Fifa awards

FROM THE DESK OF THE IMO AMBASSADOR The late American poet Maya Angelou once said that “Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” PO2 Barajan, who was PO3 at the time of the incident, was on board M/V Siargao Princess bound for Oslob, Cebu. He was off duty and was asleep when the sound of screams awakened him in the morning of November 7, 2019. He saw the vessel being battered by strong waves, off the coast of Sibonga, Cebu. Seeing the deck already flooding with seawater, Barajan persuaded the captain to give the “abandon ship” call, contacted the Coast Guard for immediate assistance, and swiftly took charge of the situation. He instructed and helped the passengers–including panicking elderlies and crying children–and crew members in donning their life jackets and led them in preparing for evacuation. He assisted everyone in jumping off the vessel into waiting life rafts, encouraging terrified ... » Learn More about Pinoy seafarer wins IMO’s exceptional ‘Bravery Award at Sea’

Pakistani Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, right, presents the Tamgha-i-Quaid-i-Azam, or Quaid-i-Azam Medal award to Senator Anumat Amat for his exemplary public service, social work and the promotion of Pakistan-Thai relations.Pakistani Embassy to Thailand Senator Anumat Amat has been awarded the Tamgha-i-Quaid-i-Azam, or Quaid-i-Azam Medal for his exemplary public service, social work and promotion of Pakistan-Thailand relations. It's a presidential award which Pakistan's president himself confers but the senator could not travel to Pakistan due to travel restrictions imposed by Thailand during the spread of Covid-19. As a result, Pakistani Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad presented the award to the senator at a ceremony on April 9 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok. Quaid-i-Azam, or the Great Leader, is the title used by the people of Pakistan for Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the country's founding father. President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, announced the Pakistan civil awards for 184 ... » Learn More about Pakistan confers civil award on senator

View of the main entrance of the Downtown Los Angeles Union Station on March 18, 2021, where part of the 2021 Oscars Ceremony will take place. – Academy president David Rubin confirmed this year’s Oscars would be broadcast from Los Angeles’ cavernous Union Station as well as its traditional Dolby Theatre home in Hollywood. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) LOS ANGELES – Film lovers tired of tedious Zoom-based Hollywood awards shows can rejoice — producers of the glitzy in-person Oscars this month are bringing in the big guns, with Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt and Reese Witherspoon among an A-list lineup of presenters unveiled Monday. The April 25 ceremony, to be primarily held at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, comes as California accelerates its reopening after a year of Covid-19 closures, buoyed by a vast vaccination rollout, and will follow a glamorous “awards-show-as-a-movie” theme, the Academy said. In a statement announcing the Oscars’ “truly stellar cast of stars,” the ... » Learn More about In-person Oscars to feature bevy of A-list presenters

HONG KONG - Better Days director Derek Tsang said his Oscar-nominated film could inspire other Chinese artists to pursue difficult topics despite the challenges in getting works past censors in China. Adapted from Jiu Yuexi’s novel Young and Beautiful, the movie tells the story of a bullied schoolgirl who develops a strong bond with a boy when they get caught up in a murder case. The romantic crime film, shot in mainland China and the first by a Hong Kong-born director to receive an Oscar nomination, is shortlisted in the best international feature film category. Hong Kong TV audiences won’t be able to watch a win in real time, though, because free-to-air broadcaster TVB won’t air the Academy Awards for the first time in more than 50 years. TVB, which has broadcast the Oscars every year since 1969, said it won’t carry the ceremony this year for “commercial reasons”. Tsang believes censors gave his movie the green light “because everyone thinks the film carries a very positive ... » Learn More about Better Days director hopes Oscar-nominated film inspires Chinese peers to tackle hard topics

There can be no doubt this has been the strangest awards season in the history of cinema (as well as the longest, thanks to the Oscars being forced to move to April because of the pandemic). Ordinarily, the idea of a couple of extra months’ worth of actors “campaigning” is enough to make even the most dedicated film fan weep into their copy of Vanity Fair. But this season has seen some real moments for celebration and contemplation, despite cinemas being shut all over the world for much of the past 12 months. Here – ahead of the Oscars on April 25 – are seven things we’ve learned from this year’s awards season: 1. Minari is the real winner Whatever happens at the Oscars next week, Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari has been the film that charmed us all the way through the awards season. The Korean/American drama about a family in 1980s Arkansas may not repeat the success of last year’s South Korean dark horse Parasite , which surprised everyone by taking Best Picture at the Oscars . ... » Learn More about 7 Oscars 2021 lessons: Minari is the real winner, women directors rule, diversity isn’t quite there yet and more

Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, and Joaquin Phoenix are among the first wave of presenters confirmed for the Oscars. The Academy Awards is set to take place on April 25 from two locations, Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and the usual venue of The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday night (April 12), The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the A-listers set to present on the night. Zendaya, Laura Dern, Regina King, Reese Witherspoon, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, and Renee Zellweger are also on presenting duties, while Parasite director Bong Joon Ho has been confirmed to appear. More presenters will be confirmed ahead of the awards show. Producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Steven Soderbergh said in a statement: "In keeping with our awards-show-as-a-movie approach, we've assembled a truly stellar cast of stars. "There's so much wattage here, sunglasses may be required." The Academy had ... » Learn More about Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix confirmed to present in Oscars

MANILA, Philippines — Only 9 of over 200 Chinese ships remain at the Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippines Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said as his department summoned China’s ambassador to the Philippines over the issue. “NTF just informed. Only 9 ships left,” Locsin said on Twitter Tuesday. He was referring to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS). Last Mar. 7, the Philippine Coast Guard reported 220 vessels staying at the reef. On Mar. 22, the Philippine military counted at least 183 Chinese ships. Eventually, the military reported, over the weekend, that only 28 Chinese vessels remain stationed around the area. “Come, come, time to go. As I said, while it may well be traditional fishing grounds, tradition yields to law and the law on the matter is UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and The Arbitral Award and the common rules of statutory construction,” Locsin said in another tweet. NTF just ... » Learn More about ‘Time to go’: Only 9 Chinese ships left in WPS reef, says Locsin

EA Guzmman (left) and Shaira Diaz Edgar Allan “EA” Guzman and Shaira Diaz have been dating for eight years now, but it wasn’t until two years ago that the couple publicly confirmed that they’re a couple. On April 4, EA was hailed best supporting actor at the 4th Entertainment Editors’ Choice (Eddys) Awards for his performance in the drama movie “Coming Home.” And being able to dedicate the award to Shaira during his acceptance speech, he recalled, was such a heartening moment. “It feels great being able to dedicate the award to her without any worries or second thoughts, because she inspires me in all the things I do,” EA said in a recent virtual conference arranged by GMA 7, following his recent Eddys victory. “I want to make her feel that she’s part of my achievements. Low-key “The win was unexpected and means a lot to me. Holding the trophy made me feel like I’m holding the fruits of my hard work and passion. It reminds me why I’m here in show biz,” the 32-year-old actor ... » Learn More about After 8 years of dating, EA and Shaira still not ready for marriage

Tensions continue to simmer along the disputed border between India and China after the latest round of talks ended with no sign of progress. The latest negotiations between the two militaries took place at the Mordor/Chushule meeting point on the Indian side on Saturday and, unlike previous rounds of talks, ended without a joint statement playing up the prospect of disengagement. Chinese diplomatic observers said this is an indication that the latest talks did not make much progress, and both sides appeared unwilling to compromise. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge , our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The two sides agreed to disengage their troops around Pangong Tso two months ago, but points of friction remain, including Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh. Zhu Yongbiao, a professor ... » Learn More about China-India border dispute: latest round of talks fail to ease tensions

“People, people, listen to me. Do not fear wild girls and wolves.”— The Lord Protector If you love fairy tales, magic, lore and wolves; if you’re down for a story that captures your imagination, takes you back to childhood and tugs at your heart, then sit yourself down with the animated film, “Wolfwalkers.” It’s set in 1650, Kilkenny, Ireland. We meet a young girl named Robyn Goodfellowe, a transplant from England. She is wearing outdoorsy clothes, a hooded cloak and carries a crossbow. She wants nothing more than to help her father, Bill Goodfellowe, hunt the scourge of their new town — wolves. Despite being given duties and chores to attend to, Robyn cannot help but heed the call of adventure. Robyn heads out beyond the gates and walls of the town and goes into the forest with her falcon, Merlyn. After a series of mishaps, she meets another young girl named Mebh who happens to be a Wolfwalker. While the Mebh’s physical body slumbers by night, her spirit takes on the form of a ... » Learn More about Girls who run with the wolves