Latest news with #MY
Scottish Sun
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ukrainian TV chef reveals her mum's heartbreaking last act before being forced out of family home by Russian invaders
Olia Hercules, a London-based chef and writer who was born in Kakhovka in southern Ukraine, shares harrowing accounts of the agonies of her homeland MY TORMENT Ukrainian TV chef reveals her mum's heartbreaking last act before being forced out of family home by Russian invaders MUM and Dad had a good life. Their house was by a bank of the river Dnipro in the south of Ukraine. Huge golden sunflower fields stretching as far as the eye can see, as hot as the Mediterranean, and just a 50-mile drive from the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea. 8 Olia Hercules, pictured at home in London, reveals her Ukrainian family's plight in her memoir Credit: Olivia West 8 Olia's parents, Petro and Olga, drove for days to escape the Russian invasion Credit: Olia Hercules They planted an orchard and Dad dug out a pond that he filled with carp and sturgeon. I would visit with my British husband Joe and our children at least twice a year, the last time being August 2021. There are photos of my big extended family having a barbecue on Ukraine's Independence Day, my younger son Wilfred eating a peach the size of his head, juice dripping all over his chin and belly. There is a video of my Joe laughing with my dad, brother and cousins, my father telling Ukrainian dad jokes using a mixture of broken English and expressive gestures. He is such a good actor. Just six months later he would use those acting skills again. But this time it wasn't a family comedy but a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie. My mum and dad were escaping as Russia's full-scale invasion of my homeland reached their front door, and I ordered him to play dumb. 'If the Russians stop you,' I said, 'Pretend to be an idiot. Do not argue, do not show emotion.' The Russians drove their tanks into Kakhovka on the first day of the invasion on February 22, 2022. My parents and other locals went to protest every day in the centre of town. But eventually the invaders started shooting into the crowd. Torture chambers Then my dad received a phone call. A man with a sharp Russian accent demanded that he give up the keys to his and mum's businesses (Mum ran a small B&B in town). The Russian barked: 'We also know that your son joined the Ukrainian Territorial Army. Tell him to put down his arms, or else.' Dad — headstrong and courageous as he is — completely ignored my instructions and said something like: 'Over my dead body.' The Russian made it clear that he should be careful what he wished for. I freaked out when Mum told me this and urged them to leave. We have all seen reports that the Russians set up special 'basements' all over the occupied regions. 8 For basements, read torture chambers. I wish I was exaggerating, but I am not. People started disappearing in Ukraine's occupied areas. My own brother, Sasha, was defending Kyiv with other ex-civilians — people from all walks of life. In his regiment there was a baker, an IT guy, an actor and a builder. Sasha later told me how they were stuck on one side of the river Irpin near Kyiv, only a thousand of them or so — and on the other were 15,000 of Putin's Chechen henchmen. They were lucky, my brother told me — the weather and Russia's poor logistics organisation meant that not only did he and the others survive, but they were able to repel the attack and save the capital. Only a few months ago, Sasha admitted to me that shrapnel had grazed against his thigh. Not everyone was so lucky. At home in London, I was freaking out. Strong Roots OLIA HERCULES is a London-based chef and writer who was born in Kakhovka in southern Ukraine. She has published four cookbooks and this week releases a memoir, Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile and Hope. A regular on TV's Saturday Kitchen, she co-founded #CookForUkraine – a global initiative to raise money for the war-torn country. Parents under occupation, brother in Irpin, and then the news about what happened in Bucha, very close to where my brother was located. Bucha was liberated, and soon it became evident just how many civilians the Russians had killed — mass graves and all manner of other horrors. I lost my mind and shouted down the phone to my mum for them to leave until they finally relented. They grabbed two suitcases — one with clothes, another with family photographs, letters and Mum's hand-stitched embroideries. They dug any valuables they had into the ground, in case they would return in the future, and they drove. But not before my mum scrubbed the whole house until it shined. It was one of the most heartbreaking things for me to hear — and for my mum to tell — how she tidied up her house before they left, imagining how a Russian woman might move into it and remark on how tidy everything was. 8 Petro at a yard in Ukraine with the tractor he is converting into a minesweeper Credit: Olia Hercules 8 Olia's dad in the kitchen with her eldest son Sasha Credit: Olia Hercules Ukrainians take huge pride in keeping their homes cosy and beautiful. Just like here in the UK, our home is our castle. My other family and friends followed them a day later. They had to break through 19 Russian checkpoints and witnessed craters as big as the moon's, left by artillery and missiles. Mum and Dad drove for five days through Europe, a difficult thing at the best of times, and even harder given that Dad suffers from Parkinson's tremors. They went to stay with my cousins in Berlin. But within the first two months, Dad decided he couldn't do it. 'I will die from inaction and depression here, Olia. I am going back,' he told me. Mum was so broken, she did not go with him. She said she could not imagine living in Ukraine while Kakhovka was occupied, while Russians lived in her home. Planning to reunite To explain the severity of their separation, my mum and dad met at primary school. They are both 67 and they had known each other for 60 years already, and been married for 50. My dad is in Ukraine now, and Kakhovka is still occupied by the Russians. It is a ghost town and is pummelled by Russians on a regular basis (they use old Soviet launchers that are not exactly precise, so when they try to shoot at a town on the front line, it can fall anywhere). Russian FSB officers moved into my parents' beautiful home. Dad found out his factory warehouse was used to house Russian tanks, so he told Ukrainian intelligence the coordinates. When Russia invaded, mum and dad went into town every day to protest. Eventually the invaders started shooting the crowd Olia Hercules After careful reconnaissance and making sure that it was safe to do so, the Ukrainian army hit it and destroyed the tanks, along with my dad's warehouse. I am sure Dad is heartbroken about his life's work being turned into rubble, but he told me he had no regrets. He is now with his sister and nephew in another unoccupied region of Ukraine. Ukraine is now the most mined country in the world, so Dad is using his engineering skills to convert an old tractor into a driverless minesweeper. Mum is still in Berlin, but she is planning to reunite with Dad next year. She has accepted they may have lost their home forever, and started entertaining the idea to start anew in another part of Ukraine. 8 Olia, back left, cuddling Sasha at a family dinner Credit: Olia Hercules 8 Ingredients for a delicious spread Credit: Olia Hercules This is because, unlike in the 1990s after independence, Ukrainians do not want to live elsewhere. Everyone just wants to be back home. My parents want to be within their community, speaking their own language. They crave the south Ukrainian sunshine, they want to dig around in their garden, they want us to visit them there, to clink glasses and eat delicious food, and to tell silly jokes. For my youngest Wilfred, five, and my older son Sasha, 13, to run around and gorge themselves on massive peaches. It's because of this love — love of a country that people like my dad and mum worked so hard to build — that I know we will not stop fighting. As English author G.K. Chesterton said: 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' But you don't need to be a soldier to fight. My weapon is my pen and my ability to translate our human experience to people in the UK through my cookbooks, which are full of snippets of my family history and now, hopefully, through the family memoir I have written. Rebuild and flourish It has been incredible to receive so much support, because people knew me and trusted me. Within a week of the war starting, I had been able to raise enough money to supply ballistic vests and helmets, boots and even ballistic underwear, and to get it delivered just a day before my brother and 105 people in his regiment went into battle. I will never forget this generosity of the British, the post-war spirit and the Keep Calm And Carry On philosophy which is so keenly adopted by everyone in Ukraine. War news fatigue is real — I get it. It is not easy to keep looking at the horrific news, at the distressing headlines. But with 'peace talks' looming, I hope people do not forget that what the media call 'territories' are not faceless dots on the map. They are places that still hold our homes, our memories and our people. Not everyone was able to leave like my parents did. I have plenty of friends and family who had to stay behind, to look after the 'unmovable' — the elderly or ill parents or even neighbours. People started disappearing. My brother was defending Kyiv. My father's life was threatened. Mass graves, all manner of horrors. I lost my mind and shouted down the phone for them to leave Olia Hercules If those areas are given to Russia, the war will not cease for them. Like other places that Putin grabbed over the years — Abkhazia and Ossetia in the Caucasus, East Ukraine and Crimea — they will become 'grey zones', internationally unrecognised, with no life and no future. One thing my parents and my grandparents taught me was to never give up, and to never give up hope. I will be honest, it has been very up and down. But even on the lowest day I know that Ukrainians will never relent, and will never give up the fight, and the hope that we will return, rebuild and flourish. As my late grandmother used to say: 'Always look at the roots. If the roots are strong, it doesn't matter if the wind blows off the pretty petals. 'If the roots are strong, it doesn't matter if a storm breaks the fragile stem. 'It will all grow back again.' Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story Of War, Exile And Hope, by Olia Hercules, is out on Thursday.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENNIS fans slammed the BBC for snubbing live coverage of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter's doubles debut. The all-star British duo teamed up for the first time at Queen's in the opening grass-court event ahead of Wimbledon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter played their first competitive doubles match together Credit: Getty 3 The British pairing beat Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang 6-4 6-2 Credit: PA But despite the BBC holding the rights to the tournament and the euphoria around tennis after yesterday's epic French Open final, they opted against spotlighting two of GB's biggest names and instead only showed the singles action on the main show court - now called the Andy Murray Arena. While Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage and two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova were live on TV, that meant that Raducanu and Boulter - second up on Court 1 - were overlooked on BBC Two. And their match against Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang was not available for British tennis fans to watch on either the red button or iPlayer. BBC presenter Isa Guha said: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." READ MORE ON TENNIS MIC MY DAY Wimbledon finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage But wannabe viewers were not happy. One moaned: "Errrrr you've got two Brits linking up in the doubles - don't you think that might have been of an interest to the British viewers?" Another blasted: "You have the British women 1 and 2 playing together in doubles and you're not showing it? Make it make sense!! So frustrating!!" A third added: "You just showed a clip of Court 1 where Emma and Katie are starting their match; so why not show the match as a second option or one court on iPlayer and one on BBC Two? Very frustrating!" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A fourth complained: "Literally just showed us a clip of it why can't we watch it?!!!!" A fifth fumed: "Absolutely ridiculous you're not showing Boulter/Raducanu in doubles." Katie Boulter destroys tennis star fiance Alex de Minaur in four words after newly-engaged couple lose in doubles And a final user typed: "Why isn't Court 1 on BBC iPlayer though? Can't watch Boultercanu?" Boulter and Raducanu - nicknamed Boulteranu by some on social media - ran out 6-4 6-2 winners in 71 minutes, laughing and high-fiving their way to victory in joyful scenes in front of the 1,000-seater stand. The match was Raducanu's second WTA doubles match of her career - and a first win. Quizzed if they would team up again at Wimbledon, the former US Open champion downplayed their ambitions. Raducanu - delighted to have overcome any injury concerns as she ended the match with a volley - insisted: 'It's a spontaneous thing, we're just trying to do the best we can this week. "We thought about it in Madrid, Miami and Paris. 'Moving to the grass, which is a very different surface, it helps us get a feel of serving, returning and playing some points." Tennis stars' new careers PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring. But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best… I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend I'm last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I'm singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts I'm former world No1 but quit aged 29 - instead I went on to play professional poker and golf I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist But partner Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title! "No, just kidding… we haven't thought about that. "We both return very well and have great volleys, so if one of us hits a good ball we can capitalise on that. "I'm very confident that Emma is going to put the ball away if I hit a good shot." World No37 Raducanu - who admitted she is still "wary" in public after he stalker hell - faces Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday. Boulter, three places higher than her partner in the WTA rankings, takes on Ajla Tomljanovic. SunSport has contacted the BBC for comment on the snub, which comes after news that the BBC will have to share broadcast rights to the singles finals at Wimbledon with TNT Sports for the next five years. 3 Raducanu had only played one WTA doubles match before Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Wimbledon tennis finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage
Broadcaster claims unique achievement over the four Grand Slams after SW19 deal MIC MY DAY Wimbledon tennis finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Wimbledon singles finals will be shown live on a BBC rival - giving the broadcaster a unique boast. Eurosport have landed a five-year deal that also includes a daily 90-minute package of tennis highlights from SW19. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who won the French Open on Sunday, will be back at Wimbledon this year to defend the trophy, above, that he won in 2024 Credit: Getty 2 Czech star Barbora Krejcikova lifted the women's SW19 trophy last year Credit: Getty The company is now boasting its the "only channel in the UK to show live coverage of all four of the sport's major singles prizes". That's Wimbledon, plus the French, US and Australian Opens. However, the Beeb will remain Wimbledon's main domestic broadcaster - after its 88 years of coverage. The arrangements with BBC and Eurosport are both with the All England Lawn Tennis Cub (AELTC). Ofcom Listed Events regulations allow for "secondary broadcasters" at major sporting tournaments. And that's the status Eurosport is taking with the AELTC at Wimbledon. Susanna Dinnage, MD of Discovery Networks UK and Ireland said the new deal "cements" Eurosport's "position as Former Sky Sports presenter Rob Curling will host the channel's nightly highlights from 10pm. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK This year's Wimbledon runs from Monday June 30 to Sunday July 13. Britain's two-time SW19 king Andy Murray could return as a Beeb pundit, having ended a six-month stint coaching Novak Djokovic. Novak Djokovic digs out French Open rival for 'spying' on him and seeing Champions League trophy The grass-court tournament retains pride of place in the BBC's sporting armoury. But it costs the Beeb around £60million a year for the privilege.
India Today
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Gukesh remains humble after epic win against Magnus Carlsen: 99 out of 100 times, I would lose
India's D Gukesh personified the spirit of winning with grace after defeating Magnus Carlsen, one of the greatest players in the history of chess. Gukesh remained humble after what may have been the biggest win of his career on Sunday, May 1, delivering a major upset against the home favourite at Norway to the surprise victory, Gukesh said he would have lost 99 out of 100 times against Carlsen, calling it a "lucky day" for him. His calm and composed demeanour stood in sharp contrast to Carlsen's reaction - he smashed the table and stormed off the playing area after losing to the reigning world champion in classical was just trying to play moves that were tricky for him and luckily he got into time scramble. One thing I learnt from this tournament is that time scrambles can get too much out of control,' Gukesh said after beating Carlsen. '99 out of 100 times I would lose. Just a lucky day,' Gukesh concluded. Gukesh:"99 out of 100 times I would lose. Just a lucky day!""First classical win against Magnus, I mean, not the way I wanted it to be, but okay I'll take it."#NorwayChess chess24 (@chess24com) June 1, 2025Legendary chess player Susan Polgar responded to Gukesh's interview on X, praising the Indian player for having the heart of a warrior - even if he didn't show it in words or emotions.'The World Champion showed the true meaning of "Win with Grace"! He has the heart of a warrior! Knowing that he was in big trouble both on the board and on the clock, he fought as hard as he could to survive, and was rewarded with a big victory!' Polgar took to X to react to Gukesh's CARLSEN SLAMS TABLEadvertisementGukesh secured a massive win in the sixth round on Carlsen's home turf, defeating him in classical time control for the first time in his career. Playing with the white pieces, the Indian teenager held firm under pressure and capitalised on a rare blunder by the 34-year-old Norwegian in the had the upper hand for most of the match, but Gukesh defended with discipline and composure, turning the tables with a precise counterattack as Carlsen faltered in time reaction to the loss was shocking—he slammed the table so hard it startled the entire room, including Gukesh. Though he quickly apologised, he then stormed out of the MY GOD Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 1, 2025This was a comeback win for Gukesh, who had lost to Carlsen with the black pieces in the opening round of Norway has previously been critical of Gukesh's classical play and his composure under incremental time controls. After his first-round win over Gukesh, Carlsen posted a cryptic message on social media: "You come at the king, you best not miss."Earlier in 2024, Carlsen chose not to defend his World Championship title after claiming it for the fifth time. He stepped back from classical chess for a while, and his clash with Gukesh at Norway Chess marked his first classical appearance since the Indian prodigy became the youngest world champion in history last year.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pay property tax by June 30 & get 10% discount: NMMC
Navi Mumbai: After collecting a record Rs 826 crore in property tax in 2024-25 and setting an ambitious target of Rs 1,200 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) announced a 10% 'Early Bird' discount on general tax for property owners who pay their 2025-26 bills by June 30. NMMC commissioner Kailas Shinde said the 2025-26 property tax bills are now accessible online. Among the other initiatives to encourage timely tax payments and boost civic revenue is the implementation of a single annual bill distribution system from 2025-26, replacing the earlier practice of distributing bills twice a year. NMMC has also upgraded the online payment system and roped in women from self-help groups to handle the physical bill distribution. "Property tax bills for 2025-26 can now be accessed through and the 'MY NMMC - My Navi Mumbai' app. A 10% discount on general tax awaits those who settle their bills by June 30, 2025," said Shinde. "Previously, the corporation distributed bills twice annually to over 3.5 lakh property owners. Limited staff caused delays in distribution and tax collection. Hence, I have instructed swift distribution with additional personnel, implementing a single annual distribution system. The property tax department has recruited women from self-help groups to ensure prompt bill distribution and inform residents about tax concession schemes. Residents are advised to share their mobile phone numbers and email addresses with these representatives for property linking and SMS alerts. Citizens can also complete this procedure independently via The Bharat Bill Payment System supports various payment options, including online banking, UPI, cards, and mobile wallets. Payments through the municipal website and app provide instant receipts, an NMMC official confirmed. NMMC now offers straightforward property tax payments both manually and online with annual billing. Speaking about the reforms in property tax collection and encouraging public cooperation, Shinde said: "This year, many important decisions were taken to make property tax collection more dynamic and citizen-friendly. The new system of 'One Year, One Bill', linking KYC to tax bills, online availability of property tax bills, effective use of digital methods of tax payment, and participation of women from self-help groups in bill distribution will not only make the tax collection system easier for citizens, but also provide planning and speed to tax collection. "
