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Woody Allen counters condemnation by Ukraine after speaking at Russian film festival

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Woody Allen counters condemnation by Ukraine after speaking at Russian film festival


The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned Woody Allen for speaking virtually at a Russian film festival over the weekend, calling his participation in the event “a disgrace and an insult” to the victims of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to Russian media, Allen spoke Sunday at the Moscow International Film Week via video conference. The appearance put him at odds with the Hollywood establishment, which has embraced Ukraine’s cause during Russia’s 3 1/2-year war, with prominent actors signing on to the United24 crowdfunding initiative and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy making virtual appearances at past Golden Globes and Grammys ceremonies.

Footage aired by Russian state TV showed the filmmaker addressing a tightly packed movie theater from a massive screen, with pro-Kremlin film director Fyodor Bondarchuk moderating the session. Russian media stories quoted Allen as saying he’s always liked Russian cinema, recounting his past trips to Russia and the Soviet Union, and talking about what he would do if he were to receive a proposal to direct a movie in the country.

Woody Allen during a performance at the 55th edition of the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival at the Teatre Tivoli on September 18, 2023, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Kike Rincon / Europa Press via Getty Images


Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry in an online statement on Monday said it “strongly condemns” Allen’s participation in the festival, which “brings together supporters and mouthpieces of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

The ministry called it “a disgrace and an insult to the victims among Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who have been killed or wounded by Russian war criminals,” adding that Allen “is deliberately turning a blind eye to the atrocities that Russia has been committing in Ukraine.”

In a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, Allen criticized Putin and denounced the invasion but called for cultural exchanges to continue.

“When it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, I believe strongly that Vladimir Putin is totally in the wrong. The war he has caused is appalling,” Allen said. “But, whatever politicians have done, I don’t feel cutting off artistic conversations is ever a good way to help.”

The website of the festival, which runs through Wednesday, billed Allen as one of its headliners, along with Serbian film director Emir Kusturica and American actor Mark Dacascos.

Moscow International Film Week is a relatively new festival, first held in the Russian capital in August 2024. It is separate from the decades-old Moscow International Film Festival, which in 2022 was stripped of its International Federation of Film Producers Associations accreditation following the invasion of Ukraine.

Kusturica has been open about his support of Putin, including after the invasion. He received an award from Putin and attended a military parade in Moscow earlier this year.

Allen has long had an affinity for Russian literature and history. His 1975 comedy “Love and Death” spoofs the fiction of Tolstoy and other 19th century Russian novelists. The title of his 1989 release “Crimes and Misdemeanors” echoes Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” and also broods over the themes of wrongdoing, justice and guilt.

In the 1972 essay, “A Brief Guide to Civil Disobedience,” Allen jokes about the Russian Revolution, writing that the serfs rebelled when they “finally realized that the Czar and the Tsar were the same person.”



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Meghan Markle branded ‘envious’ in shocking exposé

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Meghan Markle branded ‘envious’ in shocking exposé


Meghan Markle’s potential reaction to Christmas this year comes to light

A royal expert has just stepped forward to break down the one envious feeling that is likely to envelope the Duchess during the holiday season this year.

The expert in question is royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams and he spoke to Express UK when delivering this thought.

He believes the most evident emotion this year will be ‘envy’, especially when it comes to Christmas at Sandringham.

Reason being, as Mr Fitzwilliams puts it, “Meghan, after a decidedly lacklustre year, will certainly envy the worldwide publicity the monarch’s Christmas message and the walk to St Mary Magdalene on Christmas morning will invariably receive.”

Plus, “this year, as the thoughts of many around the Commonwealth and the wider world turn to the royal family at Christmas, especially given King Charles’s health struggle and with Catherine in remission, the Sussexes will noticeably be absent yet again.”

While the expert feels “they will doubtless enjoy Christmas in California but considering how erratically and destructively they have behaved since Megxit, they are not likely to be missed!” he added before signing off. 





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TLP protest continues to choke twin cities despite partial reopening of roads

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TLP protest continues to choke twin cities despite partial reopening of roads


RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Several key roads in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been partially reopened on Sunday as the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protest march continues its advance from Lahore towards Islamabad.

While major routes remain blocked by shipping containers, authorities have begun easing restrictions in select areas of the twin cities to facilitate commuters.

Mobile internet services were also partially restored in some parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, say authorities. 

Rawalpindi Traffic Police has issued a new plan regarding road routes. According to the Rawalpindi Traffic Police, out of 43 blocked locations in the city, six have been fully reopened while 35 have been partially cleared. Faizabad remains completely closed for the third consecutive day.

In Rawalpindi, roads leading to residential areas and adjoining streets off Murree Road were reopened for traffic, though major highways, including Murree Road, Faizabad, the Expressway, and IJP Road, remain closed. The metro bus service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad also remains suspended until further notice.

Motorway police confirmed that the M-2 Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad has been reopened, and traffic flow is normal. The Islamabad Expressway and the route connecting Ninth Avenue to Double Road have also been partially reopened, though the Faizabad route from the Rawalpindi side remains blocked.

Islamabad DIG Muhammad Jawad Tariq visited Faizabad to review the law and order situation, assuring that security and order in the capital will be maintained “at all costs.”

Traffic police have announced diversions across multiple points near Faizabad. Heavy traffic entry into Islamabad remains suspended, with alternate routes advised: motorists travelling to Rawalpindi from Rawal Dam Chowk are advised to use Park Road, while those heading to the airport should use Kashmir Chowk and Srinagar Highway.

Residents of I-8 have been instructed to use Zero Point, Srinagar Highway, Club Road, and Park Road, while those coming from Koral should opt for Khanna Pul, Lehtrar Road, Tramri Chowk, and Rawal Dam Chowk.

In Lahore, violent clashes between TLP protesters and police left 112 personnel injured and led to the arrest of more than 100 protesters, according to DIG Operations Faisal Kamran. The protesters also vandalised the Shahdara Town police station and damaged public and private property, The News reported.

Talks underway between govt, TLP

Meanwhile, Jamat-e-Islami (JI) leader Liaqat Baloch telephoned Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday.

According to the JI spokesperson, both leaders discussed matters related to the ongoing TLP march and its impact on the province.

During the telephonic conversation, Liaqat Baloch urged the provincial government to initiate talks with the protesters to resolve the situation peacefully.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of TLP said that negotiations between its central committee and the federal government are ongoing. He further advised all workers to await the decision of the central leadership.

Sources said that talks between government officials and representatives of the religious party are underway.

They said that Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, and Tahir Ashrafi are leading negotiations on behalf of the government.

Officials familiar with the sources said both sides have made headway on some issues, while talks remain ongoing on others.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry earlier said the government was pursuing a peaceful resolution but would not be “blackmailed by mobs,” accusing TLP of exploiting sensitive issues for political gains.





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Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are dating: Report

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Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are dating: Report


Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau confirm romance 

Katy Perry and the former Canadian Prime Minister seem to be dating!

According to The Mail, after months of rumors, the couple was spotted getting cozy with each other as they kissed on board Perry’s 24-metre yacht, the Caravelle, off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.

The Firework singer was seen embracing and kissing her new love on the upper deck, as tourists on a whale-watching boat passed by and took photos.

Perry and Trudeau were first rumored to be dating in July when they were pictured having an intimate dinner at Le Violon restaurant in Montreal.

Currently, the Roar hitmaker is enjoying a break from her Lifetimes world tour, with this latest picture of her and Trudeau coming out three months after Perry confirmed her split from Orlando Bloom, with whom she shares a daughter.

Trudeau, who was Canada’s prime minister for a decade until he stepped down earlier this year, has a distinctive “Haida raven” inking on his upper left arm, which is a tribute to indigenous Canadian people.

Additionally, he split from his wife, Sophie, in August 2023 after 18 years of marriage and they share two sons as well as a daughter.





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