On this week’s CULTED Weekly News Roundup, Drake‘s album Certified Lover Boy officially overtakes Donda‘s streaming debut, UK women’s tennis star Emma Raducanu becomes the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since 1977, Biden announces plans to make US 50% solar-powered by 2050, the Taliban are accused of torturing journalists despite promising ‘free press’ and BMX icon Nigel Sylvester becomes the first BMX athlete ever signed to Jordan Brand! Information is the key to progress so stay informed with the CULTED Weekly News Round-Up.
DRAKE DROPS CERTIFIED LOVER BOY
Last Friday, Drake made his grand return to the top of the streaming charts with the release of Certified Lover Boy. The 21 track album featured superstars like Young thug, Travis Scott, Jay-Z and Future as well as an array of up-and-coming talent like Project Pat, Tems & Yebba. Within its first three days on streaming services, CLB overtook Donda’s first-week release numbers as the album found a home both with old-school OVO fans and a newer generation. Check out our review of Certified Lover Boy to get the breakdown of the best bits on offer.
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THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT TAKES OFF FROM KABUL
Following the final evacuation of US citizens and Afghan allies from Kabul airport, the first commercial flight has departed Kabul carrying a number of UK and US nationals. Qatar Airways made the first treacherous journey carrying over 100 passengers to Doha international airport in Qatar. As Qatar continues to be a key point of evacuation for Afghan refugees, the flight is being heralded as a promising sign of continued evacuation of any civilians that wish to escape Taliban rule. UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab confirmed that some 13 UK nationals were among those aboard the flight.
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UK TENNIS STAR EMMA RADUCANU REACHES GRAND SLAM FINAL
18-year-old tennis sensation Emma Raducanu has become the first British woman to be in the position to win a Grand Slam title since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977. Following her brief retirement mid-match earlier this year during Wimbledon, fans are elated to see such a strong comeback by Emma after health concerns raised questions about her future in the game. She will now face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez on Saturday to decide who will take home their first Grand Slam title.
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THE WIRE STAR MICHEAL K. WILLIAMS FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT
On Tuesday, Micheal K. Williams who played the character of Omar Little in the hit US series The Wire was reportedly found dead in his apartment in Brooklyn at age 54. He was best known for his standout appearances in both Boardwalk Empire & The Wire. However, his legacy goes beyond the silver screen as he will always be remembered for his work breaking down doors for gay Black men in entertainment, creating a groundbreaking portrayal of Black masculinity on television. In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Williams told reporters “I saw a lot of homophobia in my community…Omar definitely helped soften the blow of homophobia in my community, and it opened up a dialogue, definitely.”. Although the cause of death has yet to be declared, police have announced that a possible drug overdose may have been the catalyst for this tragedy.
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BIDEN ANNOUNCES MANDATORY VACCINE FOR US WORKERS
Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced the most comprehensive and sweeping Covid vaccination requirements yet, affecting roughly 100 million Americans. In response to the rapidly rising covid case rate and the dwindling rate of vaccinations, Biden has declared that all federal workers and contractors must be double vaccinated in order to continue working. Additionally, all large companies must mandate vaccines or regular testing for employees. In a press conference Thursday night, Biden announced “My job as president is to protect all Americans…So tonight, I’m announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees that together employ over 80 million workers to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week”.
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DAVE & LITTLE SIMZ AMONG UK BET AWARDS NOMINEES
Two of the UK’s best lyricists and brightest stars Dave & Little Simz have received nominations at this years BET Hip-Hop Awards. Both artists have been nominated in the category ‘Best International Flow’ where they will go against artists like Ladipoe (Nigeria), Xama (Brazil) and Laylow (France). Considering that BET is unquestionably the biggest award show for Hip-Hop in the world it is a massive nod to the quality of UK contemporary rap as two of our very best enter the conversation for best international artist. This year’s awards will take place on October 1st in Atlanta.
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FORMER GERMANY FOOTBALLER JEROME BOATENG CONVICTED OF ASSAULT
Former German international and Bayern Munich footballer Jerome Boateng has been found guilty of domestic violence against his former partner. He has been ordered to pay her 1.8 million euros, the highest possible financial penalty that can be imposed by the Munich District Court. Despite the prosecution looking for a minimum jail sentence of one-and-a-half years, Boateng somehow escaped jail time and will only be required to pay the financial penalty.
TALIBAN ACCUSED OF TORTURING JOURNALISTS COVERING PROTESTS IN KABUL
Despite promising a “free-press pledge” to all journalists, the Taliban have been accused of beating and detaining journalists for covering the recent protests in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Two reporters from Etilaatroz newspaper – Taqi Daryabi and Neatullah Naqdi – were detained and beaten after reporting on the women’s protest in west Kabul. They were taken to a cell holding 15 other people including journalists for Reuters and Anadolu Agency. Understandably, these reports have raised a myriad of questions around the validity of any Taliban promise, let alone its promises of a free and open media.
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BIDEN ANNOUNCES PLANS TO MAKE THE US 50% SOLAR BY 2050
On Wednesday, Biden announced his government plans to modernise the US electrical grid to operate on 50% solar power by the year 2050. The administration hopes that solar is the key to fulfilling its promise to reach a zero-emissions economy by the same deadline of 2050. Today, only 3% of the US energy output is provided by solar but a recent study by the Renewable Energy Laboratory found that meeting the administrations desired goal would require the US to be 37% solar by 2035 and 44% or more by 2050. The rest would therefore have to come from a combination of other renewable sources with wind being the second biggest contributor in the eys of the administration.
NIGEL SYLVESTER BECOMES FIRST BMX RIDER TO SIGN WITH JORDAN BRAND
BMX icon Nigel Sylvester has signed a one-of-a-kind endorsement deal with Jordan Brand just three years after Sylvester released his first Air Jordan 1 collaboration. Nigel is the first BMX star to ever sign to Jordan, becoming a trailblazer for athletes in typically underground sports that want to reach the highest heights in the industry. Despite being a Nike collaborator since 2014, Nigel will now be operating exclusively under the Jordan Brand. In a statement following the announcement, Nigel stated that “MJ blazed a trail by constantly striving for greatness and breaking down barriers for athletes from every walk of life. His legacy is one that I’ve looked towards for inspiration throughout my career. It’s surreal to get his co-sign and welcome into such an elite team and family of world-class athletes.”
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