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The Russian national soccer team will be allowed to take the pitch ahead of some World Cup qualifying games -- because FIFA's letting them proceed ... despite some sanctions.

The international governing body for the game announced Sunday they would let Russia's players play against some neighboring countries in soon-to-come matches -- like against Poland, for example -- stopping short of an all-out ban ... which many were calling for.

Instead of kicking them out of the competition entirely, FIFA says they are, instead, not going to allow the Russian flag to be displayed, and won't play the Russian anthem either. They're also going to force the team to go by a new moniker -- the Football Union of Russia ... and no fans are allowed either.

Perhaps the biggest restriction FIFA is laying down in response to Putin's invasion ... not allowing any matches to be played in Russia itself, insisting on neutral territories.

Poland, the Czech Republic and Sweden were set to dive into a 4-team playoff round -- with games scheduled to be played in Russia itself -- and have since said they wouldn't square off against Russia at all ... no matter where the games were situated.

Seeing how Poland was supposed to play Russia first in this tournament -- they responded to FIFA's announcement shortly thereafter, reportedly calling it "totally unacceptable" and again reaffirming their commitment to not playing against Russia no matter what.

The Ukraine crisis is still very much underway, and yet ... some are already opining about who could play Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a movie -- and Jeremy Renner seems to be it.

Twitter users are up in arms again over this one ... perhaps for good reason. Essentially, this is a debate about whether talking about a would-be biopic is appropriate when the situation is unfolding live -- let alone musing about which actor could star as Ukraine's president.

Of course, some Tweeters couldn't help themselves ... firing off takes about how Hollywood is already cooking up a flick behind the scenes, and how Renner may well be the top choice to portray VZ.

The reason ... well, they look high-key alike -- almost dead ringers, if we're being honest. Same type of facial structure and everything ... and they're especially similar in appearance when wearing fatigues and whatnot.

But even if they are doppelgangers of one another, the other question is ... what difference does it make??? A good majority of folks online argue -- *now* is NOT the time to be discussing a possible film about Zelenskyy or Ukraine, because it's a serious situation.

Indeed, people are dying and/or fleeing for their lives ... so it does seem like a bad time to be making light of things -- and publicly spit-balling about a possible biopic down the road certainly feels like that ... namely, it's too freakin' soon to even bring up as a topic.

Interestingly, those who are batting this type of thinking down are attributing it to a uniquely American mindset -- suggesting that U.S. citizens often seem to be more interested in entertainment than real-life lives that are actually at risk.

We'll leave that philosophical ball for the Twittersphere to kick around -- but here's one thing that can't be denied ... Renner and Zelenskyy do bear a striking resemblance, and yes ... Renner is a fantastic actor, proven time and again in his pre-Marvel days.

And yes ... there may even be a studio out there that has a script in mind -- that's certainly not outside the realm of possibility, as Tinseltown never sleeps on the next big thing, and Zelenskyy's life story alone is totally worthy of the movie treatment (objectively).

Still, it sounds like what's got people pissed off is, obviously, the timing of such discussions -- but also, the callousness and lack of thoughtfulness in cavalier posts like these.

Renner, meanwhile, is minding his own business out in the woods of Lake Tahoe ... so ya gotta figure he might be upset to hear how he's getting roped into this nonsense.

As millions of people attempt to leave Ukraine and seek refuge in neighboring countries, a disturbing trend has surfaced ... namely, Africans, allegedly, being discriminated against.

Several videos and accounts have emerged over the past 24 hours or so from Africans and other POC, who claim they are not being allowed to board certain trains and other modes of transportation to flee Ukraine -- and they think it's because of the color of their skin.

This mostly appears to be happening at the Ukrainian-Polish border in the northwest region, where many allege that border agents and local police are literally letting white Ukrainians hop on in ... while refusing access -- or at the very least, limiting access -- to Black people.

Multiple clips appear to show scores of African migrants and/or expatriates being left behind at train stations -- and not just that, but actually being pushed back as they try to enter.

One clip shows a group of Africans who appear to have weapons drawn on them, and they shout that they're unarmed students ... tensions escalating quickly. It's unclear who exactly may be deciding who's able to book it out of there first and how -- but the feeling among those on standby (in some cases for days, it seems) is that they're a second-rate class.

As you can imagine, this is creating resentment and frustration -- especially for those who see this from afar and can't help but wonder ... how can racism persist in a time of war???

It's a fair question ... especially if what looks to be happening here is, in fact, going down as described. There isn't much context in a lot of the videos beyond what's being claimed by the person on camera and/or the person posting it. Still ... it looks damning on the face of things.

Many users -- African-American and otherwise -- are sounding off online ... noting that even when Black people show solidarity against a nation in crisis -- those on the ground still might have to go above and beyond for a shred of dignity or mere safety, while others are being afforded exactly that without a blink of the eye. That's the consensus, anyway.

As we've told you ... Russia continues to invade Ukraine, and the military there is trying its best to defend itself -- while Western allies keep putting the financial squeeze on Putin and his people.

Elon Musk has vowed to become a real-life action hero, saving the world -- or at least part of it -- by thwarting any attempt by the Russian Government to send the International Space Station hurtling toward earth.

Musk is reacting to a Russian space official who menacingly suggested the ISS could lose its trajectory and careen toward the U.S. or Europe if the Russians sabotage the craft. The official suggested sanctions could trigger the move. Russia controls the engines on the ISS, and it can direct the trajectory accordingly.

Musk's Twitter response ... a SpaceX logo.

Someone on Twitter inquired if E.M. was suggesting SpaceX would prevent the ISS from plummeting to earth. His response -- "Yes."

Musk acknowledged another tweet with the ISS, but one thing was missing -- any evidence of Russia. Instead, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was front and center.  Elon responded, "Good thread."

The ISS could do lots of damage for sure ... it weighs in at 500 tons.

As for how serious the threat, the Russian official said, "The ISS does not fly over Russia, therefore all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?"

NASA says nothing's changing with respect to ISS operations. What's unclear ... can Russia do what it's threatening?

Don't count Musk out ... NASA has increasingly relied on SpaceX for space exploration.

'SNL' broke from tradition Saturday night ... there were no laughs in the cold open -- instead, there was a moving tribute to Ukraine.

The show opened with Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong somberly introducing the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York. The choir sang a mournful song called "Prayer for Ukraine."

The Chorus has a deep connection to both Ukraine and the U.S. ... Ukrainian immigrants back in the 1940's created the Chorus to preserve their Ukrainian heritage and celebrate music ... something deeply important in Ukrainian culture.

A table filled with candles was center stage, spelling the name of the capital -- Kyiv.

'SNL' has broken from tradition with serious cold opens only a few times in the past -- notably, after 9/11 Paul Simon sang "The Boxer" as first responders and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani stood by.

The Ukrainian people have mounted a heroic resistance to Russian aggression ... people from all walks of life, including beauty queens.

Anastasiia Lenna, aka former Miss Grand Ukraine, is now a member of Ukraine's fighting force to block Russia from taking over her country.

Lenna has influence, for sure ... with more than 115,000 Instagram followers. She's also a bad ass, writing, "Everyone who crosses the Ukrainian border with the intent to invade will be killed!"

She paid homage to the person who has become a worldwide hero -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referring to him as "a true and strong leader."

She's been posting pics of her in military issue ... sporting the guns she's more than willing to use to protect her homeland.

Lenna has been blasting out pleas for donations to allow her military to fight off the Russians.

Another Memphis rapper has been shot and killed ... just in the last few months.

Snootie Wild succumbed to his injuries after being shot Friday in Houston. His death was announced Saturday night on his Instagram page ... "Gone in body, but your NAME & LEGACY will live forever! #TeamYayo4Life."

Wild was shot in the neck ... discovered laying in a ditch, beside an SUV. A Houston cop told the ABC Houston station, "It looks like he backed in there accidentally. Then the other vehicle pulled up, and folks got out of the car," adding "They were talking for a little bit, and then all of a sudden, gunfire went off. Only one shot, actually."

He was rushed to a hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

You'll recall, Young Dolph was shot and killed in Memphis outside a bakery in a clear ambush. Three people have been arrested, but Gotti was not implicated.

Kanye West certainly has a new muse in Kim Kardashian look-alike Chaney Jones, but the two don't consider themselves a couple, at least not yet.

Sources close to the two tell us ... while they've been together here and there over the last couple weeks, it's all for fun. We're told Kanye's obviously attracted to Chaney ... undeniably drawn to her because of her similarities to Kim.

As for how they met ... nothing fancy. We're told Chaney slid into Kanye's DMs and things went from there.

Of course, Chaney and Ye started hanging out shortly after he and Julia Fox split up -- Julia herself had admitted things were never that serious -- and our Kanye sources echo that ... he's not looking for commitment with anyone right now.

Chaney's style lately has almost been a carbon copy of Kim ... especially the tight-fitting bodysuits. She's even worn the same sunglasses as Kim.

Farrah Abraham says she's putting her child's happiness first, and standing by her decision to allow Sophia to get a septum piercing for her 13th birthday.

The "Teen Mom" star tells TMZ ... she's doing her best as a parent -- despite what her critics say -- to make sure her teen is happy and healthy, and if that means Sophia getting a needle through her nose, so be it!

What's interesting is Farrah acknowledges she wasn't personally a fan of Sophia getting the piercing, but says it was more important to her that it be done by a professional ... rather than Sophia sneaking off to do it herself.

Despite not being for it, Farrah sure sounded happy to celebrate the piercing as a new Abraham family milestone. As for Sophia, she's also blocking out the haters, and called her new nose bling a "birthday wish come true".

Seems like the reality star is in a much better place, compared to last month. You'll recall, she was arrested outside a club after allegedly slapping a security guard.

Since the incident, she's moved away from L.A. while threatening to sue the club. She's also said she's had suicidal thoughts due to the arrest.

There's beef, and then there's Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal ... who absolutely HATE each other!!

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Covington, the #1 ranked welterweight fighter, ahead of his "blood feud" with 37-year-old Masvidal, the #6 ranked WW, at UFC 272 on March 4.

"This is a blood feud. This goes back to a brotherhood. We were eight years together every single day, side by side, couldn't leave each other -- best friends," Chaos told us.

"Now, we're the biggest bitter enemies. He's the one person on Earth that I don't give a s***. Anytime I see him, I want to send that guy straight to hell and luckily I get to do it in the UFC Octagon next Saturday night on Pay-Per-View and it's gonna be bad, man. I'm gonna make him pay. I'm gonna make him suffer for backstabbing me."

See ... this goes beyond the routine pre-fight trash talk.

Colby and Jorge were friends ... best friends. Unfortunately, the relationship fell apart (long story) ... and now the men are about to be locked in a steel cage together.

One of the things both guys have in common is a friendship with Donald Trump.

So, who's the former Commander-In-Chief rooting for?! We asked Colby.

"Mr. President, #45, is not torn. He knows where his loyalty stands. He knows the person that put his whole platform for him, that was sacrificing, doing everything, really showing that I'm a true supporter. George is a fake supporter. He's not a real supporter."

Then, Covington added ... "Donald Trump, you know, I talked to his family the other day, I know where his loyalty resides."

Speaking of Trump, we also asked CC whether the ex-prez would be attending the fight.

Remember, DT attended UFC 264 in July 2021 -- Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 -- where he dapped up Masvidal backstage.

Simon Leviev is an expensive habit -- as several European women will attest -- and now he's got nightclubs lining up to hand him up to $20K just to pop bottles and party.

Leviev is now infamous from the Netflix documentary 'Tinder Swindler,' and becoming a household name -- even for negative reasons -- means some hot spot clubs are looking to book him for appearances.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Simon has several offers from clubs in Philly, Boston, Germany and Mexico, and he's at least interested, because his team responded with a laundry list of demands.

We're told he's asking for the $20,000 payday, plus bottle service ... but it doesn't stop there. Leviev's also requesting a private jet, suite at a 5-star hotel, black SUV car service and 2 full-time security guards.

Basically, he wants the same lifestyle his alleged victims say he pretended to have while he duped them into handing over millions of dollars. As we reported, Simon was recently shopping for Ferraris ... so, he's for sure, leaning into the image he portrayed in 'Swindler.'

You'll recall, the doc claims he bilked women out of more than $10 mil by gaining their trust on Tinder.

Ya gotta wonder if he really has Ferrari money now, but if not, he's now trying to get it legitimately ... if the nightclubs will bite.

Zoe Kravitz's good looks have nine lives.

Here's a 19-year-old version of the actor ... and daughter of rock god Lenny Kravitz and looker Lisa Bonnet ... at an after-party during the Tribeca Film Fest in New York City back in 2008 (left). This was shortly after Zoe's acting debut in the film "No Reservations."

And, 14 years later, the now 33-year-old famous feline ... who has been traveling the globe to promote her puuuurfect role as the Catwoman in the new "The Batman" movie opposite Robert Pattinson in London earlier this week (right).

Meow!

The question is ...

Louis Tomlinson is ready and willing to pump the brakes on his live shows if one of his fans goes down, and after a Minneapolis show ... it's evident his security is also ready to react quickly.

The former One Direction member put on a sold-out show Thursday night, and as he neared the end of the show -- singing his hit, "Walls" -- he looked into the standing-room-only audience, stopped the song abruptly and then called out on the mic for help.

As security guards rushed over to a female fan in distress, Louis urged the crowd to let them get through. He and the guards yelled, "Make a hole" ... and then LT waited calmly onstage to let the responders do their job.

When security began taking her out of the theater, Louis decided to bring the lights up and take 5. Fans around the incident quickly cooperated and made a clear path to the doors.

This latest incident seals it ... artists are definitely more attentive to audience members who are sick or injured. Of course, Billie Eilish did it weeks ago at a show in Atlanta, giving the whole crowd a chance to relax, sit down and take a step back from the stage.

Billie even passed her inhaler to a fan in need a few weeks ago ... saying she likes to guarantee her fans are safe at her shows. John Mayer also slowed things down for a fan during an L.A. gig.

As we reported ... some people, most notably Kanye West, took Billie's comments as a dig at Travis Scott, whose Astroworld event ended with the death of 10 people, including children.

Underneath this stretched-out snap is a phenomenal actress who is taking the film and television world by storm.

This warped-out woman got her start in TV as a child star who shook audiences up by showcasing the greatness of all her talents combined ... she can sing, dance and act with ease!

Kanye West might not be able to have Kim Kardashian -- but he's got the next best thing, it seems, in her look-alike ... who's almost like her carbon copy down to a curvaceous T!

As you know ... Ye's been trotting out his new flame, Chaney Jones, more and more lately -- stepping out in public with her in full view, whereas before ... he seemed to be trying to keep their relationship low-key.

The parading continued into the weekend, with Ye and Chaney leaving ZZ's Club in Miami very early Friday morning at around 3:30 AM ET ... coming down an escalator together, staring deeply into each other's eyes and then departing in the same SUV.

Just like she usually does, CJ was looking like a dead ringer for KK -- and Ye seemed to be all about it ... flashing a huge grin as they walked side by side.

As you know ... he still is very much trying to halt his divorce from Kim at the moment -- and seems desperate to get her back any way he can. It would appear that until he can have her to himself again -- which is probably NOT going to happen -- he's willing to settle for Chaney.

She's certainly not the worst consolation prize by any means, though ... evidenced in what she put on display Saturday at the beach -- namely, her rockin' bod, which she showed off from the front and the back.

Indeed, she's got the hourglass figure -- with quite the caboose -- just like Kim does ... so, you can see what Kanye digs about her in the looks department.

Ukraine is under attack, and while you might think its President would get the hell outta there ASAP ... Volodymyr Zelenskyy is doing the exact opposite, sticking around to fight.

Ukraine's fearless leader is showing his guts by staying on the ground in and around Kyiv -- the nation's capital -- and making sure his people know ... he isn't abandoning them in a time of crisis.

Case in point ... AP reports that sometime on Friday, Zelenskyy turned down an offer from U.S. officials to flee the country -- apparently with their help -- and instead told them ... "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," per sources familiar with the convo.

He later posted a video of himself next to fellow cabinet members in the middle of the night, assuring everyone there he hadn't fled -- contrary to reports, it seems -- and that he was dedicated to staying in Ukraine as long as possible to defend their sovereignty.

VZ threw up yet another video on Saturday morning echoing the same sentiment.

He said, "I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this."

BTW, reports say the Ukrainians are actually holding their own in the battle -- and, in some cases, are actually fending off Russian soldiers pretty well with the forces they currently have.

Zelenskyy further addressed Ukrainians Saturday with some encouraging news -- saying he'd gotten reassurance from neighboring countries that they'd help feed oil to Ukraine during this fight ... and not just that, but he also announced Russia had, in fact, been nixed from SWIFT.

SWIFT is an international banking communications system that Russia -- and a ton of other countries -- rely on to talk finance and money ... and removing them will further isolate Putin beyond sanctions already in place, with more consequences likely to follow.

It also sounds like President Zelenskyy has been on the horn nonstop with Western allies -- many of whom, including the U.S., are vowing support via resources and in some cases ... on-the-ground troops if needed.

It's a tricky situation, because a misstep here can unleash an all-out world war -- but all things considered ... Zelenskyy is navigating this as best as possible, and in many cases ... being hailed a hero for leading his people through a turbulent situation.

Here's the crazy part about Zelenskyy's tenure -- the guy is actually a comedian/TV star who actually played the Ukrainian Prez on his own show years before he manifested that into the real thing. He's been likened to Jon Stewart with his biting satire ... and now, he leads a war-torn nation in real life.