Apple Suspends Product Sales in Russia, Disables Traffic and Live Incidents in Maps for Ukraine

Rosamund Pike was among a group protesting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine outside the Russian Embassy in London on Sunday, March 20.

Boris Johnson was accused of being a “threat to national security” following reports he was at a Tory party fundraising event on the night Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.

Judi Love has opened up about her fears for refugees fleeing Ukraine and has said she tries not to have the news on too much in front of her children as she doesn't want to frighten them. "I don’t want them to be scared, but it is, of course, terrifying," the Loose Women star says. In her latest OK! column, the Loose Women panelist also reflects on her exciting International Women's Day project and shares her thoughts on Piers Morgan's latest TV plans.

Elon Musk is looking to throw down with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Tesla co-founder, 50, challenged Putin, 69, to a one-on-one fight amidst Russia’s tragic invasion of Ukraine. “I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat,” Elon wrote on Twitter March 14. “Stakes are Ukraine,” he added. Elon wrote Putin’s name in Russian and Ukraine in Ukrainian.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music has suspended all of its operations in Russia, the company has confirmed to Variety. “Sony Music Group calls for peace in Ukraine and an end to the violence. We have suspended operations in Russia and will continue our support of global humanitarian relief efforts to aid victims in need.,” the company said in a statement.Sources tells Variety that the company’s staffers will continue to receive their salaries for an undetermined time; the artists’ situation is still being worked out.Universal Music Group announced that it is suspending its operations in the country on Tuesday.

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a UK artist managed to both raise money for war victims and dump on Vladimir Putin by selling a portrait of the Russian president made out of dog poop. “I did a portrait of Putin using dog s – – t,” Dominic Murphy told the Welwyn Hatfield Times of his odiferous opus, titled “Poo-tin’s a S – – t” on his site.

Manori Ravindran International EditorDiscovery has suspended all operations in Russia amid the country’s war on Ukraine. Around 15 channels that operate through Media Alliance — a joint venture with Russia’s National Media Group — will go off air from Wednesday.The business joins a growing number of media companies that are turning their backs on Russian operations.

Christopher Vourlias Before the Russian army launched an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, French war correspondent Loup Bureau was embedded in Donbass, the restive borderland in Eastern Ukraine, which since 2014 has been the site of an ongoing conflict between Russian-backed separatist groups and Ukrainian government forces.Reports were circulating of an impending Russian attack. Bureau, who had already spent time in the region while shooting his feature-length documentary “Trenches” – screening next week at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – expected it to be a localized skirmish.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs more and more companies have cut ties with Russia in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, many have wondered why more music companies have not done the same.Early Tuesday, the U.K.’s performing rights organization, PRS for Music, said it has formally and immediately suspended its rights representation relationship with RAO, the Russian collecting society for musical works, “pending confirmation of its separation from the Russian Government and those individuals and companies on the sanctions lists.“We are also working with CISAC to consider the ongoing membership of Russian societies in the global network. It is not our desire to punish the Russian composer, songwriter and publisher communities who support peace, and we will work with the global community to identify opportunities to amplify the voices of protest.

Necrosoft Games director Brandon Sheffield announced that the Bundle For Ukraine is now live.Available for just under ten days, the Bundle For Ukraine offers 991 games including plenty of big-name indie title.The https://t.co/vTbmDLvWUP bundle for Ukraine is live!! ~1,000 games worth over $6,500, $10 minimum donation, all proceeds donated to charity. Let's do what we can! https://t.co/oSgXio6UkJ pic.twitter.com/6oTPoo2g57— brandon sheffield (@necrosofty) March 8, 2022As Sheffield detailed last week (March 1), all money raised by the Bundle For Ukraine will be donated to Voices Of Children and International Medical Corps, two charities that are currently operating in Ukraine to support victims of Russia’s invasion.At the time, Sheffield said that “What we do as game developers can have a very positive effect on the world.”The goal is to raise £763,325 ($1million) in total, however it’s already raised £329,483 ($431,643) within its first few hours of being live.

@Valerisssh, has garnered more than 300,000 followers since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago. The TikTokker’s age has not been reported, but she reportedly is living in a below-ground bunker with her parents, as the conflict shows no signs of abatingOne video, titled “My Typical Day In A Bomb Shelter,” has been viewed a whopping 22 million times and shows @Valerisssh hunkering down with her family.

Netflix has suspended its service in Russia entirely in protest of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.The streaming service joins a growing list of companies that have stopped serving Russia since the full-scale invasion began on February 24.Netflix had previously announced a hold on Russian projects and acquisitions and refused to carry 20 Russian propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law. Now, the service has been shut down entirely in the country.“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson told Variety of the move.The platform’s previous sanctions on the country had seen four Russian original works put on pause.

Streaming giant Netflix is suspending service in Russia, citing that country’s invasion of Ukraine. They join numerous entertainment companies and other businesses who have halted business there.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNetflix has suspended its service in Russia to protest the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The streaming service previously announced this week that it would pause all future projects and acquisitions from Russia, joining a growing list of companies that have cut ties with the country. Netflix had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has been put on hold.

Mastercard has suspended operations in Russia, with Visa soon looking to do the same, according to multiple reports. The moves on the part of the financial services corporations are the latest to hit the country’s financial system, following its invasion of Ukraine.

It’s been over a week since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.