Sunday, March 8

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Vijay Varma reveals he was dropped from Netflix`s `Sacred Games`
Entertainment, Movies

Vijay Varma reveals he was dropped from Netflix`s `Sacred Games`

Bollywood’s seasoned actor Vijay Varma, who is garnering rave reviews for his performance in the web series ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack’ reveals he was dropped from Netflix’s biggest show ‘Sacred Games’. In an interview with Indian Express, Vijay recalled how he was dropped last minute despite being locked for a role, which he didn’t mention.  Vijay Varma was dropped from ‘Sacred Games’ He said, “Casting directors did believe in me, but I was not given a chance for a long, long time. In some auditions, I was on the waitlist, in top five, top two and then I was locked and then I was dropped! I was locked in Sacred Games, I did my costume measurements and then I got dropped. Stuff like that has happened, but some part of me kept the faith and belief. Work started coming in after Gully Boy...
How much does it cost to have adult children living at home?
Business

How much does it cost to have adult children living at home?

The older generation can suffer financially by allowing their adult children to live at home, experts say. (File photo) Photo: 123RF It is becoming more common for young people to stay living with their parents for longer - but it can be an expensive mistake for the older generation, one retirement planning expert says. The number of households with adult children has grown by more than 100,000 since 2004 - the fastest growth of any type of household. We have crunched the numbers to look at what it might be adding to the household bills. In some cases, having extra adults in the house can add thousands of dollars a year. Otago University researchers estimate the cost of food around the country each year. Their most recent estimates show that at a national level, a man with a "moderate...
Harvey Weinstein charged in New York with additional crimes, prosecutor says
World News

Harvey Weinstein charged in New York with additional crimes, prosecutor says

By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen, Reuters Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Centre in Los Angeles, California, on 4 October 2022. Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP Harvey Weinstein has been hit with new criminal charges in New York, a prosecutor said in court on Thursday (local time), as the Manhattan district attorney's office prepares to retry the former movie mogul following the reversal of his rape conviction. Jurors in Manhattan found Weinstein, 72, guilty on rape charges in 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals threw out the conviction in April, finding Weinstein did not get a fair trial because a judge improperly allowed testimony by accusers he was not formally charged with assaulting. Manhattan prosecutors said in J...
Too much screen time can affect children`s language skills, finds study
Health

Too much screen time can affect children`s language skills, finds study

Children whose families use screens a lot tend to have weaker vocabulary skills, and video games have the biggest negative effect on kids’ brain development, according to a study on Thursday. Scientists from Estonia surveyed the parents of more than 400 children about their screen use, their children’s screen use, and their children’s language skills. The findings, published in the Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, found that parents who use screens a lot also have children who use screens a lot and that children’s higher screen time is associated with poorer language skills. “The research shows that during the first years of life, the most influential factor is everyday dyadic face-to-face parent-child verbal interaction,” said lead author Dr Tiia Tulviste of the University of Tar...
SpaceX employee, tech billionaire conduct first spacewalk in Polaris mission
World News

SpaceX employee, tech billionaire conduct first spacewalk in Polaris mission

By Joey Roulette and Gerry Doyle, Reuters Jared Isaacman emerges from a hatch structure called 'Skywalker' during the first-ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts. Photo: Supplied / SpaceX Two crew members leave craft on tethers Mission was riskiest yet for Elon Musk's SpaceX Spacewalk tested a new line of spacesuits Two astronauts from a SpaceX capsule in Earth's orbit carried out the world's first private spacewalk on Thursday, tethered to the Crew Dragon spacecraft in the vacuum of space while two others watched from inside, hundreds of miles from Earth. Billionaire Jared Isaacman, 41, exited first around 6.46am Eastern Time, followed by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, 30, becoming the first two non-government individuals to conduct such an excursion in space. All their ...
Biden, Harris and Trump visit September 11 site in New York
World News

Biden, Harris and Trump visit September 11 site in New York

By Andrea Shalal and Nandita Bose, Reuters US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, US President Joe Biden, former mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and US Senator from Ohio and Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance attend a remembrance ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terror attack on the World Trade Center at Ground Zero, in New York City on 11 September 2024. Photo: AFP / ADAM GRAY President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump made a rare joint appearance on Wednesday at the New York City site that marks the 11 September plane attacks in 2001 that killed nearly 3000 people. Harris, the Democratic presidential no...
Emily in Paris: the chicest filming locations to visit in real life, from hotels to Monet’s House
Life Style

Emily in Paris: the chicest filming locations to visit in real life, from hotels to Monet’s House

Très cliché? Oui. But you can’t deny that Emily in Paris is a deliciously watchable show. With every character dripping in designer couture and each scene taking place in increasingly exclusive locations, it’s no wonder it has become one of the most-watched (and most talked about) shows on Netflix.Yes, it’s absurd and frivolous. But that’s the charm: escapism fantasy at its finest. And one of the most charming aspects of the show (apart from the impossibly handsome love interests who somehow seem to keep appearing out of nowhere) are the locations. Director Andrew Fleming has scouted some of the most breathtaking and iconic venues for Season 4, both in Paris and out of it. He told Netflix: “This season just goes way above and beyond.” And he’s right. Lily Collins as Emily and Lucien Lavisc...
Is NZ intelligence helping Israel wage war in Gaza? Lawyers call for inquiry
World News

Is NZ intelligence helping Israel wage war in Gaza? Lawyers call for inquiry

Inspector-General Brendan Horsley. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson A group of lawyers is calling for a first-of-its-kind inquiry into whether New Zealand spy agencies are helping Israel's war in Gaza. In a letter to the inspector-general of intelligence and security (IGIS) on Thursday, they said the country was in danger of aiding international crimes. Inspector-General Brendan Horsley confirmed he was considering the request. Horsley has previously said he would look into conflict-related spying this year. One of the three lawyers who made the call, University of Auckland associate professor Treasa Dunworth, said the IGIS was thorough and she thought he would appreciate their argument that Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) intel...
Port Taranaki job losses could follow Methanex’s decision to cut production
Business

Port Taranaki job losses could follow Methanex’s decision to cut production

Port Taranaki is in talks with its staff following the announcement from Methanex. Photo: Supplied / Port Taranaki The announcement of 70 potential job losses at Methanex's plant in Taranaki is sending shock waves through the region, with Port Taranaki already in talks with its staff about reconfiguring its business. Methanex, which uses gas to produce methanol for export, said policy settings had not been conducive to securing sustainable gas supply for its business since 2018. About 300 people work at Methanex's Motunui plant, but when a deal to sell its gas supply to electricity generators Genesis and Contact Energy ends later this year that number could take a hit. The Canadian-based multinational has told staff that rather than firing up two production plants it wanted to scale bac...
Australia threatens fines for social media giants enabling misinformation
World News

Australia threatens fines for social media giants enabling misinformation

By Byron Kaye for Reuters Apps for social media services including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Threads, Telegram and others. Photo: Victor Okhrimets / 123RF Australia said it will fine internet platforms up to 5 percent of their global revenue for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online, joining a worldwide push to rein in borderless tech giants but angering free speech advocates. The government said it would make tech platforms set codes of conduct governing how they stop dangerous falsehoods spreading, to be approved by a regulator. The regulator would set its own standard if a platform failed to do so, then fine companies for non-compliance. The legislation, to be introduced in parliament on Thursday, targets false content that hurts election integrit...