The show is set in the near future, where a Green party government comes to power in Oslo on the heels of a hugely damaging global warming-related hurricane. Promising to unveil a revolutionary new form of nuclear energy powered by the chemical element thorium, Prime Minister Jesper Berg strikes a very Scandinavian pose by announcing that Norway will lead by example and immediately shut down its considerable gas and oil production.
This upsets the European Union, of which Norway is not a member. In cahoots with Moscow, Brussels secretly threatens Berg with a full-scale Russian invasion unless he commits to maintaining Norway’s fossil fuel extraction under Moscow’s supervision. (The United States, having recently achieved energy independence, has withdrawn from NATO and sits disinterestedly aside.) Berg reluctantly agrees to this scheme, promising his people that the insertion of Russian worker crews to restart Norway’s energy industry will be temporary.
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Occupied is disturbingly relevant in light of the Ukraine crisis that unfolded two years later and the reappearance of larger-scale East-West tensions over Moscow’s new-found assertiveness in Europe. Russian violations of Baltic and Scandinavian airspace and waters have become a regular occurrence. Last month the RAND Corporation published the results of a war game in which Russian troops seized the Estonian capital of Tallinn in a mere 60 hours.
A former Cirque du Soleil member, Viktor started juggling at the age of six, and performing at 11, incorporating breakdancing into his ball juggling routine. He joined Kyiv’s Professional Circus school in 1989 adding acrobatics and dance to his repertoire. With the help of Ukrainian choreographer Nikolay Baranov he starting developing his unique act, joining Cirque du Soleil in 1999.
Viktor has been advancing through the show all summer, but after his audition he had to endure the passing of his brother from a heart attack.
Watch last night’s performance:
The finals air this Tuesday & Wednesday at 8pm on NBC.,
It’s not every day Canadian and American public broadcasters team up for investigate journalism, and we’re in for a treat as CBC & PBS co-produced a documentary about the evil side of Vladimir Putin – and it airs first in Canada tonight at 9PM EST on CBC:
He casts a long shadow over globe. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has outlasted three American presidents and is on track to stay in power until 2024. His incursions in Georgia, the Crimea and Ukraine have rattled the West, while his crackdowns inside Russia have riled his democratic opponents. But a joint investigation by the fifth estate and PBS’ Frontline reveals an even darker side to one of the most powerful leaders in the world: Allegations of criminal activity dating as far back as his early days as a top official in St. Petersburg; ties to organized crime and money-laundering activities; and a secret personal fortune said to be in the billions. “Putin’s Long Shadow†also raises disturbing questions about the role the Russian security services played in four apartment building bombings in Moscow and other cities in 1999 that killed nearly 300 people – a tragedy Putin blamed on terrorists and used to cement his power. Host Gillian Findlay talks to a senior police officer who tried to arrest Putin on corruption charges; an investigator who was jailed for asking too many questions about the apartment bombings; and Russian businessmen who detail the levels of corruption and collusion.
On Monday TVOntario’s current affairs programme ‘The Agenda’ had 30 year international affairs veteran Matthew Fisher on to see what 2014 had in store, and right away he commented on the latest happenings in Ukraine and its relationship with Russia, the West and Yulia Tymoshenko. Worth a watch, goes for about 6 minutes:
Last night on the Slice channel, some Ukrainian flair was shown on the wedding show ‘Four Weddings Canada’ where brides rate each other’s weddings and the winner receives a free honeymoon. A Toronto Ukrainian couple’s wedding was featured at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church near Ossington station St. Nicholas church near Trinity Bellwoods. The reception had Ukrainian dancers and helped them beat out the other brides for the grand prize, an all paid-for honeymoon. You can watch the entire episode online (it starts around 30:00):
The hit Norwegian show about Russian occupation over oil debuted on TVO (Ontario Public TV) last Sunday. First airing on Netflix earlier this year, it has been a big hit getting rave reviews as a worthy binge watch candidate. Now the Ontario public broadcaster is airing it Sundays at 9PM (replays at 2AM), as well as online at their website.
He casts a long shadow over globe. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has outlasted three American presidents and is on track to stay in power until 2024. His incursions in Georgia, the Crimea and Ukraine have rattled the West, while his crackdowns inside Russia have riled his democratic opponents. 
The documentary will be shown in the US next week on Tuesday, January 13 as 
