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Six Flags Thrill Glider coming in 2027: new Magic Mountain hovercycle coaster reaches 50 mph
Six Flags Thrill Glider opens in 2027 with hovercycles, 50 mph speeds, 5 inversions and a 3,380-foot track at Magic Mountain.
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Eight gymnasts figure highly in Asian Games hopes
Hong Kong, China will field five female and three male gymnasts at the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya. One of the athletes will be making her debut in more ways than one: it Li Ting-huen is appearing in the Asian Games for the first time and in rhythmic gymnastics – the first time that the SAR is represented in the discipline. Other disciplines in which the squad is competing include trampoline and artistic gymnastics. Eighteen-year-old Li will compete in the women’s individual all-around event. “Recent training has become more intense," she said. "I am very much looking forward to and excited about joining the Asian Games for the first time. I hope that I can perform at my absolute best during the Asian Games.” Li said that having participated in the National Games and Asian Championships has helped calm her nerves for Nagoya. “Mentally, I have managed to overcome a great deal of the nervousness and fear I used to feel on stage. I managed to turn that around and start enjoying the stage,” she said. Ng Ka-ki, who will compete in the men's vault event, said he recently returned from a two-month training stint in Beijing. “In Beijing, I trained with gymnasts from the national team," he said. "I also joined their team tests. The atmosphere and the exchanges... I think it’s a valuable experience for me to train and do tests with probably the best gymnasts in the world. "This is a very valuable chance and experience.” Ng said he had feared he would miss out on the Games after suffering a calf muscle tear this year but, now that it has healed, his main focus is to enjoy his time on the competition floor. Head coach Sergiy Agafontsev said the squad is ready to show their best in Nagoya. "To our athletes, you go to Japan with all support from Hong Kong society," he said. "Trust your preparation, stay composed... and fight for your best performance. Just do your best," he said. Agafontsev also expressed hope that the public would not be overly concerned with the results but instead appreciate the preparation and training the athletes put in. Gymnastics competitions at the Nagoya Asian Games will begin on Monday. Edited by Edmond Fong
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Scozia, i convocati per la Nations League: sei calciatori giocano in Serie A
Sono sei i calciatori della nostra Serie A ad essere stati convocati dal Commissario Tecnico della Scozia, Sebastien Pocognoli per le quattro gare di Nations League in programma nelle prossime due settimane contro Slovenia (due volte), Svizzera e Macedonia...
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Steve Smith gives crucial update on his future, opens up on availability for Ashes 2027
Veteran Australia batter Steve Smith is widely revered as one of the greatest batters of his generation. At 37, Smith remains an integral part of Australia’s Test team, playing a key role in the side’s middle order. As he enters the twilight of his cricket career, many fans have questioned what the future holds for Steve Smith.
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US diesel price hits new record high in fresh blow to Trump
Average diesel prices in the United States hit a fresh record high of just under $6.27 a gallon Tuesday, the motorists' association AAA said, adding pressure on President Donald Tr...
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Bullseye Babies set to come under the hammer at Kilrea
Kilrea Mart is hosting the inaugural Bullseye Babies sale on Friday, 25th September at 7.00pm.
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India’s exports surge 26% in August, trade deficit shrinks to $26.9 billion
India’s August exports rose 26% to $43.8bn as trade deficit narrowed to $26.9bn. April-August exports up 17.85% to $215.9bn, driven by engineering, petroleum and chemicals. Gold imports fell 57.7% to $2.3bn.
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Recent Research Analysts’ Ratings Updates for Dyne Therapeutics (DYN)
Dyne Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DYN) has recently received a number of price target changes and ratings updates: 9/9/2026 – Dyne Therapeutics had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley from $45.00 to $36.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock. 9/9/2026 – Dyne Therapeutics had its price target lowered by Robert W. Baird from [...]
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Bangladesh, Pakistan stress parliamentary diplomacy to strengthen bilateral ties | News Flash
DHAKA, Sept 15, 2026 (BSS)- Bangladesh and Pakistan have emphasized strengthening parliamentary diplomacy through regular dialogue, parliamentary delegation exchanges and
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Councils given less money than citizens to renovate derelict sites, Cork City Council meeting hears
Independent Ireland councillor Noel O’Flynn proposed a motion, passed unanimously, that Cork City Council write to the Minister for Housing requesting additional, ring-fenced funding to accelerate the refurbishment of long-term vacant council properties in Cork city, with a view to eliminating vacancies of over 52 weeks, within 24 months.
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Saudi civil defence issues brief alerts over attack threats in Mecca, Jeddah, Taif
-Saudi Arabia on Tuesday issued brief alerts over possible attacks in the holy city of Mecca and in the Jeddah and Taif governorates, after the kingdom was repeatedly targeted by the Iran-backed Houth...
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EU chief to lay out priorities and vision for tackling the bloc's challenges in major speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to deliver a major state of the European Union speech on Wednesday. It will outline her priorities for the next year and her vision for...
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Apple adds TV and Arcade to iCloud+ subscriptions in 100 countries
Apple is bundling in more services, including TV, with its cheaper iCloud+ subscriptions in certain regions.
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From hallucinating AI chatbots to wiping out humanity: How did we get here?
To read news - click on title
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What is a Blockchain Explorer? How Does it Work?
Learn what a blockchain explorer is, how it works and how users can track crypto transactions, wallet activity, blocks, fees and smart contracts on-chain.
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India's semiconductor sector raises $1.4 billion in equity funding
Report by Tracxn says India's chip ecosystem spans 3,557 companies, with Bengaluru leading at 626 firms and EMS the most-funded segment since 2025.
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Time Won't Give Me Time
Other than Orson Welles, there’s no other filmmaker who’s embodied the “rise and fall” of the auteur more than Francis Ford Coppola. A UCLA drama student who worked wonders on the stage, Coppola rose out of Roger Corman’s low-budget exploitation films to make one of the defining “New Hollywood” indies with The Rain People , which introduced him to his lifelong best friend and collaborator George Lucas. Coppola and Lucas tried and failed to create a filmmaker’s paradise with their independent company American Zoetrope, and were so wrecked by debt that the former had to take several studio gigs just to recoup losses. The three “for-hire” jobs Coppola took were The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and The Conversation , which took home a total of nine Academy Awards and gave him the clout to make Apocalypse Now . The production of Apocalypse Now was tumultuous due to hazardous weather conditions, accidents, studio meddling, budgetary cuts, the firing of Harvey Keitel, Martin Sheen’s heart attack, Dennis Hopper’s drug problem, and Marlon Brando’s weight gain, all of which were captured in the documentary Hearts of Darkness , which was directed by Coppola’s late wife, Eleanor. Apocalypse Now signaled the end of “New Hollywood” because it taught Coppola the wrong takeaways, and led him down the path to make a number of expensive vanity projects with One From the Heart, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club , and Tucker: The Man and His Dream , all of which flopped. It started a familiar cycle in which Coppola would have to make something commercial (in this case The Godfather: Part III and Bram Stoker’s Dracula ) before doing another “personal film.” Megalopolis was an idea Coppola had since the 1970s, but it was deemed impossible to make for decades because no studio would finance it. Megalopolis was funded entirely through Coppola’s personal estate; he earned a hefty sum upon the sale of two personal wineries in 2021. Megalopolis isn’t able to stream or buy digitally, and the memories I have of seeing it in theaters are fuzzy. What’s available is Megadoc , a documentary that compiled behind-the-scenes footage from the film’s production, which is also a spiritual sequel to Hearts of Darkness . Eleanor Coppola wasn’t able to return (she died shortly before the film’s Cannes premiere), but Megadoc still has a family connection; it was directed by Mike Figgis, the filmmaker who directed Leaving Las Vegas , the 1995 drama for which Coppola’s nephew, Nicolas Cage, won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Coppola was game for an in-depth exploration of his filmmaking process, but his cast was not. The documentary is marred by the absence of several Megalopolis cast members, specifically Nathalie Emmanuel and Chloe Fineman, who were unwilling to comment on their performances, which could most eloquently be described as "embarrassing" and bluntly referred to as "disastrous." Alternatively, Aubrey Plaza is open in discussions about her confusion regarding the tone, story, and Coppola’s style of directing, which encouraged improvisation without clear guidelines. If Plaza has received any backlash for having the same personality in every role, Megadoc is proof that this is just what she’s like. Coppola’s proclamation from the beginning is that Megalopolis will be doubted for the same reasons that Apocalypse Now was, and that Hollywood will always resist efforts to be innovative and experimental. While Coppola was proven right when Apocalypse Now became a masterpiece, it was intended to be an ambitious film, but not a disaster. Apocalypse Now was the result of years spent developing a script with Lucas and screenwriter John Milius, and it reacted to ongoing world events. Megalopolis is a projection into the future that is also a window into the past; it’s set in a futuristic New York City, but styled after the fall of the Roman Empire. The energy in Megadoc goes through shifts as the production is derailed by continuous setbacks, including the firing of the art department and original cinematographer. The sentiment among those who left the project is uniform; they’d all love to make something with the guy who directed The Godfather , but can’t build on a concept that exists within the head of one man. Coppola isn’t flailing because he doesn’t know what he’s making; this is evident from archive footage, shot over 30 years, in which the same script is table-read by different sets of actors, including Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Ryan Gosling, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jessica Lange. The greatest endorsement of Coppola’s desires for Megalopolis can be found among the cast members who agreed to star in the film and appeared enthusiastic just to work with him. The most moving interview is with Laurence Fishburne, who referred to Coppola as “my Godfather;” although he’s played figures of authority and wisdom for decades now, Fishburne was offered his first role in Apocalypse Now . There’s also the unusual reunion between Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, who hadn’t appeared in a film together since Midnight Cowboy in 1969. Fifty-eight years led Voight to switch political parties to become a radical Trump supporter, and Hoffman has been lightly cancelled, without any truly great roles in a decade. Nonetheless, both actors are completely engaged in the acting process and show why they’re legends, despite having no comprehension of what exactly Megalopolis is about. Coppola has created many surrogate sons out of his leading men over the years, and it’s fascinating to see the two that he attempted to latch on to in the making of Megalopolis . Adam Driver is a generational talent whose involvement was what got the film made, but he’s barely in Megadoc due to his busy schedule; he’s made a habit of helping old masters complete their projects with Michael Mann’s Ferrari , Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel , Leos Carax’s Annette, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise and James Gray’s upcoming crime drama The Dead Don’t Die . Comparatively, LaBeouf is open to a degree that is unnerving, given that Coppola offered him a comeback after being cancelled for abuse allegations. Although LaBeouf was able to make up with Voight, his Transformers co-star, with whom he had started a feud because of their differing political opinions, he’s on the offensive throughout Megadoc with questions and suggestions for Coppola. He comes across as a dedicated artist and a pain-in-the-ass, which made Coppola’s description of him as the most irritating actor he’s ever worked with (including Brando) fitting. Lucas took a similar approach to the Star Wars prequel trilogy in creating a complex, politically salient, and ambitiously digital epic based on mythology that he had complete creative authority over, for better or worse. The difference between them is that Lucas’ interest leaned commercial, and he sold his company Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion and used it to create the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. Lucas has a brief appearance in Megadoc where he’s given a chance to explain the difference between them; if Lucas is most comfortable when he can map out everything in advance, Coppola will always choose to jump in headfirst. I like Megalopolis , mostly because it’s imaginative and sincere; it’s probably the same reason I like Lucas’ Star Wars films. It’s flawed, but a mediocre Coppola film is more interesting than any made-by-committee films, and I’d say that it’s not the worst entry in his filmography, considering that The Godfather: Part III and Youth Without Youth exist. You don’t need to see Megalopolis to appreciate Megadoc . As is frequently the case with Coppola, the abstract is more compelling than the reality.
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How to get Harry Styles Together, Together 2027 tickets: Pre-sale times and prices explained
Harry Styles is going on tour again next year and here's all the details you need to know about how to get tickets.
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Sleep for Sh1.8m? Japan launches 90-minute nap contest
Organisers have also introduced rules aimed at preventing participants from deliberately manipulating their performance. Competitors will not be allowed to stay awake all night beforehand
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Sleep for Sh1.8m: Japan launches 90-minute napping contest
Organisers have also introduced rules aimed at preventing participants from deliberately manipulating their performance. Competitors will not be allowed to stay awake all night beforehand
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Stellantis to invest over €1bn in French van plant upgrade – report
The funding will go towards upgrading the existing Hordain facility, alongside research and development work carried out elsewhere in France to support the new vehicle's production.
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China builds digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia but fails to set governance rules: Report
The report from Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) said that “Chinese hardware is widespread but Chinese rules are not,” adding that this situation will only remain so if there are alternative options to rely on.
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India’s ‘artificial sun’ project moves a step closer to reality with new gyrotron
India’s fusion research programme has received a boost with the installation and commissioning of a new 82.6 GHz, 400 kW gyrotron on the SST-1 tokamak.
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Apple launches Siri AI, iCloud+ bundle with TV, Arcade in India
New Delhi: Apple Tuesday announced that it launched latest software updates with a new Siri AI, enhanced Apple Intelligence features and expanded parental controls, while separately announcing that iCloud+ subscribers in India will get access to Apple TV and Apple Arcade at no additional cost. The new software releases include iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS [...]
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