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Premature review – sunny charm provides screwball energy for surprise-pregnancy comedy
The Guardian reviews Premature, the debut feature from first-time director Kevin Walls, a low-budget Scottish screwball comedy about a young couple navigating an unplanned pregnancy. The review finds it “sweet-natured” enough to overcome a few misjudged comic set-pieces, praising the film’s charm even where the script’s balance falters. The story follows Eilidh (Elle Watson), an…
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Why unwanted fridges are piling up at recycling centres across England and Wales
Recycling centres across England and Wales are struggling to cope with a backlog of discarded fridges and freezers, prompting 26 councils, including Bradford, Gloucestershire, Durham and Nottinghamshire, to suspend collections this month. The Local Government Association says the crisis stems from a “system failure” in processing capacity rather than a rise in fridge sales, and…
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TV tonight: it’s the final chapter of the landmark 7 Up series
Tonight’s TV highlights include the concluding episode of the pioneering documentary series 7 Up, directed by Oscar-winner Asif Kapadia, which revisits its subjects now that they have turned 70. The final instalment brings a bittersweet close to a project that began in 1964, reflecting on how the participants have changed since childhood while offering some…
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Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech
New laws taking effect this week in England and Wales will allow pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants to use biometric digital ID to check that customers buying alcohol are over 18. Instead of showing a passport or driving licence, customers will be able to scan their face using an app on their phone, generating a…
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Benedict Cumberbatch on his Earth-saving eco film: ‘We are in the last grab of the extraction era’
Benedict Cumberbatch has released a new documentary, How to Live on Earth, which launches on YouTube this month and features him delivering monologues from London’s Natural History Museum interspersed with short films about activists, scientists and chefs pioneering more sustainable ways of living. The actor, a long-time environmental campaigner, hopes the film will serve as…
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China tightens travel restrictions for citizens
China has introduced sweeping new rules restricting overseas and outbound travel for its citizens, a move critics say hands Beijing even greater control over the population. Under the regulations, people deemed to have “harmed” national security or interests while abroad can be barred from leaving China for up to three years, with the rules also…
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Millions of Aussies in for ‘chilly’ cold snap as temperatures set to plunge across south-eastern states
A cold blast is set to sweep across south-eastern Australia over the coming days, bringing plunging temperatures, strong winds and snow to parts of Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania. The change follows a spell of mild weather last week that saw temperatures reach the mid-20s in some areas, and comes with gale…
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Major travel shake-up for Aussies heading to Thailand as visa-free limit is cut in half amid crime and security concerns
Thailand has halved its visa-free stay limit for tourists from 60 days to 30 days, effective from Tuesday, in a move that will affect Australians and citizens of 92 other countries planning trips to the popular Southeast Asian destination. The Thai government said the change was driven by difficulties monitoring longer stays, alongside concerns about…
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Flight attendant charged after police allegedly find $500,000 heroin haul in tote bags
A Thai Airways flight attendant has been charged after Australian Federal Police allegedly discovered more than a kilogram of heroin, worth an estimated $500,000, hidden in her luggage at Melbourne Airport. Meena Kondo, 26, faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted, in a case authorities say highlights concerns about airline staff exploiting their…
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Valve is still figuring out ‘how and when’ to do Steam Deck 2
Valve has confirmed that a successor to the Steam Deck is still in the works, but the company remains undecided on the specifics of “how and when” it will arrive, according to designer Pierre-Loup Griffais in an interview with IGN. Valve has long maintained that a Steam Deck 2 depends on finding a chip that…