Roman Abramovich suffered 'suspected poisoning' at talks

buy michael kors watch cheap - #1:Roman Abramovich suffered 'suspected poisoning' at talks 

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning at peace talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border earlier this month, sources close to him say.

The Chelsea FC owner - who has now recovered - reportedly suffered sore eyes and peeling skin.

Two Ukrainian peace negotiators were also said to have been affected.

One report said the alleged poisoning was orchestrated by Russian hardliners who wanted to sabotage the talks.

Shortly after the allegations emerged, an unnamed US official was quoted by Reuters as saying that intelligence suggested the men's symptoms were due to "environmental" factors, not poisoning.

And later an official in the Ukrainian president's office, Ihor Zhovkva, told the BBC that while he hadn't spoken to Mr Abramovich, members of the Ukrainian delegation were "fine" and one had said the story was "false".

However, BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says it would hardly be surprising that the US would want to dampen down suggestions that anyone - especially Russia - had used a chemical weapon in Ukraine, as this could push them into retaliatory action that they are extremely reluctant to take.
'Piercing pain in the eyes'

The conditions of Mr Abramovich and the Ukrainian negotiators, who include Ukrainian MP Rustem Umerov, have improved since the incident on 3 March, the Wall Street Journal quoted sources as saying.

A source close to Mr Abramovich told the BBC he had now recovered and was continuing with negotiations to try and end the war in Ukraine.

The incident casts light on Mr Abramovich's reported role as a broker in talks between Ukraine and Russia. The exact nature of his position is unclear, but a spokesperson for the oligarch previously said his influence was "limited".

On Sunday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Mr Abramovich had offered him help to de-escalate Russia's invasion of the country.

The Russian billionaire travelled between Moscow and Kyiv for several rounds of talks at the start of the month. He reportedly met Mr Zelensky during the trip, but the Ukrainian leader was not affected and his spokesman had no information about the incident.

The investigative journalism group Bellingcat, meanwhile, said Mr Abramovich and the negotiators suffered symptoms "consistent with poisoning with chemical weapons".

The symptoms included "eye and skin inflammation and piercing pain in the eyes", Bellingcat reported.

Mr Abramovich has since been seen in public, being pictured at Israel's Tel Aviv airport on 14 March.

Mr Abramovich was sanctioned by the EU and UK earlier this month over his alleged links to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, which he denies.

But Mr Zelensky has reportedly asked the US to hold off from sanctioning Mr Abramovich, arguing he could play a role in negotiating a peace deal with Moscow.

The Kremlin has said Mr Abramovich played an early role in peace talks but the process was now in the hands of the two countries' negotiating teams.

The two sides are set to meet in Istanbul on Tuesday for their first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks.

On the afternoon of 3 March, Roman Abramovich joined Russian and Ukrainian peace negotiators at talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border. What happened next is very mysterious.

Later that night, three of the delegates - including Mr Abramovich - according to the investigative website Bellingcat, suffered symptoms of nerve agent poisoning.

They had inflamed skin, irritated eyes and severe pain behind the eyes - symptoms which lasted all night.

None of them had eaten anything more, according to Bellingcat, than chocolate and water.

Chemical weapons specialists have examined this case and concluded that they believe it was an intentional use of a chemical agent.

But we have no idea who did it. There is no claim of responsibility.

Inevitably people will be wondering if this was the work of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, who Britain concluded was behind the Novichok Salisbury poisoning in 2018.

There has been no immediate comment from Russia and no proof they were responsible.

But somebody, it seems, wanted to send a warning to those taking part in the peace talks. This was not a lethal dose, it was a warning.

The suggestion made by an unnamed US official that environmental factors were to blame is odd.

Nobody else was affected by these very serious medical afflictions. The chemical weapons expert, Hamish De Bretton-Gordon, told the BBC it was highly improbable that environmental factors had anything to do with it.

READ MORE - Roman Abramovich suffered 'suspected poisoning' at talks

Miami Heat: Recent Skid Doesn’t Impact Title Contending Ability

cheap casio watch - #1:Miami Heat: Recent Skid Doesn’t Impact Title Contending Ability 

There’s no running around it, as the Miami Heat have walked through an alley of trouble after suffering four straight losses to Philadelphia, Golden State, New York, and Brooklyn Saturday night.

To make matters worse, they are now number two in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics by way of tiebreakers—who they are set to face on this Wednesday in Boston.

A combined 33 total All-Star appearances were absent during the Heat’s last four losses, as that list included Joel Embiid, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Julius Randle.

Despite holding the advantage on paper, Miami continued to be outperformed and even outclassed by teams who were without their first, second, or even third option, other than Brooklyn, of course.

To encapsulate it all, a lackluster defensive effort didn’t help the Heat’s chances. For a team that was starting to gain some positive media attention in recent weeks, Miami’s outlook of being in title contention has now become a fallacy to many.

The continuation of late-game meltdowns, a revolving door of injuries, and finding difficulty in properly integrating guys or certain lineups have vacuumed them into one of their worst four-game stretches in recent memory.

Now, before the rest of their schedule stands a team that is accused to be a shadow of themselves.

READ MORE - Miami Heat: Recent Skid Doesn’t Impact Title Contending Ability

COLUMN: 2022 Oscars red carpet looks that were literal works of art

cheap diamond watches - #1:COLUMN: 2022 Oscars red carpet looks that were literal works of art

 The Oscars red carpet is one of the biggest — and most notorious — celebrity fashion stages in Hollywood.

Last night, the 94th Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theater, bringing several stars and all of Hollywood’s elite to the highly-anticipated night of art and fashion.

After last year’s scaled-back ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the looks from the 2022 Oscars red carpet were anything but toned down.

Nominees and celebrities like Zoë Kravitz, Sebastián Yatra, Lily James, Jessie Buckley, Nicky Hilton Rothschild and many others arrived on the red carpet wearing blush tones, one of the major 2022 Oscars red carpet trends.

Yatra, the voice behind the best original song nomination of “Dos Orguitas” from Disney’s “Encanto,” wore a pink custom three-piece Moschino suit. Specifically curated by Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott for the fashion firm’s Autumn 2022 collection, this bubblegum pink look was both genderless and bold.

Best actress nominee Kristen Stewart sported a menswear-inspired ensemble for the awards ceremony: a black satin, custom Chanel shorts suit that commands attention on its own.

“Dune” star Zendaya also went with the menswear route for the Oscars on top, as part of her Valentino ensemble, wearing a white cropped button-down silk blouse and a silver skirt with a flowing train. Her co-star Timothée Chalamet showed up to the red carpet shirtless underneath a black sparkly Louis Vuitton suit.

Chalamet can be hit or miss on the red carpet, but this year, he basically rewrote the Oscars dress code. Zendaya, like always, understood the assignment and looked effortlessly chic.

Another celebrity standout was Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve, who stunned in a lace embellished black and ivory slip dress from Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2022 Ready-to-Wear collection. The actress starred in “The Worst Person in the World,” which was nominated for best international feature film and best original screenplay.

The red carpet also saw the likes of the “King Richard” cast, including young Hollywood stars Demi Singleton in an embellished lavender Miu Miu gown and Saniyya Sidney in a floral-adorned Armani Privé look. Both actresses opted for pastels, with Sidney’s gown inspired by Audrey Hepburn.

Actors Vanessa Hudgens and Terrence J, along with fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, hosted “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” the official lead-in to the awards ceremony. The red carpet kicked off last night at 6:30 p.m. on ABC, followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m.

To see more fashion from the Oscars red carpet, check out E! News for the full photo gallery.

READ MORE - COLUMN: 2022 Oscars red carpet looks that were literal works of art

People Are Getting Spam Text Messages From Their Own Cell Number

cheapest citizen eco drive watches - #1:People Are Getting Spam Text Messages From Their Own Cell Number

 

 Baffled phone users are receiving spam texts—many of which include links that redirect to Russian news websites—that appear to have been sent from their own cellphones.

The messages are written as though they are from the cell owner's carrier, with a note about their bill and then an offer of a free gift if they click an attached link.

Usually, spam links lead to a form the target is asked to complete to receive their "free gift", which typically asks for their contact and bank details.

But many users duped into tapping on the link supposedly from their own phone report being directed to Russian news websites, sparking fear the scam is part of a propaganda campaign centering on the war in Ukraine.

Technology news website The Verge wrote about the issue on Monday after reporter Chris Welch, whose carrier is Verizon Wireless, was targeted.

He wrote: "This morning, I received a very blatant spam text offering me 'a little gift' for supposedly paying my phone bill. Normally I'd groan, roll my eyes, and quickly delete such a thing, but there was something different about this particular message: it was spoofed as coming from my own phone number. As best my iPhone could tell, it was a legitimate message from me to myself. Tapping into the sender details took me to my own contact card... These scammers keep getting more sophisticated."

He added: "There's something more disconcerting and invasive about it being linked to your own number."
Newsweek subscription offers >

Although phone users are advised never to click on links that could be spam, the reporter wanted to investigate. He revealed: "The link I received forwarded me to the website of Channel One Russia, a state TV network. Others have reported similar results and say they're redirected to Russian websites when they click the link."

Spammers have always used "spoofing" of legitimate numbers and companies in a bid to trick phone users, but using the cell owner's own number means it can evade the phone's "filter unknown messages" security features – since it appears to be the safest number you know; your own. In addition, many users may see their number and believe only their carrier would be able to message them using it, making them more likely to believe promises of freebies and click on the links provided.

The White House urged companies last week to encrypt their data because Russia may plan a cyberattack against the United States in response to sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Many of the unsettled recipients of the spam texts took to social media to warn others or to contact their carriers to complain.

One tweeter, using the handle @jeffNDfan, posted: "So I just got a spam text from my own cell number. I guess this is how the world ends?"

While Joshua Ashcraft tweeting from the handle @joshashcraft13 said: "@Verizon @VerizonSupport So I'm getting spam texts from my own cellphone number now?"

And Twitter user Alex Lanstein blasted the carriers for not using their sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs to recognize keywords typically used in scam messages.

He posted a screengrab of the text he received from his own number, which read: "Free Msg: Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here's a little gift for you." There was a link he was invited to click.

Sending the image to Verizon on Twitter, he wrote: "You folks should be able to detect sms [short message service] spam, spoofing my own vzw [Verizon Wireless] number, that spoofs your own bill pay messages. Doesn't take advanced #ai [artificial intelligence]."

Bennette Misalucha, a Democratic state senator from Hawaii, has become so concerned about spam texts recently, she is asking Congress to step in.

She told local news site KHON2 that while many Americans are aware of "phishing" scam dangers over email, many are unaware the same sorts of risks apply to text messages.

Speaking before allegations of a Russian link to some recent text scams were uncovered, she said: "It's email that we're so used to. We know about phishing, but the text version is one that is most recent. We're not as discriminatory about how we receive it. Our institutions may have our phone numbers and we think, 'Okay, it's okay to click.'"

She added local legislation would not help, saying telecommunications is "more of a federal issue" adding: "So it's really incumbent before Congress. It behooves them to take action because this is getting to be a problem. And not just in Hawaii, but all over the country."

A report by anti-spam app RoboKiller released last month compiled the data on spam texts for 2021. It revealed Americans received 87.8 billion spam text messages – an increase of 58 per cent compared to the year before.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tells consumers there are three ways to deal with an unwanted text message: report it on the messaging app itself, copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM), or report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

But it's unclear if that would be helpful in this case, since phone users would effectively be reporting their own phone number as a scam line.

Newsweek has contacted the FTC and the three major carriers in the U.S.—Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile—to seek clarification on how exactly customers should respond when it is their own number being used.

READ MORE - People Are Getting Spam Text Messages From Their Own Cell Number

Will Smith Owned the Williams Sisters’ Story Onscreen. Then He Stole Their Moment.

cheap waterproof watch - #1:Will Smith Owned the Williams Sisters’ Story Onscreen. Then He Stole Their Moment.

 

 The table was set for a moment of family triumph. Venus and Serena Williams were dressed and seated for the grand occasion on Sunday night, and Will Smith, who had played their father, Richard, with uncanny similitude in the movie “King Richard,” was poised to win the Oscar for best actor.

But then, as so often happens with the Williamses, things got complicated — and, through no fault of the sisters, an evening that should have affirmed their against-great-odds rise to stardom instead became about Smith slapping the comedian Chris Rock onstage.

When Smith accepted the Oscar, he delivered a tearful, rambling, semi-apologetic speech in which he said that “art imitates life” and “I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”

Serena, watching the speech from a front-row box seat, covered her face with her hand.

Unexpected and uncomfortable to watch, Smith’s failure to control his temper or rise to the occasion turned the night into one that the Williams sisters will never forget, for all the wrong reasons.

It has often played out like this for these remarkable siblings, with moments of triumph tempered by controversy or mixed emotions.

Smith said of the man he played onscreen: “He was a fierce defender of family.” On Monday, he apologized to Rock, the Williams family and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, calling his actions “unacceptable” and “inexcusable” and saying that “violence in all its forms is poisonous and destructive.”

“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Richard Williams, via his son Chavoita LeSane, told NBC News. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

Richard Williams, complex and frequently difficult to read, certainly created some of the friction and misunderstandings with the wider world. But, as “King Richard” makes clear, he and Oracene Price — they divorced in 2002 — also laid the groundwork for one of the biggest success stories in sports, and for two incandescent tennis careers that have lasted far longer than one would have imagined considering that neither Venus nor her younger sister Serena had much choice in the matter of their career path.

The sisters were raised from birth to be tennis champions, with Richard Williams’s 78-page plan as the blueprint and plenty of help from coaches like Rick Macci, who for four years in the early 1990s polished the sisters’ strokes and tactics and provided the seed capital and the support that helped make the long-shot family dream a reality.

Macci said he saw Richard Williams, now 80, at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., about three months ago and received a visit from him with a documentary crew about a month ago at his tennis academy in Boca Raton, Fla., where the sisters once trained. Macci said Williams was diminished after two strokes, but that they were still able to exchange stories.

“There have been a smorgasbord of things that have played out through the years: the good, the bad, the ugly,” Macci, who figured prominently in “King Richard,” said in a telephone interview on Monday. “I think when you’re at the top and you’re unique, or two of a kind in their case, you’re just going to have speed bumps along the way. Last night was just unfortunate because it was just such a celebration of a story that you just cannot make up and unfortunately now that slap is the story. And the story should have been this miraculous thing.”

Some of the speed bumps were bumps of a different sort. In 1997, Venus Williams made her first major impact at a Grand Slam tournament, reaching the final of the U.S. Open at age 17 with white beads in her hair and thunder in her strokes.

“I’m tall; I’m Black,” the 6-foot-1 Williams said early in the tournament. “Everything’s different about me. Just face the facts.”

But her breakthrough took on another dimension when she and the Romanian player Irina Spirlea bumped into each other on a changeover during their semifinal. In defeat, Spirlea suggested that Venus Williams had an arrogant attitude, while Richard Williams talked about the racism his family had faced on tour and labeled Spirlea a “big, tall, white turkey.”

In 2001, the family came to Indian Wells, Calif., and was booed by the crowd after Venus Williams withdrew from her semifinal match against Serena Williams shortly before it was to begin because of an injury. There was speculation at the time that Richard Williams was predetermining the results of his daughters’ matches — speculation that the Williamses denied — but the late withdrawal sparked suspicion and upset spectators. When Serena Williams returned to the court for her final against Kim Clijsters, with Richard and Venus in the stands, there were boos throughout the match, and Richard and Venus said they heard racial slurs from some fans.

Serena won the title, but triumph again had a bitter taste. She boycotted the tournament for 14 years, returning in 2015, with Venus ending her 15-year boycott the following year.

Even without controversy, the sisters’ dual success has been intricate. Remarkably close in their youth, as they remain today, their rise to the top of the game meant that they became frequent opponents, and though Venus Williams was the first to reach No. 1 and the first to win Wimbledon in singles, Serena Williams would prove, as her father predicted, the greater player, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles to Venus’s seven.

Venus handled being usurped with grace, and Serena has always made it clear that she would never have become the champion she did without Venus as her role model and cheerleader-in-chief.

“Venus wasn’t at all resentful,” Macci said. “She’s never been like that. And Serena has always looked up to Venus as ‘my big sister’ and even today, they have that. That’s very uncommon. You’re not keeping score, because it’s family and if one wins, we both win. I saw that early on.”

It has worked beyond even Richard Williams’s imaginings. Though he predicted greatness and No. 1 rankings for Venus and Serena, he had long maintained that they would retire relatively early to pursue other interests. Instead, they have endured and excelled while pursuing other interests, including interior design and fashion design. Though they are near the end now and have not played on tour since last summer, they remain un-retired. Venus Williams is 41. Serena Williams is 40.

Sunday night would have been a time to revel in the length of their journey, the depth of their achievements and Richard’s legacy. Instead, it turned into a night for Serena to cover her eyes, but, cinema, even when it is an Oscar-winning true story, won’t be the last word on the Williams sisters, or their father.

READ MORE - Will Smith Owned the Williams Sisters’ Story Onscreen. Then He Stole Their Moment.