‘Batman' Star Dies at 60 After Collapsing on Holiday Beach
Alan Aboutboul—who starred as Russian nuclear physicist Dr Pavel in the third chapter of Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed superhero trilogy, as well as Sylvester Stallone's mujahideen sidekick Mousa Ghani in Rambo III—had gone for a morning swim near HaBonim Beach in Tel Aviv Tuesday.
When he returned to shore, he told a group of nearby tourists he wasn't feeling well before promptly collapsing in the sand.
Paramedics arrived not long after 8 a.m. and made efforts to resuscitate the actor, who sadly died at the scene. He was 60-years-old, and had worked in film, TV and theater for more than four decades. His cause of death has not been disclosed.
Aboutboul is survived by his wife, Israeli director Shir Bilia, with whom he had lived in Israel and Los Angeles, and their four children.
Miki Zohar, Israel's Culture and Sport Minister, posted a tribute to the late actor on X, describing his passing as 'deeply painful' and celebrating his achievements throughout his 45-year career.
'Last night I watched an interview with him, where he talked about filming a movie he recently participated in, and the passion for the profession that radiated from him was evident even after so many years in the field,' Zohar wrote.
'Alon was an Ophir Award and Television Academy Award winner and over the years portrayed a wide range of characters to which he brought depth and emotion, leaving a deep mark on Israel culture,' he went on. 'May his memory be blessed.'
Solve the daily Crossword

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Real fighting, first-person footage – is this the greatest war film ever made?
The lights go down in the cinema, the curtain parts and we are in a dug-out on the eastern front line in Ukraine. 'Are you filming?' asks one soldier. 'Yeah,' replies his comrade, Bors. 'Film how beautiful I am,' the soldier says, blowing a kiss. Then all hell breaks loose. A Russian missile thumps into the earth feet from the men's position. 'FPV!' screams Bors, raising his rifle to shoot down an incoming first-person view drone. Suddenly a second missile lands, showering the men with mud and debris. Bors decides to move before another missile strikes and enters a landscape of hellish devastation: splintered tree trunks jut out of the mud. Lightning flashes. Smoke rises from craters in the ground. There is another blast. This time, the Russian missile knocks Bors to the ground, breaking both his legs and leaving him gazing up, in agony, at the sky. 'Don't even think about blowing yourself up,' a comrade begs. This is the opening scene of 2000 Metres to Andriivka, the latest film from Mstyslav Chernov, the Ukrainian director who won an Oscar for 20 Days in Mariupol and a Pulitzer prize for his reporting from that city under attack. It would be dramatic enough if it were a feature film or a video game, but this is a documentary, much of it culled from footage shot by soldiers on the front line. The result is a viewing experience unike any other in cinema, and the closest the comfortable world will come to the terror, agony and mad-eyed courage of the men holding back the army of Vladimir Putin. A masterpiece of story-telling, it's one of the most impactful war films ever made; never before has a European land war, as intense as 1914 or 1939, been captured like this. An establishing shot filmed by drone shows a narrow strip of forest leading to Andriivka, a tiny village in Ukraine held by Russian forces. The Ukrainian counter-offensive of 2023 is underway and the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade has been ordered to retake the village, severing a crucial supply route for Moscow's forces in the blood-drenched city of Bakhmut. For three years, the world has watched grim, grainy footage of the war in Ukraine. The battles are fought by nameless men for often nameless places. In 2000m, Chernov reverses the equation: he captures the humanity of the university students, engineers and IT workers who are called upon to fight and die for every metre of land on the way to Andriivka. The battles take place only a few hours' drive from Chernov's birthplace of Kharkiv, a city he says only remains free because of the sacrifices of soldiers like those he follows here. 'They are the only reason the places of my childhood still exist,' he says. Distance matters intensely to the platoon. In the film, their battles in the forest over the course of three months are introduced in terms of the distance remaining to reach Andriivka; 1000m, 600m, 300m. But traversing another distance was also on Chernov's mind. 2000 Metres to Andriivka 'I wanted to shoot something that will express how different it feels to be there on the frontline, but at the same time, how close it is to the normal world we all know,' Chernov, 40, says when we speak over Zoom ahead of the film's release. During filming, he flew from premieres of 20 Days in Mariupol in London to the front line in Ukraine in under 24 hours to embed with the soldiers. 'That transition was so striking and dramatic for me. Like going back 100 years, or to another planet.' Western audiences might have a sense of the counter-offensive raging to the east, but it is inevitably filtered through scraps of deracinated footage. 'We keep seeing this footage on YouTube, Telegram and Instagram,' says Chernov. 'I can see how people are detached from the violence, watching through their small screens without context, without connecting to the people who are doing it. I want to make sure people don't look at battlefield footage like it's a video game.' Displaying the same bravery that saw him remain in starving Mariupol for 20 days after Russian forces entered the city, Chernov decided to join the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade on its final push for Andriivka, linking up with Fedya, a 24-year-old sergeant and unit leader tasked with raising the Ukrainian flag over the village. In his voiceover for the film, Chernov admits that one commander 'tells us we are idiots for wanting to go.' The forest is a death-trap. Russian snipers, mortar teams and drones have wiped out dozens of men, and those sent in are filmed visibly shaking ahead of their deployment. But Chernov's reward for putting his life in danger are powerful interviews conducted off-the-cuff with soldiers who know they are only ever moments from death, hiding under trees or crammed into dug-outs. Sometimes the camera will lie on the floor while the men open up in a way that would be impossible in the formal sitdown interviews typically used in documentaries. Throughout the film's 106 minutes, the viewer never leaves the battlefield, unlike spiritual predecessors such as Sebastian Junger's Restrepo (2010), which covered a platoon's deployment to Afghanistan's deadly Korengal Valley, or Mosul (2017), depicting the war against the Islamic State. And its characters shine through. First, we meet 'Freak', a 22-year-old radio operator who has been tasked with ferrying Chernov and his second cameraman to Fedya. The men realise they went to rival universities in Kharkiv. In between puffs on a Lost Mary vape, Freak breaks into a huge smile as they joke about whether he should move to a separate dug-out. 'We'll get back and settle it,' he says, as a missile lands nearby. 'Who's better.' Then comes the call to move up and out. 'Yes, the film could exist entirely edited from bodycam footage and drone footage,' says Chernov. But he felt compelled to walk alongside the soldiers to bring their stories to life. 'Partially, that comes from my civilian perspective as being Ukrainian,' he explains. 'I'm a journalist, I'm a film-maker… but just having that guilt of not doing enough in my head also pushes me to step in and to be closer to these men.' Further up the forest we see Sheva, an older man who at first asks not to be filmed. 'I haven't done anything yet,' he says, hunched in a corner of a dug-out. 'Do you smoke?' asks Alex Babenko, Chernov's second cameraman. 'I smoke like a freight train,' replies Sheva, before speculating on what his wife is doing at that moment, and remembering that he has not, as he promised to, fixed the toilet. 'Maybe I shouldn't say that I'll quit smoking [after the war],' he says. 'But maybe I'll smoke just a normal amount, without all these extra smoke breaks.' 2000 Metres to Andriivka It is a funny, out-of-place exchange, almost ecstatic in its mundanity. And then, comes terrible news. A few months after the battle for Andriivka, explains the voice-over, Sheva is wounded and killed. The laughs in the cinema turn to gulped-down sobs. 'When you talk to someone on the front line, there is always this fear that this might be the last conversation you're having with that person,' Chernov says. In Sheva's case, these few minutes of film are also the last recording of him alive. At a premiere for family members of the brigade earlier this year in Kyiv, Chernov met with Sheva's wife. 'Every second of it was a treasure,' she told him, and would be too for their daughter and grandson. The brutal toll of the push for Andriivka colours the film. There are strategic debates about why the counter-offensive failed that Chernov deliberately avoids: was it right to fight so long for Bakhmut? Did the Americans push too hard for a full-frontal assault on hardened Russian lines? Instead, 2000m focuses on the narrow experience of the soldiers, and poses deeper, more existential questions. In essence, the film records a Pyrrhic victory: Fedya raises the flag above Andriivka, but within months that village – no more than a pile of bones and rubble – is recaptured by Russian forces. Chernov wonders in the film how long Ukraine can keep fighting a war like this, and at least leaves open the question of whether anything can be worth such loss. The death of many of the men featured in the film posed challenges to Chernov, changing the tone of the final product. 'We spent a lot of time thinking, 'How do we do this right? How do we do this respectfully?'' His answer was that the film, in effect, would serve as a living memorial: 'I need to make sure this man will be heard and seen,' he says. At a funeral for one of the members of the brigade, a crying woman laments that all the country's young men will soon be dead. But 2000m is not a lecture. Fedya himself provides a constant shot of optimism, leading his men into battle with what is, quite simply, an indomitable spirit. 'I think this is the power of cinema, especially for modern audiences who are bombarded with radical opinions and ideologies,' says Chernov. 'It is very important for film-makers to step back a little bit and let the audience decide how they feel.' A former Associated Press photographer, who has covered wars in Gaza, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, Chernov does have one agenda: to bring the suffering of his countrymen to the attention of a wider, and potentially influential, audience. As we speak, he is hoping to arrange a screening for senior Republicans, a route perhaps to Donald Trump, on a US tour. Some viewers may be drawn to the film by the ground-breaking technology it employs. To capture the battle at 600m, footage is spliced together from seven different helmet cameras: the effect is immersive to the point of whiplash, a real-life version of the D-Day scene in Saving Private Ryan. (It was 'simply unheard of even a few years ago' to be able to film something like this, says Chernov.) But the director also employs techniques lifted from fictional films to lure in an audience that might be more comfortable watching Dune than events in the Donbas. Deep, stomach-churning bass accompanies 2000 metres, scored by Sam Slater, the producer of soundtracks for Sicario and Joker. An insistent, military drumbeat similarly drives the men forward. The combined effect is one of ferocious, blood-stained momentum. 'The film has a very raw, visual language,' says Chernov. 'But we use all the instruments of dramatic structure, music and editing, to make sure the audience will not walk away. Because we are inviting the audience into extremely tough conditions. We are basically inviting the audience to experience war.' At a preview screening of the film in London, Chernov was met with a long standing ovation. He is already working on a third film on the war in Ukraine, having taken on the role as its great documentarian, an empathetic eye in a morass of dehumanised news. 'Once this war is over, maybe I'll just make nature films,' he says. 'Very peaceful films somewhere quiet.' 2000 Metres to Andriivka is in cinemas from today Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting
Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting originally appeared on Parade. Gilbert Arenas was all smiles leaving a Los Angeles jail on Wednesday. In a video posted to social media, the former NBA All-Star could be seen dancing down the steps as he exited a detention facility. 'They can't hold me,' he said to the camera. The exit came hours after Arenas was arrested on federal charges alleging he played a central role in organizing illegal high-stakes poker games out of his Encino mansion. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California unsealed an indictment charging Arenas with conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators. He appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon, pleaded not guilty, and was released pending trial, which is set to begin September 23. Arenas is accused of renting out his Los Angeles home to host illegal games alongside a group of co-conspirators, including one with ties to the Israeli government. The indictment alleges the group collected a rake (a percentage or fixed amount from each pot) and went to great lengths to create an enticing casino-style environment — from hiring chefs, valets, security guards, and women who served drinks. Arenas played 11 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the Washington Wizards. If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison for each charge. 'At this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right?' his attorney Jerome Friedberg said outside the courthouse, per the Associated Press. 'He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption and that's how he should be treated.' Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.


New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Kash Patel's country singer girlfriend fends off ‘disheartening' conspiracy theories she's honeypotting the FBI boss
FBI director Kash Patel's girlfriend Alexis Wilkins has been forced to fend off the 'incredibly disheartening' conspiracy theories that she is honeypotting the bureau's head honcho for a foreign government. The 26-year-old country artist said the skeptics are contorting her backstory, even as she acknowledged she can 'understand' it. 'I think people see certain pieces and I get it,' Wilkins told the 'Megyn Kelly Show' on Wednesday. Advertisement 'They want to connect things, they want to justify, some of the pain that they've been through watching the last four years, and there's pieces of this that, you know, I can understand,' she continued. 'I think that they've taken just these pieces of evidence that you laid out and tie them together in all of the wrong ways.' 4 FBI director Kash Patel's girlfriend Alexis Wilkins denied being a spy for a foreign government. Getty Images Advertisement 4 Alexis Wilkins expressed her frustrations at dealing with conspiracy theories about her relationship with FBI Director Kash Patel. The Megyn Kelly Show / YouTube Conspiracy theories about Wilkins exploded on the internet after the Justice Department and FBI's July 6 memo about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which concluded that the evidence suggests Epstein killed himself in prison and did not keep an 'incriminating client list.' Some of the trolls speculated that the Arkansas-raised singer was a Mossad agent intended to compromise Patel, 45, and at least one of them misidentified her as Jewish. Advertisement One thread used to make that conspiratorial leap is Wilkins' work for PragerU, a conservative nonprofit that seeks to educate the public on key political issues. The CEO of PragerU, Marissa Streit, previously served in the Israeli army. Wilkins is Armenian and Christian and does not appear to have any known ties to Israel. 4 Alexis Wilkins began dating FBI Director Kash Patel years before he began leading the bureau. Getty Images Advertisement When Kelly asked point-blank whether she was a spy for any foreign government, Wilkins replied, 'Definitely not, that is a firm no on that front.' Earlier this month, the country singer ripped into the online conspiracy theorists, raging that they are 'farming' for attention 'because their engagement dried up after Trump's win.' 'It's disappointing to see people with no real contribution to political discourse spin ridiculous conspiracy theories out of thin air,' Wilkins bemoaned in an X post. 'These accusations are obviously insanely ridiculous.' Patel and Wilkins met at a friend's event in Nashville in 2022 and began dating several months later in early 2023. 'We just happened to meet,' Wilkins recounted, noting that the 19-year age gap she has with him always felt irrelevant. 'I have always liked [him], when I met him, I just liked that he was so, so honest,' Wilkins gushed. 'He's exactly who he is all the time. His character is incredible. His values are incredible. 'We both are very patriotic. So obviously there are things there that we definitely agree on, but he's just the most honest, you know, most integrity I've really experienced in a person, he's fantastic.' Advertisement The country singer, who hosts a Rumble show, acknowledged there's 'not enough information out there about me to glean a real conclusion on all of this kind of vigilante research.' She mused that those gaps have given room for internet trolls to fill with conspiracy theories, which she lamented as 'incredibly disheartening.' Patel has been 'very frustrated' and 'unhappy' with the hate and suspicion directed her way over the Epstein drama, Wilkins said. 4 Alexis Wilkins revealed that FBI Director Kash Patel is frustrated that she's taking heat. Getty Images Advertisement She also underscored that Patel's work on the Epstein drama is 'limited to the government side' and that she has 'no awareness besides what everyone else is seeing.' 'If people stop calling me a spy, absolutely,' she replied when asked if she wants to see more Epstein files released.