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Olivia Dunne faces challenges amid relationship with Paul Skenes: 'You didn't fall for me'
Olivia Dunne faces challenges amid relationship with Paul Skenes: 'You didn't fall for me'
The video showcased Olivia Dunne's playful and humorous side, providing fans a fun glimpse into her personality
2023-11-23 17:42
Netflix subscriber growth soars as password sharing crackdown continues to work
Netflix subscriber growth soars as password sharing crackdown continues to work
Netflix has seen its subscriber base grow rapidly – suggesting its crackdown on password sharing has gone even better than expected. The company has launched a range of schemes intended to encourage more people to sign up, amid slumping user numbers. They include a cheaper version of the streaming service with ads, but also a password sharing crackdown that proved controversial among users who characterised it as invasive or mean. It appears to have worked to encourage users to sign up, however. The company said in its latest results that it had added 5.9 million users, almost three times what analysts had expected. Netflix ended June with 238.4 million worldwide subscribers. Investors seemed unsatisfied, perhaps rattled by management commentary in a shareholder letter warning “quite a competitive battle” continuing to unfold against the backdrop of ongoing strikes by both the writers and actors union in the US that is already bogging down much of Hollywood and threatening to clog the pipelines feeding entertainment to streaming services. Netflix's stock price fell 4 per cent in Wednesday's extended trading. The decline also could have reflected some investor locking in profits that have accrued while the shares have climbed by more than 50 per cent so far this year. The second-quarter performance marked Netflix’s biggest spring —- traditionally the company's slowest stretch of growth — since gaining 10 million subscribers during the same period in 2020 under dramatically different market conditions. In 2020, people were still largely stuck at home and looking for ways to keep themselves entertained while governments around the world struggled to find a way to contain the spread of pandemic. Now, Netflix finds itself trying to bounce back from a growth slowdown amid stiff video streaming competition and inflationary pressures that have caused many households to clamp down on spending, especially on discretionary items such as entertainment. As an antidote, Netflix last year introduced a low-priced option that includes commercials and then began to block the rampant sharing of passwords that has enabled an estimated 100 million people worldwide to watch its TV series and films for free. Freeloading viewers are now being required to open their own accounts unless a subscriber with a standard or premium plan agrees to pay an $8 monthly surcharge to allow more people living in different households to watch. In its shareholder letter, management said the crackdown on password sharing is resulting in a “healthy conversion of borrower households into full paying Netflix memberships.” And Netflix still isn’t done tinkering. As part of Wednesday’s earnings release, Netflix also revealed it’s phasing out its cheapest ad-free plan – a service that costs $10 in the U.S. Existing subscribers already paying for this basic plan will be allowed to keep it. The shift appears designed to get more people to switch to the $7 monthly plan that includes commercials in hopes of boosting ad revenue or sign up for its $15.50 monthly standard plan or $20 monthly premium plan. “While we’ve made steady progress this year, we have more work to do to reaccelerate our growth,” Netflix management told shareholders in its letter. The pricing changes that have already been made helped Netflix boost its second-quarter revenue by 3% from the same time last year to $8.2 billon, falling below analyst forecasts. Netflix earned $1.49 billion during the period, compared with $1.44 billion last year. But earnings per share came in at $3.29 per share, eclipsing the average analyst estimate of $2.85 per share, according to FactSet. Netflix didn't delve into the potential fallout from the current walkout by in the U.S. by writers and actors. The dispute revolves revolve largely around the payment system used in video streaming and the rise of artificial intelligence technology threatening to exploit the work of humans and eventually replace them. Unlike traditional movie and TV studios in the U.S., Netflix has been able to keep feeding its entertainment pipeline with shows that it has been able to use to keep luring in and retaining subscribers. Additional reporting by AP Read More Stolen ChatGPT accounts for sale on the dark web Geothermal breakthrough uses oil drilling tech to tap renewable energy Solar panel tech breakthrough generates electricity from rain Stolen ChatGPT accounts for sale on the dark web Geothermal breakthrough uses oil drilling tech to tap renewable energy Solar panel tech breakthrough generates electricity from rain
2023-07-21 00:00
League of Legends Astronaut Skins Release Date
League of Legends Astronaut Skins Release Date
The five new League of Legends Astronaut skins will be released alongside Patch 13.4, which should be in two weeks because Patch 13.3 dropped today.
1970-01-01 08:00
Ex-FIFA vice-president Temarii charged over 2022 World Cup vote
Ex-FIFA vice-president Temarii charged over 2022 World Cup vote
FIFA's disgraced former vice-president Reynald Temarii of Tahiti has been charged with corruption by French prosecutors probing Qatar's 2022...
2023-05-27 20:30
Exxon’s Blockbuster Pioneer Merger Needs Biden’s Blessing First
Exxon’s Blockbuster Pioneer Merger Needs Biden’s Blessing First
Exxon Mobil Corp. needs approval from the Biden administration before it can take over independent oil and gas
2023-10-07 19:30
NFL eyes future games in Spain, Brazil and Australia: report
NFL eyes future games in Spain, Brazil and Australia: report
NFL officials are exploring the possibility of playing regular-season games in Brazil and Spain as soon as next season, NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly...
2023-09-25 01:48
Red Sox put RHP Chris Martin on the 15-day IL with a viral infection
Red Sox put RHP Chris Martin on the 15-day IL with a viral infection
The Boston Red Sox have put right-handed reliever Chris Martin on the 15-day injured list with a viral infection
2023-09-29 05:18
Biden, McCarthy to Meet Over Debt Drama as Markets Grow Anxious
Biden, McCarthy to Meet Over Debt Drama as Markets Grow Anxious
President Joe Biden will sit down with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for their first meeting in three months
1970-01-01 08:00
Hill, Tagovailoa too much for Chargers as Dolphins open with 36-34 victory
Hill, Tagovailoa too much for Chargers as Dolphins open with 36-34 victory
Tua Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had 215 yards and two scores and the Miami Dolphins rallied for a 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers
2023-09-11 08:06
Ukraine urges other nations to boycott playing Russia after Uefa decision
Ukraine urges other nations to boycott playing Russia after Uefa decision
The football association of Ukraine has written to Uefa’s member nations urging them to boycott matches against junior Russian teams. Uefa announced earlier this week that it would be reinstating Russia at under-17 level. The decision comes after a ban on all Russian sides by European football’s governing body after the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in February 2022. England’s Football Association (the FA) had been among the national bodies that had said that they would not allow their sides to play Russia despite Uefa’s decision. And the Ukrainian footballing body has now urged all members to do the same. “We are convinced any step towards reintegration of Russian representatives is a hazardous and terrifying trend, which means nothing but support to the Russian terrorist state and all their crimes committed in Ukraine,” said the letter, according to the BBC. The next Under-17 male European Championship finals are due to be played in Cyprus next year, while the women’s U17 Euros are set to be hosted by Sweden in May. Sweden’s FA has also said that it will not allow age-group sides to face Russia and will not host the country, even if there is now a path to qualification. Uefa’s executive commitee is expected to meet on 10 October to confirm their position. Aleksander Ceferin, the president of Uefa, this week said that the move to relax the blanket ban came out of a desire to not punish children for the action’s of the Russian government amid the ongoing conflict. “Uefa’s continuing suspension against Russian adult teams reflects its commitment to take a stand against violence and aggression. Uefa is determined that this position will continue until the war is over and peace restored,” said the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin. “But by banning children from our competitions, we not only fail to recognise and uphold a fundamental right for their holistic development but we directly discriminate against them. “By providing opportunities to play and compete with their peers from all over Europe, we are investing in what we hope will be a brighter and more capable future generation and a better tomorrow.” Read More Russia to return to Uefa competitions as ban lifted on Under-17s teams EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024 Russia Olympic chief fuming over ‘unacceptable’ Asian Games exclusion
2023-09-29 21:26
The Best SSDs for PS5 in 2023
The Best SSDs for PS5 in 2023
One compelling feature of the Sony PlayStation 5 is its M.2 slot, which accommodates a
1970-01-01 08:00
Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war
Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war
Since Vladimir Putin rose to power as Russia’s president 23 years ago, few things have rocked his leadership as much as Saturday 24 June when Wagner mercenaries barrelled towards Moscow. The “army within an army” who had been ruthlessly grinding away for months at the vanguard of some of the bloodiest fighting in eastern flanks Ukraine were now on the verge of triggering a war within a war - this time, against the Kremlin. But the Russian president was spared that when the mutiny was halted in its tracks about 125 miles from the capital, in a deal between the leader of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin – brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin himself was due to head to Belarus – although he has been pictured in Russia since – with an invitation for Wagner fighters to gather in Belarus. Thousands are set to entered the country since. Nato-member Poland is sending thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, with Warsaw worried increasingly about the potential threat from Wagner fighters, who have been training Belarusian troops at a military range a few miles from the border in recent weeks. Belarus also started military exercises near the border this week, and Lukashenko has said several times that he is restraining Wagner fighters who want to attack Poland. What is the Wagner Group? The Wagner Group is a private military company under the control of Prigozhin that cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea – illegally annexed by Russia – and Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region in 2014. The rebel group has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian civil war. Prigozhin – a 62-year-old ex-convict sometimes known as “Putin’s chef” because his catering business has hosted dinners for the Russian president – had denied all links with the group until September last year when he announced he was “proud” to be its founder. When did they join the Ukraine war? The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) first reported that Wagner had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, little over a month into Moscow’s invasion – after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault. Military consultant Nicholas Drummond told The Independent: “Wagner was involved from the start but the group started to become a key player when the initial assault ran into difficulty. “By the end of March, it was very evident that the invasion had gone wrong. Putin used Prigozhin as a troubleshooter and Wagner was there to fill the gaps.” Former Nato commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon emphasised Wagner’s crucial role in strengthening Russia’s offensive in the war. Speaking to The Independent, the former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment of the British army, said: “In the early stages of war when Wagner wasn’t heavily committed, the Russian army pretty much nearly collapsed.” “Wagner fights with no boundaries. Criminals fill the ranks of the army. When all of this is over, I’m sure there are going to be horrific things conducted in Wagner’s name.” Below we track Wagner’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine and their infamous- but failed- march to Moscow: Crimea: In February 2014, were used to help Russia illegally annex Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Crimea sits at the top of the Black Sea. The annexation condemned by countries in the West, including the UK. The mercenary group was also involved in Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine throughout 2015, where they allegedly carried out assassinations of local rebel leaders. Kyiv: In March 2022, weeks after Putin launched his invasion, reports suggested a special group had been sent into Kyiv to take out Zelensky. This resulted in a strict 36-hour curfew in Kyiv as Ukrainian soldiers reinforced the capital to protect Zelensky and his government. Since then, reports of Wagner’s activities have mainly focused on the eastern regions of Ukraine, though Kyiv remains a target of ceaseless strikes and artillery from the Russian army. Bucha: In the first week of April 2022, sickening images of a massacre in Bucha began to emerge following weeks of Russian occupation. Just days after Russian troops withdrew from the city, hundreds of bodies were discovered in the city approximately 16 miles northwest of Kyiv, some in mass graves. While Kremlin has always denied causing civilian deaths – although their credibility over such matters is thin at best. Interceptions by the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence service, found evidence to suggest Wagner may be linked to the massacre, Der Spiegel reported. Bakhmut: In May 2022, Wagner began an offensive towards the town of Soledar and the city of Bakhmut in the eastern Ukranian province of Donetsk. It is an area that Putin seeks to control. The battle for Bakhmut has seen some of the most fierce fighting in the war. Located around 34 miles north of Donetsk, the region was an important industrial centre before being ravaged by war. In July, Prigozhin was given the green light to beef up his troops and began recruiting prisoners on a large scale, unconcerned about the type of crime they had committed. By the end of October 2022, the group gained at least 20,000 conscripts, which then more than doubled to 50,000 by the end of January 2023. Between November 2022 to January 2023, Wagner captured the salt-mining town of Soledar and strengthened its position in the south and north of Bakhmut. Fast-forward to May 2023, after months of merciless fighting, Prigozhin claimed to have captured Bakhmut and began withdrawing his troops from the city. The march to Moscow: Towards the end of June 2023, Prigozhin claimed Wagner fighters were deliberately shelled by Kremlin’s soldiers while leaving Bakhmut. This seemed to be the last straw for Prigozhin who had been complaining publicly for weeks about the slaughter of Wagner soldiers due to a lack of ammunition from Moscow. A power struggle was very publicly playing out between the Russian defence ministry and Prigozhin. On Friday 23 June, Prigozhin accused Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, of “destroying” his fighters and concocting lies to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Months of videos rants had been directed by Prigozhin towards Shoigu, with the Wagner leader getting increasingly riled about the actions of the Defence Ministry and the Russian military top brass as the invasion dragged on. A call to action was made by the mercenary group leader, inciting an armed rebellion heading to Kremlin in Moscow. Leaving their stations in the east, Wagner soldiers began their march to the capital and within hours had successfully occupied military headquarters in Rostov and Voronezh on the morning of Saturday 24 June. The group shot down Russian helicopters and and took out Russian artillery as they made their way up the main road to Moscow. The rebel group was seen as far north as Yelets in the evening, just 125 miles from Moscow, before the coup was suddenly called off at the 11th hour by Prigozhin, following the deal with the Kremlin. Belarus and beyond? Following the attempted rebellion in June, thousands of Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus. A deal was struck under which the mercenaries would move to Belarus in return for charges against them relating to the uprising being dropped. Putin said the fighters could either leave for Belarus, come under the command of the defence ministry or go back to their families. Before moving to Belarus, Wagner handed over its weapons to the Russian military, part of efforts by Russian authorities to defuse the threat posed by the mercenaries. Between 3,450 and 3,650 soldiers have travelled to a camp close to Asipovichy, a town about 140 miles (230km) north of the Ukrainian border, according to Belaruski Hajun, an activist group that tracks troop movements within the country. Satellite images show that about 700 vehicles, along with construction equipment, have also arrived in Wagner convoys to Belarus, Belaruski Hajun said. They have also helped train Belarusian troops at a military range near the city of Brest. Prigozhin also registered a “real estate management company” in Belarus last week under the name Concord Management and Consulting in Belarus. Documents analysed by independent Belarusian media outlets showed that the company’s registered address is in the same village as the Wagner mercenary camp. Asked about what Prigozhin’s next move could be, Mr de Bretton-Gordon said: “People like Prigozhin are wardogs, they are out to make money out of conflict. “He is now lining his pockets with as much as gold as he can. I think he will stay in Belarus as long as the money stays floating.” Mr Drummond questioned Prigozhin’s motives in Belarus, noting there are several factors at play. “Is he acting as a reserve force in case Putin wants to open a fresh front against Kyiv, or has he genuinely been banished and is considered too powerful to do anything?” But like Mr de Bretton-Gordon, Mr Drummond does not think the Russian president has alienated Prigozhin, but more likely placed him in a “state of suspended animation”. “Prigozhin has suddenly realised he could go straight into Moscow, and then he stopped and turned around. I think he freaked Putin out.” Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine? ‘Extremely dangerous’ Wagner fighters seeking to destabilise Nato, Poland warns Putin ‘looked paralyzed and unable to act’ as Wagner coup unfolded
2023-08-09 21:04