Entertainment

A diving team attached to the Northern Naval Command had discovered a beautiful coral reef which remained a well-hidden secret until a recent deep-sea expedition carried out over the past week in Kankasanthurai.

The diving expedition to uncover this coral reef which extends approximately 400 metres along the seaward side of breakwater was conducted by a diving team led by Command Diving Officer, under the directives of Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Kapila Samaraweera.

Coral reefs can be identified as an essential element to balance the biodiversity in the ocean and they would decay due to natural causes or harmful human activities. It is in this backdrop, under the directives of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, the Northern Naval Command is committed to protect these coral reefs as well as conserve underwater marine sites in northern seas.

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The Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital said that Amitabh Bachchan is stable with mild symptoms and is currently admitted in an isolation unit.

Bachchan, 77, said in a tweet on Saturday that he has tested positive and appealed to those who were in close proximity to him in the past 10 days to get themselves tested.

His son, Abhishek Bachchan, who is 44, tweeted Saturday night that he also has tested positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized.

“Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to the hospital,” he wrote. “I request all to stay calm and not panic.”

The elder Bachchan has acted in more than 200 Indian films over the past five decades. He is also a former politician and a television host.

The Bachchans are often called Bollywood’s first family. His wife, Jaya, is also an actress and a one-time member of Parliament. Their son, Abhishek, and daughter-in-law, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, are Bollywood superstars as well.

The Press Trust of India news agency cited Maharashtra state Health Minister Rajesh Tope as saying Amitabh Bachchan and his son have cough and fever. ``They underwent a rapid antigen test and (results) came positive,'' he said.

THE ABHIMANI QUEER FILM FESTIVAL will be launched today (17) at the Lighthouse at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI), 24 Horton Place, Colombo 07. The festival is scheduled to take place from the 17th to the 20th of this month.

Formally known as "Celluloid Rainbows", Abhimani is the only International LGBTIQ film festival in Sri Lanka and the oldest LGBTIQ Film Festival in South Asia.

It is held each year in conjunction with Colombo PRIDE and presents a collection of Queer short and feature length films from countries around the globe.

This year's festival will feature films from not just the Asian Region, but also from Europe and Australia.

Screening will start at 6 pm today at the Lighthouse at LKI.

Wildlife cameras have captured an image of what is believed to be the world’s only known albino giant panda, China’s state-run media reported over the weekend.

The People’s Daily said the panda was spotted last month at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan:

There are other images of pandas often described as “albino” in online posts. However, they are not true albino pandas. Most maintain the distinctive panda markings, but with lighter colors.

China Daily said the panda in the new image is believed to be a juvenile between 1 and 2 years old.

Its gender is not known, but the website said wildlife officials are planning to set up more cameras in an attempt to capture additional images.

It's located in a centuries-old former temple with contemporary sculpture in the central courtyard, and serves European dishes made with local ingredients alongside a 950-strong wine list.

And now Beijing's TRB Hutong has got the seal of approval of TripAdvisor users, whose positive ratings have won it the title of best fine dining restaurant in the world from the reviews aggregator.

The Beijing restaurant, which charges from 688RMB ($97) for a five-course menu, has come top of the website's annual Travelers' Choice rankings, which are based on the millions of reviews and ratings left by TripAdvisor users over the past year.

Owner Ignace Lecleir said that he was "thrilled" by the news and "incredibly proud" of the team, to whom he has dedicated the award.

The restaurant opened in 2012, and last year made the TripAdvisor list at number 7.

"The idea was to find a place that would really represent the Chinese culture," Lecleir told CNN in 2018.

The previous year, CNN ranked its sister restaurant, TRB Forbidden City, as one of the best restaurants in the capital of China.

"Charismatic GM and former sommelier Ignace Lecleir takes pains to make every guest feel like a VIP, and the regular arrivals of complimentary amuse bouche ensures nobody leaves unsatisfied," was the verdict.

Amal’s fight for justice is much different than other celebs who use their platform for good, this is her actual full-time job. She is a career lawyer and human right’s attorney and last month asked the United Nation’s Security Council to prosecute Islamic State Extremists in Iraq and Syria on charges of sexual violence, according to the Associated Press.

On the podcast, George talked about his fame and the anonymity he gave up for it — and what that means for his family. He and Amal are parents to twins Ella and Alexander and keeping them safe is their top priority. The two are already denied small luxuries like walking their kids in Central Park because swarming fans and photographers want a shot of the rarely photographed kids and the Ocean’s 11 star.

Now that Amal is taking on this case against ISIS, however, they have a lot more to worry about than tourists who just want to take a selfie with an a-list Hollywood star.

“We don’t really want our kids to be targets, so we have to pay attention to that,” he said.

Just because he’s worried, doesn’t mean he isn’t behind Amal’s professional efforts. When she first announced she will be representing Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was kidnapped by ISIS as a 21-year-old and sold several times, in 2016 she said she had the full support of her husband.

As a couple, the pair are activists together. Last year they opened up their home in Kentucky to Hazim Avdal, a young Yazidi man who fled ISIS in war-torn Iraq. They also helped him fulfill his dreams of studying in the United States and he now attends the University of Chicago.

Back in September of 2017, George told The Hollywood Reporter that he and Amal would collectively put $20 million dollars in The Clooney Foundation that would directly go towards supporting refugees.

Disney has announced it's going to remake Home Alone for its new streaming service.

The studio's chief exec Bob Iger said there will also be "reimaginations" of Night At the Museum, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Cheaper By the Dozen.

Disney now owns the franchises after it bought the film studio 20th Century Fox.

The new service Disney+ launches in the US in November and is expected to hit the UK next year.

The Christmas classic starring Macaulay Culkin was originally released back in 1990 and has an audience rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It's also impossible to avoid if you have a TV on around Christmas time.

"So far this year we've released five of the top six movies," Iger told a conference call with investors.

"Including four which have generated more than a billion dollars in global box office."

In addition to Avatar, Planet of the Apes, X-Men and Deadpool, "we're also focused on leveraging Fox's vast library of great titles to further enrich the content mix on our ... platforms," he said.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will today introduce Baby Sussex to the world - and have insisted a US broadcaster be there to cover the news.

Royal fans will get their first glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby boy this afternoon after Meghan gave birth on Monday morning.
It is hoped the pair will also reveal the name of their son today - with bookies tipping Alexander and Spencer to be a favourite.

The couple were expected to welcome a small contingent of the British media to share a photograph of their newborn this afternoon - but the inclusion of American network CBS at the request of the new parents is a surprise to most.

The US network's morning show is fronted by Gayle King - a close friend of both Meghan Markle who even attended her New York baby shower.

It was reported the move was made to reflect the "international interest" in the story - but has been seen as a "slap in the face" to other broadcasters including those from around the Commonwealth.

The world’s largest entertainment city which is currently under construction in Al Qidiya, 45 km southwest of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia is set to open to the public in the next 11 years.

Construction works on this one of a kind structure featuring sports, cultural and recreational facilities begun in April 2018. The project has been divided into five development nodes; a Resort Core, a City Centre, an Eco Core, a Motion Core, and a Golf and Residential Neighborhood.

Entertainment city

The entertainment city’s design, was made by a consortium that includes Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG), a Denmark-based company after extensive consideration of the natural patterns of site.

The designers agreed that construction shall only cover 30% of the entire land set aside for the project, which is 334 sq. km, leaving the rest of the land for natural conservation. The project is being developed by the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) which is fully owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia

Phase one of the project which is expected to be complete by 2022, will have six Flags Qiddiya, a family-oriented park filled with rides and attractions distributed throughout six themed lands.

Neighboring this pedestrian-oriented district shall be a major outdoor entertainment venue, capable of accommodating events that can host 5,000 to 40,000 heads in a park-like setting, punctuated with active skating and skiing facilities.

The entertainment city is expected to make a qualitative leap in the Kingdom and support the country’s vision to achieve more prosperity, progress for society and raising the status of the capital Riyadh to the best top 100 cities for living in the world.

It is also expected to contribute into the diversification of the kingdom’s economy away from oil-based sources of revenue while creating job opportunities for Saudi’s young population.

Comedy stars are set to perform a fundraising gig for victims of the Sri Lanka bombings.

A Night For Sri Lanka will take place at Indigo at The O2 in London on Sunday 12th May.

The show will be hosted by Nihal Arthanayake, perhaps better known as DJ Nihal, and Romesh Ranganathan. Both the hosts have family backgrounds in Sri Lanka.

Set to appear on the bill are Harry Hill, Jo Brand, Rob Beckett, Katherine Ryan and Kerry Godliman. The event will conclude with a DJ set by Martin 2 Smoove.

Agency Off The Kerb, which has organised the gig, says: "Following recent tragic events in Sri Lanka, the cream of comedic talent will be joining forces in London next week to support the victims and their families."

Talking about the acts, they add the performers will "take to the stage to do what they do best - make people laugh - to support the relief effort."

The proceeds from the show will to those affected by the terrorist attacks, with funds going via the British Asian Trust charity