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World Cup 2018: Your Guide to All 32 Teams

Jessie
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World Cup 2018: Your Guide to All 32 Teams

With the FIFA World Cup 2018 just around the corner, we have decided to give you a lowdown on each team taking part in the competition.

Group A – Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Despite being the hosting nation, the Russian side taking part in the competition lacks any big names. Only Alan Dzagoev, the playmaker from CSKA Moscow, is their best chance at creativity. As a result, there’s a very good chance that they might join South Africa to become the 2nd host nation in World Cup’s history to be eliminated in the group stage.

Uruguay, meanwhile, are twice World Cup winners in 1930 and 1950 and contains a multitude of star players including Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and PSG’s Edinson Cavani. They also have a formidable defensive prowess, hence the reason why Uruguay are expected to top Group A.

For Egypt, it is only the 2nd time in their history that they’ve made it to the group stages of the World Cup. However, that doesn’t mean that anything more would be a bonus. With a star player in Mohamed Salah – who scored 32 goals last season with Liverpool in the Premier League – they are hot favorites to join Uruguay in the knockout stages.

On paper, Saudi Arabia has more experience at this level than Egypt, as they made it to the Round of 16 in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Their star player is Mohammad al-Sahlawi who scored 16-goals in the qualifying round and has 28 goals in 33 appearances for his country.

Group B – Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran

The Group B contains reigning European champions Portugal who are coming into the competition having won 9 out of 10 qualifying games. Their star player is obviously Cristiano Ronaldo who has scored more goals for his country than any other player in history.

Hoping to dent the enthusiasm of Portugal will be the 2010 World Cup winners in Spain, who have taken a hit even before the start of World Cup. Their manager Julen Lopetegui was sacked just one day before the start of the World Cup. Still, with the number of star players Spain have at their disposal, they should breeze through the group stages.

Battling it out for the third spot will be Iran and Morocco, two teams who couldn’t have wished to be in a worse group than this. While Iran has made 4 World Cup appearances, Morocco’s best performance came in 1986 when they reached the Round of 16.

Group C – France, Australia, Peru, Denmark

France is one of the most feared teams in this World Cup as they have a team full of match-winners at every position. Still, as their performances in the qualifying round showed – where they were defeated by Sweden and held to a draw by Luxembourg at home – this French team is still some way short of the 1998 team which lifted the Cup.

After France, the next big name in Group C is that of Denmark, whose best performance at this stage came in the 1998 World Cup when they made it to the quarterfinals. With Christian Erikson marshaling their midfield, the Danish side is favorites for the 2nd spot in this group.

Among the other two sides, Peru has the pedigree to be the surprise package of this group. That is despite the fact that this is their first appearance in the World Cup in 36 years.

 
Group D – Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria

Containing Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Paulo Dybala, the Argentine side is one of the hot favorites to lift the cup next month. Just like France, they have a match winner at every position. However, unlike France, the Argentine players know how to perform when the heat is on.

Croatia has the firepower in midfielder Luka Modric and striker Mario Mandzukic to be the surprise package of this year’s World Cup. Though they are likely to face a tough test from the Nigerian side which contains several quality players including John Obi Mikel and Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi.

As for Iceland, their victory against England in the 2016 Euro Championships means this team can perform on its day. And even though they have Gylfi Sigurdsson in their midfield, the strength of this Iceland team lies in their collective.

Group E – Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia

With five-time World Cup winners Brazil in this group, it would be a huge folly to tip any other team to finish atop Group E. Their form has taken an upturn ever since the sacking of former manager Dunga, with Brazil unbeaten in the qualifying since the appointment of Tite.

As for Switzerland, they contain at least two-star players in ex-Bayern man Xherdan Shaqiri and AC Milan’s free-kick specialist left-back, Ricardo Rodriguez. However, if their recent history in this competition offers a clue, the Swiss are tipped to be knocked out in the group stages.

Costa Rica, meanwhile, was the surprise package in 2014 when they reached the quarterfinals. They have a truly world class player in goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who plies his trade with the European club champions Real Madrid.

Serbia has an uncharacteristically solid midfield and defense as it features veterans Aleksandar Kolarov, Nemanja Matic, and Branislav Ivanovic. They have what it takes to turn the Group E into a group of death for Switzerland and Costa Rica.

Group F – Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

Germany is coming into this year’s competition as the reigning World Champions and there is no reason why they cannot repeat their performance from last World Cup. They have a star-studded squad, a manager who knows how to win trophies, and arguably the best goalkeeper in the world in a fit-again Manuel Neuer.

Mexico has two accomplished performers in Hector Moreno and Javier Hernandez. They might fancy their chances to make it to the round of 16, but standing in their way is a Sweden side which might suffer from the absence of one Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Just like Mexico, South Korea has two-star performers in Tottenham’s Son Heung Min and captain Ki Sung-Yeung. Given the way they performed in the qualification round, do not rule out a respectable showing by South Korea in the group stages.

Group G – Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England

Featuring two heavyweights in Belgium and England, Group G might be in for some fireworks. The English team, which has been underperforming at major competitions since 1996. They don’t have the star-studded cast of yesteryears but what they do have is a plethora of young players eager to make their mark on the International arena.

Belgium, meanwhile, will be entering into this World Cup with their golden generations still intact. With Eden Hazard providing the pace down the flanks, Romelu Lukaku outmuscling the opponents in the main striker role and Thibaut Courtois as their goalkeeper, the Red Devils are tipped to top this group.

As for Panama and Tunisia, both of them will be hoping for an English slip-up. Otherwise, both these teams might be heading to the airport at the culmination of the group stages.

Group H – Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan

Poland will be looking towards the goal-scoring prowess of Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski to ease them through Group H. They have another, highly-rated player in Piotr Zielinski whose uncanny ability to score long-range goals makes him a threat.

Senegal has the pace and flair of Liverpool forward Sadio Mane who is currently enjoying the best form of his career. The 26-year-old former Southampton forward scored 20 goals and assisted another 8 in all competitions last season.

As for Colombia, their main hope, now that James Rodriguez has lost his form which turned him into a sensation in the last world cup, is the striker Radamel Falcao. He missed the last World Cup due to ACL tear and will look to use his time at Monaco to make amends here. With three such good teams in the mix, it seems that Japan might finish bottom of Group H.

‘Dumbo’ Trailer: First Teaser of Tim Burton’s Live-Action Remake

Jessie
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‘Dumbo’ Trailer: First Teaser of Tim Burton’s Live-Action Remake

Starring Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton, Tim Burton’s live-action remake of ‘Dumbo’ will hit theatres March next year.

Disney’s first teaser trailer of ‘Dumbo’ has done well to assuage the fears of the fans who thought that the live-action remake of the Disney Classic will leave it looking bizarre.

The teaser trailer, which stars Norwegian popstar Aurora singing Baby Mine, features Dreamland clips and ends with Dumbo taking flight for the first time in his life.

It was last year that Disney unveiled its first look of the live-action remake of Dumbo. Its unveiling of the dummy of the titular elephant back then had received mix responses from the audience, with one newspaper calling it ‘’nightmare inducing’’.

To be fair to Disney, it wasn’t easy for it to transform a 2D elephant – with ears twice the size of its body – into something photogenic. Still, it put doubts in the minds of Disney fans who feared that the production house might ruin the Disney classic.

https://twitter.com/PangalawaSaApat/status/1006797668394438658

Luckily, as the abovementioned teaser trailer shows, the character of Dumbo now looks more palatable than it did a year ago. Therefore, Disney fans can rest easy as the production house has done well to transform a literary classic into a live-action figure.

Apart from unveiling the teaser trailer of the movie which stars Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton, Disney has also unveiled an official synopsis.

‘’Dumbo’’ introduces Holt Farrier (Farrell), a former circus star who returns from war to find his life turned upside down. He is employed by the circus owner Max Medici (DeVito) to take care of a newborn elephant.

That elephant is none other than ‘’Dumbo’’ whose oversized ears make matters difficult for him at the circus. To make matters worse, the circus is already struggling, so Dumbo becomes a laughing stock due to his ears.

Luckily, Holt’s children come to discover that Dumbo can fly, and with that Dumbo’s fortunes change. A team consisting of persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Keaton) and aerial artist Colette Marchant (Green) chime in to make a previously outlier Dumbo a star of the circus.

Trump-Kim Summit: North Korean leader says ‘World will see Major Change’

Jessie
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Trump-Kim Summit: North Korean leader says ‘World will see Major Change’

Speaker to the press after the summit between the two leaders, the US President expressed his hope that the North Korean denuclearization process would begin ‘’very quickly’’.

An unprecedented nearly-five hour summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un ended on Tuesday with huge announcements from both sides but little progress on the main issue of nuclear disarmament.

For the US President, the summit presents an accolade which he can show to his supporters back home to garner votes in the upcoming mid-term polls. For the North Korean leader, this summit presents a major victory as the US has now decided to stop war games with South Korea.

President Trump’s decision of stopping what he called ‘’war games’’ with South Korea is a major diplomatic victory for the North. Code-named Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, these war games involved 23,000 American and more than 300,000 South Korean troops in March this year.

North Korea has always been dismissive of these war games, which it sees as a joint-attempt by the United States and South Korea to cower the belligerent North with an impressive show of their might. Hence, now that Trump has decided to stop them, a major pinching point in the relationship has been overcome.

Coming into the summit, the US had the specified aim of ‘’complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization’’. However, what the North Korean leader has pledged is exactly the same what he pledged to do in a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier this year.

For, while Kim Jong Un has ’’reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula’’, there were scant details on what steps North Korea would take to achieve that objective, though its leader assured the world that it ‘’will see a major change’’.

After a morning full of meetings and a working lunch, Trump and Kim made their way to the US and North Korean reporters without aides or translators.

“We had a really fantastic meeting. A lot of progress,” Trump said. “Really very positive. I think better than anybody could have expected. Top of the line. Really good.”

Both leaders then walked back to the hotel where Trump showed Kim the inside of his armor-plated limousine, known as ‘’the Beast’’. Afterward, they stopped at the hotel’s doors, before having a discussion with their respective staff and went off in different directions with their entourages.

Ariana Grande Engaged To Boyfriend Pete Davidson

Jessie
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Ariana Grande Engaged To Boyfriend Pete Davidson

After only a month of them dating each other, sources have confirmed that Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson are now engaged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESHFU1ofX8

Singer Ariana Grande is reportedly engaged to her boyfriend Pete Davidson, only a month after reports emerged that they were dating each other.

A source, according to People, has confirmed that the engagement has happened only recently, and it was only this past weekend that they started talking about it. The source further confirmed that they aren’t hiding their relationship.

The pair has also reportedly told their friends of their engagement last weekend as they were attending a party hosted by Robert Pattinson.

SNL comedian Pete and Ariana only started dating each other at the start of this year. Though it’s believed that the couple has known each other since 2016.

Their relationship started after Grande bid farewell to her boyfriend of two years, the rapper Mac Miller. Davidson, meanwhile also broke up with his girlfriend Cazzie David last month.

Since then, the couple has further inflamed the rumors that something is going on between them by posting affectionate videos and messages on Twitter and Instagram. They even attended together Kanye West’s album listening party last week.

Still, what almost confirmed that the relationship between the two was when Pete unveiled two tattoos of Ariana emblazoned on his body last week.

The first tattoo, which contains her initials, is on his right thumb. The other tattoo, which he has on his neck, is an image of the cover which Ariana wore for her 2016 album ‘Dangerous Woman’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjh5DijnRvF/?utm_source=ig_embed

Davidson, who has been with the SNL since 2014, has been one of the youngest members of the show. He also had a cameo in Amy Schumer starring ‘Trainwreck’ and appeared on the famous sitcom ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’.

‘’Ocean’s 8’’ Film Review: Good but Not Great

Jessie
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‘’Ocean’s 8’’ Film Review: Good but Not Great

It is a good ensemble comedy, but a film which features ace actresses into a glamorous heist, Ocean’s 8 could have been better.

Let’s put it straight: Ocean’s 8 is fun.

A sequel to the three previous Ocean’s films, it features ace actresses in the roles of smooth criminals. Criminals who do the deed not only for money but also for fun. Criminals who wear a lot of great clothes and deliver some punchy lines along the way.

So, in case you were wondering, ‘’Ocean’s 8’’ is no disaster, as it is worthy of being the newest member of the hollowed Ocean’s brand.

That said, I hope that ‘’Ocean’s 8’’ could have involved a lot more fun. Coming from the direction of Gary Ross, it takes some steps towards the snappy visual and narrative style of Soderbergh, but these gestures seem, at best, half-hearted.

The fact that it has a lower budget than ‘’Ocean’s Eleven’’ – which was released 17 years ago – is also visible. Gone are the luxurious finishings which Clooney and the boys were provided back then. However, while the set isn’t great, the clothes are brilliant.

Turning our attention to its plot, and it seems as if Ross and Olivia Mulch, the writers of ‘’Ocean’s 8’’, didn’t trust the viewers to understand something intricate.

For, had it not been the case, the movie wouldn’t have lacked the subtle and intricate heists of its predecessors. Gone are the nerve tingling, spine jingling, and mind-busting thefts. Available is a simple route, with problems and heists which the actresses find too easy to overcome.

However, while the film isn’t without its faults, the performances of its starry cast have done well to cover them up.

Sandra Bullock, who plays Debbie Ocean, is shown assembling a team of thieves to steal a diamond necklace from the film’s version of real-life Met Gala.

Throughout her journey, Bullock is portrayed as a scheming lady with restrained humor who never shows the same smugness which was on offer by the leading actors in the earlier Ocean’s movies.

Joining Bullock is Cate Blanchett as Lou, who is also the more pragmatic of the two. She doubts Bullock’s plan right from the start but sticks to her nonetheless. We’re also given a glimpse of a sense of attraction between them, though the film doesn’t go too deep to explore that dynamic.

Still, what we got was a lot of Blanchett, as she wears crispy tailored suits and peppers Bullock with her pragmatic advice. We hope that if there’s ever an Ocean 9, it should explore the role of Lou more deeply.

The rest of the band comes together nicely: Rihanna as a computer-hacker who smokes weed, Mindy Kaling as a jeweler who is compromised, Sarah Paulson as a merchandise hoarder, Awkwfina as a pickpocket, and a Helena Bonham Carter who needs a quick payday after being disgraced in her earlier life as a fashion designer.

Away from the gang, Anne Hathway holds all the cards in the movie. She plays the role of Daphne Kluger, the star who is wearing the necklace which the gang is scheming to steal.  She plays her role marvelously, and there is that one scene (NO SPOILERS), where Hathaway takes the movie to a whole new level with shifts in her breath and bearing.

Concluding my review, ‘’Ocean 8’’ is a pretty good movie with an above-average cast and a below-average plot line. Still, it would amuse the cinemagoers.

How Jessica Chastain Emerged As a Champion for Gender Equality

Jessie
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How Jessica Chastain Emerged As a Champion for Gender Equality

Both as a vocal proponent of ‘’Timer’s Up’’ movement and a producer, Jessica Chastain has become a powerful voice which demands change in Hollywood.

The social awareness of Jessica Chastain became widely known in a tweet she sent in October. She sent that to actress Asia Argento after the latter had tweeted a list of 82 women – including herself – who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting/raping/molesting them.

Chastain replied, “There are more women than this. They are afraid. #ibelieveyou.”

Then, as the world fell apart for Harvey Weinstein, Chastain became one of the most-famous proponents for Time’s Up movement, as she became a part of its Legal Defense Fund.

The group, which has raised $21.7 million till date, was also at the center of attention during the 2018 Golden Globes as a lion’s share of celebrities wore black to criticize Hollywood’s sexual harassment problem.

These acts of feminism have raised the stature of Chastain, far beyond her $1 billion collections at the Box Office and even the two Oscar nominations that she received. She built on her previous work for feminism by co-founding Freckle Films, a production house which commits to equally paying.

What’s more, apart from founding the project, it was the idea of Chastain which CAA followed to orchestrate an Equal-Pay deal.

She has also been a part of the team which did research to convince producers that women-led ensemble wins outperform their male-led counterparts.

In addition to her behind-the-scenes work, Chastain is also working on it to promote Gender equality. Take, for instance, her new film ‘’Woman Walks Ahead’’, which is released in limited theatres June 29.

The film revolves around a real-life portrait artist who traveled all the way to Dakota Territory to paint a Sitting Bull.

Despite the fact that she received less than $1 million for the role – and the film had a $5 million budget – Chastain says that one of the reasons she made the film was to remember the ‘’forgotten women in history.

Therefore, regardless of where you look – whether you look at her recent on-screen roles where she is eulogizing forgotten women or her off-screen works where she is playing her part in raising millions for the weak segments of our society – Jessica Chastain is making a difference.

Robert De Niro Shouts ‘F*** Trump’ During Tony Awards, Gets Standing Ovation

Jessie
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Robert De Niro Shouts ‘F*** Trump’ During Tony Awards, Gets Standing Ovation

The legendary actor said those words while introducing Bruce Springsteen’s musical performance at Sunday’s Tony Awards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfK5PN4YKEM

“I’m going to say one thing’’, was how Robert De Niro started, before adding, ‘’F*** Trump’’. With his fists pumping the air, he then doubled down: ‘’ “It’s no longer down with Trump. It’s f*** Trump.”

It’s safe to assume from the words he chose that Robert De Niro was in a mood to take President Donald Trump to the cleaners at Sunday’s Tony Awards.

He had come on stage to introduce Bruce Springsteen’s musical performance but ended up expressing his political sentiment.

His audience at the Radio City Music Hall didn’t mind, though, as suggested by the standing ovation they gave De Niro after he said the abovementioned words.

CBS, which was airing the show, scrambled to bleep the offensive words as the show was on the live telecast.

Still, while CBS’s bleeping made sure that the millions watching at home couldn’t listen to the expletives, those in the audience, as well as the journalists, heard them loud and clear.

Robert De Niro is one of the most iconic actors in the United States with two Oscar wins for ‘’Godfather: Part II’’ and ‘’Raging Bull.’’

He is also a noted liberal who is one of the most vicious critics of the Trump presidency.

Still, while he has criticized Trump at smaller showbusiness events, none of them had the high profile and huge audience numbers of the Tony Awards, which drew in six-million American viewers last year.

De Niro’s public criticism of Trump started one-month before Mr. Trump was elected President. Back then, he had released a video in which Niro called the candidate ‘’stupid’’ before adding:  “I’d like to punch him in the face.”

“He’s an embarrassment to this country. It makes me so angry this country has gotten to this point that this fool, this bozo, has wound up where he has,’’ was how De Niro described his dislike for Mr. Trump in the same video which was revealed as a part of Vice Exclusives.

Netflix to Air Restored Version of ‘A Star Is Born’, Reveals Barbra Streisand

Jessie
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Netflix to Air Restored Version of ‘A Star Is Born’, Reveals Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand announced the new deal content at the closing ceremony of Netflix FYSee event at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

Netflix has joined hands with Barbra Streisand to produce a number of new contents, the most exciting of which is the revamped version of 1976’s film ‘A Star Is Born’. The deal will also see a number of TV specials from Streisand’s career which began in the 1960s.

The star made this announcement while in a conversation with Jamie Foxx at the closing ceremony of Netflix FYSee event at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. She was appearing on behalf of her concert special ‘Barbra: The Music … The Mem’ries … The Magic!’

The licensing pact which Streisand has signed with Netflix will see both of them to produce six vintage music specials, though what will attract the attention of audiences the most will be a new and restored version of ‘A Star is Born’.

The 1976 film – which collected many accolades at the Box Office – revolves around the lives of two singers, one a talented rock star in John Norman Howard and the other an up and coming singer in Esther Hoffman, whose role was played by Barbra Streisand.

Both of them meet at a time when Norman’s career was taking its last breaths, while that of Barbra was taking off.

Still, that didn’t make Norman jealous, as he teaches Barbra the ins and outs of the entertainment business. As they fall deeply in love, the success of Barbra’s career only makes the decline of Howard’s more apparent.

In addition to covering ‘A Star Is Born’, the licensing pact will cover some other great TV specials including: “My Name Is Barbra” (1965), “Color Me Barbra” (1966), “Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park” (1968), “Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments” (1973), “Barbra Streisand: The Concert” (1994), and “Barbra Streisand: Timeless” (2001).

The Netflix press release which announced the restoration of the 1976 film only talks about a ‘’special edition’’ of the film. It further states that it would include a never-before-seen footage of Streisand performing ‘’Evergreen’’, the instrumental song for which she won an Oscar.

An additional footage will also be added to the mesmerizing ‘’With One More Look At You/Watch Closely Now’’ medley finale.

While Netflix hasn’t announced the release date of the footage, Barbra Streisand, in an interview to Variety, told that it would come out in a few days.

Eminem’s Daughter Opens up on Her Relationship with Dad

Jessie
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Eminem’s Daughter Opens up on Her Relationship with Dad

The 22-year-old Hailie Jade Scott has broken the silence on the tight-knit relationship she shares with her dad.

Hailie Jade Scott, the 22-year-old daughter of Eminem who bears an astonishing resemblance to her father, has broken her silence on her tight-knit relation with her father.

In an interview published in the Daily Mail newspaper on Monday, the Michigan State University revealed that ‘’we are very close’’ when asked about whether her father was supportive of her. Hailie is the only biological child of the rapper and his ex-wife Kim.

To his credit, Eminem has showcased his soft side for his daughter in his songs. So much so that he dedicated the entire ‘’Castle’’ track to Scott.

The track was a compilation of the annual letters Eminem has written to his daughter over the years.

Hailie decided to stay away from the limelight before she created her Instagram account in 2016.

Within under two years, she now has over a million followers, with every post of her becoming viral in a matter of minutes.

She is inundated with offers from major brands for representation, though Daily Mail revealed that the 22-year-old was hoping to become an ‘influencer’.

When asked about her plans now she is a graduate, Hailie revealed little: ‘I’m not sure yet, it’s kind of up in the air, still. People have been reaching out through [Instagram], as I don’t have any [management].’

Unlike her famed rapper father, Hailie is not drawn towards music. Instead, she is more infatuated with the beauty world, as her social media posts in which she showcases her makeup skills can attest.

Still, Hailie says she hasn’t made up her mind on whether she wants to live a life of fame. She also admitted that she isn’t yet ready to launch her career.

Currently, Haile lives in her own four-bedroomed apartment in Detroit, Michigan.

Her house is just a few minutes’ drive away from her family home, and Haile regularly visits her mom, who raises her half-siblings Parker and Whitney.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z Display Mutual Love as The Run II tour opens in Cardiff

Jessie
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Beyoncé and Jay-Z Display Mutual Love as The Run II tour opens in Cardiff

For all the reports that their marriage is taking final breaths, The Run II tour, which opened in Cardiff yesterday, was a 2 ½ hour show of love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrJw3_ADmhA

Jay-Z and Beyoncé still love each other as any other happily-married couple; this was what we were able to gather from their combined performances on the Run II tour which opened in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The couple, which made their way through more than 40 hits – including Crazy in Love and 99 problems – teased, flirted, and held hands throughout the show. Even when they were deep in the shadows, the mutual love was on display for everyone to see.

https://twitter.com/OTRIITour/status/1004485761553567744

At one point during the show, Beyoncé evoked giggles from her husband by twerking to her. When Jay-Z rapped about ‘’ the rock on your finger’’, Beyoncé flashed her wedding ring, a huge grin spread across her face.

Still, while the show was a 2 ½ hour display of their love, it didn’t shy away from discussing the infidelity of Jay-Z. That said, on the whole, the message was that of love, healing, and redemption.

The video screens which decorated the whole stadium showcased compilation of the images of the couple being separated and their house on fire before they eventually reunited in a church to renew their wedding vows.

In case you are wondering, the love-stuff just formed a backdrop of the show, as the audience was treated to the back catalogs of both the stars.

The soundtracks which glamorized the night included hip-hop classics (Dirt Off Your Shoulder), feminist anthems (Flawless), among other tracks.

However, since the show contained multiple themes, it failed to have the political and cultural resonance which Beyoncé was able to showcase with her performance and set at the Coachella music festival.

That concert hammered home the idea of black resilience and feminist power, whereas, the On The Run II Tour failed to settle on any theme, as it vacillated between religious iconography and love and crime.

Another issue which we noted was the choice of tracks, as Beyoncé decided to forego her greatest hits in favor of songs that mold with that of Jay-Z’s material.

Consequently, the audience which was expecting hit-numbers from their favorite singers was greatly disappointed.

Finally, with the show about to end, love was in the air again. Home videos of not only the couple but also their three children flashed on the screen as Beyoncé sang her Ed Sheeran duet ‘’Perfect’’.

“Thank you guys for sharing this beautiful night with us,” said Beyoncé as the couple walked away.

“It feels so good to be on stage with the one I love.”

Mila Kunis: No One Is Yelling When You Work With a Female Director

Jessie
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Mila Kunis: No One Is Yelling When You Work With a Female Director

The famous actor and producer picked one moment in her life which give her the impetus to advocate for more women in the entertainment business.

Speaking at the Path to Parity women’s summit organized by Variety in West Hollywood, Mila Kunis revealed that it was when she became a mother that she was forced to re-examine what mattered in life.

“When I became a mom, so many things that I used to be insecure about and concerned myself with, no longer mattered,” she said on Wednesday. “The ability to say no, had a purpose.”

Since she was eager to see an iconic change for women in Hollywood, Kinus says she focused her attention on supporting young female writers, as she knew that the writers’ rooms contain men in abundance.

Despite her efforts, Kunis laments that the situation for women in Hollywood hasn’t changed in the 20-years that she’s been a part of it. Still, she is adamant that she has done her part to make amends, like taking risks with films other Hollywood veterans were calling flops.

Sharing an anecdote about her 2016’s ‘’Bad Moms’’ movie, Kunis admits that she wasn’t able to convince some women to become a part of it. The film, which was an R-rated comedy and featured an all-female cast, was being made when Kunis was pregnant and had a baby.

After she wasn’t able to get a positive response, Kunis says that she decided to play the leading role in the movie herself. However, even after she had taken the plunge, Kunis says her decision was doubted by several people.

The doubts were misplaced. For, in addition to raking in $113 million domestically, the film went on to make $180 million worldwide. Its success was so widespread that the movie eventually got a sequel.

The ‘’Bad Moms’’ star offers advice to newcomers on how to advocate for and empower themselves. She says that earlier in her career, she didn’t negotiate things like her salary, leaving it to her representatives.

And it was only after her husband Ashton Kutcher forced her that Kunis decided to take interest in these things.

She said she started by listening to the negotiations and writing down terms unfamiliar to her. Then, at the end of the day, she’d look for the definitions for those terms and ask questions to her lawyer.

Finally, recalling her time on the sets of ‘’The Spy Who Dumped Me”, which is the first time she worked with a female director, Kunis says there’s ‘’a noticeable difference’’.

“No one is yelling at each other. … Nobody got mad … no screaming matches. At 7 o’clock, bye, go home. I got to see my kids for dinner. It was lovely.”

Man Makes Citizen’s Arrest While Dragging On His Cigarette

Jessie
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Man Makes Citizen’s Arrest While Dragging On His Cigarette

Move over Daniel Craig; we have a new contender for the next James Bond film, and he is also for real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daXSZmlOY2Y
Sorry, Daniel Craig; we have a new contender for the starring role in the James Bond franchise. And guess what, our fella is also for real.

Jokes aside, the suave-looking fella in the abovementioned image broke the internet when he made a citizen’s arrest in London, and that too without even dropping his cigarette.

Just when he has pinned the man to the floor, our hero was seen taking a nonchalance drag on his cigarette, as if it’s just another day at the office for him.

It is at that moment that the image was taken which has turned this stranger into an online sensation.

Since we don’t know his name, yet, we’re going to call our stranger hero ‘Ford’, for he looks like a twin-version of Harrison Ford.

The photo which has made him an internet sensation was taken by photographer Nick MacMohan. It was posted on Reddit with the caption ‘A very British citizen’s arrest’.

Reports indicate that the whole episode started when a guy, who was way too drunk, wanted to have a brawl with the gatherers in the Borough Market Area. Fortunately, the episode had a happy ending with the guy having his face into the dirt.

Tired of the man’s shenanigans, our friend and his friend enter the picture. They immediately tackle him and give the story a happy ending. Reportedly, both of them were having lunch at a nearby restaurant before they took the brawl-loving guy to cleaners.

MacMohan is of the view that the drunk guy had been pestering our friend Ford and his mate for money earlier in the day. So, maybe they had a history.

“He was pretty drunk, walking around with a beer in hand,” MacMohan said, according to Lad Bible. “Maybe 15 minutes later I see a couple men holding him to the ground outside the pub.”

“They let him go and tried to make him leave the market area but he kept hassling them, trying to start a fight. They were not in the mood and just wanted him gone.”

Eventually, once they had pinned him, Ford and his mate kept a hold of the drunk man until the arrival of the police which took him away.

Trump Says He Has Right To Pardon Himself

Jessie
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Trump Says He Has Right To Pardon Himself

The President made this claim on Monday, though constitutional scholars are highly divided on that assertion as it is untested by the courts.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has the absolute right to pardon himself, before adding that he had done nothing wrong. He further stated that the same opinion is shared by numerous legal scholars.

A few hours after this claim – which the President made via tweet – he posted another tweet claiming the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller ‘’totally unconstitutional’’. Still, he said that he would ‘’play the game’’ because he had done nothing wrong.

The issue as to whether a President could pardon himself or not has the legal community divided from the middle.

Some of the legal scholars claim the US Constitution gives him the power to do that – as Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, gives the President the power to ‘’grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment’’.

However, the other side points to the history of the United States to rubbish this claim. For, never before has a US President invoked this clause to pardon himself. Neither Bill Clinton nor Richard Nixon – two Presidents who faced charges while in the office – invoked this clause to grant self-clemency.

Even before he posted this Tweet, the president’s legal team sent a 20-page letter to Special Counsel Robert Mueller in January. The letter, which NY Times report was sent in January, made the assertion that the president could even ‘’exercise his power to pardon’’.

The abovementioned tweets by the President have come just a day after one of his lawyers, Rudy Guiliani, made the same claim. While talking to Chuck Todd for ‘’Meet the Press’’, Mr. Guiliani, who is the former mayor of New York, claimed that the president could pardon himself.

However, at the same time, Guiliani warned Trump that he would likely face impeachment if he decides to pardon himself.

Trump’s Mueller Strategy has Changed

For many months after the appointment of Mr. Mueller as Special Counsel, Mr. Trump and his legal team avoided challenging him directly. His lawyers at that time had concluded that the best way to evade public criticism and bring the investigation to a fruitful end was to co-operate fully with the Special Counsel.

That strategy, however, changed at the start of this year when the president overhauled his legal team. Another factor which might have impressed upon Mr. Trump’s legal team to change their strategy is the growing murmurs that the Special Counsel is considering subpoenaing Mr. Trump for an interview.

For, if the Special Counsel is able to convince a grand jury to issue a subpoena to the President, Mr. Trump could do nothing but to appear before the Special Counsel for an interview.

MGM brings Reece Witherspoon back for ‘’Legally Blonde 3’’

Jessie
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MGM brings Reece Witherspoon back for ‘’Legally Blonde 3’’

Sources have told that Reece Witherspoon is close to signing a deal with MGM to replay the role of Elle Woods in ‘’Legally Blonde 3’’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X3inrYWMzk

In addition to bringing back Reece Witherspoon for ‘’Legally Blonde 3’’, MGM have also brought back a lion’s share of the creative team which worked on the first film.

The whole plan is coming quickly. Karen McCullah and Kristen ‘’Kiwi’’ Smith, who turned the Amanda Brown novel into the film in 2001, are also said to be in final talks with MGM to write the script. However, what is not clear as of now as to who will direct the pic.

Remember, Robert Luketic was the director of the original film back in 2001. And if MGM’s current plans give us a clue, it seems likely that Luketic will, once again, direct the movie.

It was in 2001 that the Original ‘’Legally Blonde’’ hit the Box Office. The film also had a sequel, ‘’Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde’’, which was released in 2003. Both the films were hugely successful at the Box Office, despite having meager budgets.

For instance, while the original had a budget of $18 million, it raked in $141 million worldwide. The sequel, meanwhile, raked in $124 million on a budget of $45 million.

The decision of MGM to bring back the ‘’Legally Blonde’’ series is in line with its other choices in the recent past. For, it has already brought back the ‘’Creed’’ series with Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson starring in ‘’Creed 2’’.

What’s more, ‘’Bond 25’’ was just confirmed as well, with Daniel Craig returning for the starring role. The film is directed by Danny Boyle and John Hodges has written its script.

Plot of ‘’Atomic Blonde 3’’ yet to be revealed

Although MGM haven’t released anything of note about the plot yet, sources have told Deadline that the film will play out in the same spirit as the first one, which revolved around Wood’s idealism and her pink wardrobe.

In the sequel, Woods joined the staff of a Congresswoman in DC, who was working to pass a bill to ban animal testing. Therefore, if previous parts are anything to go by, it could be surmised that the ‘’Legally Blonde 3’’ will be about female empowerment.

John Oliver Bashes Trump on North Korean Letter, Solves Melania Mystery

Jessie
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John Oliver Bashes Trump on North Korean Letter, Solves Melania Mystery

John Oliver spent a better part of his ”Last Week Tonight” show bashing Donald Trump, though he also reserved a line for solving the Melania mystery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcq9-ssQtxo&feature=youtu.be

President Donald Trump met last week with a high-ranking North Korean Government official who brought to him an ironically over-sized letter from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Trump was clearly thrilled to see the letter as shown by the wide smile he had on his face while he had his picture taken with the North Korean emissary.

However, it seems clear to us that John Oliver, host of the ‘’Last Week Tonight’’ show, wasn’t a fan of the whole episode.

“This week, the June 12th summit between the U.S. and North Korea was suddenly back on after Trump met with a North Korean envoy who’d brought him this gigantic, comically-oversized letter from Kim Jong Un,” was how John Oliver started bashing Trump.

“And as if smiling while holding a letter from a dictator were not enough of a propaganda coup for North Korea, the president then raved about the letter to the press.” Said Oliver.

Following their meeting, President Trump told the press: ‘“It was a very interesting letter… At some point, it may be appropriate… I’ll be able to give it to you, maybe.”

Trump’s strange reaction to receiving the letter drew a vicious response from Oliver, who said that Trump would be an even worse Moses than he is as a President.

“As infuriating a president as Trump is, he would be an even worse Moses,’’ quipped Oliver, before adding ‘’Oh, wouldn’t you like to see what’s on these tablets? How much? How much? Maybe I’ll show you later, if you’re lucky.”

And then, just eight minutes after Trump had surmised that the letter was very interesting, he made a startling confession, ‘’ “I haven’t seen the letter yet… I may be in for a big surprise, folks!” That means that Trump was lying earlier.

“Yeah, you might though!” is how Oliver responded to Trump’s ‘’surprise line’’. “Because you just agreed to a summit without reading the contents of the letter that supposedly convinced you to do it.’’

‘’So, worse-case scenario, it’s a declaration of war; best-case scenario, it reads, ‘Donald, It’s me. I have run away to North Korea and I’m never coming back. Melania, [your third wife].’’

Wonder Woman 2: Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns Tease Setting

Jessie
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Wonder Woman 2: Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns Tease Setting

If we can guess anything from the revealed teaser, it seems as if the Gal Gadot starring Wonder Woman is heading for the Cold War.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRIFQ6X0750

Wonder Woman 2 Director Petty Jenkins, alongside executive producer Geoff Johns, has revealed the setting of the sequel to the 2017 movie. The duo have shared a cryptic logo titled ‘’WW84’’, which suggests that the film will be set in 1984.

Here’s a tweet depicting the image that was posted:

It is a huge leap of time for the ‘’Wonder Woman’’ series because the first movie was set at the height of World War 1 in 1917. Therefore, while in the prequel Gal Gadot fought alongside the allies, one can guess that the upcoming movie will see her fighting against Soviet Russia.

Apart from Gal Gadot and Jenkins, Kristen Wiig, who will play the role of the villain Cheetah, will also start in ‘’Wonder Woman 2’’. Pedro Pascal, famed for his role in ‘’Narcos’’, has also been chosen by the franchise for the movie.

So, where does the cast leave the plot? To be fair, there is no shortage of storylines now that it has been confirmed that the movie will play against the backdrop of Cold War.

For instance, Wonder Woman might be asked to stop a nuclear launch from Soviet Russia. Or, she could also be on a clandestine mission with Diana to save humanity. The return of Themyscira, a fictional city-state which appears regularly in DC Comic books, cannot be ruled out as well.

Whatever the script, ‘’Wonder Woman 2’’ has a lot to live up to, once when looks at the standards set by its prequel. For, ‘’Wonder Woman’’ was a huge hit for Warner Bros. as it helped the studio rake in $811 million from the worldwide Box Office.

Wonder Woman 2 will be heading to cinemas on November 1st, 2019.

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