russia

Disney Halts Movie Releases In Russia, Offers Aide To Ukraine

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thebatman

Disney is blocking its movies in Russia.

The Walt Disney Company is pausing the theatrical release of its films in Russia. In a statement Monday, Disney it made the move given the “unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis.”

Disney added it is working with it’s NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.

It’s day six of the war in Ukraine. At least 406 Ukrainian civilians are dead as Russia invades their country.

That’s the latest number according to United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

READ MORE: President Biden is promising the world will hold Russia accountable amid Ukraine Invasions.

Speaking to the UN Security Council on Monday, Griffiths said “the picture is grim.” He noted the casualties could be “considerably higher’ as many deaths have yet to be confirmed.

Two other Hollywood studios are also blocking the releases of movies in Russia amid their attack on the Ukraine.

Warner Bros. won’t be showing “The Batman” on the big screen there when it hits theaters Friday.

Sony Pictures is also holding off on releases in Russia including the “Spider-Man” spinoff slated for early April.

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Lady Gaga Addressed The Russia-Ukraine Conflict At The SAG Awards: ‘My Heart Really Goes Out To Ukraine’

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Gaga Ukraine SAG Awards Red Carpet
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Tonight is an important night for film and TV — it’s the 2022 SAG Awards. After the last several months of canceled events and virtual appearances, an in-person red carpet is a treat for stylists, who are back at work, and all the artists and creatives who are eager to celebrate their work together once more. Especially during a time when unease is spreading in other ways, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s a welcome distraction for some. However, plenty of other artists and actors are more than willing to show their support for the suffering of the people in Ukraine, and Lady Gaga is one of them.

Gaga is up for several nominations for her work as Patrizia Reggiani in her second starring role in a major feature film, House Of Gucci, but still had plenty of time to discuss foreign politics on the red carpet. When E! correspondent Laverne Cox approached Gaga about the event, her succinct response acknowledged both the impact of Covid-19, and the situation in eastern Europe. “What story are you telling us tonight with this gorgeous, gorgeous ensemble?” Cox asked.

“The story I’m telling is the truth, which is that I’m just really honored to be here,” Gaga said. “This is a beautiful night when we get to celebrate art together, and celebrate each other. There’s so much going on in the world, and my heart really goes out to Ukraine. I think tonight we should all sit in the gratitude of this.”

Meanwhile, Gaga stans are on the exact same page as Mother Monster:

ICYMI: President Biden Promises To Hold Russia Accountable Amid Ukraine Invasion

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biden putin

President Biden is promising the world will hold Russia accountable. In a statement late Wednesday night, Biden said his prayers are with the people of Ukraine as they “suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.” He said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “premeditated war” will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

This follows reports of Russian forces invading parts of Ukraine. Ukraine is wedged between Russia and Europe.

Last Wednesday, Russian President Putin ordered a “special military operation” to protect the Donbas region of Ukraine. an eastern territory that is already held by pro-Russia rebels.

In 2014, Putin invaded and annexed Crimea, which lies just to the south of the rest of Ukraine. Then, Putin backed pro-Russia rebels who started seizing territory in eastern Ukraine.

Biden noted he is meeting with G7 counterparts on Thursday morning and then will tell the American people what consequences the U.S. and its Allies will impose on Russia.

President Biden previously warned Moscow there would be “swift and severe consequences” if Russia invaded Ukraine.

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Eurovision Bans Russia From The 2022 Song Contest Just A Day After Opting Not To

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Eurovision Song Contest 2018 Trophy
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This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in Turin, Italy in May, when musical representatives from many countries will take to the city to show off the best of what their nations have to offer. Given the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, many wondered if Russia would be allowed to participate in this year’s event. Initially, Eurovision organizers (the European Broadcast Union) told NPR yesterday, “The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political cultural event. The EBU is however concerned about current events in Ukraine and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

The EBU has quickly changed its tune, though, as they’ve now gone ahead and banned Russia from the 2022 contest. In a new statement today, they said:

“No Russian act will participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The decision reflects the concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s contest would bring the competition into disrepute. The EBU is an apolitical member organization of broadcasters committed to upholding the values of public service. We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which proves international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music, and unites Europe on one stage.”

In recent years, Russia has been one of the strongest-performing countries in the contest: As BBC notes, they’ve had five top-five finishes over the past decade. They last won in 2008 and the next year, the contest was held in Moscow. Meanwhile, the Eurovision website notes of Ukraine, “Ukraine first entered the contest in 2003 and rapidly became one of the most successful countries in the competition. In 15 appearances at the Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine has never missed a Grand Final. 9 of those 14 entries have finished in the top 10, 5 have finished in the top 3, and 2 have been winners.” Those wins came in 2004 and 2016.

The Weeknd Is Delaying An Announcement Due To The Conflict Between Ukraine And Russia

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The Weeknd Dawn FM Trailer
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The conflict between Ukraine and Russia finally escalated tonight. Reports that Russia has launched a “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine broke, and American celebrities are already being confronted with the need to speak out about the political event. Yesterday, Cardi B noted that she sides with the “citizens” who are impacted by the violence, but also understands how the sanctions that Biden has imposed, and the ramifications of the conflict, are going to further fracture the already damaged global economy.

The breaking news has also had an impact on another artist’s plans. After celebrating his birthday just a few days ago, The Weeknd has been teasing a big new announcement that was slated to come tomorrow, but after seeing the reports he’s decided to postpone on sharing his own news while the world focuses on something slightly more serious. “Unfortunately I’m just now seeing what’s happening with the conflict and will pause on tomorrow’s announcement,” he wrote on Twitter tonight. “I pray for everyone’s safety.”

Though fans don’t know what Abel had in store for them, speculation was rampant about either a tour, or a final third album for this new “trilogy” of releases. But postponing while such a tragic circumstance is unfolding feels like the right move, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Abel has up his sleeve.

President Biden Promises To Hold Russia Accountable Amid Ukraine Invasion

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biden putin

President Biden is promising the world will hold Russia accountable. In a statement late Wednesday night, Biden said his prayers are with the people of Ukraine as they “suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.” He said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “premeditated war” will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

This follows reports of Russian forces invading parts of Ukraine. Ukraine is wedged between Russia and Europe.

Earlier today, Russian President Putin ordered a “special military operation” to protect the Donbas region of Ukraine. an eastern territory that is already held by pro-Russia rebels.

In 2014, Putin invaded and annexed Crimea, which lies just to the south of the rest of Ukraine. Then, Putin backed pro-Russia rebels who started seizing territory in eastern Ukraine.

Biden noted he is meeting with G7 counterparts on Thursday morning and then will tell the American people what consequences the U.S. and its Allies will impose on Russia.

President Biden previously warned Moscow there would be “swift and severe consequences” if Russia invaded Ukraine.

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Cardi B Says She Sides With ‘Citizens’ In The Russia-Ukraine Conflict: ‘I’m Really Just Annoyed By This’

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Cardi B 2021
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On Tuesday, President Joe Biden unveiled a “first tranche” of US sanctions against Russia, who is on the verge of an invasion of neighboring Ukraine. This came after a flurry of military vehicles were seen heading into the nation from Russia early Tuesday morning. The rest of the world awaits what will happen next in the conflict. In the meantime, one person decided to reach out to Cardi B for her opinion on everything, as she’s been very open in the past on political matters.

“Wish these world leaders stop tripping about power and really think about whose really getting affected (citizens) besides the whole world is in a crisis,” she tweeted in response. Another person didn’t believe that Cardi was behind the tweet, so she replied with a video of herself speaking further on the matter.

“This phone is not hacked, it’s really me,” she said. “I actually want to say a lot of things, but I’m just gonna mind my business because sometimes, I feel like I have such a big platform that if I don’t say the right things, I might get killed.” She continued:

I’m really not on NATO’s side, I’m really not on Russian side, I’m actually [on] the citizens’ side, because at the end of the day, the world is having a crisis right now. This inflation not only in America, but everywhere in the world! It’s really hard to get the economy back up. There is so much shipments and embarkments backed up, China’s not really messing with us, so a lot of things are behind, a lot of goods are behind, and this shit just made it a lot more complicated, so I’m just really annoyed by this.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.