Hello, everyone! 

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (“EEAAO”) is now the most-awarded movie ever, having taken the crown from Peter Jackson’s 2003 film “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (“ROTK”).

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as the Daniels, “EEAAO” has, to date, received 158 accolades. Meanwhile, the third installment of the original “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy has received 101 major accolades since its release around two decades ago.

As explained by IGN, all the awards and nominations “EEAAO” has received this awards season from major award bodies and critics organizations were tallied. They also noted that “a whole new slew of organizations, critics circles, and websites began giving out their own awards to movies” since the release of “ROTK” in 2003, which is why it “narrowed the list down to only award-giving bodies that recognized both films.” Some of these bodies include Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is behind the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which is behind the SAG Awards.

• James Wong Howe, a pioneering cinematographer who won Academy Awards for "Hud" and "The Rose Tattoo" with nominations for several others, had a remarkable career that spanned five decades. Born in Kwantung, China in 1899, he immigrated to the United States as a child and found his passion for cameras during his childhood. Throughout his career, he faced discrimination due to the Chinese Exclusion Act but persevered and became known for his trademark flair, innovating with techniques such as low-key lighting and aerial shots. He died in 1976 at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy as one of the few Asian artists working in mid-century Hollywood.

• Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has demanded the Fairfax County Public Schools system (FCPS) cease its "illegal discrimination" against Asian and White students. FCPS was accused of excluding Asian and White students by only inviting "Black or African American students" and "Hispanic students, of one or more races" to apply to its College Partnership Program. Senior Assistant Attorney General Christine Lambrou Johnson noted that the program invitation violated several codes and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

• The U.K. has cut up to 50% of its diplomatic posts in key Indo-Pacific countries over the last seven years, according to new figures obtained by The Guardian. Despite identifying the region as a priority area for closer ties, the number of staff in embassies and consulates in China, India, and Pakistan has declined significantly. The revelations have led to accusations that the government's Indo-Pacific tilt is "hollow rhetoric," with critics saying the U.K. is ill-prepared for the changing gravity of global affairs.

• The trailer for upcoming sci-fi thriller “Simulant,” starring Jordana Brewster, Robbie Amell, Sam Worthington and Simu Liu, was released on Wednesday. It centers on Faye (Brewster) as she attempts to cope with the death of her husband, Evan (Amell), by creating a humanoid android simulant (SIM) in his image. However, Faye is unable to accept the SIM version of her husband, leaving a confused Evan determined to win her love. In his quest to win her affection, Evan’s exceptional skills and human-like emotions catch the attention of the government which begins a manhunt led by agent Kessler (Worthington). Liu plays Casey, a programmer and supporter of human-AI coexistence who removes Evan’s coding limitations. Alicia also co-stars as Esmé and Mayko Nguyen as Michiko Higashi.

• Germany-based meal delivery company HelloFresh will stop selling coconut milk sourced from Thailand due to the country’s use of monkey slave labor.
   
• Japanese voice actor and singer Rie Takahashi took to Twitter to remind her fans of the importance of hygiene before attending her upcoming concert. 
   
• Police in central Japan have arrested three suspects accused of tampering with a restaurant’s conveyor belt sushi as part of a viral “sushi terrorism” prank.
   
• Three teenagers are now in police custody for burglarizing the apartment that “Bling Empire: New York” cast members Blake Abbie and Lynn Ban rented while attending Paris Fashion Week.
   
• Two years after drawing a massive backlash for putting her own spin on Vietnam’s national dish, phở, food blogger Tieghan Gerard is under fire once again for tinkering with another Vietnamese favorite.