Zelenskiy says he wants half Ukraine's weapons to be produced domestically

Zelenskiy says he wants half Ukraine's weapons to be produced domestically

(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that he was counting on his new incoming government to take measures to boost the proportion of weapons made at home to 50% within six months. Zelenskiy has carried out a political reshuffle this week, nominating as his new prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko, the driving force behind a minerals deal with the United States. Outgoing prime minister Denys Shmyhal has been put forward as the new defence minister. The nominations, which require parliamentary approval, came as diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia, now in its fourth year, have stalled and as Ukraine seeks to revive its cash-strapped economy and build up a domestic arms industry. Zelenskiy said he, Shmyhal and outgoing defence minister Rustem Umerov had decided at a meeting on Wednesday that the defence ministry would have "greater influence in the domain of arms production". "Ukrainian-made weapons now make up about 40% of those used at the front and in our operations," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "This is already significantly more than at any time in our country's independence. The production volumes are truly large, but we need more. "Our goal is to reach 50% Ukrainian-made weaponry within the first six months of the new government, by expanding our domestic production. I am confident this is achievable, though not easy." Zelenskiy has long stressed the importance of boosting domestic production of weapons and developing joint production of weaponry with Ukraine's Western partners. It has focused on drone production and on providing air defences to withstand intensifying Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. Zelenskiy has in recent weeks stressed the importance of developing drone interceptors as a rational way of tackling swarms of drones. Kyiv's military authorities last week announced the allocation of $6.2 million for a drone interceptor program to defend the capital's skies from Russian drones. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

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July 16, 2025

Zelenskiy says he wants half Ukraine's weapons to be produced domestically

Zelenskiy says he wants half Ukraine's weapons to be produced domestically (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on We...

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Tsunami advisory canceled after magnitude 7.3 earthquake recorded off Alaska coast

Tsunami advisory canceled after magnitude 7.3 earthquake recorded off Alaska coast

Amagnitude 7.3 earthquakestruck the Alaska Peninsula on the afternoon of July 16, briefly triggering a tsunami warning for the state's southern coast as communities were ordered to move inland to higher ground. The earthquake was recorded at 12:37 p.m. local time, southeast of Sand Point, a community located on Popof Island in the Aleutian Chain, according to theU.S. Geological Survey. TheAlaska Earthquake Centersaid the quake was "felt throughout the Alaska Peninsula and southern Alaska." TheNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationinitially issued a tsunami warning for the majority of the Alaska Peninsula, spanning into the southernmost part of Alaska's mainland toward Anchorage. The alert was later downgraded to atsunami advisoryby 1:50 p.m. local time. The tsunami advisory was in effect for coastal areas from Kennedy Entrance, about 40 miles southwest of Homer, to Unimak Pass — a distance of about 700 miles, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. Impacted cities include Cold Bay, Sand Point, and Kodiak, the Anchorage National Weather Service shared onsocial mediaon July 16. Authorities warned of potential dangerous coastal flooding, and residents were advised to move inland and to higher ground. By about 2:43 p.m. local time, the National Tsunami Warning Center said the advisory was canceled for the coastal areas of Alaska. "Tsunami cancellations indicate the end of the damaging tsunami threat," the National Tsunami Warning Center said in anupdate. "A cancellation is issued after an evaluation of sea level data confirms that a destructive tsunami will not impact the alerted region, or after tsunami levels have subsided to non-damaging levels." An Icelandic volcano is erupting, again:See spectacular drone video and maps of the area. A major earthquake, capable of causing "serious damage," is considered to have a magnitude between 7.0 and 7.9, according toMichigan Technological University. Only about 10 to 15 earthquakes of this caliber are reported each year. The Alaska Earthquake Center said the magnitude 7.3 earthquake was recorded about 55 miles south of Sand Point and was located at a depth of about 9 miles. The center noted that the magnitude and location "may change slightly" as additional data are received and processed. Following the major quake, the USGS recorded multiple aftershocks near Sand Point, including a magnitude 5.2 earthquake about 66 miles south-southeast of the community. "So far, there have been at least 20 aftershocks for the M7.3 earthquake south of Sand Point," according to theAlaska Earthquake Center. "Five of them have been above magnitude 4." What's going on?Volcanoes in multiple states have been rumbling. The National Weather Service said tsunami messages are issued by the tsunami warning centers to alert local authorities and the public of a possible tsunami. There are four levels of tsunami alerts, according to the weather service: Tsunami Warning: "Take Action—Danger! A tsunami that may cause widespread flooding is expected or occurring. Dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours or days after initial arrival." Tsunami Advisory: "Take Action—A tsunami with potential for strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water is expected or occurring. There may be flooding of beach and harbor areas." Tsunami Watch: "Be Prepared—A distant earthquake has occurred. A tsunami is possible." Tsunami Information Statement: "Relax—An earthquake has occurred, but there is no threat or it was very far away and the threat has not been determined. In most cases, there is no threat of a destructive tsunami." The Anchorage Office of Emergency Management said in asocial media postthat the tsunami alert, which Alaska residents may have received on mobile devices, is not a threat to the capital city. "This message was in response to a large magnitude earthquake southwest of Anchorage and the message zones overlapped," the office wrote. The Office of Emergency Management of Hawaii's O'ahu released astatementon X, reassuring residents that there is no tsunami threat to the island. In Washington state, officials said the earthquake prompted them to examine whether it would impact the state's coastlines. Data from tsunami buoys showed there was no danger for the state, the Washington Emergency Management Division said onX. "We have now been told there is NO DANGER for Washington state from this earthquake in Alaska," the Washington Emergency Management Division said. "Scientists had to wait to examine the wave heights arriving at DART tsunami buoys -- and those sensors now indicate there is NO DANGER for our coastline." (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Earthquake off Alaska coast briefly triggers tsunami alert

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July 16, 2025

Tsunami advisory canceled after magnitude 7.3 earthquake recorded off Alaska coast

Tsunami advisory canceled after magnitude 7.3 earthquake recorded off Alaska coast Amagnitude 7.3 earthquakestruck the Alaska Peninsula on t...

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Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts

Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts

A group ofimmigrantsand legal advocates filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers fromarresting migrantswho appear at immigration courts for previously scheduled hearings and placing them on a fast-track to deportation. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department and ICE says the arrests of thousands of people at court have stripped them of rights afforded to them under U.S. immigration law and the Fifth Amendment. The large-scale immigration court arrests that began in Mayhave unleashed fearamong asylum-seekers and immigrants.In what has become a familiar scene, a judge will grant a government lawyer's request to dismiss deportation proceedings against an immigrant while ICE officers wait in the hallway to take them into custody. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, said the Trump administration is "weaponizing" immigration courts and chilling participation in the legal process. "People seeking refuge, safety, or relief should not be arrested, detained, and deported without a chance to be heard and given due process," Perryman said in a statement. Messages seeking comment from ICE, Homeland Security and the Justice Department were not immediately returned. The Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees the courts, declined to comment. PresidentDonald Trumphas pledged to deport the most dangerous criminals in thelargest deportation programin American history to protect law-abiding citizens, butgovernment data on the detentionsshow that the majority of people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions. The lawsuit represents 12 people who have been arrested at court hearings, along with the Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative and American Gateways, which provide legal services to people whoface potential arrest and deportationwhen they comply with their immigration proceedings by attending a court hearing. Some of the immigrants have lived in the United States for years and were separated from family members, some who were U.S. citizens, without notice, the lawsuit said. Others fled persecution in their home countries and requested asylum. But those requests were quashed when the government lawyer dismissed their case. Priyanka Gandhi-Abriano, interim CEO for Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative, said the arrests are a deliberate attempt to intimidate people. "Our friends, neighbors, and families are told to 'do it the right way' — to follow the legal process," Gandhi-Abriano said in a statement. "They're doing just that — showing up to court, complying with the law. Despite this, they're being arrested and detained." Homeland Security officials have defended the practice, saying the Trump administration is implementing the rule of law after former President Joe Biden's "catch and release policy that allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens to be let loose on American streets." They said if a person has a credible fear claim, they can continue in the immigration proceedings, but if not claim is found, they'll be subject to swift deportation. Keren Zwick, director of litigation at the National Immigrant Justice Center said, "We are witnessing an authoritarian takeover of the U.S. immigration court system by the Trump administration." The people attending the hearings to seek permission to stay in the U.S., but they're being rounded up and "abruptly ripped from their families, homes and livelihoods." "Meanwhile, the administration is issuing directives telling immigration judges to violate those same immigration laws and strip people of fundamental due process rights," Zwick said. "We must continue fighting to overcome the administration's escalating attacks on the U.S. Constitution and rule of law."

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July 16, 2025

Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts

Federal lawsuit seeks to stop ICE agents from arresting people at immigration courts A group ofimmigrantsand legal advocates filed a class-a...

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Blake Lively Suffers Blow in ‘Smear Campaign’ Claim as Judge Dismisses Case Against Justin Baldoni’s Social Media Guru Jed Wallace

Blake Lively Suffers Blow in 'Smear Campaign' Claim as Judge Dismisses Case Against Justin Baldoni's Social Media Guru Jed Wallace

In a federal lawsuit filed in December, Blake Lively claimed that a mysterious Texas-based social media guru ran an untraceable smear campaign against her at the behest of Justin Baldoni. On Wednesday, a judge granted Jed Wallace's motion to dismiss himself as a defendant in the case. Judge Lewis Liman made his ruling without prejudice, meaning Lively has until July 31 to file an amended complaint or sue in him in a different jurisdiction. Still, the decision is a blow to her claim that she endured a smear campaign at the hands of the man who was enlisted by Baldoni and publicists Melissa Nathan and Jen Abel during the run-up to the 2024 drama "It Ends With Us," which Baldoni directed and Lively toplined. More from Variety Blake Lively Wins Ruling That Her Deposition in Justin Baldoni Case Will Be Held on Her Turf Justin Baldoni Can Seek Messages Between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively, Judge Rules Blake Lively Moves to Block Justin Baldoni From Obtaining Taylor Swift Communications Judge Liman ruled that the Lively did not prove her case that New York is the proper venue for Wallace to be sued. "The Wallace Defendant's motion to dismiss must be granted because the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over them," Judge Liman wrote in a 38-page ruling. "The alleged negative publicity campaign against Lively largely took place outside of New York. The few alleged actions targeting New York were taken by others, and there are no allegations suggesting the Wallace Defendants were aware of them. Therefore, the Wallace Defendants cannot be forced to defend this lawsuit in New York." Lively had argued that Wallace and his boutique firm Street Relations worked in tandem with Baldoni and his team to plant negative stories about her in retaliation for her complaints about alleged sexual harassment complaints she made during the production of the Sony domestic violence drama that became a breakout hit last summer. "Lively alleges that as part of their efforts to 'bury' Lively, Nathan, Abel, Wallace, and Street Relations 'targeted New York by, among other things, communicating with (or causing content to be provided to) journalists, content creators and media entities based in New York, including at least one journalist at the New York Post and another at the New York Times,' … to shape coverage and contribute to stories that were eventually published in those outlets," Liman wrote. "These allegations might support personal jurisdiction against Abel and Nathan … even if those two did not engage in their conduct from within New York. … However, Lively has not alleged facts that would show that the Wallace Defendants were aware of those jurisdictional contacts." Nathan and her firm TAG are based in Los Angeles as is Abel. "The Amended Complaint alleges that Wallace was generally in contact with Abel, Nathan, and TAG, and that they worked together to suppress negative content about Baldoni and amplify negative content about Lively. It is fair to infer that Wallace would have known, as a general matter, that Abel and Nathan were talking to media in furtherance of this aim." Lively's case against Baldoni and several other members of his team including two publicists will proceed in federal court with Judge Liman overseeing. It is one of a handful of cases tied to friction on the set of "It Ends With Us." Baldoni's defamation suit against Lively and others including the New York Times, which published the first story about what allegedly happened on that set,was thrown out. Wallace is separately suing Lively for defamation in Texas. In a statement toVariety, Lively's spokesperson says: "Ms. Lively respects the Court's decision, which has nothing to do with the merits of her allegations about Mr. Wallace's role in the smear campaign and relates solely to the procedural question of whether he is subject to jurisdiction in New York or elsewhere.  We currently are evaluating our numerous options for holding Mr. Wallace accountable for the pivotal role he served in the retaliatory effort that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties paid him at least tens of thousands of dollars a month to perform." Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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July 16, 2025

Blake Lively Suffers Blow in ‘Smear Campaign’ Claim as Judge Dismisses Case Against Justin Baldoni’s Social Media Guru Jed Wallace

Blake Lively Suffers Blow in 'Smear Campaign' Claim as Judge Dismisses Case Against Justin Baldoni's Social Media Guru Jed Walla...

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Ariana Grande Addresses Rumors She Plans to 'Abandon' Music: 'Doing It My Own Way'

Ariana Grande Addresses Rumors She Plans to 'Abandon' Music: 'Doing It My Own Way'

Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic Ariana Grande is addressing rumors she plans to "abandon" her music career "it is and has always been my lifeline. there will need to be room made for all of it," she explained Earlier this week, she was confirmed as a voice actor inWickeddirector Jon M. Chu's upcoming animated film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book,Oh, the Places You'll Go! IsAriana Grandedone with music? After the Grammy winner, 32, confirmed a new acting role earlier this week, she took toInstagramon Wednesday, July 16 to address rumors she plans to "abandon" her music career. Alongside a video of herself performing at the 2024 Met Gala, Grande wrote, "very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music … !!!" "it is and has always been my lifeline. there will need to be room made for all of it," she explained. TheWickedactress, who released her latest albumEternal Sunshinelast year, continued, "it may not look exactly like it did before but i much prefer how it looks in my head. i am having fun. i feel grateful and excited and inspired." Grande then went into detail, telling fans she's "finding a balance, between many projects and endeavors i love, and doing it my own way…" At the end of the note, she revealed a mini upcoming tour is in the works: "so i'm working on a plan to sing for you all next year. even if it's just for a little. i love you." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty One day before shutting down the rumors, Grande was confirmed as a voice actor inWickeddirectorJon M. Chu's upcoming animated film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book,Oh, the Places You'll Go! "i love this book, i love this script, i love the beautiful world of @drseuss, i love this incredible group of creative human beings," she wrote in an Instagram Stories post, perEntertainment Weekly. "i am so thrilled to be a part of this one." Taylor Hill/Getty In anInstagramgrid post, she shared a photo of herself and Josh Gad in a recording studio while holding binders printed with their names andOh, the Places You'll Go!artwork. Grande is set to reprise her role as Galinda "Glinda" Upland inWicked: For Good, set to hit theaters on November 21, 2025. In May, she was also announced tostar opposite Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in the upcoming fourthMeet the Parentsfilm. The "Positions" singer's last major string of concerts was the Sweetener World Tour in 2019. Read the original article onPeople

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July 16, 2025

Ariana Grande Addresses Rumors She Plans to 'Abandon' Music: 'Doing It My Own Way'

Ariana Grande Addresses Rumors She Plans to 'Abandon' Music: 'Doing It My Own Way' Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic Ariana Gran...

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Tomorrowland Main Stage Destroyed by Fire Day Before Opening, But Festival Will Go On

Tomorrowland Main Stage Destroyed by Fire Day Before Opening, But Festival Will Go On

Electronic music festivalTomorrowland will go ahead as planned, despite the main stage being destroyed by a massive fire on Wednesday — just one day before festivities were set to begin. In a statement shared onInstagram, organizers of the festival in Belgium wrote, "Due to a serious incident and fire on the Tomorrowland Mainstage, our beloved Mainstage has been severely damaged." They also confirmed there were no fatal injuries. More from Variety Tomorrowland 2021 Canceled by Belgian Officials Katy Perry, David Guetta, Steve Aoki Preview Tomorrowland Around the World Virtual Festival Katy Perry to Headline Virtual Tomorrowland Festival Organizers said Tomorrowland will open its DreamVille campsite on July 17, where several events and performances will take place. Additional events planned in Brussels and Antwerp will also go ahead "as planned." As for the remaining days of the festival, which is set to run July 18 through 20 in the town of Boom, south of Antwerp (and with weekend two running from July 24 through 27), organizers said: "We are focused on finding solutions for the festival weekend. More updates and detailed information will be communicated as soon as possible." Videos posted to social media in the last few hours show clouds of thick smoke engulfing the stage. Firefighters and law enforcement have not yet identified the cause of the fire, but they have confirmed all emergency services are at the scene. Representatives for Tomorrowland did not immediately returnVariety's request for comment. Over 400,000 are people expected to attend across the two weekends. The lineup for this year's festival included such artists as Swedish House Mafia, Dillon Francis, Deadmau5, David Guetta, Steve Aoki and Eric Prydz, among others. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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July 16, 2025

Tomorrowland Main Stage Destroyed by Fire Day Before Opening, But Festival Will Go On

Tomorrowland Main Stage Destroyed by Fire Day Before Opening, But Festival Will Go On Electronic music festivalTomorrowland will go ahead as...

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