Clint Eastwood bemoans ‘era of remakes and franchises'
The four-time Oscar winner and veteran filmmaker has urged fellow filmmakers to come up with original ideas. The Juror #2 director said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Kurie: "I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote movies like Casablanca in small bungalows on the studio lot. When everyone had a new idea. We live in an era of remakes and franchises. I've shot sequels three times, but I haven't been interested in that for a long while. My philosophy is: do something new or stay at home.'
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Germany's Merz survives Trump test, despite Ukraine differences
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz came through his Oval Office encounter with Donald Trump relatively unscathed Thursday -- despite differences over Ukraine as the US president said it might be better to let Moscow and Kyiv fight it out like children. A month into his job, Merz unleashed a charm offensive on the 78-year-old Trump, presenting him with a framed copy of the birth certificate of his grandfather Frederick, who was born in Germany in 1869. Merz also hailed Trump as being the "key person in the world" when it came to ending the Ukraine war, saying the US leader could "really do that now by putting pressure on Russia." It was a backhanded way of urging Trump to overcome his aversion to putting sanctions on Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as the more than three-year-old war grinds on. The polite meeting showed that the conservative German leader had done his homework as he sought to avoid ambushes like those that Trump unleashed on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and South Africa's president. But they did not see eye to eye on everything. - 'Fighting in a park' - Trump -- who spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin a day earlier -- said it might be better to let the two sides fight it out, comparing the war that has left thousands dead and swathes of Ukraine in ruins to a children's brawl. "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart," Trump told reporters. "Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while." Trump said however that he had urged Putin not to retaliate after Ukraine launched daring drone attacks on its airbases, destroying several nuclear capable bombers. "I said 'don't do it,'" Trump told reporters, adding that Putin had told him he had no choice but to respond and it was "not going to be pretty." Trump did make a series of off-color references to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II -- still a deeply sensitive subject in modern-day Germany. Praising Merz for Germany raising its defense spending in line with his demands for NATO members to cough up, Trump said he was not sure World War II US general Douglas MacArthur would have agreed. Then, referring to the upcoming 80th anniversary of the allied D-Day landings that led to the end of the war, Trump said: "That was not a pleasant day for you?" Merz, 69, calmly replied: "This was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship. We know what we owe you." - Tariffs deal possible - Merz avoided other possible pitfalls as Trump spent much of his time on a lengthy discourse against his billionaire former advisor Elon Musk. Topics like US tariffs on the EU and the prospect of a trade deal barely came up, with Trump saying he believed a deal was possible. On Trump's threat to hammer the European Union with sharply higher tariffs, Merz, leader of the bloc's biggest economy, had earlier argued that it must be self-confident in its negotiations with Washington. Nor did Trump confront Merz over free speech issues in Germany as US media had reported he might -- a bugbear the administration has repeatedly brought up with European leaders despite its own record. Merz told reporters in Washington ahead of the meeting that if Trump brought up German domestic politics "I will state my opinion very clearly if necessary." Trump and some in his administration have given vocal support to the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which came second in February elections. US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Trump adviser Elon Musk have all weighed in in support of the AfD, which in Germany is shunned by all other political parties. Despite the tensions, Merz had said earlier that he was "looking forward" to his first face-to-face meeting with Trump. The German chancellor is believed to have studied videos of previous Oval Office ambushes and learned how to stay calm and let Trump talk.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Kristin Cavallari's X-rated Glen Powell confession
Kristin Cavallari's lips are sealed. The reality star admitted to a steamy Glen Powell hook-up on her Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour premiere on Wednesday — but refused to discuss it on Watch What Happens Live. The Hills alum's BFF, Justin Anderson, called her out over the dalliance during a live Let's Be Honest podcast taping in March, reports Page Six. The hairstylist acknowledged that Cavallari, 38, 'would be so mad' at him for spilling the beans. Nevertheless, Anderson revealed, 'She recently went on a date with … Glen Powell. And I wanted it to happen so badly! 'Top Gun,' bitch!' Cavallari, seemingly shocked, shouted her pal's name. 'OK, I have to go on record,' the 'Laguna Beach' alum added. 'When this comes out, I had nothing to f**king do with it!' In a subsequent confessional, Anderson explained that they had been 'partying in Greece' when, as Cavallari chimed in, Powell 'literally ran into' her. 'You guys had a really fun night together,' Anderson said. When Cavallari was quick to clarify she 'never f**ked' the actor, Anderson interjected to say they 'dry humped' — which she confirmed. The Very Cavallari alum was asked to rate Powell's kissing skills — and, when she wouldn't answer, his dry-humping skills — on WWHL on Wednesday night, but she played coy. 'Did I say [we did] that? Funny how that happens,' Cavallari told host Andy Cohen. 'Maybe we didn't kiss. It's possible. I'm not answering that question.' Powell's rep did not immediately respond to Page Six 's request for comment. Elsewhere in the episode, the Uncommon James creator set the record straight on romance rumours she sparked with Craig Conover in 2021. Cavallari, who stunned in a plunging black dress, confirmed that she dated the Southern Charm star, 36, for 'two seconds' before his three-year relationship with Paige DeSorbo. She broke down the timeline, explaining that she asked Conover to 'just be friends' after seeing a picture of him and the Summer House star, 32, looking 'sort of together.' Cavallari has a star-studded dating roster, with the Let's Be Honest host recently being linked to country singer Morgan Wallen and athlete Nate Thompson. She has also been married to ex-husband Jay Cutler, with whom she shares three children.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
ECB cuts rates again but pause seen ahead
President Christine Lagarde said the European Central Bank was in a "good place" to deal with global uncertainty as it cut interest rates again Thursday, fuelling expectations it might soon hit pause after a lengthy easing cycle. The ECB cut its key deposit rate a quarter point to two percent, as widely expected, its seventh consecutive reduction and eighth since June last year when it began lowering borrowing costs. It also lowered its inflation forecast, with the indicator now expected to hit the central bank's two-percent target this year, as US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz exerts downward pressure on prices. As inflation has stabilised following a post-pandemic surge, the ECB has shifted its focus to dialling back borrowing costs to relieve pressure on the 20 countries that use the euro. Trump's tariffs have added to the uncertain outlook, with Europe firmly in his crosshairs, fuelling fears about a heavy hit to the continent's exporters. But Lagarde struck a measured tone. While the US trade war was causing problems, she noted signs of growing strength in the eurozone economy as well as a potential future boost from plans for greater infrastructure and defence spending. She refused to comment directly about whether the ECB would pause its cuts at its next meeting in July, as some expect, but she stressed repeatedly that the central bank was in a "good place". "We are in a good position to navigate the uncertain conditions that will be coming up," she said. "I think we are getting to the end of a monetary policy cycle," she added. The ECB left its growth forecast for 2025 unchanged at 0.9 percent, and also noted inflation was now around its two-percent target -- dropping previous language that it was "on track". Eurozone inflation came in at 1.9 percent in May. - 'Summer pause' - ING bank analyst Carsten Brzeski said Lagarde's comments signalled a "summer pause" to its rate cuts. "It will take a bit longer to understand whether the current disinflationary risks are merely one-offs or whether they signal a broader trend," he said. But he added he expected one more cut from the central bank this year, likely in September. The ECB's series of cuts stands in contrast to the US Federal Reserve, which has kept rates on hold recently amid fears that Trump's levies could stoke inflation in the world's top economy. Lagarde also knocked back suggestions she could cut her term short following reports she had discussed taking the helm of the World Economic Forum. "I have always been and I'm fully determined to deliver on my mission and I'm determined to complete my term," she said. - Trump tariffs blitz - Trump, who argues his tariffs will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, has already hit the EU with multiple waves of levies. The bloc currently faces a 10-percent "baseline" tariff as well as higher duties on specific sectors. He has paused even higher rates on the EU and other trading partners to allow for talks, but he continues to launch fresh salvos that are keeping the world on edge. This week he doubled tariffs on aluminium and steel from 25 to 50 percent and last month threatened the EU with an escalation if it did not negotiate a swift deal. Trump's tariffs are expected to exert downward pressure on eurozone consumer prices, and Lagarde conceded the inflation outlook was "more uncertain than usual". This is due to factors including tariff-hit China redirecting inexpensive manufactured goods to Europe, recent strengthening of the euro and potentially lower energy prices. Lower inflation and still tepid growth should push the ECB to make further rate cuts. There are some factors that make this uncertain though. These include signs of resilience in the eurozone economy at the start of the year and a potentially inflationary spending blitz planned by the new German government.
