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On Monday, the deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office, Andrii Smirnov, said Bakanov and Venediktova had not been fired but instead were “temporarily removed from their positions” so as not to interfere in the ongoing investigations into their staffers. Zelenskyy needs parliament's approval to formally fire them. For the time being, both Bakanov and Venediktova have been replaced by their deputies. There was no immediate reaction from either official. NBC News reached out to both for comment. The firings come as Ukraine braces for Moscow to intensify its offensive in the eastern region of the Donbas after a brief battlefield pause during which the Russian command allowed its troops to rest and regroup. Zelenskyy used this relative lull to tackle the problem Oofos Outlet of collaborators with...

The nation's top general has ordered his staff to gather information about every interaction between the U.S. military and the Chinese military over the past five years to review the growing number of interactions with the Chinese military in the South China Sea and beyond, say three defense officials. The order from Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came after a video teleconference call between Milley and his Chinese counterpart on July 7, the officials said. During the call, Gen. Li Zuocheng, the chief of the Joint Staff Department for the People’s Liberation Army of China, disputed the U.S. contention that there has been an uptick in aggressive behavior by Chinese military aircraft and ships against U.S. and allied military operating in international waters that...

After you've wiped away the tears and thanked your mum, you can expect to sell a lot more records. Even a global blockbuster like Adele's 21 saw a 207% sales increase after it won best album in 2012. Victory also gives you an advantage in the boardroom, says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. "It impacts your ability to attract attention, thereby getting you better deals, better contracts," he told Billboard earlier this year. But the halo effect doesn't end there. A new study suggests that Grammy winners are more likely to try out new sounds and make stylistic innovations on their next record. "Think about Fleetwood Mac going from Rumours to Tusk," says sociology Professor Giacomo Negro, who co-authored the paper. "The songw...

But singer Mabel says the pressure that comes with the job almost made her want to quit. In the run-up to her new album, the 26-year-old admits she hit a breaking point and moved back home. "There were moments where I had thoughts about giving up," she says. From Finders Keepers to Don't Call Me Up, Mabel has had a string of top hits. But despite all the success, she says the comments on her posts became too much and affected her confidence, making her wonder whether the fame was all worth it. "There were moments where I had thoughts about giving up," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. "I was tired from the couple of years prior to lockdown. I'd never experienced success like that, nothing can prepare you for that. ...

The event, which marks Bristol's maritime history, was cancelled for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the festival runs from 15 to 17 July and includes water activities, live music, and theatre and circus performances. But with temperatures set to rise over the weekend, organisers have issued warnings to festival-goers. Image caption, Nine performance areas fill one and a half miles of the city Water stations are installed across the site and attendees are advised to take their own refillable bottle to help them stay hydrated. Image caption, Flyboarder James Prestwood said "it's a great feeling" to perform in front of the crowd More than 200,000 people attend Bristol Harbour Fest...

The resolution calls on UN member states to prohibit the sale of small arms, light weapons and ammunition to what it calls "non-state actors". But a proposal by China for a full embargo on weapon sales was rejected. Since last week, 89 people have been killed in the Port-au-Prince capital region alone. Aid agencies say many areas are now dangerous to access. On Saturday, the UN said 234 people were killed or injured by gang violence from 8-12 July. "Most of the victims were not directly involved in gangs and were directly targeted by gang elements," UN spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said. He added that his office had also received reports of sexual violence. The UN resolution to prohibit weapons sales - Rick Owens Shoes propos...