Administration.
The Boeing 737 was en route from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact over the city of Wuzhou. On board were 123 passengers and nine crew members, CAAC said in a statement posted online.
China Eastern Airlines later confirmed those details and the number of people on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich strikes deal with UK Government to allow his sale of Chelsea FC after sanctions

 

Roman Abramovich and the UK Government have reportedly found an agreement to push ahead with the sale of Chelsea football club after he was sanctioned for his close ties with President Vladimir Putin following invasion of Ukraine.
 Sportsmail revealed earlier on Friday that Downing Street had opened negotiations with the Russian billionaire's advisers over the terms of the sale, which he is eager to push through as quickly as possible.
It came after the club were handed a sporting licence to continue with their football-related activities, but any sale of the club was put on hold.

New Zealand set to reopen borders to international tourists

 

 After more than two years, New Zealand will reopen its borders to Australians starting April 12, and to international tourists from visa-waiver countries from May 1, the government announced on Wednesday, March 16. The move is part of efforts to accelerate economic recovery, according to a statement from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Originally, the Ardern government had planned to reopen by July 2022, but has moved up its schedule.
Arrivals from Australia will be able to enter without having to quarantine. Two and a half weeks later, vaccinated tourists from visa-waiver countries and those with valid visitor visas will also be able to enter quarantine-free.

Barcelona add Spotify to Camp Nou name in new sponsorship deal

 

 Spotify will become Barcelona's main sponsor this summer, the club announced Tuesday, in a deal that includes the naming rights to Camp Nou for the first time.
The agreement will see Barca's men's and women's teams bear the music streaming service's logo for the next four years, as well as naming the club's iconic 100,000 capacity stadium.
Neither Barcelona nor Spotify confirmed the financial details of the deal, but sources previously told ESPN that it would be worth €280 million ($307m). Barcelona's existing shirt sponsorship deal with the Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten is due to expire this summer.
That partnership was agreed to in 2017, initially for a four-year term worth up to €60 million a season, and extended for an extra year under new reduced terms last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.