Microsoft's bid to buy Activision Blizzard clears a key hurdle. But the $69B deal is still at risk
The European Union has approved Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard
2023-05-16 01:16
Shake Shack’s Shares Rise After Activist Investor Takes Stake
Shake Shack Inc. shares rose as much as 8.9% Monday on news that activist investor Engaged Capital has
2023-05-16 01:00
Elle Fanning says her body ‘creepily shifts’ as she adjusts to wearing corsets
Elle Fanning has detailed how her body has “creepily formed and shifted” so that she is now more comfortable wearing corsets while filming The Great. The 25-year-old, who plays Catherine the Great in the popular Hulu period series, said she has “got used to” wearing the restrictive garments. Fanning is currently starring in the third season of the satirical show alongside Nicholas Hoult, who plays Peter III of Russia, and Gillian Anderson, who plays her mother, Joanna Elisabeth. In a new interview with Insider, she was asked whether wearing corsets gets any easier as many of her costumes involve them. “It actually does, I will say. It does get more bearable,” she told the publication. “I have got used to them now.” Fanning added that at the start of filming for each season, she has to readjust to wearing the elaborate, confining undergarments that are designed to cinch the waist. “And then your body creepily forms and shifts and it becomes easier,” she continued. “Sometimes, yeah, they’re not the most comfortable.” Nevertheless, the Maleficent star has adapted to wearing corsets so well that she can “do anything in a corset”, she said. The elaborate outfits, hair and makeup showcased in The Great won the series an Emmy for outstanding period costumes in 2022. Costume designer Sharon Long previously detailed the fashion choices for Fanning’s character, which often exaggerate her figure. Speaking to IndieWire last year, Long said: “The size of [Catherine’s] skirt was an interesting device to use. We kept her as tiny and tight at the top as possible and her skirts as large as we could go, and she moves through the set and takes up space.” Fanning recently spoke out about the negative feedback she once received after she was rejected from a big franchise film. “I didn’t get a part once for something big because – it might not have just been this reason, but this was the feedback that I heard – was because I didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time,” she told Josh Horowitz on his podcast Happy Sad Confused. “That’s something I firmly don’t believe in, for not getting a part. Fanning is the younger sister of child star Dakota Fanning. She has starred in hit films such as Super 8 and We Bought a Zoo, as well as the TV series The Girl From Plainville. Read More Elle Fanning says she was rejected from big franchise film over Instagram follower count Rebel Wilson shares first pictures of baby Royce’s face to mark first Mother’s Day TikTok Tattoogate: Award-winning tattoo artist vows to ‘fix the wrongs’ for woman at centre of scandal Fans defend Kyla Pratt for dressing casually to The Little Mermaid premiere 11 lightweight SPFs your skin will love Beyonce kicks of Renaissance tour in string of glamorous outfits
2023-05-16 00:56
Luxury brand Cartier criticized for using images of Amazon tribe devastated by gold mining
Until two months ago, Cartier’s website showed Indigenous children playing in a field of tall, green grass
2023-05-16 00:45
Don't miss this week: Jack Harlow on screen, Kesha, Anna Nicole Smith doc and Scott brothers on HGTV
This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Kesha and Dave Matthews Band, while rapper Jack Harlow stars in a remake of “White Men Can’t Jump” and wilderness expert Bear Grylls tests contestants on their survival skills, physicality and gross-out tolerance with "I Survived Bear Grylls.”
2023-05-15 23:27
Memorial Day Travel Boost to Stoke Demand for Gasoline and Jet Fuel
The US summer travel season is kicking off with forecasts for the third-busiest Memorial Day on record, driving
2023-05-15 23:15
Repelled by high car prices, Americans are holding on to their vehicles longer than ever
Americans are keeping their cars longer than ever
2023-05-15 22:56
EU backs Microsoft buying Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. But the $69B deal is still at risk
The European Union has approved Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard
2023-05-15 22:47
World's oldest dog celebrates 31st birthday, according to Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records says the world’s oldest dog recently celebrated his 31st birthday
2023-05-15 22:18
9 actually useful things you can do to support teens this exam season
Exam season is underway, and many teenagers might be feeling overwhelmed about the important tests they’re facing over the next few months. “Sitting exams is often one of the most overwhelming and high pressure experiences teens face, and students often put immense pressure on themselves,” says Lara McIvor, a revision expert at Save My Exams. “For parents with children taking exams, it can be difficult to know how best to support their child without being too involved or under-supportive. “As parents and teachers, it should be our mission to ensure students have access to clear support systems, coping mechanisms and study techniques over these challenging few months, and we should all be better educated in the warning signs of stress in teens.” And Matt Buttery, CEO of the Triple P Positive Parenting Programme, adds: “This can be a stressful time, but the good news is that parents can support young people and help remove some of the pressure around exam season. By setting a positive example and encouraging them, you can help ensure they remain happy and healthy, as well as reach their full academic potential.” So what can parents and carers do to actually make the whole exam experience better for teens? 1. Encourage them to chat with you Encourage open communication, and if your teen seems stressed, ask if they’d like to talk through revision together, or more broadly discuss their concerns, suggests Buttery. “It’s important your child knows you’re there for them if they need you,” he stresses. 2. Set up a quiet study area Ensuring your child has an optimum place to study without distractions is vital to their success, McIvor says. “Often concentration can wane, so making sure there are limited external distractions – such as loud music or TV – will allow for the best results and prepare them for their silent exams,” she says. 3. Don’t just rush to make them feel better It’s vital to acknowledge what teenagers are feeling, rather than just trying to make it go away, stresses psychologist Dr Audrey Tang. “One of the most important things anyone can do is validate their right to feel as they do,” she explains. “We’re not very good at sitting with anxiety and often rush to try and make it go away or to feel better, and this can lead us to quick fixes which can include unhealthy behaviour choices such as not bothering to try, often led by unhealthy thoughts like ‘If I don’t try, I can’t fail’.” 4. Help teenagers unpack their feelings Encourage teens to analyse or unpack how they’re feeling about their exams and revision, advises Tang. “If we take a moment to respect our feelings, and try to unpack exactly what we’re worrying about, we may be able to work out what we need to do next,” she explains. For example, is your teen’s anxiety caused by them not understanding some things, and if it is, which specific bits are causing the problem? Or is it linked to knowing their parents are stressed and not wanting to add to it, and if that’s the case, are other services available? “When we begin to unpack our feelings, rather than suppress or deny them, we have a better idea of what action is going to help us the most,” Tang explains. 5. Help with visual prompts Creating an ongoing learning environment throughout the exam period is key, says McIvor. She suggests sticking notes with key quotes, equations, etc on them around the house in places where your child can always see them. “This can be really useful for some students as it allows for constant exposure to materials,” she explains. 6. Avoid ‘toxic positivity’ If a teenager says things like, ‘I’m so stupid’, or ‘I’m rubbish at everything’, it’s natural for parents to tell them they’re brilliant, observes Tang. “Unfortunately, this has the effect of not validating those emotions, and the opportunity to understand what they’re trying to say is lost,” she explains. “A better way to navigate that discussion would be to acknowledge the feeling with something like ‘I’m really sorry you’re feeling that way’, and asking for more information.” 7. Be a good role model Role modelling healthy ways to manage your own anxiety is hugely important, stresses Tang. “Why would you expect a young adult to listen to you if you aren’t showing in your own practice that what you’re suggesting works?” she asks. And Buttery advises parents to lead by example by staying positive and calm when talking about exams. “Avoid using phrases such as, ‘You must be nervous’,” he says, “As you may risk accidentally making an otherwise calm child more stressed. Children learn a great deal about how to manage their behaviour and deal with difficult situations from their parents. By demonstrating calm and resilient behaviour, parents can have a positive influence on their children’s ability to cope with adversity.” 8. Try stressbusting techniques together Tang suggests practising self-care or stressbusting techniques together, such as affirmations with deep breathing. One technique, she says, is to get your child to note down everything they need to do and its relative importance on a pie chart, where the size of the slice shows the importance of the activity. Then ask them to draw on a scale of zero in the centre, to 10 on the outside, where they are in each segment. “This gives them a visual representation of what they need to do, and where they are, as well as an indication of the areas they’re neglecting, and how important those areas are,” she says. “By having everything on one pie chart, it might feel a lot more manageable.” 9. Maintain the family routine Ensuring family dinners and other rituals remain part of daily life can help teenagers cope with exam stress, as routine is predictable and reassuring at a time of pressure and uncertainty. Maintaining structure can also help your child plan their downtime, stresses Buttery, who adds: “It’s important to ensure they’re taking time to relax and unwind, whether by watching their favourite TV show, playing a game, or hanging out with friends.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Children In Need removes Pudsey’s bandana to show not all challenges are visible Is your child too anxious to go to school? What’s the link between the menopause and anxiety?
2023-05-15 22:15
Does British tourism really need the royal family?
The royal family does bring tourism to the UK. But if the royal family were to disappear, would the UK's tourism industry suddenly implode?
2023-05-15 21:57
Montreal bike festival heralds release from grip of COVID
In early June, Montrealers will line sidewalks, toot horns and pound drums as swarms of cyclists wend their way through the iconic spaces of that bicycle-mad city
2023-05-15 21:25