Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday defended the actions of officials who dragged a female away after she voices her dissent against PM shortly before his motorcade was expected to pass by in Ratchaburi province.
“How was it violent? I didn’t see. How was it violent?” Prayut replied when asked by reporters, adding that anyone who breaks the laws will be dealt with and that there were only three protesters while “10,000 people” came out to welcome him.
One official can be seen trying to cover her mouth, while another used an umbrella to block cameras while one man shouted, “handle carefully. It’s not good optics”
Police say they were trying to “take the woman to hospital.” It remains unclear whether the woman is under custody or any charge has been pressed against her. PM Prayut is in Ratchaburi province to visit development projects in Ban Pong district.
On the way out, Prayut lowered the windshield of his limousine and then told reporters not to ask about the issue again because it’s only about three people and not ten thousands whom he’s trying to serve. When reminded by reporters not to be mad, Prayut said he wasn’t angry.
An elderly female anti-Prayut protester was dragged away by security details from a rally site where PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was visiting Monday at Ratchaburi province’s Ban Pong District.
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Children wearing face masks play at a kindergarten in Rach Gia city, Vietnam's southern Kien Giang province, Feb. 14, 2022. (VNA via Xinhua)
HANOI, March 13 (Xinhua) — Vietnam is preparing to mark the birth of its 100 millionth citizen next month with a publicity campaign to promote the positive effect of population growth on the economy, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday.
According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam had 99.2 million citizens as of April 2022, making it the 15th most populous country in the world and among the third most populous in Southeast Asia.
The country’s statistics office said in the face of rising global economic competition, every country is seeking to achieve competitive advantage through human resources.
A young couple visit a gift shop on Valentine’s Day in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, on Feb. 14, 2023.
Thus Vietnam sees the birth of its 100 millionth citizen as “a proud landmark”, combined with policies to incentivize economy and investment growth, in raising the national profile among the international community, said the statistics office.
The government has planned a publicity campaign in mid-April, including a parade and a meeting ceremony to welcome the birth of the 100 millionth citizen.
The total fertility rate, the number of children a Vietnamese woman has in her lifetime, was between six and seven until the early 1960s. It declined to 4.8 in 1979 and then continued to decline, reaching the replacement level fertility around two since 2006, according to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fan Bingbing made a regal entrance in sparkling silver and emerald green on the champagne-colored carpet Sunday at the 95th Academy Awards. Hong Chau wore a high-neck pink Prada column gown with a feathery black train and Malala Yousafzai worked the hood of her silver sparkler from Ralph Lauren like a pro.
Bingbing, the “X-Men” star, wore Tony Ward Couture with her hair sculpted into an Old Hollywood bob, as some of the men among the early walkers brought the sparkle. We’re looking at you Lorenzo Zurzolo. Others, like Brendan Fraser, went for traditional black tuxedos.
Fan Bingbing arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Looked like a queen and princess
While Bingbing looked like a queen, Sofia Carson was a princess in white custom Giambattista Valli haute couture, a stunning statement diamond and emerald necklace accenting her ball gown with its off-shoulder, form-fitting bodice, a delicate diamond-shaped cutout at the center. Her jewels were by Chopard, including 122.49 carats of emeralds and 92.57 carats of diamonds.
Sofia Carson arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Also looking royal was Angela Bassett in Moschino. The dress by Jeremy Scott included draping that looked like a huge bow up top as the fabric swirled around her body. She was perfectly accented with a serpent Bulgari necklace.
“It’s light, it’s royal purple, our color for royalty,” she told E!. “Just bringing that to the carpet. And, also spring.”
Angela Bassett, left, and Courtney B. Vance, as he takes her picture, arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Yousafzai, 25, was a producer on “Stranger at the Gate.” She said her dress represented “peace, love, harmony.”
“I feel so much myself in it,” she told The Associated Press.
Malala Yousafzai, left, and Asser Malik arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Rihanna helped close down the carpet in custom Alaia, a leather band dress she wore over a jersey bodysuit as she showed off her baby bump. Lady Gaga snagged a black Versace look off the runway from the fashion house’s show last week in Los Angeles. It featured boning under a sheer top with sheer sleeves and a ballgown skirt with a drop waist. Around her neck was a Tiffany & Co. diamond choker.
Lady Gaga arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Rihanna, left, and Ashley Graham arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Cate Blanchett donned a never-before-seen blue draped velvet top from the Louis Vuitton archives. She wore it with a black skirt made of fully sustainable silk.
Monica Barbaro practiced her carpet walk in a two-tone Elie Saab ballgown of deep plumb and delicate blue chiffon with a long full train.
“They were the first couture house to loan to me when nobody knew who I was,” she told E!
Cate Blanchett arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Cara Delevingne repped young Hollywood well in a gorgeous red silk taffeta ballgown with a thigh-high slit and one shoulder with a billowing bow. She paired the look with a Bulgari serpent choker in white gold with emeralds for the eyes of the snake.
Cara Delevingne arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“Cara’s smoky pink eyeshadow is so fresh and modern. She looks so fresh faced yet simultaneously glamorous,” said Danielle James, beauty director for Elle.com.
Florence Pugh went in a different direction with a super-mini look in black under a voluminous strapless top that fell into billowy sleeves and yards of long fabric in a greyish white. It was Valentino Haute Couture. She had a Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace around her neck with matching pink tourmaline earrings.
Florence Pugh, left, and Andrew Garfield present the award for best original screenplay at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Halle Bailey did the young proud as well in an ethereal strapless soft blue gown by Dolce & Gabbana, with sheer panels at the skirt and boning on top. So did Janelle Monáe in a Vera Wang look that fell from a strapless black crop top to an orange skirt. She wore a black fabric choker around her neck.
Jamie Lee Curtis went for a long-sleeve sparkler by Dolce & Gabbana that was the precise color of the Oscars’ new off-white carpet.
Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis pose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Harvey Guillen and Harry Shum Jr. made statements of their own, the former in a Christian Siriano coat with a silver brocade design and a full ruffled coat and the latter in a white evening jacket with a wide sash and black trim.
“Puss in Boots” star Guillen said his outfit is the first time Siriano has designed for a plus-size man.
The dramatic, embellished long coat flared out at the waist. It evoked Guillen’s vampire mockumentary show “What We Do in the Shadows,” on which he plays fan favorite Guillermo.
Harry Shum Jr. and Harvey Guillen arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Shum made sure to grab supporting actress nominee Chau to compliment her bubblegum pink frock while chatting with friends.
“You look amazing,” he said.
“The Whale” actor replied he did too.
“I try to change it up,” Shum said.
Lilly Singh donned Siriano, who managed to salvage his Oscar looks last week after a pipe burst in his studio. Singh’s magenta trouser look was topped with a long matching coat.
Domee Shi, from left, Rosalie Chiang, Lindsay Collins and Sandra Oh arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Sandra Oh’s orange look popped against the lighter carpet. Like Chau, Allison Williams went for soft pink, with lots of sparkle, while Mindy Kaling stunned in bright white, a bustier look by Vera Wang with detached overlong sleeves and open boning. Also in white: Ariana DeBose in a standout Versace moment with jeweled embellishment made to evoke armor.
Williams’ Giambattista Valli look came with chunky embellishment, a feather-trimmed hem and a pink taffeta tulle cape.
Alexander Dreymon, left, and Allison Williams arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The beauty games were strong as well. Oh’s updo was perfect for her flowy look, also from Giambattista Valli.
“I love the messy updo with a bang. It juxtaposes with the orange dress so nicely. Her light and airy look matches the vibe,” said James, the Elle beauty expert.
Eva Longoria also wore white, a heavily beaded look by Zuhair Murad that featured an open neckline to the waist.
President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Janet Yang, left, and Eva Longoria speak at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
There was a healthy showing of black as well, led by Danai Gurira in classic Jason Wu, her hair worn high to, as she told reporters, honor the women who carry things with grace and beauty on the tops of their heads. Phoebe Waller-Bridge also went for black. The strapless look came with a Bulgari serpent choker set in pink gold with diamonds and another set of emeralds for eyes.
Stylist and men’s fashion blogger Peter Nguyen had some standouts, including Riz Ahmed.
“His edgy, wide collar open shirt continues the theme of Young Hollywood making more statements by going against the grain of tradition,” Nguyen said.
Brendan Fraser arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
His fav, though, was Questlove in a tone-on-tone black suit, shirt and tie with a minimal topcoat he called both “elegant and flattering.” On Questlove’s feet were rubbery comfy shoes.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sported a satin double-breasted dinner jacket in ballet pink.
Fashion expert Melissa Rivers, daughter of the late “Fashion Police” host Joan Rivers, loved all the tidy hair, white and statement jewelry.
Nicole Kidman arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)xxx arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“Some of the women that we really look to are showing us glimpses of what we’re going to see next. We’re getting away from the big ballgowns and going with the column,” she said.
She includes Jessica Chastain in custom silver crystal Gucci among them. Chastain paired her strapless column gown and black train with a gold Lionhead Gucci necklace featuring 80 carats of green tsavorites and diamonds.
Monica Barbaro arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Erika Harwood, senior style editor for Byrdie, noted a strong showing in “truly vintage looks and pieces” pulled from designers’ archives.
Also among them: Winnie Harlow in an archival Y2K look from Armoni Prive, Vanessa Hudgins in vintage Chanel, Rooney Mara in 2008 Alexander McQueen and Zoe Saldana in vintage Cartier jewels.
Tiffany Reid, senior vice president of fashion for Bustle, cited white as a huge trend.
“White was the color of the evening, giving angelic on the champagne carpet,” she said. “Emily Blunt in Valentino, Michelle Yeoh in Dior, Tems in Lever Couture, Mindy Kaling in Vera Wang, Halle Berry, Rooney Mara in McQueen, Michelle Williams in Chanel.”
Michelle Yeoh accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Michelle Williams arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Jessica Chastain, left, and Halle Berry present the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
But her two best dressed were Bassett (in purple) and Chau (in pink). Her glam queen was Gurira, with her hair tribute to “beauty inspired by African women.” Shum made Reid’s best-dressed list for the men, along with Lukas Dhont, Michael B. Jordan, Paul Mescal and Austin Butler.
Hong Chau arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Cassie Anderson, fashion director for Cosmopolitan, noted a wealth of rosettes, including those on the looks of Nicole Kidman and Berry. And she, too, saw white as a strong trend, along with metallics like those of Yousafzai and Williams.
“Studies suggest that gold is the luckiest color to wear to the Oscars,” Anderson said, “but white was THE color.”
Ke Huy Quan, from left, Michelle Yeoh, Brendan Fraser and Jamie Lee Curtis pose with their awards in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The metaphysical multiverse comedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” wrapped its hot dog fingers around Hollywood’s top prize Sunday, winning best picture at the 95th Academy Awards, along with awards for Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Though worlds away from Oscar bait, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s anarchic ballet of everything bagels, googly-eyed rocks and one messy tax audit emerged as an improbable Academy Awards heavyweight. The indie hit, A24’s second best-picture winner following “Moonlight,” won seven Oscars in all.
The cast and crew of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” accepts the award for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
First Asian woman to best actress
Yeoh became the first Asian woman to best actress, taking the award for her lauded performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The 60-year-old Malaysian-born Yeoh won her first Oscar for a performance that relied as much on her comic and dramatic chops as it did her kung fu skills. She’s the first best actress win for a non-white actress in 20 years.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility. This is proof that dreams dream big and dreams do come true,” she said. “And ladies, don’t let anyone ever tell you you’re past your prime.”
Michelle Yeoh accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Yeoh’s victory comes almost 90 years after Luise Rainer, a white actor, won the same category for donning “yellowface” to play a Chinese villager in “The Good Earth.”
She joyously acknowledged the historical moment in front of reporters in the press room.
“I think this is something we have been working so hard towards for a very long time and tonight, we freaking broke that glass ceiling! I kung fu-ed it out and shattered it,” Yeoh said.
Yeoh beat out past Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), as well as Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) and Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”).
Michelle Yeoh accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Yeoh also used her speech to honor her 84-year-old mother.
“I have to dedicate this to my mom and all the moms in the world because they are really the superheroes and without them none of us would be here tonight,” she said.
Janet Yeoh got to watch her daughter’s win at a live Oscar watch party in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Yeoh added her mother has “has always instilled in me confidence, taught me about love, taught me about kindness and compassion.” She also heeded her mother’s last piece of advice.
“The recent thing she asked me to do is, ‘Don’t wear pants to the Oscars.’”
Michelle Yeoh, left, and Brendan Fraser pose at the engraving station at the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Yeoh appeared a lock after winning seemingly every award everywhere, including the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award, for her nuanced portrayal of Evelyn, an immigrant Chinese wife, mother and laundromat operator bracing for a tax audit.
Fraser in career comeback
Best actor went to Brendan Fraser, culminating the former action star’s return to center stage for his physical transformation as a 600-lb. reclusive professor in “The Whale.” The best-actor race had been one of the closest contests of the night, but Fraser in the end edged Austin Butler.
“So this is what the multiverse looks like,” said a clearly moved Fraser, pointing to the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” crew.
“I started in this business 30 years ago and things didn’t come easily to me,” said an emotional Fraser, breathing heavily on stage Sunday night. “I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement.”
Brendan Fraser accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role for “The Whale” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Fraser was one of five first-time nominees in the category, the first time that had happened since 1935. Fraser beat out Austin Butler of “Elvis,” Colin Farrell of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Paul Mescal of “Aftersun,” and Bill Nighy of “Living.”
Fraser figures the role of Charlie, a 600-pound reclusive gay English teacher who tries to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter, found him at the perfect time.
Any earlier in his career and Fraser has said he wouldn’t have had the life experience or heartache to authentically play a character who lives with sadness, pain and life-threatening obesity.
“I think it’s a film that’s going to change some hearts and minds, and that feels really good,” he said backstage.
Michelle Yeoh won the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and Brendan Fraser won the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role for “The Whale.” (AP Photo/John Locher)
Fraser’s portrayal earned him standing ovations at film festivals in Venice and Toronto, and the early praise continued building through the fall and winter. In addition to receiving the best reviews of his career, he earned a SAG Award for his performance. Along the way, he’s given emotional acceptance speeches, unafraid to cry at times.
His eyes were rimmed red as he clutched his Oscar in one hand, clearly moved by the reaction from his Hollywood peers.
“This has been incredibly rewarding and affirming,” he said backstage, “and it’s given me a lesson in humility and gratitude.”
The former child star Quan capped his own extraordinary comeback with the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in the indie hit “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Quan, beloved for his roles as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Data in “Goonies,” had all but given up acting before being cast in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
His win, among the most expected of the night, was nevertheless one of the ceremony’s most moving moments. The audience — including his “Temple of Doom” director, Steven Spielberg — gave Quan a standing ovation as he fought back tears.
“Mom, I just won an Oscar!” said Quan, 51, whose family fled Vietnam in the war when he was a child.
“They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I can’t believe it’s happening,” said Quan. “This is the American dream.”
Ke Huy Quan accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
History for Jamie Lee Curtis
Minutes later, Quan’s castmate Jamie Lee Curtis won for best supporting actress. Her win, in one of the most competitive categories this year, denied a victory for comic-book fans. Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) would have been the first performer to win an Oscar for a Marvel movie.
It also made history for Curtis, a first-time winner who alluded to herself as “a Nepo baby” during her win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She’s the rare Oscar winner whose parents were both Oscar nominees, something she emotionally referenced in her speech. Tony Curtis was nominated for “The Defiant Ones” in 1959 and Janet Leigh was nominated in 1961 for “Psycho.” Curtis thanked “hundreds” of people who put her in that position.
Jamie Lee Curtis, center, winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” poses with Troy Kotsur, left, and Ariana DeBose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
“My mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories,” Curtis said, beginning to cry as she accepted the award. “I just won an Oscar!”
When Curtis was asked backstage if her parents are proudly looking down on her, the actor offered some serious candor in her response.
“I don’t believe in a world where people are looking down on us,” she said. “I think we are them in our actions, in our deeds and in our ideas. We build our own. We give them to our children, and that’s how the world goes on. I am a product of them. I am a proud product of them. I know they would be incredibly proud of me.”
Curtis’ nomination comes more than 60 years after her mother was nominated for her supporting acting work in “Psycho.” Her father received a nod in 1959 in the best actor category for “The Defiant Ones.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, 64, became the eighth oldest in the category’s history to win. She surpassed Judi Dench, who held the slot for her role in “Shakespeare in Love.”
List of 2023 Oscar winners
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar winners announced Sunday:
Best picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best actress: Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best actor: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
Best supporting actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best supporting actress: Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Original song: “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”
Film editing: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best animated feature: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
International feature film: “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
Documentary feature: “Navalny”
Live action short: “An Irish Goodbye”
Cinematography: James Friend, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Makeup and hairstyling: “The Whale”
Costume design: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Documentary short: “The Elephant Whisperers”
Animated short: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
Production design: “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Music (original score): Volker Bertelmann, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Visual Effects: “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Original screenplay: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Adapted screenplay: “Women Talking”
Sound: “Top Gun: Maverick”
Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan accept the award for best original screenplay for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
In one of the night’s first awards, former child star Ke Huy Quan capped his extraordinary comeback with the Oscar for best supporting actor. Quan, beloved for his roles as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Data in “Goonies,” had all but given up acting before being cast in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
His win, among the most expected of the night, was nevertheless one of the ceremony’s most moving moments. The audience — including his “Temple of Doom” director, Steven Spielberg — gave Quan a standing ovation as he fought back tears.
Ke Huy Quan accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“Mom, I just won an Oscar!” said Quan, 51, whose family fled Vietnam in the war when he was a child.
“They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I can’t believe it’s happening,” said Quan. “This is the American dream.”
Minutes later, Quan’s castmate Jamie Lee Curtis won for best supporting actress. Her win, in one of the most competitive categories this year, denied a victory for comic-book fans. Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) would have been the first performer to win an Oscar for a Marvel movie.
It also made history for Curtis, a first-time winner who alluded to herself as “a Nepo baby” during her win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She’s the rare Oscar winner whose parents were both Oscar nominees, something she emotionally referenced in her speech. Tony Curtis was nominated for “The Defiant Ones” in 1959 and Janet Leigh was nominated in 1961 for “Psycho.” Curtis thanked “hundreds” of people who put her in that position.
Jamie Lee Curtis, center, winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role for “Everything Everywhere All At Once” poses with Troy Kotsur, left, and Ariana DeBose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The early back-to-back wins for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was perhaps a sign of things to come. The film, up for a leading 11 awards, is the clear best-picture favorite.
Though Bassett missed on supporting actress, Ruth E. Carter won for the costume design of “Wakanda Forever,” four years after becoming the first Black designer to win an Oscar, for “Black Panther.” This one makes Carter the first Black woman to win two Oscars.
“Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman,” said Carter. “She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film.”
Carter dedicated the award to her mother, who she said died last week at 101.
Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan accept the award for best original screenplay for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The telecast, airing live on ABC, opened traditionally: with a montage of the year’s films (with Kimmel edited into a cockpit in “Top Gun: Maverick”) and a lengthy monologue. Kimmel, hosting for the third time, didn’t dive right into revisiting Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at last year’s ceremony.
But after a number of jokes — including one that noted two stars of “Encino Man,” Quan and Brendan Fraser are nominated — Kimmel noted that there are numerous Irish actors up for Oscars, “which means the odds of another fight on stage just went way up.”
The late-night comedian struggled to find lessons from last year’s incident, which was followed by Smith winning best actor. If anyone tried any violence this year, he said, “You will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech.”
But Kimmel, hosting for the third time, said anyone who wanted to “get jiggy with it” this year will have to come through a fearsome battalion of bodyguards, including Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Yeoh, Steven Spielberg and his show’s “security guard” Guillermo Rodriguez.
The night’s first award went to another Guillermo: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” for best animated film. That handed Netflix its first Oscar in the category.
Daniel Roher.’s “Navalny,” about the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, took best documentary. The film’s win came with clear overtones to Navalny’s ongoing imprisonment and Vladimir Putin’s continued war in Ukraine. Yulia Navalnaya joined the filmmakers on the stage.
“My husband is in prison just for telling the truth,” said Navalnaya. “Stay strong my love.”
Daniel Roher and the members of the crew from “Navalny” accept the award for best documentary feature film at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Guillermo del Toro, winner of the award for best animated feature film for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”, poses in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Some big names weren’t in attendance for other reasons. Neither Tom Cruise, whose “Top Gun: Maverick” is up for best picture, nor James Cameron, director of best-picture nominee “Avatar: The Way of Water,” were at the ceremony. Both have been forefront in Hollywood’s efforts to get moviegoers back after years of pandemic.
“The two guys who asked us to go back to theater aren’t in the theater,” Kimmel said, who added that Cruise without his shirt on in “Top Gun: Maverick” was “L. Ron Hubba Hubba.”
The German-language WWI epic “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Netflix’s top contender this year — took best cinematography for James Friend and best international film.
After several days of rain in and around Los Angeles, the sun was out again for a ceremony the film academy is hoping will be less stormy than last year. The usually red carpet, as part of the make-over, was champagned colored. There were surprises before the show even got started.
Just days after producers had said Lady Gaga wouldn’t be performing her nominated song “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” a person close to the production with knowledge of the performance confirmed Sunday afternoon that the pop superstar would perform, after all.
The musical showstopper, though, may have come from India. The song-and-dance routine of “Naatu Naatu” from the Telugu action-film sensation “RRR” brought the house down.
Kartiki Gonsalves, left, and Guneet Monga accept the award for best documentary short film for “The Elephant Whisperer” at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Daniel Roher and the members of the crew from “Navalny” accept the award for best documentary feature film at the Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The academy, still trying to find its footing after several years of pandemic and ratings struggles, is also hoping for a smoother ride than last year. A crisis management team has been created to help better respond to surprises. The academy has called its response to Smith’s actions last year “inadequate.” Neither Rock, who recently made his most forceful statement about the incident in a live special, nor Smith, who’s been banned by the academy for 10 years, are expected to attend.
The Academy Awards is attempting to recapture some of its old luster. One thing working in its favor: This year’s best picture field is stacked with blockbusters. Ratings usually go up when the nominees are more popular, which certainly goes for “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and, to a lesser extent, “Elvis” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Performances from Rihanna and Lady Gaga were sure to help, too.
Last year, Apple TV’s “CODA” became the first streaming movie to win best picture. But this year, nine of the 10 best picture nominees were theatrical releases. After the movie business cratered during the pandemic, moviegoing recovered to about 67% of pre-pandemic levels. But it was an up and down year, full of smash hits and anxiety-inducing lulls in theaters.
At the same time, the rush to streaming encountered new setbacks as studios questioned long-term profitability and reexamined their release strategies. This year, ticket sales have been strong thanks to releases like “Creed III” and “Cocaine Bear.” But there remain storm clouds on the horizon. The Writers Guild and the major studios are set to begin contract negotiations March 20, a looming battle that has much of the industry girding for the possibility of a work stoppage throughout film and television.
The Oscars, meanwhile, are trying to reestablish their position as the premier award show. Last year’s telecast drew 16.6 million viewers, a 58% increase from the scaled-down 2021 edition, watched by a record low 10.5 million.
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AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr contributed to this report.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures deposits up to $250,000, but many of the companies and wealthy people who used the bank — known for its relationships with technology startups and venture capital — had more than that amount in their account. There are fears that some workers across the country won’t receive their paychecks.
Yellen, in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” provided few details on the government’s next steps. But she emphasized that the situation was much different from the financial crisis almost 15 years ago, which led to bank bailouts to protect the industry.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during a House Ways and Means committee hearing on President Joe Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget request, Friday, March 10, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
“We’re not going to do that again,” she said. “But we are concerned about depositors, and we’re focused on trying to meet their needs.”
With Wall Street rattled, Yellen tried to reassure Americans that there will be no domino effect after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
“The American banking system is really safe and well capitalized,” she said. “It’s resilient.”
Silicon Valley Bank is the nation’s 16th-largest bank. It was the second biggest bank failure in U.S. history after the collapse of Washington Mutual in 2008. The bank served mostly technology workers and venture capital-backed companies, including some of the industry’s best-known brands.
Silicon Valley Bank began its slid into insolvency when its customers, largely technology companies that needed cash as they struggled to get financing, began withdrawing their deposits. The bank had to sell bonds at a loss to cover the withdrawals, leading to the largest failure of a U.S. financial institution since the height of the financial crisis.
People stand outside of an entrance to Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Yellen described rising interest rates, which have been increased by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation, as the core problem for Silicon Valley Bank. Many of its assets, such as bonds or mortgage-backed securities, lost market value as rates climbed.
“The problems with the tech sector aren’t at the heart of the problems at this bank,” she said.
Yellen said she expected regulators to consider “a wide range of available options,” including the acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank by another institution. So far, however, no buyer has stepped forward.
Tom Quaadman, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, said in a statement that “we urge the administration to facilitate a quick acquisition, guaranteeing all bank depositors have access to their cash.”
Regulators seized the bank’s assets on Friday. Deposits that are insured by the federal government are supposed to be available by Monday morning.
People look at signs posted outside of an entrance to Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
“I’ve been working all weekend with our banking regulators to design appropriate policies to address this situation,” Yellen said. “I can’t really provide further details at this time.”
President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., spoke about “efforts to address the situation” on Saturday, although the White House did not provide additional details on next steps.
Newsom said the goal was to “stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, to protect jobs, people’s livelihoods, and the entire innovation ecosystem that has served as a tent pole for our economy.”
The Daimaru Besso inn in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture, is pictured Feb. 24, 2023. (Kyodo)
The former head of the operator of a southwestern Japan inn, who came under fire for only changing hot spring bathwater twice a year, allowing legionella bacteria to proliferate beyond the allowable limit, has died in a suspected suicide, police said Sunday.
Makoto Yamada, 70, was found dead by a passerby on a mountain road in the city Sunday morning, with a suicide note discovered in a nearby car, the police said.
After admitting the misconduct in February, Yamada resigned as head of the operator of Daimaru Besso, the century-old ryokan-style inn in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture.
According to the police, the note read, “I am very sorry. I feel morally responsible for everything. Please take care of the rest.”
Police searched the inn on Friday, suspecting it had falsely reported to the Fukuoka prefectural government that it had properly changed the bathwater and added chlorine after an inspection in August last year found legionella at twice the allowable limit.
An additional inspection in November found the bacteria level had skyrocketed to 3,700 times over the limit. The prefecture filed a criminal complaint Wednesday for suspected Public Bath Houses Act violations, prompting the police to investigate.
At a press conference late last month, Yamada, then head of the operator, admitted to making a false report, saying, “I told my staff it was OK not to change the bathwater as fewer people were using it.”
Makoto Yamada, head of the Daimaru Besso inn, apologizes during a news conference in the city of Fukuoka on Tuesday February 28. | KYODO
He also admitted to instructing staff to falsify bathwater chlorination records submitted to a public health office despite knowing that doing so was illegal.
A local ordinance says recirculated bathwater that is used daily must be changed at least once a week.
Yamada resigned as head of the inn operator on March 2 to take responsibility for the misconduct.
The inn was founded in 1865, and its past guests include Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, according to its website.
Vendors are seen at a food market in Bangkok, Thailand, March 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)
The Bank of Thailand (BoT), together with the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research (PIER), has published a paper on “Thailand’s household debt, the crisis and why it should not be overlooked”. The paper focuses on 2 issues: 1. how indebted are Thais and 2. how deep the crisis of this household debt is.
According to the National Credit Bureau’s March 2022 data, 37 percent or one-third of Thais, about 25 million people, are in debt. This is up from a record 30 percent in 2017.
graphic by Matichon
About 57 percent of indebted people have more than 100,000 baht outstanding, while 14 per cent owe more than 1 million baht. The average debt is 520,000 baht per person. Household debt in Thailand has almost doubled in the last ten years.
When looking at the ratio of debt to accounts, the study found that Thais have an average of 3 debt accounts per person, while 32 percent of indebted people have more than 4 debt accounts.
Below is the type of debt of Thais:
Personal loans: 39 percent
Credit card: 29 percent
Debts related to agriculture: 12 percent
Auto loans: 10 percent
Mortgage: 4 percent
Business debt: 2 percent
Motorbike loans: 2 percent
About two-thirds of total Thai household debt is a non-productive loan which is a loan that does not generate any revenue or income. This type of debt includes personal loans and credit cards. In contrast, debts that build wealth, productive loan, such as corporate debt or mortgages, only account for 4 per cent of total accounts.
It is important to note that the ratio of mortgage, which is a productive loan, to total debt in Thailand is only about 35 per cent. This signifies that Thais are more indebted with a non-productive loan which is “rather concerning,” according to PIER.
FILE – Debtors submitting application to seek help from the government center that tackles aggressive loan sharks in Sukhotai province, February 2014
In advanced economies where the countries have a similar debt-to-GDP ratio similar to Thailand. Japan has 62 per cent of mortgages in total debt. The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have 73, 73 and 91 percent of the same ratio respectively.
Meanwhile, about 20 percent of Thailand’s debt has fallen into the non-performing loan (NPL) category. The two most vulnerable groups are farmers and low-income people. For the former, the debt-to-income ratio is 34 percent, and for the latter, the same ratio is 41 percent.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco said Sunday, March 12, 2023, it earned a $161 billion profit last year, attributing its earnings to higher crude oil prices.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Oil giant Saudi Aramco said Sunday it earned a $161 billion profit last year, attributing its earnings to higher crude oil prices.
The firm, known formally as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co., said in its annual report that the profit represented “its highest annual profits as a listed company.”
“Given that we anticipate oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, the risks of underinvestment in our industry are real — including contributing to higher energy prices,” Saudi Aramco CEO and President Amin H. Nasser said in a statement.
Nasser said Aramco would spend $37.6 billion to expand its production capacity.
Aramco also declared a dividend of $19.5 billion for the fourth quarter of 2022, to be paid in the first quarter of this year.
In 2021, Aramco declared profits of $110 billion, as compared to $49 billion in 2020 when the world faced the worst of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, travel disruptions and oil prices briefly going negative.
Benchmark Brent crude oil now trades around $82 a barrel, though prices had reached over $120 a barrel back in June. Aramco, whose fortunes hinge on global energy prices, announced a record $42.4 billion profit in the third quarter of 2022 off the back of that price spike.
Those high prices have further strained ties between the kingdom and the United States, traditionally a security guarantor among the Gulf Arab states amid tensions with Iran. Before the midterm elections in November, the kingdom said the Biden administration sought to delay a decision by OPEC and allies including Russia to cut production that could have kept gasoline prices lower for voters — making public the typically behind-the-scenes negotiations common in the region.
President Joe Biden had warned the kingdom that “there’s going to be some consequences for what they’ve done” in terms of oil prices. However, those consequences have yet to be seen as Saudi Arabia and Iran went to China to strike a diplomatic deal Friday. U.S. gasoline prices now stand on average at $3.47 a gallon, down just about a dollar from last year.
Saudi Arabia’s vast oil resources, located close to the surface of its desert expanse, make it one of the world’s least expensive places to produce crude. For every $10 rise in the price of a barrel of oil, Saudi Arabia stands to make an additional $40 billion a year, according to the Institute of International Finance.
Shares in Aramco stood at $8.74 on Riyadh’s Tadawul stock exchange before it opened Sunday. That’s down from a high of $11.55 a share in the last year. However, that current price still gives Aramco a valuation of $1.9 trillion — making it the world’s second-most valuable company behind only Apple. The Saudi government still owns the vast majority of the firm’s shares.
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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
