LIVE
Home Blog Page 2319

Oscars 2021: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Celebrates ‘My Octopus Teacher’ Documentary Win

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Oscars 2021: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Celebrates ‘My Octopus Teacher’ Documentary Win

The Netflix original documentary won the ‘Best Documentary Feature’ category at the just concluded 93rd Oscars.

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the production team of Netflix original documentary, ‘My Octopus Teacher’ on its Oscar win.

“Congratulations once again to the production team of #MyOctopusTeacher for winning ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at the #Oscars,” Ramaphosa tweeted. “The documentary has opened a window into the natural beauty and diversity of South Africa’s oceans and marine ecosystems.”

The Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed directed documentary follows filmmaker Craig Foster’s one-year experience in a South African Kelp Forest. While free-diving, Foster stumbles on a young Octopus. He decides to keep visiting the Octopus and soon, they both develop an unusual bond. Towards the end of the documentary, the Octopus dies while tending her eggs.

‘My Octopus Teacher’ premiered on Netflix on September 4, 2020 and immediately became a viral hit with the streaming platform reporting it a global success.

The documentary emerged in top 10 most watched in Israel, South Africa and Australia and on April 25, 2021, it won the Academy’s ‘Best Documentary Feature’ category.

Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress To Go On Display At Kensington Palace This Summer

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress To Go On Display At Kensington Palace This Summer

The exhibit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding day as well as the late Diana’s 60th birthday.

In hindsight, it’s clear that Princess Diana’s royal wedding to Prince Charles was not the romantic fairytale event millions had presumed it to be in 1981. Of course, the photos tell an incredibly different story.

For the first time in 25 years, the beloved gown made of voluminous taffeta and lace gown with a show-stopping 25ft train from designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel, will be put on display at Kensington Palace for their Royal Style in the Making exhibit this summer.

The show, which opens June 3 and ends January 2, 2022, will of course coincide with the 40th anniversary of Charles and the late Diana’s wedding day on July 29. July 1 will also mark a notable anniversary: Diana’s 60th birthday, which will be commemorated with a statue erected in her likeness in the palace’s garden that very day.

Prince Harry and Prince William are both expected to attend the unveiling.

Nigerian government warns against travelling to India, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa

Cleopatra Okohai
-
0
Nigerian government warns against travelling to India, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa

The Federal Government has warned Nigerians against travelling to countries that are recording a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially India where they largely go-to for medical tourism.

It also listed South Africa, Turkey and Brazil in the travel advisory.

The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, formerly Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, also has warned Nigerians against shunning safety protocols against the virus, saying the pandemic was not over.

The National Incident Manager, PSC, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, spoke at the media briefing by the committee on Monday.

Muhammad said, “While we continue to reopen the economy, we must also be aware of the happenings around the globe. Mr Chairman (Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha) and the Honourable Minister of Health (Prof. Osagie Ehanire) have made reference to specific incidents in India, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa.

Read Also: FG to make fire liability insurance compulsory for public buildings

“We sympathise with the people of these countries because it is really a very trying time particularly for India that is recording over 300,000 cases a day and recording over 2,000 deaths.

“India is a prime destination for medical tourism for Nigeria. We know that many Nigerians like to travel – to go to India but now… we urge Nigerians to limit all travels to only essential travels, particularly to these affected countries.”

Muhammad noted that the safety guidelines regarding public spaces and mask-wearing still applied to public places such as supermarkets, malls, event centres, adding that “enforcement will continue to be observed and we will continue to monitor these places for violations.

Michael Jackson: Court Dismisses Lawsuit From Accuser Wade Robson

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Michael Jackson: Court Dismisses Lawsuit From Accuser Wade Robson

Michael Jackson’s estate has succeeded again in having a lawsuit from one of the late pop star’s accusers dismissed.

A Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday that Wade Robson cannot sue Jackson’s businesses over the childhood sexual abuse he allegedly suffered.

Robson, whose accusations featured in the documentary Leaving Neverland, is expected to appeal the decision.

Last year, the same judge ruled against fellow accuser James Safechuck on similar grounds.

In his latest ruling, LA County Superior Court Judge Mark A Young held that Jackson’s companies had “no legal ability” to control his behaviour because he was the sole owner, and could “remove any and all of the board members without cause or notice”.

Robson and Safechuck claim they were abused by the singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s while staying at his Neverland ranch.

The pair were allowed to pursue legal claims against two of Jackson’s companies last year, having had previous lawsuits dismissed.

On Monday, however, lawyers for MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures succeeded in obtaining a summary judgment dismissing Mr Robson’s claims.

The judge agreed that the companies had no relationship with Robson that would create a legal duty for them to protect him from the alleged molestation.

“There is no evidence supporting [the] Plaintiff’s contention that [the] Defendants exercised control over Jackson,” wrote Young in his eight-page summary.

“[The] Defendants had no legal ability to control Jackson, because Jackson had complete and total ownership of the corporate defendants.”

The judge ruled there was no evidence of misfeasance and that Mr Robson had been unable to demonstrate “extreme and outrageous conduct”.

Lawyers for Jackson’s estate welcomed the ruling and accused Mr Robson of “pursuing frivolous claims [that] have no merit whatsoever.”

Book Sales Surge In 2020 As UK Rediscovers Love Of Reading

Koko Lawrence
-
1
Book Sales Surge In 2020 As UK Rediscovers Love Of Reading

UK consumer book sales climbed 7% to £2.1bn last year as people “rediscovered their love of reading” in lockdown, the industry body says.

Demand for fiction and non-fiction jumped, while audio-book sales were up 37%, the Publishers Association said.

Bestsellers included The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo and 7 Ways by Jamie Oliver.

But educational book sales slumped as schools were shut for months.

Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of the Publishers’ Association, said: “It’s clear that many people rediscovered their love of reading last year and that publishers were able to deliver the entertaining and thought-provoking books that so many of us needed.

“But we shouldn’t ignore the fact that it’s been a particularly challenging year for education publishers and many smaller publishers.

“It’s also been a hugely difficult time for many booksellers and authors whose livelihoods have been enormously disrupted.”

According to the association, total UK publishing sales – including consumer, educational and academic titles – rose 2% in 2020 to £6.4bn.

The consumer market performed particularly well, with sales of fiction up 16% and non-fiction by 4%. Print accounted for £1.7bn of those sales (up 4%) while for digital it was £418m, up 24%.

Other bestselling titles included The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel and Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land, published in November, which sold well in audio.

The UK’s enormous academic publishing industry also remained in good shape, with total income up 3% at £3.3bn. But sales of school textbooks and word books fell by a fifth.

Lotinga said: “With bookshops now able to reopen, and physical events returning, we are optimistic that people will soon be able to enjoy books together again.

“We need to harness this return to reading and build on the huge opportunity this presents to everyone.”

Israel To Woo UAE Visitors As It Prepares To Relaunch Tourism

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Israel To Woo UAE Visitors As It Prepares To Relaunch Tourism

Israel announced plans on Tuesday to attract visitors from the United Arab Emirates, after last year’s historic normalisation deal.

Israel’s borders have largely been closed since March 2020, when it imposed its first of three pandemic lockdowns.

“Dubai has great tourism potential for Israel,” Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen told reporters, as she unveiled a marketing push including a billboard campaign in Dubai.

Beyond tourism, economic cooperation has played a central role in the so-called Abraham Accords — most recently with Monday’s announcement that Israeli gas firm Delek had agreed in principle to sell its stake in a vast offshore project to the UAE’s Muba

As well as the new UAE tourism pitch, Farkash-Hacohen said Israel was expected a resurgence of visitors from traditional destinations including Britain and the United States.

Farkash-Hacohen said her office will market the upcoming Pride Parade in Tel Aviv, an international music festival and a cycling tour to help attract visitors.

The tourism ministry will also offer perks to airlines flying to the Red Sea resort city of Eilat.

Toyota’s Acquisition Of Lyft’s Self-Driving Unit Bolsters Its Automation Ambitions

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Toyota’s Acquisition Of Lyft’s Self-Driving Unit Bolsters Its Automation Ambitions

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) will acquire Lyft Inc’s (LYFT.O) self-driving technology unit for $550 million, the companies said, as the Japanese firm steps up its automation ambitions with the newly created Woven Planet division.

The acquisition of Level 5 automation will also provide Toyota access to the U.S. ride-hailing firm’s more than 300 employees of the essentially complete autonomy technology.

“This is the first step of establishing and bringing together the people. Obviously building technology and product requires people, and that’s much what this acquisition is about,” Woven Planet chief executive James Kuffner told reporters on Tuesday.

It will also give Toyota a direct presence in Silicon Valley and London and expand smart-city project “Woven City” at the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji, effectively helping it ride through dramatic changes expected in the mobility industry and major centres, he said.

For Lyft, the deal will allow it to become profitable sooner and takes away the burden and risk of developing a costly technology that has yet to enter the mainstream.

Kuffner said Woven Planet, which was set up in January, intends to continue investing and growing the team, although he refrained from commenting about any timeline or future acquisition plans.

Takaki Nakanishi, analyst and chief executive of the Nakanishi Research Institute, said by expanding partnerships, Toyota is “moving a step towards realizing its goals”, including self-driving technology.

Anthony Hopkins Honours Chadwick Boseman In Video Thanking The Academy For Best Actor Oscar

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Anthony Hopkins Honours Chadwick Boseman In Video Thanking The Academy For Best Actor Oscar

Hollywood veteran actor Anthony Hopkins was stunned by his upset Oscar win over the late Chadwick Boseman.

Hopkins, who won Best Actor at Sunday’s ceremony for “The Father,” paid homage to Boseman in an Instagram video shared early Monday.

“I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t,” Hopkins said. “I’m very grateful to the Academy, and thank you. I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early. And again, thank you all very much.”

Hopkins starred in “The Father” as a man suffering from memory loss. The 83-year-old star, who shot his Instagram video in his native Wales, became the oldest person to win an acting Oscar.

At 83, Hopkins is the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar — male or female — beating out Christopher Plummer who was just 82 when he won in 2012 for Beginners. Plummer received a nomination at the age of 88 for All the Money in the World, making him the oldest person to ever be nominated in any acting category.

This is Hopkins’ second Best Actor victory. He famously won an Oscars in 1992 for his role as Hannibal Lecter in Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs. In all, he has been nominated six times, for Silence, The Father, The Remains of the Day, Nixon, The Two Popes and Amistad.

Best Actor was the final award announced during Sunday’s ceremony at Union Station in Los Angeles. Typically, the final award to be announced at the Oscars is Best Picture, but the order was changed this year.

Sunday’s ceremony ended immediately after the honour was unveiled, without any speech, as Hopkins was not present at the award show.

Many had expected the award to go to Boseman, who starred as a horn player at a tumultuous recording session in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

Boseman, who died last August at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, had previously received top acting honours at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and NAACP Image Awards for his performance “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

The performance marked the final film role of Boseman’s career.

Kayode Kasum Hints On Producing A Nollywood Gospel Musical

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Kayode Kasum Hints On Producing A Nollywood Gospel Musical

Nollywood filmmaker, Kayode Kasum has dropped a hint on the genre of his next production.

The director recently took to Twitter to share his plans on filming a musical. “I want to shoot a Nigerian gospel musical. Maybe why I am seeing Prophetess again for the third time.. Just putting this out there like I do for all my projects. So help me God,” Kasum wrote.

Kasum’s tweet is promising as musicals are hard to find in Nollywood with Emem Isong Misodi’s ‘Ayamma’ and Blessing Egbe’s ‘The Ten Virgins’ being the closest films exploring the genre in recent times.

Arguably one of the busiest Nollywood directors, the filmmaker has directed some of the highest grossing films in Nigerian box-office including the Toyin Abraham produced ‘Fate of Alakada’ and 2019 hit comedy ‘Sugar Rush’.

Kasum announced in March that he was collaborating with Dare Olaitan on a new heist-comedy titled ‘Dwindle!”. The feature film is set to premiere in cinemas in July.

Kanye West Sneakers Sold For Record $1.8M At Auction

Koko Lawrence
-
0
Kanye West Sneakers Sold For Record $1.8M At Auction

A pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s worn by rapper Kanye West sold for $1.8 million, triple the previous record for sneakers, Sotheby’s has said.

The shoes beat the record held by a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s which sold for $615,000 in August 2020 at a Christie’s auction.

Kanye West’s 2008 Grammys performance is historic for many reasons, one of which was the surprise debut of his Air Yeezy sneakers.

 “The sale marks the highest publicly recorded price for a sneaker sale ever,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. Sotheby’s said it also marks the first pair of sneakers to top $1 million.

The black high-top Yeezys were worn by West during the 2008 Grammy Awards as he performed “Hey Mama” and “Stronger.” The sneakers, which were part of a collaboration between Nike and West, were prototypes, with the resulting model not going on sale until April 2009.

The shoes were acquired by RARES, a sneaker investment marketplace that allows users to invest in rare pairs of athletic footwear.

Individuals can buy shares in a pair, just as investors buy stock in a company. RARES bought the Air Yeezy 1s through a private sale from sneaker collector Ryan Chang.

Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and new collectibles at Sotheby’s, said the price “speaks volumes of Kanye’s legacy as one of the most influential clothing and sneaker designers of our time, and of the Yeezy franchise he has built which has become an industry titan.”

Before collaborating with West, Nike had named shoes only in honor of famous athletes.

The Air Yeezy 1 was released, in limited edition in 2009, followed by the Air Yeezy 2 in 2012. Most Air Yeezy 1s sell for between $2,000 and $4,000, depending on the model.

West initially teamed up with Nike before switching to Adidas to create his own line. Yeezy sneakers generated nearly $ 1.7 billion in revenue in 2020, according to an internal note from UBS bank, reported by Bloomberg.

1...2,3182,3192,320...2,555Page 2,319 of 2,555
Kingschat

© 2025 LN247. All Rights Reserved