Headline

Hollywood Joins Russia Blockade Over Ukraine Invasion

Published

4 years ago

March 1, 2022

Hollywood is joining the blockade of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, with Paramount on Tuesday becoming the latest studio to pull its upcoming films from Russian theaters.

The West has closed ranks since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops across the border, imposing a phalanx of financial sanctions intended to raise the cost of military action and put pressure on the Russian economy.

Airspace has been closed to Russian planes, high-tech exports have been curtailed and the sporting world has yanked fixtures from Russian soil, or ejected Russian teams from competition.

Now the United States’ movie-making capital is climbing aboard, with major studios saying they will not release new films in Russia.

Paramount’s pause, which will immediately affect titles including “The Lost City” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” comes on the heels of similar announcements by Disney, Sony and Warner Bros.

Those decisions will affect titles including highly anticipated “The Batman,” which debuts in the United States on Friday.

“As we witness the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, we have decided to pause the theatrical release of our upcoming films in Russia,” a Paramount Pictures spokesman was quoted as saying by US media.

“We stand by all those impacted by the humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, Russia, and our international markets and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.”

By global standards, Russia is not a huge market for Tinseltown, though big budget releases fare quite well there — “Spider-Man: No Way Home” took a healthy $44 million at the Russian box office, trade title Variety reported.

The entertainment industry has been hostile to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch this week used the occasion of receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to call for action to halt Moscow’s advance.

Germany’s Munich Philharmonic fired Russian conductor and Kremlin loyalist Valery Gergiev on Tuesday after he failed to denounce the invasion.

Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have said they will not allow Russia to participate in this year’s edition, and punk-pop trio Green Day announced this week that they were cancelling a series of shows in Moscow “in light of current events.”

AFP/PUNCH

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

4 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.