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Russia launches ‘military op’ in Ukraine, missile strikes in capital: 10 facts

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Russia launches ‘military op’ in Ukraine, missile strikes in capital: 10 facts

In a surprise move, Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday. “I have made the decision of a military operation,” he said in a televised address, news agency AFP reported. With Ukraine on edge in the midst of invasion fears, Kremlin earlier said that rebel leaders sought support against what was described as “aggression from the Ukrainian Armed Forces”. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, stressed that he tried to reach out to Putin, warning that Kremlin could “start a major war in Europe”.

Here are ten latest developments on the Russia-Ukraine crisis:

  1. Russia’s Putin has said the “responsibility of any bloodshed will be on the conscience of Ukrainian regime.” “Our plans (of special military operation) in Ukraine do not include occupying Ukrainian territory. We will aim at demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying in reports. Military command centres in the capital city of Kyiv and another city Kharkiv have been attacked by missile strikes, Reuters reported, citing local media.
  2. As Ukraine said Russia has launched “full invasion”, US President Joe Biden warned of “catastrophic loss of life” after his Russian counterpart’s announcement. “I’ll be monitoring the situation from White House this evening and get regular updates from my national security team. Tomorrow, I’ll meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning… We’ll coordinate with our NATO allies,” he added.
  3. Russia and Ukraine representatives sparred at the United Nations as Kremlin insisted the latest decision was to “protect people”. “Russian President on record declared war…It’s the responsibility of this body to stop this war,” the Kyiv representative said at the second UN emergency meeting this week.
  4. On rebel leaders’ request for Russia support, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “Kiev is continuing its military buildup along the line of disengagement” and “republics are experiencing the destruction of civil and industrial infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and kindergartens”. Blasts were heard early on Thursday in the separatist-held eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk.
  5. Ukrainian President, in an emotional address, said that his country “is not a threat to Russia”. Hours after the declaration of the national emergency on Wednesday, he underlined, “The people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine want peace. But if the nation comes under an attack, we will fight back.” “There was no answer, only silence”, Zelensky said on his attempts to reaching out to Putin in his appeal to stop a “major war in Europe”.
  6. In growing support at the United Nations, countries – including China that has usually backed Russia – spoke for Ukraine’s sovereignty. UN chief has asked for Russia to stop its troops from attacking Ukraine.
  7. Cyberattacks reportedly continue in Ukraine as the number of Russian troops swell at the borders. Cybersecurity firm ESET’s researchers were quoted as saying by news agency Reuters that hundreds of computers were hit across the country with malware.
  8. The European Union has announced sanctions against Russia defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military chiefs, news agency AFP reported. Asset freezes and visa bans are among the sanctions introduced on the commanders of Russia’s army, navy and air force by the 27-nation bloc.
  9. The US has accused Russia and China of trying to create a profoundly “illiberal world order”. “We think that Russia and the PRC also want a world order. But this is an order that is and would be profoundly illiberal, an order that stands in contrast to the system that countries around the world … have built in the last seven decades. It is an order that is in many ways destructive, rather than additive,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.
  10. Tensions escalated earlier this week as Russia recognised the rebel regions as independent in a violation of 2015 peace plan – a move that also allowed Kremlin to move troops in Ukraine . What followed was a series of sanctions by nations across the world on Russia and global condemnation. Ukraine on Wednesday announced a 30-day emergency. Kremlin has been repeating that it does not plan to invade Ukraine..

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times

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HT Rewind 2024: Teja Sajja says HanuMan kicking off the year in style is the moment he’d been ‘waiting for’ | Exclusive

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HT Rewind 2024: Teja Sajja says HanuMan kicking off the year in style is the moment he’d been ‘waiting for’ | Exclusive

In conversation with Hindustan Times, Teja Sajja decodes the success of HanuMan and other Telugu films, talks about his upcoming projects, and more.
When Prasanth Varma’s superhero film HanuMan, starring Teja Sajja, was announced to be released alongside big films like Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Venkatesh’s Saindhav and Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga in January this year, no one expected the underdog to emerge on top. And yet, the film, made on a budget of under ₹50 crore, managed to collect over ₹300 crore at the box office worldwide in 25 days, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films for the year. (Also Read: Ranveer Singh met HanuMan actor Teja Sajja, complimented him even after his Prasanth Varma film Rakshas got shelved)

Ask Teja about the moment he realised his film had not just fought against the tide but also risen to the top; he tells Hindustan Times in an exclusive conversation, “Since I returned to acting (as a lead actor after being a child artiste since 1998), this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. When everything from the HanuMan teaser to the songs was grabbing attention, we knew we had hit a gold mine. But I don’t think we imagined it would cross the ₹300 crore threshold. We were so satisfied with the opening numbers; everything else was a bonus.”

‘Success has given me fear of disappointing people’

Teja acted in Zombie Reddy, Ishq and Adbhutham before HanuMan, but they are what you would call ‘critical successes’, adding to his repertoire as an actor who can perform. But things have changed for him now, says Teja, who is being picky about the roles he says yes to. “Success either makes you overconfident or gives you the fear of disappointing people; I have the latter,” he explains.

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Teja admits he wants to chart out his career in Hrithik Roshan’s footsteps, but not in the way you think. “I have such a fondness for Hrithik due to Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish. No matter how well he performed after that, these left a lasting impression on me; I’m sure 90s kids will agree,” he says, adding, “Similarly, I’ve realised that I have an audience in children now. I want to be conscious of that when I pick roles. I want to make films families can enjoy together.”

But despite people in places like Mumbai or Delhi recognising him, Teja says he’s clear that he wants to cater to the Telugu audience first. “I am conscious that I am making films for my playground – the Telugu states. This is the sensibility I have grown up with, and I don’t know if I can cater to everyone else. Will I promote my films in other languages? Sure. But I also can’t be part of films that aren’t authentic to what I know or understand,” he explains.

‘Rootedness has put us on the world map’

And authenticity seems to be the need of the hour. Be it Baahubali and RRR or the recently released Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD and Devara: Part 1, certain kind of stories seem to be finding success. “Rootedness and going local is proving to be such a boon for us, be it in Devara or Pushpa or HanuMan. Kalki 2898 AD was our version of a Hollywood film (the sci-fi concept) with actors from across languages in predominant roles; it put us on the world map,” reflects Teja.

However, the actor admits Tollywood went through a phase of Bollywood-inspired rom-coms and family dramas that worked in their favour for a while. “That wasn’t easy to replicate either, but it’s just that these local stories are what the audience seems most interested in now. It can’t just be chalked up to religion, too. It’s about the morals these films are hinged on, the fighting for righteousness, and how an underdog can find their strength. Introducing Mahabharata or Ramayana to a new audience in a cool way is just a perk,” he says.

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And it’s this rootedness that Teja says his next films, Mirai and Jai Hanuman (the sequel to HanuMan), will also have ample of. “Mirai is also a superhero film that caters to kids, but it’s not an origin story like HanuMan. It has a pan-Asian and Buddhist touch because the story is based on King Ashoka’s ideologies. I hope that I will get to deliver something new to the audience again. I will only feel like I’ve arrived if Mirai is equally, if not more, successful,” says Teja.

Rishab Shetty will headline Jai Hanuman, but Teja also looks forward to shooting that. “I can’t wait to be on that set; it’ll be exciting. Now that we know India is ready to watch our films, I want to step it up. I want to shift gears and shoot for at least two films in 2025,” he says. As for what he will do next, Teja says he wants to up the ante. “When I got a SIIMA award for Zombie Reddy as a debutant, I remember telling Prasanth this would be the last award I get. But now that I won a Radio City Cine Award for Best Actor, I hope more awards will follow,” he signs off cheekily.

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