Banksy unveils Ukraine mural in town bombed by Russia
Banksy, the elusive British street artist, has painted a mural on a bombed-out building outside Ukraine’s capital, in what Ukrainians have hailed as a symbol of their country’s invincibility.
On Friday night the world-famous graffiti artist posted on Instagram three images of the artwork – a gymnast performing a handstand amid the ruins of a demolished building in the town of Borodyanka northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
The caption read “Borodyanka, Ukraine”.
Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes Nepal region
An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 struck in Nepal on Saturday, shaking houses in the Himalayan country and neighboring India, authorities said, after a powerful earthquake earlier this week killed half a dozen people.
Strong tremors were felt in Nepal and northern India, prompting residents to rush out of their homes, but there were no reports of casualties, they said.
The epicenter of 5.4 magnitude earthquake was at Patadewal in Bajhang district, about 440 km west of Kathmandu, according to the National Seismological Center.
US Democrats close in on Senate majority
Joe Biden’s Democrats were just one seat away Saturday from securing a remarkable midterm election result by retaining control of the US Senate.
Midterms traditionally deliver a rejection of the party in power and with inflation surging and Biden’s popularity in the doldrums, Republicans had been expecting to ride a mighty “red wave” and capture both houses of Congress.
But the wave never got much beyond a ripple and on Friday Democrat Mark Kelly was projected to win a tight Senate race in Arizona, putting the two parties neck-and-neck at 49 seats each.
Iranian exile who got stuck for years in French airport dies
An Iranian who got stuck for 18 years in a Paris airport, inspiring a Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Hanks died on Saturday at the terminal, an airport official said.
Mehran Karimi Nasseri died of natural causes just before midday on Saturday in terminal 2F at Charles de Gaulle airport outside the French capital, the official told AFP.
Caught originally in an immigration trap – unable to enter France and with nowhere to go – he became dependent on his unusual place of abode and increasingly a national and international cause celebre.
Formula One: Russell notches up first F1 win as Mercedes boss Brazilian GP sprint
Mercedes’ George Russell claimed the first victory of his Formula One career on Saturday when he won a closely-contested sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Briton, in his 81st Grand Prix weekend, started third on the grid behind maiden pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen of Haas and two-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, but powered to a thrilling triumph in a breathless 24-lap contest.
Carlos Sainz of Ferrari finished second ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, who faced a post-race investigation into a starting procedure infringement.
