Latest news with #MyCountry
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Chinese star Zhang Ziyi transforms from screen icon to visionary director in Swimming 100 Meters From the Coast
Zhang Ziyi, a long-celebrated Chinese star, is making a bold and daring move by entering the film industry as a director. In recent years, the award-winning actress has quietly but decisively changed her concentration to filmmaking, focusing her talent into producing and directing. Her first major move was Poem, a visually stunning section in the anthology film My Country, My Parents. The film was a box office smash, grossing 1.4 billion yuan and propelling Zhang to new heights of fame. She won top honors, including Best Actress and Best Director at the 14th Macau International Movie Festival and Most Popular New Director at the 2022 Film China Movie Channel Media Awards, establishing her status as a powerful force behind the camera. A new vision: Swimming 100 Meters From the Coast The actress is embarking on her next creative phase with Swimming 100 Meters From the Coast, her first full-length directing movie. The film represents a significant step forward for the acclaimed actor, who is making her full move from behind the camera to storytelling. The film portrays the deeply moving narrative of a young woman who, after losing her grandmother, discovers a hidden legacy: a decades-long journey throughout Anhui, Fujian, and Taiwan in pursuit of the grandmother's long-lost father. The grandmother, with the help of strangers, fulfills her father's deathbed desire, a tremendous deed that saves her from eternal sorrow. Set to be released in 2027, the picture is already generating a lot of buzz among fans and cinema enthusiasts eager to see Zhang's full-length directorial debut. The ultimate trio: Zhang Ziyi, Vicky Chen, and Li Yuan Zhang Ziyi will not only direct but also appear in front of the camera. She's assembled a powerful crew for the film, including rising talent Vicky Chen and longtime screenwriting collaborator Li Yuan. The three, dubbed "The Ultimate Team" by fans and critics, is raising anticipation for the upcoming film. Vicky Chen, a former child prodigy, is now establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with. She will be 22 years old next month and has over a decade of acting experience, having made history at the age of 14 by winning Best Supporting Actress at both the Golden Horse Awards and the Taipei Film Festival for The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful. This year alone, she was named among the top ten actresses in box office performance and made a stir at the Berlin Film Festival, indicating her rapidly expanding international acclaim. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.
Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
I went to Donald Trump's birthday tank parade and already thinks he's a king
When Donald Trump came on stage for his birthday speech, the US Army band struck up a very familiar tune. It wasn't one of the usual American patriotic hits - like Hail to the Chief. And it wasn't his favourite intro song, Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA - although Greenwood would perform that one live later. No, Trump came on to My Country 'Tis of Thee. Which shares a tune which is better know by Brits as God Save The King. As dogwhistles go, it was not subtle. Trump's speech itself was unusually brief and largely apolitical - but the rest of the event couldn't have been more Pyongyang if he'd come on stage in a sheepskin leather jacket. Over a couple of hours, 7,000 troops, dozens of tanks and other vehicles, swarms of helicopters and two robot dogs rolled, flew and ambled past Trump's podium as he apparently struggled to stay awake. It was the kind of muscular display of might that America just doesn't do. The last time this kind of military parade took place in Washington it was in celebration of the completion of Operation Desert Storm, back in the early 90s. And that one had a good reason behind it - it was a celebration of a military victory. This time it was so transparently just an excuse for an elderly wannabe hardman could look at his real life airfix models for the afternoon of his birthday. And don't be trying to claim the celebrations of the US Army's 250th anniversary were already underway before Trump took office. Because the original plan was just hold a festival in celebration - which still happened in the field next door. There was a rope climbing contest, a few choppers and tanks and vastly fewer MAGA hats. The parade was for Trump's birthday, and anyone who thinks it wasn't didn't speak to many people who turned up to watch. As it turns out, I did. Almost everyone mentioned Donald Trump before the Army when asked wha they were celebrating. It was undeniably a spectacle. The scale of the hardware and he sacrifice of the troops was genuinely quite stirring. And the firework display next to the Washington monument was a legit impressive display of American firepower. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visibly bored - at one point getting caught on camera yawning. Even Trump himself - sitting between a gurning Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth an a scowling Melania throughout the parade - appeared to drop off a few times. There also was a very weird moment towards the end as well, where Trump and Melania just stood in the middle of the stage for several minutes in silence, until a military officer appeared to tap Trump on the shoulder and suggest he might like to try leaving the stage. Earlier, a man in a Stars and Stripes stetson had old me it was about time America put its might on display - because it would raise morale. Not just with the troops, but the public too. You see, as well as being letting him play at being King - or perhaps playing Kim - it was transparently about hijacking American history and patriotism for MAGA. To make Donald Trump and a strong America he same thing in people's minds. As tension between the White House and Europe heats up, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is , select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our . And for the 70,000 or so people on the National Mall yesterday, it had been exceptionally successful. For the rest of the country, maybe not so much. They'll have watched it on a split screen, juxtaposed with either footage of the hunt for a political assassin in Minnesota, or of protests against his authoritarian behaviour. Or of a war in the Middle East that is showing up once again that his claims of being the "President of Peace" were absolute hogwash. It's a fraught week for America. And as Trump clutched his wife's pinkie and waddled off the sage, the sinister potential of what I'd just seen started to sink in. Pictures and video by Humphrey Nemar Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday.
The Advertiser
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Advertiser
No perfect season in a land of opportunity, but farmers can bank on each other
Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Land editor Samantha Townsend. In that famous children's fairytale about the three bears it seemed Goldilocks was the only one to find a perfect bed. But here in NSW right now there aren't any 'just right' conditions as farmers struggle to balance the feed budget and their emotional well-being, all thanks to the inclement weather. Where there are producers getting way too much rain, there are others who aren't getting any at all. It doesn't seem fair that producers are mostly left to fend for themselves. We can debate the pros and cons of whether this is climate change or just a vigorous cycle but the fact remains we are witnessing the harsh reality of agricultural production in NSW. As every farmer knows, Dorethea Mackella's iconic poem My Country famously references drought and flooding rains and her words capture the harsh reality of where we live. But what are we, as farmers, doing about this conundrum? Nobody can afford to do nothing, hoping for just a few sunny days or, on the flip side, praying for rain. Are we burying silage in the good times? Are we drying off cows when the autumn turns sour? Perhaps we need to wean early or destock. Is it better to sell and cop the loss or hang on for something better? Sure, we as farmers are doing all that and more but sometimes it's not enough when Mother Nature throws a temper tantrum, the likes of which we have just seen. Australia is not the land of milk and honey, we know that. It's the land of dust and floods. However, there are tremendous opportunities in the shoulder seasons and these silver lining moments need to be taken with positive action to mitigate the good years with the bad. There's another thing that can't be bought with government handouts and it's called mateship. While there are high requirements for cattle agistment extend right across the state, from the drought-stricken south to the mud-bogged North Coast, there are those putting up their hand to help. There's country resilience and farmers helping each other, while on the ground volunteers across multiple agencies do the heavy lifting in times of crisis. We live in a good country and we can be proud of her worth. We just need to grab it with both hands. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Land editor Samantha Townsend. In that famous children's fairytale about the three bears it seemed Goldilocks was the only one to find a perfect bed. But here in NSW right now there aren't any 'just right' conditions as farmers struggle to balance the feed budget and their emotional well-being, all thanks to the inclement weather. Where there are producers getting way too much rain, there are others who aren't getting any at all. It doesn't seem fair that producers are mostly left to fend for themselves. We can debate the pros and cons of whether this is climate change or just a vigorous cycle but the fact remains we are witnessing the harsh reality of agricultural production in NSW. As every farmer knows, Dorethea Mackella's iconic poem My Country famously references drought and flooding rains and her words capture the harsh reality of where we live. But what are we, as farmers, doing about this conundrum? Nobody can afford to do nothing, hoping for just a few sunny days or, on the flip side, praying for rain. Are we burying silage in the good times? Are we drying off cows when the autumn turns sour? Perhaps we need to wean early or destock. Is it better to sell and cop the loss or hang on for something better? Sure, we as farmers are doing all that and more but sometimes it's not enough when Mother Nature throws a temper tantrum, the likes of which we have just seen. Australia is not the land of milk and honey, we know that. It's the land of dust and floods. However, there are tremendous opportunities in the shoulder seasons and these silver lining moments need to be taken with positive action to mitigate the good years with the bad. There's another thing that can't be bought with government handouts and it's called mateship. While there are high requirements for cattle agistment extend right across the state, from the drought-stricken south to the mud-bogged North Coast, there are those putting up their hand to help. There's country resilience and farmers helping each other, while on the ground volunteers across multiple agencies do the heavy lifting in times of crisis. We live in a good country and we can be proud of her worth. We just need to grab it with both hands. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Land editor Samantha Townsend. In that famous children's fairytale about the three bears it seemed Goldilocks was the only one to find a perfect bed. But here in NSW right now there aren't any 'just right' conditions as farmers struggle to balance the feed budget and their emotional well-being, all thanks to the inclement weather. Where there are producers getting way too much rain, there are others who aren't getting any at all. It doesn't seem fair that producers are mostly left to fend for themselves. We can debate the pros and cons of whether this is climate change or just a vigorous cycle but the fact remains we are witnessing the harsh reality of agricultural production in NSW. As every farmer knows, Dorethea Mackella's iconic poem My Country famously references drought and flooding rains and her words capture the harsh reality of where we live. But what are we, as farmers, doing about this conundrum? Nobody can afford to do nothing, hoping for just a few sunny days or, on the flip side, praying for rain. Are we burying silage in the good times? Are we drying off cows when the autumn turns sour? Perhaps we need to wean early or destock. Is it better to sell and cop the loss or hang on for something better? Sure, we as farmers are doing all that and more but sometimes it's not enough when Mother Nature throws a temper tantrum, the likes of which we have just seen. Australia is not the land of milk and honey, we know that. It's the land of dust and floods. However, there are tremendous opportunities in the shoulder seasons and these silver lining moments need to be taken with positive action to mitigate the good years with the bad. There's another thing that can't be bought with government handouts and it's called mateship. While there are high requirements for cattle agistment extend right across the state, from the drought-stricken south to the mud-bogged North Coast, there are those putting up their hand to help. There's country resilience and farmers helping each other, while on the ground volunteers across multiple agencies do the heavy lifting in times of crisis. We live in a good country and we can be proud of her worth. We just need to grab it with both hands. Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from the local news teams of the ACM network, which stretches into every state and territory. Today's is written by The Land editor Samantha Townsend. In that famous children's fairytale about the three bears it seemed Goldilocks was the only one to find a perfect bed. But here in NSW right now there aren't any 'just right' conditions as farmers struggle to balance the feed budget and their emotional well-being, all thanks to the inclement weather. Where there are producers getting way too much rain, there are others who aren't getting any at all. It doesn't seem fair that producers are mostly left to fend for themselves. We can debate the pros and cons of whether this is climate change or just a vigorous cycle but the fact remains we are witnessing the harsh reality of agricultural production in NSW. As every farmer knows, Dorethea Mackella's iconic poem My Country famously references drought and flooding rains and her words capture the harsh reality of where we live. But what are we, as farmers, doing about this conundrum? Nobody can afford to do nothing, hoping for just a few sunny days or, on the flip side, praying for rain. Are we burying silage in the good times? Are we drying off cows when the autumn turns sour? Perhaps we need to wean early or destock. Is it better to sell and cop the loss or hang on for something better? Sure, we as farmers are doing all that and more but sometimes it's not enough when Mother Nature throws a temper tantrum, the likes of which we have just seen. Australia is not the land of milk and honey, we know that. It's the land of dust and floods. However, there are tremendous opportunities in the shoulder seasons and these silver lining moments need to be taken with positive action to mitigate the good years with the bad. There's another thing that can't be bought with government handouts and it's called mateship. While there are high requirements for cattle agistment extend right across the state, from the drought-stricken south to the mud-bogged North Coast, there are those putting up their hand to help. There's country resilience and farmers helping each other, while on the ground volunteers across multiple agencies do the heavy lifting in times of crisis. We live in a good country and we can be proud of her worth. We just need to grab it with both hands.
The Star
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
‘Anak' singer Freddie Aguilar dies aged 72
Filipino singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar, best known for his chart-topping international hit Anak, died in Manila aged 72, local media reported. He had been receiving treatment at the Philippine Heart Center, according to social media posts by his wife, Jovie Albao-Aguilar. Aguilar was one of the leaders of the locally based Original Pilipino Music movement of the 1970s, and was known for his political activism, often tackling social issues through song. In the 1980s, he lent his voice to the People Power Movement that overthrew then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, with his rendition of the traditional patriotic ballad Bayan Ko (My Country) serving as an anthem. In a special 2018 resolution, the Philippine Senate lauded him for 'lifetime outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and culture.' Anak, a Tagalog-language song about the struggles of raising a problematic child, sold more than 30 million copies. — AFP
Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Filipino ‘Anak' singer Freddie Aguilar dies aged 72
Filipino singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar had been receiving treatment at the Philippine Heart Centre, his wife said in social media posts. PHOTO: ROPER'S STUDIO MANILA - Filipino singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar, best known for his chart-topping international hit 'Anak', died in Manila aged 72 on May 27, local media reported. He had been receiving treatment at the Philippine Heart Centre, according to social media posts uploaded by his wife, Jovie Albao-Aguilar. The one-time street musician was one of the leaders of the locally based Original Pilipino Music movement that emerged in the 1970s, and was known for his political activism, often tackling social issues through song. In the 1980s, he lent his voice to the People Power Movement that overthrew then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, with his rendition of the traditional patriotic ballad 'Bayan Ko' (My Country) serving as an anthem. According to his profile on music service Spotify, he got his start in the business performing cover tunes for American military personnel stationed in the archipelago nation. 'This is not goodbye, just farewell for now,' Albao-Aguilar posted on her Facebook page. 'It was a good fight because we are fighting together.' Aguilar converted to Islam in 2013 at age 60 so he could marry Albao-Aguilar, then only 16 years old, under the country's Muslim Family Code. In a special 2018 resolution, the Philippine Senate lauded him for 'lifetime outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and culture.' He was the 'only singer and composer who broke into the Western market and gained massive global recognition, bringing pride and honor to our country,' the resolution said. 'Anak', a Tagalog-language song about the struggles of raising a problematic child, sold more than 30 million copies. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
