Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur needs no introduction. The auteur has made some notable films over the year that have achieved cult status among the audience. The celebrated director’s most recent film What's Love Got To Do With It? was released in the UK, USA, and India and received a tremendous response globally.
Earlier this week, the British National Awards took place, and out of the nine categories in which What's Love Got To Do With It? was nominated, the film won four awards: Best Director, Best British Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor.
Shekhar Kapur shared a post on his social media with the caption,
“Thank you @nationalfilmawards for this very unexpected honour. But this award really belongs to 'Team What's Love ... For a director is merely a sum total of his/her team ..”
Kapur's contributions to cinema have not only shaped the Indian landscape but also extended to the international stage, with his movies Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age winning Oscar Awards.
His vision for spotting talent has a proven track record, having worked with actors such as Cate Blanchett, Eddie Redmayne, and Heath Ledger before they were discovered by mainstream cinema.
The director is also working on a sequel to his directorial debut film Masoom, and most recently, Shekhar Kapur was also awarded the 'Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations" award at IGF’s UK-India Awards!
Bryan Johnson, 47, is contemplating shutting down or selling his anti-ageing startup, Blueprint.
The biotech entrepreneur recently launched a religion called "Don’t Die."
He says commercial activity is undermining his philosophical credibility.
Blueprint has faced financial pressures but Johnson denies any crisis.
Biotech entrepreneur and longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson has revealed he is considering shutting down or selling his anti-ageing company, Blueprint. Speaking to Wired, the 47-year-old said his priorities have shifted towards developing his newly founded religion, "Don’t Die", which he believes better aligns with his philosophical ambitions.
“I am so close to either shutting it down or selling it,” Johnson said in the interview published Monday. “I don’t need the money, and it’s a pain-in-the-ass company.”
From business to belief
Johnson is widely known for Project Blueprint, his intense and expensive self-experimentation regimen aimed at reversing ageing. Launched in 2021, the programme reportedly costs him around $2 million annually and has included controversial practices such as blood transfusions from his son, which he later discontinued due to lack of observable benefits.
Blueprint, his startup, sells wellness products ranging from a £42 mushroom-based coffee alternative called “Super Shrooms” to a £44 “longevity mix” drink.
In March, Johnson publicly declared the founding of his own religion, “Don’t Die”, which evolved from the tagline of his wellness brand and Netflix documentary. “It seemed obvious that they’d say Don’t Die is how humanity saved itself and merged with AI,” he wrote on X.
However, he now believes that commercial interests may be at odds with his philosophical mission. “People see the business and give me less credibility on the philosophy side. I will not make that trade-off,” he told Wired.
Financial pressures and public perception
Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that Blueprint was missing its monthly break-even target by over £780,000 ($1 million), citing internal documents and former employees. Johnson responded to some of the allegations, but notably avoided directly addressing the financial data.
To Wired, he maintained that the company is not in a financial crisis. “We are break-even, and I’ve said that publicly many times. We’ve had profitable months, we’ve had loss months,” he said.
Blueprint originally emerged from requests by friends who were curious about the supplements Johnson was taking. “I was trying to do people a solid,” he said. Yet, the enterprise has grown into something that, he now feels, undermines the authenticity of his philosophical pursuits.
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Gopinath joined the IMF in 2019 as chief economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position. (Photo: Reuters)
GITA GOPINATH, the No 2 official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will leave her position at the end of August and return to Harvard University, the IMF said in a statement on Monday.
The IMF said that managing director Kristalina Georgieva will name Gopinath's successor “in due course.”
Gopinath joined the IMF in 2019 as chief economist, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She was promoted to first deputy managing director in January 2022.
There was no immediate comment from the US Treasury, which holds the dominant US share in the IMF. While the Fund’s managing director has traditionally been selected by European countries, the US Treasury has usually recommended candidates for the role of first deputy managing director.
Gopinath is an Indian-born US citizen.
The timing of the announcement came as a surprise to some within the IMF and appears to have been initiated by Gopinath herself.
She will return to Harvard University as a professor of economics, having left the institution earlier to join the IMF.
Her departure gives the US Treasury an opportunity to recommend a new candidate for the deputy role at a time when US president Donald Trump is seeking to reshape the global economy and reduce long-standing U.S. trade deficits through high tariffs on imports from most countries.
Gopinath will return to Harvard, a university that had faced criticism from the Trump administration for rejecting calls to change its governance, hiring, and admissions processes.
Georgieva said Gopinath had joined the IMF as a respected academic and became an “exceptional intellectual leader” during a period that included the Covid-19 pandemic and global disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Gita steered the Fund’s analytical and policy work with clarity, striving for the highest standards of rigorous analysis at a complex time of high uncertainty and rapidly changing global economic environment,” Georgieva said.
At the IMF, Gopinath led work on multilateral surveillance and analysis related to fiscal and monetary policy, debt, and international trade.
In a statement, Gopinath said she was thankful for a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to work at the IMF. She thanked both Georgieva and former IMF chief Christine Lagarde, who had appointed her as chief economist.
“I now return to my roots in academia, where I look forward to continuing to push the research frontier in international finance and macroeconomics to address global challenges, and to training the next generation of economists,” she said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies in Costa Rica at 54 after ocean accident during holiday with daughter
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned on Sunday, aged 54, while vacationing in Costa Rica.
Warner was swimming at Playa Grande when he was pulled under by a strong current.
He rose to fame as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992.
Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities he kept private throughout his career.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who became a household name in the 1980s as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54 following a drowning accident in Costa Rica. According to the Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Agency, Warner was caught in a strong ocean current while swimming off Playa Grande in Cocles, Limón province, on Sunday afternoon. Despite being pulled to shore by bystanders and receiving immediate medical attention from the Red Cross, he was declared dead at the scene.
The beloved actor was in Costa Rica on holiday with his daughter, according to sources. Another man involved in the same incident was rushed to a nearby clinic in critical condition.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowns at 54 while swimming in Costa Rica during family holidayGetty Images
What happened to Malcolm-Jamal Warner in Costa Rica?
Authorities confirmed that Warner drowned due to asphyxia caused by ocean currents. Emergency services responded around 2:10 p.m. local time and dispatched three ambulances to the beach. Witnesses said Warner had been swimming when he was suddenly swept away by the tide. He was rescued from the water but showed no signs of life, and attempts to revive him failed. Warner’s body was taken to the Judicial Morgue in San Joaquín de Flores for an autopsy.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowns while swimming in Costa Rica during holiday with daughterGetty Images
What made Malcolm-Jamal Warner famous?
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s breakthrough came when he was cast as the wisecracking teen Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Chosen personally by Bill Cosby during the final stages of a national casting search, Warner played the role from 1984 to 1992. The show broke barriers with its portrayal of a successful African-American family, becoming a pop culture phenomenon and topping TV ratings for five consecutive seasons. In 1986, Warner earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show and The Resident drowns while swimming in Costa RicaGetty Images
What did he do after The Cosby Show ?
Following his iconic role, Warner built a steady career in both acting and music. He starred in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie, voiced "The Producer" on The Magic School Bus, and appeared in The Resident as Dr. AJ Austin until 2023.
In the music world, Warner won a Grammy in 2015 for Best Traditional R&B Performance, collaborating with Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway on a Stevie Wonder cover. He also released spoken word poetry and was nominated for another Grammy in 2023 for his album Hiding in Plain View.
His latest project was a podcast titled Not All Hood, which focused on mental health and lived experiences within the Black community. The final episode was released just days before his death.
The Cosby Show and The Resident actor dies in ocean accidentGetty Images
How are fans and celebrities reacting?
Tributes have been pouring in from across the entertainment industry. Jennifer Hudson, Taraji P. Henson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Magic Johnson, and Vivica A. Fox are among the many who expressed sorrow and admiration for Warner online.
Actress Niecy Nash shared that the two had recently spoken about their marriages, calling him “the cornerstone of The Cosby Show.” Tracee Ellis Ross remembered him as “warm, thoughtful, and funny,” while Taraji P. Henson thanked him for “the art, the wisdom, and the grace.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowns in Costa Rica during holiday Getty Images
Even Bill Cosby’s spokesperson issued a statement, calling Warner’s death “devastating,” comparing it emotionally to Cosby’s loss of his son Ennis in 1997.
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Migrants swim to board a smugglers' boat in order to attempt crossing the English channel off the beach of Audresselles, northern France on October 25, 2024.
THE UK government on Monday launched a new sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs and their enablers, which it described as the first of its kind globally.
Under the new regime, the UK will be able to freeze assets, impose travel bans, and block access to the country’s financial system for individuals and organisations involved in facilitating irregular migration. These actions can be taken without the need to rely on criminal or counterterrorism legislation.
The sanctions regime was first outlined by foreign secretary David Lammy in January. The government said it would work alongside powers included in the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is yet to be passed.
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is under pressure to fulfil its promise to stop the movement of tens of thousands of people arriving in small boats across the Channel.
“For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK,” foreign secretary David Lammy said in a statement.
“That’s why the UK has created the world’s first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers.”
The government said the new measures would apply to individuals and entities that provide small boats, fake documents, and financial services used by smuggling networks.
Chris Philp, who leads on security and immigration for the main opposition Conservatives in parliament, said further steps were needed to address the issue.
“The truth is you don’t stop the Channel crossings by freezing a few bank accounts in Baghdad or slapping a travel ban on a dinghy dealer in Damascus,” he said. “Swathes of young men are arriving daily, in boats bought online, guided by traffickers who laugh at our laws and cash in on our weakness.”
Starmer has recently signed agreements with France and Germany aimed at reducing the number of small boat arrivals, as he looks to counter the rise of the right-wing populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Koolesh Shah (left) with UEA vice chancellor Professor David Maguire
The University of East Anglia (UEA) has conferred an honorary doctorate on Koolesh Shah, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to business, social impact, and community development.
The award was presented during UEA’s 2025 summer graduation ceremonies, celebrating Shah’s remarkable journey from a pioneering student in the early 1970s to the founder of London Town Group—an award-winning enterprise with significant holdings across residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors. His group is renowned for landmark projects, including Hotel Indigo London Paddington, the InterContinental Hotels Group’s first boutique hotel outside the United States.
Koolesh Shah
Beyond business, Koolesh Shah is deeply committed to philanthropy and public service. He chairs the Sri Aurobindo Trust, which has introduced Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy at SOAS, University of London, and played a vital role in completing the Matrimandir in Auroville. Through the Koolesh Shah Foundation, he supports education, healthcare, and community projects both in the UK and internationally.
Shah also serves as Co-Chairman of Conservative Friends of India, working alongside Sir Oliver Dowden MP to amplify British Indian voices in UK politics and strengthen UK-India relations based on shared values of enterprise, family, and opportunity.
Koolesh Shah’s achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including Asian Hotelier of the Year, Philanthropist of the Year, and GG2 Social Entrepreneur of the Year.
Koolesh Shah
Speaking at the ceremony, Shah reflected on his journey: “UEA shaped my life… changed my perception… gave me a broader spectrum. The most important chapters in my story were the uncomfortable ones. Success isn’t about what you accumulate—it’s about what you help others become.”
This honorary doctorate not only celebrates Koolesh Shah’s impressive career but also his enduring commitment to creating value, inspiring others, and giving back to the community.