Britain's finance ministry plans "robust" regulations for crypto assets, following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX last year, which left millions of people nursing billions of dollars in losses.
Crypto is currently unregulated globally, with firms only having to carry out checks to prevent money laundering. However, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said that more than 80 percent of license applicants were unable to show they could do this properly as "dark money" flows through the sector.
The draft rules, to be published on Wednesday, would ensure robust, transparent, and fair standards, consistent with the approach to traditional finance, Financial Services Minister Andrew Griffith said in a statement on Tuesday.
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to grow the economy and enable technological change and innovation – and this includes cryptoasset technology," Griffith said.
The new rules come after rising interest rates led to a string of bankruptcies in the sector in 2022, wiping $1.4 trillion (roughly Rs. 11.5 crores) off the value of the crypto market. The price of Bitcoin, the most widely traded coin, plunged 60 percent.
The market rout shook confidence in cryptocurrencies, though interest in the underlying technology, most commonly known as blockchain, for other uses like payments remains.
There will be a three-month public consultation on the new plans, followed by proposals for detailed rules from the FCA.
The ministry said its approach would mitigate the most significant risks in the sector.
"These proposals will place responsibility on crypto trading venues for defining the detailed content requirements for admission and disclosure documents - ensuring crypto exchanges have fair and robust standards," the ministry said.
There will be rules for financial intermediaries, which facilitate transactions, and custodians, which store customer assets.
The failure of FTX and other exchanges triggered calls for regulation of the industry to protect investors. Regulators are focusing on prising open "crypto conglomerates" which combine activities like trading, lending and custody under one roof, but with traditional regulatory safeguards between them absent.
The European Union is already finalising its first set of crypto rules.
Firms already authorised by the FCA would be temporarily allowed to issue their own promotions, while the new regulatory regime is being introduced, the ministry said.
Anushka Sharma, who is currently in Rishikesh with husband Virat Kohli and their daughter Vamika, has actively been sharing pictures from her getaway. On Wednesday, she shared a couple of pictures from a trek. There are glimpses of their trek, pictures of the stunning landscape. One picture, however, has our heart. The picture we are talking about is the one that features Virat Kohli with daughter Vamika. Anushka Sharma captioned the post: "There's a mountain in the mountains and there is no one at the top..." In the comments section of the post, Virat Kohli dropped a red heart emoji. Nimrat Kaur dropped a sparkling heart emojis.
Anushka Sharma married cricketer Virat Kohli in 2017 in an intimate ceremony in Italy after dating for many years. They welcomed daughter Vamika in January 2021.
The actress, who was last seen in the 2018 film Zero, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, was busy as a producer in the last few years. She recently featured in a cameo appearance in the Netflix film Qala, produced by her brother Karnesh Sharma. She featured in a greyscale montage of the track Ghodey Pe Sawaar. Anushka Sharma is the star of films like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, PK, Band Baaja Baaraat, Sultan and Ae Dil Hai Mushki, to name a few.
The actress will next be seen in Chakda Xpress, her first project after the birth of daughter Vamika, who she welcomed in 2021. The film is based on the life of Jhulan Goswami. The actress shot for parts of the film in Kolkata and the UK. The film went on floors earlier last year.
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Union Budget 2023-24 will be presented in the Indian Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday, February 1. A day before the budget announcement, the finance minister tabled the Economic Survey 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha on January 31, giving a detailed report on the expenditures and earnings of the country in the ongoing financial year. As the Ministry of Finance gets all set to announce the Union Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday, here is all the information you need to watch the live screening.
Union Budget 2023-24: When to watch
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in the Lok Sabha on February 1. The announcements will begin at 11 am IST. The budget speech is likely to last for around two hours. The longest budget speech in India's history, which continued for 2 hours and 40 minutes, was presented by FM Sitharaman in 2020.
It is to be noted that this will be the last full budget for the Narendra Modi government before the next general elections, scheduled to be held in 2024.
Union Budget 2023-24: Where to watch live telecast
Those who want to watch the live telecast of Union Budget 2023-24 on TV can tune in to Sansad TV, Doordarshan as well as other news channels.
For those who want to read the official speech of the Finance Minister for the Union Budget 2023 can go to the Union Budget mobile application), available for download on both Android and iOS. The app will upload the complete document on February 1 after FM Sitharaman concludes her speech.
Apple maintains workplace policies that unlawfully discourage employees from discussing working conditions, a US labour agency has found.
The National Labor Relations Board will issue a complaint targeting the policies and claiming Apple executives made comments that stymied worker organising unless the company settles first, an agency official said on Monday in an email reviewed by Reuters.
The official had sent the email to Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple senior engineering manager who filed complaints against the company in 2021.
The NLRB investigates charges filed by workers and unions and decides whether to issue formal complaints against companies. The agency can seek to strike down workplace policies and require employers to notify workers of legal violations.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The company has said it takes worker complaints seriously and thoroughly investigates them.
An NLRB spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gjovik in an email on Tuesday said she hoped the development will spur more Apple workers to speak up about working conditions and to organise.
In her complaints, Gjovik said various Apple rules, including those relating to confidentiality and surveillance policies, deter employees from discussing issues such as pay equity and sex discrimination with each other and the media.
Gjovik also cited a 2021 email from Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook that allegedly sought to stop workers from speaking to the press and said "people who leak confidential information do not belong here."
Many tech companies have strict confidentiality policies designed to protect trade secrets.
US labour law prohibits policies that could discourage workers from exercising their right to band together to improve working conditions.
Apple is facing several pending NLRB complaints, including one claiming the tech giant unlawfully required workers at an Atlanta retail store to attend anti-union meetings. Apple has denied wrongdoing.
Guess who we spotted in Mumbai on Monday night? Actor Athiya Shetty and her cricketer husband KL Rahul, who recently got married. The newlyweds were pictured at a Mumbai eatery last night. Both Athiya and KL Rahul opted for casual outfits. He wore a white t-shirt and denims and she paired blue denims with a printed top. The couple happily posed for the paparazzi stationed outside the eatery. Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul began dating in 2019 and they got married at Suniel Shetty's Khandala farmhouse last week.
See photos from Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul's dinner date here.
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul at dinner date.
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul at dinner date.
Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul at dinner date.
Athiya Shetty at a Mumbai eatery.
The couple shared pictures from their wedding on social media last week and wrote: "In your light, I learn how to love...Today, with our most loved ones, we got married in the home that's given us immense joy and serenity. With a heart full of gratitude and love, we seek your blessings on this journey of togetherness."
Suniel Shetty also posted a picture of himself dancing with daughter Athiya and he wrote: "You had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born and now you have me dancing to your tunes...Love you my baby...Stay blessed always."
Athiya, daughter of Bollywood veteran Suniel and Mana Shetty, made her Bollywood debut with 2015 film Hero, co-starring Sooraj Pancholi. She also featured in the comedy film Mubarakan and she was last seen in the movie Motichoor Chaknachoor with Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
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Samsung on Tuesday reported its lowest quarterly profit since 2014 and said persistent macroeconomic uncertainty will make for a tough first half year, though demand is likely to start recovering in the second half.
Sluggish demand and inventory adjustment will continue to impact the chip business in the first quarter, Samsung said in a statement, adding it expects "smartphone demand to decline year-on-year due to the economic slowdown in major regions".
The world's biggest maker of memory chips and smartphones reported a 69 percent plunge in fourth-quarter profit, as consumer demand for electronic devices dropped while clients spent less in a weak economy, dragging down memory chip prices.
At KRW 4.3 trillion (roughly Rs. 29,000 crore), October-December operating profit was Samsung's lowest quarterly profit in eight years. Revenue fell 8 percent to KRW 70.5 trillion won (roughly Rs. 4.7 lakh crore).
With memory chip prices falling by double-digit percentages in 2022, Samsung's chip profit likewise tumbled - to about KRW 270 billion (roughly Rs. 1,800 crore) in the fourth quarter from KRW 8.83 trillion (roughly Rs. 58,600 crore) in the same period a year prior, marking the lowest since a 2011 change in accounting standards, Samsung's website showed.
Some analysts expect the chip business to book a loss in the first quarter, pulling overall profit below that of the fourth.
Last week, chipmaker Intel said it expects to lose money in the current quarter as the personal computer industry experiences a chip glut.
Memory chip rivals Micron Technology and SK Hynix had already said they would slash investment in 2023.
Investors will be watching for whether Samsung avoids mentioning a direct chip production cut - as is its usual stance - or rather gives a clear signal of production cuts given the severity of the memory chip down-cycle.
In mobile, Samsung said fourth-quarter profit fell to KRW 1.7 trillion (roughly Rs. 11,300 crore) from KRW 2.66 trillion (roughly Rs. 18,000 crore) a year earlier, as a decline in low- and mid-end smartphone sales were greater than expected due to "continued inflation and geopolitical instability."
Samsung plans to unveil its latest Galaxy S flagship smartphones later this week.
Shares in Samsung fell 2.1 percent in morning trade, versus a 0.2 percent drop in the wider market.
The Infinix Zero Ultra has a decent set of specifications on paper, but does the phone justify its high asking price? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
A US judge on Monday said the names of two people who helped guarantee bail for indicted FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman-Fried should be made public, but put his ruling on hold pending an expected appeal.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ruled in favour of several media outlets including Reuters that sought the names.
The judge said that while the public had only a "weak" right to know who Bankman-Fried's guarantors were, it outweighed Bankman-Fried's arguments for confidentiality, including that the guarantors' safety could be imperilled.
Kaplan also said the names will remain under seal until at least February 7, because "the question presented here is novel and an appeal is likely."
A spokesman for Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell, who represent Bankman-Fried, declined to comment.
Bankman-Fried, 30, has been confined at his parents' home in California, after pleading not guilty to fraud for allegedly looting billions of FTX customer dollars.
His parents, both professors at Stanford Law School, had co-signed a $250 million (roughly Rs. 2,041 crore) bond for their son, with two other guarantors required to sign $500,000 (roughly Rs. 4 crore) and $200,000 (roughly Rs. 1.6 crore) bonds.
Bankman-Fried's lawyers said the parents had been harassed and received physical threats since FTX's November collapse and bankruptcy, and there was "serious cause for concern" the additional guarantors might suffer similar treatment.
Kaplan disagreed, noting that long before bail was posted, the parents had faced "intense public scrutiny" over their relationship with their son, who was once worth an estimated $26 billion (roughly Rs. 2 lakh crore).
"The amounts of the individual bonds -- $500,000 and $200,000 -- do not suggest that the non-parental sureties are persons of great wealth or likely to attract the attention of the types and volume of that to which defendant's parents appear to have been subjected," Kaplan wrote.
Media outlets distinguished the case from another judge's decision not to reveal who guaranteed a bond for Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
They said there was less "stigma" from being associated with Bankman-Fried than from being associated with the late sex offender. Maxwell was later convicted.
Other media seeking to identify Bankman-Fried's guarantors included the Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNBC, CoinDesk, Dow Jones, the Financial Times, Insider, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
The Infinix Zero Ultra has a decent set of specifications on paper, but does the phone justify its high asking price? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
The Biden administration has stopped approving licenses for US companies to export most items to China's Huawei, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Huawei has faced US export restrictions around items for 5G and other technologies for several years, but officials in the US Department of Commerce have granted licenses for some American firms to sell certain goods and technologies to the company. Qualcomm, in 2020, received permission to sell 4G smartphone chips to Huawei.
A Commerce Department spokesperson said officials "continually assess our policies and regulations" but do not comment on talks with specific companies. Huawei and Qualcomm declined to comment. Bloomberg and the Financial Times earlier reported the move.
One person familiar with the matter said US officials are creating a new formal policy of denial for shipping items to Huawei that would include items below the 5G level, including 4G items, Wi-Fi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing and cloud items.
Another person said the move was expected to reflect the Biden administration's tightening of policy on Huawei over the past year. Licenses for 4G chips that could not be used for 5G, which might have been approved earlier, were being denied, the person said. Toward the end of the Trump administration and early in the Biden administration, officials had still granted licenses for items specific to 4G applications.
American officials placed Huawei on a trade blacklist in 2019 restricting most US suppliers from shipping goods and technology to the company unless they were granted licenses. Officials continued to tighten the controls to cut off Huawei's ability to buy or design the semiconductor chips that power most of its products.
But US officials granted licenses that allowed Huawei to receive some products. For example, suppliers to Huawei got licenses worth $61 billion (roughly Rs. 5 lakh crore) to sell to the telecoms equipment giant from April through November 2021.
In December, Huawei said its overall revenue was about $91.53 billion (roughly Rs. 7.5 lakh crore), down only slightly from 2021 when US sanctions caused its sales to fall by nearly a third.
The Infinix Zero Ultra has a decent set of specifications on paper, but does the phone justify its high asking price? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
It was a big day for the Jonas Brothers - Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas officially made it to the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Needless to say, their wives were present at the event to cheer for them. Priyanka Chopra, Danielle Jonas and Sophie Turner cheered for their husbands Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas respectively. Also present at the event was the cutest member of the Jonas family - Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' daughter Malti Marie. Priyanka Chopra revealed Malti Marie's face at the event and the Internet was super thrilled to meet the little munchkin. On Instagram, Priyanka posted a video from the big moment and she wrote: "So proud of you my love! Congratulations Jonas Brothers." The video revealed Malti Marie's face for the first time.
Priyanka Chopra's post is flooded with comments from her Instafam. A few Instagram users thought that baby Malti takes after her dad Nick Jonas. "OMG your daughter is the DNA of your husband," a comment read. Another Instagram user wrote that the star couple's daughter is a perfect combination of Nick and Priyanka. "Congratulations Nick! Also your baby Malti is a perfect combination of you both," read a comment from another user. A section of the Internet was just happy to see Malti's face for the first time. "Face revealed - best timing I guess. Kanhaji bless her," wrote a user. " Another one read, "Malti was soooo good." "Finally we saw your daughter's face," added another. When we said the comments section is full of love, we legit meant it. Here are some more: "Awww MM is such a beautiful precious baby." Inputs from another Instagram user: "MM this melts my heart #fatherdaughter bond is undoubtedly the most beautiful bond. Congratulations." Another one added, "Your little girl is so adorable and congratulations to Nick, Kevin and Joe." "Awww got to see baby Malti M for first time! Nazar utaarlu (protection from evil eye). "I'm crying, MM is so cute," read another one.
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas got married in 2018 in Rajasthan. Announcing the arrival of their baby girl, the star couple shared a statement in January last year. The statement read: "We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family. Thank you so much."
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Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is poised to kickstart Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in style, transporting us to the populated, urban megacity of Quantum Realm. In what feels like a redemption arc for the often ridiculed and not-so-popular Avenger that is Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), the film sets the first faceoff for the perils to come in the form of the hostile Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors) — in the larger Multiverse Saga. Marking the longest runtime in the shapeshifter trilogy, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releases February 17 in theatres worldwide. While you wait for that superhero affair, why not treat yourself to a taste of Old Hollywood with Damien Chazelle's latest epic Babylon? It's a wild ride, tracking the outsized ambition of eccentric characters, as they bask in the fame before eventually falling off. The film waltzes into cinemas on February 3.
Coming to local fare, we've got two Hindi-language remakes of South Indian movies. First up, Kartik Aaryan kicks things off with Shehzada, an action-drama that explores a young man's struggle under his scornful father's eyes, as he discovers that his real parents are millionaires. Drawing plot beats from the Allu Arjun-led Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, the movie releases February 10 in theatres nationwide. Towards the end of the month, we've got the Selfiee, in which a superfan and a star collide in a feud, stemming from a misunderstanding with regard to obtaining a driver's license (sounds like an everyday argument at any Indian government office — if I'm being honest). A remake of the Malayalam film Driving Licence, the film stars Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi as leads, and is slated to release February 24 in theatres.
The month of February is a little dry on the OTT front, with theatrical releases coming back to form after a long time. That said, you can still check out our Entertainment hub to keep track of new releases that might be suited to your taste. On the streaming side, Apple TV+ leads the pack with Sharper, A24's latest, in which a small, wealthy family gets torn apart by secrets and lies. Also, let's not forget that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives on Disney+ Hotstar on February 1 — 82 days after its theatrical release in November.
For your convenience, we have curated the biggest February 2023 releases coming to theatres and Apple TV+, which you can check out below:
Babylon
When: February 3
Where: Cinemas
Writer-director Damien Chazelle doubles down on his love for jazz music in this loud and boisterous take on golden-age Hollywood. Boasting a heavy runtime of 3 hours and 9 minutes, this Oscar nominee plays like a montage, charting the lives of several offbeat characters in Tinseltown as they make it in the film business, struggling to keep up with changing times, and ultimately succumb to the depravity that comes with overindulgence of fame. Babylon plays host to a drug addict played by Margot Robbie and a pompous silent-film star played by Brad Pitt, who reunite since 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Driving the story forward is Diego Calva's Manuel Torres — the one who manages to smoothly adapt and transition into the soundtrack-loaded talkies era, growing from a meagre film assistant taking cocaine breaks with love interest Nellie (Robbie), to attaining directorial jobs. It shines a light on the fetid exploitative aspect of the industry, whilst being a chaos-fuelled love letter to the art, adorned with dramatic dance set pieces with luxurious amber lighting.
Babylon's ensemble lineup also stars Tobey Maguire as mob boss James McKay, aimed at making Nellie's life hell, although she brings it upon herself with reckless gambling habits. Jean Smart plays sensational journalist Elinor St. John, Jovan Adepo as jazz trumpeter Sidney Palmer, Olivia Wilde as Jack Conrad's ex-wife Ina, and Li Jun Li as cabaret singer Lady Fay Zhu.
Brad Pitt and Diego Calva in a still from Babylon Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures
The Fabelmans
When: February 10
Where: Cinemas
Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans is another Oscar contender heading to Indian theatres in February. In what's billed as a semi-autobiographical film, loosely drawn from the celebrated director's childhood, exploring the coming-of-age tale of a young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) growing up in a post-war Arizona and aspiring to become a filmmaker. However, when a family-shattering secret about infidelity alters plans, he is forced to consider his love for the craft and how the power of movies can help him see the truth.
The Fabelmans sees Spielberg reuniting with scribe Tony Kushner, after collaborating in critical darlings such as the musical West Side Story and the biopic Lincoln. While initially nervous about spewing personal details in a film of his, the director confessed last year that his parents had actually been 'nagging' him to reinterpret that story before their deaths. Paul Dano (The Batman) as Burt Fabelman signifies the on-screen representation of the father, while Michelle Williams (Synecdoche, New York) plays the mother Mitzi Schildkraut-Fabelman.
Seth Rogen is also enlisted in the lineup as Bennie Lowey, a co-worker of Burt's, who later becomes a surrogate uncle to Sammy. Meanwhile, Julia Butters (The Gray Man) plays Sammy's bitter sister Regina Fabelman, whereas Chloe East (The Wolf of Snow Hollow) plays his love interest. Surrealistic filmmaker David Lynch also stars as the famous filmmaker John Ford, whose work heavily influences Sammy's.
Kartik Aaryan steps into the shoes of Allu Arjun in this Hindi-language rendition of the Tamil film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. In it, he plays Bantu Jindal, a young man constantly criticised by his father since childhood, whose life takes an unexpected turn upon discovering that he is, in fact, the rightful heir to a millionaire's empire. Going back in time to the emergency room where he was born, his foster father Valmiki Upadhyay (Paresh Rawal) swapped his actual son with rich colleague Randeep Jindal's (Ronit Roy) baby, so the former could live a lavish life. This explains his contempt and disgust for Bantu, who isn't his actual child.
Bantu then sets out on a mission to reunite with his real parents, explaining his situation to the well-spoken Raj (Ankur Rathee), who was in the dark about the incident as well. Adding some excitement to Shehzada are the action sequences, which see Bantu vowing to protect his true family from the external threats they face — all the while hoping to carve a place for himself.
Kriti Sanon and Aaryan's on-screen chemistry is rekindled with them playing lovers yet again, following 2019's Luka Chuppi. Manisha Koirala plays Bantu's biological mother, while comedic legend Rajpal Yadav portrays Inspector Satish Yadav, who gets tangled in the familial affair.
A Man Called Otto
When: February 10
Where: Cinemas
Stop me if you've heard this one before: a grumpy old man forms an unlikely friendship with a lively new neighbour, resulting in tumultuous, positive changes to his outlook and a new lease on life itself. That's because this plot device has been used numerous times, albeit with varying results. Having given up on his life after his wife's death, a suicidal, cantankerous, and elderly Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) runs into a very pregnant Marisol's (Mariana Treviño) family. With not much 'fun' stuff happening in his day-to-day affair, he is roped in to form new alliances with her nitwit husband, give her driving lessons, and babysit her jovial kids, acting as a grandparent of sorts.
A Man Called Otto frequently goes into flashback territory, examining his relationship with his deceased wife Sonya (Rachel Keller), and giving some insight into his own heart condition, which he internally grapples with. In what feels like a heartwarming course of events, Otto is seen transforming from a male Karen of sorts, to becoming a healthy, inclusive member of the community — going from a gruff voice tone to a softspoken one. In time, he even lets a stray cat in, though he's unsure of letting the feline take up bed space.
The cast also includes Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Mindhunter breakout star Cameron Britton in supporting roles. Marc Forster, best known for the chaotic zombie thriller World War Z, directs from a script penned by David Magee (Finding Neverland).
Inadvertently warped into the Quantum Realm, due to an oversight by Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), our Ant-Family now finds themselves surrounded by exotic wildlife and a hugely populated megacity, ruled by the multiversal overlord Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Scott Lang/ Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who was always treated as a side character of the Avengers' group, receives a warm welcome from the ruler, in addition to the promise of lost time — the five years lost during the infamous Blip event.
Coaxed by the idea of a second chance at connecting with his estranged daughter, our shapeshifting hero agrees to help him accomplish an undisclosed, sinister task. Somewhere along the line, the deal falls through, putting him at odds with Kang, who serves as a formidable opponent. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania also has the added responsibility of introducing the mechanical guns-wielding MODOK, who is canonically known for undergoing mutagenic medical experimentation, causing him to develop a freakishly large head.
Corey Stoll, who previously appeared as Darren Cross/ Yellowjacket in the first Ant-Man film returns to voice MODOK. Michelle Pfeiffer reprises her role as matriarch Janet Van Dyne, who is suspicious of Kang's larger goals, whereas Evangeline Lilly returns as daughter Hope/ Wasp. As per a Fandango listing, Ant-Man 3 clocks in at 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Kathryn Newton and Paul Rudd in a still from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
Sharper
When: February 17
Where: Apple TV+
In Shaper, Julianne Moore (Magnolia) and Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) play an estranged mother and son, who target a wealthy family for A24's latest. The former has managed to seduce and enter into a relationship with billionaire Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow), while the con-man son Max uses skills of deception to seek out massive pay. Like most stories that deal with rich peoples' problems — by way of HBO's Succession — Sharper adds a young heir into the mix. Justice Smith (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) plays Tom, the biological successor to Hobbes' fortune, who is described as 'weak' by his father.
Taking note of this, Max teams up with Sandra (Brianna Middleton), in a master plan to pull Tom into a romantic trap and pretend to be in love with him — presumably to extract money. What follows next is a web of secrets and lies, where characters start competing for riches and power, promising to keep audiences guessing till the end.
Selfiee
When: February 24
Where: Cinemas
RTO Inspector Om Prakash Aggarwal (Emraan Hashmi) is a diehard fan of Bollywood superstar Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar), with the ultimate dream of getting a selfie with his idol. Opportunity comes knocking at his door when the actor needs to obtain a new driver's license, with the officer promising to go to the utmost lengths to get the task done in time. However, a misunderstanding stemming from external forces at play causes Kumar to believe that the cop has been taking unfair advantage of him, resulting in a feud that immediately gets media coverage.
It's a battle of egos essentially, serving as a fun-filled experiment of what could happen when the biggest fan becomes the biggest hurdle in an actor's life. Selfiee also stars Nushrratt Bharuccha (Ram Setu) as Om's wife Minty Aggarwal and Diana Penty as Kumar's girlfriend in supporting roles. Raj Mehta, best known for 2019's Good Newwz directs the film.
The Chromecast with Google TV that runs on Android TV is here. When will Google learn how to name products? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
