The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Led China To Be The Biggest Foreign Investors

 

China overtook the U.S. as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2020, a year in which overall global flows cratered by 42% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a United Nations trade agency said.

Flows fell to an estimated $859 billion from $1.5 trillion in 2019, according to the UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor. It was the lowest level since the 1990s and 30% below the investment trough that followed the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

While the world as a whole struggled, China held on, said UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It became the world’s largest FDI recipient with flows rising by 4% to $163 billion.

A return to positive GDP growth and a targeted investment facilitation program helped stabilize investment in China after the first coronavirus lockdowns there, the agency said.

Jennifer Lopez Talks Coronavirus Quarantine and More

The 51-year-old singer recently opened up about the coronavirus quarantine and coming face-to-face with all of the challenges presented by the year 2020.

"I think all of us during the quarantine were a little bit afraid of the kids just sitting in front of their electronics all day," Jennifer Lopez told CBS.

Beyoncé Now Helping Black-Owned Businesses

The star has teamed up with the NAACP to found the Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund.

Beyoncé has launched a new fund to give Black-owned businesses grants through her BeyGOOD foundation.

The fund has been started in collaboration with the National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People (NAACP).

The Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund will provide grants of $10,000 (£7,923) for business owners “in select cities to help sustain business during this time”.

Beyoncé Donates $6M to Coronavirus Relief

The donation is in partnership with several organizations to provide mental health help and other services to communities in need.

Beyoncé is getting into formation to help those in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Grammy winner, 38, announced that she has committed $6 million to help those disproportionately affected by the public health crisis, particularly those on the frontlines who will need assistance even after the pandemic.

"Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD recognizes the immense mental and personal health burdens being placed on essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic," a rep for Beyoncé said in a statement. Beyoncé spoke about the heroes of the pandemic, while also shining a light on the communities devastated the most by the deadly virus.

R. Kelly Pleads Not Guilty

R. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to a set of federal sex-trafficking charges leveraged against him in New York in mid-March, including those that he knowingly spread herpes to two people. He entered the plea via teleconference from a Chicago federal jail on Thursday.

As the coronavirus pandemic has escalated, Kelly has requested early release from prison twice, and was most recently denied on April 22. Kelly was indicted on multiple state and federal sex-abuse charges in New York, Illinois, and Minnesota last year. He has so far pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

Coachella Music Festival Announces 2022 Return

After two years of rescheduling due to COVID, Coachella music festival announced it would return for Spring 2022.

One of the world's largest musical festivals, the event has been held every spring in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado desert since 1999. 

Are Americans out of poverty?

 

The child tax credit helped push a key measure of poverty to its lowest level on record, according to new Census Bureau data Tuesday that signaled just how critical government assistance was to propping Americans up in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic.

Median income remained essentially static in 2021, and the official poverty rate did as well. But the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which adjusts for government assistance like tax credits and stimulus checks, dropped 1.4 percentage points to 7.8%.

Tyrese Defends R. Kelly

Tyrese Gibson is out here defending R. Kelly and he doesn’t appear interested in hearing the allegations from numerous alleged victims. R. Kelly is under trial for multiple sex crimes against underage girls. He has not been sentenced yet as the coronavirus pandemic appears to have delayed some of his appearances in court.

Over the weekend, Tyrese joined Fat Joe for a chat on social media. At one point, the topic of R. Kelly came up and Tyrese felt the need to come to the disgraced singer’s defense.

Are Robots Taking Over Our Manufacturing Jobs?

 

Workers have long feared losing their jobs to newcomers, but the threat has changed somewhat in the digital age, with automated technologies posing a new form of competition for human labor. 

Wu-Tang Clan's New Collection To Benefit Ottawa Charities

Wu-Tang Clan have launched a brand-new hand sanitiser dubbed “Protect Ya Hands”, which is part of their new “A Better Tomorrow Collection”.

The new line of products will benefit the Ottowa Food Bank, Ottawa Mission and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario during the coronavirus pandemic.

For every hand sanitiser purchased, an additional bottle will be donated to The Ottawa Mission Foundation, along with other homeless shelters in Canada.

Who will get this $32.5M Miami mansion?

 

And while the former couple may be relieved they don’t have to deal with a divorce settlement — since they never quite walked down the aisle —  there is still the $32.5 million Miami Beach pad they bought together last summer to consider. 

The exes purchased the home on Aug. 19, under the limited liability company, Fleetwood Star Holdings, Florida property records show.

Located on the upscale Star Island, the waterfront home comes complete with 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms.

What Happened to Playboy Magazine?

 

Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, penned an open letter revealing that its Spring 2020 issue will be the last. In the letter, Kohn explained that the current halt in production (due to the coronavirus pandemic) prompted the final decision.

Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at Biden swearing-in

 

Pop artists Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga will be among A-listers who will perform at the largely-virtual swearing-in ceremony of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on January 20.

Gaga, one-of-a-kind artist, performer and a trailblazer in beauty and fashion, will sing the national anthem and Lopez will give a musical performance on the West Front of the US Capitol, where the ceremony will be taking place.

Biden, 78, and Kamala Harris, 56, will be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States during the ceremony.

But it won't be a typical inauguration, for several reasons.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and fresh security concerns following a pro-Trump mob breaching the Capitol last week have combined to force some changes to what is a historical American day.

Taylor Swift Cancels All 2020 Tour Dates

Taylor Swift has canceled her 2020 tour dates — including her Lover Fests — due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Please, please stay healthy and safe. I’ll see you on stage as soon as I can but right now what’s important is committing to this quarantine, for the sake of all of us.”

Feds Say They Found $1.2M Of R. Kelly's Money

Federal prosecutors say a bank account controlled by R&B singer R. Kelly received at least $1.2 million last year and was created shortly after the singer was charged with sex crimes in Cook County Circuit Court.

They also say Kelly opened the bank account in the name of a nominee, and, in recorded jail calls, the singer appears to have directed people to contact that person “to receive payments indirectly from Kelly.”

That, in part, is what prosecutors say investigators were looking into when they unexpectedly wound up with bank records belonging to an attorney representing R. Kelly in federal court in Brooklyn. Kelly’s defense team accused the feds last month of an “unreasonable, intimidating, and harassing fishing expedition into the records of Mr. Kelly’s current counsel.”

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez endorse Joe Biden

 

The couple had a virtual chat with the former vice president and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, where they voiced their support for the Democratic nominee.

Jennifer Lopez, 51, and Rodriguez, 45, also discussed their concerns about the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, racism, and the importance of the Latino community voting.

"We're thrilled and we're excited to vote. I think our voice has never been more important," Rodriguez said in the video posted to Biden’s social media on Friday. "We want to come together as a team to defeat Covid and to rebuild this U.S. economy that needs us all so much."

New York City Workers Fired Over Vaccine Mandate

 

The mandate, which was first announced by former Mayor Bill de Blasio ahead of an expected winter surge in COVID-19 cases, came to fruition last week amid a much less dire coronavirus situation in the city and the country at large. Nevertheless, nearly 3,000 workers were at risk of termination on Friday over the rule, but many submitted their proof of vaccination or chose to get the shot after being notified of their imminent termination.

How Much Does It Cost Beyonce To Stay In Paris?

 

Beyoncé is one of the most recognizable people on the planet. She’s been in the public eye since she was a teenager building her career and massive wealth. Though the singer lets fans in on to small glimpses of her life through Instagram, Beyoncé is also known for keeping her private life out of the spotlight.

Beyonce New Adidas Gear Is #OutNow

 

Beyoncé's second Ivy Park x Adidas apparel collection is dropping online Thursday, a day ahead of its release in stores.

The athleisure line, dubbed "The Drip 2 Collection," comes nine months after the first installment of Beyoncé's Ivy Park x Adidas gear, which sold out almost instantly when it dropped at the start of the year.

Online sales were set to begin at 4pm ET on the Adidas Ivy Park website. Prices range from about $25 for accessories and up $200 for apparel.

The collaboration is a continuation of Adidas' (ADDDF) strategy of leveraging non-athlete influencers to work as "creative partners" for limited capsule collections of its athletic wear. Scarcity and celebrity have proven a winning combination for Adidas' high-profile collaboration with Kanye West's Yeezy label.

Rihanna, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift named 'Music's Most Iconic Figures'

 

Beyoncé, Rihanna and Taylor Swift are the only music acts included on Forbes’ annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, where they’re sharing rarefied air with the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Oprah Winfrey and Vice-President elect Kamala Harris.

“The leaders on Forbes’ 2020 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women are playing a critical role in determining what the post-pandemic world will look like.” “Their influence is being leveraged beyond economic and political might to transform industries and solve for society’s most urgent issues. The power they hold to move us all forward has never been more apparent — or needed.

Rihanna ranks highest among the singing icons, at No. 69, mostly for her charitable efforts. The$800 million Bajan beauty donated millions of dollars to various charities, including coronavirus relief efforts, and to help abuse victims in L.A. and the needy in New York City. Of course, the “Only Girl in the World” chanteuse is also a business maven, thanks to her Fenty Beauty line and Savage X Fenty lingerie line — expanded through a landmark partnership with LMVH, the French conglomerate, which is at the helm of Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton.