From Left: Ed Skrein Dalvin Cook Rush Jersey , Gina Carano, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Tim Miller, Ryan Reynolds and Brianna Hildebrande from Deadpool Photo: CFP The largest gathering of celebrity superheroes came together on stage with Marvel creator Stan Lee at San Diego's Comic-Con on Saturday, as Fox harnessed star power for its films, Fantastic Four, Deadpool and X-Men.
Fox presented its panel of upcoming movies at the annual gathering of pop culture and film fans, and upped the ante with its own Marvel roster of mutant heroes and anti-heroes, with Lee, the creator of the comic books, making a cameo appearance.
Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Oscar Isaac led the fifteen main cast members of next year's X-Men: Apocalypse, each hinting at where their respective characters are in the new film.
Director Bryan Singer said Apocalypse was set in the 1980s, 10 years after the events of 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past. While the world is more accepting of mutants, they themselves are still coming to terms with their powers and intentions, and deal with new evils.
Jackman, who has played Wolverine in every X-Men movie since 2000, said he'll be hanging up the claws after 2017's Wolverine sequel, hinting at the possibility of seeing an older version of his character in the final film.
While X-Men: Apocalypse boasted the most star power, it was the R-rated Deadpool that earned the standing ovation.
Fans were treated to the first proper look at the foul-mouthed anti-hero Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, in a trailer filled with edgy humor that traces his transition from an ailing young man into a disfigured but invincible, rage-filled, vigilante.
Reynolds first appeared as Deadpool in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Unlike all the superhero films to grace the box office in the past two decades, Deadpool, featuring a lesser known and more polarizing hero, is the first time Marvel gets R-rated on the big screen.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN members on Friday reiterated their commitment to develop Southeast Asia into a vibrant cruising destination during ASEAN Tourism Forum 2017 held in Singapore.
In support, they agreed to develop a joint declaration on cruise tourism, according to the joint media statement of the 20th meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers.
The five-day tourism forum came to a close on Friday after the launch of "Visit ASEAN@@50" campaign on Wednesday. ASEAN ministers also made agreement on cruise tourism, quality tourism during the gathering.
The inaugural Cruise Dialogue was organized on Thursday to further realize the potential growth of cruise tourism in the region, showcase examples of cruise port development projects, and discuss how cruise lines and entities can partner ASEAN member states to develop cruise ports.
Hosted on board currently the largest cruise ship homeporting in Southeast Asia, ASEAN ministers were briefed on the industry. They urged to develop infrastructure to accommodate various cruise ships.
Noting that passengers expected to cruise in Southeast Asia would reach approximately 4.5 million by 2035, ASEAN ministers agreed to develop a joint declaration on cruise tourism. According to the statement, the joint declaration will set out principles to spur port and destination development in the region, and further encourage industry stakeholders to collaborate and grow cruise tourism.
Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board, stressed that cursing is a multi-destination product, it will take collective efforts within Southeast Asia in order for the industry to flourish.
Benito C. Bengzon of the Philippine Department of Tourism said his country is gearing up to be an active player in the regional cruise arena. "The Philippines has now developed its National Cruise Tourism Development Strategy that provides a strategic direction for the country to fully maximize its potential for cruise tourism," added the undersecretary.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is also planning to prioritize infrastructure development to allow the berthing of large cruise ships. The immigration clearance processes are also under review to ensure consistency across all checkpoints and communication channels to support the cruise industry.
During the meeting, ASEAN ministers also agreed to develop new products and experiences in the areas of yachting, river cruises, youth tourism and sports tourism.
Established in 1981, the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum is a useful platform for the region's tourism ministers, government officials and travel industry players to come together and discuss ways to further stimulate tourism growth. In 2018, the forum will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
KAYUNGA, Uganda, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mariam Nabatanzi Babirye has five squeezed houses in her compound. It gives a semblance of a school as children run around playing.
The 37-year-old single mother, who has given birth to 38 children, is a known figure in the dusty small town of Kasawo in the central Ugandan district Kayunga.
With the alias Nalongo Muzaala Bana (the twin mother tcces quadruples), Babirye has delivered mostly twins, triplets and quadruplets.
Babirye's first assignment every day is to wash a heap of clothes for her children. She has to do it early in the morning to save time for other daily housework.
Breakfast time, the children seated in a circle. One loaf of bread was not enough and the children run to Babirye. She has to dig into her pockets to buy another loaf.
She did the counting, and 14 children have missed. She gives money to one of the children to go to the shop to get more bread.
Babirye's story did not have a happy start. Her mother abandoned her at young age following a break-out with her father.