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'Disaster' in Ukraine, Ramadan, NCAA Final Four, Grammys: 5 things to know this weekend

Editors  |  Paste BN

Zelenskyy: Retreating Russian forces are boobytrapping Ukrainian streets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday in a video address to the nation that Russian forces were leaving behind "a complete disaster" as they retreat from the north, including towns just outside Kyiv, and he warned residents to beware of more Russian shelling and of land mines. "They are mining the whole territory, they are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed," he said. In other developments, the International Committee of the Red Cross will try again Saturday to evacuate residents of the besieged port city of Mariupol. "Today, our team tried to facilitate a safe passage out," the ICRC said on Twitter Friday. But Red Cross officials had to return to a city in the interior, Zaporizhzhia, "after conditions made it impossible to proceed." The organization added that, "it is critical that the parties respect the agreements and provide the necessary conditions and security guarantees." 

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Muslims start fasts from sunrise to sunset as Ramadan begins

Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, begins this weekend, and Muslims around the world will begin their sunrise-to-sunset fasts, abstaining from food and drink. Along with fasting, Muslims also attend nightly prayers, attempt to finish readings of the Quran, the Islamic holy book, and donate to charities throughout the month. Each year, the day it starts and ends changes as it goes with the lunar calendar. The idea behind fasting is to practice self restraint, and every Muslim that has reached puberty, and is physically capable, is required to fast. Muslims believe that Ramadan is meant to strengthen their relationship with God, and for many, it is a time to celebrate with family, friends and community. 

NCAA basketball tournaments reach epic final stage 

The kings and queens of college basketball will be determined over the next three nights as the best men's and women's teams battle for NCAA championships. The men will get their party started with the Final Four Saturday night in New Orleans when No. 1 seed Kansas plays No. 2 Villanova in the first national semifinal game (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS). That will be followed by the ultimate rivalry game when No. 2 seed Duke takes on No. 8 North Carolina (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS) as legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski winds down his historic career. The winners of those games advance to the men’s national championship game Monday night. The women will crown their champion Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Minneapolis. Top overall seed South Carolina will seek its second title after dispatching No. 1 seed Louisville Friday night. The Gamecocks will face the No. 2 seed Connecticut Huskies, who will play for their 12th national championship after beating defending champ Stanford in Friday's second semifinal.

The Grammys are back amid public criticism

The Grammy Awards are happening Sunday after being postponed in January due to the COVID-19 omicron variant. The ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas this year, marking the first time it's been outside Los Angeles or New York since 1973. Fans – and artists – weren't satisfied with the nominations released in November, and many stars called out their snubs. The Recording Academy says it welcomes the feedback, and they've adopted inclusion requirements for the nominating and voting process. Viewers can expect to see more women and LGBTQ artists included in the show, as well as themes around accessibility. Among some of the curious choices for nominations, there are genuine opportunities for history to be made at this year's awards ceremony. 

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Chris Rock gets back on stage as prices for his comedy tour soar

Chris Rock will take the stage Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the sold-out premiere performances of his "Ego Death" comedy tour, proving that no publicity is bad publicity. The high level of interest in the comedian’s show comes after he was slapped by actor Will Smith in a history-making moment at the Academic Awards last weekend. Separate from the tour, Rock performed six shows at The Wilbur in Boston earlier this week, with some resellers listing tickets that were initially $50 to $70 for over $1,000. In a sold-out show Wednesday, Rock briefly addressed the slap during his show, saying he was "still kind of processing what happened." 

Contributing: The Associated Press

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