Early Bird: Wearing the helmet that led to the athlete's disqualification from the Olympics was a heroic act, claims its designer. Controversial immigration raid in Minnesota ends
The act of the skeleton athlete, who wore a helmet featuring portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, deserves courage and recognition according to its creator. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will end the intervention of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota. The operation aimed at illegal migration led to mass detentions, extensive protests, and the death of two people who were shot by federal agents.
Wearing a banned Ukrainian Olympic helmet is a great act of heroism, according to the artist
Artist Iryna Protsova, who painted the controversial helmet that led to Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych being banned from the Winter Olympics in Milan in Cortina, stated that his refusal to stop wearing the helmet was a great heroic act. Protsova depicted on Heraskevych’s helmet the portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were killed since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. The helmet drew international attention after the International Olympic Committee declared it violated rules prohibiting political messages, wrote the agency AP.
Trump Administration to End Controversial Immigration Crackdown in Minnesota
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will end the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota,
reported CNN.
"The result of our efforts here is that Minnesota is no longer such a haven for criminals,"
said Trump's border protection envoy Tom Homan and added:
“I suggested that this operation be ended, and President Trump agreed.”
The operation focused on illegal migration led to the mass detention of people, widespread protests, and the deaths of two individuals who were shot by federal agents.
According to Klempíř, there is still no consensus in the coalition on the future model of CT and CRo
In the government coalition, according to the Minister of Culture Ota Klempíř, there is currently no agreement on the future model of public television and radio. Therefore, expert and political debate on this is unnecessary, the minister replied in the Chamber of Deputies to a question from STAN MP Ester Weimerová. He was responding to her offer to create an expert group, which should be established due to the coalition's intention of ANO, SPD, and Motorists to abolish Czech Television and Czech Radio's income from fees, reported the server Ceskenoviny.cz.
Epstein complained about a Russian woman who threatened American entrepreneurs
According to documents now released by the US Department of Justice, Jeffrey Epstein used Sergei Belyakov, a former deputy minister of economic development in Russia, in 2015 to complain about alleged extortion by a group of "powerful" entrepreneurs in New York. This Russian official, who was a graduate of the Moscow institute for training intelligence officers, replied to Epstein at the time that the problem was caused by a Russian woman who was involved in the business of providing sexual services. He pointed out that her business problems may have led to the extortion Epstein complained about, reported Al Jazeera.
22 Films Compete for the Golden Bear
The 76th edition of the Berlinale international film festival began in Berlin with a gala evening. Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh received the Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. Until February 22, audiences in the festival cinemas of the German capital will be able to watch almost two hundred films. Among them will be 22 that will compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition category. Three new films with Czech co-production will also be screened, along with the digitally restored film Panelstory by Věra Chytilová, as reported by Ceskenoviny.cz.
Sources: Ceskenoviny.cz, CNN, Al Jazeera, AP
