Latest news with #Picture
IOL News
05-08-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Shoprite Holdings delivers impressive earnings growth as market share expands
Shoppers que at the tills of a Checkers store. The supermarket chain's parent company Shoprite Holdings added 29 Checkers stores and three Checkers Hyper stores in the 52 weeks to June 29, 2025. Image: File: Picture Henk Kruger/ Independent Newspapers Shoprite Holdings has announced a significant increase in its diluted headline earnings per share (HEPS), projecting a growth of between 15.2% to 25.2% for the 52 weeks ending June 29, as it continued to grow market share for a fifth year in row. The anticipated diluted HEPS is expected to fall between 1 367.1 and 1 485.7 cents, indicating a robust trajectory. Alongside this, Shoprite's total merchandise sales are projected to rise by 9% to R262.3 billion, with merchandise sales from continuing operations expected to increase by 8.9% to R252.7bn. This notable shift in sales figures highlights Shoprite's strategic focus on its omnichannel growth strategy, anchored by its core South African supermarkets. The disconnect between total and continuing operations reflects the group's recent divestments, including closures and the sale of the furniture businesses in Mozambique and Angola, as well as ongoing sales processes in Malawi and Ghana. In terms of performance, Shoprite's Supermarkets RSA segment shone brightly, reporting an estimated sales growth of 9.5% over the full year. This core segment accounted for 84.5% of the group's total sales, demonstrating its pivotal role in the overall financial health of the company. Specifically, the second half of the year saw a sales surge of 8.5%, reaching R195.04bn. The non-RSA supermarkets segment also contributed positively, with a 7.6% increase in second half sales, propelling total sales in this area up to R19.33bn. The Other operating segment, which includes franchises and additional retail arms, recorded steadier sales growth of 3.5%, amounting to R17.72bn. Shoprite's operational expansion has been impressive, introducing 194 main banner supermarkets during the year. These include the opening of 43 Shoprite, 38 Usave, and 29 Checkers stores, alongside numerous new liquor and specialty outlets. Meanwhile, online sales through the delivery platform Sixty60 skyrocketed by a remarkable 47.7%, aligned with the modern consumer's shifting shopping preferences. The group's OK Franchise business also performed well, achieving a 6.7% increase in sales, with a net addition of seven stores to end with a total of 615 stores. This reflects a strategic focus on enhancing franchise offerings alongside core supermarket sales. However, not all developments have been straightforward. The group faced delays in the anticipated sale of its furniture business to Pepkor, with legal proceedings complicating the transaction. Despite these challenges, Shoprite remains optimistic, deeming it 'highly probable' that these operations will eventually be disposed of. In terms of shareholder engagement, the group repurchased R997 million worth of its shares during the first half of the period, showcasing its commitment to providing value to investors - no shares were repurchased in the second half. As Shoprite continues to navigate the complexities of the retail market amidst economic challenges, its robust earnings report not only showcases financial strength but also positions the group as a formidable player in the South African retail landscape. Visit:
GMA Network
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Manila City Jail screens 'Green Bones' for PDL inmates
The Manila City Jail held a special screening of "Green Bones" for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). On social media, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Manila City Jail Male Dorm shared some snaps of the inmates watching the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival Best Picture on July 9. According to the post, the screening aimed to offer inmates a meaningful and reflective experience. It also served as a therapeutic and rehabilitative tool, encouraging PDLs to reflect on their life choices, express their emotions, and foster a more positive outlook toward change. The film, produced by GMA Pictures, is directed by Zig Dulay based on an original story by JC Rubio, senior documentary manager of GMA Public Affairs. It follows Domingo Zamora (Dennis Trillo), who is notorious for the murder of his sister and her daughter. Now that Domingo is up for parole, the newly assigned prison guard (Ruru Madrid) takes a personal interest in making sure that he remains behind bars no matter what. "Green Bones" won several awards at the MMFF 2024, such as Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Ricky Lee and MMFF 2023 Best Screenplay winner Angeli Atienza), Best Actor (Dennis), Best Supporting Actor (Ruru), Best Cinematography (Neil Daza), and Best Child Performer (Sienna Stevens). It also won First Best Picture, Best Actor (Dennis), Best Supporting Actor (Ruru), and Best Director (Direk Zig) at the 3rd Gawad Dangal Filipino Awards. "Green Bones" is currently streaming in Netflix. —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golden Globes set 2026 awards timeline, Best Podcast eligibility rules
The Golden Globes has set its 2026 awards timeline and eligibility rules for its new Best Podcast category. Submissions for film and TV will open on Aug. 1, while submissions for podcasts will open Oct. 1. Both of their deadlines is Oct. 31. Nominations voting for TV and podcasts will run from Nov. 17 to Nov. 24. The film voting window runs from Nov. 25 through Dec. 4. As previously announced, nominations will be unveiled on Dec. 8. Winner voting goes from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3. More from GoldDerby 'The Studio' Emmy predictions: How many nominations can it get? Jeremy Allen White is 'Born to Run' in the first trailer for Bruce Springsteen biopic 'Deliver Me From Nowhere' 'Awards Magnet': 'Yellowjackets' cast on who dies, who has 'nothing to lose,' and what 'delicious' Hilary Swank really tastes like In March, the Globes announced a new podcast category, with six nominees to be named from the 25 most popular podcasts. On Wednesday, the Globes announced that Luminate, an entertainment data and analytics company, will determine the qualifying podcasts "using a proprietary methodology designed to objectively evaluate podcasts." Read about the key metrics that will be used here. (Luminate is owned by Penske Media, which also owns Gold Derby as well as Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions in a joint venture with Eldridge.) SEE 2026 Golden Globes ceremony date revealed The Best Podcast award will be given to the "podcast's consistent host(s) (with respect to hosted podcasts), or the podcast's production company(ies) (with respect to non-hosted podcasts)." As previously announced, the 83rd Golden Globes will be hosted by Nikki Glaser, who's returning after a well-received stint this year. The ceremony will take place on Jan. 11, 2026 at at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event will air live on CBS linear television and stream on Paramount+ in the U.S. for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime tier. See the 2026 Golden Globes timeline below. Aug. 1, 2025 Submission website opens for 2026 Golden Globes Motion Picture and Television entries Oct. 1, 2025 Submission website opens for 2026 Golden Globes Podcast entries Oct. 31, 2025 The deadline for Motion Picture, Television, and Podcast submissions Entries for the official Golden Globes Submissions must be completed online at Nov. 17, 2025 Deadline for Television and Podcast nomination ballots to be sent to all voters Nov. 23, 2025 Final date for Television and Podcast press conferences. Final date for Television and Podcast programs to be uploaded to the Golden Globes screening platform Nov. 24, 2025 by 5 p.m. PST Deadline for receipt of Television and Podcast nomination ballots Nov. 25, 2025 Deadline for Motion Picture and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement nomination ballots to be sent to all voters Dec. 3, 2025 Final date for Motion Picture and Box Office Achievement press conferences Final date for Motion Pictures and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement to be uploaded to the Golden Globes screening platform Dec. 4, 2025 by 5 p.m. PST Deadline for the receipt of Motion Picture and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement nomination ballots Dec. 8, 2025 at 5 a.m. PST Announcement of nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes Dec. 19, 2025 Final ballots sent to all voters Jan. 3, 2026 by 5 p.m. PST Deadline for the receipt of final ballots Jan. 11, 2026 at 5 p.m. PST Presentation of the 83rd Annual Golden Globes Best of GoldDerby Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') 'It almost killed me': Horror maestro Mike Flanagan looks back at career-making hits from 'Gerald's Game' to 'Hill House' to 'Life of Chuck' Click here to read the full article.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
How can we save pollinators in Ireland before it's too late?
In the high-stakes rom-com of nature, pollinators are the wingmen and wingwomen sparking love stories between flowering plants — the plants that help provide everything from your morning coffee to that Instagram-worthy avocado toast. Bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps, hoverflies, and even bats shuttle pollen to fuel plant reproduction, powering ecosystems and 35% of global crop production. In Ireland, they're the quiet heroes behind apples, oilseed rape, and wildflower meadows. But this romance is hitting a rough patch. Pollinators are in steep decline, and science has blind spots. Who are these pollinator A-listers and B-listers, and how can Ireland save them before the credits roll? Bees: The Pollen-Packing Heartthrobs Bees are pollination's leading stars. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and Ireland's native bumble bees (Bombus) make flowers swoon. Bumble bees shake pollen loose from crops like tomatoes, while honey bees tumble through blooms, their fuzzy bodies snagging pollen with ninja-like precision. But the buzz is fading. In Ireland, 30% of bee species face extinction risks, mirroring global pollinator declines. Habitat loss (farmland and cities now cover nearly half of Earth's land) squeezes bee homes. Pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, disrupt their memory and behaviour. Though banned for outdoor use in Ireland and the EU since 2018, these chemicals linger: a 2023 study found neonicotinoid residues in pollen collected by honey bees and bumble bees from Irish fields, even without recent applications. Add climate change, which throws flower blooming schedules off-kilter, and bees face a stinging triple threat. Butterflies: The Fluttering Influencers A six-spot burnet moth sitting on knapweed Butterflies aren't just garden eye candy; they're pollination's charmers. Their long tongues sip nectar, brushing pollen as they flit between blooms like knapweed, vital for Ireland's hedgerows. They're less efficient than bees but keep wildflowers thriving. Yet butterflies are declining. Ireland's marsh fritillary is among those at risk. Climate change plays dirty: warmer springs nudge butterflies to emerge early, only to find their flowers haven't bloomed. Picky caterpillars, like tortoiseshells needing nettles, starve if host plants disappear. Nature's Lovable Weirdos Not all pollinators sport stripes. Meet the B-team: beetles, wasps, ants, hoverflies, and maybe even shrews. Flower beetles stumble through daisies, pollinating grasslands. Wasps pollinate ivy in autumn. Ants sneak into tiny thyme flowers, while blowflies step up in Ireland's rainy spells when bees stay home. Hoverflies zip between wildflowers and double as aphid assassins — nature's pest control. Thyme in flower — ants that climb into tiny thyme flowers act as pollinators. Picture Thinkstock/PA Moths are pollination's brooding romantics, visiting night-blooming plants like honeysuckle. Some research has shown that they boost crops like rapeseed but work the graveyard shift, so they're overlooked. However, light pollution can scramble their navigation Even shrews might brush pollen through clover as they scamper. It's a small role, but it shows how diverse nature's cast is. The catch? Science focuses on bees, leaving these B-listers as extras. Native pygmy shrew — they act as pollinators when they brush through clover. Picture: NFF Caption Wild Card: The Pollinating Frog Nature loves a plot twist. In Brazil, scientists found Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frog (Xenohyla truncata), the first known pollinating amphibian, diving into milkfruit flowers with pollen on its back. It's a quirky case, but it highlights how little we know about pollination's full cast. Though most frogs are strictly insectivores/carnivores, there is one species of frog that is a frugivore (eating primarily raw fruits). The Izecksohn's Brazilian treefrog (Xenohyla truncata) eats small fruits whole and plays an important role in the environment dispersing seeds! — Frog Facts (@Facts4Frogs) January 30, 2021 Ireland lacks pollinating frogs, but our own gaps (like small mammals' roles) deserve a look. Ireland's Pollinator Crisis Let's not sugarcoat it: pollinators are tanking. In Ireland, 30% of bee species and several butterflies face extinction risks. Habitat loss, pesticides, and climate chaos form a brutal triple threat. Pesticides disrupt bee behaviour, while climate-driven mismatches leave pollinators and flowers out of sync. We know the pieces but not the full puzzle — how do these stressors interact over time? But we do know what we need to do, and that's the important part. Solutions: Ireland Can Steal the Show We've got a script to save pollinators, but it needs scale. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan promotes wildflower strips that boost pollinator numbers. Cutting pesticides, as the EU's Green Deal aims to do by halving use by 2030, is critical. Urban gardens, restored hedgerows, and citizen science (like recording sightings on the National Biodiversity Data Centre's app) make every community a pollinator haven. Small actions, like planting native wildflowers or leaving nettles for caterpillars, add up. Protecting pollinators isn't just about saving bees; it's about safeguarding the systems that grow our food and give life to our landscapes. The science is clear, the stakes are high, and Ireland has a chance to do something about it. Let's give these pollinators the encore they deserve before nature's rom-com fades and the credits roll.
Malaysian Reserve
05-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
TEAMSTERS STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S UNION JOB-PROTECTING FILM TARIFFS
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien and Teamsters Motion Picture Division Director Lindsay Dougherty on President Donald Trump's announcement to place a 100 percent tariff on films produced abroad: 'For years, Hollywood studios have hollowed out the industry by following Corporate America's crooked playbook of outsourcing good union jobs. Studios chase cheap production costs overseas while gutting the American workforce that built the film and TV industry. 'These gigantic corporations line their pockets by recklessly cutting corners, abandoning American crews, and exploiting tax loopholes abroad. While these companies get rich fleeing to other countries and gaming the system, our members have gotten screwed over. 'The Teamsters Union has been sounding the alarm for years. If studios want to benefit from American box offices, they must invest in American workers. 'We thank President Trump for boldly supporting good union jobs when others have turned their heads. This is a strong step toward finally reining in the studios' un-American addiction to outsourcing our members' work. 'The Teamsters applaud any elected official — Republican, Democrat, Independent — who's willing to fight for American workers. We look forward to continuing to work with the administration to build a trade agenda that benefits our members and workers throughout the American motion picture and TV industry. 'It's time to create good film jobs here at home by bringing production back to America.' Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Contact:Matt McQuaid, (771) 241-0015mmcquaid@
