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The United Nations, UN, United States of America and the United Kingdom have all reacted to the military coup in Zimbabwe.

The military on Wednesday overthrew 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe  after seizing the National Radio Station on Tuesday.

Mugabe has been in charge of the country for 37 years.

The UN has consequently issued a security advisory, instructing its personnel to work from home.

Some schools were closed and some students failed to sit for their final examinations, including at the University of Zimbabwe.

Also, the UK foreign and commonwealth office has updated its travel advice to British nationals in Zimbabwe.

It reads in part, “Due to the uncertain political situation in Harare, including reports of unusual military activity, we recommend British nationals currently in Harare to remain safely at home or in their accommodation until the situation becomes clearer. Please continue to monitor our travel advice and embassy social media accounts for updates.

“You should avoid political activity, or activities that could be considered political, including political discussions in public places and criticism of the president. You should avoid all demonstrations and rallies. The authorities have sometimes used force to suppress demonstrations.”

On its part, the US revealed that its embassy in Harare, “will be minimally staffed and closed to the public on November 15. Embassy personnel will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

It also advised US citizens in Zimbabwe, “to shelter in place until further notice.

“Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. Avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.”

When Peter Jackson directed the first Lord Of The Rings trilogy, released between 2001 and 2003, the combined cost of the three movies was $281 million.

A little over a decade later, when Jackson returned to direct The Hobbit trilogy, the combined cost before any promotion or advertising was $675 million.

Amazon Studios today secured the rights - and just the rights, mind you - to the The Lord Of The Rings, for a wallet-busting $250 million, according to Deadline.

That is before the company have spent a single penny on any development, talent, production, or any advertising. The budget is estimated to be around $150 million per season, and Amazon have signed on for a multi-season contract, as well as the rights to a potential spin-off series.

Sharon Tal Yguado, the Head of Scripted Series at Amazon Studios, had the following to say about the property:

"The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen. We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth."

It is clear that there is going to be a major rush to fill the gap left after Game Of Thrones ends in 2019, and both HBO and Netflix were part of the bidding war with Amazon to become the lord of the rights.

Amazon are reportedly intending to produce a series which will take place before the events of The Lord Of The Rings, but are not told in the story of The Hobbit.

The Lord Of The Rings trilogy went on to make $2.91 billion, while The Hobbit trilogy went on to make $2.93 billion, so there is clearly a lot of money to be made from this franchise, and according to The New York Times, HBO banks around a billion dollars a year from Game Of Thrones.

Gotta spend money to make money, we guess.

President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, arrived at the headquarters of the governing ZANU-PF party last week during a rally to back Mrs. Mugabe as the next vice president. | Jekesai Njikizana/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Zimbabwe’s military said early Wednesday, November 15, 2017 that it had taken custody of President Robert Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state and one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, in what increasingly appeared to be a military takeover in the southern African nation.

After apparently seizing the state broadcaster, ZBC, two uniformed officers said in a short predawn announcement that “the situation in our country has moved to another level.” While denying that the military had seized power, they said that Mr. Mugabe and his family “are safe and sound, and their security is guaranteed.”

“We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice,” said the main speaker, who was identified as Maj. Gen. S. B. Moyo, the army’s chief of staff.

General Moyo — who was not widely known to the public but who was considered close to the commander of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, Gen. Constantine Chiwenga — warned that “any provocation will be met with an appropriate response.”

Around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, taxis were running on the main roads leading to central Harare and people seemed to be making their way to work. Some soldiers could be seen on the main roads but were not stopping commuters.

After the short announcement, commercials on farming and corn seeds appeared on the state broadcaster. There was no further clarification of the whereabouts or status of Mr. Mugabe, 93, who is the only leader his nation has known since independence in 1980.

Asked in a brief telephone interview about reports of a possible coup, the country’s information minister, Simon Khaya Moyo, said, “What can I say? I don’t know about that.” He did not elaborate.

The television announcement came after a long night of rumors and sketchy reports in Harare that a coup might be underway. The day before, in a remarkable act of defiance, General Chiwenga had warned that “when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in.”

General Chiwenga was considered close to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom Mr. Mugabe summarily expelled from the government and the governing ZANU-PF party last week. The move was widely seen as clearing the path for Mr. Mugabe’s wife, Grace, 52, who had been amassing growing political power in the past two years as her aging husband’s health declined visibly.

Since his removal, the whereabouts of Mr. Mnangagwa, who like Mr. Mugabe was a veteran of the country’s struggle for independence, has been shrouded in mystery.

Zimbabwe's military has placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest in the capital Harare, South African President Jacob Zuma says.

Mr Mugabe told Mr Zuma in a phone call that he was fine, the South African leader's office said.

Troops are patrolling the capital, Harare, after they seized state TV and said they were targeting "criminals".

The move may be a bid to replace Mr Mugabe with his sacked deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, BBC correspondents say.

Mr Mnangagwa's dismissal last week left Mr Mugabe's wife Grace as the president's likely successor.

Mr Mugabe, 93, has dominated the country's political scene since it gained independence from the UK in 1980.

How the drama unfolded
After days of tension and rumour, soldiers seized the state broadcaster ZBC late on Tuesday.

A Zimbabwean army officer, Major General Sibusiso Moyo, went on air and denied there was a coup, but said the military was targeting "criminals" around President Mugabe.

Maj Gen Moyo also said Mr Mugabe and his family were "safe and sound and their security is guaranteed". It is not clear who is leading the military action.

Since then military vehicles have been out on the streets of Harare, while gunfire has been heard from northern suburbs where Mr Mugabe and a number of government officials live.

In a statement, Mr Zuma's office said: "President Zuma spoke to President Robert Mugabe earlier today who indicated that he was confined to his home but said that he was fine."

How we got here
At heart is a power struggle over who succeeds Mr Mugabe. The rivalry between his wife Grace and Mr Mnangagwa has split the governing Zanu-PF.

Following a call from Mrs Mugabe, Mr Mnangagwa was removed from the vice-presidency earlier this month.

But on Monday, army chief Gen Constantino Chiwenga said the army was prepared to act to end purges within Zanu-PF.

Gen Chiwenga is a close ally of Mr Mnangagwa and both are veterans of the 1970s war which ended white minority rule.

One of the leading members of the Zanu-PF faction led by Grace Mugabe, Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, is being detained, a government source told Reuters.

An extraordinary gamble
By Andrew Harding, BBC Southern Africa correspondent

A quick show of military force, a few arrests... and then what?

These are, of course, unpredictable times for Zimbabwe and yet there is a chance that the army's extraordinary overnight gamble will pay off, and that President Robert Mugabe, humiliated and powerless, will nonetheless be allowed to retire with at least the pretence of dignity.

It is important to remember that Mr Mugabe is not being challenged by the Western governments he has warned against for decades, or by Zimbabwe's political opposition, or by a mass uprising against economic hardship.

This is, fundamentally, an internal power struggle within Zanu-PF and whoever emerges victorious can expect a newly purged party to fall obediently into line.

Mr Mugabe's mistake, at 93, was to assume he was still powerful enough to build a dynasty to back his wife, Grace, to succeed him.

Instead, his once loyal deputy, Emerson Mnangagwa, may be poised to take control. If so, many foreign governments are likely to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he can rescue Zimbabwe from years of misrule.

Is this a coup?
In his statement Maj Gen Moyo said "this is not a military takeover of government".

But despite the Zimbabwean military's denials, to many observers their actions bore many of the hallmarks of a coup.
There has been no direct comment from President Mugabe, nor his wife Grace, whose whereabouts are unclear.

Key regional blocs the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) do not look favourably on unconstitutional changes of power, which might explain the Zimbabwean military's wording.

How the news is being seen
In Harare, some were delighted. "We are going to have a good life, we are looking forward to Christmas, because of what has happened," one woman told BBC News.

"I want to thank the general for removing this tyrant," said a man. "He was ruling the country as if it belonged to his family."

The leader of the war veterans, Chris Mutsvangwa, told Reuters: "It's the end of a very painful and sad chapter in the history of a young nation, in which a dictator, as he became old, surrendered his court to a gang of thieves around his wife."

Both the UK Foreign Office and US embassy in Harare has advised its citizens to remain indoors until the situation becomes clearer.

China, Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner, says it is closely watching the situation and hopes that the relevant parties can properly handle their internal affairs.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

The wait for the space saga’s highly anticipated Episode VIII will soon be over. The Last Jedi takes a deeper dive into Rey’s life and her relationship with Luke Skywalker. “She’s greeted not so warmly by Luke,” says Daisy Ridley. “It will take a little bit of work and a little bit of trust, then it becomes a wonderul, emotional story.” In theaters Dec. 15.

I, TONYA

Margot Robbie takes on the role of infamous ’90s figure skater, Tonya Harding, who was embroiled in scandal after a hit man hired by her ex attacked her rival Nancy Kerrigan. “The coolest thing about the movie is that we see everyone has their own version of the truth,” says Robbie. In theaters Dec. 8.

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD

The film, starring Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg, has been making headlines after it was announced director Ridley Scott replaced Kevin Spacey who is facing mounting allegations of sexual harassment, with Christopher Plummer for the role of J. Paul Getty. The drama tells the story of the 1973 kidnapping of oil heir John Paul Getty III. In theaters Dec. 22.

THE POST

Hollywood’s dream team — director Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — come together to tell the story of how Katherine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of The Washington Post, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) worked together to unveil the Pentago Papers in 1971. In theaters Dec. 22.

DOWNSIZING

Matt Damon takes on his smallest role yet in this satire, directed by Alexander Payne and also starring Jason Sudeikis. Damon’s character and his wife (Kristen Wiig) decide whether or not to shrink themselves to live a more luxurious lifestyle. In theaters Dec. 22.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Hugh Jackman says playing P.T. Barnum, the founder of Barnum & Bailey Circus, was a dream role. “The guy could turn lemons into lemonade,” Jackman says of Barnum. “It’s so much fun to play a guy with that kind of bravado.” In theaters Dec. 20.

PITCH PERFECT 3

Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Hailee Steinfeld and Brittany Snow return for the a cappella comedy’s third installment. In theaters Dec. 22.

FERDINAND

An adaptation of the classic children’s book about a gentle bull (voiced by John Cena) who would rather smell the flowers than fight aims to warm hearts big and small. In theaters Dec. 15.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

When the police make no headway in solving the rape and murder of her daughter, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) rents three billboards on a back road and plasters them with blunt questions about the neglected case. The film also stars Woody Harrelson as the police chief and Sam Rockwell as his deputy. Harrelson says working with McDormand, who is earing Oscar buzz for her role, is like “going into the ring with the greatest prize fighter in the world and she doesn’t break your nose and instead you have a great time and get to dance.” In theaters Nov. 10.

THE DARKEST HOUR

Gary Oldman has become an awards front-runner as Winston Churchill, fighting pressure to seek peace with Nazi Germany or risk Britain’s annihilation early in WWII. In theaters Nov. 22.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria has just defeated Argentina in an International Friendly played at the Krasnodar Stadium in Russia.

Ever Banega opened the scoreline in the 27th minute with a magnificent freekick, and Sergio Aguero topped it up with a goal, making the scoreline 2-0 at the 43rd minute.

Kelechi Iheanacho also scored a fine freekick at the 44th minute, making the scoreline 2 – 1 in Favor of Argentina during Half Time.

The Super eagle came back with a bang with Alex Iwobi scoring at the 52nd, and Brian Idowu immediately topped it to 3 – 1 at the 54th minute…. Alex Iwobi wasted no time in Scoring his second goal at the 73rd minute.

Argentina had a Possession of 66%, 15 shots, 4 on Target, Had 9 Fouls, and 2 offsides, not forgetting the corners, 10.

Nigeria on the other hand had 34% possession, 7 shots, 5 on target, 12 fouls, 3 offsides and 3 corners.

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) under the watch of Abba Kyari at the weekend, lost one of its gallant officers to the cold hands of death.

The gallant officer was one of the leading ‘field detectives’ who tracked and demystified Lagos based billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuadike aka Evans.

It was in the middle of a similar arrest that the suspect pumped bullets into Lanre’s stomach while his colleague got shot in the hand.

Unperturbed by the surprise attack, both the late Sergeant and others chased after the kidnappers and killed the man that fired the killer shots.

The bullets lodged in their bodies were later extracted with medical teams on ground confirming that the injured Policemen were responding to treatment.

But tragedy struck a few days later. It was discovered that Sergeant Lanre who had opened his eyes and exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues, later gave up the ghost.

“It is really sad and painful altogether. We have not been able to tell his wife and other family members yet. This is the risk of the job we are talking about; we put our lives on line for others, yet when it is time for promotion, one thing or the other will happen and the list will be kept in view.

“Look at this now, Sergeant Lanre was one of the men that put his life on the line to arrest Evans and now he is dead. We don’t even know how to break the news to his wife and family. It is painful,” one of his colleagues said at the weekend.

The commander of IRT, Kyari, is said to be in deep pain over Lanre’s death.