Street in Barbados gets renamed after Rihanna

The street Rihanna grew up on, in Barbados, has officially been renamed after her, the government of Barbados announced last week.

The street formerly known as Westbury New Road in Barbados’ St Michael parish will now be called ‘Rihanna Drive.’

Barbado’s Ministry of Tourism said the decision was made after Westbury New Road had become a growing tourist attraction for fans of the singer seeking a glimpse of her Barbadian roots.

“Additionally, it was thought necessary to highlight the many achievements of the Grammy Award-winning singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist,” the government said in a statement.

Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, grew up in St Michael Parish until the age of 16, when she was discovered by a record producer and flown out to New York City, where she eventually signed with Jay-Z’s Def Jam records.

Liu Yifeito star in Mulan live-action film

Disney’s live-action Mulan will star Liu Yifei. The 30-year-old Chinese actress and singer, aka Crystal Liu, will play the title character in the forthcoming reboot.

It is reported that Liu landed the role of Hua Mulan after a lengthy search for an ethnically Chinese actress. The casting team saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the part, which requires martial arts skills and the ability to speak English.

Liu is also known for the movies The Forbidden Kingdom, The Assassins and Once Upon a Time.

Disney previously adapted the story of Mulan, a legendary woman warrior, as a 1998 animated film featuring the voice of Ming-Na. Niki Caro will direct the new movie, which is eyeing a release in 2019.

Star Trek War sword handed in to police

A lethal Klingon war sword was among items handed in to police as part of a weapons amnesty.

The distinct looking five-foot blade, known as a bat’leth, comprises of four blades and is designed for use by Klingons from the Star Trek universe. The sci-fi blade, which has two spike protrusions at each end, has three handholds on the back so the blade can be spun at high speeds.

A crossbow, wartime handguns and rifles were also handed in to police on Guernsey as part of the amnesty.

Chief inspector Phil Breban said: “We have had a significant number of weapons handed in, including knives, swords, daggers, BB guns and even a crossbow, while we have also had weapons handed in, in Sark and Alderney.

“This is ultimately about public safety. Pretty much all of them will be destroyed, although any with significant historical value or interest could go to a museum.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 16th, 2017