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Will Smith banned from Oscars for 10 years over slap

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Will Smith has been barred from attending the Oscars and other Academy events for the next ten years after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the ceremony.

The 94th Academy Awards were “overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage,” according to a statement from the Academy. Smith has apologised for his actions and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The actor slammed Rock for making a joke about his wife’s shaved head, which is the result of alopecia, a hair-loss condition.

He won the best actor award for his role as the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard” less than an hour later. On Friday, the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the awards show, met virtually to discuss disciplinary action. It said in a statement that the ban was aimed at protecting performers and guests while also “restoring trust in the Academy.”

The Academy claimed it did not “adequately address the situation in the room” at the time of the slap and was “unprepared for the unprecedented.” It expressed regret for this.

It also praised Rock for “retaining his composure in the face of adversity.” Smith said in his resignation statement that he had “betrayed the Academy’s trust” and was “heartbroken” over his actions. He went on to say that he would “fully accept any and all consequences” for his actions.

As a result of his resignation, he will be unable to vote in future Oscars. After Smith resigned, the Academy’s disciplinary review of the incident was accelerated. It was originally scheduled for April 18th.

Few people have ever left the academy. Four members have been expelled for sexual misconduct allegations: producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Bill Cosby, director Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel, while actor Carmine Caridi was expelled in 2004 for pirating screener videos given to him.

However, the film academy’s code of conduct included a number of disciplinary options for Smith, including barring him from future Oscar ceremonies, revoking his eligibility for awards, and returning his newly won Oscar.

Only one Oscar has ever been rescinded; in 1969, a film called “Young Americans” won best documentary but was later found to be ineligible for the award.

Smith would face “big consequences,” according to actor Whoopi Goldberg, a member of the academy’s board of governors, but “we’re not going to take that Oscar away from him.”

In addition to the Academy’s actions, at least two studios, Sony and Netflix, have put Smith’s projects on hold.

Rock, who started his latest stand-up comedy tour shortly after the Oscars, has remained silent on the incident.

At a recent show, he told fans that he is “still kind of processing what happened” and that he will speak about the incident “at some point.”

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Sexual assault charges against US rapper Snoop Dogg have been dropped

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An unnamed woman filed a sexual assault claim against US rapper Snoop Dogg, which was later withdrawn.

Jane Doe, the woman named in the lawsuit, claimed that the US rapper sexually assaulted her after she attended one of his concerts in 2013. The allegations were false, according to Snoop Dogg’s representatives, who welcomed the voluntary dismissal.

The claim was withdrawn earlier this week, nearly two months after it was filed in California’s Central District. It was filed just days before Snoop Dogg’s appearance at the Super Bowl half-time show.

Charges against all other parties named in the case, including the rapper’s business associate, were also dropped as a result of the voluntary dismissal. Snoop Dogg’s ex-girlfriend was described as a dancer, model, host, and actress. However, the actress stated that she had never worked for him.

In a statement to the Reuters news agency on Thursday, a representative for Snoop Dogg said, “It is not surprising that the plaintiff dismissed her complaint against the defendants.”

“Her complaint was riddled with inaccuracies and flaws.”

Jane Doe’s lawyer, Matt Finkelberg, has yet to publicly comment on why the case was dropped.

Initially, the unnamed woman claimed she was left “panicked and terrified” during the alleged incident, which she claimed occurred in a TV studio bathroom.

Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, allegedly barged into her house when she was sick, forcing her to perform oral sex and masturbating in front of her.

She went on to say that she had “felt pressured” by the star because of his dominance and power.

Snoop Dogg previously called the allegations “meritless” and stated that he had never had “any sexual encounter” with her.

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Zhirinovsky, Putin’s ultranationalist ally and clown, has died at the age of 75

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Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a Russian ultranationalist politician, died at the age of 75, after a career marked by fiery remarks and absurd antics.

He ran for president six times and was a member of the official opposition that President Vladimir Putin tolerated. He appeared to predict Russia’s attack on Ukraine in December. He claimed to have received eight doses of Covid-19 vaccine. After being admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, he contracted coronavirus and died a few weeks later.

After two earlier reports had been discounted, parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin finally confirmed his death on Wednesday.

“A man who deeply understood how the world works and foresaw a lot,” he said of Zhirinovsky, who was always in the thick of things. During his more than 30-year political career, Zhirinovsky’s brand of clownish ultranationalism shocked and entertained Russians.

He claimed in the early 1990s that he fantasised about the day “when Russian soldiers will be able to wash their boots in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.” In one of his final appearances before MPs, he predicted that Russia would invade Ukraine and predicted the date almost to the minute.

From the Baltics and Germany to Japan and the Middle East, he faced similar threats throughout his career. When he threw juice in the face of a political rival, Boris Nemtsov, during a TV debate, he became famous around the world.

He ran a Soviet state-approved Jewish cultural organisation before entering politics. His Liberal Democratic Party of Russia was the country’s first official post-communist political party, and he was widely regarded as a Soviet stooge at the time. When his party won Russia’s first democratic elections in 1993, Russians and the rest of the world were stunned.

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Asghar Farhadi, a well-known Iranian filmmaker, accused of plagiarism

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Asghar Farhadi, an Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker, has been summoned to appear in court in Iran on plagiarism charges.

Azadeh Masihzadeh, a former Farhadi student, claims that he stole the idea for his new film, A Hero, from her documentary, All Winners All Losers. He denies this, claiming that he independently researched the story.

Farhadi won Academy Awards for A Separation in 2012 and The Salesman in 2017 for Best International Feature Film.

Last year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prize winner, A Hero, was overlooked for an Oscar nomination.

Rahim, played by Amir Jadidi, is a divorced father of a young boy who is imprisoned in Iran because he was unable to repay a debt. During a two-day temporary release, he is applauded by authorities and the media for returning a handbag containing gold coins to its rightful owner. He, on the other hand, quickly becomes a target of suspicion.

“It’s really hard for me to go back and remember what the genesis was, what triggered this story,” he told the BBC’s Talking Movies programme in January. Many of these stories develop subconsciously in your mind, gradually taking shape, and a desire to write a script grows.

“I used to collect local newspapers and work with my students to investigate these kinds of stories about 12, 15 years ago.” Masihzadeh, on the other hand, accused Farhadi of stealing the story from All Winners, All Losers, a documentary workshop she attended in 2014 and which was screened at an Iranian film festival in 2018.

Farhadi denied the plagiarism charge and countersued Masihzadeh, accusing him of defamation. The defamation suit was dismissed by a media court in Tehran on Monday, according to Masihzadeh, who told the Hollywood Reporter that there was insufficient evidence to support Farhadi’s claim.

She expressed relief at the decision, but added that she was “not happy” because “I respected Mr Farhadi a lot as my master.” “Sometimes I wonder if I should have [speak out] in the first place,” she continued. The court also determined that there was sufficient evidence to issue Farhadi a summons to appear in court to answer allegations of copyright infringement.

On Instagram, Kaveh Rad, the director’s lawyer, stated that the case would now be re-examined by a criminal court and, potentially, an appeals court. “This summons is not the court’s final decision,” he clarified, “but it is part of the process.”

Mr Rad also stated that the court had dismissed Masihzadeh’s claim for a cut of the film’s profits, as well as a defamation suit filed by a former prisoner who claimed the story was based on their own life.

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In a pink gift bag,’stolen’ Charles Darwin notebooks were left on the library floor

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Charles Darwin’s “stolen” notebooks have been mysteriously returned to Cambridge University, 22 years after they were last seen.

The small leather-bound books, which include the scientist’s “tree of life” sketch, are worth millions of pounds. Their return comes 15 months after the BBC first reported their disappearance and the library launched a global search for them.
“I’m overjoyed,” says Dr. Jessica Gardner, the university’s librarian.

She gives a big grin as she delivers the news. She can’t seem to stop grinning. “They’re safe, they’re in good shape, and they’ve arrived at their destination.” But it’s a real mystery as to who returned the two postcard-sized notepads. They were placed in a bright pink gift bag with the original blue box the notebooks were kept in and a plain brown envelope, and they were left anonymously.

A short message was printed on it: “Librarian, Happy Easter X.”

The two notebooks were tightly wrapped in cling film inside. Outside Dr. Gardner’s office, the package had been left on the floor in a public area of the library with no CCTV.

Dr. Gardner describes her reaction to seeing the bag and its contents for the first time on March 9 as “shaking.” “However, I was cautious because we couldn’t be certain until we could unwrap them.”

Between discovering the package and the police granting permission to open the cling film, examine the notebooks, and confirm they were genuine, there was a five-day wait.

The notepads were made after Darwin returned from the Galapagos Islands in the late 1830s. He drew a spindly sketch of a tree on one page, which helped inspire his theory of evolution and would become a central theory in his groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species more than 20 years later. The manuscripts were last seen in November 2000, when they were removed from the library’s special collections strong room to be photographed due to a “internal request.”

They were discovered to be missing only two months later during a routine check. Initially, librarians believed they had been returned to the wrong location in the massive university library, which houses over 10 million books, maps, and manuscripts. Despite numerous searches, the notebooks were never found, and Dr. Gardner concluded in 2020 that they had most likely been stolen. She alerted the authorities and Interpol.

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Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, and Jon Batiste have all received Grammy nominations

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At the 64th Grammy Awards, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, and jazz musician Jon Batiste shared the top prize.

We Are, by Batiste, was named album of the year, while Rodrigo was named best new artist and best pop album. Silk Leave The Door Open, Sonic’s soul throwback anthem, won both the record and song of the year awards. A tribute to Foo Fighters frontman Taylor Hawkins was paid during the ceremony, as was a video plea from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

He urged musicians to “fill the silence” left by Russian bombs “with your music” in a pre-recorded message. “Please tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on social media and on television. However, there will be no silence.”
Following his speech, John Legend performed with Ukrainian musicians Siuzanna Iglidan and Mika Newton, as well as poet Lyuba Yakimchuk. Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and BTS all gave energetic performances at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and folk icon Joni Mitchell made a rare on-stage appearance to introduce Brandi Carlile.

The “big four” categories were expanded to include ten nominees each, making this year’s Grammys one of the most open in years. However, the Recording Academy prefers artists who acknowledge their musical roots, which helped Silk Sonic and Jon Batiste win their respective categories.

We Are, Batiste’s album, is steeped in black music tradition, from the New Orleans jazz he grew up with to Al Green’s classic soul to modern R&B.

In 2020, the title track was written in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the album’s themes of positivity and intergenerational wisdom made it a favourite with voters, who gave Batiste 11 Grammy nominations. Bruno Mars and rapper/drummer Anderson collaborated on Silk Sonic.

Plough a similar furrow, Paak. Leave The Door Open, their sumptuous ballad, is steeped in the 70s soul sounds of acts like The Chi-Lites and Earth, Wind & Fire, delivered with a knowing wink to modern sensibilities.

The duo were clearly ecstatic with their song of the year and record of the year victories.

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Ukraine War: A family’s attempt to flee the Ukraine war ends in tragedy

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The drone footage shows three cars speeding along an empty main road just outside Kyiv, Ukraine, before turning around and racing back – all but one.

This white car makes a U-turn, but then comes to a complete stop. A man takes a step forward and raises his hands. His body then collapses to the ground. Russian soldiers appear a short time later. A soldier walks an elderly woman and her child away from the car. Maksim Iovenko was the man on the ground. Russian forces stationed along the roadside shot and killed the 31-year-old. His wife, Ksenia, was also killed in the vehicle.

Their six-year-old son and an elderly family friend who was with them managed to flee, though she was injured and remains hospitalised. On March 7, Maksim and his family were part of a convoy of about ten cars of civilians attempting to reach Kyiv from the city’s western outskirts, which had become a conflict zone.

It was filmed and widely shared by a Ukrainian territorial defence group conducting aerial reconnaissance. Sergiy says he knew something was wrong when a friend of Maksim’s who was in the convoy called him to tell him the news. When he picked up the phone, there was silence, until the friend finally said, “Stay strong, your son and daughter-in-law are gone.” Maksim worked for a travel agency in Kyiv, and it was there that he met Ksenia. Sergiy describes his son as a loving family man who enjoys singing karaoke. But, he claims, his most important hobby was spending time with his family. “He adored his son, and this was his life’s work.”

Sergiy and his family, like many other Ukrainians, did not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would invade. Maksim assumed that once Putin did, Kyiv would be one of the first cities to be shelled.

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Orban faces toughest election challenge in Hungary as a result of Russia’s war

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The headline in the tabloid Metropol, distributed to morning commuters flocking through Budapest’s Western Station, screams, “Peace or War.” In the box next to the “peace” option, there’s a nice blue cross.

That is Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party’s campaign slogan as it seeks a record fourth consecutive term in office in Sunday’s elections. After 12 years in power, they are facing their first serious challenge from a coalition of six opposition parties led by Peter Marki-Zay. The race has been accelerated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Hungary shares a border with Ukraine and has so far taken in more than 500,000 refugees. Mr. Orban insists that the only way to keep Hungary out of the war is for him to help the people while refusing to supply weapons to Ukraine. Although his party’s slogan of “peace or war” is simplistic, it is effective. And it’s broadcast, printed, and illuminated in large letters everywhere in Hungary.

It disrupts any music you’re listening to on YouTube, as well as videos featuring international coverage of the Ukraine conflict. According to a group of critical monitoring organisations, the government has spent eight times more on its campaign than all of the opposition parties combined.

The fact that the ruling party enjoys the support of a largely compliant media also helps. On the other hand, the opposition’s catchphrase is “Orban or Europe.”
Their candidate, Peter Marki-Zay, proposes that Hungary join Poland, the United Kingdom, and others in providing arms to Ukraine. Should consider sending troops if called upon, but only within a Nato framework.

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Oscar Producer: Police Were Ready to Arrest the Star During the Oscars

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Will Smith was ready to be arrested at the Oscars after the actor slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage, according to the ceremony’s producer.

Will Packer said officers asked Rock if he wanted them to take action in his first interview since the incident on Sunday. Packer told ABC TV that the star was “very dismissive” of the offer. Smith has apologised for punching Rock over a joke about his wife Jada, and the Oscars’ organisers and Packer have been chastised for their responses.

The producer described the conversation between Rock and Los Angeles police officers in the aftermath of the incident in an interview clip published by ABC’s Good Morning America.

“They were saying something along the lines of, you know, this is – battery was the word they used at the time. ‘We’ll go get him,’ they said. We have everything we need. Right now, we’re ready to go get him. You have the option of filing charges. We have the authority to detain him.’

“They were outlining the possibilities. And while they were conversing, Chris was dismissive of those possibilities. ‘No, I’m fine,’ he said. ‘No, no, no,’ he exclaimed. I went so far as to say, ‘Rock, let them finish.’

“‘Would you like us to take any action?’ the other LAPD officers asked after they had finished explaining his options. ‘No,’ he replied. ‘No,’ he replied.”

Packer, who produced the 2015 Oscar-nominated film Straight Outta Compton and the 2017 film Girls Trip, will be interviewed in depth later on Friday. There have been conflicting reports on the producer’s role in Smith’s decision to stay in the Dolby Theatre to accept his best actor award shortly after the now-famous slap.

Packer entered the auditorium and spoke with Smith, according to Variety, but reports differ on whether Packer asked Smith to stay or not. The organisation has begun disciplinary proceedings against Smith, and its board of directors will meet on April 18 to decide how to proceed.

It could result in “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted by the Bylaws and Standards of Conduct,” according to the statement.

Rock said on Wednesday that he is “still processing what happened” as he hosted the final leg of his US tour in Boston.

Rock, who received a standing ovation from the audience, also denied reports in the American media that he had spoken to Smith since the incident.

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Tom Parker: The Wanted Singer Dies Aged 33

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Tom Parker, a member of the British boy band The Wanted, died at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

In October 2020, the singer revealed to his fans that he had an inoperable tumour. “Our hearts are broken,” his wife Kelsey Hardwick wrote on Instagram. The couple had two young children together.
“Tom was the centre of our world; we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence,” she wrote.

“Thank you to everyone who has helped him throughout his illness; he fought to the very end. I’ll always be proud of you.” The couple had a daughter, Aurelia Rose, and a son, Bodhi, after marrying in 2018. Parker’s death “devastated” the band, who said they were with him and his family at his bedside when he died.

Parker, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, and Jay McGuiness formed The Wanted in 2009. Glad You Came and All Time Low were their two UK number one singles, and they also had eight other top ten hits, including Chasing The Sun, Heart Vacancy, and Lightning.

Last September, Parker organised a Stand Up To Cancer concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and The Wanted reunited. It also raised money for the National Brain Appeal.

In November, the band released a greatest hits album. Parker told fans shortly before the album’s release that his brain tumour was “stable” and “under control.”

“Such a cruel, cruel world… RIP Tom.. you will be missed but never forgotten,” Union J singer JJ Hamblett said. Parker’s openness about his illness and fundraising efforts were praised by non-profit Brain Tumour Research UK in a statement.

“Since his diagnosis, Tom has spoken openly and honestly about the impact of the disease, and in doing so, has helped to raise awareness of the devastation caused by brain tumours,” said Hugh Adams of the charity.

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