Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji will feature in ‘Farming’, the acclaimed memoir film of Nigerian-British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
The movie set to hit the cinemas October 11 is based on the life story of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who grew up as a young fostered Nigerian boy that struggled to find an identity in 1980’s England.
The movie is Agbaje’s directorial debut and features international stars Damson Idris, Kate Beckinsale, John Dagleish, Jaime Winstone, Genevieve Nnaji, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
It received its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and its trailer is now released by the producers.
The plot of ‘Farming’ follows the intriquing story of young Enitan (Akinnuoye-Agbaje) who was adopted by a foster British mother (Kate Beckinsale) as he struggled to cope with the harsh realities of racism at the time.
Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress, Rihanna Fenty has announced that her namesake makeup brand Fenty Beauty will officially kick off in Asia this September.
Fashion and beauty enthusiasts will be able to test out products from the cosmetics line at the beginning of this September, in person and shop for them in Hong Kong, Macau, as well as Seoul and Jeju in South Korea.
Back in May, it was announced that Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) and Rihanna teamed up to create a “new luxury Maison” named Fenty. A collection of ready to wear, shoes, and accessories, as an extension of her beauty line.
The fashion icon singer took to her social media to make this announcement, she wrote;
Notably, Sephora will be relaunching in Hong Kong with a brand new boutique this August in the city’s IFC mall in Central.
In Seoul, fans may find Fenty Beauty at Duty Free locations at Lotte and Shinsegae, while those in Jeju may shop the collection at Shilla Duty Free stores.
Fans of Rihanna were very excited about the news and had some suggestions of who should be her ambassador. K-pop singer Kai was by far the fan favourite.
Rihanna
✔@rihanna
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When I launched @fentybeauty in 2017, it was important to me to make sure it was available globally so everyone had access to it. And now we are continuing to expand our Fenty Beauty family to Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul and Jeju in September!
Rihanna this is your next Fenty Face. Hwasa is your girl for women empowerment and owning the skin/body that you are in. She changed the beauty standards and has faced a lot of criticism for being true to herself.
Zaria and Hailey Willard are two sisters from Delaware who are spearheading a campaign to connect fellow book enthusiasts by hosting live reading gatherings every evening on various social media platforms.
“Sunday we go to the library and pick out books for the week,” Zaria, 13, toldGood Morning America Tuesday.
A post shared by Zaria X Hailey (@zariaxhailey) on Apr 12, 2019 at 5:18pm PDT
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Eight-year-old sister Hailey is a Dr. Seuss fan and told the morning show her favorite books by the late author are Green Eggs & Ham, Are You My Mother? and Go Dog, Go.
Convincing mom to allow them to start their own online community was no easy feat, but Victoria Willard said she eventually obliged after seeing her daughters’ desire to start a movement rooted in positivity.
“I can’t hold them back from that,” Willard said.
Like any parent would, Willard does have stipulations on what Zaria and Hailey can do, regulations she refers to as “mom terms.” Some of these rules include no responding to messages or comments before she sees them first and no devices at the dinner table and use of mobile phones after 9 p.m.
Their newfound venture has led to incredible opportunities. Willard says her two girls are developing their own children’s book series.
“One is the writer and one is the illustrator … it’s about blended military families,” she explained.
Christine Lagarde has said she will step down as managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It comes ahead of a decision on her nomination to become head of the European Central Bank (ECB).
Lagarde said she would leave the IMF on 12 September.
“With greater clarity now on the process for my nomination as ECB president and the time it will take, I have made this decision in the best interest of the fund. The executive board will now be taking the necessary steps to move forward with the process for selecting a new managing director” she said.
Lagarde, a former French cabinet minister has been head of the IMF since 2011. If the European Council approves her ECB nomination, she will become the central bank’s first ever female leader, responsible for the euro and the monetary policy of the eurozone.
Known as the “rock star” of international finance, Ms Lagarde, 63, began her career as a lawyer before moving into politics. She served in various ministerial posts under Nicolas Sarközy before being elected as the first female boss of the IMF – replacing Dominique Strauss Khan.
Mo Abudu shared a motivational post on her Instagram page on how to stay focused when irrelevant people stab you in the back as you journey to your success in life.
In her post, the successful media mogul revealed how some irrelevant persons and some perceived successful people have stabbed her in the back as she made her mark in the media and entertainment industry. Read her post below
A good friend of mine shared this African proverb with me yesterday and it made so much sense. “it’s not every dog that barks in the market that you answer”. Just to say that as we are on this journey called life, and as we build, as we start to see and experience some level of success, all sorts of people will come after you. They will even say all sorts, do all sorts, but don’t get distracted. Some of them will even try and use your relevance to make their “irrelevant” lives relevant. It’s all a distraction. What is key is that you continue to stay focused on your end goals.
In my personal journey, I just find it absolutely incredible, that for every stab anyone tries to take at me, believe me a few have tried, some “irrelevant and a few perceived successful ones too, but like magic, GOD just gives me such a GLORIOUS LIFT that just propels me even further. So actually the “Stabs” have become my stepping stones to even greater things. So “Stab” me some more please . I truly am grateful oh Lord. You have stood by me ALL the way. Turning EVERY CHALLENGE into a MIGHTY OPPORTUNITY. So beautiful people, the key is dream big, plan, focus, hard work, tenacity, persistence, team work, do the right thing and serve God, then the magic happens;;,
Everyone likes to have that one person they can confide in and have the most fun with. It’s true that you can find this in a life partner but you also need a friend or two to be there for you.
It is very important to surround yourself with the right people because of the role they play in your happiness, success, and confidence, but who exactly is in that circle?
Research shows that having a strong friend group increases longevity and even reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is true that many women do not like to have a large number of friends yet is important that your close-knit friends have one or more of these qualities.
Here are 7 types of friends you need to surround yourself with especially when you are in your twenties and thirties.
1.The Confidant
Everyone needs a confidant. You need that one person that you know you can tell anything to and your secrets are safe with them. This friend understands how much you trust her, she knows all of your dirty little secrets and has kept every single one of them under lock and key.
2. The Fun One
When you’re having a bad day and in need of a good laugh this is the friend you turn to. All of your funniest stories probably include her some way or another.
She also the friend who asks you to go on a spontaneous road trip and is always down for an adventure. She gets you out of your comfort zone and puts you in a great mood.
3. The Listener
Sometimes you just need to vent — you don’t want advice, you don’t want to know if you’re right or wrong, you just want someone to listen. This is that friend. It’s important to let out your emotions and know that you don’t need to carry the burden alone.
4.The Motivator
This friend is always pushing you to be the best you can be and achieve your goals. There are always going to be times when you’re gonna be down on yourself when you need that extra push. They’re like your cheerleader, someone who is always pushing you and really believes in you,” she says.
5. The Counselor
This is the one that gives the best advice. She’s been there and done just about everything. For some reason, you are comfortable discussing your most private thoughts with her that you wouldn’t dare share with anyone else.
She’s the level-headed one who you can vent to about anything and she will not judge you. You feel so much better after your conversations with her.
6. The Older One
This is your older friend, the one you go to for all of your major life advice. She’s had a lot of experience and has been in your shoes before, so she has a lot of wisdom to offer. Whether you’re deciding to make a major career change or take your relationship to the next level, she’s got an answer.
7. The Blunt One
This is the one that will tell you like it is, even when you don’t want to hear the truth. But she’ll tell you in a loving, sisterly kind of way ( and sometimes, she’ll just give it to you with no filter because the situation calls for it).
This is the one that when everyone else is walking on eggshells around you (to avoid hurting your feelings), she’ll tell you exactly how she feels, take it or leave it.
Lashana Lynch has been cast in the upcoming “James Bond” film as the franchise’s first-ever black and female 007.
According to the Daily Mail, “James Bond 25” will introduce the new secret agent in a “pivotal scene.” While Daniel Craig will still portray the titular charcter, Lynch’s character has taken over the iconic number 007 after Bond’s retirement.
“There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says, ‘Come in 007,’ and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful, and a woman. It’s a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he’s been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman” an anonymous source told the Mail.
The upcoming “Bond” film will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and co-written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who wrote BBC’s acclaimed comedy “Fleabag” and Golden Globe-winning thriller “Killing Eve.”
Yvonne Nelson has some regrets about her years as a student, and it is about not being serious with her education.
The Ghanaian actress and Mother of one in an interview with Joy FM, narrated how she had little time for her books after getting a spot in the entertainment industry. She further explained the challenges she faced in making out time to re-sit for some papers, after she failed her Senior High School (SHS) examination.
“I would go on stage every Saturday in SHS. I had to rewrite some papers. I was so into entertainment that I didn’t take my schooling serious. You can easily mess up and not make it to university. I regret not paying attention to my books so when I see kids of today, I tell them to pay attention to their books,” she said.
Yvonne Nelson also stressed the need to climb the educational ladder, regardless of career path.
“I was in Central University. And it wasn’t easy mixing sets with classes. I had to make up my mind. It was tough. Nigerian producers were giving me juicy offers and I was torn between accepting the offers or not. But, I had to focus on school and I was so happy to have graduated, I didn’t want to defer,” she added.
MiAngel Cody had seen enough of the criminal justice system. As a capital investigator, she listened to the stories of those headed for death row, and after working as a corporate lawyer and a state-federal defender, MiAngel Cody decided to look for new ways to use the legal system to dismantle mass incarceration. So Cody created The Decarceration Collective, a federal criminal defense firm that works to release people sentenced to life in prison on drug charges.
According to the Sentencing Project, drug offenders make up one-third of those serving life sentences in federal prison. The U.S. Sentencing Commission states that offenders can be sentenced to life if they are caught with a large number of drugs. However, “large quantities” under federal law can be as small as 1 kilogram of a drug substance.
Not interested in fighting for those who were “innocent,” Cody joined forces with Brittany Barnett’s Buried Alive Project to bring home those sentenced to die in prison.
“It started with, like, a text message one night, and we were like, ‘We should see how many people we can get free,’” Cody says. From there, the duo created spreadsheets of all of the people who had been admitted into district courtrooms throughout the country. They began reaching out to those with federal life sentences for drug offenses and gave them a survey to gather information about their case.
Seventeen people were released under their #90DaysOfFreedom campaign, where they used the newly passed law, The First Step Act, to gain their freedom. In their new Third Strike Campaign, Cody centers the stories of formerly and currently incarcerated folks who received life sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, specifically highlighting those affected by the notorious Three Strikes Law, a law that gives mandatory minimum life sentences to those who have been convicted three times with nonviolent drug offenses.
When The First Step Act was passed last December, it included a provision that made The Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, a law that gave mandatory minimum sentences to eliminate the inequality of crack cocaine and powder cocaine cases. No longer subjected to mandatory minimum sentences, cocaine offenders were able to receive reductions in their sentences or an early release.
One of the folks freed by MiAngel Cody was Albert Reed, Jr., who shares his experience of incarceration through the Third Strike Campaign. When Reed received a life sentence for a drug-related “crime”, he was determined to get out of prison. He applied for clemency and was denied under the Obama administration. The rejection for his freedom shook him to his core.
A year after his rejection, Reed received a survey, sent it back with his information, and was released from prison under Cody’s legal representation. Cody used The First Step Act to her advantage as a way to litigate his release.
In addition to cocaine offenses, The First Step Act also reduced the mandatory minimum sentence for non-cocaine drug offenses from life to 25 years, but it was not made retroactive, meaning those who have already been sentenced to life imprisonment for non-cocaine drug offenses, such as marijuana possession, won’t have their sentenced reversed.
Now, Cody is going back to free the rest, particularly those that The First Step Act did not consider.
“There are a whole bunch of people who are still sitting in prison today under yesterday’s law. And that’s really the point of the Third Strike Campaign. It’s to say if it’s unfair going forward, then it’s unfair looking back, particularly when we’re talking about black bodies being imprisoned,” Cody says.
As for Reed, he can now move forward. He is now reunited with his family and is still rebuilding his connection to his community by working with a basketball camp and a cleaning company. He has dreams of getting into real estate to develop some affordable housing in his neighborhood.
“Anything’s possible after this year. I say to myself every day, ‘Why not dream big? Because you blessed, and all you had to do is think it, and you can bring it into existence.’”
Music icon Patti LaBelle is expanding her huge frozen foods empire with a new line of soul food that will be sold at Walmart.
Onstage at Essence Festival on July 8, LaBelle announced that she was partnering with Walmart to sell a line of frozen soul food that she believed was one of the first widely available.
“Coming soon to a Walmart near you, you’ll have my savory foods. There will be nine skus, foods like macaroni and cheese. It’s greens, it’s brisket, it’s chicken and biscuits, and five more I can’t think of them,” she said onstage during a cooking presentation.
In addition to her legendary singing career, LaBelle has created a wildly successful line of pies that have sold out at Walmarts across the country since 2015.
“Patti LaBelle and I are now partners in our new Co BCH GROCERS LLC – bringing frozen dumplings such as French Onion Soup, Pastrami, Lamb Gyro & Bacon Cheeseburger Dumplings to Walmart – adding to the huge success with Walmart of Ms Patti’s record selling Sweet Potato pies,” famed author and restaurateur Stratis Morfogen said after celebrating the deal at Brooklyn Chop House with LaBelle, her son Zuri Edwards, Alex Thompson and Charles Suitt.
