Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York opens ‘SNL’ with emotive ‘Prayer for Ukraine’

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.

Henry Rollins has spoken out about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reflecting on the upheaval in the lives of Ukrainians as a result of the war.Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s military to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The UN reported that 549 civilians had died as of March 10 – although they believe the total could be much higher – while the US military estimates that between 2,000 and 4,000 Ukrainian armed forces, national guard and volunteer forces have also been killed.In an interview on New York’s 102.3 WBAB radio station, Rollins spoke about the conflict and shared his experiences of visiting Ukraine. “The thing is still, in a way, breaking news,” he said, per Blabbermouth.

Former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna has joined the Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops as Vladimir Putin's invasion continues.The stunning brunette has swapped evening gowns for a rifle as she warned Russian invaders that they will "will die on our land" if they continue their advance. Sharing images on her social media, Anastasiia, who represented Ukraine at the 2015 Miss Grand International beauty pageant, has vowed to defend Ukraine until their safe border is restored.This week, Anastasiia, who has 315,000 Instagram followers, posted another video contrasting Ukraine before the war compared to recent photos and videos.

Disney is now pausing all of its business in Russia amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, calling Vladimir Putin’s actions an “unrelenting assault on Ukraine.” Disney’s pause of business includes any content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions and linear channels. The statement specifies that some business activities can be paused immediately while others will take time “given contractual complexities.” The news follows Disney’s previous plan to pause the theatrical release of its films in Russia, including this week’s “Turning Red” from Pixar.

A young Ukrainian woman has become a TikTok star after sharing exactly what daily life in a bomb shelter is like. In order to stay as safe as possible after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched attacks on the country, she has seemingly moved into a below-ground bunker with her mum, dad and pet dog.The account, which uses the name @Valerisssh has 569k followers, with a video showing, "My typical day in a bomb shelter" being viewed 32.8 million times.The 22 second clip offered a clear insight into her day - the youngster watched her mum cook on a small stove, conversed with her dad, played with her dog who she noted was confused by the situation and dried her hair with a heat gun. The most harrowing part of the viral video was when she showed the devastation in her home city.

Russian performers have begun canceling concerts in their home country and joining a larger "no to war" campaign condemning the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine on Feb. 24 after recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in the country.

Olga Smirnova, a prima ballerina from Russia, is speaking out against the country’s invasion of Ukraine. A lead dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, Smirnova said she is "ashamed of Russia" and publicly denounced its president, Vladimir Putin, for giving the order to invade the neighboring country.

Former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna has revealed she's armed herself with an assault rifle and is ready to defend her country from Russian forces.The 31 year old, who represented Ukraine in the 2015 Miss Grand International beauty contest, took to her Instagram feed to post two photos of herself in brown cargo trousers, a black jacket, black gloves and protective glasses. Anastasiia swapped her tiara for an assault rifle and shared on her social media: "22.02.2022 #standwithukraine #handsofukraine".

Though most people may have one image in their mind when it comes to a shoulder, in reality, bravery has no one face. As Russian forces close in on the Ukrainian city of Kyiv, former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna, 31, is taking up arms, warning Instagram followers: “‘Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!’

John Mulaney just reached a huge milestone – becoming an official member of the five-timers club as he hosted the latest episode of Saturday Night Live.

“Saturday Night Live” returned for their first show of the month and their first show since Russia launched a full-scale assault on Ukraine.

Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performed a “Prayer for Ukraine” during the opening of “SNL” on Saturday. Cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong introduced the choir.The choir sang the melancholy tune in front of a live audience and a table of candles that spelled the name of Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv.Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine this week.

It’s a daunting task to crack jokes during wartime, especially days after Russia has bombarded the Ukraine, however, SNL Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che were fearless and eloquent in their approach to the topic.

Saturday Night Live decided to skip their normal funny cold open for an emotional performance.

William Earl “Saturday Night Live” paid tribute to Ukraine in its cold open by featuring a folk chorus singing a traditional anthem from the embattled Eastern European nation while a cluster of candles spelled out “Kyiv.”The 13th episode of the late-night mainstay’s 47th season opened with stars Kate McKinnon and Cicely Strong introducing members of Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York. A group of male and female singers, wearing intricately embroidered traditional outfits, sang the rousing choral selection “Prayer for Ukraine,” reflecting the resilient spirit of the nation that has been under attack from Russian on multiple fronts since earlier this week.The somber setting on the “SNL” stage featured a cluster of candles and bouquets of yellow flowers, evoking Ukraine’s national colors of yellow and blue.

returned for their first show of the month and their first show since Russia launched a full-scale assault on Ukraine.Needing to address the tragedy before the night could begin, the show decided to forgo the usual cold-open sketch in favor of a moving and powerful choir performance paying tribute to the people of Ukraine.The show tapped the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York to take to the iconic Studio 8H stage, behind a platform covered in candles spelling out «Kyiv,» the capital city of Ukraine.Saturday Night Live https://t.co/sJuB8GVVVRAfter the performance, castmemebrs Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon — who have both been tasked in the past with opening somber episodes following national tragedies — walked out to deliver the show's traditional start-line, «Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.» airs live, coast-to-coast, at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m.