4,000 To Attend Brit Awards As UK Eases Restrictions

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April 22, 2021

Around 4,000 guests will be allowed to attend next month’s Brit Awards ceremony as part of the government’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions for live events, organisers said Thursday.

Audience members at London’s O2 Arena will not need to socially distance or wear face coverings once seated, but will need to produce a negative test result.

The annual ceremony, which normally takes place in February, was postponed by three months because of safety and logistical concerns.

For the first time, best album at UK pop’s biggest annual event has four women nominated on a five-act shortlist.

Excitement Heightens In Icelandic Fishing Town Vying For Oscars

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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The tiny Icelandic town of Husavik, which was propelled to global fame by a hit Netflix comedy, has rolled out a red carpet on its main street in anticipation of even greater glory on Oscars night.

The power ballad “Husavik (My Hometown)”, which featured as the climactic moment in the movie about a couple bumbling their way through the Eurovision Song Contest, is nominated for Best Original Song, and residents are fired up.

The Oscar nomination came after a locally produced video extolling the song, presented by fictional Husavik resident Oskar Oskarsson, went viral, adding to the small fishing town’s emotional investment in the song’s success.

Local schools and shops will remain closed on Monday, the morning after the Oscars, to give residents a chance to watch the awards show live. The ceremony will be broadcast from Hollywood on Sunday, which will be late at night in Iceland.

Husavik Mayor Kristjan Thor Magnusson said local schoolchildren were very proud and excited, and could be heard singing the song daily in the town.

“The grassroots campaign for an Oscar for Husavik has really blown up,” he told Reuters. “We are certainly hoping that this attention will strengthen our tourism here.”

Husavik, which counts only 2,300 residents, usually relies on tourists attracted to its geothermal spas and whale-watching spots, but with international travel hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic it has seen few foreign visitors these past 12 months.

The town is preparing to open a Eurovision-themed museum in late May showcasing costumes, movie props and other memorabilia, which it hopes will attract fans of the contest.

Russian Authorities Arrests Over 1,400 At Rallies For Hunger-striking Navalny

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Police rounded up more than 1,400 protesters on Wednesday as Russians in dozens of cities took part in rallies organised by allies of hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny over his failing health in jail.

His spokeswoman was jailed for 10 days, and another close ally detained, on the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivered a state-of-the-nation speech warning the West not to cross Russia’s “red lines” and pointedly made no mention of Navalny. read more

“This is one of the last gasps of a free Russia, as many are saying. We came out for Alexei … against a war in Ukraine and the wild propaganda,” said Marina, a student at the Moscow protest.

OVD-Info, a group that monitors protests and detentions, said 1,496 people had been arrested, including 662 in St. Petersburg and 95 in the Urals city of Ufa.

Protesters in central Moscow chanted, “Freedom to Navalny!” and “Let the doctors in!”. Navalny’s wife Yulia joined the rally in the capital, where demonstrators chanted her name.

The opposition had hoped the rallies would be the biggest in modern Russian history, and presented them as an attempt to save Navalny’s life by persuading the authorities to allow his own doctors to treat him.

But turnout looked smaller than during protests earlier this year before Navalny was jailed for 2-1/2 years for parole violations related to what he said were politically motivated charges of embezzlement.

Police said 6,000 people protested illegally in Moscow, while Navalny’s YouTube channel said turnout in the capital was up to 10 times higher.

The 44-year-old, who last year survived a nerve agent attack that Russian authorities denied carrying out, is thin and weak after starving himself for three weeks, and his allies say he risks kidney failure or cardiac arrest. The United States has warned Russia it will face “consequences” if he dies.

Taking A Knee, Raising A Fist To Be Punished At Tokyo Games – IOC

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Taking a knee during the Tokyo Olympics or lifting a fist in support of racial equality will be punished as the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday maintained its ban on athletes’ protests inside stadiums, at ceremonies and on podiums.

The IOC’s Rule 50 forbids any kind of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” in venues and any other Olympic area and the Games body concluded the rule should be maintained following an athlete consultation.

Against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement protesting racial injustice, calls have increased in recent months for a change to that rule that would allow athletes to protest.

Some international federation chiefs, including World Athletics’ President Sebastian Coe, have said that athletes should have the right to make gestures of political protest during the Games.

The IOC’s Athletes’ Commission chief Kirsty Coventry, who led a review of the rule, said the majority of athletes consulted were against any protests within the fields of play or the podiums.

“I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today,” Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion for Zimbabwe, said in a online presentation of the Rule 50 consultation results.

Coventry said there were a series of recommendations approved by the IOC’s Executive Board on Wednesday, including providing clarity on sanctions, more information about Rule 50, a change of wording of the Olympic Oath with messages on inclusion, and producing athlete apparel with inclusive messaging.

When asked, however, if athletes would be punished in Tokyo for making political statements such as taking a knee on the podium in support of racial equality, Coventry said: “Yes that is correct.”

“That is also because of the majority of athletes we spoke to. That is what they are requesting for,” Coventry said.

The IOC’s recommendations are the result of a consultation process that started in June 2020 and involved over 3,500 athletes.

Coventry said some 70% of those athletes did not want protests on podiums, ceremonies and fields of play.

Ohio Officials Probe Police Shooting Of Black Teenage Girl

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Ohio State University students hold a sit-in at the Ohio Union to demand that OSU sever ties with Columbus Police Department in the wake of the killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., April 21, 2021.

State investigators in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday were probing the fatal police shooting of a Black teenager in a confrontation caught on body-camera video that appeared to show her holding a knife and lunging at two people.

The girl, identified by police as 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, was shot on Tuesday around the same time a Minneapolis jury convicted a white former police officer of murdering George Floyd last year by kneeling on his neck.

Her shooting triggered immediate protests in Columbus, Ohio’s biggest city and the state capital, just as the announcement of the guilty verdict in the Floyd case brought relief and jubilation to the Minnesota city.

Interim Police Chief Michael Woods identified the officer who shot Bryant as Nicholas Reardon, who was hired in December 2019. It appears from the video is white and that he fired four shots at Bryant. Woods said Reardon “would be taken off the street” pending an investigation.

A spokeswoman for Franklin County Children Services said Bryant was a foster child in the agency’s care.

Bryant’s aunt, Hazel Bryant, told the Columbus Dispatch newspaper that the teenager had become involved in an altercation with someone at her foster residence.

“She was a good kid, she was loving,” the aunt told reporters on Tuesday, according to a video posted to Twitter. “She didn’t deserve to die like a dog on the street.”

Hazel Bryant could not immediately be reached on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the “tragic” shooting.

“She was a child. We’re thinking of her friends and family and the communities that are hurting and grieving her loss,” Psaki said.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has opened an inquiry into the incident, which began when officers responded at 4:44 p.m. ET (2044 GMT) to a 911 emergency call from someone who reported an attempted stabbing at a home on the city’s southeast side, Woods said.

In a rare move by a law enforcement agency, Columbus police quickly released Reardon’s body-camera video of the incident, which shows Bryant apparently trying to stab two women.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther told reporters on Wednesday that the city did so in the interest of transparency and would release more videos of the event in the days and weeks ahead.

“It’s very important to be as transparent and responsive as possible,” Ginther said. “The public deserves to know what happens.”

Lakers Forward Davis Expects To Return Against Mavericks

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis expects to make his NBA return on Thursday after a nine-week injury absence.

Davis told reporters in a virtual press conference that he felt “100%” after recovering from a right calf strain and tendinosis.

As long as he continued to feel fine after practice on Wednesday, Davis said, he was ready to return.

Davis, an eight-time All-Star who teamed with LeBron James to lead the Lakers to the NBA title last season, was averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 23 games this season before he was sidelined in February.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who had announced last week that Davis had been cleared for “full on-court activity,” said Davis would return as a starter playing limited minutes.

Davis said it was a frightening moment when he was hurt.

“I never tore an Achilles, but I kind of felt like sharp pain, like it was ripping, which I had never felt before,” he said. “So I knew it was something serious. It wasn’t as serious as it could have been, but it was still a pretty significant injury.”

The Lakers are 14-16 since Davis was sidelined, dropping from second to fifth in the Western Conference.

For part of that time, James has also been sidelined with a right ankle sprain.

Davis estimated Wednesday that James was probably “a couple of weeks” away from returning.

Chevron, Toyota Announce Alliance On Hydrogen Technology

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Chevron and Toyota announced Wednesday a first step towards a strategic alliance to commercialize hydrogen, which is seen as an environmentally-friendly transportation fuel option.

The alliance, which is centered on the United States, is expected to focus on three areas: collaborating on public policy to promote hydrogen infrastructure, assessing the market for fuel cell electric vehicles and the hydrogen supply that will be needed, and exploring opportunities to jointly research and develop hydrogen powered transportation and storage.

The venture aims “to advance a functional, thriving global hydrogen economy,” the companies said in a joint press release.

The memorandum of understanding announced Wednesday is non-binding, but “lays out the path to a formalized strategic alliance by early third quarter 2021,” a Chevron spokesman said in an email.

At this week’s Shanghai motor show, Toyota unveiled plans for its first global line-up of battery electric vehicles, including an SUV expected to reach consumers in just over a year.

Chevron has faced pressure from environmentalists to match commitments by European oil giants like Royal Dutch Shell and Total, which have set targets to reach net-zero carbon emissions.

Chevron said it has no plans to shutter its gas stations.

“Fuels have and will continue to change over time and offering hydrogen at retail sites is a continuation of that change,” a Chevron spokesman said.

“Ultimately, consumer preferences help drive the offerings at Chevron-branded retail fuel stations; however, we anticipate that gasoline and diesel will continue to be important offerings that consumers will require. We are committed to the Chevron and Texaco brands, and reliably supplying gasoline and other fuels to our loyal customer base.”

At its annual meeting in May, Chevron is expected to battle against a number of shareholder proposals that require specific actions on climate change as well as a measure requiring more disclosure about the company’s lobbying activities.

US Stocks Bounce Back After Two Days Of Losses

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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Wall Street stocks resumed their upward climb Wednesday, shrugging off disappointing results from Netflix and advancing after two down days.

Most sectors enjoyed a strong session, including industrial companies like Caterpillar, oil firms including ExxonMobil and financial giants like Bank of America.

“The mood is very positive and it’s a good sign,” Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities told AFP. “It seems the market has finished with that small technical adjustment over the past few days.”

Equities had fallen the last two days amid valuation concerns and worries over growing Covid-19 outbreaks in India and other countries.

But investors took the drop as a cue to buy, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 0.9 percent to 34,137.31.

The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 0.7 percent to 4,173.44, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index surged 1.2 percent to 13,950.22.

Among individual companies, Netflix dropped 7.4 percent despite blowout earnings, as it projected lower-than-expected new subscribers.

Netflix executives said the slowing membership growth points to “big Covid-19 pull forward in 2020” and limitations to its programing due to pandemic-related production delays.

Intuitive Surgical jumped almost 10 percent after reporting a 36 percent increase in profits to $426.3 million as demand for its robotic-assisted surgical systems rose.

CSX gained 4.3 percent after the freight railroad company projected double-digit full-year revenue growth as the economic rebound accelerates.

Prague Gives Moscow Ultimatum To Let Czech Diplomats Return

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Angel Gimalo

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April 21, 2021

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The Czech government on Wednesday warned Moscow it might expel more Russian diplomats unless the 20 Czech nationals ejected from Russia were allowed to return to work within a day.

Moscow responded by saying the ultimatum was “unacceptable”.

On Saturday, Prague expelled 18 Russian embassy staff in a row over Russia’s alleged role in an explosion that killed two people in the Czech Republic in 2014. Moscow sent back the Czech diplomats in retaliation on Monday.

“The Russian Federation has until 1200 tomorrow (1000 GMT) to allow the return of all expelled diplomats back to the Czech embassy in Moscow,” Jakub Kulhanek, the new Czech foreign minister, told reporters.

“If they cannot return, I will cut the number of Russian embassy staff in Prague so it would correspond to the current situation at the Czech embassy in Moscow,” he added.

After summoning Russian ambassador Alexander Zmeyevski, Kulhanek said Moscow’s retaliation had been “disproportionate and it in fact paralysed the embassy”.

Pakistan Hotel Bomb: Deadly Blast Hits Luxury Venue In Quetta

By

Zoe Maven

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April 21, 2021

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At least three people have been killed and eleven and wounded following a bomb explosion at a luxury hotel in the Pakistani city of Quetta the capital of Balochistan province where the military has been fighting a decade-long low level insurgency.

Correspondents say the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan is suspected to have been the target of the attack in the car park of the Serena hotel for which the Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility.

Azhar Ikram, a senior police official in the city, confirmed the death toll and said that the Chinese ambassador was staying at the hotel, but was not present at the time of the blast.

Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed described the April 21 bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan as “an act of terrorism”

Resentment has been fueled by billions of dollars of Chinese money flowing into the region through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which locals say gave them little benefit as most new jobs went to outsiders.

In recent months, the group, and other militant organisations, have stepped up attacks in tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan.

In 2019 gunmen stormed a luxury hotel overlooking a flagship CPEC project — the deep-water seaport in Gwadar that gives China strategic access to the Arabian Sea — killing at least eight people.

And in June, Baloch insurgents targeted the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which is partly owned by Chinese companies.All the attacks were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army .