How did South Korea start producing more babies after long decline?
South Korea's birth rate has risen for the first time in nine years. But the shift isn't significant enough, say experts
Macron urges Europe to boost defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP – POLITICO Europe
- Macron urges Europe to boost defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP POLITICO Europe
- French economy minister: Hitting 3 percent defense spending target may mean more taxes on rich POLITICO Europe
- France Eyes Taxes on Rich, Not Companies, to Help Fund Defense Bloomberg
- Macron calls on Europe to boost NATO funding to as much as 3.5% of GDP after Trump-Zelensky fallout New York Post
- 'They can no longer rely on US': Macron calls for European defense fund worth 'hundreds of billions' The Times of India
Australian whose blood saved 2.4 million babies dies
Known as the 'man with the golden arm', James Harrison's blood contained a rare antibody that saved millions of lives.
Anora dominates the Oscars as Mikey Madison named best actress and Adrien Brody wins for The Brutalist
Sean Baker’s film picks up five awards including best picture while Israel-Palestine documentary No Other Land also gets major win
- How Anora swept the Oscars – and the complete list of winners
- The red carpet and Oscars ceremony – in pictures
Low-budget comedy Anora has triumphed at this year’s Oscars winning five Oscars, including best picture and best actress while Adrien Brody took home best actor.
Anora, which follows Mikey Madison’s sex worker who gets married to the son of a Russian oligarch, premiered at the Cannes film festival last year and has become the fourth Palme d’Or winner to be named best picture.
Continue reading...‘Gandalf’ accused of selling illegal medicinal cannabis in New Zealand
Outrage over targeting of one of New Zealand’s alleged ‘green fairies’ who provide cheaper medicinal cannabis without prescription
Police have shut down the alleged medicinal cannabis operation of one of New Zealand’s most renowned “green fairies”, prompting an outpouring of support from a prominent politician and the hundreds of people who rely on such products to ease their pain.
Police raided the rural Northland property of 66-year-old Paul Smith – more widely known as “Gandalf” – last week, destroying plants and greenhouses and seizing cannabis products. Smith was charged with cultivating, possessing for supply and selling cannabis – which could carry an eight-year jail sentence – and was summonsed to court.
Continue reading...Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for Anora
Director who made his name with microbudget indie films wins with his self-penned drama about a lapdancer who falls for one of her clients
- Oscars 2025 — follow live Academy Awards updates
- See complete list of winners and photos from the red carpet
Sean Baker has won the best director Oscar for Anora at the Academy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles, California.
A romance/thriller about a lapdancer who impulsively marries a Russian playboy, Anora stars Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn. It is Baker’s eighth feature, having made his debut with the microbudget indie Four Letter Words in 2000, and his fourth film since making a breakthrough in 2015 with Tangerine, a drama about trans sex workers shot on iPhones.
Anora wins best original and Conclave wins best adapted screenplay
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win supporting prizes
No Other Land wins best documentary andFlow wins best animated feature
Continue reading...Adrien Brody wins best actor Oscar for The Brutalist
Former youngest-ever winner of best actor Oscar wins award again for his portrayal of fictional architect in Brady Corbet’s epic drama
- Anora dominates the Oscars — here’s the complete list of winners
Adrien Brody has won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in Brady Corbet’s post-war epic The Brutalist.
In 2003, Brody became the youngest ever winner of the same award, when he took the prize for his role in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, aged 29 years, 343 days.
Anora takes home best picture Oscar
Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison win best acting prizes
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win supporting awards
Anora’s Sean Baker wins for directing, editing and screenplay
Continue reading...Ukraine’s Zelenskyy ‘ready’ for minerals deal after bust-up with Trump
Ukrainian leader says he will resign if Kyiv is granted membership of NATO.
British composer Daniel Blumberg wins best original score Oscar for The Brutalist
Sole previous scoring credit on a full-length film for the singer, guitar player and visual artist is The World to Come
- Anora dominates the Oscars — here’s the complete list of winners
The young British composer Daniel Blumberg has won his first Oscar for his second-ever musical score for a feature film, for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist.
Blumberg, 34, won the Bafta award last month for the score, which has met with considerable praise and which plays a prominent role in the film. The Brutalist is the story of a fictitious Hungarian architect, László Tóth, who moves to the US after surviving the Holocaust.
Anora takes home best picture Oscar
Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison win best acting prizes
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win supporting awards
Anora’s Sean Baker wins for directing, editing and screenplay
Continue reading...I’m Still Here wins Oscar for best international film, becoming first Brazilian film to do so
Brazil’s official entry beats beleaguered French favourite Emilia Pérez to the podium
- Anora dominates the Oscars — here’s the complete list of winners
I’m Still Here has won the Oscar for best international film at the Academy Awards, which are currently taking place in Los Angeles. It is the first Brazilian film to win the award – and was also the first to be nominated.
Directed by Walter Salles and starring Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here is a political drama based on the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband Rubens was “disappeared” and murdered in 1970s Brazil. The film had to overcome a lineup including Danish true-crime story The Girl With the Needle, Iran-set legal drama The Seed of the Sacred Fig and trans gangster musical Emilia Pérez, which had been the hot favourite for the award.
Anora takes home best picture Oscar
Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison win best acting prizes
Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña win supporting awards
Anora’s Sean Baker wins for directing, editing and screenplay
Continue reading...Zelensky bruised but determined after diplomatic whirlwind
The Ukrainian president is standing firm after his Oval Office clash with Donald Trump, says the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg.
How Far Will Rwanda Go in Congo? – Foreign Affairs Magazine
- How Far Will Rwanda Go in Congo? Foreign Affairs Magazine
- Germany suspends new financial aid to Rwanda over alleged support for M23 rebels in Congo The Associated Press
- Rwanda asking UK for $63 million over cancelled asylum deal, source says Reuters
- Rwanda bills UK £50m over cancelled migrant deportation scheme The Telegraph
- Rwanda slams Canada over stance on DR Congo crisis| The New Times New Times Publication
No Other Land directors criticise US as they accept documentary Oscar: ‘US foreign policy is helping block the path’ to peace
Self-distributed film about Israeli displacement of a Palestinian community beat out Porcelain War and Sugarcane
- Anora dominates the Oscars — here’s the complete list of winners
The West Bank-based film No Other Land has won this year’s best documentary feature Oscar.
The film, which is made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, won out against competition from Black Box Diaries, Porcelain War and Sugarcane.
Continue reading...DR Congo defies pressure over talks with rebel M23
DR Congo's prime minister tells the BBC her government will not sit down with the militants.
Michael Oren: What Zelensky Can Learn from Netanyahu – The FP
- Michael Oren: What Zelensky Can Learn from Netanyahu The FP
- Trump’s row with Zelenskyy recalls Obama, Biden humiliations of Netanyahu Fox News
- Why Netanyahu Should Fear the Trump-Zelenskyy Showdown Haaretz
- Washington’s U-turn on Ukraine a ‘challenge’ for Israel, experts say Jewish Insider
- Military aid to Israel, cold shoulder to Ukraine: Trump's two-front strategy India Today
Arab states and UN condemn Gaza aid blockade by Israel
They say the move violates the ceasefire deal - Israel says it acted because Hamas was stealing aid supplies.
Rubio says Trump would be ‘on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize’ if he were a Democrat – The Hill
The ‘Time Lords’ racing to tackle the threat of GPS jamming
How a new atomic clock might be the way to tackle attacks on plane GPS systems
Afghans hiding in Pakistan live in fear of forced deportation
Pakistani officials have set a deadline to expel foreign nationals living illegally in the country.
Switzerland targets rich tourists but at what cost?
Switzerland's already upmarket tourism sector is trying to attract more high rollers.