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Showing posts from March, 2023

Oscars 2023: Michelle Yeoh becomes first Asian best actress winner

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  Michelle Yeoh has become the first Asian winner of the best actress Oscar, for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The creative multiverse adventure won seven awards including best picture, director and original screenplay. Accepting her statuette, Yeoh said: "For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. "And ladies, don't let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime." Yeoh's co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan also triumphed in the supporting categories. In the history of the Oscars, no other film has ever won best picture, best director and three acting prizes. In Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh plays a Chinese-American laundrette owner who is mired in a tax audit, stuck in a crumbling marriage and struggling to connect with her daughter Joy. When she discovers different versions of herself in the multiverse, she must tap into their skills in order to

Oscars (not red) carpet: The best fashion looks - in pictures

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  The famous carpet may have changed colour in Hollywood for this year's Oscars - it was described as champagne, instead of being the traditional red. But the glamour on show was the same as ever. Cate Blanchett  had the eighth Oscar nomination of her career. Her elegant blue velvet outfit featured a ribbon made by refugees as part of an initiative from the United Nations refugee agency. Everything Everywhere All At Once star  Michelle Yeoh , who arrived in a white fringe Dior gown accented with diamonds, beat Blanchett to the award for best actress. Michelle Williams  was also nominated for best actress - the fifth Oscar nod of her career - for playing Steven Spielberg's mother in The Fabelmans. She opted for an embellished white Chanel dress with a sheer overlay dotted with crystals. Lady Gaga , who performed her song Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, arrived in a black Versace dress with a sheer corset bodice - which extended rather low. Rihanna  also sang at the ceremony

US guarantees Silicon Valley Bank deposits amid bank crisis fears

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  US regulators move to protect depositors amid concerns of broader fallout from second-largest bank failure in history. The United States government has announced it will guarantee deposits at failed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), as financial regulators rush to alleviate fears the tech-focused lender’s collapse could set off a broader financial crisis. In a statement on Sunday, the US Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said that all customers would be protected and be able to fully access their funds following the bank’s collapse. “Today we are taking decisive actions to protect the US economy by strengthening public confidence in our banking system,” the agencies said in a joint statement. “This step will ensure that the US banking system continues to perform its vital roles of protecting deposits and providing access to credit to households and businesses in a manner that promotes strong and sustainable economic growth.” But regulators

Mexico cartel turns in own men over US kidnappings

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  Reports from the Mexican border city of Matamoros say a splinter group of the Gulf Cartel, called the Scorpions Group, has apologised for kidnapping four US citizens last week, killing two of them, and has turned over the men it says are responsible. On their front pages, many of Mexico's newspapers published a photograph that appears to show five men lying face down on the ground, their hands tied, and their T-shirts pulled up above their heads. It was apparently taken as police arrived on the scene. A letter from the Scorpions Group was allegedly left with the men which apologised to the people of Matamoros, to the US victims and their families, and to a Mexican woman killed last week when the gang fired on a white minivan the Americans were travelling in. The Associated Press says it has obtained a copy of the letter from a law enforcement official in the state of Tamaulipas. "We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible for the events&quo

THE PEACEFUL PIANO TO HELP YOU RELAX YOUR MIND

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Drake wins $1.7million from bet on Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane fight at UFC 285

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  Drake wins $1.7million from bet on Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane fight at UFC 285 Drake is no stranger to betting on the UFC and he placed a six-figure sum on UFC legend Jones to beat Gane in their vacant heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas Rapper  Drake  won $1.7million from his $500,000 bet as Jon Jones choked out Ciryl Gane to win the UFC heavyweight title in Las Vegas. Jones, 35, was making heavyweight debut against Gane in the main event of UFC 285 in Las Vegas with the division’s undisputed title on the line. And Canadian rap artist Drake backed 'Bones' to become a two-weight champion in the fight as he staked $250,000 on the fighter to win by submission and $250,000 for him to win by knockout. And Jones' three-minute submission win returned $1.7m, the better result for Drake who would have banked $1.3m if Jones had won the belt by KO. Drake's huge bet didn't come as a surprise as the monumental rapper  lost $400,000  last weekend when he backed YouTuber-turned-b

Alexa Grasso chokes out Valentina Shevchenko to win UFC flyweight title

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  Alexa Grasso chokes out Valentina Shevchenko to win UFC flyweight title Grasso won the UFC women's flyweight title by tapping out titleholder Shevcheko in the fourth round after being down on the scorecards in the fight Alexa Grasso produced a shocking upset by tapping out Valentina Shevchenko to win the UFC women's flyweight title. Shevchenko landed the first big shots of the fight as she connected with a left hook and spinning back-fist before narrowly missing a wheel kick. The Las Vegas crowd were divided as chants of "Mexico" and "Valentina" echoed around the T-Mobile Arena in the opening round. Grasso showed she was no slouch on the feet by snapping the head back of Shevchenko with some great jabs early on. After a close first round, Shevchenko opened the second stanza by taking Grasso down and working towards a crucifix position. Grasso was defending well by not taking many punches on the ground and the Mexican did a good job of eventually getting ba

Whiskey fungus lawsuit forces Jack Daniels to halt building project

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  A Jack Daniels building project is to be halted after a neighbour argued she was facing a plague of whiskey fungus caused by escaping alcohol vapours. Christi Long, of Lincoln County, Tennessee, claimed her property was coated in the fungus, which appears as a black crust on surfaces. It is a growing issue for people in the area, her lawyer told BBC News. The fungus, which consumes ethanol fumes, grows on surfaces near bakeries and distilleries around the world. Mrs Long, who runs an events venue next to several Jack Daniels warehouses, including one under construction, says the invading fungus has required her to spend thousands on power washing. She is suing the local county zoning office, arguing it did not properly approve permits for the warehouses. Some infuriated locals are now calling for Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, which is owned by Louisville-based company Brown-Forman, to install air filters to combat the problem. Jason Holleman, a lawyer representing Mrs Long, sa