This master craftsman’s work has lit up everything from Bond to Blade Runner 2049. But as he publishes his memoir, why is he so worried about the future of film-making? Roger Deakins – cinematographer to the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese and Sam Mendes, whose work has earned him 14 Oscar nominations and two wins, five Baftas, a knighthood and a reputation for being the greatest practitioner of hi...
This master craftsman’s work has lit up everything from Bond to Blade Runner 2049. But as he publishes his memoir, why is he so worried about the future of film-making? Roger Deakins – cinematographer to the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese and Sam Mendes, whose work has earned him 14 Oscar nominations and two wins, five Baftas, a knighthood and a reputation for being the greatest practitioner of his craft alive – is struggling to explain just exactly what he does. “ Argh! ” he exclaims, when confronted by the question: what is cinematography? “Well, I started off trying to be a still photographer, someone like Don McCullin. And it’s been a whole arc through cinematography. Now what is cinematography? I don’t know. It’s very different from still photography. But the essentials are the same. You’re trying to tell a visual story.” It is “very much a collaboration”, he continues; working with “hundreds of people” on films can be a “wonderful experience … I suppose I’m not answering your question, because actually I’ve got no idea,” he says. “The cliche is visual storytelling, but it’s much more than that.” Continue reading...
It is one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform. But is a big sneeze a sign of illness, pollution or something else entirely? How worried should we be about a sneeze? It depends who you ask. In the Odyssey, Telemachus sneezes after Penelope’s prayer that her husband will soon be home to sort out her house-sitting suitors – which she sees as a good omen for team Odysse...
It is one of the most powerful involuntary actions the human body can perform. But is a big sneeze a sign of illness, pollution or something else entirely? How worried should we be about a sneeze? It depends who you ask. In the Odyssey, Telemachus sneezes after Penelope’s prayer that her husband will soon be home to sort out her house-sitting suitors – which she sees as a good omen for team Odysseus, and very bad news for the suitors. In the Anabasis, Xenophon takes a sneeze from a soldier as godly confirmation that his army can fight their way back to their own territory – great news for them – while St Augustine notes, somewhat disapprovingly , that people of his era tend to go back to bed if they sneeze while putting on their slippers. But is a sneeze an omen of anything apart from pathogens, pollen or – possibly – air pollution? “It’s a physical response to get rid of something that’s irritating your body,” says Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and professor at the University of Manchester. “Alongside the obvious nasal hairs that a few people choose to trim, all of us have cilia, or microscopic hairs in our noses that can move and sense things of their own accord. And so if anything gets trapped by the cilia, that triggers a reaction to your nerve endings that says: ‘Right, let’s get rid of this.’ And that triggers a sneeze.” Continue reading...
When Nicola Whyte first moved into a four-bedroom house share in Balham 16 years ago, she never imagined she would still be living there at 45. But with rents soaring, and ongoing challenges in saving up for a house deposit, she has ended up as a housemate far longer than she anticipated. “I didn’t think I was going to be here 16 years later, but I’m not unhappy,” she said. “My friends sometimes t...
When Nicola Whyte first moved into a four-bedroom house share in Balham 16 years ago, she never imagined she would still be living there at 45. But with rents soaring, and ongoing challenges in saving up for a house deposit, she has ended up as a housemate far longer than she anticipated. “I didn’t think I was going to be here 16 years later, but I’m not unhappy,” she said. “My friends sometimes think I’m a bit weird, they ask me how I can still do it. But I really enjoy it. The rent is really reasonable, it’s close to work and I think it gives you a deeper understanding of people.” Data from SpareRoom, the UK’s leading website for flat and house shares, has shown a significant shift in the market in recent years, with roommates under 35 in decline and those aged over 35 on the rise. Their survey of more than 3,500 flatmates showed that under-25s now make up just 26% of the market, down from 32% a decade ago, while renters 45 and above now make up 16%, up from 10% in 2015. The rise in older flatmates has also led to a rise in multigenerational households – almost two-fifths of flatmates said they lived in a house where the age difference between the oldest and youngest adult was 20 years or more. Whyte’s youngest current flatmate is 28, 17 years younger than her, and over the years she has lived with people from 21 to their late 40s. Mostly everyone gets along well, although the large age gaps have sometimes thrown up problems when people have different ideas of housemate etiquette. An older, more independent housemate might struggle with collegiate decision-making, while younger tenants may be more likely to keep antisocial hours or have parties. “There have been some people who didn’t really fit in” said Whyte, who works for the local council. “But really, it’s less about someone’s age and more about who they are as a person.” Experts say a combination of fewer under-25s leaving home, and older renters being priced out of home ownership and renting solo, is though...
war of words between Chinese diplomats and Philippine politicians over the disputed South China Sea has prompted calls in Manila to declare the Chinese ambassador persona non grata – the second such call in three years. While Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has rejected the idea, the latest spike in tensions led to officials of the two countries breaking a year-long hiatus and sitting do...
war of words between Chinese diplomats and Philippine politicians over the disputed South China Sea has prompted calls in Manila to declare the Chinese ambassador persona non grata – the second such call in three years. While Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has rejected the idea, the latest spike in tensions led to officials of the two countries breaking a year-long hiatus and sitting down for talks in Cebu. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the talks on January 29 were frank and in-depth, and the two sides “agreed to continue to maintain communication through diplomatic channels”. Advertisement As Beijing and Manila appear to recalibrate their diplomatic approaches, observers say this could help the rival claimants navigate geopolitical uncertainties arising from US policy shifts under President Donald Trump In an apparent move to stabilise bilateral ties, China’s ambassador to the Philippines revealed last month that the two countries had reached a “preliminary consensus on a road map” to help manage South China Sea tensions. Advertisement “Any conflict would inevitably harm the long-term relationship between our two neighbouring countries. So, the best option is to sit down for talks and solutions in a diplomatic way,” said ambassador Jing Quan, previously the second-in-command at the Chinese embassy in Washington.
A fashion influencer with three million followers says her personal assistant is a con artist who stole her online profiles and pretended to be a student at Harvard University. The influencer Chen Xin, who uses the handle @Daxin-kissis, accused her assistant of six years of faking an identity of a rich young Chinese woman studying at Harvard Medical School on January 24. Online fashion influencer ...
A fashion influencer with three million followers says her personal assistant is a con artist who stole her online profiles and pretended to be a student at Harvard University. The influencer Chen Xin, who uses the handle @Daxin-kissis, accused her assistant of six years of faking an identity of a rich young Chinese woman studying at Harvard Medical School on January 24. Online fashion influencer Chen Xin, above, has accused her assistant of being a con artist. Photo: 163.com The woman, surnamed Jiang, allegedly used her employer’s password to enter her home, wore her luxury clothes, including stockings and pyjamas, and used her belongings for photographs. Advertisement Jiang also posted photographs Chen took but did not use for her own social media account, using artificial intelligence (AI) to replace Chen’s body with her own and sporting a heavily beautified face. The woman is based in eastern China’s Zhejiang province and has never been abroad, also allegedly stole photographs of overseas student and changed her IP address to pretend she was studying in the United States. Chen has accused her employee of using artificial intelligence technology to create fake content. Photo: 163.com Jiang also held a live-stream on the theme of “intelligent woman’s growth” in January, reportedly earning 1.14 million yuan (US$164,000) from tips.
Hong Kong’s U-turn on its seat belt rule for buses is a sobering reminder to lawmakers that they must meet higher standards even under the “executive-led” governance model recently underlined by Beijing, according to several policy experts. They noted that some lawmakers had been complacent, prioritising speed over efficacy in policymaking in a “patriots-only” legislature with no opposition presen...
Hong Kong’s U-turn on its seat belt rule for buses is a sobering reminder to lawmakers that they must meet higher standards even under the “executive-led” governance model recently underlined by Beijing, according to several policy experts. They noted that some lawmakers had been complacent, prioritising speed over efficacy in policymaking in a “patriots-only” legislature with no opposition presence, and would have to share the responsibility for administrative missteps. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said in a seminar last month that the city’s executive, legislative and judicial branches should perform “on the same stage” with “coordination and cooperation” as key principles of its executive-led system. Advertisement He stressed that the executive leadership required active support from the legislature and judiciary to achieve “strong synergy in governance”, while warning against any attempts to promote the notion of separation of powers. The dynamic among the three branches came under renewed scrutiny just four days later when the government admitted to a policy blunder in the wake of a hastily passed and poorly implemented seat belt law. Advertisement The flaws of the legislation – drafted by the Department of Justice, overseen by the Transport and Logistics Bureau and scrutinised by lawmakers – were thrown into stark relief amid a public backlash from commuters, who complained about the difficulty of unbuckling ahead of their stops and children being nearly choked by the belts.
Iran will never surrender the right to enrich uranium, even if war “is imposed on us”, its foreign minister said on Sunday, defying pressure from Washington. “Iran has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear programme and for uranium enrichment,” Abbas Araghchi told a forum in Tehran. “No one has the right to dictate our behaviour,” he said, two days after he met US envoy Steve Witkoff in...
Iran will never surrender the right to enrich uranium, even if war “is imposed on us”, its foreign minister said on Sunday, defying pressure from Washington. “Iran has paid a very heavy price for its peaceful nuclear programme and for uranium enrichment,” Abbas Araghchi told a forum in Tehran. “No one has the right to dictate our behaviour,” he said, two days after he met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman, striking a maximalist position over its nuclear programme and in the wake of nationwide protests. Advertisement “I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others,” Araghchi said. “They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers.” An Iranian daily newspaper with a picture of Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff is displayed at a kiosk in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday. Photo: EPA ‘Atomic bomb’ as rhetorical device Araghchi’s choice to explicitly use an “atomic bomb” as a rhetorical device likely was not accidental. While Iran has long maintained its nuclear programme is peaceful, the West and the International Atomic Energy Agency say Tehran had an organised military programme to seek the bomb up until 2003.
Key Points For much of its history, XRP has traded for less than $1 and has never hit a price higher than $3.84. Despite growing institutional adoption, XRP is weighed down by a huge circulating coin supply that caps any price gains. Even if XRP falls below the $1 mark, it would still rank as the sixth-largest cryptocurrency in the world. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › If you're thinking abou...
Key Points For much of its history, XRP has traded for less than $1 and has never hit a price higher than $3.84. Despite growing institutional adoption, XRP is weighed down by a huge circulating coin supply that caps any price gains. Even if XRP falls below the $1 mark, it would still rank as the sixth-largest cryptocurrency in the world. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › If you're thinking about investing in XRP (CRYPTO: XRP), there's good reason to be nervous. The world's fifth-largest cryptocurrency is down 22% to start the year and has declined a whopping 60% from its 52-week high of $3.65. Currently, XRP trades for just $1.47. If XRP is going to make a move higher, the time is now. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear likely, especially with market bellwether Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) down big. Far more likely is the prospect of XRP dropping below the psychologically important $1 price level. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » XRP's historical track record For much of its history, XRP has been a sub-$1 crypto. That's the painful reality. Just take a look at a long-term chart of XRP. Yes, there have been a few spikes above the $1 mark. But there have been long stretches when XRP traded for less than a buck. In the early years, this was due to a lack of institutional adoption. Big financial institutions and Wall Street banks simply were not using the XRP blockchain ledger, and there wasn't enough demand to push XRP higher. Later, it was due to a regulatory haze hanging over Ripple, the company behind the XRP token. Back in 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decided that XRP was a security and not a crypto, and that put the kibosh on Ripple's U.S. expansion plans for more than four years. Long story short, it's actually a bit of a novelty that XRP is trading for more than $1 right now. In its entire history, dating back...
Key Points IonQ has made some notable breakthroughs in quantum computing. Massive operating losses and competition from tech giants make the journey to $1 million uncertain. 10 stocks we like better than IonQ › Investors often hope that a relatively small investment, like $5,000, could make them a millionaire. For example, investors who invested that amount in Amazon in early 2003, more than five ...
Key Points IonQ has made some notable breakthroughs in quantum computing. Massive operating losses and competition from tech giants make the journey to $1 million uncertain. 10 stocks we like better than IonQ › Investors often hope that a relatively small investment, like $5,000, could make them a millionaire. For example, investors who invested that amount in Amazon in early 2003, more than five years after its initial public offering (IPO), now have about $1.25 million in that stock if they did not sell. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Still, such moves are difficult to predict, and investors must also resist the temptation to sell the stock over that time. However, Amazon's history shows how investing in emerging industries can build tremendous wealth. Thus, it is worthwhile to see whether such an investment in the emerging quantum computing stock IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) could yield such returns. The state of IonQ IonQ is one of the leading smaller companies in the quantum computing industry. Quantum computing offers exponentially faster computing speeds than traditional computers. That could enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and allow companies to solve problems that previous technologies could not address. Even though tech giants such as Alphabet and IBM compete in this industry, IonQ has stood out amid the competition. Among its more notable breakthroughs is achieving 99.99% 2-qubit gate fidelity last year. That represents an enhancement of 10 billion times in error-corrected performance over standards from the past. The company has also accelerated the development of scalable quantum systems by leveraging industry-grade synthetic diamonds. Amid such improvements, its $68 million in revenue in the first nine months of 2025 rose 117% from year-ago levels. Still, the $406 million in operating losses show it is nowher...
Retirees should brace themselves for both positive and negative changes to Medicare this year. Retirees are accustomed to changes in federal programs each year. Some are welcome changes, such as the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Other changes aren't so positive. There's a mixture of both in store for retirees this year with Medicare. Here are the good, the bad, and the...
Retirees should brace themselves for both positive and negative changes to Medicare this year. Retirees are accustomed to changes in federal programs each year. Some are welcome changes, such as the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Other changes aren't so positive. There's a mixture of both in store for retirees this year with Medicare. Here are the good, the bad, and the ugly Medicare changes in 2026 that every retiree needs to know about. The good: lower prescription drug costs Prescription drugs rank among the highest drivers of healthcare costs in retirement. The good news for retirees in 2026 is that their prescription drug costs could be lower (and, for some, significantly lower). Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) during the Biden administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can now negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time. Lower prices for the first 10 drugs subject to CMS negotiation took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. These 10 drugs are: Drug Commonly Treated Condition(s) Januvia Diabetes Fiasp/Novolog (insulin) Diabetes Farxiga Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure Enbrel Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis Jardiance Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure Stelara Crohn's disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis Xarelto Blood clots, reduction of risk for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease Eliquis Blood clots Entresto Heart failure Imbruvica Blood cancers Additionally, some retirees enrolled in Medicare Part D plans will see their GLP-1 weight-loss drug prices capped at $50 per month. This change is due to an agreement between the Trump administration and GLP-1 drug makers Eli Lilly (LLY +3.53%) and Novo Nordisk (NVO +10.01%). The bad: higher premiums and deductibles A recent survey conducted by The Motley Fool found that 54% of Social Security recipients didn't think their 2.8% COLA would be enough. That numb...
Peterson Wealth Services reduced its stake in Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO - Free Report) by 68.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,709 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 29,688 shares during the quarter. Broadcom comprises about 1.0% of Peterson Wealth Services' portfolio, making the stoc...
Peterson Wealth Services reduced its stake in Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO - Free Report) by 68.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,709 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 29,688 shares during the quarter. Broadcom comprises about 1.0% of Peterson Wealth Services' portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Peterson Wealth Services' holdings in Broadcom were worth $4,523,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. raised its stake in Broadcom by 17.3% in the 3rd quarter. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 7,821 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $2,580,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares during the last quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC grew its stake in Broadcom by 24.2% during the 3rd quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock valued at $446,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Haims Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Broadcom by 7.7% in the third quarter. Cooper Haims Advisors LLC now owns 1,415 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Broadcom during the third quarter worth about $12,437,000. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in Broadcom by 15.6% in the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 10,936 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock valued at $3,608,000 after buying an additional 1,477 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.43% of the company's stock. Get Broadcom alerts: Sign Up Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AVGO...
Heritage Investors Management Corp lessened its position in Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO - Free Report) by 4.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 539,879 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 26,527 shares during the quarter. Broadcom makes up about 5.3% of Heritage Investors Man...
Heritage Investors Management Corp lessened its position in Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO - Free Report) by 4.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 539,879 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock after selling 26,527 shares during the quarter. Broadcom makes up about 5.3% of Heritage Investors Management Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Heritage Investors Management Corp's holdings in Broadcom were worth $178,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. raised its holdings in Broadcom by 17.3% in the third quarter. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 7,821 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $2,580,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of Broadcom by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 264 shares during the period. Cooper Haims Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Broadcom by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cooper Haims Advisors LLC now owns 1,415 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $467,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Wilkinson Global Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Broadcom during the 3rd quarter valued at about $12,437,000. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its stake in Broadcom by 15.6% during the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 10,936 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer's stock worth $3,608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,477 shares in the last quarter. 76.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional invest...