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'Despicable Me 4': Mega Minions bring mega bucks to box office
Audiences are going bananas for Universal Pictures' and Illumination's "Despicable Me 4." The latest installment in the popular family film franchise opened to $27 million Wednesday at the US domestic box office, according to estimates from a studio source and measurement firm Comscore. That number is expected to rise to roughly $120 million by the end of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Other titles vying for moviegoers' business this holiday stretch are Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," which grossed $7.3 million on Wednesday for a North American cumulative of $496.6 million; Paramount Pictures' "A Quiet Place: Day One," which scared...
'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' review: Playing the hits, one more time
The heat is back on in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F," the fourth installment in the "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise and the first in 30 years, which essentially works as an audience-friendly remake of the 1984 original. "Axel F" brings back the characters, songs and story beats of the first film, which made Eddie Murphy a box office star and pioneered the action comedy genre. The new film doesn't do anything revolutionary but it gets by on its familiarity, like seeing an old friend and reminiscing about the old days over a couple of beers. Murphy is back cracking wise as Detroit...
Turkey dismiss report on ban for Euro player Demiral over gesture
Turkey has dismissed a German news report that their national team midfielder Merih Demiral has been banned for two matches after making a controversial gesture in the Euro 2024 last 16 match against Austria. Germany paper Bild reported that the ruling body UEFA had banned defender Demiral for Saturday's quarter-final against the Netherlands and another match, potentially the semi-final. The Turkish FA dismissed the report, saying they had until Friday morning to submit their view. Turkey's information ministry also said the report of the ban was not true. UEFA has not commented or released a final decision on the matter, after saying on...
Long-term report: BMW's iX2 makes itself very easy to live with
I’m not often a big fan of coupe-styled SUVs. For me, practicality reigns supreme and while these angular models – like the Audi Q3 Sportback, for example – might look a little snazzier, they often come at the expense of outright usefulness. So it’s going to be an interesting six months as this new addition to the fleet – the BMW iX2 – aims to convince me otherwise. It is, after all, a more sleeky-styled version of the iX1 which, in my opinion, is already a good-looking car and a reasonably practical one to boot. As is the most popular option within...
Spain confident ahead of Germany date - 'We also have a great team'
Spain enter their Euro 2024 quarter-final with hosts Germany full of confidence and even had time for a few jokes ahead of Friday's showdown between the record triple champions. "We will defend as always if we can't tie their shoelaces together," coach Luis de la Fuente quipped on Friday, saying he would try and seek permission from the ruling body UEFA. Full back Daniel Carvajal used the same phrase when asked about his former Real Madrid team-mate, Germany star Toni Kroos. The statements show that Spain enter the game many consider worthy of a final in the best possible mood. Spain have made the...
Germany not afraid of Spain - 'Want to become champions' at Euros
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has said that they are not afraid of high-flying Spain or bothered by their poor recent against them when the two record champions clash in a blockbuster Euro 2024 quarter-final on Friday. "We want to win the match. We want to reach the semi-finals and in the end become champions in our own country," Nagelsmann told reporters on Thursday. "We are ready and in a good spirit." Captain Ilkay Gündogan agreed that "we are ready for a game on a equal footing" and that they can do into the match "with a smile. "The atmosphere is good, unchanged, like...
Putin opposes ceasefire in Ukraine, says Kiev could arm itself anew
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would never declare a ceasefire in Ukraine without Kiev meeting preconditions. Ukraine could use a ceasefire to arm itself for new attacks, which is why a sustainable solution to the conflict must be negotiated first, Putin said. He pointed to earlier agreements on the Ukraine conflict from times before the full-scale Russian invasion, which ultimately ended up "in the rubbish bin." He was referring to the frozen conflict after Moscow illegally annexed Crimea and the presence of Moscow-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. "That is why we cannot simply declare a ceasefire now in the hope that the other...
Netanyahu authorizes deployment of negotiating team
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized the dispatch of a team of negotiators for talks on a ceasefire-for-hostages arrangement with Hamas in Gaza, Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing government officials. It was not initially clear where the next round of talks would take place. The negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar had previously been held in Cairo or Doha. Talks have been at an impasse lately due to the divergent views of Israel and Hamas regarding the goal of the negotiations. Hamas is demanding a complete end to the Gaza war and an Israeli withdrawal from the sealed-off coastal area. Israeli leaders have rejected these terms and want a temporary ceasefire that would facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Israel insists that the long-stated goal of crushing Hamas in the Gaza Strip has not changed. On Wednesday, Hamas sent mediators what they described as a proposal with "some ideas." Nothing was initially known about its content. It was also unclear to what extent it deviated from the last plan discussed. Israel said on Wednesday night it was examining the proposal.
Russia recruits 1,000 new soldiers per day, Medvedev says
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that the Russian armed forces have had their ranks bolstered by 190,000 new volunteer recruits so far this year. Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that there was no shortage of military personnel and that the Kremlin's enlistment goal was being fulfilled. "The average daily recruitment rate remains stable and amounts to around 1,000 people," Medvedev was quoted as saying by the state news agency TASS while at a Defence Ministry meeting. According to estimates by the Ukrainian military leadership, almost 550,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion over two years ago.
Mbappé raves about Ronaldo but hopes to beat him in Euro quarters
France captain Kylian Mbappé has heaped praise on his Portugal counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo but hopes that he will prevail in their quarter-final showdown at Euro 2022 on Friday. "I like the way he plays. His goals, his trophies, his CV all speak for him. He has inspired generations," Mbappé told reporters on Friday. "He is unique. There is only one Cristiano Ronaldo and there will always only be one Cristiano Ronaldo. "I just hope he won't be happy tomorrow," said Mbappé, who will arrive at Real Madrid in summer, where Ronaldo played from 2009 until 2018. Ronaldo is yet to find the net in...
Tesla given green light to expand factory outside of Berlin
Tesla has been authorized by German authorities to expand its only car factory in Europe in order to increase production capacity. The state of Brandenburg's environment ministry said on Thursday that the US electric vehicle giant's expansion plans had been approved. Tesla aims to enlarge the factory site outside of Berlin so that it can manufacturer up 1 million cars a year, up from around 300,000 at present. According to the original plans, more than 100 hectares of woodland were to be cleared. This led to outcry in the community of Grünheide, where the factory is located. Tesla has since scaled back the project, including dropping plans for the construction of a freight depot, which would have involved clearing a portion of nearby forest. Brandenburg's environment ministry said the initial construction involves a logistics area for new cars, including underground pipes, as well as the construction of stairwells at its pressing plant and solar panels on roofs. Tesla also intends to build another large hall to expand existing production facilities. The capacity of battery storage production is also to be increased.
'Such a nice guy to break my record' - Merckx congratulates Cavendish
Eddy Merckx has congratulated Mark Cavendish for dethroning him as record Tour de France stage winner. "Congratulations Mark Cavendish for this historical achievement. Such a nice guy to break my record," the 79-year-old Belgian icon Merckx said on Instagram. Briton Cavendish, 39, had clinched a 35th stage win at the iconic French race on Wednesday which moved him one ahead of Merckx. However, Merckx has also won the Tour five times, plus five titles at the Giro d'Italia, and three world championship gold medals.
Bayern send talent Zvonarek on loan to Austrian champions Graz
Bayern Munich have sent teenager Lovro Zvonarek to Austrian league and cup champions Sturm Graz on a season-long loan so that he can develop in matches including the Champions League. Zvonarek, 19, is a Croatia under-21 international and has featured in five Bundesliga matches for Bayern, scoring one goal. He received a professional contract at Bayern in May until 2027. “Lovro Zvonarek is a very exciting player who has everything he needs to hold his own in professional football," Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said. "We are convinced that he will take the next steps at Sturm Graz by gaining experience in the Bundesliga and Champions League. He has a strong character. We will closely follow his progress in the coming season from Munich.” Zvonarek said in a Graz statement: " Sturm is a top club in Austria and is playing in the Champions League this season - I can't think of a better place to take the next step in my development."
Sha-la la bla bla: Pop songs are losing complexity, research shows
Popular songs have become increasingly simple over the past 70 years, both in terms of their rhythms and melodies, according to new research published in the journal Scientific Reports. A research duo in London analysed the most distinctive melodies - usually the vocal melody - of songs that were the top five songs of the respective year in the US Billboard singles charts between 1950 and 2022. In total, more than 350 songs were included. According to the statistical analysis, the complexity of the song rhythms and pitch arrangements decreased over the years, while the average number of notes played per second...
One ton of cocaine washed ashore in northern Germany
A large quantity of drugs has washed up on the German North Sea island of Borkum, prosecutors said on Thursday. In April, a holidaymaker had discovered several suspicious sacks tied together with a life jacket on the beach and alerted the police. The public prosecutor's office in Aurich has now confirmed that the sacks contained a total of around one ton of cocaine. It is one of the largest known drug finds on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony in recent years. The Federal Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Aurich public prosecutor's office told dpa. "We are...
Dutch player Blind says they are lucky with Euro knock-out opponents
Veteran Netherlands defender Daley Blind has admitted that the team has been lucky with their side of the knock-out round draw at Euro 2024 although he doesn't consider their quarter-final opponents Turkey on Saturday a push-over. The 1988 champions finished third in their group and reached the last eight with a 3-0 victory over Romania, who like Turkey are not among the favourites. The other quarter-final in their section is England v Switzerland while on the other side of the draw hosts Germany face Spain in a duel of record winners and France meet Portugal in another game between former winners. "After the...
Steinmeier 'determined' to protect Jewish life in Germany
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for people to fight against growing anti-Semitism in Germany, during the opening of a new synagogue in Potsdam, just outside Berlin. "I am ... determined not to rest, so that we in our country do everything we can to protect Jewish life and combat all forms of anti-Semitism," said Steinmeier. "Jewish life is part of us! Only when Jews feel completely at home in Germany will this country feel completely at home." The new synagogue, which cost €17.5 million ($18.9 million) was inaugurated under heavy police protection. The project was difficult and accompanied by lengthy disputes between the Jewish...
UEFA: buying Euro tickets from third parties is illegal
UEFA has warned football fans not to buy Euro 2024 tickets via third parties because it is illegal, with their own ticket portal the exclusive way of purchasing them. Europe's ruling body told dpa that almost 10,000 supposed tickets were cancelled before the tournament, and that the number is now even higher. UEFA has taken legal action against those offering tickets illegally on the internet but tickets for matches such as Friday's quarter-final between hosts Germany against Spain in Stuttgart are still being offered, many at inflated prices. "UEFA has warned fans about unauthorised ticket sellers trying to take advantage of the high...
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