Political power dressing at NY Fashion Week

A model walks the runway at the Creatures of Comfort presentation during New York Fashion Week at Gallery 1, Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 9, 2017 in New York City. Photo: AFP

The catwalk throbbed with politics in New York on Thursday as designers threw their weight behind a campaign to promote tolerance and La Perla gave women’s freedom a boost with a ready-to-wear debut.

The white bandanas worn by models strutting the runway for Tommy Hilfiger in Los Angeles were ubiquitous on the first official day of the new season as the glitterati battled near blizzard-like conditions and a winter snow storm in New York for the fashion week kickoff.

Calvin Klein dispatched bandanas with their invitations for Friday’s hotly anticipated debut by Belgian director of Dior fame, Raf Simons.

Thai-born designer to the smart New York woman, Thakoon Panichgul sported one on his wrist, as did Japanese-born designer Tadashi Shoji who chose the youth revolution of the 1960s-70s as his inspiration, drawing parallels with protests sweeping the world today against newly minted US President Donald Trump-albeit without naming him.

The bandanas are the brain child of the London-based Business of Fashion website, which is calling on the global fashion community to show support for “solidarity, human unity and inclusiveness amidst growing uncertainty and a dangerous narrative peddling division.”
“Wear a white bandana as a sign to the world that you believe in the common bonds of humankind-regardless of race, sexuality, gender or religion,” says the website, promoting the hashtag TiedTogether.

Organizers say the bandanas will be worn by designers, integrated into shows and worn by celebrity guests, not just in New York but as the global fashion bandwagon moves onto London, Milan and Paris.

They also urge people to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union-which took the US government to court over Trump’s now suspended travel ban-and the UN Refugee agency.

Naomi Campbell
“It’s a hot-button issue,” Thakoon told AFP backstage before his spring/summer 2017 presentation-ditching the official fall/winter season to offer clothes that go on sale immediately.

“I was born and raised in Thailand, I moved here with this idea that America is really where you can have the freedom to not only live, but to think as well and that fostered my creative process,” he said.

If there were no bandanas on the catwalk at La Perla, it was the star billing of the day, opened by British supermodel Naomi Campbell, 46, and closed by Kendall Jenner, 21, in an embroidered transparent dress.

But creative director Julia Haart told AFP there was nothing laid-back or unengaged about the Italian luxury lingerie giant’s first foray into ready-to-wear.

“I don’t think about it as politics, I think about it as women. I want women to feel strong, empowered, in control of their own destiny,” she said. “It’s all about the freedom baby.”

Building on the brand’s DNA, she crafted cups built into the clothing without wires to support a woman without constricting her. The fabrics were stretch to maximize movement.

“I want to destroy this idea that you either have to be either beautiful or comfortable. I want both. I want it all,” Haart said.
Her inspiration was the British garden, which she characterized as a riot of color and flowers that grow freely. The catwalk was set up to replicate a two-story “mansion” surrounded by roses and bougainvilleas.

Very sexy, the collection was fitted to the body with lots of lace, short dresses, lace on the pockets of pants and bras a dominant look.

‘Dress all women’
Shoji, who moved to the United States in 1973, drew a parallel between the inspiration for his collection and protests today sweeping the world and mentioned the women’s march on Washington on January 21.

Through his collection and by wearing the bandana, he told AFP that he wanted to send a message of “unity”.

“I’m an immigrant and 50 percent of my employees are immigrants,” he said. “The philosophy of my company is to dress all women, any country, any religion, any size, any color.”

Rag and Bone, like an increasing number of labels chose to ditch a traditional runway show, this season in favor of a presentation to look back on its 15 years in the business.

Chief executive Marcus Wainwright, originally from Britain, said it “felt tone deaf to do a show” after the US election.

The new collection was a retrospective of its classic look, such as tailored jeans, bomber jacket, plain sweater and long scarf.
“I think it’s about clarifying what we’ve been doing,” Wainright said in the program notes.

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Protect your skin while travelling

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Travelling can sometimes take away your skin’s natural glow. Exhaustion, ignorance, improper diet, hectic schedule and the changing weather are a deadly combination when it comes to ruining a glowing skin. Always moisturise your skin and keep yourself hydrated, says an expert.

Here are a few tips by Megha Shah, cosmetologist, Beauty and Curves Clinic to keep your skin healthy and supple while you travel.

• Keep your moisturiser handy: Apply intense moisturising cream the night before you are travelling, this will help you keep your skin hydrated and moisturised, saving you from the adverse weather conditions. Many places with direct sunlight or wind dry the skin and damages the texture. Re-apply the moisturiser while you travel to maintain a soft, supple skin irrespective of the weather conditions.
• Sunscreen: Irrespective of the season, apply sunscreen generously to save your skin from the harsh effects of UV rays. This way you can protect your skin from tanning and sunburns. Excessive exposure to the sun also result in early ageing therefore, sunscreen is an ideal product to save yourself.
• Cleanser: While travelling, your skin attracts a lot of dirt and dust which gets accumulated on your skin and causes breakouts. A cleanser will wash it all out and keep your skin clean and refreshed. It is also important to keep your cleanser with you as even a slight change in skincare products may act abruptly on your skin and cause vacation breakout.
• Comfort clothing: While going out, you will be engaged in activities like trekking, games or simple roaming around, exploring the places; comfortable clothing will save you from the horror of irritation, itching, and rashes that could happen due to uncomfortable, tight clothes. Various issues like eczema, infections, heat bumps are common with tight clothes, therefore wear loose, comfortable clothes. Skin allergies and some types of contact dermatitis need to be diagnosed and taken care as one observes them.

*Drink water: Apart from keeping your body happy, water is a boon for your skin as well. Often, we skip drinking water while travelling simply because of avoiding the hassle to find a restroom. But this habit not only disturbs your system but ruins your skin.

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China promotes traditional medicine to fight AIDS

China will double the number of AIDS patients it treats with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), officials have said, part of a broader push to increase the use of the ancient practice in the country’s medical system.

The promotion of TCM is part of a five-year plan from the State Council, China’s cabinet, to tackle HIV/AIDS.

“The number of people living with AIDS who are treated with traditional Chinese medicine should be twice what it was in 2015,” the State Council said on its website Sunday.

The plan outlined collaboration between traditional Chinese medicine departments and national health and family planning commissions “to find a therapeutic regimen which combines traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicines”.

The TCM push aligns with a recent effort by the government to make the practice a priority for both development and publicity.

TCM, dating back thousands of years, treats ailments using herbal mixtures and physical therapies such as acupuncture and cupping.

The science behind such remedies has long been questioned. Last month medical researchers disputed a study claiming that acupuncture could cure babies of colic.

In late December the Chinese legislature passed its first TCM law, which will allow practitioners to be licensed and make it easier for them to open clinics.

There are about 450,000 TCM practitioners across the country, according to the State Council Information Office.

The government sees the practice as a cost-saving alternative to modern healthcare.

The new initiative to tackle HIV/AIDS will aim to reduce “AIDS-related homosexual behavior” by at least 10 percent and mother-to-children transmission rates to less than four percent.

In a 2015 report China told the UN that it had 501,000 cases of HIV/AIDS as of the end of 2014.

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Snap’s older user base slowly growing

The logo of messaging app Snapchat is seen at a booth at TechFair LA, a technology job fair, in Los Angeles, California, US. Photo: Reuters

Snap Inc’s Snapchat lags far behind rival social media outlets Facebook Inc, Instagram and Twitter Inc in reaching older users, but the soon-to-be public company has been growing that crucial audience, analysis by MoffettNathanson of a regulatory filing showed.

As Snap prepares for its planned stock market debut in March, luring users older than 35 to the mobile app known for user-generated photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours is seen as key in driving its overall growth. While advertisers covet younger consumers, those 18- to 24-year-olds can be notoriously fickle when it comes to social media preferences, often moving on to the next big thing.

Snap said in its S-1 filing on Thursday that its younger-skewing user base leaves the company more vulnerable than traditional media outlets to changing consumer tastes, and that it could have trouble reaching older demographics.

Snapchat reaches 35 percent of all Americans, according to research firm MoffettNathanson’s report, but that reach is concentrated among younger users. During the fourth quarter of 2016, Snapchat reached 70 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds, but just 23 percent of people over 35.

By comparison, Facebook reached 88 percent of people over 35 during the same period. Instagram reached 45 percent and Twitter 42 percent of that age group.

Still, Snapchat’s reach for those older users is up from just 8 percent at the beginning of 2016, suggesting that segment is growing.

Meanwhile 58 percent of Snapchat’s daily active users, a key metric for advertisers, are between the ages of 13 and 24, according to the MoffettNathanson report.

“We think if anything, Snapchat is closest to Instagram today in terms of demographic breakdown and growth profile. We don’t think it will ever reach the penetration or 35+ saturation of a Facebook, nor will its ascent be as fast, however we also don’t believe it will flame out and ultimately fail as spectacularly as Twitter either,” analysts said in the report released on Tuesday.

Twitter’s lack of user growth since it went public in 2013 has been a major reason for its falling stock price, which has tumbled from more than $69 a share at the end of 2013 to trade around $18 per share.

Another potential source of concern for Snapchat and its investors is the amount of time older users spend on the platform. During the fourth quarter, users over 35 spent just three minutes per day on Snapchat, down from five minutes per day in the second quarter, its high point for the year among that age group.

Since ads are placed between photos and videos that users scroll through, enticing them to stay on the mobile app for longer periods of time allows Snap to sell more to advertisers.

Snap declined to comment beyond the information in its regulatory filings.

When it comes to digital advertising, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google dominate the market. Together, the two are expected to account for 60 percent of the U.S. market in 2017, according to eMarketer.

“We have to root for companies like Snapchat to bring alternatives,” said Ian Schafer, founder and chairman of ad agency Deep Focus, noting a lack of revenue growth in 2016 for companies other than Facebook or Google. “Everyone else was either flat or shrunk.”

Victor Piñeiro, senior vice president of social media for digital agency Big Spaceship, compared Snapchat’s ascendance among younger users to how Viacom Inc’s MTV courted teens in the 1980s and 1990s.

“They’ve so squarely nailed that demographic. I think there’s plenty of space for Snapchat in this coming year,” said Piñeiro. “What I’m curious to see is how it grows beyond the under-35 demographic.”

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Gecko sheds skin to avoid becoming lunch

Combintion of a Geckolepis Megalepis, a specimen of a newly-discovered gecko (L). The gecko photographed after its scale loss, with inset indicating the transparent ‘tear zone’ at the base of a scale. Photo: AFP

A newly-discovered gecko uses a weird but ingenious tactic to evade capture: it strips down to its pink, naked skin and flees, leaving its attacker with a mouthful of scales, scientists have revealed.

The hard, dense flakes come off with “exceptional ease” and grow back in a matter of weeks, a team of researchers reported in the journal PeerJ this week.

Dubbed Geckolepis megalepis, the little lizard was previously confused with another member of the family of fish-scale geckos, known for their large, sheddable scales.

But closer scientific scrutiny revealed it is a species quite apart-boasting the largest scales of any gecko. And it is more skilled than any other at shedding them at even the slightest touch.

G. megalepis is resident in Madagascar.

“This remarkable ability has made these geckos a serious challenge to scientists who want to study them,” said a statement from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

“One of the main ways reptile species can be told apart is by their scale patterns, but these geckos lose their scales with such ease that the patterns are often lost,” added study co-author Mark Scherz.

Methods have included trying to catch them with bundles of cotton wool or luring them untouched into plastic bags.

“You have to think outside the box with Geckolepis,” said Scherz. “They are a nightmare to identify.”

Without its scales, the matchbox-sized critter is not much to look at-resembling a piece of pink, raw chicken. But alive.

Apart from noting the exceptionally large scales, the team used micro-CT scanning to examine skeletons for other distinguishing characteristics, such as skull width and length.

Among G. megalepis’ unique traits is a smaller “attachment area”-where the scales meet the skin-than other fish-scale geckos. This is what allows the flakes to tear from the skin so easily, without leaving a scar.

The creature’s name was derived from the Greek megas for “very large”, and lepis for “scale.”

It is the first new gecko species to be described in 75 years.

Reptiles, including geckos, are known for the ability to shed a body part, often all or part of the tail, to escape predator attack.

Few geckos survive to adulthood with their original tails intact, the study authors said.

Scientists are interested in the regeneration ability of lizards for restorative medicine, possibly re-growing lost limbs for accident survivors one day.

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High-speed internet 'in all unions by 2018'

The government has planned to bring the country's all unions under high-speed internet connectivity by 2018.

"We've already brought upazila offices under broadband internet connectivity and steps have been taken to bring all the unions under digital connectivity," director general ICT (DOICT) department Banamali Bhowmick told a function held at the deputy commissioner's conference room in Brahmanbaria on Thursday.

Trinomuler Tathyajanala of ICT division and Tathyaseba Barta Sangstha (TSB) organised the function to provide training to the entrepreneurs of UDCs of Brahmanbaria district on writing reports and features, outsourcing and e-commerce.

Bhowmick said the government has undertaken two projects—Info Sarkar-3 and Establishing Digital Connectivity projects to bring villages under high speed internet connectivity, reports UNB news agency.

The Infosarker-3 project has already been approved by the executive committee for National Economic Council (ECNEC), he said adding the project would bring some 2,600 unions under broadband internet connectivity and the remaining unions will get high speed internet connectivity under establishing Digital Connectivity project, he said.

Ajit Kumar Sarkar said the government has been building capacity of the entrepreneurs of union digital centers (UDCs) to write reports and features to inform grassroots-level development and success stories of the government to people using ICT.

People will get empowered if they are given necessary information of their livelihood, he said.

The 3-year Trinomuler Tathyajanala programme is being implemented with the advisory support of Access to Information (A2I) Programme of prime minister's office (PMO) to create 10,000 info leaders through providing training to the entrepreneurs of UDCs. TSB is working as implementing associate.

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Algorithms: the managers of our digital lives

A woman playing the popular dating simulation game Ikemen series produced by Japanese mobile content business company Cybird in Tokyo. AFP file photo

Algorithms are a crucial cog in the mechanics of our digital world, but also a nosy minder of our personal lives and a subtle, even insidious influence on our behaviour.

They have also come to symbolise the risks of a computerised world conditioned by commercial factors.

A gift from a Persian scientist

Long before they were associated with Google searches, Facebook pages and Amazon suggestions, algorithms were the brainchild of a Persian scientist.

The term is a combination of mediaeval Latin and the name of a ninth century mathematician and astronomer, Al-Khwarizmi, considered the father of algebra.

A bit like a kitchen recipe, an algorithm is a series of instructions that allows you to obtain a desired result, according to sociologist Dominique Cardon, who wrote “What Algorithms Dream Of”.

Initially known mainly to mathematicians, the term spread as computers developed.

The brains of computer programmes are algorithms, and are thus a central cog in the internet machine.

Where are algorithms found?

“We are literally surrounded by algorithms,” says Olivier Ertzscheid, a French professor of information technology and communication.

“Every time you consult Facebook, Google or Twitter you are exposed to choices” that algorithms calculate for us, and we are also sometimes influenced by them, he told AFP.

They reign in the finance sector, one example being high frequency trading programmes, which can execute trades in milliseconds driven by algorithms that analyze a range of market and economic factors. Their speed and rule-based nature means they can make markets volatile and have triggered so-called flash crashes in the foreign exchange and stock markets.

Police forces increasingly use algorithms to predict where and when crimes are most likely to be committed. Predpol, a software programme, claims to have contributed to double-digit drops in burglaries, robberies and vehicle theft in several US states and is also used in Kent, southern England.

Satellite tracking and surveillance would not have reached the point they are at today without sophisticated algorithms.

How Google began

In the 1990s, PageRank (PR) was created in Stanford, California by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founders.

PR made it possible to class web pages by order of popularity. It became the heart of the Google research engine, which responds to key words within a fraction of a second. In addition to PR, Google uses “a dozen algorithms... to deal with spam, detect copyright infractions” and handle other crucial tasks, Ertzscheid explains.

Facebook and the ‘filter bubble’

Facebook uses sophisticated algorithms to offer its more than 1.8 billion users worldwide personalised content, in particular on its News Feed service which compiles messages from “friends”, and shares articles selected according to each users social media contacts.

One risk posed by such a system is that of “The Filter Bubble” according to Eli Pariser, who developed the concept in a book of the same name. Being surrounded by information filtered by algorithms based on one’s friends, tastes and previous digital searches and choices, someone surfing the internet can be plunged unwittingly into a “cognitive bubble” that just reinforces their convictions and perspective on the world.

Algorithms and the truth

Another risk was exposed during the last US presidential election—the prevalence of so-called fake news or hoaxes on Facebook and other social media. Facebook’s algorithms were not designed to distinguish true from false—a feat that is difficult even for artificial intelligence—but the popularity of information.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has sought to deflect criticism that it had been used to fuel the spread of misinformation that may have impacted the presidential race, but the company responded to growing criticism by saying new tools would be provided so users could call attention to controversial content.

Thinking for us?

Cardon says four main “families” of web algorithms exist. One calculates the popularity of web pages, another assesses their authority within the digital community, and a third evaluates the notoriety of social network users. The fourth attempts to predict the future.

This last one is “problematic” for the sociologist, because it tries to anticipate our future behaviour based on clues we have left on the internet in the past.

It shows up on Amazon for example as book recommendations based on past purchases.

“We build the calculators, but in return they build us” too, Cardon concluded.

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Kylie Minogue not 'nitpicky' about beauty products

Singer Kylie Minogue isn't loyal to any particular beauty brand but does have a cleansing regime she sticks to twice a day.

Minogue, who recently split from Joshua Sasse, follows a loose beauty regime every morning and evening.

"I use whatever I can find -- I'm not too fussy! The most important part of my beauty regime is washing my face thoroughly morning and night, and I do think a cloth helps because it gives a gentle exfoliation," Minogue told express.co.uk.

The 48-year-old has a "girly" love of make-up and loves getting beauty tips, but she is equally a fan of going bare-faced and feeling fresh and natural.

"I love make-up. I'm girly like that, for sure, and I'm always chatting to make-up artists to find out about products and pick up tips. But I'm also a fan of going make-up free. Taking it all off after a concert or show is such a great feeling," she said.

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Berlin film fest gets into swing

Members of the International jury of the Berlinale film festival (L-R) Chinese director Wang Quan’an,US actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, President of the jury, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, Mexican director Diego Luna, German actress Julia Jentsch and Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha Fourati pose for a group photo in Berlin. Photo: AFP

The Berlin film festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Django”, a biopic about Gypsy-jazz great Django Reinhardt focused on the little-known story of his family’s persecution by the Nazis.

The French production is one of 18 movies vying for the coveted Golden Bear, which will be awarded February 18 by a jury led by Hollywood director Paul Verhoeven (“RoboCop”, “Elle”).

“Django” marks the directorial debut of Etienne Comar, a screenwriter and producer behind hits such as “Of Gods and Men” and “My King” and co-producer of the award-winning film about radical Islam “Timbuktu”.

A virtuoso guitarist and composer who shot to global renown with his delicate melodies, Reinhardt was a member of the Sinti minority and was forced to flee German-occupied Paris in 1943.

Festival director Dieter Kosslick called the movie a “poignant tale of survival”.

“It is also a wonderful story about a man who created his own world... in which the greatness of his music allowed us to forget the circumstances under which it was born,” he said.

The film stars Reda Kateb, who appeared with Viggo Mortensen in the Algeria-set war drama “Far From Men”.

Comar told AFP that Reinhardt’s tragic aspect comes from being a “character blinded by his music, who doesn’t see the world changing, in which the war sneaks up on him and only then does he finally see what is happening.”

The 11-day Berlinale, Europe’s first major cinema showcase of the year, will screen nearly 400 movies from 70 countries.

It is the only big festival that opens all its featured movies to the public. Movie buffs camped out overnight Monday to nab the first tickets as they went on sale.

Off-screen with Trump, Merkel

In keeping with its long post-war tradition, the event will mix arthouse cinema from European veterans including Poland’s Agnieszka Holland (“Europa Europa”), Britain’s Sally Potter, Germany’s Volker Schloendorff, previous Golden Bear winner Calin Peter Netzer of Romania and Aki Kaurismaki of Finland with new features from Brazil, South Korea, China and Senegal.

The latest Wolverine instalment of the X-Men superhero franchise “Logan” starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Richard E. Grant will have its world premiere.

Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci (“The Devil Wears Prada”) will unveil his new biopic about Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, “Final Portrait” starring Australian Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush.

Potter (“Orlando”), one of four female directors in competition, pulled together a cast including Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall for the comedy “The Party” set at an MP’s London soiree.

Richard Gere stars with Steve Coogan, Laura Linney, Rebecca Hall and Chloe Sevigny in the thriller “The Dinner” by US director Oren Moverman (the screenwriter behind “Love & Mercy” and “I’m Not There”), an adaptation of the Dutch novel by Herman Koch about two families with an awful secret.

While in town, Gere will also meet with Angela Merkel to discuss his long-running work on the campaign for Tibetan rights, following talks the German chancellor held last year with George Clooney and his human rights lawyer wife Amal about Europe’s refugee influx.

As the most politically minded of the big festivals, stars are expected to use its stage to sound off on global affairs, particularly US President Donald Trump’s disputed travel ban.

Organisers said the Berlinale, which is heavily sponsored by the German government, would send a message of “cultural diversity to fight populist over-simplification”.

“There is nothing that those who owe their power to playing on vague fears and base instincts are more intimidated by than the powers of art: to move people, break taboos and silence, and awaken a desire for a better world,” Culture Minister Monika Gruetters said.

Last year the Golden Bear went to Italian refugee documentary “Fire at Sea” from a jury led by Meryl Streep. It is nominated for an Academy Award this month.

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Being a working mom a challenge: Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson.Photo: AFP

Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson says being a working parent is both incredibly challenging and yet, a gift. And she feels she’s “barely holding it together”.
“I don’t profess to know anything about parenting, anything more than anybody else, (but) being a working mom is an incredible challenge, (and) it’s an incredible gift,” Johansson told etonline.com.
“I think you always feel a little bit of guilt... If you’re at work, you feel like you’re missing out on those special moments with your kid. If you’re with your kid, you feel like you’re not giving enough to your job. It’s a balance. I have a lot of huge admiration for working moms. I’m barely, barely holding it together,” she added.
The actress’ marriage has been rumoured to be in trouble, and she brought her mother, Melanie Sloan, along as her date to the amfAR Gala here on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old star couldn’t have thought of anyone “better” to take along to the event.
She said: “I really couldn’t think of anybody else that I’d rather (have) with me here tonight. (She’s) been incredibly inspiring for me in many, many ways, but certainly as a young girl.
“She never shielded us from what was going on in the zeitgeist in culture. She always made us aware, you know, socially aware. She always encouraged us to be politically and socially active, so I couldn’t imagine a better date tonight.”

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Took 25 years for SRK, Aamir to pose together

Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan together. Photo: Twitter

Superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, who have known each other for over two decades, have posed together for the first time for a selfie.

“Known each other for 25 years and this is the first picture we have taken together of ourselves. It was a fun night,” Shah Rukh tweeted on Saturday.

The duo was reportedly together at the birthday bash of entrepreneur Ajay Bijli in Dubai on Friday.

With over 28,000 likes and 8,000 retweets, the image has gone viral on social media.

Although having known each other for many years, Shah Rukh and Aamir are yet to share screen space in full-length roles.

However, both of them have made fleeting appearance together in 1993 film “Pehla Nasha”.

While Shah Rukh is enjoying the successful run of “Raees”, Aamir is basking in the phenomenal run of “Dangal”.

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JLo, Celine Dion to present at Grammys

Stars like Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez and John Travolta have been announced as presenters at the 59th annual Grammy Awards.

The Recording Academy released this year’s full list of presenters on Friday, which include Dion, Lopez, Taraji P Henson, Nick Jonas and Kelly Clarkson, reports etonline.com.

Late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris, Camila Cabello and Jason Derulo will also be on hand to present, along with The Chainsmokers, Halsey, Pentatonix, Thomas Rhett, Travolta and Ryan Seacrest.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Solange Knowles, Gina Rodriguez, Katharine McPhee and Laverne Cox are also some of the presenters at the awards ceremony, which will be held on Sunday here.

The awards show, hosted by James Corden, will also feature two tribute segments to Prince and George Michael, who died in April and December year year respectively.

“The passings of two such creative innovators were a huge loss for the creative community,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy.

“(We’re) humbled to pay homage to their tremendous legacies on the Grammy stage.”

Other artistes to hit the Grammy stage include The Weeknd, who is set to perform with Daft Punk, as well as Alicia Keys and Maren Morris, who will also collaborate on a duet.

Legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest will also perform with 15-time Grammy winner Dave Grohl and Anderson Paak, who is nominated for two Grammys, including Best New Artist.

Demi Lovato, Andra Day, Tori Kelly and Little Big Town are teaming up for a performance celebrating the mus

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Japanese manga legend Taniguchi passes away

Japanese comic artist Jiro Taniguchi at an awards ceremony at the French embassy in Tokyo. AFP file photo

Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan’s comic art of manga, died in Tokyo on Saturday at the age of 69, leaving behind an international following for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life.

The artist’s French publisher Casterman announced his death on its website, adding that he had been seriously ill, as it expressed its deep condolences to his family.

Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of “The Times of Botchan”. which centres around Natsume Soseki, one of Japan’s greatest writers.

Just over a decade later, he hit the international manga scene with “A Distant Neighbourhood”, about a Japanese salaryman who travels back to his childhood—widely seen to this day as his masterpiece.

Taniguchi’s work is hailed for its delicate line drawing and intricately-constructed landscapes.

Critics have also praised his gentle subject matter for standing in stark contrast to the usual fare of high school romance or sometimes violent pornography consumed by some of Japan’s manga fans.

In works such as “The Walking Man”, the protagonist is occupied less by any specific action as with a fascination with aspects of everyday life—the things he finds, the scenes he sees and the people he meets on his strolls through suburban neighbourhoods. ‘Extraordinarily kind’

Taniguchi’s detailed landscapes populated by vaguely cartoonish characters drew comparisons in the West with some of the better-known European comic heroes, such as Tintin.

Born in 1947 to a modest family in the city of Tottori, 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of the old imperial capital Kyoto, Taniguchi had his first cartoon published in 1970.

He became especially popular in France, one of the biggest markets for graphic art.

In 2011, the French government awarded Taniguchi the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters—one of country’s most prestigious prizes.

Four years later, the annual cartoon festival in the French city of Angouleme held a retrospective of his work.

Taniguchi “really did bridge the two worlds of cartoon art—Japan and France,” said Sebastien Langevin, a graphic art specialist and Canal BD Manga Mag chief editor.

Casterman, his publisher, also praised Taniguchi’s character, describing him as an “extraordinarily kind and gentle” person.

“The humanism that imbued all his work is familiar to his readers, but the man himself was much less well-known, naturally reserved in character and more inclined to let his work speak on his behalf,” it said.

Hand-drawn

His panels were painstakingly hand-drawn, using paper, pen, and a craft knife.

“I do not use a computer because I don’t know how, I don’t have that skill,” he told AFP in an interview in Tokyo in 2012.

“I don’t know why I am also known outside Japan. Perhaps it is because my work is similar to Western comics, which I’ve followed for 30 years and they have influenced my subconscious,” he said.

He was deeply affected by Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident at Fukushima and even considered abandoning his work as useless in the face of such destruction.

But he said he drew inspiration from how his fellow Japanese people dealt with the aftermath of the disaster and carried on.

“I continued thanks to my readers, thanks to the voice of the survivors that made me realise that they still wanted to read my work,” he said.

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Govt rebukes Myanmar over 'unprovoked aggression'

Bangladesh on Wednesday rebuked Myanmar for opening fire on a boat in the Naf river that marks their border and killing one fisherman, describing it as an "act of unprovoked aggression".

Tensions have been running high since thousands of Rohingya began pouring over the border, fleeing a crackdown by the Myanmar army which began in October.

It was the second time that Myanmar forces had fired on Bangladeshi fishermen.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry expressed "deep concern" at the latest shooting on Monday, which also seriously injured another crewman aboard the trawler.

"The ministry urges the government of Myanmar to ensure that Myanmar desist from repeating such an act of aggression," a statement said.

Police said Myanmar border guards opened fire without warning on the fishing boat when it unintentionally strayed into Myanmar waters.

Nearly 70,000 Rohingya Muslims have entered Bangladesh in recent months, with stories of killings and mass rape by Myanmar soldiers that have raised global alarm and sparked protests around Southeast Asia.

The army says it is hunting militants who mounted deadly raids on police posts in October.

According to the Bangladesh government some 400,000 Rohingya are living in Bangladesh and most are unregistered.

Dhaka last week asked diplomats and UN agencies to support a controversial plan to relocate Rohingya refugees to a remote island.

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Obama enjoys watersports

In a recent handout picture released by Virgin on February 7, 2017, former US president Barack Obama is pictured during a kitesurfing session with British billionaire Richard Branson, off the coast of Moskito Island in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. AFP

Former US president Barack Obama has been enjoying life after the US presidency by trying out watersports on a luxury Caribbean island owned by Richard Branson, the Virgin chief said on Tuesday.

The former US leader and his wife Michelle Obama visited Moskito Island, in the British Virgin Islands, after handing over the presidency to his successor Donald Trump.

Photos published on Branson's blog show Obama smiling on board a speed boat and wearing a helmet and goggles as he tries out kitesurfing.

"Being the former president of America, there was lots of security around, but Barack was able to really relax and get into it," the British billionaire wrote.

Obama had been stopped by his security detail from doing watersports during his presidency, Branson said.

Two days were dedicated to teaching Obama how to kitesurf from the beach, "as if going back to being a child again" according to his host.

Branson bought Moskito Island in 2007 and has since built a luxury estate which can host 22 guests, according to the resort's website.

Immediately after leaving the White House on 20 January, the Obamas flew to California for a short holiday in Palm Springs.

In his final press conference as president, Obama said he was looking forward to spending time with his family after leaving office.

"I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. I want to spend precious time with my girls," he said.

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