Year: 2026

Josh Hutcherson explains why he felt ‘angry’ about Hunger Games fame

Josh Hutcherson explains why he felt ‘angry’ about Hunger Games fame

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Josh Hutcherson has revealed he initially felt “resentful” towards the intense fame he experienced after starring in The Hunger Games franchise. The American actor, 33, who shot to global prominence alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth in the 2012 science fiction dystopian film, has now reflected on the sudden shift in his life. Speaking to his former co-star Elizabeth Banks for Variety’s Actors on Actors, Hutcherson admitted: “For a long time, I was resentful toward it, because I didn’t want that kind of attention.” He continued: “So I was chip-on-my-shoulder angry about it. With years of perspective, I have grown to appreciate it so much.” When asked about the upcoming sixth film in the series, set to star Joseph Zada and Mckenna Grace, he praised the source novel as “amazing”. He added: “It’s cool to see it continue with a different …

Shakira’s most striking bikini moments to date

Shakira’s most striking bikini moments to date

Published by Daniella Wilson

Ever since Shakira released her hit song “Hips Don’t Lie”, she has become synonymous with her sculpted physique, often showcasing it in signature micro bras that have become a staple of her style. The singer often enjoys tropical getaways, using the opportunity to showcase her stylish swimwear collection while soaking up the sun. Who could forget the lilac two-piece bikini adorned with beaded fringe detailing across the hips and beneath the bust? And Shakira doesn’t just wear the looks – she designs them too. © InstagramShakira designed her own bikini “This is a new bathing suit I designed and my friend Bego made for me,” she wrote in the caption. “I always need to create my own for the summer!” Shakira’s flawless physique is courtesy of her dedicated workout routine led by her personal trainer Anna Kaiser. The singer’s fitness regime blends strength training with cardio to build endurance. “I want to make sure that she is improving her endurance so that she can go into a two-hour show and also has the strength and …

Drug Sites Hijacked Spotify’s Search Ranking Through Fake Podcasts, Report Finds

Drug Sites Hijacked Spotify’s Search Ranking Through Fake Podcasts, Report Finds

Published by skeptic

For the past year, Spotify has been quietly purging tens of thousands of podcasts that advertised illegal online pharmacies. A report released Thursday by Senator Maggie Hassan, ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, faults the company for acting only after news outlets exposed the content and her office spent nearly a year pressing for answers. None of what it removed was sent to law enforcement, the report says. Spotify reportedly removed more than 57,000 podcast episodes and 3,000 shows, and took enforcement action against 3,500 accounts, all pushing links to illegal online pharmacies advertising opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants for sale without a prescription. Nevertheless, the report frames the cleanup as a moderation failure. The report leans on one comparison in particular: Spotify acted against more than 3,500 accounts for drug content in 2025 but fewer than 100 the year before. The committee presents the jump as evidence the company moved only after it came under scrutiny. Spotify offered a different explanation: that its older counts are incomplete because, as it says in the report, …

Emmerdale and Coronation Street sustainability boss on soaps’ green initiatves

Emmerdale and Coronation Street sustainability boss on soaps’ green initiatves

Published by Daniella Wilson

Soap operas have always been a forum to tackle society’s most important topics, not only with the hard-hitting storylines they portray but also in what happens behind the scenes. With sustainability playing an increasingly key part in TV and film production, one of the industry’s most enduring and resilient genres is leading the way when it comes to pioneering greener ways of working. If you can do it on a soap without derailing the moving train that has to produce hundreds of episodes a year, you can do it anywhere. As Head of Production Sustainability for ITV Studios, Phil Holdgate is responsible for the carbon footprint of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, Britain’s longest and second longest-running soaps respectively, neither of which would’ve have lasted so long without a bit of future proofing. Sustainability is in soaps’ DNA. “Soaps are a bit of an outlier in the industry because they are ongoing,” begins Holdgate, speaking exclusively to Radio Times. “That allows you to try things on a short-, medium- and long-term basis which is almost impossible …

Keke Palmer and UCLA Create New Artist-in-Residence Collaboration

Keke Palmer and UCLA Create New Artist-in-Residence Collaboration

Published by Daniella Wilson

Starting this fall, UCLA students will have the opportunity to learn a thing or two from Professor Palmer. Actress and entrepreneur Keke Palmer is teaming with the university’s School of Theater Film and Television on a new 5-year artist-in-residence collaboration — one that will see the I Love Boosters star leading quarterly workshops on campus. Significant to the partnership is Palmer’s digital media platform, KeyTV. The enterprise, which she launched in 2022, has already produced 29 original projects from an exclusively BIPOC pool of creators.  “UCLA TFT is a place where artists learn to be in practice, to experience trial and error, to take projects off the page,” said Palmer. “That is also the mission of KeyTV. We know that education is key to democratizing opportunities and I am eager to both learn from and support UCLA TFT students. It is no small feat to pursue higher education, especially at a prestigious institution. I look forward to listening, encouraging and offering them more than one chance to succeed.” The initiative, “From Blocking to Broadcast,” aims …

Waymo launches a loyalty program with 10% cash back and free cancellations

Waymo launches a loyalty program with 10% cash back and free cancellations

Published by skeptic

Waymo is launching a loyalty program called Waymo Premier, which will offer frequent robotaxi riders a number of perks in exchange for $29.99 per month. Premier members will be able to skip the virtual line and earn 10% cash back on every trip (and “even more during busy times,” according to Waymo). They’ll also get five free ride cancellations every month, and Waymo says Premier members will even be able to hail a robotaxi in cities where the service still has a waitlist. Waymo Premier will not be available to riders in Austin or Atlanta, the company told TechCrunch, because its robotaxis are only available via the Uber app in those cities. The loyalty program is launching as Waymo ramps up its expansion in the U.S., and prepares for an international launch later this year. Waymo is also starting to roll out its newest vehicle, the Zeekr-built van that it calls “Ojai,” in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. The Premier program could also be the start of a new line of business for Waymo …

Politics Home | Healey Resignation Is “Colossal Failure Of Government”, Says Former Labour Defence Secretary

Politics Home | Healey Resignation Is “Colossal Failure Of Government”, Says Former Labour Defence Secretary

Published by Sam Flores

John Healey resigned on Thursday over Starmer’s plans for military spending (Alamy) 4 min read2 hr A former Labour defence secretary has warned Keir Starmer that his credibility “will be shot” if he doesn’t rethink military spending plans in the wake of John Healey’s resignation. In an interview with PoliticsHome, Lord Hutton, who was defence secretary between 2008 and 2009 under former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, described Healey’s resignation on Thursday as a “colossal failure of government” and said that the UK should be “ashamed”. Healey, a major Starmer loyalist, announced his resignation from cabinet earlier today, warning that the government’s planned military spending is not enough to keep the country safe. He singled out the Treasury for criticism, saying it was “unwilling” to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats”. Responding to the news, Hutton said Healey’s resignation “represents a colossal failure of government over the last period of time” and that the Starmer administration had “completely failed” to respond to growing global threats to UK security. The …

Amazon Prime Day starts June 23, but here are 20+ early deals to shop now

Amazon Prime Day starts June 23, but here are 20+ early deals to shop now

Published by skeptic

Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of ContentsBest early Prime Day Apple dealBest early Prime Day headphone dealBest early Prime Day speaker dealBest early Prime Day portable power station dealBest early Prime Day TV dealBest early Prime Day vacuum dealBest early Prime Day home and kitchen dealBest early Prime Day Lego dealFrequently Asked Questions No matter what type of shopper you are, whether you use sales to stock up on household essentials like dish soap and paper towels or as a time to splurge, the time is nigh because Prime Day is coming. Usually taking place in early July, Amazon has decided to shake things up this year and run the sale in June. Amazon Prime Day 2026 runs from June 23 to 26, and while the timing may have changed, we’re still expecting the same great savings. Even though we still have about two weeks until the official start of Prime, the deals kicked off as soon as the sale was announced. Each day we get closer to the sale, more deals go …

When Death Stops Being Final

When Death Stops Being Final

Published by Sam Flores

A woman asks an AI system trained on her deceased mother’s emails whether she should quit her job. The answer comes back in her mother’s voice. Death has traditionally meant the end of a life from the inside. When a person dies, their experiences cease, their plans fall away and their perspective on the world disappears. What remains are memories held by others and traces preserved in documents, recordings and artifacts. These remnants may influence the living, but they do not continue the person who died. Artificial intelligence is now testing that boundary in a way earlier memorials never could. A box of letters, a saved voicemail or an old video can remind us of someone we loved. But an AI system trained on that person’s emails, posts, writings or voice recordings can answer us. It can respond to questions, offer advice and speak in familiar patterns. For someone who is grieving, that can feel less like remembering the dead and more like hearing from them again. Simulated Presence This is not a distant possibility. …

Pete Hegseth, Cornball in Chief

Pete Hegseth, Cornball in Chief

Published by Daniella Wilson

The defense of the United States is a serious business. Every day, men and women, civilian and military, attend to the smallest details—the caloric content of a soldier’s meal, the fabric in a uniform—while others advise senior leaders on the use of violence to achieve the ends of national policy. Some, stationed underground, underwater, or on bomber airfields, stand ready to fulfill orders with apocalyptic consequences. These people are professionals and carry themselves with the quiet pride that comes from serving their nation. And then there’s Pete Hegseth, the self-declared secretary of war. Hegseth approaches his job as if it’s a vacation rather than public service. He shows up on military bases looking as exuberant as a bored househusband who just got a kitchen pass from his wife for a weekend of paintball with the boys. He sports a pocket handkerchief that looks like an American flag. He carries himself with an effortful swagger that is meant to convey machismo but instead just looks awkward. He talks with practiced drama, like he’s constantly trying out …