Sean Penn, who gained an Oscar for greatest supporting actor for “One Battle After Another” on Sunday, was in Ukraine on Monday the place he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a present of help for the war-torn nation.
An AFP reporter noticed the “Mystic River” star getting out of a black automotive in central Kyiv earlier Monday, carrying sun shades and carrying a field of cigarettes.
Penn — a vocal advocate for Ukraine who has visited the nation a number of instances — on Sunday gained his third appearing Oscar however was not on the ceremony.
“We can say that he’s in Ukraine, but it’s his personal visit; that’s how he sees it, that he needs to be in Ukraine,” a senior Ukrainian official instructed AFP, including: “He just wants to support Ukraine.”
Penn — who co-directed a 2023 documentary about Zelenskyy — met the Ukrainian president on Monday.
“Sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is,” Zelenskyy stated on social media, posting an image of the pair sat down within the president’s workplace.
“You have stood with Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war. This is still true today,” Zelenskyy stated.
In an interview with AFP in February, Zelensky listed “One Battle After Another”, starring Penn, amongst his most not too long ago watched films and stated he “liked it”.
A second supply instructed AFP that the actor was additionally “planning to go to the front” in japanese Ukraine.
The movie Penn co-directed, an admiring portrait of Zelenskyy about his rise from comic to conflict chief when Russia invaded in 2022, premiered on the Berlin movie pageant in 2023.
In 2025, Penn and rock star Bono made an impassioned plea on the Cannes movie pageant for the West to face by Ukraine, posing for photos on the crimson carpet with Ukrainian troopers.
South Korean followers and media basked within the success of "KPop Demon Hunters" on Monday after the movie clinched two Oscars and added to the nation’s rising pantheon…
CHIBA (TR) – A courtroom right here final week handed a 32-year-old girl from a suspended jail time period for helping within the suicide of her Nepalese boyfriend at a love lodge in Funabashi City final 12 months.
The ruling was handed down regardless of claims by the household of the sufferer, 21-year-old Chantal Badar, that he wouldn’t kill himself, experiences the location for tabloid Friday (Mar. 11).
At the Chiba District Court on March 10, Presiding choose Kenta Tsuchikura handed Mami Asaka a two-year jail time period, suspended for 5 years, for helping within the suicide of Badar.
In handing down the ruling, presiding choose Kenta Tsuchikura said, “Despite various options being considered, including input from family members, the defendant impulsively prepared two kitchen knives and assisted in the suicide. There are few mitigating circumstances regarding these circumstances and motives.”
The prosecution had requested a two-year time period.
Regarding the suspension of the sentence, the choose said, “This case involves assisting suicide. The defendant admitted her guilt and expressed remorse.” He added, “In this case, after imposing the sentence of imprisonment as stated in the main judgment, the suspension period was set to the maximum of five years.”
Chantal Badar (X)
Murder
On October 5, Badar was found useless face-down in a pool of blood at a lodge in Funabashi City. He had suffered a deadly stab wound to the chest. Asaka made the preliminary emergency name, telling paramedics, “He stabbed himself.”
On the day of the incident, police first accused Asaka of theft. She allegedly stole two knives from a retailer in Chiba City two days earlier than. The knives are believed to have been used within the incident.
Based on the situation of the scene and the physique, police decided that Asaka was doubtless concerned in a homicide, which led to her arrest on the Funabashi Police Station on that cost on October 28.
However, Asaka denied allegations of homicide. The prosecution ultimately indicted her on expenses of helping suicide, theft and violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law. The prosecution said that the choice to not cost him with homicide was based mostly on “the evidence.”
“I want to marry you”
On February 19, Asaka’s first trial was held on the similar courtroom. Relatives of Badar additionally attended the trial and listened to Asaka’s testimony by way of a Nepali interpreter.
During the trial, the main points of what occurred that day regularly turned clear.
In December 2024, Badar, a pupil at a Japanese language college, and Asaka met on the manufacturing facility the place they labored. The two, who had been 11 years aside in age, started courting in March 2025. Asaka recollects that Badar had requested her to marry him in March, when their relationship started.
She testified, “He [Badar] first sent me a passionate message that included the phrase ‘marriage.’ When we actually met, he also said things like, ‘I want to marry you.’ I liked him, but at that time I wasn’t thinking about marriage yet.”
Because Badar had college and Asaka was working two jobs, they primarily met at accommodations. When requested by the sufferer’s lawyer if that they had ever gone to the films or an amusement park collectively, Asaka answered, “No.”
Mami Asaka (X)
“My parents opposed it”
Around September, Asaka started contemplating marriage with Badar, however confronted opposition from these round her. Asaka cited three causes for his suicidal ideas: “My family opposed the marriage, we didn’t have enough money to live together and Badar changed jobs, which reduced the time we could see each other.”
Regarding her household’s opposition, she defined in response to her lawyer’s questions: “My parents opposed it, saying that our different cultures and upbringings would make it difficult for us to live together. He [Badar] also told me that his father called him and asked, ‘What did you come to Japan for?’ and that his father opposed the marriage.”
According to Asaka, Badar was “very shocked, saying issues like, ‘I want to be with you,’ and ‘I want to get married.’”
And then, without either of them explicitly saying so, they began to contemplate suicide.
Asaka said, “Badar showed me a picture of a Nepalese kukri knife and said, ‘If we can’t be collectively, let’s kill ourselves.’”
Prepared knives
Asaka interpreted the picture of the kukri knife as a message asking her to organize a knife. Thinking, “Since we’re going to die anyway, there’s no need to buy one,” she stole two knives from a 100-yen store on October 3, 2025.
On the night time of October 4, she met Badar on the lodge and positioned the 2 knives on the desk, telling him she had ready knives.
Regarding Badar’s suicide try, Asaka said: “We were lying in bed, crying and talking, when suddenly he sat up and said, ‘If we can’t be together, I’ll kill myself,’ and picked up one of the knives from the table and stabbed himself in the chest.”
Regarding why she didn’t comply with Badar, she mentioned, “My mind went blank, and I couldn’t act.” After hesitating for some time, she known as emergency providers.
Chantal Badar (X)
Eleven stab wounds
What was puzzling was that Badar’s physique was in a far too ugly state to have been self-inflicted.
At the second listening to on March 3, Badar’s brother revealed the next:”My brother’s physique had 11 stab wounds. A deep stab wound to the neck. There had been additionally wounds on each arms, with the blade penetrating his left hand. Furthermore, the blade reached a depth of 16 centimeters close to his coronary heart.”
The prosecutor then requested Asaka, “Do you understand how so many wounds could have been inflicted?” To this, she responded, “I was in bed, so I could only see Badar’s back. He was hunched over, so I couldn’t see what he was actually doing.”
“I believe Badar was murdered”
In his assertion, Badar’s brother insisted that he couldn’t imagine Badar would commit suicide, saying, “If Badar had been suffering from mental health issues, we would have definitely noticed.” He added, “Badar had already created his work schedule for the following month. Would someone planning to take their own life create a future work schedule?”
During police questioning instantly after the incident, the brother additionally said, “I heard that Badar broke up with Asaka on the night of October 2. I believe Badar was murdered.”
The household couldn’t settle for that Badar had dedicated suicide. The trial centered on Asaka’s cost of aiding and abetting suicide. However, the responsible verdict confirmed Badar’s suicide, leaving the household feeling betrayed.
Asaka said in courtroom, “When my marriage was opposed, my perspective narrowed, and I didn’t consider trying to resolve the issue, even if it took time.”
The suspended sentence implies that this assertion was acknowledged as an expression of regret.
A deliberate reboot “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” that was set to be directed by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao, has been canceled, star and producer Sarah Michelle Gellar stated.
“Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with ‘Buffy: New Sunnydale’,” Gellar stated in an Instagram submit.
“I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me,” added the 48-year-old, who starred within the unique sequence that ran for seven seasons.
The new Buffy was introduced final yr and was set to see Gellar reprise her function as Buffy Summers, who within the unique sequence had been a teen battling demons and vampires as she navigated highschool.
“I want to thank Chloe Zhao, because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots,” Gellar stated.
“Thanks to Chloe, I used to be reminded how a lot I really like her and the way a lot she means not solely to me however to all of you. And this doesn’t change any of that.
“And I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me,” she quipped.
Zhao, whose interval piece “Hamnet” missed out on the perfect image Oscar on Sunday, advised Variety on the purple carpet that she hadn’t been shocked by the challenge’s cancellation.
“Things happen for a reason,” Zhao stated. “I had an unimaginable time with Sarah, with the entire forged and crew doing this and we, initially, see ourselves because the guardians of the unique present.
“Our priority has always been to be truthful to the show, and be truthful to our fans.”
HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police arrested a 56-year-old American lady over the weekend after she refused to go away her lodge room in Sapporo City, studies Nippon News Network (Mar. 16).
According to the Sapporo Chuo Police Station, the unnamed lady refused to go away her lodge room in Chuo Ward between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. This was regardless of repeated orders by lodge workers to go away the premises.
Upon her arrest, the girl denied the allegations. She stated, “I will not answer any questions.”
According to the police, the girl was a lodge visitor who checked in round 2:00 a.m. the identical day. She was supposed to take a look at at 11:00 a.m. However, she didn’t go away her room by that point.
Hotel workers urged her to go away about 4 occasions till 12:30 p.m. However, she refused to conform.
Around 12:30 p.m., a lodge safety guard known as police to reporting her refusal to take a look at. Police officers who arrived on the scene arrested her.
Nations getting oil via the important thing transport lane ought to ship warships to the area, the American president has demanded
US President Donald Trump has referred to as on all nations getting oil via the Strait of Hormuz to ship their warships to safe navigation via the important thing transport lane.
Shipping via the strait has been largely disrupted for over two weeks, because the US and Israel launched an unprovoked assault on Iran. As a part of its response Tehran has barred vessels from nations it considers hostile from passing via the slim waterway. The growth despatched international crude costs up practically 50% to over $100 a barrel, as practically a fifth of world crude shipments cross via the route.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he hoped “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK” would ship ships to the world, amongst others. The US president doubled down on Monday, telling the Financial Times that “if there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
The world, nonetheless, seems to be in no rush to heed his name.
‘Not our warfare’
Germany
Any participation of the German navy in an operation within the Strait of Hormuz is dominated out, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius informed journalists in Berlin on Monday. “It is not our war. We did not start it,” he acknowledged. He additionally expressed doubts about whether or not such an operation would make sense in any respect.
“What does Donald Trump expect a handful or two of European frigates to accomplish in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful American Navy cannot achieve there alone?” the minister mentioned.
Australia
Canberra won’t contribute any vessels to a possible operation, Transport Minister Catherine King informed nationwide broadcaster ABC on Monday. “We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is but that’s not something we’ve been asked or we’re contributing to,” she mentioned.
Japan
Tokyo has no plans to ship any vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned on Monday.
“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” she informed the parliament.
The prime minister is anticipated to debate the battle with Trump in individual throughout her go to to Washington this week.
Greece
Athens won’t become involved in any navy operations within the Strait of Hormuz, authorities spokesman Pavlos Marinakis mentioned on Monday.
No guarantees
UK
London is “looking through the options” within the wake of Trump’s name, Prime Minister Keir Starmer informed journalists on Monday. He acknowledged that the UK was contemplating deploying ships and mine-hunting drones to the Middle East however made no commitments relating to the Strait of Hormuz particularly.
“While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war,” he mentioned. The prime minister additionally maintained he want to see the battle finish “as quickly as possible.”
According to Starmer, the UK is “not at the point of decisions yet.” London remains to be discussing the matter “with the US, with Gulf partners and with [the] Europeans,” he added, calling it “a difficult question.”
Italy
Rome is in favor of “strengthening” the present EU Aspides mission within the Red Sea, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani informed journalists in Brussels on Monday. Launched in February 2024, the mission entails offering navy escorts for service provider vessels going via the world and defending them from potential assaults by the Yemen-based Houthi militants. The operation consists of two or three European warships current within the Red Sea at any given second.
Tajani expressed skepticism about whether or not the mission might be “expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz.”
EU
Members will talk about whether or not “it is possible to really change the mandate” of the Aspides mission, the bloc’s overseas coverage chief, Kaja Kallas, informed journalists forward of the EU Foreign Affairs Council assembly on Monday. She additionally mentioned that “it is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and that is why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard, from the European side.”
At the identical time, Kallas maintained that the Strait of Hormuz “is out of NATO’s area of action” and the bloc’s members would finally must determine in the event that they wish to have something to do with it.
Denmark
Copenhagen ought to maintain an open thoughts about choices relating to the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen informed journalists on Monday. “As the small country that we are, but a large maritime nation, we must remain open to this question,” he mentioned, including that “Denmark is a sea-faring nation and we have in every way an interest in ensuring free navigation.”
He maintained that Denmark and the EU ought to search for methods to contribute, “but with a view towards de-escalation.” The minister additionally mentioned that Copenhagen had not acquired any direct requests for support from Washington.
South Korea
Seoul will take a stance on the matter following “careful” consideration, the South Korean presidential workplace mentioned on Sunday. “We will communicate closely with the US regarding this matter and make a decision after careful review,” it acknowledged. Under the nation’s structure, any abroad deployments would require parliamentary approval.
Alternative path
China
Beijing believes that “all parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy within the US, mentioned on Sunday. China will “strengthen communication with relevant parties,” to realize de-escalation, he added.
In early March, Reuters reported that Beijing was in talks with Tehran to make sure unimpeded shipments of crude and Qatari liquefied pure fuel via the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s vitality provide stays “relatively strong” and types a “relatively good” basis for withstanding exterior market volatility, Fu Linghui, spokesperson on the National Bureau of Statistics, informed journalists on Monday.
India
New Delhi has referred to as talks with Iran probably the most “effective way” to restart the passage of ships via the important thing transport lane. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar informed the Financial Times on Sunday that he was engaged in talks with Tehran and the negotiations had yielded “some results.”
According to the minister, there is no such thing as a “blanket arrangement” with Iran for Indian-flagged ships and “every ship movement is an individual happening.” The diplomatic efforts nonetheless made it doable for 2 Indian-flagged fuel tankers to cross via the strait, he added.
“Certainly, from India’s perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution than we don’t,” the minister mentioned.
What does Iran say?
Tehran has already been approached by a lot of nations prepared to safe protected passage via the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed CBS on Sunday. He additionally denied that Iran was at fault for the visitors disruptions within the strait within the first place.
“We are open to countries who want to talk to us about the safe passage of their vessels,” the minister mentioned. “This is up to our military to decide, and they have already decided to let… a group of vessels belonging to different countries to pass in a safe and secure [way].”
According to Araghchi, Iran has by no means closed the strait. The vessels “are not coming themselves because of the insecurity which is there, because of the aggression by the US,” he added.
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two males who’re suspected in a spate of thefts of water meters.
In safety digicam footage introduced by TV Asahi (Mar. 16), two males seem in entrance of the elevator for a housing advanced in Sumida Ward.
One man, sporting glasses, has what seems to be an identification card hanging from his chest. The different was sporting a masks. As they give the impression of being round nervously, they enter the elevator carrying giant luggage.
Later, one other safety digicam captures them descending a stairwell. The man with glasses once more seems round nervously.
The masked man’s bag seems heavier than earlier than. According to the Mukojima Police Station, that’s as a result of it incorporates a water meter.
Police mentioned that Riki Suzuki, 60, and Nobuaki Kikuchi, 61, opened a utility field contained in the advanced, eliminated the water meter, stuffed it right into a bag and fled on bicycles.
During questioning, Suzuki admitted to the fees. “I stole [water meters] multiple times on several days.” Meanwhile, Kikuchi said, “I was just helping. I thought I was assisting in something dangerous.”
Police mentioned that this condo constructing has skilled collection of water meter thefts. Police are investigating whether or not the 2 suspects might also be behind these crimes.
A number of artists protested extra than simply the Trump administration’s immigration insurance policies on Hollywood’s greatest night time.
The presence of “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” pins on the Academy Awards paled compared to final month’s Grammys. But those that did put on protest attire used Sunday’s purple carpet to additionally advocate for Palestinian liberation and a ceasefire amid the delicate state of affairs in Gaza, including to the rising artist-driven activism at leisure awards reveals.
“No to war and free Palestine,” actor Javier Bardem stated onstage earlier than presenting greatest worldwide function movie. He wore a patch studying “No a la Guerra,” the identical anti-war slogan he sported to protest the Iraq struggle greater than twenty years in the past.
As Hollywood’s awards season involves a detailed with the Oscars, political organizers recommended that celebrities discovered their political voices extra this cycle than lately. Maremoto Executive Director Jess Morales Rocketto, whose Latino advocacy group was behind the immigration pins that debuted on the Golden Globes, known as it a “return to form” for artists’ political engagement.
She credited feedback by Mark Ruffalo on the Golden Globes purple carpet in January. The actor, who is usually outspoken, instructed Entertainment Tonight that “as much as I love all this” he discovered it tough to fake “like this crazy stuff isn’t happening.”
“I think we tapped into something early on that this is a time to take stands and make clear where you are at this moment in history,” Morales Rocketto stated forward of Sunday’s Oscars.
On Sunday, attendees representing “The Voice of Hind Rajab” wore a brand new purple “Artists4Ceasefire” pin. The docudrama, which follows efforts to rescue a Palestinian lady killed in Gaza, was nominated for greatest worldwide function movie.
Israeli strikes have killed a whole bunch of Palestinians since a U.S.-brokered truce went into impact in October, in accordance with Gaza’s Health Ministry.
“Our struggles are connected. So is our liberation. And we’re so, so honored to be here tonight,” Saja Kilani, one of many movie’s stars, instructed The Associated Press on the purple carpet.
The content material of Sunday’s ceremony proved extra political than earlier years — even when it lacked direct references to the Iran struggle and different world points. “One Battle After Another” director Paul Thomas Anderson stated he wrote the political drama for his youngsters to apologize for the “housekeeping mess we left in this world we’re handing off to them.”
Host Conan O’Brien cracked jokes on the expense of the U.S. well being care system and Kid Rock, referring to conservative group Turning Point USA’s various Super Bowl halftime present.
In a uncommon second of sincerity, O’Brien stated the Oscars are notably resonant in “moments like these,” nodding broadly on the many various world crises.
“We pay tribute tonight not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today: optimism,” he stated.
The greatest documentary class, whose nominees are likely to comprise extra overt political messages, introduced extra social commentary. David Borenstein, one of many “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” administrators, stated the documentary is about “how you lose your country.”
That occurs by “countless small little acts of complicity” resembling “when a government murders people on the streets of our major cities” or when “oligarchs take over the media,” Borenstein stated.
“We all face a moral choice, but luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think,” he stated.
Other advocacy teams used the hubbub of the present to attract consideration to their causes. Pushing towards company media comfort, Free Press had a cellular billboard circling the Dolby Theater to protest Paramount Skydance’s seemingly takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Morales Rocketto acknowledged that nobody pin will create the systemic change to U.S. immigration coverage that she seeks. But she likened every particular person motion to “droplets” within the “giant ocean that we are trying to move.”
“This only happens if stars say yes, if stars decide to use their platform, if they decide that they want to make statements that go beyond, ‘What am I wearing,’” she stated. “I don’t take that for granted. It’s a big move for people to say that.”
LHASA, March 16 (Xinhua) — A high-altitude cosmic ray observatory in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region has supplied scientists with an unprecedented take a look at the invisible forces governing our galaxy.
The Tibet AS experiment has efficiently measured chaotic magnetic turbulence on a really small scale in house for the primary time, revealing new particulars about how cosmic rays journey by way of the Milky Way.
The findings, just lately revealed within the journal Science Advances, give attention to Geminga, a useless star — referred to as a pulsar — positioned about 800 light-years from Earth.
Using a large detector array at Yangbajing in Xizang, the worldwide staff of Chinese and Japanese scientists studied a halo of high-energy mild surrounding this pulsar. They achieved this by observing gamma rays with energies exceeding 100 tera-electron volts (TeV) — way more highly effective than something produced by human-made particle accelerators.
“The research provides the first direct evidence that the Geminga pulsar wind nebula accelerates electrons only up to a specific energy limit of about 100 TeV,” stated Huang Jing, a professor from the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Moreover, the staff measured how these particles unfold into house. They found that within the area across the Geminga halo, particle diffusion is surprisingly sluggish. Cosmic rays are shifting by way of this space with solely about one % of the effectivity they’ve in the remainder of the galaxy. It is as if the particles are encountering a cosmic “speed bump” or a thick fog that slows their escape.
Moreover, for the primary time, scientists had been capable of measure the turbulence of magnetic fields on extremely small scales — lower than a single parsec (about 3.3 light-years). They discovered that this turbulence follows a selected sample, referred to as Kolmogorov-type scaling, which has similarities to how vitality strikes in a stirred cup of espresso or in atmospheric climate patterns.
“This is the first experimental confirmation that such magnetic turbulence exists on such tiny scales in space,” stated Huang.
The findings are a serious step ahead in understanding cosmic rays. By finding out how they’re trapped and slowed round objects like Geminga, scientists can higher perceive the complicated “weather” of house and the magnetic fields that form our galactic neighborhood, stated Bi Xiaojun, a professor from the IHEP.
The Tibet AS experiment, positioned 4,300 meters above sea stage in Xizang’s Yangbajing Town, has been working since 1990. Its distinctive underground detectors block out 99.92 % of undesirable background noise.
“The success of this observation opens new doors for understanding cosmic-ray propagation and magnetic-field dynamics in the universe. The findings are expected to have far-reaching implications for future multi-messenger and high-energy gamma-ray studies,” stated Fang Kun, an knowledgeable from IHEP.
For the primary time for the reason that ballpark opened in 1962, the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have bought the naming rights to their subject at Dodger Stadium.
The group has reached a take care of the Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo as the sphere’s official presenting sponsor, The Athletic reported Sunday.
The Dodgers haven’t confirmed the deal, which presumably can have the title Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. An official announcement is anticipated previous to the March 26 season opener towards the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers have been searching for a subject partnership since 2022.
According to the report, the contract with Uniqlo will embody utilizing its title in all references and signage associated to the 64-year-old stadium in Chavez Ravine, together with a newly constructed register heart subject and unique advertising and promotional alternatives.
