Guests and attendees of the live Oscar show taking place on Sunday April, would not be required to wear masks.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Sciences (The Academy Awards), made this announcement on Monday after a Zoom meeting with stakeholders, representatives, nominees and publicists.
The ceremony which will hold at Union Station in downtown LA, would rotate guests in congregations of 170 people, in and out of the event center and would be shot like a movie.
Producer Stacey Sher during a press conference said “… i think you have to look at the films as well, they’re beautiful, they’re moving, sometimes they’re painful, but we need to have hope to move forward. So we have to acknowledge what we’ve been through, and the historic losses we’ve been through, but we also have to fight for cinema and our love of it and the way it has gotten us through things,” she said.
Stacey Sher attends The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Hosts An Official Academy Screening Of THE HATEFUL EIGHT. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Tokyo led a sell-off in Asian markets on Tuesday after Wall Street pulled back from record levels in overnight trade and with Japan fearing a renewed Covid-19 surge.
Both the Dow and the S&P 500 finished last week at new peaks and also posted their fourth consecutive weekly gains, following on the heels of strong data for American housing starts, employment and retail sales.
But analysts said that a combination of dollar weakness and a lull in fresh data ahead of upcoming corporate results had tamped down enthusiasm.
“It seems like investors might be having a bit of a second thought up here as US earnings season starts to heat up and peak optimism is beginning to set in,” said Stephen Innes of Axi.
Investors were looking to “cash in some chips” to move back into real world assets, he added, citing the big drop in bitcoin down to around $53,900 on Tuesday.
The digital currency had crept above $62,000 in a fresh high last week despite bubble concerns.
The Nikkei was down two percent at the end of trade after investors took in calls for new states of emergency in the Osaka region and possibly Tokyo, prompted by rising case numbers.
The new measures could involve tougher restrictions including asking shops and restaurants to close, according to local media.
“Along with increased new coronavirus infections, the possibility of a state of emergency declaration is growing, which is turning on an amber light for economic recovery,” Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary.
A weak greenback against the yen and other benchmark currencies was also weighing on Japanese trade.
“US dollar weakness mostly appears to be driven by European strength,” said NAB analyst Rodrigo Catril.
“The market has become slightly more optimistic around the European vaccine rollout and economic outlook of late… As the rollout picks up, European equities should also start to outperform,” he wrote in a note.
Wall Street’s dream run was also likely to lose momentum with an ongoing Senate battle in Washington over the size of proposed corporate tax increases and the extent of infrastructure stimulus, Catril added.
The Czech Republic is expelling Russian diplomats in relation to Moscow’s suspected involvement in an ammunition warehouse explosion in 2014, adding that it has collected clear evidence.
“As a foreign minister of the Czech Republic, I decided to deport all workers of the Russian embassy in Prague, who were clearly identified by our secret service as members of Russian secret service – SVR and GRU. 18 workers of the Russian embassy need to leave the Czech Republic in 48 hours.”
The country’s interior minister, who is also serving as the acting foreign minister, explained that the measure is based on “unequivocal evidence” provided by the Czech intelligence and security services.
He added the evidence points to the involvement of Russian military agents in the massive explosion on October 16th, 2014 in the country’s east which killed two people.
Saying the Czech president, who is known for his pro-Russia views, has been informed of the development and has expressed his absolute support, the prime minister said the case is still under investigation.
“I would like to commend the work of our security forces, the police of the Czech Republic and the headquarters against organized crime, who did a professional job during the COVID pandemic. This case is still being investigated by law enforcement authorities. The Czech Republic is a sovereign state and must respond to these findings in an appropriate style.”
Responding to the expulsion, Moscow’s foreign ministry released a statement which explained Russia will take retaliatory measures, describing the accusations as “unfounded and absurd.
It has also reportedly expelled 20 Czech diplomats, giving them 24 hours to leave.
Singapore’s anti-narcotics agency said on Monday it made its biggest seizure of cannabis in 25 years in a bust last week in the city-state, which has some of the world’s toughest narcotics laws including capital punishment.
The Central Narcotics Bureau seized about 23.7 kg (52.25 lb)of cannabis and 16.5 kg of heroin, as well as crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy tablets, it said in a statement.
The cannabis haul was the largest since 1996 and the heroin seizure the biggest since 2001. The drugs are estimated to be worth more than S$2.3 million ($1.7 million), according to the CNB.
CNB officers arrested a 22-year-old Malaysian male for suspected drug trafficking offences.
The wealthy city-state has a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and imposes long jail terms or the death penalty in some cases.
It has hanged hundreds of people – including dozens of foreigners – for narcotics offences over past decades, rights groups say.
The trafficking of more than 500 grams of cannabis can carry the death penalty in Singapore.
South Africa’s rand strengthened on Monday, aided by the U.S. dollar being pinned near a one-month low and greater global risk appetite.
At 1500 GMT, the rand traded at 14.2500 versus the dollar, around 0.45% stronger than its previous close.
The dollar was dragged down by Treasury yields hovering near their lowest in five weeks after the U.S. Federal Reserve reiterated its view that any spike in inflation was likely to be temporary.
Meanwhile, greater risk sentiment, fuelled by expectations that monetary policy will remain accommodative the world over, sent Asian shares to a new high.
“As it is becoming clear that loan growth is not picking up in the U.S., the bond market is starting to question the reflation trade,” said currency analyst at Nedbank Neels Heyneke.
“One of the major reasons the ZAR is outperforming the other EMs is higher real rates. The other major driver is rising commodity prices driving a higher current account.”
Spot gold touched its highest in nearly two months earlier, while platinum and palladium were also up on the day.
South Africa recorded large current account and trade surpluses in the last two quarters of 2020 on higher demand for commodities as global trade conditions eased with the falling COVID-19 infections and a subsequent loosening of restrictions on economic activity.
Bonds dipped, as the yield on the benchmark 2030 instrument rose 3 basis point to 9.09%.
Stocks fell by almost a percentage on the opening day of the week as investors globally booked some gains, and were followed suit by traders in the local market.
The benchmark FTSE/JSE all-share index (.JASLH) closed down 0.88% to 68,094 points. The bluechip FTSE/JSE top 40 companies index (.JTOPI) ended down 0.91% to 62,326 points.
Former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon urged his successor on Monday to engage directly with Myanmar’s military to prevent an increase in post-coup violence and said southeast Asian countries should not dismiss the turmoil as an internal issue for Myanmar.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ special envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, has communicated with the military since it ousted an elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, but the army has not allowed her to visit.
“Given the gravity and urgency of the situation, I believe the secretary-general himself should use his good offices to engage directly with the Myanmar military, to prevent an escalation of violence,” Ban, secretary-general from 2007 to 2016, told a U.N. Security Council meeting.
Guterres is “very actively involved” on Myanmar and “has been for a long time,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, adding: “His good offices, along with his special envoy, are always available. We all want to see an end to the violence.”
Guterres told the Security Council on Monday that a “robust international response grounded on a unified regional effort” was needed, urging “regional actors to leverage their influence to prevent further deterioration and, ultimately, find a peaceful way out of this catastrophe.”
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying to find a way out of the violence tearing at fellow member Myanmar. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is due to attend an ASEAN summit in Indonesia on April 24.
“ASEAN must make it clear to the Myanmar military that the current situation is so grave that it cannot be regarded only as an internal matter,” said Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister who is now a member of The Elders global leaders group.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group, 737 people have been killed by security forces since the coup and 3,229 remain in detention.
Ban also urged the Security Council to move beyond statements to collective action. However, some diplomats say Russia and China are likely to prevent any stronger action.
Members of Volunteer Medical Corps Uganda main, Uganda, organized A blood donation drive in partnership with the Trauma Care International Foundation 2021 Show Love, Give Blood.
This was done in response to the urgent need for blood by the Uganda National Blood Transfusion Service.
95 persons successfully donated blood.
Volunteer Medical Corps is an ever-expanding global network of Christian health care workers, non-medical volunteers and students committed to providing medical care through outreaches, humanitarian assistance and sustainable health care solutions in regions of crisis and to communities in dire need.
Greece began opening to tourists on Monday with few bookings but hopes for a better season to help make up for 2020.
On Rhodes Island, where most visitors are from abroad, hoteliers are scrubbing, polishing and painting in anticipation of a make-or-break year.
“We’re preparing the hotel in order to start as soon as the government gives us the green light,” said George Tselios, general manager of a Hotel, whose customers are from Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and Britain.
Tourism, which generates a fifth of Greece’s GDP and one in five jobs, is vital for an economy which had climbed out of a decade-long slump only to slip back into recession last year as the pandemic struck.
In a normal year, Rhodes would have already laid out the umbrellas for a season that runs from March through October. In mid-April, it resembled a ghost city.
Shuttered luxury resorts towered over a long, sandy, empty coastline. Beach towns normally bursting with crowds of British tourists were silent, with boarded up shops, tavernas and bars.
Many have been closed since 2020, when just 7.4 million people visited Greece, fewer than any year in its decade-long economic crisis and down from a record 31.3 million in 2019.
From hotels to restaurants and daily cruise boats, the many businesses surviving on state aid cannot afford another lost summer.
“Most of them feel the country cannot survive another crisis,” Rhodes’s deputy mayor for tourism, Konstantinos Taraslias, said.
Nearly 600,000 tourists visited Rhodes last year, down from 2.3 million in 2019. Just over half its 650 hotels opened, the hoteliers’ association said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the dismissal of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, over statements he made in the past in support of Islamic extremist groups.
Audio recordings of Mr Pantami’s past teachings where he declared support for Al-Qaeda and Taliban resurfaced last week, generating debates on social media platforms with many Nigerians calling for his removal and others defending him.
Pantami, an Islamic cleric, denied any links with the groups. He, however, admitted making the controversial statements supporting the groups but said on Saturday that his views on such extremist groups have changed.
“Some of the comments I made some years ago that are generating controversies now were based on my understanding of religious issues at the time, and I have changed several positions taken in the past based on new evidence and maturity,” Daily Trust newspaper quoted him as saying during an Islamic lecture at an Abuja mosque.
Many Nigerians have, however, called on Pantami to resign or be sacked as minister after more Nigerians became aware of his past statements.
On Sunday, Nigeria’s main opposition party, PDP, joined the call for the minister’s resignation.
“Our party’s position is predicated on the heightening concerns in the public space and in the international arena of possible compromises by the communication minister, who has access to sensitive government documents and information, in addition to data of all individuals including high profile personalities in the public and private sectors as well as the traditional and faith-based circles,” the PDP said in the statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party also charged the State Security Service (SSS) to probe Pantami for allegedly compromising “the NIN registration exercise by giving room for the registration of aliens and invaders from other countries as our citizens.”
This is coming on the heels of allegations the Minister was placed on the US terror watchlist.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reacted to the alleged placement of the minister on a terror watch list. The FBI, in its response to newsmen states…
“Consistent with our standard posture, we can neither confirm nor deny whether an individual is on the watch list.
Asian markets rose on Monday after recovery hopes for the Pandemic-battered US economy fuelling another round of record highs on Wall Street to close last week’s trade.
Both the Dow and S&P finished at new peaks on Friday and also posted their fourth consecutive weekly gains, following on the heels of strong data for American housing starts, employment and retail sales.
Investors are banking on accelerated US pandemic containment efforts marking a step toward economic normalcy, with half of all adults in the country now having had at least one vaccine dose.
The easing of restrictions in Europe has also boosted optimism.
“Stocks will kick off the week at record highs, with investors digesting what appears to be an optimistic recovery despite mounting concerns about new Covid-19 variants,” said Stephen Innes of Axi.
With less economic data on the calendar in the days ahead and the Fed in a communications blackout ahead of its April 28 rates meeting, “it might be a week for spring housekeeping in the markets,” he added.
Hong Kong and Shanghai were both up more than one percent in morning trade, despite first quarter economic growth in China skating under market expectations.
Tokyo rose 0.2 percent after a shaky start with investors searching for new purchase cues.
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