Latest news with #Betrayal
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Merz wins narrow chancellorship in Germany's dramatic vote
Friedrich Merz has inherited a fragile alliance and a nation bracing for economic and geopolitical upheaval. Newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a handover ceremony at the Chancellery in Berlin on May 6, 2025. Picture: Odd Andersen / AFP Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz won a nail-biting second parliamentary vote Tuesday to become chancellor after he lost the first round in a stunning early setback. Merz, 69, scored an absolute majority of 325 to 289 in the second secret vote in the lower house of parliament to become the new leader of Europe's biggest economy. Unexpected setback Merz's win was bittersweet as the initial defeat — the first such outcome in Germany's post-war history — pointed to rumblings of discontent within his uneasy coalition. A Bild daily headline called the outcome 'the Happy End after the Betrayal'. Merz takes over at the helm of a coalition between his CDU/CSU alliance and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) of outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appointed Merz as post-war Germany's 10th chancellor before the new premier's expected visit to Paris and then Warsaw on Wednesday. 'With a slight delay, but all the more heartfelt, my congratulations on your election,' Steinmeier told Merz at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. 'I wish you every success in what lies ahead.' ALSO READ: Tesla sales fall again in Germany as drivers steer clear of Musk Merz later said: 'I accept this responsibility with humility but also with determination and confidence. It is good that Germany now has a federal government with a parliamentary majority again. 'We are a coalition from the centre of the political spectrum of our country and I am very confident that we will be able to solve the problems of our country.' 'Power vacuum over' Merz's bumpy victory caps a long ambition to lead Germany, which was first foiled decades ago by party rival Angela Merkel who went on to serve as chancellor for 16 years. Nonetheless, his eventual triumph means that 'the six-month power vacuum at the heart of Europe is over,' wrote analyst Holger Schmieding of Berenberg Bank. Schmieding said that Merz's initial setback 'suggests that he cannot rely on full support from the two parties backing his coalition… That will sow some doubts about his ability to pursue the policy agenda.' But, 'despite today's temporary upset,' he added, 'Merz has a proven ability to recover from temporary setbacks. For example, it had taken him three attempts to become head of his CDU party -– but he still made it in the end.' The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) especially cheered the initial vote against Merz, who has vowed to restore stability in Berlin after six months of political turmoil since Scholz's government collapsed in November. ALSO READ: Mozambique's leaders talk peace after election protests turn deadly 'Merz should step aside and the way should be cleared for a general election,' AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said, calling the first-round result a 'good day for Germany'. Merz has also vowed a crackdown on irregular migration, in part to reduce the appeal of the AfD, which was last week designated a 'right-wing extremist' party by Germany's domestic spy service. The first secret vote was expected to be a formality but turned to disaster for Merz when he fell short by six votes of the the required absolute majority to seal his job. The setback stunned Germany and set off frantic crisis meetings in the Bundestag, where many feared the start of a new political crisis. Eyes on Europe, ears on Trump Merz has long promised to revive Germany's ailing economy and strengthen Berlin's role in Europe as it responds to the rapid change since US President Donald Trump returned to power. Trump has heaped pressure on European allies, complaining they spend too little on NATO and imposing tariffs that are especially painful to export power Germany. CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn had emphasised the urgency of a new government taking office, given the economic and geopolitical turbulence. 'The whole of Europe, perhaps even the whole world, is watching this second round of voting,' Spahn said before the second attempt, urging MPs to 'be aware of this special responsibility'. 'Profound upheaval' Merz, who boasts a strong business background but has never held a government leadership post, said on Monday: 'We live in times of profound change, of profound upheaval… and of great uncertainty. 'And that is why we know that it is our historic obligation to lead this coalition to success.' Capital Economics analyst Franziska Palmas argued however that the initial setback 'does leave Merz severely weakened and suggests that hopes for more stability in German politics may be disappointed'. NOW READ: Electing an African Pope to lead the Catholic Church would be a historic move, says expert
Gulf News
01-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Dubai's Rajan Lall beat cancer, heart attacks to build a Bollywood, business empire: His incredible second innings
Dubai: 'I've faced death more than once — but I never let it break my spirit,' says 78-year-old Rajan Lall, seated in his sea-facing mansion in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. The UAE-based businessman and Bollywood dubbing producer has survived cancer, four heart attacks, and personal betrayal. Yet it was in his fifties — when most slow down — that he started over, eventually building a billion-dirham empire. When I met him in person, he exuded this rockstar energy — dressed in a green shirt and matching tinted glasses that defied his age. "All this happened by chance," he says simply, describing the unexpected journey that led him to Dubai in his fifties and eventually to staggering success. At 53, Lall made the bold decision to leave India and start anew in Dubai. Back in India, Lall ran a successful business — until a string of income tax raids and what he describes as 'calls of extortion' from underworld-linked groups in Mumbai forced him to leave it all behind. It was the 1990s, a volatile era when wealthy businessmen and those linked to Bollywood were often targeted by the Mumbai underworld. 'Change has never scared me. Every big step in my life was a leap of faith. I remember earning Dh90 a day, eating Maggi noodles, and hitching a ride with my friend during those initial one or two years of struggle in Dubai,' he says. But he didn't let the drudgery get to him. He had a plan to set up a successful garment trading empire in Dubai by not relying on his money earned in India. 'I always felt an instant connection to Dubai. It felt like the right place for me to begin again. So I moved, with no money in my pocket but a strong desire to rebuild and create something new. In those days, business opportunities in Dubai, especially in the garment industry, were ample and abundant. Once again, I took that gamble and ended up here for 25 more years... and counting!' He's now heading a multi-million dirham garment trade business, but he is not done yet. He has encapsulated his eventful and colourful life in his new memoir. I Did It My Way: My Story of Love, Betrayal, Regret and Wisdom written by Manju Ramanan, encapsulates this extraordinary journey. But starting over in the UAE at an unconventional age wasn't easy. 'I can't lie, it was a real struggle at first ... But today I run a successful business with offices around the world ... I had to start from zero, with no established connections. But my experience in India taught me how to adapt quickly and make bold decisions.' With the support of old friends like Salim Khan who gave him Dh70,000 seed capital to establish a company in Dubai, Rajan knew he was on the right track. 'I sold hangers to garment exporters, which gave me the capital I needed to expand, and slowly, things started to take off. I won't lie, it wasn't easy, but I held on to my faith.' Success followed. "I had five offices with my business. I was doing very well in garment accessories, interlining, angles and stuff like that," he recalls. Dubai gave him the platform to thrive once again. But even then, Bollywood remained close to his heart. 'Bollywood has always been a part of my DNA,' he says. A chance meeting in Chennai led him into the world of South Indian cinema. Introduced to producers and stars like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, Lall saw an opportunity others ignored. 'There was a 1989 Tamil film called Apoorva Sagodharargal, a big hit down south. A friend suggested I dub it into Hindi. I had no idea about dubbing at the time. But I took a chance.' He bought the film for Rs30 lakh (Dh133,000) — and with Kamal Haasan himself dubbing his lines into Hindi, along with Asha Bhosale recording the songs, Lall crafted a complete Hindi version ready for release. 'Basically, I'm a marketing man. I can sell coal to Newcastle," he says. He orchestrated a marketing blitz in Mumbai, plastering hoardings across the city. His stunt of accepting just one rupee as a signing fee from distributors created a sensation. 'That gimmick went like wildfire,' Lall laughs. Distributors queued up. Even before the movie's release, Lall had made table profits of about Dh2 million. 'The picture was not even released yet," he chuckles. When Appu Raja in Hindi finally premiered in 1990, it wasn't a small affair. Lall booked eight theatres simultaneously and recreated the glamour of a Hollywood-style launch — spotlights, bands, and a full takeover of Mumbai's busy streets. 'It became the talk of Bollywood,' he says. 'They said, 'this idiot is doing a bigger premiere for a dubbed film than we do for mainstream Bollywood films!'' The film's success cemented his place. "They called me the Dubbing King of India," he recalls with a quiet pride. His keen eye for stories and marketing savvy bridged the worlds of South Indian cinema and the Hindi-speaking audience long before it became fashionable. Lall reflects on what made his approach different: 'The most important soul of a film is the script,' he says. 'Bollywood at that time was making projects, not stories. The South understood discipline and script much earlier.' He fondly remembers working with greats like Mani Ratnam and A.R. Rahman in their early years. But success also came with its share of betrayals. A bidding war over the film Bombay taught him how cutthroat the business could be. 'You win some, you lose some,' he says philosophically. His journey through life hasn't been without deep regrets. "The main regret is my children and my family, whom I hurt," he says. Having married young and later walked away from his marriage, Lall is brutally honest about the pain he caused. "I take the entire blame," he says. "I missed my children's childhood. I wasn't there for them." He's equally unsparing about his personal failures in relationships. 'The problem was ego," he says. 'I kept finding excuses to move on to the next one. I realised later it was my fault. Lack of communication destroys marriages.' Facing death up close — four heart attacks, cancer, and serious surgeries — has transformed his view of life. "When you're lying in ICU with pipes in you, you realise all your money and property have no meaning," he says. "Today, I don't take stress. Whatever happens, happens. Ninety percent of people die because of stress.' This positive attitude, he says, was something he learned from a mentor. "He faced hurdles like no man I have seen, and he always stayed positive. That stayed with me," Lall says. Despite betrayals, Lall remains generous with his goodwill. 'I am friendly even with those who stabbed me in the back,' he says. 'They can't even look me in the eye, but I hug them, I call them. Keep your enemies close.' His long list of friends in Bollywood — from Anupam Kher to Anup Jalota to Pankaj Udhas — remains intact. "The reason our friendships lasted is because I never mixed business with friendship," he says. Today, Rajan Lall's story is inspiring filmmakers beyond Bollywood. He has been approached for a documentary chronicling his remarkable life. "Even if nobody watches it, even if it's just me and my family at home, that's enough," he says. "We need to leave a legacy behind." If his life were ever turned into a feature film, Lall jokes he'd pick Hrithik Roshan to play him. But true to his spirit, he shrugs: 'I don't know. I did it my way.'
Calgary Herald
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Expo: Oscar, Emmy winner Helen Hunt would love to star in another sitcom but good ones are 'so rare'
Article content Actress Helen Hunt made headlines a month ago, although she didn't realize it. Article content In mid-March, several outlets ran a story after the Oscar-winner posted a selfie of herself without makeup that she took at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Most went with headlines about how Hunt looked 'unrecognizable.' Hello! reported that she was sporting a 'refreshing new look in unfiltered photo far from Hollywood red carpets.' Sky News Australia referred to it as a 'cheerful snap with her boyfriend, actor Jeffrey Nordling' that featured the actress with 'windswept hair and a natural no-makeup look.' The Daily Mail was very complimentary, saying she looked 'effortlessly radiant' and that the selfie 'showcased her timeless beauty.' But it also referred to her as a 'reclusive Oscar winner.' Article content Article content On the phone with Postmedia, Hunt says she was unaware of the press coverage. Apparently, she doesn't pay much attention to such things. Article content Article content 'Exactly,' she says. 'You can't make anybody happy.' Article content Hunt is being interviewed to preview her appearance Friday and Saturday at Calgary Expo, where she will take questions during a talk at the new BMO Centre and hold autograph-signing sessions. These are not the usual activities of recluses. At the time of this interview, she had just finished a run of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. She was putting the finishing touches on the drama Tower Stories opposite Dustin Hoffman, which was shot in Italy by British filmmaker Peter Greenaway. She also starred in an indie thriller, In Cold Light, for Montreal filmmaker Maxime Giroux, in which she plays a villain. She appeared in Season 3 of the HBO hit Hacks as a powerful network executive and continues to work as an acting coach. Article content Article content Perhaps it's her somewhat self-effacing attitude or the fact that she seems largely indifferent to press attention and the spotlight that leads some to believe she is reclusive. When asked, for instance, what she looks for in roles these days, she says, 'The first thing I look for is that they want to hire me. That's my first criteria.' Article content Hunt began acting as a child. Her father, Gordon, was a film director and acting coach who moved the family to New York City when Hunt was young. She had early roles in TV series such as Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show before graduating to teen roles in films such as Trancers and 1985's Girls Just Want to Have Fun opposite Sarah Jessica Parker. But it was her seven-season run as Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist married to documentary filmmaker Paul Buchman (played by Calgary Expo veteran Paul Reiser) in the sitcom Mad About You in the 1990s that made her a household name and earned her four Emmys and a Golden Globe Award.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Endeavour star Shaun Evans' new ITV drama is 'like Slow Horses'
A new ITV crime drama starring Endeavour's Shaun Evans has been likened to the popular Slow Horses series. The actor played the titular character for 11 years of the Oxford-filmed Endeavour before the much-loved series came to an end with its final episode on March 12, 2023. Fans of Mr Evans were delighted to hear he would be returning to screens again in partnership with ITV once again. The new spy thriller Betrayal is set in the clandestine world of MI5, and the actor will appear as a spy trying to avert a serious threat to national security while making sense of his own place in the world. READ MORE: Man charged and NAMED after boy 'stabbed in face' Shaun Evans in Endeavour. (Image: ITV/Mammoth Screen) Filming started early this year in Manchester and London, with some scenes expected to be filmed in Manchester in June. Mr Evans already starred in ITV's true-life crime drama, Until I Kill You, alongside Anna Maxwell Martin last year. Written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge, Betrayal is "a thrilling and darkly funny thriller", according to ITV. The show has now been likened to Apple TV's Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman by Good Housekeeping. READ MORE: Thatched roof hotel and wedding venue slammed in hygiene inspection Unlock unlimited local news. Subscribe today and save 40 per cent off an annual subscription 🚨 Enjoy access to our ad-free mobile and tablet app, as well as the digital edition of the paper. Don't miss out – subscribe now! 👇 — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) April 9, 2025 Mr Evans previously said: "I'm delighted to be returning to ITV with this exceptionally well-written and timely project. "It's a great privilege to reunite with David Eldridge and bring to life his insightful take on the world of espionage. "And it is, of course, a joy to be collaborating once again with the first-rate team at Mammoth Screen. I look forward to sharing it with ITV audiences soon.'
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Review: How ‘The Last Five Years' Became a Blur on Broadway
Leave aside its seriousness, its intimacy, its wit. Leave aside, too, its relative obscurity, despite being frequently performed. (Without really trying, I've seen it six times, including the 2014 film.) Even apart from any of that, 'The Last Five Years,' by Jason Robert Brown, is still the ur-nerdical — nerdical being a term I made up to describe shows, like 'Fun Home,' 'The Band's Visit' and 'Kimberly Akimbo,' that are too good to stay in the very small theater-geek niche they arose from. Turns out they can speak, and sing, to anyone. What really makes 'The Last Five Years,' which debuted Off Broadway in 2002, look like the father of that family of choice, is its baroque structure. Doubling down (and doing a backflip) on reverse-chronology narratives like the ones in 'Betrayal' and 'Merrily We Roll Along,' it presents the story of Jamie Wellerstein, a suddenly successful young novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a slowly sinking young actor, in two timelines. Jamie's moves forward, from the day he falls headlong for Cathy to the day, five years later, he resentfully leaves her. Cathy's moves backward, from despair over Jamie's betrayal to exhilaration over the first stirrings of his love. The structure is no mere appliqué, decorating the surface of the show like a doodle. It is how 'The Last Five Years' expresses its truth. One arc always going up, one down, there's sadness waiting whenever there's joy and joy whenever there's sadness. Seen alternately in separate scenes, the lovers never touch, let alone share Brown's pyrotechnical songs, except halfway through, on the day they marry. Whether the story has a happy ending thus depends on how you look at it. But in the show's first Broadway incarnation, starring the resplendent Adrienne Warren and an underpowered Nick Jonas, the structure (along with the balance) has been compromised. The production, which opened on Sunday at the Hudson Theater, muddies the show's temporal ironies and flattens its emotional topography. Its meaning and thus its impact are short-circuited. With material so precision-made, it takes just one mistake to do big damage. Instead of keeping the characters out of each other's scenes as Brown's libretto indicates, the director, Whitney White, often throws them together: one singing, one reacting to the song in mime. They make faces, make contact and even make out. As a result — follow me with a protractor if you must — each inhabits the other's arc, thus disturbing their own. The individual timelines no longer track. It's understandable that White, so deft with new work including 'Jaja's African Hair Braiding' and 'Liberation,' would want to put her mark on a contemporary classic. Casting Warren as Jamie's 'shiksa goddess' was a great start. The contrast between the lovers' backgrounds — Cathy is Catholic; Jamie previously dated 'every Shapiro in Washington Heights' — is even starker when Cathy is Black, as is her struggle to make headway as an actor. Both shifts tend to tilt the story's balance of sympathy toward Cathy. Jamie's revolt against his Jewish upbringing now has a racial (not just a religious) component and her professional struggle takes on a suggestion of bias. This is an improvement over the role as written, in which her failure is attributed unkindly to a lack of talent or will. Warren lacks neither. A Tony Award winner for her portrayal of Tina Turner in 'Tina,' she sings the famously difficult songs with ease and, as her story moves backward, increasing splendor. By the time she gets to 'I Can Do Better Than That' — her late (which is to say, early) declaration of independence from her gray upbringing in a Maryland backwater — she might as well be Tina herself. Jonas as a 'mahvelous novelist' is a bit of a stretch, however. Jonas as a Jew — and not just a Jew but one who affects a Yiddish accent to sing his demented version of a shtetl folk tale — is even more of one. 'The Schmuel Song,' as the shtetl number is called, is always a bit of a problem anyway; the only semi-dud in the sung-through score, it barely makes sense even when read word by word with a magnifying glass. Sung by Jonas, it's basically incomprehensible — to be fair, that's at least in part because of the generally murky sound. David Zinn's set, a weird abstraction of platforms and flowers, doesn't help either. Only the aptly harsh, psychological lighting, by Stacey Derosier, and Dede Ayite's sociological costumes, give him shadings and layers. But if he starts out too blandly likable, he improves as time reveals Jamie's narcissism and self-righteousness. His mellow croon slowly becomes a sputtering belt. Still, I only came to dislike the character as much as Brown evidently intends when he exuberantly leaped onto the couple's bed with his boots on. The cad! But by then it was too late. Cathy had walked off with the show. More often than not that is the case with productions of 'The Last Five Years,' and it's to Brown's great credit that he has shaped the story to favor the woman even though it is basically his own. He's the ur-Jamie. But whereas the selection we hear from Jamie's novel is meh, Brown's achievement is unmistakable. The music (now somewhat over-enhanced with the addition of several musicians on a crowded elevated platform) is rapturous and difficult but not randomly so; it's rapturous and difficult because love is too. The lyrics specify and condense both feelings in often scathing, always memorable phrases. Indeed, when Jamie sings to Cathy, near the end of their marriage, 'I will not lose because you can't win,' you may gasp at its cruelty. And yet you may feel, as I did, that Warren's Cathy could have sung the same thing.
