entertainment
Dhaka is all set to raise the curtain of 19th Asian Art Biennale on Thursday
The 19th edition of the Asian Art Biennale, the longest-running international art biennale event in Asia, is now all set to welcome the art enthusiasts from home and beyond at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Thursday.
The month-long art extravaganza will be inaugurated by Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who will virtually raise the curtain of the biennale as the chief guest of the opening ceremony at the National Theatre Hall of the academy at 10 am.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will chair the inaugural ceremony, which will be joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur, President of the jury board of the event artist Rafiqun Nabi and jury board Jaroslaw Suchan as special guests.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will include 649 pieces of art created by 493 artists from 114 nations, including 149 Bangladeshi artists. Three grand prizes and six honourable mention prizes will be announced at the opening ceremony.
On Tuesday, a press briefing was held at the Seminar Room of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where BSA Director General and chief coordinator of 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 Liaquat Ali Lucky shared the details of the long-awaited flagship event of the organisation with the media.
“This 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 is dedicated to the country's founding President and the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who envisioned and established Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy which has been organizing the Asian Art Biennale, the largest art exhibition in Asia, for the past 40 years,” Lucky said at the press conference.
The 19th edition will showcase two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks such as paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, performance arts, installations and new media arts, crafted and presented by the participating native and foreign artists who channelled their contemporary thoughts through these artworks, Lucky said at the press conference.
Read more: 19th Asian Art Biennale to begin March 1, 2021
Eyeing for a regular event like the previous years, BSA had to postpone the 19th edition several times, according to Lucky. “Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we had to change the schedule for this biennale more than three times. Although we held other major exhibitions within the period, we are really happy to finally host this grand festivity at this time,” he said.
The 19th edition will feature a two-day international seminar titled ‘Home and Displacement’ with the participation of local and foreign artists, art critics, jury and observers. The seminar will be held on Friday and Saturday at the National Art Gallery Auditorium and Seminar Rooms of the National Theatre Building of the BSA.
In addition to the main exhibition at BSA, the Bangladesh National Museum will display 42 artworks of Bangladeshi legendary master artists from its collection as a part of the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022.
The international jurors of the 19th Asian Art Biennale - Iwona Blazwick from the UK, Jagath Weerasinghe from Sri Lanka, artist Nurseren Tor from Turkey, and Jaroslaw Suchan from Poland were also present at the press conference, alongside BSA Fine Arts Director Syeda Mahbuba Karim and BSA Secretary Salahuddin Ahmed.
The 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will welcome its visitors till January 7, every day from 11 am to 8 pm.
Jaya Ahsan’s Bollywood debut confirmed as photos emerge with Pankaj Tripathi, other co-actors
Popular Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan, who was rumoured to be making her debut in Bollywood soon, is now officially confirmed as a cast member of Indian filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury's next project.
The actress was seen in photographs with her co-actors including Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi, actress Sanjana Sanghi, Malayalam blockbuster film ‘Charlie’-famed actress Parvathy Thiruvothu and others, alongside the director and producer on Wednesday.
Read more: Jaya Ahsan bags 'Black Lady' again!
Jointly written by Viraf Sarkari, Ritesh Shah and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, shooting for the film began on Wednesday. The film is being shot in Mumbai and Kolkata. It is an investigative drama with a heart-warming story, centred around the coming together of a dysfunctional family.
Regarding her Bollywood debut, Jaya Ahsan said to the Times of India that she is excited to be a part of the film. “This is my first film in Hindi and my character is an integral part of the movie. When this offer came to me, I was thrilled and said yes immediately because Aniruddha is the director, and I have Pankaj Tripathi as one of my co-actors. I have always wanted to work with them and the fact that it’s my first Hindi film doubles the delight.”
Read more: Is Jaya Ahsan making her debut in Hindi cinema?
Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury said, “This film has a story layered with intrigue which reveals itself over time - how faced with odds, people come together to form a strong unit. I am so happy to collaborate with Wiz Films and an eclectic cast like Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjana Sanghi, Parvathi Thirovothu and Jaya Ahsan along with crew Avik Mukhopadhyay, Ritesh Shah, Shantanu Moitro and Arghyakamal Mitra.”
The yet-to-be-titled film is produced by Wiz Films, KVN and HT Content Studio, in association with Opus Communications.
Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ role taught him lesson post-slap
While filming “Emancipation,” Will Smith routinely drew inspiration from the words “sacred motivation” that were written on the front page of a script. But the Oscar winner heavily leaned on the phrase even more in recent months, as he tried to overcome the backlash to his Oscars slap and banishment from the ceremony.
“It’s like when you can locate and center yourself in your divine purpose, you can withstand anything and everything,” Smith said of the phrase that greeted him when he took on the lead role in Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” which is currently in theaters and will be available to stream Friday on Apple TV+. “Sacred motivation” became like a theme for him and his castmates, Smith said.
The film, completed months before Smith strode onto the Oscars stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, was a grueling shoot. Inspired by an iconic 1863 photo of the scarred back of “Whipped Peter,” Smith portrays the character Peter — a man who attempts to escape slavery while he uses his wits to dodge slave hunters and brave alligator-infested Louisiana swamps in his quest for freedom.
READ: Apple to release Will Smith's 'Emancipation' post-slap
The photos of “Whipped Peter” were taken during a Union Army medical examination that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. An image known as “The Scourged Back” showed countless mutilated whip marks on Peter’s bare back that were delivered by his enslavers. The photo contributed to the growing opposition to slavery.
Smith said his character taught him a lesson in overcoming adversity after he faced condemnation, memes and a 10-year Oscars attendance ban. The “slap” seemingly overshadowed his own biggest career milestone, which came later in the night: winning his first-ever Academy Award, best actor for “King Richard.”
The backlash rocked Smith, but Peter ultimately helped steer him back on track too.
“Peter has absolutely helped me through these last few months, just reestablishing within myself in what my purpose is in this world,” Smith said in a recent interview, one of his first since the Oscars. He has repeatedly apologized for his behavior after accepting his ban.
Normally, “Emancipation” might earn Smith some serious Oscars buzz. He’s still eligible for nominations and awards, but can’t personally accept them. Given backlash to “The Slap,” Smith mainly hopes that audiences will still watch Fuqua’s film.
“This movie was so grueling. Literally across the board, everybody had to devote a hefty amount of suffering to what you see on that screen,” Smith said. “So my greatest wish, and I guess I can talk about my greatest fear, is that my team would be penalized for my actions. I’m out with this film that I love and strictly want my people to get their flowers.”
Fuqua knows Smith made a mistake, but he hopes audiences can move past it. The director believes the story about Peter’s search for freedom, fighting to get back to his family and being a catalyst in highlighting the horrific side of slavery in “Emancipation” is much bigger than “The Slap.”
“Peter’s story is so inspiring, especially as a Black man. We go through a lot of things daily, just being Black,” said Fuqua, known for directing “Training Day,” “Equalizer” films and “The Magnificent Seven.” He said his new film tackles how certain elements of racism in America that still occur today.
READ: Will Smith resigns from film academy over Chris Rock slap
“For me, it’s a mistake,” Fuqua said of Smith striking Rock on live television. “Hopefully everybody can get back on track and God bless everyone. But we’re talking about 400 years of brutality.”
Bingwa, who plays Peter’s wife Dodienne, credits Smith’s ability to endure the adversity while pushing forward through it.
“It’s in line with the film. I imagine it’s been a tough period,” said Bingwa, who hopes audiences can learn more about Peter’s determination to return home after making a promise. “I don’t want to speak on Will’s behalf, but he’s been an inspiration to so many for so long. I love seeing him with his head held high. Everyone can learn from his experience. I just love the way you took it on the chin, you’re wearing it and walking forward. We’re all human.”
While promoting the film, Smith held private screenings for several influential figures including Rihanna, Tyler Perry, Dave Chappelle, LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates along with students at Morehouse College. He garnered a great amount of support from those individuals, giving him somewhat a sigh of relief.
Each time Smith harkened back to Peter’s story, the more he became empowered to share his character’s journey.
“I feel very comfortable in this current situation with this project, with these people,” he said. “I feel cleansed. I feel purified and transformed in many ways. And as one of the lessons from Peter is, ‘Suffering leads to salvation.’ So I am comfortable taking my medicine.”
Will Deepika Padukone unveil FIFA World Cup trophy at the finals?
Popular Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has received an invitation from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to unveil the 2022 Qatar World Cup trophy during the upcoming finals, according to Indian media reports.
Although FIFA is yet to make an officially announcement regarding this, a source close to the internationally renowned actress reveals that she will be unveiling the trophy, according to the Times of India.
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Deepika is said to be flying to Qatar to unveil the FIFA World Cup trophy at the final that is scheduled to be played at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on December 18.
If officially announced, this will be the first time an Indian celebrity will unveil the FIFA World Cup trophy.
However, it is still unknown whether she will take part in any other cultural event or not.
Read more: Unpredictable FIFA World Cup 2022: What we can expect more in the knockout rounds
Deepika Padukone has participated as a jury member at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France. She is the first Indian chosen to be the international face of iconic brands like Levi’s and Adidas, as well as premium labels like Louis Vuitton and Cartier.
Two-time Emmy winner Kirstie Alley dies at 71
Kirstie Alley, a two-time Emmy winner whose roles on the TV megahit “Cheers” and in the “Look Who’s Talking” films made her one of the biggest stars in American comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Monday. She was 71.
Alley died of cancer that was only recently discovered, her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley’s manager Donovan Daughtry confirmed the death in an email to The Associated Press.
“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,” her children’s statement said.
She starred opposite Ted Danson as Rebecca Howe on “Cheers,” the beloved NBC sitcom about a Boston bar, from 1987 to 1993. She joined the show at the height of its popularity after the departure of original star Shelley Long.
Alley would win an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series for the role in 1991.
“I only thank God I didn’t have to wait as long as Ted,” Alley said in her acceptance, gently ribbing Danson, who had finally won an Emmy for his “Cheers” role as Sam Malone in his eighth nomination the previous year.
She would take a second Emmy for best lead actress in a miniseries or television movie in 1993 for playing the title role in the CBS TV movie “David’s Mother.”
She had her own sitcom on the network, “Veronica’s Closet,” from 1997 to 2000.
In the 1989 comedy “Look Who’s Talking,” which gave her a major career boost, she played the mother of a baby who’s inner thoughts were voiced by Bruce Willis. She would also appear in a 1990 sequel “Look Who’s Talking Too,” and another in 1993, “Look Who’s Talking Now.”
John Travolta, her co-star in the trilogy, paid her tribute in an Instagram post.
“Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had,” Travolta said, along with a photo of Alley. “I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”
Bongo launches embedded shorts for online media publishers
Video streaming platform Bongo has launched short video clips for online media publishers to embed on their websites or mobile applications.
Online media publishers are finding it hard to retain users as many have now moved away from reading to watching short videos and clips in this age of TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts.
Producing videos daily or even writing articles is not an easy task. Bongo wants to make life easier for online media publishers by providing entertaining short clips which they can embed on their website or mobile app just as easily as embedded YouTube videos. Grameenphone's self-service solution MyGP app and Brac Bank's Astha app already adopted this solution to showcase video content to their users.
Read: ‘Hoyto-Noyto': A satire on the times
From Bongo, online media partners can choose from more than 15,000 hours of content and a partner network of content creators that have more than 30,000 hours of content. They can choose the categories of content they want to showcase to their users.
Bongo's library of content is already being used by other platforms such as Binge, Bioscope and other OTT platforms.
10 Best South Indian Movies Releasing in December 2022
South India is going to complete a grand year in the film industry. 2022 has seen blockbusters like RRR and KGF-2. The smoke of Kantara has not yet cleared out. Amidst all this hype, some more Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films are coming toward the very end of the year. Among them, this article lists the 10 most anticipated South Indian Movies to debut in December this year.
Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in December 2022
HIT: The Second Case/Telugu/December 2, 2022
This sequel to 'Hit' is a wonderful blend of action and thriller, masterfully written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu. Adibi Sesh will be seen here in the role of Vishwak Sen starred in the first version. He will be accompanied by Meenakshi Chowdhury, Rao Ramesh, Posani Krishna Murali, Tanikella Bharani, and Komali Prasad.
The story of cinema follows a police officer named Krishna Dev (KD) after a brutal serial killer who only targets women. Not only the murder, but KD is shocked to see the killer's barbaric activities after the killing.
Read More: Top 10 South Indian Films Coming in November 2022
The music of the movie was composed by Suresh Bobbili and MM Srilekha while the score was done by John Stewart Edury. S Manikandan did the cinematography and Gary BH did the overall film edits. The production company of the film is Wall Poster Cinema.
Panchatantram/Telugu/December 9, 2022
This authorship and direction of Harsh Pulipaka actually is a modern-day fairy tale that will stimulate every real sense. The audience will find a combination of peace, fear, desire, love, and determination in a humorous background.
Sandeep Raj contributed with Pulipaka to write the film's dialogues. The lyrics of the songs were written by Kittu Visapragada and the music composition was supervised by Prashant R. Bihari and Shravan Bharadwaj.
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The cinematography section was looked after by Raj Nalli and Gary Vaughn made the film edits. The film is produced by Srijan Yarabolu and Akhilesh Vardhan. Movie production companies were Ticket Factory and S Originals.
Adhira/Telugu/December 16, 2022
With this film, Prashant Varma is going to make his second superhero project. He himself wrote the story and directed the film. The lead artist will be the newcomer actor Kalyan Dasari, another identity of whom is that he is the son of 'RRR' producer, DVV Danya.
It is basically a story of an ordinary man becoming a superhero. By using his superpowers to save mankind, he begins to gain the trust of the masses. But when the formidable enemies all come together to attack, the whole situation begins to turn. Will he really be able to keep the faith of his fans?
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Shivendra worked behind the camera and Gourahari composed the music. Srikanth Patnaik R. was engaged in editing the cinema.
K Niranjan Reddy produced the film on behalf of Primeshow Entertainment. There will also be Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi versions during the release.
Gatta Kusthi/Tamil/December 2, 2022
This drama film is written and directed by Chella Ayyavu. Gatta Kusthi is a popular form of wrestling in Kerala. Although the film is made with this sport in the background, it is not actually a sports film. This family film explores the differences of opinion of a newly married couple. The unfulfilled expectations of their lives have been tested for error. Even at one stage, marital discord arose.
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The film stars Aishwarya Lakshmi, Vishnu Vishal, Ajay, Kali Venkat, Karunas, and Munishkanth. The film's music and background score are composed by Justin Prabhakaran. The cinematography of the movie was done by Richard M. Nathan and the movie was edited by Prasanna GK.
The movie is jointly produced by Ravi Teja, Aryan Ramesh, Vishnu Vishal, and Shubhra under the banner of RT Team Works and VV Studios. The film will be simultaneously released in Telugu with the title Matti Kusti.
Varalaru Mukkiyam/Tamil/December 9, 2022
Santosh Rajan has written and directed this romantic comedy film. And through this film, Rajan entered the world of movie direction.
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A simple boy who is indifferent to life gets involved in one funny incident after another. Besides riding bikes and spending a great time with friends, love also comes into his life. Every step of the way is accompanied by sophisticated hints for caution in daily living. Almost every element of a proper commercial film has been tried in the story of the movie.
The film is produced by RB Chowdhury under the banner of Super Good Films Company. The film stars Kashmira Pardesi, Pragya Nagra, and the producer's son Jeeva in lead roles. The film's music and score were composed by Shan Rahman. Cinematography and Movie Editing were done by Sakthi Saravanan and NB Srikanth respectively.
DSP/Tamil/December 2, 2022
Hailing from a middle-class family, a police officer tries his best to meet the needs of his family. At the same time, he has to be busy chasing the top terrorist in the area. How far can he go to handle the family and office like this?
Read More: Is Jaya Ahsan making her debut in Hindi cinema?
The comedy movie based on this story is called DSP, directed by Ponram. The drama movie stars Vijay Sethupathi, Shivani Narayanan, Poogaz, and Anukriti Bhas.
The movie was much appreciated by the Censor Board while gaining the U/A certificate. The film is shot by Dinesh Krishnan and edited by Vivek Harshan. D Imman was the chief music director of the movie. The film is produced by Karthekayen Santhanam and Karthik Subbaraj under Stone Bench Films.
Vedha The Brutal 1960s/Kannada/December 23, 2022
After 'Bajrangi', 'Bajrangi-2' and 'Bajrakaya', director A Harsh and legendary actor Puneeth Rajkumar's brother Shivrajkumar are coming together for the fourth time. In March 2021, the director announced the making of Vedha.
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But due to tragic events like Punit's death, the shooting got delayed. However, the production of the movie started again in full swing in December 2021. The film's dialogues are written by Raghu Niduvalli.
This period-action film is basically set against the backdrop of a remote rural area.
Shiv Rajkumar is going to make his debut as a movie producer with this 125th film of his career.
In the movie, Dr. Shivarajkumar is accompanied by Ganavi Laxman, Umashree, Aditi Sagar, Raghu Shivamoga, Jaggappa, Bharatha Sagar, Vinay, Sanjeev, and Kuri Pratap.
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The music direction was handled by Arjun Yaya and the cinematographer was Swami J Gowda. Dipu S Kumar served as a film editor and Ravi Santehakkalu as art director. The film is going to be released from Zee Studio and Geeta Pictures movie house.
Vijayanand/Kannada/December 9, 2022
This is the story of Vijayanand, who started a business at the age of 19 and overcame many obstacles to become a successful businessman. It all started in Gadag, a small town in the heart of North Karnataka. He gradually became the owner of 4300 cars.
This movie made with a life-changing story was directed by Rishika Sharma. The film cast includes Nihal Rajput, Bharat Bopanna, V. Ravichandran, Ananth Nag, Prakash Belawadi, Siri Prahlad, and Vinay Prasad.
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National award-winning composer Gopi Sundar was the music director of the film. The cinematography was completed by Kirtan Pujari and the film was edited by Hemant Kumar D.
This Kannada movie will also release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. VRL Films is going to make its production debut through this movie.
Gold/Malayalam/December 1, 2022
This comedy thriller film was written, edited, and directed by Alphonse Puthren. He has also worked on stunt choreography, visual effects, animation titles, and color grading for the movie. Puthren is going to return to film direction after seven years since the film Premam in 2015.
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The movie, produced by Prithviraj Productions and Magic Frame, will feature Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role. Nayanthara will act as a guest artist. They will be joined by Deepti Sati, Ajmal Aamir, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Vinay Forte in supporting roles.
The film story follows a mobile shop owner who orders a new car. But on the day of the delivery, he saw a pick-up truck with a portable speaker parked in his yard. After a few days, he suddenly noticed that the small boxes inside the truck were not actually speakers, but gold bars.
The music of the film was composed by Rajesh Murugesan as usual. But this time he started his first collaboration with Prithviraj. All the lyrics were written by Shabrish Verma. Anind C Chandran and Biswajit Odukkathil were in charge of the cinematography.
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Saudi Vellakka/Malayalam/December 2, 2022
The well-known director Tharun Murthy of 'Operation Java' fame is going to present this drama film under his own writing and direction. Based on some true events, the film focuses on commercial entertainment filled with humor, family drama, and music. The entire story of the film is decorated with diverse characters.
The film stars Lukman Avaran, Vincy Aloysius, Binu Pappu, and Sujith Shankar.
Sharan Velayudhan worked as the cinematography director of the film and Nishad Yusuf was in charge of editing. Pali Francis made his musical directorial debut by composing music for the film.
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Sandeep Senon, best known for Thandimuthalum Drikasakshiyum, has produced the film under the banner of Urbashi Theatres.
In a Nutshell
With these 10 Best coming soon South Indian Movies in December 2022, a year of movies is going to have a great ending.
After the announcements of the release dates of the new versions of several superhit movies, the audience can’t wait for the new year. Perhaps it can be overstated to say that December's Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada movies will outrun those anticipators. But it is certain that the momentum of the entire South Indian film industry will gain a new dimension.
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Royals tour US green tech incubator, meet at-risk youth
The Prince and Princess of Wales on Thursday heard about solar-powered autonomous boats and low-carbon cement at a green technology startup incubator in suburban Boston before learning how a nonprofit gives young people the tools to stay out jail and away from violence.
William and Kate, making their first overseas visit since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, also found time for hundreds of cheering onlookers at each stop on the second of three days in the city. The royal couple spent 10 minutes with the crowd at one stop, chatting, taking selfies and receiving lots of flower bouquets. Some fans held up signs “Welcome to Boston, Your Highnesses” and “Welcome to Chelsea, the Future King and Queen of England.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” declared Loren Simao, who said she’s watched William grow up over several decades. “They are just wonderful people, and we need more of them in the world.”
The visit started Wednesday with a reception at Boston City Hall and a trip to a Boston Celtics basketball game. It culminates Friday with the awarding of the prince’s signature Earthshot Prize, a global competition aimed at finding new ways to protect the planet and tackle climate change.
The trip also comes amid uproar back home over an 83-year-old honorary member of the royal household who reportedly asked the Black chief executive of an east London women’s refuge where she “really came from” after she told the older woman that she was British. Some said the incident was an example of wider issues of racism at Buckingham Palace.
On Thursday, William and Kate stopped by Roca Inc., a nonprofit north of Boston that strives to halt the cycle of incarceration, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, pregnancy and racism faced by young men and women ages 16 to 24.
Roca CEO Dr. Molly Baldwin and Chelsea police Capt. Dave Batchelor explained the science and cognitive behavioral therapy used by the nonprofit.
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During the visit, the royal couple met with two young men involved in the program.
“Well I hope you give yourself a pat on the back as well, you got yourself here,” the prince told Jonathan Williams. “These guys have provided you with the support and the outside bit, but you’ve done it yourself.”
The couple also talked to some participants in Roca’s program for young mothers. The royals, who have three children, even showed off their parenting skills while interacting with some of the kids, at one point helping a little girl look for her mother.
Before heading to Roca, the couple went to Greentown Labs in Somerville, where they were greeted by CEO Emily Reichert, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne as well as Joe Curtatone, the former mayor of the city just north of Boston who is now the president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council.
Since its 2011 founding, Greentown, the largest climate technology startup incubator in North America, has supported more than 500 companies that have created more than 9,000 jobs.
While at Greentown, the royal couple chatted to Shara Ticku, CEO of c16 Biosciences, a company developing decarbonized alternatives for the consumer products supply chain, starting with a sustainable alternative to palm oil. “Oils today come from animals or plants,” Ticku said. “We made this from fungi.”
At Open Ocean Robotics, CEO and cofounder Julie Angus told the prince and princess about their solar-powered autonomous boats, which provide real-time information about the oceans. Angus had a computer and monitor on her table, showing data of a real boat out in the harbor in Victoria, British Columbia, where the company is based.
“Five knots? That’s quite quick,” the prince said, looking at the screen. “It’s amazing it hasn’t capsized,” he added. Angus noted that the boats are able to self-right.
William and Kate also chatted with Katherine Dafforn, co-founder of Living Seawalls, an Australian company that designs environmentally friendly ocean infrastructure. “For all of us, time is ticking,” William said.
Upon their departure from Greentown Labs, Kate received flowers from 8-year-old Henry Dynov-Teixeira, who was wearing a King’s Guard costume.
Thursday’s agenda also included a visit to the Boston waterfront, where the royal couple braved brisk conditions to learn about efforts to prepare the Boston Harbor community for rising seas and other impacts of climate change.
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As they left, Prince William talked with several park workers who asked if they had enjoyed the Boston Celtics game they attended Wednesday night. Prince William said Kate had asked if he wanted to shoot some hoops.
“Ten feet up? It’s been a long time since I’ve done that,” he laughed, adding, “We might come back when it’s a bit warmer. It’s beautiful along the waterfront.”
The royal couple’s first trip to the U.S. since 2014 is part of the British royal family’s efforts to change their international image. In the wake of Elizabeth’s death, King Charles III, William’s father, has made clear that his will be a slimmed-down monarchy, with less pomp and ceremony than its predecessors.
That includes a focus on the Earthshot Prize, which offers 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prize money to each of the winners of five separate categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change. The winners and all 15 finalists also receive help in expanding their projects to meet global demand.
The winners are scheduled to be announced Friday at Boston’s MGM Music Hall as part of a glitzy show headlined by Billie Eilish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe x Halle. The show will also feature videos narrated by naturalist David Attenborough and actor Cate Blanchett.
Kim Kardashian and Ye settle divorce, averting custody trial
Kim Kardashian and Ye have reached a settlement in their divorce, averting a trial that had been set for next month, court documents filed Tuesday showed.
The former couple and their attorneys filed documents asking for a judge’s approval of terms they have agreed on, including $200,000 per month child support payments rom Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to Kardashian.
The two will have joint custody, and neither will pay the other spousal support, according to the documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
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The judge declared the two legally single at Kardashian’s request in March, ending their eight-year marriage, but issues of property and custody remained that were to be worked out in a trial starting Dec. 14.
The two have four children whose ages range from 3 to 9 years old.
Kardashian and Ye will equally split the expenses for the kids’ private security and private school, including college, according to the settlement proposal.
They will also each pay their own debts the settlement said. The two had a pre-nuptial agreement and kept their property largely separate.
The couple began dating in 2012 and had their first child in 2013. West proposed later that year using the giant screen at the empty waterfront ballpark of the San Francisco Giants, and the two married May 24, 2014, in a ceremony at a Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy.
The two appeared to be headed for a cordial split with agreed-upon terms when Kardashian first filed for divorce in February of 2021. Neither discussed the split publicly until early this year, when Ye started lashing out on social media against Kardashian, her family, and then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. Among his complaints were that he was not being allowed to make major parenting decisions and was been excluded from birthday parties and other events for their children.
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Ye, who has fired two lawyers since the divorce filing, also raised several technical issues and demands, including seeking the right to question any new husband of Kardashian’s under oath, which Judge Steve Cochran promptly rejected.
The settlement comes soon after several companies have cut ties with Ye ove r offensive and antisemitic remarks that have further eroded an already withering public image.
His latest lawyer, Nicholas Salick, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the settlement.
It was the third marriage for Kardashian, the reality TV superstar, businesswoman and influencer, and the first marriage for the rap and fashion mogul Ye. Theirs was one of the most closely followed celebrity unions in recent decades.
Is Jaya Ahsan making her debut in Hindi cinema?
Popular Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan has won over the local as well as India's Kolkata-based film industry with her acting prowess.
Now, according to West Bengal media, the versatile actress could be making her debut in Hindi cinema.
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According to Kolkata's Anandabazar Patrika, Jaya could be seen in the Hindi movie "Karak Singh", directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury where renowned Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi will play the title role.
"Karak Singh" is going to be based on the story of a financial scam. The movie will be shot in Kolkata and Mumbai, sources said. Jaya, however, has not cleared the air and has not confirmed whether she is going to make her debut in a Hindi film.