(LONDON) — Liz Truss became the prime minister of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, shortly after Boris Johnson formally resigned.
Johnson, who had announced his intention to resign two months ago, formally stepped down during an audience with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Tuesday morning. A short time later, Truss had her own audience with the 96-year-old queen and was formally asked to form a new government, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. It was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the ceremonial transfer of power was held at Balmoral, where she is vacationing, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
Truss, 47, took office a day after the ruling Conservative Party selected her as its new leader, putting her in line to be confirmed as the U.K. prime minister without the need for a general election because the Conservatives wield a majority in the House of Commons. In a speech following her victory on Monday, Truss said it was an “honor” to be chosen and paid tribute to Johnson, her “friend.”
She is the U.K.’s fourth prime minister since 2016 and the country’s third female premier ever.
In her first speech from the steps of 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence, Truss once again praised her predecessor as a “hugely consequential prime minister.”
“I’m honored to take on this responsibility at a vital time for our country,” she said, adding that she was “determined to deliver.”
Truss said her three priorities were economic growth, tackling the energy crisis “caused by Putin’s war,” and improving the National Health Service.
Truss previously served in Johnson’s cabinet as the foreign secretary along with Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the exchequer whose resignation helped bring about Johnson’s downfall earlier this year.
She ran against Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party’s leadership election, in which only the 172,000 dues-paying members were allowed to vote. The party’s members cast their votes after eight weeks of campaigning, with Truss — a supporter of Johnson who said she did not back his resignation — emerging as the overwhelming favorite.
The campaign was dominated by questions about what either candidate would do to tackle a looming economic crisis, with household energy bills set to skyrocket this winter and inflation — already reaching a four-decade high at 10.1% — expected to rise even further, according to the Bank of England. Truss and Sunak clashed most fiercely on the issue of tax, with Truss saying she would not raise taxes while Sunak has supported a windfall tax on energy companies’ profits to help ease the burden on households.
Truss has promised action on the energy crisis within a week of taking office, though she has not spelled out her plans in any detail and refused to elaborate when questioned by BBC News on Sunday. She is expected to unveil her plan on Thursday.
Truss will also have the task of uniting a divided Conservative Party. Johnson’s tenure in office was dogged by scandal, most notably with the issue of “Partygate,” or the illegal gatherings held at government residences while the U.K. was under a strict lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. While Johnson’s supporters will remember him for securing a huge election victory, Brexit and support for Ukraine, Johnson’s detractors say his conduct and flexible relationship with the truth damaged the Conservative Party’s brand.
In an op-ed published by The Sunday Telegraph over the weekend, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, said that the appointment of a fourth Conservative prime minister in recent years did not mark a “new dawn” for Britain.
“As summer turns to autumn, the shadows of crisis are lengthening, looming over the whole country,” Starmer wrote. “There is no sign that either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss have grasped the scale of what is facing us, let alone possesses the answers to it.”
In July, Johnson announced that he had agreed to resign as leader of the Conservative Party, which resulted in his departure as prime minister once the party selected a successor through the leadership election.
“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” Johnson said in a July 7 statement delivered outside his office at no. 10 Downing Street in London.
“I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world,” he added. “But them’s the breaks.”
Kane Brown is giving fans a preview of the duet with his wife, Katelyn.
The superstar took to Instagram to share a snippet of the highly anticipated duet, “Thank God,” that finds the husband and wife singing together for the first time.
The song features a soft, pop-country melody as Kane and Katelyn’s voices unite singing, “I thank God/I get to wake up by your side/I thank God your hand fits perfectly in mine/And thank God you loved me when you didn’t have to/But you did, you do/And he knew/Thank God for giving me you.”
“So excited,” Kane shared alongside the video of them recording in the studio. “Are y’all ready?” Katelyn adds.
Kane also shared photos from the music video that takes them to a tropical location. A pair of black-and-white pictures shows the singer overlooking misty mountains and driving in a car with his wife, with the windows and top down. Katelyn also shared a photo of them from the set singing with each other on the beach at sunset.
“Thank God” is featured on Kane’s new album, Different Man, which is out on Friday.
Ozzy Osbourne has premiered another new track off his upcoming solo album, Patient Number 9.
The latest cut is titled “Nothing Feels Right” and features Ozzy’s longtime guitarist and Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde, who delivers a characteristically blistering solo.
You can listen to “Nothing Feels Right” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying visualizer streaming now on YouTube.
Patient Number 9, the follow-up to 2020’s Ordinary Man, arrives this Friday, September 9. It features guests including Wylde, Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Ozzy will celebrate the release of Patient Number 9 with a halftime performance at the NFL’s season opening game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills, kicking off Thursday, September 8.
Simple Minds have just debuted a second advance single from their forthcoming studio album, Directions of the Heart, a soaring, alt-rock-flavored tune titled “First You Jump.”
The track is available now via digital formats, and a companion music video has debuted at Simple Minds’ official YouTube channel. The clip features footage of the band performing “First You Jump” during a soundcheck before a concert this past July at the historic Ancient Theatre of Taormina in Sicily, Italy.
Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr tells ABC Audio that “First You Jump” was inspired by a friend’s daughter, who was struggling with depression.
“[C]ertainly when I grew up and where I grew up, people really didn’t walk around talking about their anxiety and that, but it is a huge issue these days,” Kerr notes. “And while we were making the record, a friend of mine, his kid … was suffering really badly. And [in] the song … I’m using that phrase metaphorically. It’s almost like saying ‘keep the faith’ or ‘don’t be afraid.’ Jump in. Things won’t be as bad as you think. You’ll find a way to glide.”
Kerr co-wrote “First You Jump” with bandmates Charlie Burchill and Ged Grimes. Explaining how he wrote the song’s lyrics, Jim says, “I get the music, and … usually it’s very heavy in an atmosphere, which means I perceive pictures. And certainly with that thing, as a piece of music, it almost felt like you were gliding in it. And I had that phrase and I thought it could be good to build a song around that.”
“First You Jump” is the second advance track from Directions of the Heart that Simple Minds has released, following “Vision Thing.” The album is due out on October 20, and can be preordered now.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyi/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 06, 11:50 AM EDT
IAEA calls for immediate establishment of ‘nuclear safety and security protection zone’ around Zaporizhzhia plant
The nuclear watchdog of the United Nations is calling for the immediate establishment of a “nuclear safety and security protection zone” around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
The recommendation, among several others, was made in a second report released Tuesday by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which deployed an expert mission to the besieged plant last week.
“The IAEA recommends that shelling on site and in its vicinity should be stopped immediately to avoid any further damages to the plant and associated facilities, for the safety of the operating staff and to maintain the physical integrity to support safe and secure operation,” the agency wrote in the report. “This requires agreement by all relevant parties to the establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the ZNPP.”
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Ukraine and all of Europe. Invading Russian forces overran the site and the surrounding town of Enerhodar in early March. The Ukrainian workers have been left in place to keep the plant operating, as it supplies electricity across the war-torn country, but the site is now on the front line between Russian-occupied and Ukrainian-controlled territory. Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for shelling at or near the plant in recent days and weeks, fueling fears that the conflict could spark a radiation disaster.
The IAEA said it aims to maintain a “continued presence” at the plant to “help further improve and deepen the understanding of the situation.”
“While the ongoing shelling has not yet triggered a nuclear emergency, it continues to represent a constant threat to nuclear safety and security with potential impact on critical safety functions that may lead to radiological consequences with great safety significance,” the agency wrote in the latest report.
Sep 06, 11:45 AM EDT
Russia purchasing weapons from North Korea: US intelligence report
Crippling global sanctions are forcing Russia to turn to North Korea to secure ammunition and other vital supplies for its military, according to a newly declassified American intelligence report.
“The Russian Ministry of Defense is in the process of purchasing millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea for use on the battlefield in Ukraine,” a U.S. official said in the report. “This purchase indicates that the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions.”
Given that Moscow has few viable trade partners, the official added that this could be a continuing trend.
This development, first reported by The New York Times, comes on the heels of Russia securing initial shipments of Iranian drones for use on the battlefield.
U.S. sources have released little information about the quality of the weapons from North Korea or when Russia expects to receive them, but sources within the administration said it’s a sign of the Kremlin’s desperation.
Sources also told ABC News that there’s no indication so far that China played an indirect hand in the deal, but that they’re continuing to monitor the situation closely.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Crawford
Sep 06, 11:28 AM EDT
US senator responds to new Russian sanctions against 25 Americans
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday imposed new sanctions on 25 Americans, including one of U.S. President Joe Biden’s cabinet secretaries, several U.S. senators and two Hollywood actors, all of whom have been outspoken against Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Sen. Kevin Kramer of North Dakota, as well as actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, are banned from entering Russia.
“Through the Armed Services Committee I’ve worked with Republicans, Democrats, and our military leaders to get Ukraine the supplies and weapons needed to beat back this invasion,” Kelly, who is up for re-election, said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday. “If that earns me a sanction by the Kremlin, then that means we’re doing something right.”
-ABC News’ Libby Cathey
Sep 05, 9:11 AM EDT
Zelenskyy vows to ‘regain territory’ in exclusive David Muir interview
In an exclusive interview with ABC’s “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted of more counteroffensives as his country tries to turn the tide of war against Russia.
“It’s a very difficult war,” Zelenskyy told Muir from the presidential office in Kyiv. “We will regain our territory.”
Sep 01, 1:16 PM EDT
Part of IAEA mission leaves Zaporizhzhia power plant: Report
Several experts with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog have left the Zaporizhzhia power plant, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
Four out of the nine vehicles that arrived earlier Thursday as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency convoy left at 2:15 p.m. local time after about four hours at the plant, according to an Interfax reporter on the ground at the Ukrainian facility.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who is leading the mission, was among those to leave, while some experts remained behind and will stay at the plant, according to Interfax.
Ukraine’s nuclear regulator, Energoatom, also confirmed Thursday that the majority of the IAEA mission has left the power plant, including Grossi, and that five experts stayed behind to unload equipment brought to the plant.
The IAEA team is expected to remain at the plant through Sept. 3, Energoatom said in an update posted to Telegram.
In a video statement posted to Twitter, Grossi said he completed a first tour of “key areas” at the plant on Thursday.
“Of course there’s a lot more to do,” he said. “My team is staying on, and more importantly and most importantly, we are establishing a continued presence … from the IAEA here.”
-ABC News’ Natalia Shumskaia and Fidel Pavlenko
Sep 01, 12:44 PM EDT
NYC apartment of Russian oligarch searched by federal agents: Sources
Federal agents searched the New York City apartment of Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg on Thursday, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
The oligarch’s Park Avenue apartment was searched by federal agents with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, the main investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the sources said.
An address in East Hampton associated with Vekselberg is also being searched as part of court-authorized activity involving the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force, according to sources.
The task force has been seizing assets of Russian businessmen associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin over suspected violations of U.S. sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
The task force is trying to find yachts, airplanes and other moveable property before the oligarchs can transport them to jurisdictions where it might be more difficult for U.S. authorities to investigate.
In April, Spanish authorities seized Vekselberg’s $90 million yacht in the port of Palma de Mallorca at the request of the Justice Department.
Vekselberg was among the oligarchs previously sanctioned by the U.S. after Russia invaded Crimea in 2018.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Sep 01, 9:46 AM EDT
New school year begins in Ukraine
Thursday marked the start of a new school year in Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing war.
For many of Ukraine’s four million schoolchildren, their last day of school was the day before Russian forces invaded their country on Feb. 24. Since then, thousands of schools across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed, with less than 60% of schools deemed safe and eligible to reopen by the Ukrainian government, according to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
At least 379 children have been killed in Ukraine since the war with Russia began, while the whereabouts of 223 others are unknown and another 7,013 were among Ukrainians forcibly transferred to Russia from Russian-occupied areas, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office. And as of July 31, an estimated 650,000 Ukrainian children living as refugees in 12 host countries were still not enrolled in national education systems, according to UNICEF.
UNICEF is working with the Ukrainian government to help get the country’s schoolchildren back to learning, in classrooms when it is deemed safe, and through online or community-based alternatives if in-person is not possible. Some 760,000 children have received formal or non-formal education since the start of the war. More than 1.7 million children and caregivers have benefited from UNICEF-supported mental health and psychosocial support interventions, the agency said in a press release Thursday.
On the first day of Ukraine’s academic year, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell visited a rehabilitated primary school damaged during the early weeks of war. Only 300 students can attend at any one time due to the capacity of the school’s bomb shelter, a mere 14% of the school’s pre-war capacity, according to UNICEF.
“The new school year should be a time of excitement and promise, as children re-enter the classroom and share stories of their summer with friends and teachers,” Russell said in a statement Thursday. “Yet, for four million children in Ukraine, the mood is one of trepidation. Children are returning to schools — many of which have been damaged during the war — with stories of destruction, uncertain if their teachers and friends will be there to welcome them. Many parents are hesitating to send their children to school, not knowing if they will be safe.”
Sep 01, 8:40 AM EDT
IAEA mission arrives at Zaporzhzhia nuclear power plant
A high-stakes mission from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog reached a Russian-controlled power plant in Ukraine on Thursday afternoon amid reports of heavy fighting there.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has long sought access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, since invading Russian troops overran the site and the surrounding town of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine in early March. The Ukrainian workers have been left in place to keep the plant operating, as it supplies electricity across the war-torn country, but the site is now on the frontline between Russian-occupied and Ukrainian-controlled territory. Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of shelling at or near the plant in recent days and weeks, fueling fears that the conflict could spark a radiation disaster.
IAEA’s Rafael Grossi, who is leading a team of over a dozen experts sent to inspect the besieged plant, said earlier Thursday that they were “aware” of the high risk posed by the “increased military activity in the area” between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
“There has been increased military activity, including this morning, until very recently, a few minutes ago. I have been briefed by the Ukrainian regional military commander here about that and the inherent risks,” Grossi told reporters as he and his team left their hotel in the city of Zaporizhzhia, north of Enerhodar, across the Dnipro River.
“But, weighing the pros and cons, and having come so far, we are not stopping,” he added. “We are moving now.”
A few hours later, the IAEA announced via Twitter that its “Support and Assistance Mission … has just arrived at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to conduct indispensable nuclear safety and security and safeguards activities.”
Aug 31, 10:45 AM EDT
IAEA mission arrives in Zaporizhzhia
A long-awaited expert mission from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog arrived in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s team will travel to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant near the town of Enerhodar on Thursday for the first time.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who is leading the mission, told reporters during a press briefing in Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday that the aim is for his team to establish a permanent presence at the Russian-occupied plant and that the initial phase would take “days.”
When asked if it was possible to demilitarize the site, Grossi said it was “a matter of political will” and that his mission is to preserve Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant. He admitted it was “not a risk-free mission” and underlined that his team would be operating in Ukrainian sovereign territory but in cooperation with Russian forces.
Asked if he thought Russian troops would really give his team full access, Grossi told reporters the IAEA was on a “technical mission” and that he was confident his team could work “on both sides.”
Aug 30, 4:31 PM EDT
Blinken heralds arrival of first shipload of Ukrainian grain to drought-stricken Horn of Africa
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday celebrated the first shipment of Ukrainian grain to arrive in the Horn of Africa — a region facing dire hunger — since Russia’s invasion began.
“The United States welcomes the arrival in Djibouti of 23,300 metric tons of Ukrainian grain aboard the ship Brave Commander. This grain will be distributed within Ethiopia and Somalia, countries that are dangerously food insecure after four years of drought,” Blinken said in a statement.
This is the first shipload to reach the region since a United Nations-brokered deal that allowed ships to leave Ukraine’s ports again.
According to Ukrainian officials, dozens of ships have been able to safely navigate the Black Sea in recent weeks. But State Department officials have claimed Russian allies, like Syria, have unfairly benefitted from recent exports, proving detrimental to countries the World Food Programme has determined are facing a greater level of need.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Aug 30, 4:25 PM EDT
EU preemptively donates 5.5 million potassium iodide tablets to protect Ukrainians from potential radiation exposure
The European Commission said it received a request from the Ukrainian government on Friday for potassium iodide tablets as a preventative safety measure to increase the level of protection around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The European Response Coordination Centre quickly mobilized 5.5 million potassium iodide tablets through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for Ukraine, including 5 million from the rescEU emergency reserves and 500,000 from Austria.
“No nuclear power plant should ever be used as a war theatre,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said. “It is unacceptable that civilian lives are put in danger. All military action around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant must stop immediately.”
-ABC News’ Max Uzol
Aug 30, 2:15 PM EDT
Sens. Klobuchar, Portman meet with Zelenskyy in Ukraine
Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on a visit to the war-torn country.
“The support that the U.S. has given has been strongly bipartisan and we want that to continue,” Klobuchar told ABC News.
Portman noted the psychological advantage of Ukraine now making advances in Kherson, which was the first oblast taken by the Russians six months ago.
It shows that “even when the Russians are dug in, as they are in that region, that Ukrainians can make progress in an offensive,” he said. “And my hope is that we will continue to see that to the point that the Russians will finally come to the bargaining table and stop this illegal, totally unprovoked war on Ukraine.”
-ABC News’ Ibtissem Guenfoud
Aug 30, 11:07 AM EDT
Russian forces shelling corridors leading to nuclear plant, Ukraine says
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russian forces are shelling corridors the International Atomic Energy Agency mission would take to reach the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southeastern Ukraine.
Podolyak said Russian forces are probably shelling the path to ensure the IAEA mission pass through Russian-controlled territory to reach the plant.
Aug 29, 4:38 PM EDT
Zelenskyy vows to reclaim all territory lost to Russian forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday vowed to reclaim all territory lost to Russian forces.
“Ukraine is returning its own. And it will return the Kharkiv region, Luhansk region, Donetsk region, Zaporizhzhia region, Kherson region, Crimea. Definitely our entire water area of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, from Zmiinyi Island to the Kerch Strait,” he said in his daily address. “This will happen. This is ours. And just as our society understands it, I want the occupiers to understand it, too. There will be no place for them on Ukrainian land.”
Zelenskyy said his message to Russian fighters is that if they want to survive, it’s time for them to flee or surrender.
“The occupiers should know, we will oust them to the border — to our border, the line of which has not changed. The invaders know it well,” he said. “If they want to survive, it is time for the Russian military to flee. Go home. If you are afraid to return to your home in Russia, well, let such occupiers surrender, and we will guarantee them compliance with all norms of the Geneva Conventions.”
Aug 29, 3:00 PM EDT
White House calls for controlled shutdown of Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactors, DMZ around plant
White House spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Russia should agree to a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and that a controlled shutdown of the reactors “would be the safest and least risky option in the near-term.”
Kirby also expressed support for the IAEA mission to the power plant.
“We fully support the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Grossi’s expert mission to the power plant, and we are glad that the team is on its way to ascertain the safety, security and safeguards of the systems there, as well as to evaluate the staff’s working conditions,” he said. “Russia should ensure safe, unfettered access for these independent inspectors.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Aug 29, 1:33 PM EDT
Ukrainian forces launch major counteroffensive
Ukrainian forces have launched a major counteroffensive in multiple directions in the southern part of Ukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Operational Command, said Monday.
Humeniuk said the situation in the south remains “tense,” but controlled.
Ukrainians have been targeting strategic Russian command posts and slowly advancing toward Kherson for weeks. Kherson was first major city in the south to be captured by Russian forces following the invasion.
Russian military issued a statement confirming the offensive and claiming Ukraine sustained heavy losses.
Meanwhile, at least 12 missiles have struck Mykolaiv, which remains under Ukraine’s control in the south. Two people were killed and 24 were wounded, according to the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast.
-ABC News’ Max Uzol and Natalia Shumskaia
Aug 29, 12:47 PM EDT
Ukrainian official accused of treason is shot and killed
Oleksiy Kovalyov, a Ukrainian official who was accused of treason for openly collaborating with Russia, was shot and killed in his home on Sunday in Hola Prystan, Kherson Oblast, according to preliminary information from the Investigative Committee of Russia (SKR). An unidentified woman was also killed, SKR said.
Kovalyov was a Ukrainian lawmaker from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party who was accused of treason; criminal proceedings were initiated by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations in June. He is one of the highest-ranking Ukrainian defectors who fled to Kherson after the invasion and openly collaborated with Russia. He was appointed by the Russians as the deputy head of the Kherson Military-Civil Administration.
Aug 29, 12:19 PM EDT
IAEA says mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ‘on its way’
The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog announced Monday that the agency’s long-awaited expert mission to the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southeastern Ukraine “is now on its way.”
“The day has come,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a post on Twitter.
Grossi, who is leading the IAEA’s “Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia,” has long sought access to the nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe. Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations of shelling at or near the site in recent weeks, fueling fears that the fighting could cause a nuclear disaster.
“We must protect the safety and security of #Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility,” Grossi tweeted, alongside a photo of himself with 13 other experts. “Proud to lead this mission which will be in #ZNPP later this week.”
Shortly after invading neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russian troops stormed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant near the town of Enerhodar, on the banks of the Dnipro River in the country’s southeast. The Ukrainian workers have been left in place to keep the plant operating, as it supplies electricity across the war-torn nation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the IAEA team will travel to the plant via Ukrainian-controlled territory, state-run TASS reported.
The area around the nuclear plant is controlled by Russian forces. Peskov said once the IAEA team enters Russian-controlled territory, all necessary security will be provided.
Aug 29, 2:21 AM EDT
IAEA says mission to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant ‘on its way’
The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog announced Monday that the agency’s long-awaited expert mission to the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southeastern Ukraine “is now on its way.”
“The day has come,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a post on Twitter.
Grossi, who is leading the IAEA’s “Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia,” has long sought access to the nuclear power plant, which is the largest in Europe. Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations of shelling at or near the site in recent weeks, fueling fears that the fighting could cause a nuclear disaster.
“We must protect the safety and security of #Ukraine’s and Europe’s biggest nuclear facility,” Grossi tweeted, alongside a photo of himself with 13 other experts. “Proud to lead this mission which will be in #ZNPP later this week.”
Shortly after invading neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russian troops stormed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant near the town of Enerhodar, on the banks of the Dnipro River in the country’s southeast. The Ukrainian workers have been left in place to keep the plant operating, as it supplies electricity across the war-torn nation.
Wilde, center, with cast – Dominique Charriau/WireImage
Olivia Wilde was strictly business while promoting her new film Don’t Worry Darling at the 2022 Venice Film Festival Monday.
Wilde, who directed the film, was joined by its stars Chris Pine, Harry Styles and Gemma Chan. Florence Pugh also stars in the film, but was not in attendance for the press conference. Noticing Pugh’s absence, a reporter asked Wilde to “address if there’s been a falling out” between the two actresses, but Wilde director responded with nothing but compliments for Pugh.
“Florence is a force, and we are so grateful that she’s able to make it tonight despite being in production on Dune,” Wilde replied, according to Entertainment Tonight. “I know, as a director, how disruptive it is to lose an actor even for a day, so I’m very grateful to her, to Denis Villeneuve for helping us. And we’re really thrilled we’ll get to celebrate her work tonight. I can’t say enough how honored I am to have her as our lead. She’s amazing in the film.”
Wilde added, “As for all the endless tabloid gossip and all the noise out there, I mean, the internet feeds itself. I don’t feel the need to contribute. It’s sufficiently well nourished.”
If you haven’t been keeping score, reports are Pugh was reportedly upset about the marketing focus on the sexual content of Don’t Worry Darling, as well as other issues. Some of those are said to involve Pugh and the film’s former star, Shia LaBeouf, whom Wilde recently said she fired — LaBeouf countered that he quit — and replaced with Styles, with whom Wilde’s now in a romantic relationship.
When another journalist attempted to get clarification regarding LaBeouf, the panel moderator reportedly stepped in, saying, “I think this question has been answered when she talked about the internet.”
Luke Combs lost his voice during a recent concert, but that didn’t stop him from keeping the show going.
During his second night headlining Maine Savings Ampitheater in Maine this weekend, the superstar stopped mid-show to tell the audience that he knew he wasn’t going to be able to sing “as good as I normally do.” To make up for it, he refunded all of the tickets and continued on with the show.
“We’re still going to play the show, but it’s not going to be what I think it should be for you guys having to pay for it, so we’re going to put on the best free show we can put on,” he explained with a hoarse voice, adding that he was “so upset” about the situation.
“I’m going to give you everything that I have and I am so sorry,” he continued, getting emotional as the crowd cheered. His speech led into a performance of his most recent #1 hit, “Doin’ This.”
The night before, Luke paid it forward to two young fans, Bo and Tanner, who paid $200 total for their tickets by stacking wood. When the singer saw their sign from the audience, he paid the boys $140 in cash and promised to pay the remaining $60.
The lawsuit filed by the Nevermind cover baby Spencer Elden has been dismissed for the final time, Rolling Stone reports.
As previously reported, Elden sued Nirvana in August 2021, alleging that the cover artwork of the band’s 1991 album Nevermind constituted child pornography. The now-iconic cover features a photo of Elden, then a four-month-old baby, swimming naked underwater while reaching for a dollar bill.
The suit named current Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as late frontman Kurt Cobain and his widow, Courtney Love. The Nevermind cover photographer, art director and various record labels were also listed as defendants.
Lawyers for Nirvana called Elden’s suit “not serious” and “absurd,” and argued that the statute of limitations on Elden’s allegations have expired. The suit was initially dismissed in January 2022, but Elden was allowed to refile an amended complaint.
Now, according to Rolling Stone, U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin has dismissed the suit once more, citing the expired statute of limitations.
“Because plaintiff had an opportunity to address the deficiencies in his complaint regarding the statute of limitations, the court is persuaded that it would be futile to afford plaintiff a fourth opportunity to file an amended complaint,” the judge’s ruling reads.
Elden’s lawyer tells Rolling Stone that their client “intends to appeal this ruling.”
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions
After a report suggesting as much, Josh Groban has now confirmed that he’s making his return to Broadway in a revival of the Tony-winning 1979 Stephen Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
There’s an exclusive 48-hour ticket pre-sale going on right now for Josh’s fans, which will run through September 8 at 9:59 a.m. ET. Previews for the show begin on February 26 at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Visit SweeneyToddBroadway.com for all the details.
This is Josh’s first Broadway role since his 2016 Tony-nominated debut in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. He’ll play the demon barber himself, Sweeney Todd, who kills his enemies and then hands them off to pie-maker Mrs. Lovett, played by Annaleigh Ashford.
The show’s creative team includes some of the folks who brought you the Broadway hits Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Josh fans know that he loves Stephen Sondheim, and one of his favorite musicals by the late theater legend is Sweeney Todd — so much so that Josh named his late dog Sweeney. Among the songs featured in the Tony-winning musical is “Not While I’m Around,” which Josh recorded on his 2015 album Stages and also sang at a Sondheim 90th birthday tribute.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A body discovered in Memphis has been identified as abducted school teacher Eliza Fletcher, authorities said Tuesday.
Fletcher’s remains were found on Sunday afternoon in a South Memphis residential neighborhood several miles from where she was abducted, police said.
The grim news came as 38-year-old Cleotha Abston, the suspect in the kidnapping, was set to make his first court appearance.
The Memphis Police Department said charges of first-degree murder and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping have been filed against Abston.
Abston was charged over the weekend with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence in connection with Fletcher’s disappearance. On Monday, additional charges of identity theft, theft of property valued at $1,000 or less and fraudulent use of a credit card were filed against Abston, according to online jail records.
Abston is being held at the Shelby County Jail in Memphis on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Shelby County Circuit Court in Memphis at 9 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Amid the search for Eliza Fletcher, who was kidnapped on Friday, Memphis police announced on Twitter that a body was discovered Sunday afternoon. “The identity of this person and the cause of death is unconfirmed at this time. The investigation is ongoing,” police said in a statement.
Fletcher, a kindergarten teacher and married mother of two, was last seen jogging in the area of Central Avenue and Zach Curlin Street in midtown Memphis, near the University of Memphis campus in southwest Tennessee, on Friday morning at approximately 4:20 a.m. local time, according to the Memphis Police Department. She was approached by a man and forced into a dark-colored GMC Terrain, which then took off, traveling westbound on Central Avenue, police said.
Fletcher’s husband, Richard Fletcher, reported her missing about three hours later, telling investigators that she never returned home from her regular 4 a.m. run, according to an affidavit of the complaint made public Sunday by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the affidavit, police believe Fletcher suffered “serious injury” during the abduction, which was captured on surveillance video.
The video showed a black GMC Terrain initially driving by Fletcher as she jogged, then stopping in a parking lot ahead of her and waiting for her to come by, according to the affidavit.
“A male exited the black GMC Terrain, ran aggressively toward the victim, and then forced the victim Eliza Fletcher into the passenger’s side of the vehicle. During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle,” the affidavit states.
Citing the video, investigators said the SUV sat in a parking lot with the victim inside for about four minutes before it drove off, according to the affidavit.
The video also captured the same SUV in the area of the kidnapping about 24 minutes prior to the abduction, the affidavit alleges.
Police arrested Abston on Saturday after learning that the registered owner of the GMC Terrain lived at the same residence as Abston, according to the affidavit. As the U.S. Marshals Service moved in to make the arrests, Abston allegedly tried to flee in the SUV but was quickly taken into custody.
During questioning, Abston, who works at a dry cleaners, refused to tell investigators anything about Fletcher’s whereabouts, according to the affidavit.
Abston previously pleaded guilty in 2001 of especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery in Shelby County, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
He served 20 years in prison for kidnapping a prominent Memphis attorney at gunpoint, according to a report by The Commercial Appeal, a Memphis newspaper. Abston, who was 16 at the time, forced the attorney into the trunk of a car and made him withdraw cash from an ATM, the newspaper reported.
The attorney managed to escape when he yelled for help and drew the attention of a Memphis Housing Authority guard, according to the newspaper.
Fletcher was the granddaughter of Joseph “Joe” Orgill III, a prominent Tennessee businessman who died in 2018. Her family was offering a $50,000 reward for information that led to her safe return. They pleaded for people to come forward in a video statement released by the Memphis Police Department on Saturday.
