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Russia

Bolshoi Dancer Confesses To Acid Attack

CHANNEL ONE, KOMMERSANT (Russia), BBC NEWS (UK)

Worldcrunch

MOSCOW – One of Moscow’s Bolshoi ballet leading soloists has confessed to being the mastermind behind an acid attack that nearly blinded the company's director, Sergei Filin in January.

According to a statement released by the Moscow police, Pavel Dmitrichenko, 28, was arrested together with two accomplices: Yuri Zarutsky, suspected of throwing sulphuric acid in Filin’s face; and Andrey Lipatov who is thought to be the driver of the getaway vehicle, Russian daily Kommersant reports.

"Yes, I organized this attack, but not to the extent that it occurred," Dmitrichenko, said Wednesday in a brief interview on Channel One, a state-run television station.

Pavel Dmitrichenko looking haggard after confessing to masterminding the Jan. 17 attack - Channel expand=1] One screenshot

Although Dmitrichenko – who performed the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev"s Ivan The Terrible – provided no further explanation as to his motives, the attack is thought to be related to Dmitrichenko's girlfriend, ballerina Angelina Vorontsova, who had clashed professionally with the ballet's director.

Sergei Filin’s face was left badly burned, and his eyesight severely damaged after a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face on January 17 – opening a window into bitter infighting and rivalries inside the Bolshoi theatre, BBC News recalls.

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Green

Moose In Our Midst: How Poland's Wildlife Preservation Worked A Bit Too Well

Wild moose have been spotted on Polish beaches and even near cities. They're a rare example of successful conservation efforts, but they're increasingly coming into contact with people.

Photo of a moose crossing a road

Moose seen in Poland

Joanna Wisniowska

GDANSK — Images of wild moose roaming the streets and beaches of Poland’s Baltic coast have been cropping up online more frequently. What should someone do if they encounter one? According to Mateusz Ciechanowski, a biologist at the University of Gdansk, the best option is to leave them alone.

“This is the result of the consistent protection that has been provided to this species of moose,” said Ciechanowski. “As the numbers increase, so does the animals’ range”.

Various media outlets have been publishing reports about spotted wild moose in the cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot with increasing frequency. Perhaps more surprising is that these moose have been seen on beaches as well.

Centuries ago, moose could be found all over the European continent. But, like the European bison, they were often hunted for their value as an attractive game animal.

Aside from population declines due to hunting, the drainage of European wetlands also decreased the number of viable moose habitats. The animals, which prefer marshy areas, dwindled without the proper natural environment to flourish in.

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