Entertainment

The 1st Athugala Air Gun championship (youth & junior) 2021of was held from 22 Oct 2021 to 26 Oct 2021 at the Athugala 10m Air Gun range, Uhumeeya, Kurunegala ending the competition drought of almost two years due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The event was organized by the Athugala Shooting Sports Club, which is the first of its kind, being the inaugural competition dedicated to Youth and Junior shooters of the country.

The age groups for shooters under-18 years falls to the Youth category and those who are under-21 years will come under the Junior category. Event segments included Air Rifle and Air Pistol for male and female under both Youth and Junior.

The top six shooters of each of the four categories were considered for national Youth and Junior pools provided they achieve the The National Shooting Sport Federation of Sri Lanka (NSSF) minimum qualifying standards, stipulated by the organisers.

The Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve Administration said that the two videos recorded in February 2020 and released on Friday were the second time in more than a year the albino panda had been spotted by infrared trigger cameras.

In the first video, the panda is seen roaming in the snow, sitting with its back to the camera close to the tree where the camera is installed.

Three days later, it passed through dense forests and crossed small rivers and was recorded by  another camera on a mountain ridge a kilometer away. It was seen in the video for about 10 minutes.

The panda was shown to have bright white fur, steady steps, a strong body, leading experts to determine it is healthy and about three years old.

While extremely rare, albinos can occur in numerous groups of vertebrate animals, according to Li Sheng of the IUCN Bear Expert Group and the Peking University School of Life Science. The genetic mutation prevents melanin from being synthesized.

The panda was first documented in May 2019 and has grown and appears stronger in the videos released on Friday.

In the two video clips taken last February, the panda is living on its own and experts believe it has left its mother's care and living independently.

Popular actress Samantha Epasinghe has succumbed to Covid-19, reports say.

She was being treated at the Horana Base Hospital when she had passed away.

Samantha was a vibrant presence in the Theatre, mini screen and cinema and is perhaps best known for her role of 'Kumari' in the 1989 teledrama - Asalwesiyo.

Sri Lankan actress Sureni Senarath has passed away at the age of 62.

The actress who has been suffering from illness for a long period of time had passed away early this morning.

Her body has been placed at the Jayaratne Funeral Parlour in Borella, while the final rites are to be conducted at the Borella Cemetery tomorrow.

Sureni Senarath was well known for her performances in both television dramas and movies.

The actress is popular for her performances in Chandi Raja (1990), Dalulana Gini (1995) and Salupata Ahasata 2 (2000).

Reddit has unveiled a heap of data about users' activity in 2020, showing that basically everything was way up compared to 2019, with more daily active users, posts, comments, and upvotes. The data also detailed the most-discussed entertainment topics among users, though the overall most popular TV show was not revealed as in previous years. Instead, Reddit disclosed a handful of the most popular shows in various genres, including reality, comedy, drama, anime, and sci-fi.

Among these top titles were juggernauts like The Office, Game of Thrones, The Bachelor, and Rick and Morty, along with a smattering of cult favorites like Community, which debuted on Netflix in April, and BoJack Horseman, which concluded its run in January. Meanwhile, Tenet was the most-discussed movie of the year, edging out (presumably) more widely-seen titles like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Hamilton.

Other fun tidbits from the year-end data: the r/animalcrossing subreddit saw a more than 1700 percent increase in activity from 2019, Making a Murderer and Unsolved Mysteries were the top two true-crime TV shows by community activity, and the most popular TV community created in 2020 was, of course, r/tigerking. Thanks, Reddit, for giving us the year in miniature.

See the full lists of Reddit's most popular entertainment below.

Most Popular Television Shows By Community Activity

● Reality TV: Big Brother, 90 Day Fiancé, The Bachelor, Survivor, RuPaul’s Drag Race

● Comedy: The Office, Rick and Morty, Community, BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons

● Drama: The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad

● Anime: One Piece, My Hero Academia, Naruto, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Boruto

● Sci-fi: Star Trek, Westworld, Doctor Who, The 100, Dark

Most Discussed New or Upcoming Films in r/movies

    Tenet
    Dune
    Mulan
    Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
    Sonic the Hedgehog
    Wonder Woman 1984
    Hamilton
    Birds of Prey
    Black Widow
    The Invisible Man

Most Popular Video Games of 2020 by Community Activity

    League of Legends
    Minecraft
    Animal Crossing
    Fortnite
    Destiny

Sri Lanka has dropped plans for a fresh bailout facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but discussions are underway with the donor agency on technical assistance on public financial management, tax policy and administration.

"The Sri Lankan government has decided not to pursue a new or ongoing  IMF programme, but to continue maintaining the close relationship with the Fund under standard consultation processes similar to many other member countries," Central Bank Governor Professor W. D. Lakshman said.

Addressing a media conference convened to brief journalists on the third monetary policy review of the year, he noted that a team of two IMF economists currently in Colombo are conducting annual Article 1V consultations with Sri Lankan authorities.

They will be assessing economic and financial developments and discuss the country's economic and financial policies with government and central bank officials.

The team reports its findings to IMF management and then presents them for discussion to the Executive Board, which represents all of the IMF's member countries.

A summary of the IMF Board’s views is subsequently transmitted to the country's government thereafter informed sources said.

However, according to State Minister of Finance Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Sri Lanka is eligible to receive up to USD 800 million to boost foreign reserves from the IMF as a part of a new allocation of Special Drawing Rights.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirms it has received a request for emergency financial assistance from the Sri Lankan authorities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was stated by the Director of the Communications Department of the International Monetary Fund, Gerry Rice responding to questions during a press briefing recently.

We did receive a request from the Sri Lankan authorities for emergency financial support to help fight the COVID pandemic,” the IMF spokesman said.

He stated that the assessment of that support has taken longer than for other countries due to “Sri Lanka's daunting economic challenges and high public debt.”

Rice said they have sought, but not reached understanding, on how to fulfil the key requirements for what could be a rapid financing instrument which would include policies to continue ensuring debt sustainability to address the balance of payment challenges including from the COVID‑19 impact on tourism and to preserve international reserves.

“The USD 1.5 billion EFF arrangement approved in 2016 expired on June 2, 2020. Given that the final review under the arrangement was not completed, Sri Lanka could not avail of the last disbursement under the EFF, amounting to SDR 118.550 million which is equivalent to around USD 200 million. Disbursements under any Fund arrangement can only be made during the period between the date of its approval by the IMF Board and its expiration date," IMF mission chief Masahiro Nozaki said.   Therefore at this point, for Sri Lanka to access any additional Fund resources, the IMF Board approval of a new arrangement would be needed, he disclosed.

The full scale Mario themed park has been six years in the making and was estimated to cost about $351 million to build.

Universal Studios Japan already plays host to the successful Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Nintendo have no doubts this next big attraction will be a mega hit.

Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, took viewers on a trip around Super Nintendo World. (Nintendo)

Nintendo unveiled a number of rides and attractions during a live streamed Nintendo Direct presented by Mario's creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

Miyamoto takes the viewer on a 15-minute tour of the park, showing off plenty of attractions and wonderous creations.

"I wish it were as simple as creating a level in Super Mario Maker," Miyamoto joked.

The park cost an estimated $351 million to build. (Nintendo)

This is our first proper look at what's on offer but Miyamoto says this is only a fraction of what's on offer.

"There's even more fun stuff you can discover," he said.

From life sized warp pipes and piranha plants to multi-story level recreations and giant mushrooms – there's a whole world to explore.

Bowser's Castle (or Koopa's Castle as it translates in Japan) is the centrepiece of the park.

Inside guests will find a Mario Kart themed track that requires the rider to wear an AR (augmented reality) headset, as well as a huge statue of the big bad himself.

As you'd expect, the food at Super Nintendo World sticks to the theme.

The park's restaurant is named Kinopio's Café (Toad's Café) and features a wide selection of Mushroom themed food, including a Mario Burger, Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl and various other meals on the menu.

Not only does the look food resemble mushrooms, many of the dishes offer actual mushrooms as an ingredient.


Extras such as Power-Up bands add an interactive dimension to the park. (Nintendo)

Upon entry to the park each guest can opt to buy a Power-Up band, which offers a more interactive experience throughout Super Nintendo World.

While wearing the band you can interact with the park's mystery boxes, much like in the games, to receive a digital coin which you can view in the theme park's app.

The band also allows you to participate in various interactive games and find hidden secrets hidden throughout the park and even take on Bowser Jr.

An aspiring Hollywood actor has been accused of scamming millions from film investors by tricking them with fake Netflix deals to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Zachary Horwitz, 34, was arrested on Tuesday by FBI agents on suspicion of running a $690m (£502m) Ponzi scheme.

Mr Horwitz, whose stage name is Zach Avery, allegedly raised funds from investors for film licensing deals with Netflix and HBO that did not exist.

He was charged with wire fraud.

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 20 years.

The criminal complaint was filed by prosecutors and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday.

It accuses Mr Horwitz of using investor funds for "lavish personal spending", including extravagant trips to Las Vegas, flights on chartered jets, payments for high-end cars and the purchase of a $5.7m mansion in Los Angeles.

"We allege that Horwitz promised extremely high returns and made them seem plausible by invoking the names of two well-known entertainment companies and fabricating documents," Michele Wein Layne, a senior SEC official, said in a statement on Tuesday.

As an actor, Mr Horwitz has not had the most illustrious career in Hollywood. Other than an uncredited part in Fury - a 2014 American war film starring Brad Pitt - Mr Horwitz has mostly appeared in low-budget films with mediocre ratings.

A lawyer for Mr Horwitz, Anthony Pacheco, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

BBC

Julio Ceasar Mora and his wife Waldramina Maclovia Quinteros have been married for 79 years, and their relationship isn’t the only thing with longevity.

He’s 110 years old and she’ll turn 105 in October, making them the oldest married couple in the world with a combined age of 214 years and 358 days.

Guinness World Records has certified the record and says they are also the world’s oldest living married couple.

Mora was born on March 10, 1910, and Quinteros was born on October 16, 1915.

They met during a school vacation because her sister was married to his cousin, according to a statement from Guinness World Records.

After seven years of friendship, they got married on February 7, 1941. It was an intimate and secret ceremony with their godparents and close friends because their families didn’t approve of the marriage.

Mora and Quinteros said their relatives didn’t get along at first, but they were able to bring them together over the years.

“Family unity under the rules of love, mutual respect, honest work, and proper education based on family values are the keys to healthy coexistence,” the couple said in the statement.

They went on to have five children, who all graduated college, and a big family of 11 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. Their oldest son died when he was 58, according to the statement. They were both teachers until they retired.

Aura Cecilia, one of their daughters, said that her parents enjoy going to the movies and the theater together, gardening and having big dinners with family and friends.

They haven’t been able to have get-togethers lately because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so they are looking forward to being reunited with their family and loved ones.

Tharshan Thiyagarajah and Losliya Mariyanesan, known for their appearances in the reality tv show 'Big Boss Tamil', are set to play the leading roles.

Filmmaker K.S. Ravikumar, who will also play a lead role in the movie, will also be seen producing the project, Indian media reported.

The story of the film is based around a lonely aged man, who is gifted a robot by his son. It has been speculated that Tharshan will play the role of the son in the Tamil version.

The original Malayalam sci-fi comedy-drama was directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval and is said to be inspired from the Hollywood flick Robot & Frank.

As the film industry gets ready to go back to work with lockdown restrictions easing around the state, it seems that director Shakum Batra is looking at locations closer to home to get cracking on his next.

After reports hinted at Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday packing their bags and heading to Sri Lanka to get cracking on their next untitled film, recent reports suggest that the team may now be looking for domestic options. According to reports doing the rounds online, the director reportedly has his sights set on Goa to begin work on his noir thriller as soon as next September. A report on Mid-Day claims that this will be the first leg of the shoot that will be a 25-day schedule. The team has reportedly begun prep for the film, while the lead cast is expected to join in mid-September.

Reports further go on to state that the team will decide if their next schedule will be a domestic or international shoot, depending on COVID-19 situation.