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Published by Radar Online Mega Bob Sagetis gone, but his legacy will never be forgotten if his fans have their way. Furious Academy Award watchers took to social media and aired out their grievances after the late comedian was snubbed during the Oscars in memoriam segment on Sunday night. Saget is known for his iconic television role as Danny Tanner on Full House, but some might be unaware that he has an Academy Award win under his belt. The actor — who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 65 on February 9 — scored a student Oscar in 1977 for his documentary, Through Adam’s Eyes. He was only 21 years old at the time. Saget also appeared in a handful of movies, including Richard Pryor’s 1987 film Critical Condition. Mega While the Oscars failed to include the Academy Award winner, his fans made their displeasure over the decision known. “No Bob Saget #Inmemoriam ? Really lame, #Oscars,” one person wrote on Twitter. “Actually leaving Bob Saget out of the In Memoriam was the most outrageous part of the Oscars,” shared another. Others pointed out that Saget wasn’t the only star not included. The Oscars also snubbed Norm Macdonald, who appeared in movies like Dr. Dolittle, Grown Ups, Billy Madison, and more. Macdonald died in September at the age of 61 after a battle with cancer. The program also forgot Ed Asner, Sex and the City star Willie Garson, Robert Downey Jr.’s director father, Robert Downey Sr, and others. Mega “They didn’t do Bob Saget or Norm Macdonald or Monica Vitti this is bulls—,” someone tweeted. “Norm Macdonald and Bob Saget weren’t in the Oscar death montage. Perhaps it’s because they weren’t primarily known as “movie people.” Or perhaps it’s because, despite this, they made the greatest movie of all time, Dirty Work (1998), and Hollywood never forgave them for it,” posted another. As Radar reported, Saget’s body was discovered inside his Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Orlando, Florida, last month. The stand-up comedian reportedly fell, hitting his head on something before going to bed. He never woke up. According to the medical examiner, he died of head trauma. Law enforcement’s working theory is that Saget nailed his head on the headboard of his bed, but some experts believe evidence photos taken at the scene paint a different picture. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Fred Duval/MEGA; ZapatA/MEGA Fans sent an outpouring of loving comments to Liza Minnelli after Lady Gaga accompanied the film legend on stage in a wheelchair while presenting Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars. The two performers handed out Sunday night’s biggest award at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, sharing a sweet moment that was likely missed by some due to the Will Smith and Chris Rock saga. MEGA Minnelli was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cabaret, and Gaga was more than happy to help her throughout their presenting duties during the 94th Academy Awards. When the acclaimed EGOT winner sorted through her note cards on stage and said, “I don’t understand,” Gaga kindly told her, “I got it,” before announcing the nominees. CODA ultimately took home the coveted prize. “Oh #lizaminnelli,” one fan tweeted with a crying emoji. “Thank goodness for @ladygaga literally taking her by the hand & leading her through that. It was hard to see her looking so very frail. #Oscars2022.” Fred Duval/MEGA; ZapatA/MEGA “I can only hope and pray that when or if I’m BLESSED enough to reach the age of #LizaMinnelli someone whispers in my ear… ‘I got you’ like @ladygaga just did,” another wrote. “To end a chaotic night with such a beautiful example of companionship, love and togetherness … yeah, this is what we should remember about these awards,” a third tweeted as many others praised their heartwarming exchange, raving over how Gaga “comforted a visibly nervous Minnelli.” RAMEY PHOTO AGENCY Doctors predicted in 2000 that Minnelli would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair after suffering a case of viral encephalitis, but she still managed to perform her solo show Liza’s Back following her diagnosis, illustrating yet again how the star has always been a force to be reckoned with. “She’s a survivor,”Marisa Berenson, who portrayed Natalia Landauer in Cabaret and has been one of Minnelli’s closest friends for nearly half a century, told Variety. “She’s like a phoenix, always spreading her wings and being reborn. I think she’s one of the strongest people I know. It’s really glorious to watch. She does have this incredible strength and courage.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Will Smith will reportedly not be facing any charges after slapping Chris Rock in the face during the Oscars in retaliation for a joke the comedian made about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The news that Rock will not be pressing charges also comes following claims made by rapper Diddy suggesting that the two celebrities quickly made up after the Academy Awards ceremony ended. As Radar reported, while Rock presented the award for Best Documentary at the 94th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, he made a joke that Will and Jada were not amused about. Mega “Jada, love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” Rock joked about Jada’s bald head — a look that she sports after emotionally revealing she suffers from alopecia. While Smith seemingly laughed at the joke, his demeanor quickly changed. Seconds later, he was on the stage and slapping Rock across the face before returning to his seat and telling the comedian: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f—ing mouth!” Mega The LAPD was on the scene at the time of the assault and reportedly spoke to Rock immediately after the ceremony ended — which is when the comedian allegedly chose not to press charges against Smith for smacking him in front of not only the entire Dolby Theatre, but also millions of viewers watching from home. “LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program,” the department revealed in a statement after speaking with Rock. “The incident involved one individual slapping another,” they continued. “The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.” While Rock opted not to press charges against Smith, he reportedly still has up to six months to file a report if he were to change his mind on the matter. According to Diddy, that seems unlikely. The stand-up comic and the King Richard Oscar winner allegedly made up and put the whole situation behind them shortly after the Academy Awards ceremony ended. Mega “That’s not a problem. That’s over. I can confirm that,” Diddy reportedly told Page Six regarding Rock and Smith making up at the Vanity Fair after-party. “It’s all love. They’re brothers.” While the comedian and actor reportedly worked their beef out after the show, many are wondering why Smith — who apologized to a slew of people during his acceptance speech after winning the Best Actor award for King Richard — chose not to include Rock in his apology. “I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all of my fellow nominees. This is a beautiful moment, and I’m not crying for winning an award,” Smith said. “It’s not about winning an award for me; it’s about being able to shine a light on all of the people.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Kirill Shamalov, the former son-in-law to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has reportedly fled Moscow for Dubai along with the wealthy daughter of one of Putin’s top generals. The news of Shamalov fleeing Russia comes just days after the Russian billionaire businessman and former economic advisor was sanctioned by the West for his close links to Putin, Moscow, and the Kremlin as the country continues the invasion into their neighboring nation of Ukraine. Mega According to Daily Star, 40-year-old Shamalov and his 33-year-old partner Anastasia Zadorina reportedly made their secret move from Russia to the United Arab Emirates sometime last week in the wake of the latest sanctions against him and a number of Russian oligarchs. Shamalov was formerly married to Putin’s 35-year-old acrobat daughter Katerina Tikhonova before the two split up in 2018 after five years of marriage. Now, Shamalov – who is widely considered Russia’s youngest billionaire – has been in a relationship with Zadorina, who just happens to be the daughter of a top general in the Russian Federal Security Service. But while Shamalov seemingly escaped the sanctions recently placed on him by the United States and other Western countries, his fleeing of Russia with Zadorina evidently came as no surprise, because just last week she reportedly hosted a luxurious and exclusive 40th birthday party for him in Dubai. Mega “While everyone in the country is tightening their belts, and business and industry are entrusted with key roles in saving the economy, Vladimir Putin’s former son-in-law, billionaire shareholder of Sibur [a Russian petrochemicals giant] Kirill Shamalov, is burning his life,” a Russian telegram channel recently revealed. “[His 40th birthday party] was only for the elite and was held in conditions of increased secrecy, given the current events in Ukraine”, the program continued. “Along with Shamalov, guests were received by his new passion – FSB general’s daughter Anastasia Zadorina. Sources say there will be a wedding soon.” As Radar reported, Putin’s former son-in-law is hardly the only Russian to be sanctioned by the West because of links to the Kremlin. On Thursday, the “step-daughter” of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was sanctioned and banned from the United Kingdom in connection to her suspected ties to both Lavrov and Moscow. Mega Polina Kovaleva, who is the daughter of Lavrov’s alleged mistress and “unofficial wife,” is suspected of benefitting from Lavrov’s position of power in the Russian government. Many also believe her multi-million-dollar Kensington, England flat was paid for by Lavrov and, despite being sanctioned and therefore banned from the United Kingdom, the 26-year-old is still reportedly living in Kensington View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Skyes joked they’d been hired to host the Oscars because they were “cheaper” than hiring a single male presenter. The three women were introduced to the stage by DJ Khaled at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday (27.03.22) after Beyonce’s performance of ‘Be Alive’, and the trio wasted no time in poking fun at themselves and the evening’s nominees. Wanda dismissed the event as being the place “where movie lovers unite and watch TV”, before Amy quipped: “This year, the Academy hired three women to host because it’s cheaper than hiring one man.” Regina declared she and Wanda were there to be “representing Black women who are standing proud.” Amy quipped: “I represent unbearable white women who call the cops when you get a little too loud.” Academy Awards bosses have faced criticism for handing out eight prizes before the live broadcast, and the stage flights flickered as Wanda joked: “It was a controversial and difficult decision, but I think we’ve moved on.” The trio then turned their attention to poking fun at Hollywood stars. Wanda said: “There was a lot of snubs this year: Rachel Zegler for ‘West Side Story’, Jennifer Hudson for ‘Respect’ and Lady Gaga and Jared Leto for ‘House of Random Accent.” Amy then said: “You know what’s in the In Memoriam package this year? The Golden Globes. They didn’t have any Black people, they didn’t have any Black members.” Regina added: “No. They had to go.” Poking fun at Best Picture nominee ‘The Power of the Dog’, Wanda said: “I watched that movie three times, and I’m halfway through it.” At the end of their monologue, the women said “gays” a number of times, calling out Florida’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Wanda said: “We’re going to have a great night tonight. for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.” Following a commercial break, Amy returned to the stage alone to mock some more of the year’s biggest films. She said: “This is so exciting. I just want to congratulate all of you. During a raging pandemic, you made a movie. Give yourselves a hand, that’s incredible. You did it. It’s huge. “And yet they weren’t all great, right? A lot of them were pretty hard to understand. You know who you are. I didn’t see many of them.” She turned her attention to star-studded movie ‘Don’t Look Up’, which starred her friend Jennifer Lawrence – who recently gave birth to her first child – and Leonardo DiCaprio, She said: “I guess the Academy members don’t look up reviews. Wait a minute. I loved that movie. Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in it. Even though she did gain some weight this year. “I mean, Leonardo DiCaprio, what can I even say about him? He’s done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends. Because he’s older. And they’re younger. Okay, you get it.” Of ‘Being the Ricardos’, she said: “The innovation to make a movie about Lucille Ball without even a moment that’s funny. Not your fault, Nicole [Kidman] — you’re great.” Regina later returned to the stage in which she claimed to be calling up attendees for an extra COVID-19 test, but they all turned out to be handsome stars including Bradley Cooper, Timothee Chalamet, Tyler Perry and Simu Liu, though she rejected a call to bring Javier Bardem to the stage, noting he was with his wife Penelope Cruz. But then she called for Will Smith and said: “You’re married, but you know what, you’re on the list and looks like Jada [Pinkett Smith] approved you, so you get on up here!” But the ‘King Richard’ star waved his hands and declined. View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune As President Vladimir Putin intensifies his assault on Ukraine — killing hundreds of innocent civilians and forcing more than 3 million refugees to abandon their homes — leading members of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. are lining up to condemn the Russian strongman and demand hard-hitting sanctions. But as Putin grows more and more isolated on the world stage, he’s retaining one surprising base of support: far-right American Christians. As Delaware Republican Lauren Witzke, a U.S. Senate candidate, recently said at the Conservative Political Action Conference: “Russia is a … Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Ariana DeBose offered reassurance to those who have “questioned[their] identity” as she picked up the Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards on Sunday (27.03.22). The 31-year-old star beat off competition from Jessie Buckley (‘The Lost Daughter’), Dame Judi Dench (‘Belfast’), Kirsten Dunst (‘The Power of the Dog’) and Aunjanue Ellis (‘King Richard’) to score a win following her first ever nomination for ‘West Side Story’ and gave a heartfelt, emotional speech as she accepted the honour at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. She excitedly said: “Yes, OK. Oh my word, what is this? Now you see why Anita says I want to be in America because even in this weird world we live in, dreams do come true and that’s really a heartening thing right now. “If I took the time to say thank you to every single beautiful person who has lifted me up on this stage, you’d find people would be sitting here until next Oscars so I’m not going to do that. “Just allow me to say it was a summer of a lifetime and I am the most privileged and grateful to have spent it with all of you. “My god, thank you Steven Spielberg, you’re stuck with me now… The divine inspiration that is Rita Moreno who is staring at me now. I’m so grateful, your Anita paved the way for tonnes of Anita’s like me and I love you so much.” Ariana then grew emotional as she spoke about her family. She said: “I’m going to wrap this up and talk about my family. My mother, who is here tonight. I love you with my whole heart. This is as much yours as it is mine. “Some of my tribesmen, my family my love Sue, Jonathan, Diana, Anthony, I couldn’t do what I do without each and every one of you.” The actress then reflected on her own journey to landing her first Oscar. She concluded: “Imagine this little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus, look into her eyes, you see a, openly queer woman on colour, an Afro Latina who found her strength through art and that’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate. To anybody who has questioned your identity or find yourself in grave spaces, I promise you this, there is indeed a place for us. “Thank you to the Academy and thank you all.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Galbraith and David Stanway SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China’s financial hub of Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents on Monday, closing bridges and tunnels and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surging COVID-19 cases. The snap lockdown, announced by the local government late on Sunday, will split China’s most populous city roughly along the Huangpu River for nine days to allow for “staggered” testing by healthcare workers in white hazmat suits. It is the biggest COVID-related disruption to hit Shanghai, and sent prices of commodities including oil and copper lower on fears that any further curbs could hurt demand in China, the world’s second-largest economy. Residents east of the Huangpu were confined to their homes. Some said healthcare workers arrived to conduct tests as early as 7 a.m. on Monday. Those in the west rushed to stockpile food and other goods as they prepared for a similar fate from April 1. Delivery services were overwhelmed and supermarkets ran low on supplies. Several social media users posted images of what they had managed to buy. “Many wholesale markets are now closed,” Bi Yingwu, a 50-year old stallholder, said. “Some vendors are reluctant to buy in vegetables. If we cannot get vegetables from wholesalers or the wet market is closed, we are finished.” The curbs mark a turnaround for Shanghai’s authorities, who as recently as Saturday denied the city would be locked down as it pursued a more piecemeal “slicing and gridding” approach to try to rein in infections. Wu Fan, a member of Shanghai’s expert COVID team, said recent mass testing had found “large scale” infections throughout the city, triggering the stronger response. “Containing the large scale outbreak in our city is very important because, once infected people are put under control, we have blocked transmission,” she told a briefing. Infection and death numbers are low by global standards. But China has imposed a zero-COVID policy that has all but closed its borders to travellers for two years, and rushes to shut off every chain of infection. Shanghai recorded a record 3,450 asymptomatic COVID cases on Sunday, accounting for nearly 70% of the nationwide total, along with 50 symptomatic cases. RESTRICTIONS Shanghai said earlier this month its daily testing capacity was around 3 million, but Chen Erzhen, a doctor in charge of a city quarantine facility, warned it still might not be enough to outpace the spread of the virus. “When case numbers reach a certain level, the difficulty of relying upon previous staff deployments increases by a large degree,” he told government newspaper Liberation Daily. The new lockdown should at least ensure the “stillness” required to bring the outbreak under control, he added. Wu had told a briefing on Saturday that Shanghai could not be locked down for long because of the important role it played in the national and even global economy. But following Sunday’s about-turn, mass testing disrupted transport, healthcare and a wide range of economic activities, with citywide land sales also halted on Monday. Shanghai’s Public Security Bureau said it was closing cross-river bridges and tunnels, and highway tollbooths concentrated in the city’s east until April 1. However, ports and the city’s two airports remained open. Shanghai also ordered firms to shut, exempting those offering public services or supplying food, although factories that managed to put in “closed-loop” systems could continue production. Some hospitals also suspended services as they release staff and other resources to assist with mass testing. U.S. automaker Tesla is suspending production at its factory, located in a district impacted by the first stage of the lockdown, for four days, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Volkswagen, however, whose Shanghai plant is in a part of the city that is set to be tested in the second stage, said its production in the city was ongoing. [nP8N2VV00E] (Reporting by Andrew Galbraith, David Stanway, Xihao Jiang and the Shanghai newsroom; Additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Jane Wardell, Robert Birsel, Louise Heavens and Andrew Heavens) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jessica Chastain reassured those who feel “hopeless and alone” they are “unconditionally loved” as she picked up the Best Actress Oscar on Sunday (27.03.22). The 45-year-old actress won the statuette for her performance as televangelist Tammy Faye Bakkar in ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ and she admitted she has been “inspired” by her big screen alter ego’s compassionate nature. She said: “Right now we are coming out of some difficult times that have been filled with a lot of trauma and isolation. So many people out there feel hopelessness and they feel alone and suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, it’s touched many families, it’s touched mine. And especially members of the LGBTQ family who oftentimes feel out of place with their peers. There is… We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us. “There’s violence and hate crimes being perpetuated on civilians all over the world. “And in times like this, I think of Tammy and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love. I’m inspired by her compassion, I see it as a guiding principal that leads us forward. “It connects us all in the desire that we want to be accepted for who we are, accepted for who we love and to live a life without the fear of violence or terror. “For any of you out there who do feel hopeless or alone, I just want you to know you are unconditionally loved for the uniqueness that is you.” Jessica also paid tribute to her fellow nominees, Olivia Colman (‘The Lost Daughter’) Penelope Cruz (‘Parallel Mothers’), Nicole Kidman (‘Being the Ricardos’) and Kristen Stewart (‘Spencer’). She said: “Penelope, Nicole, Olivia, Kristen – I just have to say your names because I love you, I love you guys so much and to be included in a conversation with you is such an honour.” She then went on to thank director Michael Showalter who “created a space that inspired creativity and love and courage”, the hair and make-up team, and producers, before paying tribute to co-star Andrew Garfield. She said: “My scene partner and collaborator, the brilliant Andrew Garifeld, Thank you so much for bringing out the best of me by showing up every day with the best of you.” View the full article

Published by Reuters UK By Ben Kellerman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ariana DeBose won her first Academy Award on Sunday for her supporting role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of classic musical “West Side Story.” A relative newcomer to feature films, 31-year-old DeBose earned mainstream acclaim for her lively portrayal of Anita, an outspoken Puerto Rican woman who showcases her singing and dancing talents in the song “America.” She also won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild award and British Academy Film Award for her performance. “It was the summer of a lifetime and I am most privileged and grateful to spend i… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News Basketball legend Lisa Leslie said she was told not to make a “big fuss” over the arrest of WNBA great Britney Griner in Russia. Speaking in a recent episode of the “I Am Athlete” podcast, Leslie opened up about the “heartbreaking” situation she’s found herself in after she was asked not to bring too much attention to the case, to avoid Russia from capitalizing on the incident. “What we were told, and again this is all sort of passed along through hearsay, but what we were told was to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use her as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the w… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will propose a minimum tax on billionaires as part of the fiscal 2023 budget that is expected to be unveiled on Monday, a document released by the White House showed. Biden’s “Billionaire Minimum Income Tax” would set a 20% minimum tax rate on households worth more than $100 million, in a plan that would mostly target the United States’ more than 700 billionaires, according to a White House fact sheet released on Saturday. The plan would require such households to pay the minimum tax of 20% on all of their income including unrealized investment income that is now untaxed, the fact sheet said. The tax will help reduce the budget deficit by about $360 billion in the next decade, the fact sheet added. Senate Democrats last autumn had proposed a billionaires tax to help pay for Biden’s social and climate-change known as “Build Back Better” although the spending package did not move forward due to insufficient support in the Senate. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by AFP Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – Here are the nominees in key categories for the 94th Academy Awards, to be handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday. Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” an eerie psychological Western about a repressed 1920s cattle rancher in Montana, leads with 12 nods, followed by sci-fi epic “Dune” at 10, and “Belfast” and “West Side Story” tied at seven. Best picture “Belfast” “CODA” “Don’t Look Up” “Drive My Car” “Dune” “King Richard” “Licorice Pizza” “Nightmare Alley” “The Power of the Dog” “West Side Story” Best director – Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast” Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car” Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story” Best actor – Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos” Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog” Andrew Garfield, “tick, tick…BOOM!” Will Smith, “King Richard” Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” Best actress Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter” Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers” Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos” Kristen Stewart, “Spencer” Best supporting actor – Ciaran Hinds, “Belfast” Troy Kotsur, “CODA” Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog” J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos” Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog” Best supporting actress Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter” Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” Judi Dench, “Belfast” Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog” Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard” Best international feature film – “Drive My Car” (Japan) “Flee” (Denmark) “The Hand of God” (Italy) “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan) “The Worst Person in the World” (Norway) Best animated feature – “Encanto” “Flee” “Luca” “The Mitchells vs the Machines” “Raya and the Last Dragon” Best documentary feature “Ascension” “Attica” “Flee” “Summer of Soul” “Writing with Fire” Best original screenplay – “Belfast” – Kenneth Branagh “Don’t Look Up” – Adam McKay and David Sirota “King Richard” – Zach Baylin “Licorice Pizza” – Paul Thomas Anderson “The Worst Person in the World” – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier Best adapted screenplay – “CODA” – Sian Heder “Drive My Car” – Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe “Dune” – Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth “The Lost Daughter” – Maggie Gyllenhaal “The Power of the Dog” – Jane Campion Films with six or more nominations – “The Power of the Dog” – 12 “Dune” – 10 “Belfast” – 7 “West Side Story” – 7 “King Richard” – 6 View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sean Penn has threatened to publicly destroy his Oscars if Sunday’s (27.03.22) ceremony doesn’t give a platform to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. The 61-year-old star – who has Best Actor statuettes for his work on ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Milk’ – urged the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to ensure the actor-turned-politician is given a moment to shine a spotlight on his war-torn country, and called on guests to “walk out” of the show if it doesn’t happen. Speaking on CNN, he said: “If it turns out to be what is happening, I would encourage everyone involved, though it may be their moment, and I understand that, to celebrate their films, it is so much more importantly their moment to shine, and to protest and to boycott that Academy Awards. I myself, if it comes back to it, when I return, I will smelt mine in public. “I pray that’s not what happened. I pray there have not been arrogant people who consider themselves representatives of the greater good who have decided not to check in with leadership in Ukraine. So I’m going to hope that’s not what happened, and I hope everyone walks out if it is.” Sean – who is currently in Warsaw, Poland, for safety reasons – is shooting a documentary for Vice about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and met with Zelensky earlier this week. Amy Schumer – who will co-host the ceremony with Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes – previously admitted she thinks it would be a “great opportunity” to use the Oscars’ global platform to share a message from the Ukraine President. She said earlier this month: “I think there is definitely pressure in one way to be like, ‘This is a vacation, let people forget we just want to have this night,’ but it is like well we have so many eyes and ears on this show. “I think it’s a great opportunity to at least comment on a couple of things. I have some jokes that kind of highlight the sort of current condition. I mean, there are so many awful things happening that it seems hard to focus on which one. “I actually pitched, I wanted to find a way to have Zelenskyy satellite in or make a tape or something just because there are so many eyes on the Oscars. “I am not afraid to go there, but it’s not me producing the Oscars.” View the full article

Published by Reuters By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A dark Western, “The Power of the Dog,” will battle feel-good deaf family drama “CODA” for the film industry’s top honor on Sunday when, free of last year’s pandemic restrictions, a large Hollywood crowd gathers for the Academy Awards. The films are front-runners for the best picture trophy at a red-carpet Oscars ceremony promising a few plot twists. Among them: a win by either movie would mark a milestone by handing the statuette to a streaming service. Netflix Inc released “Power of the Dog” while “CODA” streamed on Apple TV+. After past complaints about a lack of diversity, two of this year’s four acting accolades may go to people of color. Will Smith is likely to earn his first Oscar for “King Richard,” awards watchers say, as is Ariana DeBose for “West Side Story.” Comedians Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes will host, and it is the first time three women have guided the ceremony in its 94-year history. Beyonce and Billie Eilish will perform. In a bid to draw more viewers, especially younger ones, after years of declining ratings, the three-hour show starting at 8 p.m. ET (0000 GMT) will add two awards, the result of fan votes on Twitter for favorite film and scene. The ceremony, broadcast live on Walt Disney Co’s ABC, will also feature a moment of support for Ukraine. Producers want the show to be celebratory but said they could not ignore the crisis there. [L2N2VR2VN] In the best picture race, success hinges on whether the 9,900 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences back a gothic psychological thriller or an uplifting story. “The pundits have always said you never know who’s going to win,” said People magazine movies editor Nigel Smith. “This year, it actually seems to be the case.” “Power of the Dog,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a repressed cowboy who torments his brother’s new wife, outpaced all movies with 12 nominations. It had been considered the leader until “CODA” landed top honors from the Screen Actors Guild and Producers Guild. “CODA” tells the story of a hearing girl who serves as interpreter for her deaf family but longs to pursue a career in music. CODA is an acronym for “child of deaf adult.” “I really haven’t spoken to anyone who doesn’t like CODA,” Smith said. ‘IMPORTANT STEPS FORWARD’ A traditional Hollywood studio could score an upset. Awards experts give an outside shot to Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” a film inspired by his childhood in Northern Ireland at the onset of the sectarian conflict known as the Troubles, or Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake. “King Richard” star Smith is the best-actor favorite for playing the determined father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. Competitors include Cumberbatch and Andrew Garfield for musical “Tick, Tick … Boom!” Best actress is the most unpredictable. Many experts say Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker will triumph, though some give the edge to former “Twilight” vampire Kristen Stewart for playing Princess Diana in “Spencer.” Previous Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Olivia Colman also are in the running. While the acting field is not as diverse as last year’s, “it is certainly better than what we saw a few years back with #OscarsSoWhite,” said UCLA dean of social sciences Darnell Hunt, co-author of an annual Hollywood diversity report. “The academy has taken important steps forward.” In supporting actor categories, Afro-Latina actress DeBose is expected to prevail her portrayal of Anita in “West Side Story.” “CODA” star Troy Kotsur could make history as the first deaf man to win an Oscar. Jane Campion also could become the third woman in Oscars history to win best director for “Power of the Dog.” After a scaled-down ceremony at a train station last year, the Oscars have returned to the Dolby Theatre, which will be filled to about three-quarters capacity with 2,500 guests, allowing for some distancing. To streamline the show, winners of eight categories such as editing and sound will be announced before the live broadcast. Their speeches will be edited into the telecast. Spielberg and others criticized the move as an insult to film craftspeople. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Aurora Ellis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Oleksandr Kozhukhar and Pavel Polityuk LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Russia wants to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said on Sunday, vowing “total” guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve-up of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off the Russian forces, which the Kyiv government said were increasingly targeting fuel and food depots. U.S. officials continued efforts to soften comments on Saturday from U.S. President Joe Biden, who said in a fiery speech in Poland that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power”. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no strategy of regime change in Moscow and that Biden had simply meant Putin could not be “empowered to wage war” against Ukraine or anywhere else. After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city and Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on securing the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army for the past eight years. A local leader in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic said on Sunday the region could soon hold a referendum on joining Russia, just as happened in Crimea after Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia — a vote that much of the world refused to recognise. “In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said in a statement, referring to the division of Korea after World War Two. He predicted Ukraine’s army would push back Russian forces. “In addition, the season of a total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive,” he said. Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson also dismissed talk of any referendum in eastern Ukraine. “All fake referendums in the temporarily occupied territories are null and void and will have no legal validity,” Oleg Nikolenko told Reuters. ‘CRUEL AND SENSELESS’ Moscow says the goals for what Putin calls a “special military operation” include demilitarising and “denazifying” its neighbour. Ukraine and its Western allies calls this a pretext for an unprovoked invasion. The invasion has devastated several Ukrainian cities, caused a major humanitarian crisis and displaced an estimated 10 million people, nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s total population. Tatyana Manyek, who crossed the Danube by ferry into Romania on Sunday with other refugees, said people in her home city of Odesa were “very afraid” but she would have stayed were it not for her daughter. “It would be very difficult to provide the child with basic living conditions. That’s why we decided to leave,” she said, clutching a pet dog in her arms. In his Sunday blessing, Pope Francis called for an end to the “cruel and senseless” conflict. “We must repudiate war, a place of death where fathers and mothers bury their children, where men kill their brothers without even seeing them, where the powerful decide and the poor die,” he said. Zelenskiy demanded in a late-night television address on Saturday that Western nations hand over military hardware that was “gathering dust” in stockpiles, saying his nation needed just 1% of NATO’s aircraft and 1% of its tanks. Western nations have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, without offering any heavy armour or planes. “We’ve already been waiting 31 days. Who is in charge of the Euro-Atlantic community? Is it really still Moscow, because of intimidation?” Zelenskiy said, suggesting Western leaders were holding back on supplies because they were frightened of Russia. Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said Russia had started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage centres, meaning the government would have to disperse stocks of both in the near future. Appearing to confirm that, Russia said its missiles had wrecked a fuel deposit on Saturday as well as a military repair plant near the western city of Lviv, just 60 km (40 miles) from the Polish border. The British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces appeared to be concentrating their efforts on encircling Ukrainian troops directly facing separatist regions in the east. “The battlefield across northern Ukraine remains largely static with local Ukrainian counterattacks hampering Russian attempts to reorganise their forces,” the ministry said. HISTORIC STRUGGLE Biden drew criticism for his improvised remarks during a speech in Warsaw that sought to frame the war as part of a historic struggle for democratic freedoms. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said of Putin. Earlier he called Putin a “butcher”. U.S. officials tried to walk back the president’s words. “As you know, and as you have heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia – or anywhere else, for that matter,” Secretary of State Blinken told reporters during a trip to Jerusalem. The United Nations has confirmed 1,119 civilian deaths and 1,790 injuries across Ukraine but says the real toll is likely to be higher. Ukraine said on Sunday 139 children had been killed and more than 205 wounded so far in the conflict. Ukraine and Russia agreed two “humanitarian corridors” to evacuate civilians from frontline areas on Sunday, including allowing people to leave by car from the southern city of Mariupol, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. The encircled port, located between Crimea and eastern areas held by Russian-backed separatists, has been devastated by weeks of heavy bombardment. Thousands of residents are sheltering in basements with scarce water, food, medicine or power. (Reporting by Reuters journalists in Mariupol, Natalia Zinets and Maria Starkova in Lviv, Jarrett Renshaw in Warsaw and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Guy Faulconbridge in London and Matthias Williams; Writing by Aidan Lewis, Crispian Balmer and Lincoln Feast; Editing by William Mallard, Frances Kerry and Gareth Jones) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John was stopped from adopting a Ukrainian orphan because of his sexuality. The 75-year-old star and his husband David Furnish tried to adopt a child from an orphanage they visited, but they were told they wouldn’t be able to because they’re gay. The ‘Rocket Man’ hitmaker – who has Elijah, nine, and Zachary, 11, with David – said: “I was carrying this little boy around for hours. We had a press conference at the end and they said ‘You seem very fond of this little boy. Would you think of adopting him?’ and I went ‘I’d actually love to!’ “Of course, not thinking about social media, it went around the world straight away. It was ‘Elton John wants to adopt two children.'” Despite this, Elton and David weren’t allowed to adopt the boy at the time. He told the ‘Dua Lipa: At Your Service’ podcast: “Because I was gay I wasn’t allowed to anyway. “After that happened, David said, ‘Well, what do you think about having kids?’ I always said no but this little boy was telling me something. He was saying ‘C’mon you can be a dad,’ and that’s when we decided to have children, because of this little boy in Ukraine.” Elton celebrated his 75th birthday on Friday (25.03.22) and he thanked his “lucky stars” for his “wonderful family, friends and career”. The music icon – who is currently on the North American leg of his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour – spent the day reflecting on his life and achievements in music. He said: “I’m not usually one to look back or get nostalgic, but 75 is such a milestone birthday. I’ll definitely find time today to take stock and thank my lucky stars for my wonderful family, friends and career. “I feel unbelievably lucky that at 75 I still love what I do so much – I’m still so energised about music and excited I get to play, listen and talk about this every single day. Being back on the road is a blast and the thrill of playing live is as amazing as it was 50 years ago.” View the full article