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  • Psychometric properties of the ethical safety questionnaire in acute healthcare environments – a cross-sectional study | BMC Medical Ethics

    Psychometric properties of the ethical safety questionnaire in acute healthcare environments – a cross-sectional study | BMC Medical Ethics

    Research design

    The validation of the ESQ was carried out through a descriptive cross-sectional design study, where a purposive sampling was employed across the nursing and physiotherapy workforce in the four countries which participated in this study. Participants were recruited through intermediaries within one acute hospital in each partner country. These hospitals were selected based on their affiliation with the respective educational institutions. Participation in this research study was voluntary and anonymous. Data was collected from June 2023 to August 2023 via Webropol 3.0 in hospitals in Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Malta.

    Participants and research context

    Study population

    The study population consisted of a total of 275 nurses and physiotherapists at four major hospitals in Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Malta.

    Inclusion and exclusion criteria

    Nurses and physiotherapists in acute healthcare environments with permanent employment, both part-time and full-time, were eligible to participate in the present study. Healthcare professionals were included regardless of minimum work experience. Students and agency hired staff or temporary workers were excluded.

    Study contexts and recruitment procedure

    Four major hospitals in Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Malta were chosen for data collection. All hospitals were urban-based and nurses and physiotherapists working in acute care were invited to participate. Health professionals from non-acute settings were excluded. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the required sample across the four study settings. The hospitals involved in recruitment were all teaching hospitals affiliated with the educational entities conducting this research study. The respective management of the hospitals were informed about the study, and permissions were obtained to conduct the data collection. The researchers from each of the four countries, thereafter, introduced the study to the managers of the respective hospitals in the associated country and these managers acted as intermediaries by distributing the Webropol link to the questionnaire to all nurses/physiotherapists working at the hospital. Every participant received a link to the questionnaire with a cover letter informing participants about the aim and purpose of the study. The letter explained that participation entails the completion of a questionnaire (the ESQ) and it emphasised voluntary participation and assured anonymity in relation to participation. Completion of the questionnaire via Webropol implied a respondent’s consent to participate. A reminder to fill out the questionnaire was sent twice at two-week intervals.

    Sample size

    Purposive sampling was used to obtain the required sample over 200 participants completed the questionnaires. This sample size complies with validation studies standards ranging from 100 to 400 [12].

    Data collection and instrument

    Data collection tool

    In this study, the ESQ was used [4]. Permission to translate and use the tool was granted by the developer, Tarja Poikkeus (also co-author of the present manuscript). The ESQ contains 11 items. Two items are general ethical safety statements and there are three subscales: ethical autonomy, ethical respect, and ethical confidence. The ESQ uses a 5-point Likert scale where 1 represents ‘strongly disagree’ up to 5 ‘strongly agree’. The three subscales all contain three items each. Higher scores on each ESQ subscale (Ethical Autonomy, Ethical Respect, and Ethical Trust) reflect stronger perceptions of ethical safety in the healthcare work environment.

    Cross-cultural adaptation and face validity

    The original ESQ in Finnish, was translated according to translation unit standards [13]. The forward translations (Finnish to English, Swedish, and Latvian) were completed by three translators who were fluent native speakers of the respective languages. This was followed by a reconciled translation based on the three translations; a third person, reviewed the translations and combined them into one reconciled ESQ. The reconciled ESQ-translated versions were back-translated into Finnish by two independent persons, for the respective language, who were fluent in English, Swedish and Latvian. The results of all steps (i.e., two forward translations, reconciliation, and two backward translations with comments) were proofread by an external proofreader who audited the final version of the ESQ in English, Swedish and Latvian.

    Pilot testing

    The translated versions in Swedish, English, Latvian were ready for linguistic validation through pilot testing. The pilot tests of the translated versions were conducted in each country [13]. The questionnaire was completed by 10 participants in each country consisting of nurses and physiotherapists for face validation of the ESQ. Only minor changes were made after the piloting, such as changing terminologies to incorporate both physiotherapists and nurses within the specific healthcare environments.

    Psychometric evaluation

    Statistical analysis

    Items distributions are presented as frequency and percentage. Skewness and kurtosis statistics were computed to assess the distributional characteristics of the items. Values outside the range of −2 to + 2 for skewness and − 7 to + 7 for kurtosis were considered as potential deviations from normality [14].

    The internal consistency of the ESQ was measured using Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω, with values higher than 0.7 indicating acceptable internal consistency. The item-total correlation (corrected for overlap) was further computed to measure the internal consistency with values higher than 0.4 indicating satisfactory consistency [15, 16].

    The factor structure of the 9 items of the ESQ was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with maximum likelihood extraction and varimax rotation. Sampling adequacy and the suitability of the correlation matrix were assessed using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, respectively. A value higher than 0.6, along with a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity, indicates the factorability of the data [17]. Significant factor loadings with a magnitude of > 0.40 were considered meaningful. The Scree plot and Kaiser rule were used to determine the number of factors to retain.

    To investigate whether the items of the ESQ correspond with their underlying concept, a Rasch analysis using a partial credit model (PCM) was conducted [14]. Item fit was measured using indices including Outfit and infit mean square (MnSq) with values between 0.5 and 1.5 indicating good fit [18]. Local independence between the items was assessed by computing residual correlations between any two items of ESQ, with values higher than 0.2 indicating a violation of local independence. Differential item functioning (DIF) was computed to measure the measurement invariance of the ESQ items across gender and profession subgroups. A DIF contrast of 0.64 was set as a cut-off for a meaningful statistically significant DIF [19].

    Finally, to evaluate the relationship between the ESQ items and general ethical safety, a network analysis was conducted. Network analysis is valuable for examining complex relationships and interactions between study variables and visualising these associations. In network analysis, each variable can be represented as a node, and the association between each node is referred to as an edge. The centrality of the nodes was determined by analyzing three metrics including degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality. The network analysis was computed using EBICglasso (Extended Bayesian Information Criterion Graphical Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator) estimation, employing the non-parametric bootstrap procedure with 500 iterations to analyse the 95% confidence interval (CI) of edge weights [20]. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 27, JASP version 0.18.3.0 and Winsteps version 4.3.0.

    Ethical considerations

    The study follows the guidelines on research from the Declaration of Helsinki, regarding research on human subjects [18]. The respective University Ethics Committees approved the present study, including the Research Ethics Committee of Turku University of Applied Sciences (1/2023), Riga Stradins University Research Ethics Committee (2-PEK-4/507/2023) and the University of Malta, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (FHS-2023-00077), and ethical guidelines according Swedish law (SFS: 2003:460) was followed, and accordingly approval to conduct the study was gained by the head of the clinics of the involved hospital. Additional permissions were addressed depending on specific country’s requirements. Furthermore, permissions were obtained from the executive directors of the respective study sites and the directors of the departments or head nurses. Informed consent was obtained from individual participants through completion of the questionnaire and participation was voluntary and anonymous; participants could withdraw their participation if they do not submit the survey.

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  • Exclusive: Charging Trump foes over mortgage misstatements would be rare step, data shows – Reuters

    1. Exclusive: Charging Trump foes over mortgage misstatements would be rare step, data shows  Reuters
    2. Exclusive | DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into Fed’s Cook, Issues Subpoenas  The Wall Street Journal
    3. Exclusive-Charging Trump Foes Over Mortgage Misstatements Would Be Rare Step, Data Shows  U.S. News & World Report
    4. The ‘bizarre’ referral of the US housing finance agency chief to oust Lisa Cook  inkl
    5. The US Justice Department supports Trump’s right to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.  วารสารการเงินธนาคาร

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  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Approach Meets End Points in Placebo-Controlled Trial of Parkinson Disease

    Mesenchymal Stem Cell Approach Meets End Points in Placebo-Controlled Trial of Parkinson Disease

    A recently published phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that three infusions of 10 × 10⁶ allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cells (allo-hMSCs) significantly improved motor function in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson disease (PD). Additional clinical trials are needed to ensure consistency and reliability of allo-hMSC batches, as investigators observed a profound improvement in the placebo group and a less robust improvement in the two-infusion group.1

    Conducted between November 2020 and July 2023, the study comprised 45 patients with PD who received either 3 allo-hMSC infusions (n = 16), 1 placebo followed by 2 allo-hMSC infusions (n = 14), or 3 placebo infusions at 18-week intervals (n = 15). Over an 88-week follow-up, the primary outcome assessed was achieving at least a 70% posterior probability (PP) of a difference in the proportion of patients with a ≥5-point improvement in OFF-medication MDS-UPDRS Part III scores at week 62.

    Led by Mya C. Schiess, MD, a neurologist at UTHealth Houston Neurosciences Neurology, Texas Medical Center, a greater proportion of patents in the 3-infusion group achieved at least a 5-point improvement in MDS-UPDRS III compared with placebo at week 62 (mean difference, 5.0%; 95% credible Bayesian interval, –2.3% to 24.8%; PP = 93.7%). Using a more stringent threshold of at least 11 points, the results remained consistent, with more patient in the 3-infusion group improving relative to placebo (MD, 13.3%; 95% Crl, –6.1% to 37.8%; PP = 91.5%).

    At week 62, fewer patients in the 2-infusion group met the primary end point (MD, –62.4%; 95% Crl, –85.5% to –32.1%; PP ≥99.9%) as well as the more stringent threshold (MD, –63.8%; 95% Crl, –86.0% to –32.5%; PP≥99.9%). Additional data from this time point revealed a –16.9-point (–19.5% to –14.2%) improvement in the 3-infusion group, –3.9-point (95% Crl, –6.9% to –1.1%) improvement in the 2-infusion group, and a –14.6-point (95% Crl, –17.5% to –11.6%) improvement in the placebo group. Overall, the three-infusion group differed from placebo by −2.3 points (95% CrI, −6.1 to 1.6; PP = 87.8%), while the two-infusion group showed a +20.6-point difference (95% CrI, −37.6 to 24.5; PP ≥99.9%).

    READ MORE: Fully Enrolled CYPRESS Phase 3 Trial to Test Ampreloxetine in Symptomatic Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension of MSA

    Regarding the high improvement in placebo scores, the study authors wrote, “Although this finding may seem counterintuitive, it is important to note that studies on PD progression suggest an average annual motor decline (increase) of approximately 2.4 points in MDS-UPDRS-III scores. Yet in this trial, all treatment groups showed improvement in their motor scores over the 88 weeks of participation; an outcome that may, in part, reflect a placebo effect.”

    They went on to add that the residual placebo effect may have influenced the results since the primary outcome was assessed at week 62, which was 26 weeks or approximately 6 months after the last infusion. By week 88, and with a more stringent threshold (≥11-point improvement in MDS-UPDRS-III), the differences between the 3-infusion and placebo groups widened (–3.3 points; 95% Crlm –7.3% to 0.7%; PP = 94.7%), supportive of a waning placebo response. For context, the 2-infusion group remained worse than placebo by +9.0 points (95% Crl, 4.8% to 13.0%; PP ≥99.9%) by week 88.

    When compared with placebo, more participants in the 3-infusion group achieved at least a 12-point improvement in MDS-UPDRS at week 62 (MD, 22.0%; 95% Crl, –21.0% to 49.4%; PP = 96.3%) and week 88 (MD, 48.4; 95% Crl, 23.9% to 74.0%; PP ≥99.9%). In line with other data, fewer participants in the 2-infusion group showed improvement relative to placebo at week 62 (MD, –43.0; 95% Crl, –71.2% to –8.3%; PP = 99.1%) and at week 88 (MD, –20.8; 95% Crl, –53.1% to 14.1%; PP = 87.8%).

    In terms of safety, 10 mild and transient treatment-emergent adverse events were reported, with no severe events. In the 3-infusion group, single cases of malaise, transient hypertension not requiring medication, and vomiting occurred, while the two-infusion group experienced only constitutional symptoms (fatigue, flu-like symptoms, headache), all of which resolved. Three patients initially showed a panel reactive antibody response presumed to be donor-specific, but HLA typing confirmed two were unrelated to the donor, and the third—found in a placebo patient—was also deemed unrelated after unblinding.

    REFERENCE
    1. Schiess MC, Suescun J, Martinez-Lemus JD, et al. Allogeneic Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Trial. Mov Disord. Published online September 1, 2025. doi:10.1002/mds.70028

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  • The Strad – Resetting your violin technique: lessons from the 1714 Stradivari, ‘Kneisel’

    The Strad – Resetting your violin technique: lessons from the 1714 Stradivari, ‘Kneisel’

    Discover more Featured Stories  like this in The Strad Playing Hub  

    When I recently received a loan of a 1714 Antonio Stradivari violin from Carriage House Violins in Boston, I discovered something unexpected: getting used to a new instrument isn’t just about adaptation — it’s an opportunity for a complete technical reset.

    This particular violin, from Stradivari’s golden period, carries remarkable history. It belonged to Franz Kneisel, founder of America’s first professional string quartet, and premiered Dvořák’s ‘American’ Quartet, along with works by Debussy, Ravel, and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht.

    But beyond its illustrious past, this instrument became my teacher, forcing me to recalibrate every aspect of my technique. Whether you’re adjusting to a new violin or seeking to refine your current playing, the exercises and ideas in this video can transform your approach as well.

    The three dimensions of intonation

    In my view, every note exists in three dimensions: how it sounds, how it feels, and how it looks. When adapting to a new instrument, let’s recalibrate these elements:

    Sound goes beyond simple pitch accuracy. Each violin has unique resonance patterns — certain notes excite sympathetic vibrations, air modes and body modes differently. I practise slow scales, listening not just for pitch but for how each note activates these acoustical phenomena. When the violin suddenly ’lights up’ at certain frequencies, you’ve found its sweet spots. This Stradivari, with its slightly different string length compared to my personal violin, required me to rediscover where each note truly resonates.

    Feel involves developing a physical map of your fingerboard. In fourth position, does your hand touch the instrument’s rib? Where does your palm contact the bout in high positions? These tactile landmarks become your GPS system. On the Strad, my usual reference points shifted slightly — what was a perfect fourth-position F on my violin was now slightly sharp. These millimetre differences matter.

    Visual checkpoints might seem unconventional, but they work. Looking with my right eye, I can see where my finger intersects with certain visual markers to find specific pitches. It’s one more tool in the accuracy arsenal.

    Shifting without a safety net

    Most violinists rely heavily on ‘preparation notes’ — that quick moment where we touch the destination note before vibrating it. But practising ’air shifts’ removes this crutch entirely. You lift your finger, shift in the air, and land directly on the target pitch. It’s terrifying and transformative.

    My favourite shifting exercise is single-finger arpeggios, moving through all positions, strings and fingers. The pattern I use to do this is quite simple, and doesn’t take long. The exercise also doubles as expressive training – treating each shift as a musical portamento rather than a mechanical motion.

    Sound production reset

    We know that sound production operates mainly on three interdependent variables: contact point (where the bow meets string), bow speed, and pressure. Many players get stuck treating these as separate parameters to adjust independently. Instead, I use an exercise called ’waves’ to integrate various parameters into a ‘feeling’ that one can manipulate. 

    Using consistent bow speed, you create rhythmic indentations with your index finger, naturally adjusting weight and contact point in a pattern. The bow moves closer to the bridge with increased pressure, then retreats — like waves! This organic approach reveals the instrument’s pressure limits and optimal sound points without intellectualising the process.

    This Stradivari surprised me — it accepts tremendous pressure without cracking, yet also produces that legendary golden, ethereal sound with the lightest touch. Each instrument has its own personality in this regard.

    Chord playing as diagnostic tool

    In the video below, I use Bach’s Sarabande from the Cello Suites (sorry, cellists) as a perfect vehicle for recalibrating chord playing and coordination. Every instrument has a unique threshold for how aggressively you can ’carve through’ multiple strings. Some require a gentle roll; others, like this Strad, allow you to drive through with remarkable depth as long as you maintain momentum.

    I also discuss the importance of careful finger placement – especially for 5ths! Even high-level players naturally default to more pressure to ’push’ the 5th into tune. This is counter-productive and not reliable!

    The broader reset

    What struck me most about this experience wasn’t just learning a new instrument — it was how the process revitalised my fundamental technique. When everything feels slightly different, you can’t rely on muscle memory alone. You must return to conscious, deliberate practice.

    This recalibration opportunity doesn’t require a Stradivari. Any change — a new bow, different strings, even returning to playing after a break — can serve as a catalyst for technical renovation. The key is recognising these moments not as obstacles but as invitations to rediscover and refine your craft.

    For violinists at any level, the message is clear: embrace change, and keep things fresh. 

    Listen to the 1714 ‘Kneisel’ Stradivari violin live in concert in the video below:

     

     

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  • Porsche showcases Cayenne Electric Prototype on legendary Großglockner High Alpine Road

    Porsche showcases Cayenne Electric Prototype on legendary Großglockner High Alpine Road




    Porsche’s latest model returns to one of the brand’s oldest stomping grounds: a prototype of the upcoming Cayenne Electric made an appearance at the Mankei Season Closing on the Großglockner High Alpine Road – a legendary route that has played a central role in the development of Porsche sports cars since the very beginning.


    First opened to the public 90 years ago, the Großglocker High Alpine Road is an extraordinary Austrian mountain pass that weaves a winding 48-kilometre route from Fusch in the state of Salzburg to Heiligenblut am Großglockner in Carinthia. Ever since Ferry Porsche tested and developed the very first Porsche sports car – the 356 No. 1 – on this hallowed stretch of asphalt, the Großglockner has been closely intertwined with the brand.

    Where electric mobility meets alpine tradition

    This past weekend, the latest Porsche to venture into this idyllic slice of the Austrian Alps was a prototype of the forthcoming all-electric Cayenne, whose combination of innovative technology and electric drive brings significant leaps in performance, comfort and off-road driving capability.

    911 Targa, 911 S/T, Cayenne Electric Prototype, 918 Spyder (l-r), Grossglockner, Austria, 2025, Porsche AG





    The specific example that appeared on the High Alpine Road – at times amidst snow and rain – was the very same car that earlier this year thrilled crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and that also took more than four seconds off the previous SUV record at the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb. On those occasions, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team simulator and development driver Gabriela Jílková was behind the wheel.

    At the Großglockner, Michael Schätzle took the wheel. The Vice President of the Cayenne model line put the still-camouflaged SUV through a performance test on the 14.5-kilometer stretch featuring around 27 hairpin bends, leading to the highest drivable point at the 2,571-meter-high Edelweißspitze. That’s a tradition at Porsche.

    Cayenne Electric Prototype, Grossglockner, Austria, 2025, Porsche AG





    While Ferry Porsche carried out his testing programmes on the Großglockner back in the 1940s with little more than a basic tool kit, his engineering expertise, and a large dose of determination, Porsche still today conducts a broad spectrum of detailed development programmes here. Expert engineers use cutting-edge equipment to test and develop the brand’s latest models. The important work that Porsche carries out here complements the extensive global development programmes that see prototypes put through their paces in extreme environments. In addition to venturing to these exotic locations, each model must also prove its worth here on the brand’s oldest proving ground – a stone’s throw from the Porsche family’s home in Zell am See.

    “Our benchmark for track performance is the Nürburgring Nordschleife,” says Schätzle. “But the Großglockner High Alpine Road is just as important to us. Every new Porsche has to prove itself here. The combination of steep elevation changes, tight hairpin bends, varying surfaces and weather conditions makes this road a perfect testing ground — especially for engines, brakes and chassis. And it has been for decades.”

    Michael Schätzle, Vice President Product Line Cayenne , Ferdinand Porsche (l-r), Cayenne Electric Prototype, Grossglockner, Austria, 2025, Porsche AG




    Michael Schätzle and Ferdinand Porsche (l-r)

    Maintaining this continuity and these traditions – keeping permanently in touch with the brand’s heritage and its roots – is just one of the ways in which Porsche ensures its unique, iconic spirit is preserved and carried forward into each new model – regardless of drive type, body style or the groundbreaking technology on board.

    The Cayenne Electric sets new standards

    In terms of technology, the Cayenne Electric is a game-changer – a milestone in electric mobility. And this is not just in terms of its unrivalled performance and comfort in its segment – or the new benchmark it sets for the model line in terms of everyday practicality – but also with its potential for making the experience of driving an electric car even more convenient and effortless than before.

    With the introduction of inductive charging technology in the all-electric Cayenne, as demonstrated at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Porsche has become one of the first automotive manufacturers to bring wireless charging for electric vehicles to market. With rates of up to 11 kW, this innovative technology reaches the level of home AC charging, but without the need to plug in – by simply parking over the Porsche charging plate, the process begins automatically.

    Season closing at FAT Mankei

    As winter begins to beckon, the prototype Cayenne’s appearance on the legendary alpine road this weekend coincided with the season closing event at FAT Mankei . The brainchild of Ferdinand Porsche, grandson of Porsche’s founder and great-grandson of his namesake, the restaurant and coffee shop opened in May 2023 and has since become a community and cultural hub for automotive enthusiasts.

    After a busy season opening event in June – at which visitors were able to see an array of cars from various eras of Porsche history, including the iconic road-legal Count Rossi 917 K alongside its modern tribute, the 963 RSP – and a busy summer, the venue held its annual end-of-season event on Friday and Saturday (5 and 6 September) before closing for the winter.

    Cayenne Electric Prototype, 918 Spyder (l-r), Grossglockner, Austria, 2025, Porsche AG





    Between its runs up and down the Großglockner, the camouflaged Cayenne was displayed outside FAT Mankei, offering visitors the opportunity to see the exciting future of the SUV model series up close. With development of the E4 now in its latter stages, and the world premiere planned for the end of 2025, it won’t be long before customers can enjoy their own Cayenne Electric on the iconic alpine road.

    “Enter Electric!“

    The Volkswagen Group invites you to find out much more about electromobility with a cross-brand communication campaign. You can find more information about electromobility at Porsche on this Newsroom microsite.

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  • See our women’s team’s 2025/26 squad photo | News

    See our women’s team’s 2025/26 squad photo | News

    Yesterday saw Renee Slegers and her squad gather at the Sobha Realty Training Centre for their annual 2025/26 squad photo.

    The head coach and our players all got in position for the traditional group shot, which included Chloe Kelly, Taylor Hinds, Anneke Borbe and Olivia Smith for the first time following their summer arrivals, as well as January recruit Jenna Nighswonger. 

    They posed with the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy, before assembling for more photos with Win and Gunnersaurus.

    Club photographer David Price was there to organise everyone for all the all-important photograph, and you can view the final product below:

    There was also a photo featuring the staff at the Sobha Realty Training Centre – the team behind the team!

    Read more

    Behind the scenes of our women’s squad photo

    Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.

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  • TIFF 2025: Angelina Jolie Gets Emotional Remembering Late Mother’s Cancer Battle – WATCH | People News

    TIFF 2025: Angelina Jolie Gets Emotional Remembering Late Mother’s Cancer Battle – WATCH | People News

     Angelina Jolie’s starrer ‘Couture’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it turned into an emotional moment for the actress.

    The Oscar-winning star, who plays a filmmaker battling breast cancer in the movie, spoke about her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, during a Q&A session after the screening. Bertrand died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 56.

    According to PEOPLE, when an audience member who had recently lost a friend to cancer asked the cast about their message of “hope,” Jolie grew emotional before responding. “I’m very sorry for your loss,” she said gently, before recalling her mother’s own words.

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    “One thing I remember my mother saying when she had cancer, she said to me once… people were asking her how she was feeling and she said, ‘All anybody ever asks me about is cancer,’” Jolie shared as quoted by PEOPLE.

    “So I would say, if you know someone who is going through something, ask them about everything else in their life as well, you know? They’re a whole person and they’re still living.”

    Take A Look At The Post: 

    The actress was joined on stage by her Couture co-stars Ella Rumpf, Anyier Anei, and the film’s writer-director Alice Winocour.

    Also Read| Angelina Jolie Reveals WHY She Wore Her Late Mom’s Necklace During ‘Couture’ Shoot

     

    Winocour explained that while the film is about cancer, it is also about life itself. “We really didn’t want to depress you about cancer, quite the opposite. It’s about the spirit of survival,” she said. Winocour also mentioned how Jolie immediately felt connected to the story because both her mother and grandmother died of breast cancer, and she herself underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 to lower her own risk.

    In Couture, Jolie plays Maxine, a filmmaker who takes a job in the Paris fashion world while navigating a divorce, raising a teenage daughter, and facing a serious diagnosis. 


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  • Apple event expected to feature a slimmer iPhone as pricing, AI questions linger – Reuters

    1. Apple event expected to feature a slimmer iPhone as pricing, AI questions linger  Reuters
    2. Everything Apple Plans to Show at Tuesday’s ‘Awe Dropping’ iPhone 17 Event  Bloomberg.com
    3. All iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Battery Capacities Allegedly Leaked  MacRumors
    4. iPhone 17 lineup to be unveiled at Apple’s event: What to expect  Gulf News
    5. Apple iPhone 17 series: Expected UAE prices ahead of September 9 launch  Khaleej Times

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  • ‘Tilda Swinton – Ongoing’ Amsterdam Eye Exhibition Gets Video Teaser

    ‘Tilda Swinton – Ongoing’ Amsterdam Eye Exhibition Gets Video Teaser

    “Tilda Swinton – Ongoing” is the title of a curated exhibition at Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum, which will run Sept. 28, 2025-Feb. 8, 2026, allowing visitors to explore multihyphenate Tilda Swinton and some of her close collaborators.

    THR can exclusively unveil a teaser video for the exhibition below.

    “A unique and personal exhibition that centers on Swinton’s creative collaborations … will showcase new and existing work by eight artistic partners and close friends: Pedro Almodóvar, Luca Guadagnino, Joanna Hogg, Derek Jarman, Jim Jarmusch, Olivier Saillard, Tim Walker, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul,” says the museum, highlighting: “This marks the first time that Eye Filmmuseum has devoted such extensive attention to the creative influence of a performer.”

    Swinton herself earlier this year described the exhibition as an opportunity “to reflect on the mechanics of my working practice over the past 40 years. And to come to rest on the – ever-present – bedrock and battery of the close fellowships I found from the very first and continue to rely upon to this day.”

    She added: “In focusing attention on profoundly enriching creative relationships in my life, we share the narratives and atmospheres that inspire us: we offer new work, especially commissioned for the Eye exhibition, as the most recent gestures borne out of various companionable conversations that keep me curious, engaged, and nourished.”

    The exhibition will also present a “contextual program” featuring the Scottish performer, artist, and fashion icon Swinton in conversation with “the artistic collaborators who have contributed new work to the exhibition. Complementing these live events, Eye will screen 40 films from Swinton’s body of work in its cinemas, alongside retrospectives dedicated to Joanna Hogg and Derek Jarman.”

    So what can audiences expect from “Tilda Swinton – Ongoing”?

    Guadagnino is creating “a new, intimate portrait of Tilda Swinton in the form of a short film and a sculpture,” according to Eye. “Together with childhood friend and filmmaker Joanna Hogg, Swinton will present Flat 19, a multimedia reconstruction of her 1980s London apartment and an exploration of memory, space, and personal history.”

    Still from Joanna Hogg’s ‘Flat 19,’ commissioned by Eye Filmmuseum, co-produced by Onassis Stegi

    Courtesy of Joanna Hogg/Eye

    Almodóvar will present his short film The Human Voice (2020), starring Swinton, in an installation format for the first time, according to the Eye team. Plus, “with a new edit, image treatment, and soundtrack, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch will transform existing footage from his absurdist zombie film The Dead Don’t Die (2019) into an entirely new installation.”

    Together with the fashion historian Olivier Saillard, Swinton will also stage what is described as “a multi-day performance that brings a special wardrobe to life: garments from her personal collection, film costumes, red carpet dresses and family heirlooms.” They are also co-developing a special display of these pieces as part of the exhibition.

    Meanwhile, photographer Tim Walker has visited Swinton at her family home for a photo series about “her connection to her forebears and continuity of place,” while Weerasethakul also visited Swinton at her home to create “an intriguing, meditative installation in which the presence of spirit and atmosphere becomes palpable.”

    Finally, Swinton will pay tribute “to one of her greatest inspirations, filmmaker Derek Jarman (1942–1994), with whom she made a total of nine films,” says the museum. “A segment from The Last of England (1987) will be shown as an installation, alongside personal objects from Swinton related to their shared time and collaboration, as well as never-before-seen Super 8 footage, featuring Swinton as performer.”

    The video teaser for “Tilda Swinton – Ongoing” at Amsterdam’s Eye features Swinton in various situations and outfits of different colors, but always full of the magnetism she is known for. Check out the teaser below.

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  • Skunk Works and FalconWorks Announce Strategic Collaboration

    Skunk Works and FalconWorks Announce Strategic Collaboration

    LONDON, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® (NYSE: LMT) and BAE Systems FalconWorks (LSE: BAES) announced a strategic partnership at DSEI global defence conference in the United Kingdom, to develop a range of uncrewed autonomous air systems. The collaboration will see their advanced research and development divisions – Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and BAE Systems’ FalconWorks – work together on a common design that will be rapidly deployable and modular to deliver a range of effects, including disruptive capabilities.

    Drawing on both organisations’ rapid design, prototyping and advanced manufacturing expertise, the collaboration will focus on producing a cost-effective and easily deployable system with multiple launch options. It will initially focus on delivering an electronic warfare and attack capability that would deliver disruptive capabilities and could complement and enhance the survivability of current crewed combat aircraft.

    The initial system will be designed with modularity and adaptability for different missions, and offer multiple launch options such as air drop, ground launch, maritime launch and launch from a wide-body logistic aircraft.

    The announcement comes at a time when nations are increasingly looking towards developing a mix of crewed and uncrewed assets to address the requirements of today’s rapidly evolving battlespace – and the need to be able to quickly develop and field affordable ‘combat mass’ to support existing frontline combat platforms.

    “We’re pleased to join forces with BAE Systems, combining our expertise in rapid prototyping and advanced development to deliver game-changing capabilities,” said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “By working together, we’re unlocking new possibilities for our customers and advancing the future of autonomous systems.”

    Dave Holmes, managing director of BAE Systems’ FalconWorks division, said: “Through our collaboration with Lockheed Martin we’ll deliver disruptive capabilities that can make a real difference to our military customers at pace, enabling them to confront the operational requirements of today’s battlefield.”

    About Lockheed Martin
    Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.

    About BAE
    BAE Systems is a global defence, security, and aerospace company that delivers a range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions, and customer support services. More information at baesystems.com.

     

    Uncrewed autonomous air system by Skunk Works and FalconWorks – modular and adaptable for different missions.

    (PRNewsfoto/Lockheed Martin Aeronautics)

    SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

    For further information: Lockheed Martin, Candis S. Roussel, Skunk Works® Integrated Communications, E: candis.s.roussel@lmco.com, M: +(01) 661-264-8592, John Neilson, Director of International Communications, E: John.neilson@global.lmco.com, M: +44 7771 377027; BAE Systems, Adam Morrison, Head of Communications, BAE Systems Air, E: Adam.morrison2@baesystems.com, M: +44(0)7493 864931

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