Alexei Uchitel, Russian film director of "Matilda," a movie about the last Russian czar's affair with a ballerina smileas as he speak to the media at the Mariinsky Theatre in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
MOSCOW (AP) --
A film inspired by the love affair between a ballerina and Russia's last czar is having its Moscow premiere despite sparking outrage from some Russians.
Hard-line nationalists and some Orthodox believers see "Matilda" as blasphemy against Emperor Nicholas II, who is glorified as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church.
The controversy has highlighted the increasing assertiveness of radical religious activists and a growing conservative streak in Russia's society.
The film loosely tells the story of Nicholas II's infatuation with ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya.
What started out nearly a year ago as a petition campaign to protest the film took violent turns in recent months. Molotov cocktails were thrown at the director's film studio and his lawyer's car set on fire.
Director Alexei Uchitel calls Tuesday's premiere "a victory for all reasonable people."
A man walks past Google's offices in London's Kings Cross area, on Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Melley, File)
Google pledged to crack down on fake online reviews with tougher punishments for rogue reviewers and businesses that try to profit from them, British regulators said Friday following an investigation.
The Competition and Markets Authority said that Google has committed to "rigorous steps" to detect and remove sham reviews, so it can quickly identify and investigate businesses and reviewers trying to benefit from the phony posts.
Google will delete all reviews written by people who repeatedly write fake or misleading reviews — either positive or negative — for U.K. businesses, the watchdog said. These reviewers will also be banned from posting new reviews, whether or not they're in the U.K.
Businesses that try to artificially boost their star ratings will also face consequences. Warning alerts will be slapped on their Google profiles, and new reviews will not be allowed. And if they repeatedly engage in fake review activity, all their reviews for the past six months or more will be deleted, the CMA said.
Google's also adding a way for consumers to quickly and easily report shady reviews, including payments or rewards offered for a positive review.
"The changes we've secured from Google ensure robust processes are in place, so people can have confidence in reviews and make the best possible choices," the watchdog's CEO Sarah Cardell said. "They also help to create a level-playing field for fair dealing firms."
Google said its "longstanding investments to combat fraudulent content help us block millions of fake reviews yearly – often before they ever get published." The company said in a brief statement that its "work with regulators around the world, including the CMA, is part of our ongoing efforts to fight fake... Read More
