"Suits" star Patrick J Adams is set to play John Glenn in National Geographic's "Right Stuff" series.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show is based on Tom Wolfe's book about the Project Mercury astronauts.
The series has Leonardo DiCaprio as one of the executive producers with "Castle Rock" veteran Mark Lafferty attached as the showrunner.
"The Right Stuff" opens in the height of the Cold War, following the Soviet Union's successful launch of the Sputnik satellite into orbit. NASA's Project Mercury makes instant celebrities of the seven test pilots tapped to be future astronauts, portrayed as heroes before they actually do anything heroic.
Glenn is a revered test pilot and committed family man with unwavering principles. He is the only astronaut who was famous before Project Mercury and immediately develops a rivalry with Alan Shepard as both vie to be the first man in space.
The series is set to get into production in Florida later this year for a 2020 premiere.
David Nutter 

Patrick J Adams to star as John Glenn in Nat Geo's 'Right Stuff'

PTI Automatic

Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi has congratulated S Jaishankar on his appointment as India's External Affairs Minister and praised his positive contributions to the development of bilateral ties and expressed readiness to work with him to achieve new progress in China-India relations.
Nearly 16 months after he retired as India's foreign secretary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Jaishankar, 64, as the External Affairs Minister on Friday, a surprise move aimed at adding further strategic heft to the government's foreign policy.
"We congratulate Mr Jaishankar on his appointment as foreign minister of India," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Friday night.
It said Wang has sent a congratulatory message to him.
As foreign secretary of India and ambassador to China, Jaishankar has made positive contributions to the development of China-India relations, the release said.
"China is ready to work with India to implement the consensus reached .

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang congratulates Jaishankar

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido renewed calls for President Nicolas Maduro to resign on Friday while campaigning in the birthplace of former leader Hugo Chavez, following inconclusive talks in Norway to end the country's crisis.
Guaido -- who is backed by the United States and is recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries -- has been leading a push to oust leftist firebrand Maduro, who has presided over a crumbling economy after succeeding Chavez in 2013.
During a brief speech before a handful of followers in the small town of Sabaneta, Guaido called for a "large mobilization" of protesters to rally against the government over shortages of gasoline and prolonged blackouts in the country.
"The real solution is, without a doubt, to leave once and for all and let us live in peace," he said of Maduro.
Sabaneta has been turned into a shrine for the hugely popular Chavez, who mixed a larger-than-life personality with a man-of-the-people style and generously-funded ...

Guaido renews call for Maduro to step down after Norway talks

India's junior women's hockey team beat Canada 2-0 in the Cantor Fitzgerald U-21 International 4-Nations tournament here Saturday.
In a tightly contested game, India produced a clinical performance to emerge victorious.
India started strongly and kept the pressure on the Canadian defence. Halfway through the quarter, India won a penalty stroke but Gagandeep's effort was saved by Robin Fleming in the Canadian goal.
India kept up their attacking play and had a penalty corner soon enough. Fleming again was up to the challenge, saving to ensure the two sides ended the first quarter locked goalless.
In the second quarter, it was Canada who created the first opportunity from their first PC of the game. Bichu Devi in India's goal smartly saved from the ensuing drag flick.
The Indian team will play Ireland Sunday.

Indian junior women's hockey team beat Canada 2-0

Shubhankar Sharma rallied his way from a rough front nine on the back of a rare albatross to make the cut along with compatriot Anirban Lahiri on the second day of the Memorial Golf Tournament.
Shubhankar added an even par 71 to his first round 73 and totalled an even par to finish the halfway stage at tied 55th at Muirfield Village.
In the afternoon, Lahiri, who started from the tenth, ran into five boggies in a six-hole stretch but managed to halt the steep slide thereafter to card a four-over 76 and make the cut at one-under 143 and tied 44th, which was a big fall from his first round tied 3rd place.
Two-time Major winner, Martin Kaymer birdied all the Par-5s on the way to four-under 68 and shared the lead with Troy Merritt (66) and Kyoung-Hoon Lee (67). They were at 9-under 135. Jordan Spieth had a 70 and was another shot behind.
Tiger Woods (72) was Tied-33 and could have been closer but for his double on 15th. Rory, McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas missed the cut as ...

Lahiri, Sharma make cut at Memorial Tournament

Despite pushback from US business, Mexico and Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threat to slap a 5 per cent tariff on Mexican imports unless America's southern neighbor cracks down on Central American migrants trying to cross the US border.
US manufacturers said the tariff, set to take effect June 10, would have devastating consequences on them and American consumers. U.S. stocks tumbled on Wall Street in response to Trump's planned action.
"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is exploring legal action in response to the tariffs.
"These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border."
Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador dispatched his foreign secretary to ...

Businesses warn Trump of consequences of new Mexican tariffs

Scientists have taken inspiration from roses to develop a low-cost device for collecting and purifying water, that could provide a portable source of water for homes in remote locations.
The flower-like structure, developed at The University of Texas in the US,  can produce more than half a gallon of water per hour.
The team developed a new approach to solar steaming for water production that uses energy from sunlight to separate salt and other impurities from water through evaporation.
In a study published in the journal Advanced Materials, they outline how an origami rose provided the inspiration for developing a new kind of solar-steaming system made from layered, black paper sheets shaped into petals.
Attached to a stem-like tube that collects untreated water from any water source, the 3D rose shape makes it easier for the structure to collect and retain more liquid.  Current solar-steaming technologies are usually expensive, bulky and produce limited results. The team's method ...

Rose inspired novel device to collect, purify water

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok birdied three times on her second nine including the final hole to card an even par 71 and make the cut at the US Women's Open.
Aditi was one-over 143 and placed Tied-33rd as there were still many players yet to complete the round.
Mamiko Higa of Japan, who shot a 6-under-par 65 in her first-ever US Women's Open round on Thursday, rallied with birdies on three of her last six holes on Friday to post an even-par 71 and maintain a one-stroke lead in the weather-hit second round.
Aditi starting from 10th, bogeyed 14th and had pars on rest of the back nine. On the second nine, she birdied first and second and pushed herself up. But she gave away both those shots on third and fourth before getting another birdie on the ninth.
The round was suspended for nearly two hours in the late afternoon due to  thunderstorms. Play was halted for the day with Higa leading Jessica Korda by one stroke.
Korda, 26, put together rounds of 69-68 to sit at 5-under 137.
Amateur Gina ..

Aditi makes cut at the US Women's Open

The Taliban are unlikely to call a ceasefire any time soon, the group's leader indicated Saturday, though he said the "doors of dialogue" with the US remain open.
The rare message from Haibatullah Akhundzada comes after a sixth round of US-led talks ended last month in Qatar with little sign of progress and amid continued bloodshed across Afghanistan.
"The doors of dialogue and negotiations have been kept open and at this very moment, the (Taliban) negotiation team... is engaged in negotiations with the American side," Akhundzada said in a message ahead of the upcoming festival of Eid, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer.
Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire over Eid and many Afghans -- exhausted by decades of war and violence -- had pinned their hopes on another truce this year.
But Akhundzada said: "No one ...

Taliban leader indicates no ceasefire anytime soon

Ankara and Moscow are again facing an escalation of violence in Syria's last rebel-held territory, a development that puts their cooperation to the test even as they support opposing sides in the eight-year war that has devastated Syria.
An all-out offensive by Syrian government forces to capture Idlib in northwestern Syria from insurgents could unleash an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, for the area is home to 3 million people.
Turkey, which is already hosting more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, is facing strong pressure from Syria, Iran and Russia to deliver on its pledge to control the armed rebel factions in Idlib.
But Turkey also needs Russia to rein in Syrian President Bashar Assad to prevent a massive outflow of refugees and to keep Turkish soldiers on the ground safe.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin "have an incentive to cooperate and ensure that nobody's interests are totally trampled," says Aaron Stein, the director of the ...

Turkey, Russia face conflicts over Syria's push into Idlib

Music icon Elton John and team behind "Rocketman" on Saturday expressed their strong disapproval over the censoring of LGBTQ-related scenes from the film's screenings in Russia.
According to The Guardian, at least five minutes of footage, including scenes involving kissing and sex between John (Taron Egerton) and his one-time manager and lover, John Reid (Richard Madden), has been censored.
In a statement, posted on John's official Twitter page, the iconic singer and the filmmakers said, "We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor 'Rocketman' for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today.
"Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Elton's extraordinary life, warts and all. That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we ...

Elton John, 'Rocketman' team criticise censoring of LGBTQ scenes in Russia

Veteran actor Meryl Streep says she takes offence with the phrase "toxic masculinity".
During a panel discussion to promote the second season of HBO show "Big Little Lies", Streep said toxicity is not just limited to men as women can also be toxic, reported The Guardian.
"We hurt our boys by calling something toxic masculinity. Women can be pretty f***ing toxic... It's toxic people," the multiple Oscar winner said.
"We have our good angles and we have our bad ones. I think the labels are less helpful than what we're trying to get to, which is a communication, direct, between human beings. We're all on the boat together. We've got to make it work," she added.
In "Big Little Lies" season two, the 69-year-old veteran is playing Mary Louise Wright, the mother-in-law of Nicole Kidman's Celeste.
The original cast -- Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz and Shailene Woodley -- are all returning for the show's sophomore run.
The "Big Little Lies" season two, consisting seven ...

Women can be toxic too, says Meryl Streep

The American photographer who shot the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks at the 1989 Tiananmen protests says it's time for the Chinese government to come clean about the bloody events of 30 years ago.
Jeff Widener was an Associated Press photo editor based in Bangkok when he was called in to help cover a growing student-led pro-democracy movement centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
The day after the military crushed the protests on June 3-4, Widener took the shot of an unknown man holding shopping bags facing a row of tanks. The photo of "tank man" became one of the most famous images of defiance of the 20th century.
In an interview, Widener said he doesn't understand why China's leaders won't admit to errors made and reveal the truth behind the crackdown.
"The United States and European countries have made mistakes throughout history and they've reconciled those problems," Widener told AP.
"I think it's time for China to move forward and just come clean on what ...

'Tank man' photographer urges China to open up on Tiananmen

Fast bowling great Waqar Younis feels that it would be foolish to write off Pakistan after a crushing defeat at the hands of the West Indies in their World Cup opener at Trent Bridge on Friday.
However, it doesn't meant that Pakistan's poor start to the tournament can be justified by comparing it with their run in 1992 when they scripted a sensational turnaround to win their maiden World Cup till date, said Waqar.
"You have to remember that this World Cup is a very long tournament. There is a lot of cricket still to be played and it would be foolish to write off this Pakistan side after their defeat to the West Indies," wrote Waqar in a column for the ICC.
"You have to give credit to the West Indies for the way they used the short ball to pepper the Pakistani batsmen," he said referring to Pakistan's 105 all out after they were asked to bat first.
"Andre Russell in particular was outstanding with those first three overs that he bowled at the top of the order. He may have only taken a .

Pakistan can't dwell on 1992 but foolish to write them off: Waqar Younis

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced three activists of the Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) for five years each in jail for arranging funds for the proscribed terror outfit amid pressure from the global community to rein in militant groups.
The Anti-Terrorism Court found the trio guilty in three separate cases on Friday after funds collected for the militant outfit were recovered from them. They were sent to central prison in Gujranwala in Punjab province.
The convicts M Iftikhar, Muhammad Ajmal and Bilal were also fined Rs 45,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively besides the sentence.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Gujranwala had earlier registered a case against them, the Express Tribune reported.
According to Punjab CTD spokesperson, the investigations and prosecutions are being followed to stop proscribed organisations from indulging in terror financing.
The spokesperson warned these organisations and their leaders to desist from such acts or ...

Pak court sentences three JeM activists for terror funding

Actor Wesley Snipes is set to headline the new zombie action thriller, "Outbreak Z".
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 56-year-old actor will also executive produce the film, which will be directed by Chris Brewster.
The filmmaker is best known for working as a stunt choreographer on films such as "Ant-Man and the Wasp", "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Black Panther".
The film's story, penned by Hamid Torabpour, Clint Narramore and Andrew Kightlinger, follows two SWAT officers on a desperate hunt through an overrun college campus in search of a man who holds a vaccine to a zombie virus.
Additional casting for the film is now underway. The production is expected to start soon in Minnesota.
The project will be produced by Peter Wise, while Torabpour, Camille Torabpour, Dr. Mark Smith and Patrick Werksma will be executive producers.

Wesley Snipes to star in 'Outbreak Z'

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay will commence on March 26 in disaster-hit Fukushima and pass through other areas in north-east Japan devastated by the 2011 tsunami, organisers said Saturday.
The Olympic flame will begin its journey around Japan at the J-Village sports training centre in Fukushima that housed workers battling to remove radioactive waste after the nuclear crisis triggered by the killer tsunami.
It will then cross all of Japan's 47 prefectures, travelling to 857 municipalities, and pass by many iconic landmarks over a period of 121 days.
Around 98 percent of Japan's population live within one hour by car or train of the proposed route, Tokyo organisers added.
The torch relay will take in World Heritage sites such as Mt Fuji and the Miyajima shrine in Hiroshima prefecture famous for its "floating" gate.
It will also visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to the victims of the world's first atomic bombing in 1945, before arriving at Tokyo's new Olympic ...

Tokyo Olympic torch relay to pass through Japan's disaster-hit areas

A disgruntled veteran public utilities employee stormed a government building in the US State of Virginia and fired indiscriminately on multiple floors at his co-workers, killing at least 12 people and wounding six others, police said Saturday, in the latest incident of mass shooting in the country.
The gunman was killed when police responded to the shooting in the southeastern coastal city of Virginia Beach.
The suspect, a long-term and current Virginia Beach city employee, fired "indiscriminately" on multiple floors in a public utilities building, police said.
Police Chief James Cervera told reporters there was an exchange of gunfire with officers and a police officer whose ballistic vest stopped a bullet was injured.
The shooting suspect was identified as DeWayne Craddock, according to a law enforcement official and a Virginia government source, CNN reported.
Craddock, 40, worked as a certified professional engineer for the city of Virginia Beach in the Public Utilities Department. 

12 killed, six wounded after mass shooting incident in Virginia

Actor-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge believes more than James Bond, the movies about the famed British spy should do justice to its women characters.
The 33-year-old actor-writer, best known for creating hit series like "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve", recently boarded the project and will be credited as a writer alongside Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z Burns with Cary Joji Fukunaga, who will also direct the film.
In an interview with Deadline, the 33-year-old actor-writer said the Bond franchise continues to be "relevant" but that the movies needs to "treat women properly".
"There's been a lot of talk about whether or not (the Bond franchise) is relevant now, because of who he is and the way he treats women. I think that's bollocks," Waller-Bridge said.
"I think he's absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn't have to. He needs to be true to this character," she added.
The ...

James Bond does not have to treat women properly: Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Masked protesters set fire to the gate of the US embassy in Honduras on Friday during massive demonstrations against public sector reforms in the country.
Thousands of doctors, teachers and students had taken to the streets to demand the government abandon plans to privatize the health and education sectors.
Firefighters came to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the diplomatic mission's gate without damaging the main embassy building.
The US embassy issued a statement after the attack urging Hondurans to refrain from "acts of violence." Police spokesman Jair Meza told local media that one of the suspects, a 23-year-old man, had been arrested.
Relatives of the suspect later went with a crowd to the police headquarters where they shouted demands for his freedom.
Demonstrators blamed "government infiltrators" for the damage to the embassy.

Masked group targets US embassy with arson attack during protests

Former Indonesian first lady Ani Yudhoyono has died in Singapore. She was 66.
Singapore's Foreign Ministry in a statement of condolences says Yudhoyono passed away on Saturday morning.
She was the wife of Indonesia's sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
She had been treated for cancer at National University Hospital in Singapore for several months.
She is survived by her husband, two sons and grandchildren.

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