Latest news with #TheReturnoftheKing
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Lord of the Rings strikes again! The Engagement Adventure
Collecting engagement rings like Infinity Stones, Lebo M proves that love never dies. Just when we thought the drama of Piano-Gate had finally hit its last note, millionaire producer and Grammy-winning Lion King maestro, Lebohang 'Lebo M' Morake, is back on the charts, this time with a sparkling ring and a yacht in Dubai. The Return of the King (of Engagements) Yes, folks, the man whose love life rivals the complexity of a telenovela has popped the question again, marking what will be another engagement or walk down the aisle, depending on how you look at it. Move over, Tolkien — there's a new Lord of the Rings in town. Lebo M and his rekindled flame, to FreesTabe born beauty Malefu 'Mel' Ntsala, were all smiles and sea breeze as they posed stylishly on a luxury yacht in Dubai. With Mel flaunting a glittering engagement ring and Lebo M dropping poetic captions, the couple looked every bit the part of Instagram's power pair. 'The day we stop believing in love and possibilities is when we stop dreaming. Very grateful to find my dream come true and begin this new chapter,' wrote Lebo in a heartfelt post. Let's be honest, when your 'new chapter' includes yacht pics, Dubai sunsets, and a diamond ring you can probably see from space, we're all reading with popcorn. ALSO READ: Kelvin Momo releases album amid speculation about his involvement at this year's Redbull Symphonic From breakups to boat trips: the Mel and Lebo M saga Malefu 'Mel' Ntsala. Picture: X The road to this engagement hasn't exactly been a Disney fairytale. Lebo M and Mel were reportedly previously engaged in 2018, but their love ship hit a reef when he decided to marry someone else. That someone was Pretty Samuels, a union that, much like a badly written sequel, ended in a dramatic split just months ago. Piano gate LeboM and ex-wife Pretty Samuels. Picture: X The feud between Grammy-winning composer Lebo M and his ex-wife, Pretty Samuels, has intensified with the mysterious disappearance of a valuable Blüthner grand piano. Lebo M, whose real name is Lebohang Morake, accuses Samuels of stealing and selling the instrument on the black market, which has reignited tensions from their contentious divorce in 2024. The situation escalated on 31 March when Lebo M's associate producer, Khanyi Serakoeng, discovered the piano missing while preparing for an upcoming concert with renowned composer Hans Zimmer at Cape Town's Grand West Arena on 18 April. Fast-forward to 2025, and the producer is now firmly back in Mel's arms and clearly on cloud nine. Or at least on deck nine of a super yacht. ALSO READ: Lebo M divorce latest: 'I fear for my life and that of my children' Many rings to rule them all Lebo M and ex wife Angela. Picture: X If there were awards for Most Determined Romantic, Lebo M would've snatched the Oscar years ago. His resilience in love, despite the public scrutiny, media frenzies, and occasional piano scandals, is both bewildering and oddly inspiring. Past wives include: Viveca Gipson Nandi Ndlovu Angela Ngani-Casara (twice!) Engagements with actress Zoe Mthiyane and others As one fan cheekily put it on X: 'At this point, Lebo M should be giving masterclasses in moving on.' Fans: From cheers to curious side-eyes Social media, of course, has had a field day. While some fans are raising their glasses in support, others are raising eyebrows in disbelief. Yet, amid all the noise, one thing's clear — the man's got a type: smart, classy, and stunningly beautiful. And let's face it, he's got a good jeweller on speed dial.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Science
- Scoop
Our Changing World: Dissecting The World's Rarest Whale
Article – RNZ It made international headlines last year. What does a scientific dissection of the world's rarest whale involve? , for Our Changing World The spade-toothed whale: deep diving, rare, and largely unknown to science – until now. The elusive species, part of the beaked whale family, grabbed worldwide headlines in 2024: first when it washed ashore 30 minutes south of Dunedin in July, then again five months later when it was dissected. In December 2024, Our Changing World joined the research team during their week-long scientific dissection efforts to find out what secrets the whale holds. Rare and elusive Beaked whales are some of the most elusive marine mammals on the planet because they are so incredibly well adapted to their long-deep-diving lifestyle. Satellite tagging studies of Cuvier's (or goose-beaked) whales have revealed extraordinary feats of physiology. This includes one dive that lasted a mindboggling 222 minutes – that's longer than the runtime of The Return of the King, the third (and longest) Lord of the Rings movie. Another dive reached a depth of almost three kilometres. Average dives lasted about one hour – impressive breath-holding for an air-breathing mammal. As for the spade-toothed whale's diving prowess – well, nobody knows. It's never been seen alive in the wild. 'I can't tell you how extraordinary it is for me personally' Anton van Helden helped give the whale its common name – spade-toothed – because the single tusk-like tooth erupting from the lower jaw of males looks like a whaling tool called a spade. Anton, senior science advisor in the marine species team at the Department of Conservation, had described the outer appearance of the whale from photographs taken of a mother and calf that washed up in the Bay of Plenty in 2010. They were originally mis-identified and buried, before DNA analysis confirmed that they were spade-toothed whales, after which their partial skeletons were exhumed. This meant that when Anton was sent some snaps of the whale that washed up in Otago in July 2024 he knew exactly what he was looking at, and what a rare find it was. The 2024 specimen is only the seventh ever found (with all but one from New Zealand). Hence the hum of excitement in the concrete room at AgResearch's Invermay campus in Mosgiel, just south of Dunedin. For the first time ever, scientists got the chance to dissect an intact spade-toothed whale. New finds: nine stomachs and tiny teeth The week begins with photographs and whole-body measurements, followed by cutting into and peeling back the thick layer of blubber. Once the blubber is removed, individual muscles are identified and documented. The massive backstrap muscle across the length of the body is then removed, exposing the organs below. These are photographed, examined and weighed. Each beaked whale species seems to have a unique stomach plan. This dissection revealed that the spade-toothed whale has nine stomachs. Squid beaks and eye lenses were found inside, along with some parasites that are now at the University of Otago, awaiting identification. During the week the intact head was removed and brought to the onsite CT scanner. The tens of thousands of images that come out of the scan, along with the subsequent head dissection, will help the researchers dig into some of the many questions they have around the whale's evolution, how they make and use sound, and how they feed. For example, tiny vestigial teeth were found in the jawbone of this whale – a throwback to their early evolutionary days when they had more teeth. Now they have evolved to be suction feeders, using sound to echolocate their prey and then employing their piston-like tongue to alter the water pressure and suck them in. While the focus was scientific dissection, rather than autopsy, the team did find bruising around the neck and head, and a broken jawbone, indicating that the whale had suffered some head trauma that was likely the cause of death. A collaborative effort, and a reconnection A large team participated in the whale's recovery and dissection: Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou hapū members and rangatahi, staff from Tūhura Otago Museum, local and international whale scientists, University of Otago staff and scientists, Māori whale experts (tohunga), and staff from the Department of Conservation. Experts from both knowledge systems – mātauranga Māori and western science – worked alongside each other, with learning going both ways, says Tumai Cassidy from Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou. He was excited to learn from Ngātiwai tohunga Hori Parata and his son Te Kaurinui who answered Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou's call to assist with the dissection. The whale was named Ōnumia by the rūnanga, after the te reo Māori name for the native reserve stretch of coastline it was found on. The whale's skeleton has been gifted to Tūhura Otago Museum, but it will be a while before it will go on display. Right now, the bones are in Lyttelton in the care of Judith Streat. Three months in bacteria-filled baths have stripped the bones of flesh, but there is a lot of oil in deep-diving whales, so the process will take several more years. The kauae, or jawbone, will stay with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, says Rachel Wesley. 'Being able to claim the kauae, you know, as mana whenua, under our rakatirataka and in line with old practices from the past has been a huge step forward from what our hapū has been able to do in the past.' A 3D-printed version of the jawbone will complete the skeleton in the museum.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Science
- Scoop
Our Changing World: Dissecting The World's Rarest Whale
The spade-toothed whale: deep diving, rare, and largely unknown to science - until now. The elusive species, part of the beaked whale family, grabbed worldwide headlines in 2024: first when it washed ashore 30 minutes south of Dunedin in July, then again five months later when it was dissected. In December 2024, Our Changing World joined the research team during their week-long scientific dissection efforts to find out what secrets the whale holds. Rare and elusive Beaked whales are some of the most elusive marine mammals on the planet because they are so incredibly well adapted to their long-deep-diving lifestyle. Satellite tagging studies of Cuvier's (or goose-beaked) whales have revealed extraordinary feats of physiology. This includes one dive that lasted a mindboggling 222 minutes - that's longer than the runtime of The Return of the King, the third (and longest) Lord of the Rings movie. Another dive reached a depth of almost three kilometres. Average dives lasted about one hour - impressive breath-holding for an air-breathing mammal. As for the spade-toothed whale's diving prowess - well, nobody knows. It's never been seen alive in the wild. 'I can't tell you how extraordinary it is for me personally' Anton van Helden helped give the whale its common name - spade-toothed - because the single tusk-like tooth erupting from the lower jaw of males looks like a whaling tool called a spade. Anton, senior science advisor in the marine species team at the Department of Conservation, had described the outer appearance of the whale from photographs taken of a mother and calf that washed up in the Bay of Plenty in 2010. They were originally mis-identified and buried, before DNA analysis confirmed that they were spade-toothed whales, after which their partial skeletons were exhumed. This meant that when Anton was sent some snaps of the whale that washed up in Otago in July 2024 he knew exactly what he was looking at, and what a rare find it was. The 2024 specimen is only the seventh ever found (with all but one from New Zealand). Hence the hum of excitement in the concrete room at AgResearch's Invermay campus in Mosgiel, just south of Dunedin. For the first time ever, scientists got the chance to dissect an intact spade-toothed whale. New finds: nine stomachs and tiny teeth The week begins with photographs and whole-body measurements, followed by cutting into and peeling back the thick layer of blubber. Once the blubber is removed, individual muscles are identified and documented. The massive backstrap muscle across the length of the body is then removed, exposing the organs below. These are photographed, examined and weighed. Each beaked whale species seems to have a unique stomach plan. This dissection revealed that the spade-toothed whale has nine stomachs. Squid beaks and eye lenses were found inside, along with some parasites that are now at the University of Otago, awaiting identification. During the week the intact head was removed and brought to the onsite CT scanner. The tens of thousands of images that come out of the scan, along with the subsequent head dissection, will help the researchers dig into some of the many questions they have around the whale's evolution, how they make and use sound, and how they feed. For example, tiny vestigial teeth were found in the jawbone of this whale - a throwback to their early evolutionary days when they had more teeth. Now they have evolved to be suction feeders, using sound to echolocate their prey and then employing their piston-like tongue to alter the water pressure and suck them in. While the focus was scientific dissection, rather than autopsy, the team did find bruising around the neck and head, and a broken jawbone, indicating that the whale had suffered some head trauma that was likely the cause of death. A collaborative effort, and a reconnection A large team participated in the whale's recovery and dissection: Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou hapū members and rangatahi, staff from Tūhura Otago Museum, local and international whale scientists, University of Otago staff and scientists, Māori whale experts (tohunga), and staff from the Department of Conservation. Experts from both knowledge systems - mātauranga Māori and western science - worked alongside each other, with learning going both ways, says Tumai Cassidy from Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou. He was excited to learn from Ngātiwai tohunga Hori Parata and his son Te Kaurinui who answered Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou's call to assist with the dissection. The whale was named Ōnumia by the rūnanga, after the te reo Māori name for the native reserve stretch of coastline it was found on. The whale's skeleton has been gifted to Tūhura Otago Museum, but it will be a while before it will go on display. Right now, the bones are in Lyttelton in the care of Judith Streat. Three months in bacteria-filled baths have stripped the bones of flesh, but there is a lot of oil in deep-diving whales, so the process will take several more years. The kauae, or jawbone, will stay with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, says Rachel Wesley. "Being able to claim the kauae, you know, as mana whenua, under our rakatirataka and in line with old practices from the past has been a huge step forward from what our hapū has been able to do in the past." A 3D-printed version of the jawbone will complete the skeleton in the museum.
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Offseason: Vikings decide against placing franchise tag on Sam Darnold
NFL Offseason: Vikings decide against placing franchise tag on Sam Darnold The saga involving the Vikings and Sam Darnold is finally closing one chapter, and we are heading towards a finale in this story. To let fans understand, we are now past The Two Towers in the Lord of the Rings movie trio and we are now entering The Return of the King territory. The latest chapter came to a close when an NFL insider announced when Vikings decision on whether to use the franchise tag on Sam Darnold. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Tuesday that the Vikings officially will not be placing the franchise tag on Sam Darnold. The veteran quarterback will become a free agent when the new league year opens on March 10. Meanwhile, the team and Darnold will continue to work towards a deal according to Rapoport. The last part of his report indicates that the team wants to keep its bridge quarterback as it prepares for the J.J. McCarthy era. There have been discussions that the team wants to pair a veteran with their future franchise centerpiece. Sam Darnold could likely earn a team-friendly deal such as the likes of Geno Smith or Baker Mayfield got with the Seahawks and Buccaneers respectively. The team doesn't want to spend a lot, but they do know how much it could cost them to keep Darnold. Going to be an interesting six to eight days for every NFL fan now, not just those of the Vikings.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Allies troll critics with references to King Trump
President Trump's allies trolled his critics with references to him being a king after the president declared New York was 'saved' from congestion pricing. On Wednesday, Trump's administration announced it would be rescinding the Biden-era approval of a congestion pricing plan for the busy Manhattan area. 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,' Trump posted online. 'LONG LIVE THE KING!' The White House then shared the quote on X in its own post, including a drawing of Trump with a crown and New York City backdrop. Instead of the iconic TIME Magazine letters, it reads TRUMP, and included the line 'Long live the king.' Taylor Budowich, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary, shared another image of Trump wearing a royal crown and cloak, including the text of the president's initial post. Elon Musk, who leads Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), shared screenshots of Trump's formerly suspended X account, when it was then known as Twitter, and the current account that shows he's the 47th president. 'The Return of the King,' Musk said. Critics were quick to point out that Trump was referring to himself as king and raised concern about what the president may do, as he has been granted broad immunity for presidential actions from the Supreme Court. The posts come just days after Presidents Day, when people across the country protested for 'No Kings Day,' to oppose Trump's sweeping executive orders, and Musk as an unelected official slashing federal spending through DOGE. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
