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Published by BANG Showbiz English Penelope Cruz thinks there is “a lot of work to do” to achieve equality in Hollywood. The 47-year-old actress claimed that while there had been some “changes” for women in Hollywood since the #MeToo movement, it i now “about time” to make further change together. She said: “There is still a lot of work to do in terms of finding a real equality. There are some changes that have happened in the last few years [since #MeToo] and I feel that this is the beginning of our change. But it’s a change that we have to do together. And it’s about time!” The ‘Wasp Network’ star – who has been married to fellow Oscar winner Javier Bardem for over a decade and has son Leo, 11, and daughter Luna, eight, with him – also explained that she learns a “really big lesson every day” from being a mother Speaking in the US edition of OK! magazine, she said: “[I learn] something every day. A really, really big lesson every day. Every conversation is mind-blowing, like ‘How can they be so very little and say something like that?'” Penelope went on to explain that she has “admired” the way children in general have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and praised the way they have “taken care” of others throughout. She said: “All children are very wise, very present. For example, the way that children have viewed the pandemic is admirable and is an example of responsibility and taken care of themselves and other people. I think all the children in the world have given adults an incredible lesson for this time.” View the full article

Published by AFP The Tesla and SpaceX chief is a frequent Twitter user, regularly mixing in inflammatory and controversial statements about issues or other public figures with remarks that are whimsical or business-focused San Francisco (AFP) – Tesla chief Elon Musk has launched a hostile takeover bid for Twitter, insisting it was a “best and final offer” and that he was the only person capable of unlocking the full potential of the platform. The move throws another curve into a roller-coaster ride for Musk’s volatile relationship with the global social media service, and raises many questions about what comes next. “Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it,” Musk wrote in a filing to US regulators made public Thursday, adding the site has the possibility to be “the platform for free speech around the globe.” “The company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company,” he added. The world’s richest person offered $54.20 a share, which values the social media firm at some $43 billion, in a filing dated Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Twitter’s board said it would carefully review what it termed Musk’s “unsolicited, non-binding” offer and decide on a course of action that was “in the best interest of the company and all Twitter stockholders.” Musk last week disclosed a purchase of 73.5 million shares — or 9.2 percent — of Twitter’s common stock, an announcement that sent Twitter shares soaring more than 25 percent. He was offered a seat on the board but turned it down over the weekend. Musk went on to use Twitter as a stage to ask whether the social media network was “dying” and to call out users such as singer Justin Bieber, who are highly followed but rarely post. “Most of these ‘top’ accounts tweet rarely and post very little content,” the Tesla boss wrote, captioning a list of the 10 profiles with the most followers — which includes himself at number eight, with over 81 million followers. In other weekend tweets, Musk joked about dropping the “w” from Twitter’s name and about converting its San Francisco headquarters to a homeless shelter “since no one shows up anyway.” He also suggested removing ads, Twitter’s main source of revenue. “He is such an entitled, privileged man I am not sure the Twitter he has in mind is a platform that will ultimately serve a majority on the people on it today,” said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi. Musk has mused on Twitter about giving verified account checkmarks to everyone paying for premium subscription accounts, which cost $3 monthly. “I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” Musk said in his filing. Musk argued in the filing that Twitter needs to be transformed, and that he was offering a price that was 38 percent above its April 1 closing price, the last trading day before his growing stake was revealed. ‘Not playing’ Musk breaks the mold as a business figure, even in the Silicon Valley world known for disrupting markets and changing lifestyles. The serial entrepreneur’s endeavors include driving a shift to electric vehicles with Tesla, private space exploration, and linking computers with brains. His behavior, however, has raised eyebrows, prompted laughs, and sometimes drawn condemnation or even litigation. Jewish groups blasted his tweet comparing Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler over Covid-19 vaccine mandates and Musk later deleted the tweet without apologizing. Musk used Twitter to insult a British caver who was part of a dramatic effort to rescue boys trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand and to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin to “single combat” over the invasion of the Ukraine. “It’s get out the popcorn time as we expect many twists and turns in the weeks ahead as Twitter and Musk walk down this marriage path,” Wedbush analysts said in a note to investors. Twitter could be pressured to accept the offer by shareholders eager for the premium promised by Musk, or Twitter could seek a better offer elsewhere. A host of questions likely to swirl around issues of financing, regulatory aspects and balancing Musk’s time between his many companies. Musk has also sparred repeatedly with federal securities regulators, who cracked down on his social media use after a purported effort to take Tesla private in 2018 fell apart. “I am not playing the back-and-forth game,” Musk wrote in his filing on the buyout offer. “I have moved straight to the end.” View the full article

Published by AFP Two decades after banking his first millions, the South-African born Elon Musk became the world's richest man in 2021 San Francisco (AFP) – Space conquest: check. Disrupt the auto industry: check. Take over Twitter? Why not. From eccentric entrepreneur to the world’s richest man, Elon Musk likes to dream big — and these days, he is everywhere you look. Two decades after banking his first millions, the South-African born Musk last year became the world’s richest person — wresting the title from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — following the meteoric rise of Tesla, his electric automaker founded in 2003. The billionaire’s latest big splash: a bid announced Thursday to take over Twitter, capping a rollercoaster fortnight of announcements and counter-announcements — which Musk punctuated, characteristically, by gleefully firing tweets at the platform. Just a week earlier, the 50-year-old was making headlines as Tesla cut the ribbon on a “gigafactory” the size of 100 soccer fields in Texas, where the firm is now based and Musk himself has relocated from California. At the same time, his space transport firm SpaceX was breaking yet another boundary as a partner in a three-way venture to send the first fully private mission to the International Space Station. Musk also makes news of a less flattering kind: Tesla has faced a series of lawsuits alleging discrimination and harassment against Black workers as well as sexual harassment. In parallel with the whiplash-inducing stream of business news, Musk’s controversy-courting persona — with an unrestrained Twitter style and penchant for living by his own rules in the private sphere too — keeps the gossip press busy. It recently emerged Musk had had a second child with his on-again off-again partner, the musician Grimes: a girl they named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk — although the parents will mostly call her Y. He is even expected to make an appearance — in person or not — at the celebrity defamation trial pitting Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who formerly dated Musk. But one way or another, Musk has become one of the most ubiquitous figures of the era. So how did he get where he is today? To Mars… and beyond? Born in Pretoria, on June 28, 1971, the son of an engineer father and a Canadian-born model mother, Musk left South Africa in his late teens to attend Queen’s University in Ontario. He transferred to the University of Pennsylvania after two years and earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and business. After graduating from the prestigious Ivy League school, Musk abandoned plans to pursue further studies at Stanford University. Instead, he dropped out and started Zip2, a company that made online publishing software for the media industry. He banked his first millions before the age of 30 when he sold Zip2 to US computer maker Compaq for more than $300 million in 1999. Musk’s next company, X.com, eventually merged with PayPal, the online payments firm bought by internet auction giant eBay for $1.5 billion in 2002. After leaving PayPal, Musk embarked on a series of ever more ambitious ventures. He founded SpaceX in 2002 — now serving as its chief executive officer and chief technology officer — and became the chairman of electric carmaker Tesla in 2004. After some early crashes and near-misses, SpaceX perfected the art of landing booster engines on solid ground and ocean platforms, rendering them reusable, and late last year sent four tourists into space, on the first ever orbital mission with no professional astronauts on board. Musk’s jokingly-named The Boring Company is touting an ultra-fast “Hyperloop” rail transport system that would transport people at near supersonic speeds. And Musk has said he wants to make humans an “interplanetary species” by establishing a colony of people living on the Mars. To this end, SpaceX is developing a prototype rocket, Starship, which it envisages carrying crew and cargo to the Moon, Mars and beyond — with Musk saying he feels “confident” of an orbital test this year. Musk, who holds US, Canadian and South African citizenship, has been married and divorced three times — once to the Canadian author Justine Wilson and twice to actress Talulah Riley. He has seven children. An eighth child died in infancy. Forbes estimates Musk’s current net worth at $265 billion. View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House released an action plan on Thursday aimed at advancing racial and gender equity across the federal government to improve diversity. The strategy is aimed at working to ensure the federal government is a model for diversity and equity and preventing discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, the White House said. Each agency across the government is taking steps to improve equity by implementing new rules, a senior administration official told reporters. The U.S. Treasury Department said it would create a new Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility to develop and drive a cohesive strategy across the department and its bureaus. The office will be led by a senior career leader within Treasury, supporting employees of color, women, people with disabilities, military members and veterans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, Treasury said. The Defense Department is leveraging federal contracting to narrow wealth gaps, the White House said in a fact sheet. The Environmental Protection Agency is stepping up a focus on environmental justice for disadvantaged communities, and the Health and Human Services Department is working to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage and tackle maternal mortality, it said. “This is unprecedented. We are in the guts of government trying to advance equity using all the tools we have,” the senior administration official said. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Alison Williams) View the full article

Published by AFP The pandemic worsened an underlying trend of increasing STDs over the past decade, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Washington (AFP) – Reported cases of many types of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) went up in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the frequency of screenings decreased, an official report said Tuesday. The pandemic worsened an underlying trend of increasing STDs over the past decade, blamed on declining public health funding, said Jonathan Mermin, a doctor and senior official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which authored the report. Reported cases of gonorrhea and primary and secondary syphilis were up 10 percent and seven percent respectively, compared to 2019. Syphilis among newborns, known as congenital syphilis, also increased, with reported cases up nearly 15 percent from 2019, and 235 percent from 2016. Preliminary data indicate primary and secondary syphilis and congenital syphilis cases continued to increase in 2021 as well. Reported cases of chlamydia declined 13 percent from 2019 but experts suspect this is misleading — since the disease is often asymptomatic and detected through screening, such as routine pap smears. Overall, 2.4 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported. Covid-19 “came at a very difficult time for STI control,” Mermin told reporters on a call. “We already had a strained, crumbling public health infrastructure. There are many communities in the United States that do not have STI specialty clinics. What that led to was an exacerbation of the already increasing trends.” “The consequences of congenital syphilis are the most severe,” he added. “They include lifelong physical and mental health problems, miscarriage or stillbirth.” Reported cases of STDs initially decreased during the early months of 2020 when lockdowns enforced social distancing, but they resurged by the end of the year. Factors blamed for the spike include reduced frequency of in-person healthcare services resulting in less screening; diversion of health workers from STD work to respond to the Covid pandemic; STD test and lab supply shortages; and lapses in health insurance due to unemployment. Leandro Mena, another senior CDC official, added that social and economic factors, such as poverty and insurance status, resulted in worse STD outcomes. Over half of reported STDs were among 16 to 24-year-olds. Racial minorities including Black, Hispanic and Native American people were disproportionately impacted, while 42 percent of cases of primary and secondary syphilis were among gay and bisexual males. Public funding for local sex health clinics has been in decline for several years, and the data showed the worst affected states are often also the least economically developed, such as Mississippi. Around half of gonorrhea cases were estimated to be resistant to at least one antibiotic, but the CDC doesn’t believe antibiotic resistance is a driver of rising cases at this time. View the full article

Alabama Sued The state of Alabama is facing a federal lawsuit from two families and two medical professionals challenging the state’s new law that classifies providing gender-affirming treatment to trans minors under 19 as a felony offense. The filing comes just days after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the legislation into law. The families, identified anonymously in the suit as Roe and Doe, include parents of trans teenagers from multiple Alabama counties that feel like they may be forced to leave the state if state law threatens the ability for their children to access gender-affirming healthcare treatments, including puberty blockers. Instead of solving actual problems and dedicating taxpayer dollars to improving the lives of the people of their state, our opponents chose to demonize transgender young people and criminalize the doctors, parents, and communities that support them CARL CHARLES, senior attorney, lambda Legal“Like all parents we want nothing more than for our child to be healthy and happy. We have seen our daughter change from being reclusive and anxious to being an engaged, happy child once we got her the support and care she needs,” plaintiff and parent Robert Roe said in a statement. “This law threatens all of that and takes away our ability to follow the advice of highly qualified medical professionals.” The medical professionals among the plaintiffs, Dr. Morissa Ladinsky and Dr. Hussein Abdul-Latif, have extensive experience treating trans youth through their work at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama and the UAB Hospital. Under the new law, both could face up to 10 years in prison for providing the same treatments that are widely accepted in the medical community for trans youth. “By signing SB 184 Governor Ivey has told kind, loving, and loyal Alabama families that they cannot stay here without denying their children the basic medical care they need,” said Ladinsky in a statement. “She has undermined the health and well-being of Alabama children and put doctors like me in the horrifying position of choosing between ignoring the medical needs of our patients or risking being sent to prison.” “The only controversy in providing lifesaving gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Alabama is the one fabricated by Governor Ivey and the legislators that made this despicable bill into law,” said Lambda Legal senior attorney Carl Charles in a statement. “Instead of solving actual problems and dedicating taxpayer dollars to improving the lives of the people of their state, our opponents chose to demonize transgender young people and criminalize the doctors, parents, and communities that support them. And because of our lawsuit, Governor Ivey will spend taxpayer dollars to defend this foolish and clearly unconstitutional law.” Pro-Trans Coalition The plaintiffs will be represented by a coalition of LGBTQ and civil rights organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “Sadly, Governor Ivey has sided with a misguided Alabama legislature, who were determined to rush this legislation forward. SB 184 purposefully disregards the well-being of youth who will be directly – and negatively – impacted,” said Scott McCoy, SPLC Interim Deputy Legal Director LGBTQ Rights & Special Litigation. “Allowing this law to diminish and disregard the existence, dignity, and worth of transgender young people in Alabama is not an option.” Alabama: Previously on Towleroad Alabama Sued In Federal Court By Families, Doctors After Anti-Trans Healthcare Bill Signed Into Law Brian Bell April 13, 2022 Read More UK Cancels Global LGBTQ Conference After 80 UK Groups Refuse to Attend With Trans Conversion Therapy Left Out of Proposed Ban Brian Bell April 7, 2022 Read More TikTok Bans Misgendering, Deadnaming And Promoting Conversion Therapy; First Platform to Attempt Difficult Enforcement; GLAAD Takes Credit Brian Bell February 12, 2022 Read More Trans Swimmers Lia Thomas And Iszac Henig Compete, Win At Ivy League Meet Brian Bell January 12, 2022 Read More Judge Rules Denying Inmate Gender Affirming Care is ‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment’; Queer Eye Subject Accused Of Homophobia, Racism Brian Bell January 10, 2022 Read More Queen Honors Olympian Tom Daley for His Athletics and Advocacy; Diver, Knitting Entrepreneur Now ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ Brian Bell January 4, 2022 Read More Photo by Aiden Craver on Unsplash View the full article

Published by Reuters (Reuters) – Yelp, Inc said on Tuesday it will cover expenses for its employees and their dependents who need to travel to another state for abortion services starting next month, making it the latest U.S. company to offer similar benefits to its workers. The crowd-sourced review platform for restaurants and other businesses will provide travel benefits to its U.S. employees who need to travel out of states like Texas and Oklahoma that have restricted access to abortion services. “As a remote-first company with a distributed workforce, this new benefit allows our U.S. employees and their dependents to have equitable access to reproductive care, regardless of where they live,” Miriam Warren, Yelp’s chief diversity officer, said in a statement. Other companies have pledged to offer similar support to their Texas-based employees. Citigroup Inc in March started covering travel expenses for employees who go out of state for abortions, becoming the first major U.S. bank to make that commitment. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it illegal to perform an abortion in the state except in medical emergencies, penalizing those who do with up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison. The Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June on a case involving a Republican-backed Mississippi law that gives its conservative majority a chance to undermine or even repeal the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. (Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo; Editing by Anna Driver and Andrea Ricci) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An April 2023 jury trial has been scheduled in Dominion Voting Systems Inc’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit accusing Fox News of trying to boost its ratings by falsely claiming the voting machine company rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election against former President Donald Trump. In a short written order issued on Friday, Delaware state court judge Eric Davis said he was scheduling Denver-based Dominion’s lawsuit for trial on April 17, 2023. Fox, part of Fox Corp, had asked Owens for a trial date in early 2024. Owens set aside five weeks for the trial, which could be the first of several involving baseless claims made by a variety of news outlets and individuals about Dominion’s technology. Dominion filed its lawsuit against Fox News in March 2021. People associated with Trump’s campaign, including lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, floated conspiracy theories that Dominion rigged vote totals in the weeks after the Nov. 3, 2020, election in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Trump. Dominion has filed defamation lawsuits against several Trump allies, including Giuliani and Powell, as well as conservative television networks Newsmax and One America News. Another election technology firm at the center of conspiracy theories, Smartmatic, has filed similar lawsuits. The defendants have said they were commenting on matters of public concern and their remarks are free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Davis in December ruled against a Fox News request that he dismiss Dominion’s lawsuit. Owens wrote in his ruling that it was “reasonably conceivable” that Dominion has a viable defamation claim, and allowed the company to continue to seek documents and witness testimony from Fox. Fox News representatives have called Dominion’s lawsuit “baseless” and have said the network remains committed to defending itself. “As we have maintained, FOX News, along with every single news organization across the country, vigorously covered the breaking news surrounding the unprecedented 2020 election, providing full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear-cut analysis,” a Fox spokesperson said in December. Fox News and Dominion representatives did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Tuesday. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday stood by his characterization of Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “genocide,” saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian.” “I called it genocide because it has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of being able to be Ukrainian and the evidence is mounting,” Biden told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One to return to Washington after an event on the economy in Iowa. “We’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me,” he said. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Eric Beech) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Mark Wahlberg still has his fake prop penis from ‘Boogie Nights’. The 50-year-old actor starred in the 1997 fil about a waiter-turned-adult film star and admitted he still has the fake penis he used to play the well-endowed Dirk Diggler but keeps it “locked away.” Asked if he still has the prosthetic, he said: “Yes, yes. It’s in a safe locked away. It’s not something I can leave out, like if my kids were looking for the spare phone charger and pulled that thing out. It would not be a good look!” The ‘Father Stu’ star – who has Ella, 18, Michael, 16, Brendan, 13, and Grace, 12, with his wife Rhea Durham – went on to explain that he believes that his eldest daughter has seen the movie but is “sparing” him the conversation about it. Speaking on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, he said: “I think Ella has seen it. But she has not had the conversation with me, thank God! She’s sparing me!” The Oscar-nominated star was then asked by 54-year-old host Ellen to name the host of the “best” party he had attended in Hollywood and was quick to name late director Penny Marshall before revealing that he was once “thrown out” of a get-together by late film legend Debbie Reynolds. He said: “Penny Marshall. Her and Carrie Fisher used to have their annual party, one was at Penny’s, one was at Carrie’s every other year.Oh God, [Carrie’s mother] Debbie Reynolds threw me out by the ear one year. “I met everyone in the business through Penny Marshall. I wouldn’t have a career if it were not for her.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gabriella Borter (Reuters) -Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it illegal to perform an abortion in the state except in medical emergencies, penalizing those who do with up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison. The legislation, which is one of several anti-abortion measures advanced by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature this year, will take effect this summer unless it is blocked in court. “We want to choose life in Oklahoma. We do not want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma,” Stitt said as he signed the bill at a news conference. If it takes effect, the ban will widen a swath of the country where there is little to no legal abortion access. Oklahoma has become a frequent destination for Texas women seeking abortions since the larger neighboring state in September banned abortions for pregnancies from about six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant. Planned Parenthood abortion providers in Oklahoma saw a nearly 2,500% increase in Texas patients in the months after the Texas law took effect compared to the same period in 2020, the organization said. “The ban signed today is cruel and if it takes effect this summer, will have a devastating impact on people in Oklahoma, neighboring Texans, as well as an entire region facing attacks on their rights to abortion access,” Melissa Fowler, the National Abortion Federation’s chief program officer, said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemned the ban in a statement and called on Congress to pass legislation that would codify abortion rights nationally. “The actions today in Oklahoma are a part of disturbing national trend attacking women’s rights and the Biden Administration will continue to stand with women in Oklahoma and across the country in the fight to defend their freedom to make their own choices about their futures,” Psaki said. Separate legislation introduced in Oklahoma this year proposes banning almost all abortions and relying on private citizens to sue any person who “aids or abets” abortions, similar to Texas’ six-week abortion ban. That bill contains an emergency clause, which would allow it to take effect immediately once it is signed by the governor. In the past few months, Republican-led states like Oklahoma have been quickly passing ever-stricter abortion bans with the anticipation that an impending U.S. Supreme Court decision could help the bans withstand legal challenges. The Supreme Court is due to rule by the end of June on a case involving a Republican-backed Mississippi law that gives its conservative majority a chance to undermine or even repeal the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. During arguments in the case, the conservative justices signaled a willingness to dramatically curtail abortion rights in the United States. (Reporting by Gabriella BorterEditing by Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican’s decision to have both Ukrainians and Russians take part in Pope Francis’ “Way of the Cross” procession on Friday has caused friction with Ukrainian Catholic leaders, who want it to be reconsidered. The annual Via Crucis event on Good Friday at the Colosseum consists of the 14 Stations of the Cross, stages between the condemnation of Jesus to death and his burial. It is often customised so that those who carry the cross from one station to the next reflect world events. This year’s programme for the evening candlelight service has a Ukrainian family and a Russian family sharing the carrying of the cross at the 13th station, which commemorates Jesus being taken down from the cross after his death. “I consider such an idea inopportune, ambiguous, and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of Ukraine’s Byzantine-rite Catholic Church. The text of the meditation to be read at the 13th station speaks of reconciliation and reconstruction after bombings. ‘OFFENSIVE’ TEXT Shevchuk, who is in Kyiv and has invited the pope to visit the Ukrainian capital, said in a statement on Tuesday that the text was “incoherent and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack of Russian troops on our cities and villages”. He said he had asked the Vatican to review the decision. In an accompanying statement, Shevchuk’s Rome office said many Ukrainians were “convinced that gestures of reconciliation between our peoples will be possible only when the war is over and those guilty of crimes against humanity are justly condemned”. In a tweet, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, said he shared Shevchuck’s concern and was working with the Vatican on “trying to explain difficulties of its realisation and possible consequences”. Since the war began, Francis has only mentioned Russiaexplicitly in prayers, such as during a special global event forpeace on March 25. But he has made clear his opposition toRussia’s actions, using the words invasion, aggression andatrocities. Moscow calls it actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” designed not to occupy territory but to demilitarise and “denazify” the country. The Kremlin says allegations that Russian forces have committed war crimes by executing civilians in Ukraine were a “monstrous forgery” aimed at denigrating the Russian army. Most Russians and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians and this year will mark Easter a week later than Western churches. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Gareth Jones) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ has had all gay references edited out for its release in China. The movie – which has a rumoured budget of $200 million – has had six seconds of dialogue removed between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, roles played by Jude Law and Mads Mikkelsen. Of the decision, Warner Brothers said: “As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors. Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.” Lines removed from the movie – which is a part of the prequel series to the Harry Potter books – include “Because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love” for Chinese audiences. The studio maintains that with the cuts “the spirit of the film remains intact” as the censored movie still contains allusions of their close relationship. Censorship is not new to western cultural exports to China as in 2019, the Freddie Mercury biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was changed to remove all mentions of the Queen frontman’s homosexuality. This follows an array of anti-LGBT moves from the government – which is led by Xi Jinping – including a clampdown on dating apps such as Grindr. In China, the movie debuted in the box office top spot last weekend, however internationally the flick has proved to be a financial disappointment after taking only $58 million in 22 markets. View the full article

[This post contains video, click to play] Published by The Boot Miranda Lambert delivered a pitch-perfect performance of “If I Was a Cowboy” at the 2022 CMT Music Awards on Monday night (April 11). The segment took place on an outdoor stage on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. Wearing a custom Nudie-esque suit complete with bright green fringe and embroidered desert scenes, Lambert breezed through “If I Was a Cowboy,” the lead single from her upcoming album Palomino, due out April 29. It was a victorious moment for her — she won the CMT Award for Female Video of the Year for the same song earlier in the night. Lambert’s performance followed an introduction from … Read More View the full article

Published by ScreenCrush Although it has been hinted at and alluded to throughout the Harry Potterand Fantastic Beastsfranchises, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is the first film in either franchise to make it explicit that Hogwarts’ beloved headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay, and had a past romantic relationship with his arch-nemesis, Gellert Grindelwald. Dumbledore’s dialogue in the new Fantastic Beasts includes lines about being “in love” with Grindelwald on two separate occasions. But Chinese audiences won’t hear either of them, as the roughly six seconds of spoken dialogue have been removed from the … Read More View the full article

Published by AFP D. Ojeda fills out an application for a US passport, choosing Alexandria (United States) (AFP) – It’s just a small box to tick on an application form, but a huge breakthrough for D. Ojeda, a non-binary person who on Monday became one of the first Americans to apply for a gender-neutral passport. “Even with my family, they still don’t get it,” said Ojeda, a 34-year-old activist who goes by D. and uses the pronouns “they, them.” “So at least I have the government to say who I am as a person.” The option to receive a passport with an “X” gender designation, which was made available Monday by US President Joe Biden’s administration, was hailed as a blessing for an estimated 1.2 million Americans whose gender identity falls outside the categories of man or woman. It came at a time when Republican lawmakers across the country have been passing legislation that critics say curtails LGBTQ rights and was likely to further fuel tensions around gender issues in a deeply divided nation. At their home in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Ojeda began to fill out the long online passport application form, putting down their first and last name, then choosing from three options for gender: M for male, F for female and X for people who don’t identify as either. They chose the latter. They also ticked the box for “gender change,” to reflect the difference from their previous passport, which identified them as female. They didn’t have to provide any medical documentation for the change. “I think that’s incredible,” said Ojeda, who works as an organizer at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and holds a doctorate degree in psychology. “What makes it difficult for trans people is just how hard it is to get anything changed,” such as legal documentation, said Ojeda. When Ojeda and their NCTE colleagues learned of the new passport option, they “started crying at each other,” Ojeda added, seated at their desk in a blue sweater, with a thin beard and with their hair pulled back. See me as ‘who I am’ The State Department announced in October that it had issued the first American passport with the X designation for gender after a long legal battle waged by a person from Colorado who is intersex. But it was only on March 31, the International Day of Transgender Visibility, that the State Department announced it was extending that right to all Americans, as well as adopting other measures on the federal level meant to simplify administrative hurdles for transgender and non-binary people. A few other countries have similar policies. Australia began issuing X-gender passports in 2011, with New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Argentina joining the roster since then, as well as, Pakistan and Nepal. Ojeda already boasts a driver’s license from their home state of Virginia, where their gender is marked as X. Ojeda said the procedure was simple: they received an appointment, filled out the application and the X box was already there. “I was really happy about that because it was the first time I see myself and I in an identification form,” Ojeda said. Things, however, get more complicated with travel. Ojeda says they are often called “Ma’am,” which is upsetting. Born in Peru, Ojeda cannot wait to visit their relatives there, now that they have a new passport, which is required for international travel. Though they are still struggling to get their family to accept them. “You know, they don’t say the name that I want,” said Ojeda, who was given a different first name at birth. “When I pretended to be a woman, and I tried really hard, there was something that always bothered me,” said Ojeda. Now, they added, “I can turn around and say, ‘well in my ID the government sees me as who I am, and maybe you need to start seeing me as who I am.'” “It feels like the world is safer.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Anderson Cooper has tested positive for COVID-19. The 54-year-old CNN anchor has contracted the coronavirus and while he didn’t offer any details on his symptoms, he confirmed his children are “negative”. Alongside a photo of himself in bed, he wrote on his Instagram Story: “Just tested positive for COVID. Thankfully the kids are negative. Hope to get back to work soon.” The presenter didn’t go into detail on how he’s feeling, and it’s not yet confirmed whether or not he will work remotely will he recovers. Just this week, a number of celebrities have tested positive for COVID-19, including couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, which meant Thursday’s (07.04.22) performance of Broadway show ‘Plaza Suite’ had to be cancelled. And Kelsea Ballerini had to host the 2022 CMT Music Awards from home due to the virus. Her co-host, ‘Avengers’ actor Anthony Mackie, took to the stage at the beginning of the evening to introduce a “back-up KB”, Kane Brown, who co-presented the show. Anthony said: “I know all of you were looking forward to seeing Kelsea Ballerini out here tonight on the stage, but she’s a little under the weather. “But just like the NFL has backup QBs, here at the CMT Awards, we have backup KBs.” Before Kelsea first appeared on screen, country stars Thomas Rhett and Martina McBride both jokingly offered their services as co-hosts for the night. During her first appearance via video link from home, Kelsea said: “This is my normal Monday night, in full glam, with lighting I set up myself, and a remote truck outside. “I would so much rather be there with you, but I will be popping in all night long.” Kelsea, who made numerous costume changes during the night, later headed outside into her garden to sing her new single ‘Heartfirst’. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Brooklyn Beckham has changed his name to Brooklyn Peltz Beckham on Instagram after his wedding to Nicola Peltz Beckham. The newlyweds – who had to delay their wedding for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – announced they will be going via “Mr. and Mrs Peltz Beckman” on their Instagram page on Monday (11.04.22). They shared the news in the caption of a snap of the pair of them at their star-studded Palm Beach nuptials – where the guest list included Brooklyn’s parents David and Victoria Beckham, Eva Longoria, Gordon Ramsay, Rashida Jones, Michael Bay and M. Night Shyamalan – which took place over three fun-filled days. And, the wannabe chef and his new wife have also updated their display names on the social media app to reflect the changes. The 23-year-old model labelled the 27-year-old actress “my beautiful bride”, while Nicola shared a photo of herself and father Nelson Peltz, writing “thank you for the most beautiful weekend of my life. You’re the wind beneath my wings.” Earlier this year, Brooklyn revealed that he got “Peltz” inked across his chest, alongside his cherub tattoo. In response, Nicola commented: “I’m so happy you’re a Peltz @brooklynbeckham.” Retired soccer ace David and his fashion designer wife both welcomed Nicola to the family. The 46-year-old football legend wrote on Instagram: “Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Beckham. Welcome to the family @nicolaannepeltz. Love you Bust.” Brooklyn’s 46-year-old mother – who also has sons Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and daughter Harper, 10, with the former England captain – added: “Congratulations Mr and Mrs Beckham X Welcome to the family [series of heart emojis] x.” View the full article