Author: Isla

The major Hollywood studios will pitch in $320 million to sustain the health fund of the Writers Guild of America, the union told its members Wednesday.Under a tentative contract recently negotiated by the union, TV and film writers would pay more for their healthcare but, in return, the studios would pay a record $321 million into the health plan — by far the highest level to date, the WGA said.In a message to its members Wednesday night, the union’s leaders said the agreement also includes higher residual rates — including a provision for a “success bonus” for the most popular…

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The branded and distilled spirits business of MGP Ingredients Inc., which co-manufactures bourbons and ryes for numerous brands and also produces its own branded spirits under its Luxco business, will temporarily idle distilling operations at two of its distilleries in Kentucky, according to a release from the company and local news reports. In order to adjust current inventory levels and production with the challenges that have arisen in consumer demand for spirits recently, Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Ky., and Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Ky., will cease distilling operations effective May 1, 2026, until “inventory level support additional production,” the company said…

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In winter, kanjiki snowshoeing is the way to experience the landscape on foot. One of my most distinct moments in Niigata was strapping on traditional Japanese snowshoes, sinking knee-deep in snow, shaking powder off bent trees, and eventually stomping out a small “snow house” where my guide from Yukinoya Furusawa-Tei set a table of kuromoji tea and sasadango, a roasted mochi filled with red bean. At Aoki Sake Brewery, tours include a visit to the snow cellar, where sake is aged using Niigata’s natural snowfall as refrigeration.The geisha district in Niigata Niigata Prefectural Tourism AssociationThe coast is a side of…

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Mumbai: Banijay Entertainment has acquired the global rights to Battleground, a digital-first fitness competition format created by Rusk Media, marking its strategic entry into the fast-growing fitness-entertainment segment. The move strengthens Banijay Entertainment’s portfolio of talent-driven, digital-first formats, as it continues to expand its global content slate with high-engagement properties tailored for younger audiences. Battleground combines elements of sport, reality television and audience interactivity in a format designed for global scalability. The series follows fitness creators competing across three stages of challenges, including a signature “Fight Club,” testing agility, endurance, strength, flexibility and speed. The format features four teams mentored…

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OTTAWA — In policing — particularly in national security and organized crime — we are trained to recognize a simple truth: the most serious threats rarely arrive with warning. They emerge gradually, through relationships, dependencies, and decisions that appear rational in isolation but carry strategic consequences in aggregate.What concerns me today is not a single incident or headline. It is a pattern.Consider the sequence.In September 2024, Mark Carney assumed a central role shaping Canada’s economic future as Chair of the government’s Task Force on Economic Growth. Weeks later, he met with a senior official from the People’s Bank of China.…

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(TibetanReview.net, Apr09’26) – Following visits earlier by multiple delegates from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a congratulations meeting from Chinese ambassador Zhang Maoming on Apr 7, Nepal has assured Beijing that its stance towards China, including the “one China” policy, will remain unchanged under the new administration led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah of RSP, reported the kathmandupost.com Apr 8. While the “one China” policy – which is taken to also include the stance of Tibet being part of China – is a common position among all major political parties in Nepal, governments led by the communist parties…

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Horlicks, the popular UK malted milk drink, is a staple, as is robust, creamy milk tea. Flaky egg tarts are among a broad selection of bakery items, including fluffy pineapple buns, sweet-savory pork floss buns, and simple crispy buns drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. An array of baked rice dishes round out the savory items. Take the pork chop rice, a Cantonese recipe with a fried rice base, finished with Western ingredients: a blanket of tomato sauce topped by melted cheese.Brewing milk tea for a crowd. Midcentury BeginningsLike language, cuisine develops over time. Hard edges fray and fuzz. Before you…

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