Author: Vidya Saras
Universal PicturesBefore it was a Hollywood blockbuster it was a megahit musical, and before that it was a 1995 novel. Author Gregory Maguire tells the BBC about the inspiration behind Wicked.When author Gregory Maguire was a child, he and his siblings would regularly act out scenes from the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. They’d even change the story and its perspectives, just to keep themselves entertained. “The material was so malleable that you could change it and it would still be recognisable,” Maguire tells the BBC. Little did he know that these childhood games would one day feed…
Lawsuits are never exactly a lovefest, but the copyright fight between The New York Times and both OpenAI and Microsoft is getting especially contentious. This week, the Times alleged that OpenAI’s engineers inadvertently erased data the paper’s team spent more than 150 hours extracting as potential evidence.OpenAI was able to recover much of the data, but the Times’ legal team says it’s still missing the original file names and folder structure. According to a declaration filed to the court Wednesday by Jennifer B. Maisel, a lawyer for the newspaper, this means the information “cannot be used to determine where the…
Scarlett Johansson celebrates her 40th birthday, marking a milestone in a career filled with remarkable achievements. Fans across the globe took to social media to express their admiration for her versatility, beauty, and talent. From her early breakthrough performances to becoming one of the most beautiful and highest-grossing actresses ever, Scarlett has solidified herself as a cinematic icon. With her history-making Oscar nominations, Broadway success, and entrepreneurial ventures, she continues to inspire fans and industry peers alike. Here’s a look at 14 of Scarlett Johansson’s most memorable career highlights showcasing her incredible journey. Happy International Scarlett Johansson Day to everyone…
On Nov. 19, the Alliance Française de Manille hosted an Opening Event to celebrate the arrival of the Plastic Odyssey Expedition in the Philippines, uniting the French-Filipino community in support of this impactful initiative. Having sailed across three continents and visited over 20 countries, Plastic Odyssey’s laboratory ship has now docked in Manila to continue its mission of addressing plastic pollution in the most affected areas and empowering communities with sustainable solutions. This exclusive event brought together environmental advocates, educators, and key stakeholders to spotlight the global fight against plastic pollution. Guests were introduced to Plastic Odyssey, a pioneering initiative…
Florida’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, recommended Friday that local jurisdictions stop adding fluoride to drinking water. He is pictured here at a bill signing by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 18, 2021, in Brandon, Fla. The bill banned vaccine mandates for public sector employees and school districts. Chris O’Meara/AP/AP hide caption toggle caption Chris O’Meara/AP/AP Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo advised local governments across the state on Friday to stop adding fluoride to their community water supplies. He called it “public health malpractice” despite widespread consensus among public health experts that fluoridation has dramatically improved dental health in the U.S.,…
Olá, frontend friends! 👋 Hope you are having a glorious week so far! Exciting news: Framer Motion (now simply Motion) is breaking free from its React-only roots, now evolving into a versatile, open-source tool with support for vanilla JavaScript and beyond. It’s fantastic to see such a well-loved library grow with the community’s backing! Another highlight this week: Daniel Beauchamp’s single draw call firework effect in Three.js is a mind-blowing technique for creating realistic fireworks with minimal resources, definitely worth checking out! Standout Web Design PicksWant more inspiration? Browse the latest additions to our Webzibition 👉 Penpot, the free Open-Source design…
Blue Origin’s powerful new orbital rocket has risen on the launch pad to prep for a debut flight that could happen soon.New Glenn was stacked at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, which is next door to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Blue Origin has not announced an official launch date for the big new rocket, but media reports have suggested it could occur in late 2024.”Gone vertical,” Blue Origin officials wrote Thursday (Nov. 21) on X, formerly Twitter, with a photo of the rocket. The company’s suborbital system, New Shepard, coincidentally made its latest flight…
The Wallabies are trusting in some backline wizardry, handing a debut to winger Harry Potter and returning Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the starting line-up for the Scotland Test match.The Wallabies are hoping to continue their hot form in the cold with Suaalii set for his biggest examination yet in the gold as he returns to start at outside centre for the third leg of their British Isles grand slam bid on Sunday (Monday AEDT). In a side featuring six changes from that which crushed Wales last Sunday, Schmidt will also hope for a touch of magic from Potter, the English-born back who…
Israel has carried out massive air strikes on central Beirut, Lebanese media say, and there are reports of several deaths. An eight-storey residential building was completely destroyed with five missiles in the capital’s Basta district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).Hezbollah’s al-Manar media outlet quoted the Lebanese health ministry as saying four people were killed and 23 injured. Videos have now emerged purportedly showing the wreckage of a building. The Israeli military made no immediate comments on the reported strikes early on Saturday.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a major offensive against Hezbollah in September, carrying out air strikes…
Donald Trump has picked Scott Bessent to be his US Treasury secretary, nominating one of his biggest financial backers as the top economic official of his second administration.Bessent will be responsible for overseeing the president-elect’s most prominent economic pledges, including sweeping tax cuts, while maintaining the stability of the world’s largest economy, its most important bond market as well as the dollar.The hedge fund manager’s economic philosophy seeks to bridge traditional free-market conservatism with Trump’s populism. He has defended the president-elect’s repeated threat of raising tariffs against accusations that they would upend relations with US allies and raise consumer prices,…