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Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Spin Master names board member Christina Miller as next chief executive
TORONTO – Toy company Spin Master Corp. has named Christina Miller as the company's new chief executive, effective July 7. The company said Monday that Miller, a independent director on Spin Master's board since May 2020, will succeed Max Rangel in the top job. 'We've known Christina for more than 20 years and she is a storyteller and brand-builder by nature and will bring her deep experience of balancing art and science in operating franchises, brands and digital platforms at scale to further progress our legacy as creators and disrupters in the industry,' Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary said in a statement. Spin Master is the company behind brands such as Paw Patrol, Melissa & Doug, Bakugan and Rubik's Cube. It also has an in-house entertainment studio and a presence in digital games with Toca Boca and Piknik. Miller is a former president of WarnerMedia's kids, young adults and classic division where she was responsible for oversight of content development, production and franchise management for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang and TCM. Rangel was appointed global president of Spin Master in January 2021 and became global president and chief executive a few months later. Spin Master chair and co-founder Anton Rabie said Rangel led the company through a challenging period in its history. 'Under his leadership we have meaningfully diversified the business, enhanced our supply chain capabilities and improved profitability and free cash flow, all of which have contributed to a stronger company, well-positioned for long-term growth,' Rabie said. The company said Rangel will work with Miller over the next three months to ensure a seamless leadership transition for the business. Spin Master said earlier this month that it has cut jobs as it works to weather the impact of global tariffs on its business, but did not say how many employees were affected. It said the cuts were one part of a multi-pronged plan to deal with the effect of tariffs, which also includes diversifying its supply chains and cutting costs. In reporting the company's first-quarter results earlier this year, chief financial officer Mark Segal said roughly 42.5 per cent of Spin Master's total revenue is represented by the U.S. market and therefore subject to U.S. tariffs on other countries. Of that revenue pool, he said around 55 per cent of toy production is sourced from China and 45 per cent from elsewhere — such as Vietnam, India, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union. By the end of this year, Segal said the company plans to produce around 70 per cent of toys for the U.S. market from outside of China, and 75 to 80 per cent by the end of 2026. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:TOY)
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Hundreds pay tribute to Russia's deadly Crocus attack
Hundreds of Russians placed flowers at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk Saturday, paying homage a year on to the 145 victims of the gun attack there. Images of the March 22, 2024 attack on the concert hall near Moscow circulated around the world, showing four men opening fire on more than 5,000 people gathered to watch the Russian rock group Piknik and finishing off the wounded. Maxim Burnayev, a 34-year-old construction worker who was with his wife among the spectators at the hall the day of the attack, told AFP he had witnessed "the horror that unfolded. "It was like in a movie, but it was real," he recalled. Russia's deadliest attack in 20 years lasted about 20 minutes. After the shootings, the assailants set the hall on fire and fled the scene. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, banned in Russia as a terrorist organisation. "You can't forget it. We came here now to Crocus, and my heart was beating fast. Even though it's been a year, there are still memories," Burnayev said. After seeing a psychologist, he said today he was trying to "let it all go and continue to live, enjoy life" although the sight of the bloodied concert hall still haunts him. A monument dedicated to the victims was inaugurated on Saturday, in the presence of the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, near the building severely damaged by the fire. People laid flowers, photos of their deceased loved ones and teddy bears at the new monument featuring two black marble pillars with cranes soaring into the sky. An Orthodox priest led a service. Maria Zhukovskaya, 37, a volunteer, said: "How could you not come here? How could you not honour the memory of the people that dreamed, lived, had wishes, and at one moment it all collapsed?" Anna Movchan, 28, while she did not know any of the victims personally said, "We are residents of this city. This is an awfully terrible tragedy, so we gathered and came her to support our country, our people and mourn together." - Seeking justice - Most of the people questioned by AFP after the ceremony chose not to comment on the investigation or the perpetrators. Earlier in March, the US authorities announced the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, an IS leader suspected of organising an attack on the Kabul airport that claimed 183 lives including that of 13 US soldiers in 2021. Sharifullah reportedly admitted to "having shared instructions on the use" of the Kalashnikov rifles used in the Crocus attack, and also "recognised" two of the four assailants arrested in Russia. Anna, a 40-year-old administrator who lost a relative in the attack, said she wanted "all those responsible to be punished. "The guilty aren't just those who took part in the attack, but others as well. Maybe the organisers, maybe the authorities," she added. Yevgenia, 38, deputy director of a construction company, was supposed to be at a restaurant in the area the night of the attack but cancelled at the last minute. "I think security was poorly organised" at Crocus, she said. "We've been here more than once before and there are just guys standing at a metal detector." - Investigation complete - The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement Saturday it had "completed the investigation" concerning the 19 individuals involved and arrested, including the four alleged assailants. "The investigation has concluded that the terrorist act was planned and organised by the security services of an unfriendly state in order to destabilise the situation in Russia. "Members of an international terrorist organisation were recruited to carry it out," the committee said without naming the group. Weeks after the attack, Russia for the first time attributed its coordination to IS while also continuing to maintain accusations against Ukraine for being behind the tragedy. Russia has never provided evidence to support claims against Ukraine. Kyiv has consistently denied any involvement. bur/giv/jj
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Hundreds pay tribute to Russia's deadly Crocus attack
Hundreds of Russians placed flowers at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow suburb of Krasnogorsk Saturday, paying homage a year on to the 145 victims of the gun attack there. Images of the March 22, 2024 attack on the concert hall near Moscow circulated around the world, showing four men opening fire on more than 5,000 people gathered to watch the Russian rock group Piknik and finishing off the wounded. Maxim Burnayev, a 34-year-old construction worker who was with his wife among the spectators at the hall the day of the attack, told AFP he had witnessed "the horror that unfolded. "It was like in a movie, but it was real," he recalled. Russia's deadliest attack in 20 years lasted about 20 minutes. After the shootings, the assailants set the hall on fire and fled the scene. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, banned in Russia as a terrorist organisation. "You can't forget it. We came here now to Crocus, and my heart was beating fast. Even though it's been a year, there are still memories," Burnayev said. After seeing a psychologist, he said today he was trying to "let it all go and continue to live, enjoy life" although the sight of the bloodied concert hall still haunts him. A monument dedicated to the victims was inaugurated on Saturday, in the presence of the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, near the building severely damaged by the fire. People laid flowers, photos of their deceased loved ones and teddy bears at the new monument featuring two black marble pillars with cranes soaring into the sky. An Orthodox priest led a service. Maria Zhukovskaya, 37, a volunteer, said: "How could you not come here? How could you not honour the memory of the people that dreamed, lived, had wishes, and at one moment it all collapsed?" Anna Movchan, 28, while she did not know any of the victims personally said, "We are residents of this city. This is an awfully terrible tragedy, so we gathered and came her to support our country, our people and mourn together." - Seeking justice - Most of the people questioned by AFP after the ceremony chose not to comment on the investigation or the perpetrators. Earlier in March, the US authorities announced the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, an IS leader suspected of organising an attack on the Kabul airport that claimed 183 lives including that of 13 US soldiers in 2021. Sharifullah reportedly admitted to "having shared instructions on the use" of the Kalashnikov rifles used in the Crocus attack, and also "recognised" two of the four assailants arrested in Russia. Anna, a 40-year-old administrator who lost a relative in the attack, said she wanted "all those responsible to be punished. "The guilty aren't just those who took part in the attack, but others as well. Maybe the organisers, maybe the authorities," she added. Yevgenia, 38, deputy director of a construction company, was supposed to be at a restaurant in the area the night of the attack but cancelled at the last minute. "I think security was poorly organised" at Crocus, she said. "We've been here more than once before and there are just guys standing at a metal detector." - Investigation complete - The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement Saturday it had "completed the investigation" concerning the 19 individuals involved and arrested, including the four alleged assailants. "The investigation has concluded that the terrorist act was planned and organised by the security services of an unfriendly state in order to destabilise the situation in Russia. "Members of an international terrorist organisation were recruited to carry it out," the committee said without naming the group. Weeks after the attack, Russia for the first time attributed its coordination to IS while also continuing to maintain accusations against Ukraine for being behind the tragedy. Russia has never provided evidence to support claims against Ukraine. Kyiv has consistently denied any involvement. bur/giv/jj
Al Arabiya
20-03-2025
- Al Arabiya
A year on, attack at Russia's Crocus City Hall still haunts survivors
Kirill Yavkin still gets 'chills down his spine' when he thinks back to when gunmen killed 145 people at the Crocus City Hall last year, in Russia 's deadliest attack in 20 years. The images of the March 22 attack on the concert hall near Moscow circulated around the world, showing four men calmly opening fire on the crowd and finishing off the wounded. Yavkin, 23, had a work meeting with fellow musicians at Crocus hall, just before a concert of the Russian rock group Piknik. All of a sudden, 'a noise like firecrackers' rang out from the stalls, he told AFP. 'We saw people rushing in panic towards the stage and hiding backstage,' he said. 'Some fell between the rows. I was almost paralyzed by it,' he said. The attack, which was claimed by the ISIS, lasted about 20 minutes and the assailants set the hall on fire before fleeing the scene. With his boss, Yavkin took out about twenty other VIP guests who were trapped in their booths, while smoke was already billowing. Lost and disoriented, they did not know where to go. That was when something happened which he calls a 'miracle' -- a young attendant appeared and helped them. 'She showed us how to get out by going through the technical rooms before disappearing into the smoke,' he said, adding: 'She saved us.' His boss, Alexei Kozin, a 47-year-old music producer, said he 'tries not to think about it to avoid the flashbacks' that haunt him. 'I still haven't told my mum I was there,' he added, his voice hushed. Kozin still goes to concerts for work but, once there, he said: 'I keep an eye on the security services and check where the emergency exits are.' 'I wasn't afraid' Although ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian authorities continued to pin the blame on Ukraine, where Moscow launched an offensive three years ago. Kyiv has denied any involvement. Last May, Russia for the first time said IS had coordinated the attack but did not retract the accusations against Kyiv for being behind it. More than 20 people have been detained since then, including the four suspected gunmen, all from Tajikistan and arrested near the border with Ukraine. The attack also had its heroes like Islam Khalilov, 16, and Artem Donskov, 15, two schoolmates who were working that evening in the cloakroom of the Crocus City Hall. They managed to save more than a hundred people by helping them flee the burning building. 'I saw a huge crowd coming down the stairs in front of my cloakroom,' Donskov told AFP. 'People were terrified, but at the time I didn't understand anything and I wasn't afraid.' It was only when the first shots were fired that he realized it was an attack. The high school student managed to turn the crowd of panicking adults into a single line and led them along technical corridors that he knew by heart to an emergency exit. For his mother Alexandra, this drama has 'transformed' the teenager. 'He is more self-confident, braver... I feel safer with him by my side,' she said. The testimonies of numerous survivors indicate that the two teenagers and the attendants were the only people to provide assistance during the attack, even if the police claim to have arrived 'within five minutes' of being alerted. According to Alexei Filatov, an expert in anti-terrorist operations, 'the main reason for the high death toll is that the fire brigade was delayed by the traffic jams on that Friday evening.' Donskov's friend Khalilov said he acted with a 'cool head', even after seeing a spectator hit by gunfire and fall to the ground. However, he insists that he 'does not feel like a hero.' 'I'm just more confident,' he said.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A year on, survivors still haunted by Russia's Crocus attack
Kirill Yavkin still gets "chills down his spine" when he thinks back to when gunmen killed 145 people at the Crocus City Hall last year, in Russia's deadliest attack in 20 years. The images of the March 22 attack on the concert hall near Moscow circulated around the world, showing four men calmly opening fire on the crowd and finishing off the wounded. Yavkin, 23, had a work meeting with fellow musicians at Crocus hall, just before a concert of the Russian rock group Piknik. All of a sudden, "a noise like firecrackers" rang out from the stalls, he told AFP. "We saw people rushing in panic towards the stage and hiding backstage," he said. "Some fell between the rows. I was almost paralysed by it," he said. The attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, lasted about 20 minutes and the assailants set the hall on fire before fleeing the scene. With his boss, Yavkin took out about twenty other VIP guests who were trapped in their booths, while smoke was already billowing. Lost and disoriented, they did not know where to go. That was when something happened which he calls a "miracle" -- a young attendant appeared and helped them. "She showed us how to get out by going through the technical rooms before disappearing into the smoke," he said, adding: "She saved us." His boss, Alexei Kozin, a 47-year-old music producer, said he "tries not to think about it to avoid the flashbacks" that haunt him. "I still haven't told my mum I was there," he added, his voice hushed. Kozin still goes to concerts for work but, once there, he said: "I keep an eye on the security services and check where the emergency exits are." - 'I wasn't afraid' - Although IS claimed responsibility for the attack, Russian authorities continued to pin the blame on Ukraine, where Moscow launched an offensive three years ago. Kyiv has denied any involvement. Last May, Russia for the first time said IS had coordinated the attack but did not retract the accusations against Kyiv for being behind it. More than 20 people have been detained since then, including the four suspected gunmen, all from Tajikistan and arrested near the border with Ukraine. The attack also had its heroes like Islam Khalilov, 16, and Artem Donskov, 15, two schoolmates who were working that evening in the cloakroom of the Crocus City Hall. They managed to save more than a hundred people by helping them flee the burning building. "I saw a huge crowd coming down the stairs in front of my cloakroom," Donskov told AFP. "People were terrified, but at the time I didn't understand anything and I wasn't afraid." It was only when the first shots were fired that he realised it was an attack. The high school student managed to turn the crowd of panicking adults into a single line and led them along technical corridors that he knew by heart to an emergency exit. For his mother Alexandra, this drama has "transformed" the teenager. "He is more self-confident, braver... I feel safer with him by my side," she said. The testimonies of numerous survivors indicate that the two teenagers and the attendants were the only people to provide assistance during the attack, even if the police claim to have arrived "within five minutes" of being alerted. According to Alexei Filatov, an expert in anti-terrorist operations, "the main reason for the high death toll is that the fire brigade was delayed by the traffic jams on that Friday evening". Donskov's friend Khalilov said he acted with a "cool head", even after seeing a spectator hit by gunfire and fall to the ground. However, he insists that he "does not feel like a hero". "I'm just more confident," he said. bur/giv
