Author: admin

  • “We’ll Back Our Skills, They’ll Back Theirs” – Clash of Styles at Eden Park » allblacks.com

    “We’ll Back Our Skills, They’ll Back Theirs” – Clash of Styles at Eden Park » allblacks.com

    All the history between world rugby’s two best teams, the All Blacks and South Africa, guarantees another epic contest at Eden Park on Saturday, but at its core is gaining an advantage in the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship.

    With both teams having won and lost a game apiece, neither has yet to show its best in the Championship, and that adds to the occasion.

    All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said, “We’ve had some parts of our game that have been awesome and then some parts we have to get better at, and it hasn’t quite all come together. It’s a good week to make it happen.”

    The Test is shaping as the most significant of his tenure.

    “One plays two in the world; all eyes are watching. It’s exciting for us as a country.

    “We’ve got a record we are proud of. We understand the figures, the history, the facts and the occasion.

    “Human bodies get prepared by how the mind thinks, and half of New Zealand is coming.

    Robertson said their last outing, a loss to Argentina, hurt. Their review highlighted areas where they needed improvement, and they are now focusing on achieving those goals ahead of Saturday.

    That includes sharpening their aerial game.

    “We’ll modify and correct technique and make sure we keep being brave, keep going for it and back ourselves.”

    He expects South Africa to chance their arm and back their traditional strengths.

    “We know it’s coming, and that’s all part of the game. Rugby’s a game of strengths; they’ve got theirs and we’ve got ours—two different styles. We’ll back our skills, and they will play theirs, which have strengthened and earned them many trophies.

    Tasman’s Leicester Fainga’anuku and Waikato’s Xavier Roe have joined the All Blacks as injury cover for Timoci Tavatavanawai and the halfbacks, respectively.

    Cortez Ratima suffered a broken rib but will be given every opportunity to play on Saturday.

    If Kyle Preston is included, it will be based on his impressive performance since joining the group.

    “He’s always stepped up to every occasion he’s had and the next one could be the biggest stage. We’ve got him ready over the last three to four weeks to be ready for it.”

    Finlay Christie also offers experience, is reliable, and capable of getting turnovers.

    “He likes that stage, he’s played a bit and slots straight back into our system.”

    Fainga’anuku met the requirements to be considered as an option.

    “He was here for pre-season for Tasman, played all the games. He’s a great power athlete and holds his feet beautifully, tracks defenders, and he’s played well. We’re pleased that he’s come straight back into the fold and performed at the highest level.

    “The good thing about Leicester is he can play multiple positions.”

    Robertson sees him more as a midfielder who can also play as a wing.

    Christie said South Africa has expanded its attack and is not afraid to move the ball wide, and is playing some good rugby.

    While he had played more often with Faf de Klerk at halfback, Grant Williams has been the preferred choice this season.

    “They’re both great players. Faf’s got a lot of experience and is a gritty player and Grant’s got an electric running game and is very fast, so they both add their own things to games.”

    Prop Tyrell Lomax said discipline will be a key area of focus on Saturday.

    “It hurt us in the last game but that’ll be big this weekend because we know how well the Boks use their set-piece and like to kick as well.”

    While the unbeaten record was on the line again in Auckland, Lomax said after playing several Tests at Eden Park in recent years, he didn’t think the record created more pressure.

    “It’s more excitement. It’s about us going out and defending that record here.

    “We’ve got a lot we want to work on this week. I’m looking forward to getting my head back into the scrum and being in this environment. South Africa is obvious in how they want to play the game, so it’s a big challenge for me as a front rower if I get the chance to play.

    “They’ve set the standard when it comes to scrums and lineouts over the last few years. It’s a big part of their game.”

    Find out where to watch the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship around the world HERE.

    Click HERE to play Fantasy Rugby Championship.


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  • Breaking news: Yoane Wissa joins Newcastle United

    Breaking news: Yoane Wissa joins Newcastle United

    Yoane Wissa has joined Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee.

    The forward signed from French club Lorient in August 2021 and scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for Brentford.

    In his first season, Wissa scored 10 goals in all competitions and then added another seven in 2022/23.

    Wissa missed part of the 2023/24 campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations with DR Congo, where his nation were beaten by South Africa on penalties in the third-place play-off, but hit his best patch of form in a Brentford shirt on his return.

    Wissa ended that season with a run of eight goals and two assists in 15 games helping him to become the Bees’ top scorer.

    During the 2024/25 campaign Wissa became the club’s record Premier League goalscorer (45), surpassing Ivan Toney’s previous record of 36. He ended the season with 19 top-flight goals.

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  • ‘It’s like using a magnifying glass’

    ‘It’s like using a magnifying glass’

    Blue-colored food may soon come without the usual side of petroleum and instead with a side of algae.

    In a major food technology breakthrough published in Food Hydrocolloids, Cornell University researchers have developed a heat- and light-stable blue dye from phycocyanin, a naturally occurring protein in algae, which offers a cleaner, safer alternative to synthetic dyes like Blue 1 and Blue 2.

    The breakthrough targets a decades-old problem. Blue is one of the rarest pigments in nature, and its scarcity has kept food manufacturers reliant on artificial versions linked to health concerns, including hyperactivity in children and possible toxicity.

    These dyes also come from dirty energy like oil and gas, contributing to the pollution of our air and water.

    Phycocyanin, the same pigment that gives blue spirulina its electric hue, has been approved as a food colorant in the U.S. and other countries, but its instability under heat and light has limited its use. The Cornell team solved this by using a gentle chemical process to break the protein into smaller, uniform particles, retaining its striking blue color while boosting its ability to act as an emulsifier, protecting nutrients in oils and enhancing food texture.

    Using advanced imaging tools like small-angle X-ray scattering, the scientists confirmed the protein’s nanoscale transformation was both stable and functional.

    “It’s like using a magnifying glass to understand protein behavior,” said Alireza Abbaspourrad, the Yongkeun Joh associate professor of food chemistry and ingredient technology at Cornell. “Our goal is for phycocyanin to replace multiple synthetic items, colorant, emulsifier, and antioxidant, all in one.”

    This breakthrough could help the food industry cut down on petroleum-based additives like Red dye 3, reduce chemical pollution, and deliver cleaner labels to consumers, all while giving chefs and food makers a natural blue color to work with. The research also aligns with growing consumer demand for plant-based, minimally processed ingredients and a move away from petroleum-based, overprocessed ones, which contribute to harmful pollution and extreme weather.

    The research team, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is now working to scale up production with industry partners. If successful, this algae-powered pigment could hit grocery shelves within a few years, brightening foods and drinks while keeping harmful chemicals out of our bodies and the environment.

    Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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  • FC Bayern sign Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea – FC Bayern

    1. FC Bayern sign Nicolas Jackson on loan from Chelsea  FC Bayern
    2. Chelsea transfers: Blues agree new deal with Bayern Munich to sell Nicolas Jackson  BBC
    3. Nicolas Jackson transfer news: Chelsea open to selling striker to Bayern Munich amid talks with Sporting’s Conrad Harder  Sky Sports
    4. Daily Schmankerl: Bayern Munich might have control of the obligation to buy on Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson; A rundown of some transfer deadline deals you might’ve missed; and MORE!  Bavarian Football Works
    5. Bayern’s new ‘Neymar’ set to star  bundesliga.com

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  • ASTARTA Holding NV (WAR:AST) (Half Year 2025) Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges …

    ASTARTA Holding NV (WAR:AST) (Half Year 2025) Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges …

    This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

    • Revenue: Decrease in agriculture and sugar production revenue due to lower harvest.

    • Gross Margin: Retained at 40%, same as last year.

    • EBITDA Margin: Slightly higher than last year at 29% excluding biological assets remeasurement.

    • Investment Cash Flows: Higher due to investment projects in soybean protein concentrate and new multi-seed crusher.

    • Net Debt to EBITDA: Leverage remains at 1 times EBITDA.

    • Sugar Segment Gross Margin: 27%.

    • Sugar Segment EBITDA Margin: 18%.

    • Soybean Processing EBITDA Margin: Down to 13% due to lower soybean meal pricing.

    • Cattle Farming: Stable with growth in milk production and premium pricing for high-quality milk.

    Release Date: August 29, 2025

    For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

    • ASTARTA Holding NV (WAR:AST) maintained a stable gross margin of 40%, similar to last year, with an improved EBITDA margin of 29% after excluding biological assets remeasurement.

    • The company is investing in new projects, including a soybean protein concentrate and a multi-seed crusher, indicating a focus on long-term growth and diversification.

    • Positive pricing dynamics in the agricultural segment, particularly for corn and oilseeds, are benefiting the company.

    • Cattle farming remains stable with growth in milk production, and the company earns premium pricing for high-quality milk.

    • The convergence of Ukrainian and global sugar prices is a positive development, enhancing the competitive position of Ukrainian producers.

    • Revenue from agriculture and sugar production decreased due to a lower harvest last year.

    • Soybean processing margins are down, with a decrease in soybean meal pricing leading to lower crushing and EBITDA margins.

    • Sugar prices have declined, resulting in lower revenues despite maintaining good margin levels.

    • The overall headcount in dairy cows is down, although industrial milk production is up.

    • The planting area for sugar beet has decreased by 1/5, which could impact future production volumes.

    Q: With such low soybean segment performance, does Astarta still consider its CapEx pipeline as viable? A: Julia Bereshchenko, Director for Sustainable Business Development and Investor Relations, explained that the soybean concentrate project is aimed at producing a higher-margin, custom-tailored product for premium markets like aquaculture. Viacheslav Chuk, Executive Director and Commercial Director, added that the project’s viability is assessed over a long-term period, considering average segment results over the last 5 to 10 years. They anticipate fluctuations in margins but remain committed to the strategic direction.

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  • Mercury makes an elusive appearance with the bright star Regulus on Sept. 2

    Mercury makes an elusive appearance with the bright star Regulus on Sept. 2

    Look to the east slightly ahead of dawn on Sept. 2 to catch a fleeting glimpse of fleet-footed Mercury alongside the bright star Regulus, before it becomes lost in the light of the rising sun.

    TOP TELESCOPE PICK:

    (Image credit: Amazon)

    Want to get a close look at Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review.

    Stargazers hoping to catch a brief glimpse of Mercury should find a viewing spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon and be in position an hour before sunrise in order to stand a chance of spotting the elusive planet as it rises slightly before the sun.

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  • The Blind Date of Mars with 3I/ATLAS in a Month | by Avi Loeb | Sep, 2025

    The Blind Date of Mars with 3I/ATLAS in a Month | by Avi Loeb | Sep, 2025

    Press enter or click to view image in full size

    (Credit: BBC)

    Blind dates are exciting because they hold the potential for surprises, especially when dealing with an interstellar date partner of unknown origin.

    On October 3, 2025, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS will pass within a distance of 29 million kilometers from Mars. At that time, the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be able to image 3I/ATLAS with a resolution of 30 kilometers per pixel. The resulting closeup image might separate the contributions of the nucleus and surrounding dust cloud to the total luminosity of reflected sunlight stemming from 3I/ATLAS.

    The Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 3I/ATLAS from Mars, namely the closest distance that 3I/ATLAS gets to the complete path of Mars around the Sun, is merely 2.7 million kilometers. This by itself constitutes a remarkable fine-tuning of the path of 3I/ATLAS.

    If 3I/ATLAS is a technological object, this short MOID makes it easy for a precursor mini-probe to reach Mars. In addition, an orbit correction by 10–15 kilometers per second during the month of September 2025, could shrink the closest approach distance of 3I/ATLAS from Mars to zero, as calculated in Figure 4 of my paper with Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl (accessible here).

    The ejection of icy fragments from the surface of a natural comet can only result in a velocity kick of order 0.4 kilometers per second based on the analysis of data from the Webb telescope (accessible here). This ejection speed is insufficient for these fragments to reach Mars. Moreover, the extent of the CO2 plume observed by SPHEREx around 3I/ATLAS (as reported here) is of order 350,000 kilometers, a distance beyond which the plume is expected to be confined by the ram-pressure from the solar wind. This distance is still shorter by a factor of a hundred from the value needed to reach Mars during the closest approach of 3I/ATLAS without a maneuver. Given all these considerations, the arrival of materials from 3I/ATLAS to Mars in October 2025 will be a potential signature of technology.

    Gladly, the Labor Day holiday provided me with a relief from my routine administrative duties as director of Harvard’s Institute for Theory & Computation. In between interviews for television and podcasts, I calculated that if 3I/ATLAS has a precursor probe that was traveling ahead of it and sideways towards Mars by about 30 million kilometers, then this precursor probe would be able to intercept Mars on October 3, 2025 or during the week preceding it.

    This provides a second motivation for using HiRISE within a month. In addition to imaging the nucleus and dust cloud of 3I/ATLAS, HiRISE could image Mars in search for any precursor objects that precede 3I/ATLAS and get closer to Mars than the main object. Near-Earth telescopes cannot detect the reflection of sunlight from precursor objects that are smaller than a hundred meters, the upper limit on the size of all space probes launched by humans so far.

    Blind dates can be exciting if we observe the other side with curiosity and regard data collection as an opportunity to learn something new.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Press enter or click to view image in full size

    (Image Credit: Chris Michel, National Academy of Sciences, 2023)

    Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s — Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011–2020). He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021. The paperback edition of his new book, titled “Interstellar”, was published in August 2024.

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  • Liniker Is Ready for the Spotlight

    Liniker Is Ready for the Spotlight

    The three-block stretch between Columbus Circle and Grand Army Plaza just on the southern border of Central Park is so busy that it’s hard to know where to look. Near the entrance on 59th street, horse-drawn carriage drivers vie for the attention of tourists, while across the road, serious-looking people in business attire idle in front of the Carnegie Hotel, presumably waiting for someone important.

    The Brazilian singer and songwriter Liniker, who has just landed in muggy New York to perform at Lincoln Center’s Brazil Week, has questions: Who are the suits going to meet? Are they famous? And is anyone shelling out upwards of $100 for the ride? The more she thinks about it, the less likely it seems that she’ll arrive at an answer, so she opts to capture this tableaux on her film camera instead.

    More from Rolling Stone

    As we enter Central Park to find a spot to sit down, she points at a squirrel gripping the side of a tree trunk, and stops to take a picture before it beetles upwards and disappears into the canopy. When another one crops up — this time on the grass — she snaps another photo.

    “It’s like they’re making little waves with their bodies,” Liniker says in Portuguese, wearing a white tiered, maxi skirt and a matching white top. Here in New York, the artist gets to feel anonymous in a way that no longer feels possible back home. In her native Brazil, where her songs rack up millions of streams per month, she has become something of a pop phenomenon.

    After training as an actress, Liniker first made a name for herself as the singer for the band Liniker e os Caramelows, but has since left the group. In 2022, her first solo record, the soulful Indigo Borboleta Anil, earned her a Latin Grammy award, making her the first trans woman to receive the prize. Her latest LP, last year’s CAJU, plays with a more varied sonic palette, moving into decidedly pop territory. Melding pagode, hip-hop, samba, and electronica, it has expanded her audience significantly, and pushed her further into the spotlight.

    Born in Araraquara, a city north of São Paulo, Liniker, who was named after the British goalie Gary Lineker (it was her soccer-loving uncle’s idea), grew up in a creative family. She found a continuous source of support and inspiration in her mother, a samba dancer who taught her that art could be a form of resistance. “In spite of everything she went through raising me and my brother by herself,” Liniker says, “she always gave me the chance to live my life the way I wanted to live it.”

    When Liniker and Fejuca, one of her trusted collaborators and a co-producer on both of her solo records met, they bonded over their similar upbringings. “She comes from a big, musical family and I do too,” he says, calling from his car in between studio sessions in Rio de Janeiro. “And so we both experienced these Black Brazilian gatherings where people listen to everything: Tim Maia, Marvin Gaye, Os Racionais.”

    In the early stages of making CAJU, a concept album based on an imaginary one day trip to Japan, Liniker, Fejuca and co-producer Gustavo Ruiz, knew they wanted to tap into this past, and make the work feel nostalgic. “So we recorded the whole thing using analog tape,” Fejuca says.

    At the park, Liniker tells me she also wanted the work to feel “cinematic.” The trio looked for a way to create a sense of continuity between songs. “If you listen closely, you’ll hear everyday sounds in all the tracks: there’s a door closing, keys, rain, footsteps, the Japanese flight attendant whose voice opens the record,” she says.

    Some of these compositions start in Liniker’s journals. “I keep a diary,” she says, “and I also write poems and songs, and letters, mostly by hand.” Her lyrics are personal, introspective, and often a little tongue-in-cheek. “Have you memorized the number of tattoos I have?” she asks a lover, in earnest, in the title track “CAJU” over a smooth R&B beat. “How many shows are in my schedule? What my favorite album is? How much my heart weighs?”

    During the pandemic, the singer Moses Sumney would occasionally go live on Instagram and add people who requested to join. One day, Liniker sent him a request and they struck up a conversation. While he had heard her name around, he wasn’t familiar with her music. Then thousands of Brazilians flooded in and started commenting. “And I thought to myself, ‘I’m clearly very late to this because this person is a huge star,’” he recalls.

    After they got off the call, Sumney checked out her music and became a fan. “It’s cool seeing how she combines R&B music with a truly Brazilian aesthetic,” he says. “What she does is so beautiful.” The two ended up becoming pen pals and when Sumney was in Brazil earlier this year, Liniker invited him to see one of her shows in Salvador, Bahia. “It was like seeing Brazilian Beyoncé,” Sumney says. “The hair whips, the outfits, the crowd.”

    The next time I see Liniker, she’s running around the stage at Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center in an asymmetrical glittery dress and knee high boots, her band members shimmying behind her in lime green outfits. People in the audience are moving, jumping, and singing along. Most aren’t sitting on the chairs the organizers set up for them earlier in the day. It’s clear this is music you can dance to.

    Liniker feels emotional being at a venue where so many prominent Brazilian artists have performed over the years. “It’s such an achievement for any of us to be able to cross the ocean to get to any place that isn’t the place we’re from,” she said to the crowd in Portuguese. “That applies to us musicians, but it also applies to anyone who has immigrated to a country they weren’t born in dreaming of a better life. When we’re up here, we’re also dreaming a different dream, and I’m so glad that dream fits in the mouths of so many people today.”

    Lately, while reflecting on her career, it’s dawned on her that she never wants to take anything for granted. “What an honor,” she told the crowd as the night drew to an end and she prepared to leave the stage. “I’m so happy.”

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  • Movies to look forward to this fall : NPR

    Movies to look forward to this fall : NPR



    JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

    Movie theaters have been overrun all summer by dinosaurs, dragons, aliens, Formula One racers and superheroes. In other words, it’s blockbuster season. But as the weather cools, Hollywood’s vibe will change, says critic Bob Mondello. He’s here with his fall movie preview.

    BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE: Four months left in 2025 and not a superhero in sight. What on earth will the film industry do?

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “TRON: ARES”)

    EVAN PETERS: (As Julian Dillinger) I would like you to meet Ares, the ultimate soldier.

    MONDELLO: The same thing college students do with their term papers – turn to AI.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “TRON: ARES”)

    PETERS: (As Julian Dillinger) He’s biblically strong, lightning fast, supremely intelligent. And if he is struck down on the battlefield, I will simply make you another.

    MONDELLO: What could possibly go wrong? “Tron: Ares” flips the script from the previous “Tron” films by bringing virtual beings into our world rather than plugging people into a computer grid.

    Other dark visions of the future include two from Stephen King – “The Running Man,” about a TV reality show…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE RUNNING MAN”)

    JOSH BROLIN: (As Dan Killian) The rules are simple. Survive 30 days with the entire nation hunting you down.

    MONDELLO: …And “The Long Walk,” King’s very first novel written when he was 19, with a contest that’s eerily similar.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE LONG WALK”)

    MARK HAMILL: (As The Major) I’m not going to go through the whole rule book, but it boils down to this.

    MONDELLO: Walk or die.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE LONG WALK”)

    HAMILL: (As The Major) There’s one winner and no finish line.

    MONDELLO: Happily, most fall films are based in the real world. In fact, more than a few are biopics.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BLUE MOON”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character, singing) Blue moon.

    MONDELLO: Richard Linklater’s made two, one about Broadway’s Lorenz heart, the lyric-writing half of Rodgers and Hart.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BLUE MOON”)

    ETHAN HAWKE: (As Lorenz Hart) Wise guy.

    MONDELLO: Alas, “Blue Moon” finds Hart nursing his sorrows at the opening night party for “Oklahoma,” the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BLUE MOON”)

    HAWKE: (As Lorenz Hart) We write together for a quarter a century. And the first show he writes with someone else is going to be the biggest hit he ever had. Am I bitter?

    BOBBY CANNAVALE: (As Eddie) Larry…

    HAWKE: (As Lorenz Hart) Yes.

    MONDELLO: Linklater’s other biopic is “Nouvelle Vague,” about French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “NOUVELLE VAGUE”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: “Nouvelle Vague” – (speaking French).

    MONDELLO: Also about filmmaking, the comedy “Waltzing With Brando.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALTZING WITH BRANDO”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As Salvatore Corsitto as Amerigo Bonasera) For justice, we must go to Don Corleone.

    MONDELLO: Starring Billy Zane as a troublemaking Marlon Brando.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WALTZING WITH BRANDO”)

    BILLY ZANE: (As Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone) Why did you go to the police? Why didn’t you come to me first?

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #4: (As character) Cut.

    MONDELLO: Elsewhere, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as the popular martial arts fighter known as The Smashing Machine.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE SMASHING MACHINE”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #5: (As character) Please welcome in his Octagon debut, Mark Kerr.

    MONDELLO: In “Nuremberg,” Russell Crowe plays Hitler confidant Hermann Goering…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “NUREMBERG”)

    RUSSELL CROWE: (As Hermann Goering) I will have, as you say, my day in court.

    MONDELLO: …Opposite Rami Malek…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “NUREMBERG”)

    RAMI MALEK: (As Douglas Kelley) I know more about this man than anyone else on the planet.

    MONDELLO: …Who plays an American Army psychiatrist trying to assess whether Goering’s fit to stand trial.

    And in the season’s big music biopic, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE”)

    JEREMY ALLEN WHITE: (As Bruce Springsteen, singing) Tramps like us, baby, we were born to run.

    MONDELLO: …”The Bear’s” Jeremy Allen White plays The Boss and does his own singing.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE”)

    WHITE: (As Bruce Springsteen, singing) Baby, we were born to run.

    MONDELLO: Along with those dramatic recreations, there are documentaries – “Riefenstahl,” about Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl, “Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost,” which is Ben Stiller’s homage to his comedy team parents, and “Orwell: 2+2=5,” about British author George Orwell, who wrote “Animal Farm” and “1984.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, “ORWELL: 2+2=5”)

    DAMIAN LEWIS: (As George Orwell) The very concept of objective truth is fading out of this world. This prospect frightens me much more than bombs.

    MONDELLO: Too much reality? Well, some heavyweight directors have crafted entertainments that sound like potential Oscar bait.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “JAY KELLY”)

    GEORGE CLOONEY: (As Jay Kelly) Jay Kelly.

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #6: (As character) And action.

    MONDELLO: Noah Baumbach’s coming-of-middle-age dramedy stars George Clooney as a movie star.

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #7: (As character) Jay Kelly is a hero of cinema.

    MONDELLO: He is in his 60s. He’s suave, relaxed, always seems to be playing himself.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “JAY KELLY”)

    CLOONEY: (As Jay Kelly) You know how difficult it is to be yourself? You try it.

    MONDELLO: He is, in short, a lot like George Clooney.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “JAY KELLY”)

    ADAM SANDLER: (As Ron) We love him.

    LAURA DERN: (As Liz) You love him. I work for him.

    MONDELLO: “There Will Be Blood” director Paul Thomas Anderson is working in IMAX for the first time with his comedy “One Battle After Another.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #8: (As character) It’s World War III out there.

    LEONARDO DI CAPRIO: (As Bob Ferguson) Viva la revolution.

    MONDELLO: “Call Me By Your Name” director Luca Guadagnino tackles a #MeToo story in “After The Hunt.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “AFTER THE HUNT”)

    AYO EDEBIRI: (As Maggie Price) Hank walked me home. He asked for a nightcap, which, you know, it’s fine. He’s Hank. Everybody loves Hank.

    JULIA ROBERTS: (As Alma Olsson) What are you saying happened?

    MONDELLO: Grad student Ayo Edebiri accuses college professor Andrew Garfield, and Julia Roberts gets caught in the middle.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “AFTER THE HUNT”)

    EDEBIRI: (As Maggie Price) I don’t feel comfortable having this conversation with you anymore.

    ROBERTS: (As Alma Olsson) Not everything is supposed to make you comfortable.

    MONDELLO: “Dreamgirls” director Bill Condon’s latest is “Kiss Of The Spider Woman” with Jennifer Lopez as the title character.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN”)

    JENNIFER LOPEZ: (As Ingrid Luna, singing) Spider woman in her velvet cape.

    MONDELLO: While Kathryn Bigelow, who won Oscars diffusing bombs in “The Hurt Locker,” upgrades to stopping a missile launch in “A House Of Dynamite.” Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro is tackling “Frankenstein.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “FRANKENSTEIN”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #9: (As character) What manner of creature is that?

    MONDELLO: And in “Bugonia,” Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with his “Poor Things” star Emma Stone for a story of two kidnappers who think a business exec is otherworldly.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “BUGONIA”)

    AIDAN DELBIS: (As Don) How can you tell she’s an alien?

    JESSE PLEMONS: (As Teddy) Well, the signs are obvious.

    MONDELLO: First-time directors include Scarlett Johansson, who’s made “Eleanor The Great” with June Squibb…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ELEANOR THE GREAT”)

    JUNE SQUIBB: (As Eleanor Morgenstein) I’m 94 years old. And I’m moving to Manhattan for the first time today.

    MONDELLO: …And Ronan Day-Lewis, who’s coaxed his father Daniel Day-Lewis out of retirement for the Irish drama “Anemone.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ANEMONE”)

    DANIEL DAY-LEWIS: (As Ray Stoker) What do you want from me, brother? What do you want?

    MONDELLO: As for the football horror flick “Him,” the director is perhaps less important to audiences than the producer, Jordan Peele.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “HIM”)

    TYRIQ WITHERS: (As Cameron Cade) Now we playing some football.

    (LAUGHTER)

    MONDELLO: Fall is also a time for romance. The aching gay love story “The History Of Sound” makes soulmates of music students Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE HISTORY OF SOUND”)

    JOSH O’CONNOR: (As David) If I had what you had, I’d leave. I’d go far away, flee.

    MONDELLO: While comic love stories include “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” that starts in the real world, then gives reality a tweak.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #10: (As GPS device) Remain on Interstate for 249 miles. David? David?

    COLIN FARRELL: (As David) Sorry, are we talking to each other now?

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #10: (As GPS device) Do you want to go on a big, bold, beautiful journey?

    FARRELL: (As David) Yes.

    MONDELLO: His GPS then teams Colin Farrell with a skeptical Margot Robbie.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY”)

    MARGOT ROBBIE: (As Sarah) Your accent – is it real?

    FARRELL: (As David) You think I’d fake an accent?

    ROBBIE: (As Sarah, imitating David) The most beautiful places make you feel the most alone.

    FARRELL: (As David) That’s a pretty good me, actually. I’m flattered.

    MONDELLO: And while they get to live their dream, in the choose-your-partner-for-the-afterlife comedy “Eternity,” Elizabeth Olsen gets to die hers…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ETERNITY”)

    ELIZABETH OLSEN: (As Joan) It’s not a competition.

    MONDELLO: …With both of her dead husbands.

    MILES TELLER AND LARRY TURNER: (As Larry and Luke) Yes, it is.

    DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH: (As Anna) Sweetheart, it is 100% for sure a competition.

    JOHN EARLY: (As character) It is, in fact, a competition.

    RANDOLPH: (As Anna) That’s literally what we’re here for.

    MONDELLO: Those are angels advising her.

    And in the comedy “Good Fortune,” another angel, Keanu Reeves, tries to even the score between unfortunate assistant Aziz Ansari and very fortunate boss Seth Rogen.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “GOOD FORTUNE”)

    KEANU REEVES: (As Gabriel) I’m not really supposed to be doing this. I’m normally only in charge of saving people from texting and driving.

    (SOUNDBITE OF TIRES SQUEALING)

    AZIZ ANSARI: (As Arj) Wait. You’re telling me I have a budget guardian angel?

    REEVES: (As Gabriel) Kind of.

    MONDELLO: Other comedies include the reunion tour of the greatest band that never was in “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues”…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #11: (As character) We’re still short a drummer.

    KERRY GODLIMAN: (As character) What happened to him?

    MICHAEL MCKEAN: (As David St. Hubbins) He sneezed himself into oblivion.

    CHRIS ADDISON: (As character) Is that medically possible?

    MONDELLO: …”Roofman,” a caper comedy in which Channing Tatum’s title character…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ROOFMAN”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #12: (As character) And still no leads on the whereabouts of the escaped convict known as the Roofman.

    MONDELLO: …Cannot share his back story with Kirsten Dunst. And then there’s the magician heist flick sequel called “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.”.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T”)

    JESSE EISENBERG: (As J. Daniel Atlas) I’m talking about a trick that is bigger and better than anything you have ever seen.

    MONDELLO: Jesse Eisenberg welcoming new illusionists.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T”)

    EISENBERG: (As J. Daniel Atlas) According to that card, for some reason, I need you.

    JUSTICE SMITH: (As Charlie) What about the other horsemen?

    EISENBERG: (As J. Daniel Atlas) The other horsemen are dead.

    ARIANA GREENBLATT: (As June) Oh, my God. What?

    EISENBERG: (As J. Daniel Atlas) No, no, no. They’re, like, dead to me. Things got too real for them. They gave up. Stop interrupting.

    MONDELLO: Other sure things include an apparent end to a bustling saga that seemed destined to go on forever – “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE”)

    HUGH BONNEVILLE: (As Lord Grantham) It’s hard to accept, but it’s time to go.

    MONDELLO: And after the longest intermission in musical comedy history…

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WICKED: FOR GOOD”)

    ARIANA GRANDE: (As Glinda) Elphaba Thropp, I know you’re out here. Just come in before the monkeys spot you.

    MONDELLO: …The second act of “Wicked.”

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WICKED: FOR GOOD”)

    GRANDE: (As Glinda, singing) I’ve heard it said…

    MONDELLO: Composer Stephen Schwartz wrote two new songs to make “Wicked: For Good” worth the wait, and it needs to be in a season this crowded.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WICKED: FOR GOOD”)

    JEFF GOLDBLUM: (As the Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Bring me the room of the Wicked Witch of the West.

    MONDELLO: I’m Bob Mondello.

    (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “WICKED: FOR GOOD”)

    UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #13: (As character, singing) I have been changed for good.

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  • US tennis star Coco Gauff falls to Naomi Osaka in blockbuster fourth round match

    US tennis star Coco Gauff falls to Naomi Osaka in blockbuster fourth round match

    A treble of aces wasn’t enough to overcome the onslaught of shots on court, as Coco Gauff bowed out of the 2025 US Open on Monday (1 September), lasting only one hour and five minutes against Japan’s resurgent Naomi Osaka.

    The scene was one of shock at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the top seeded American tennis player conceded defeat in straight sets – 3-6, 2-6 – ending her hopes of winning a second women’s singles title at Flushing Meadows.

    Unforced errors, combined with service troubles, ultimately hobbled Gauff’s chances on centre court, as the four-time Grand Slam singles champion from Japan impressed onlookers with the sheer dominance of her play.

    “I was super locked in,” Osaka stated after the match. “I just had so much fun out here.”

    “I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play,” she added. “This is my favourite court in the world, and it means so much to me to be back here.”

    Returning to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020, the No. 23 seed will look to play with the same passion and precision she brought to the court on Monday, as she chases a third singles title at Flushing Meadows.

    More to follow…

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