This might not be the typical expat blog, written by a German expat, living in the Philippines since 1999. It's different. In English and in German. Check it out! Enjoy reading!
Dies mag' nun wirklich nicht der typische Auswandererblog eines Deutschen auf den Philippinen sein. Er soll etwas anders sein. In Englisch und in Deutsch! Viel Spass beim Lesen!
You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?
There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!
Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!
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Showing posts with label Associated Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Associated Press. Show all posts
This photo dated June 18, 2025 and provided by the main customs office Cologne, shows plastic containers holding young tarantulas that had been hidden in chocolate sponge-cake boxes shipped to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP)
By The Associated Press
Published Jul 15, 2025 10:54 am
BERLIN (AP) — Arachnophobes beware: Customs officials on Monday released photos from a seizure of roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that had been hidden in chocolate sponge cake boxes shipped to an airport in western Germany.
Customs officials found the shipment at Cologne Bonn airport in a package that had arrived from Vietnam, tipped off by a "noticeable smell" that didn't resemble the expected aroma of the 7 kilograms (about 15 pounds) of the confectionery treats, Cologne customs office spokesman Jens Ahland said.
"My colleagues at the airport are regularly surprised by the contents of prohibited packages from all over the world, but the fact that they found around 1,500 small plastic containers containing young tarantulas in this package left even the most experienced among them speechless," Ahland said in a statement.
Ahland hailed an "extraordinary seizure," but one that "saddens us to see what some people do to animals purely for profit."
Many of the eight-legged creatures didn't survive the trip, in a suspected violation of German animal-welfare rules, while survivors were given to the care of an expert handler, the office said. Reached by phone, Ahland said that the estimated value of the shipment was being assessed.
This photo dated June 18, 2025 and provided by the main customs office Cologne, shows plastic containers holding young tarantulas that had been hidden in chocolate sponge-cake boxes shipped to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP)
This photo dated June 18, 2025 and provided by the main customs office Cologne, shows plastic containers holding young tarantulas that had been hidden in chocolate sponge-cake boxes shipped to Cologne Bonn airport, western Germany. (Haupzollamt Koeln via AP)
Criminal proceedings are underway against the intended recipient in the Sauerland region, east of the airport, in part for alleged violations of failure to pay the proper import duties and make the proper customs declarations, the office said.
The tarantulas were discovered about three weeks ago, but the customs office only made the images public on Monday.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
By The Associated Press
Published Jul 10, 2025 05:41 am
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump singled out Brazil for import taxes of 50% on Wednesday for its treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, showing that personal grudges rather than simple economics are a driving force in the U.S. leader’s use of tariffs.
Trump avoided his standard form letter with Brazil, specifically tying his tariffs to the trial of Bolsonaro, who is charged with trying to overturn his 2022 election loss. Trump has described Bolsonaro as a friend and hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020.
“This Trial should not be taking place,” Trump wrote in the letter posted on Truth Social. “It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
There is a sense of kinship as Trump was indicted in 2023 for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The U.S. president addressed his tariff letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who bested Bolsonaro in 2022.
Bolsonaro testified before the country’s Supreme Court in June over the alleged plot to remain in power after his 2022 election loss. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants in coming months. A decision could come as early as September, legal analysts say. Bolsonaro has already been ruled ineligible until 2030 by the country’s electoral authorities.
Brazil’s vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, said he sees “no reason” for the U.S. to hike tariffs on the South American nation.
“I think he has been misinformed,” he said. “President Lula was jailed for almost two years. No one questioned the judiciary. No one questioned what the country had done. This is a matter for our judiciary branch.”
For Trump, the tariffs are personal
Trump also objected to Brazil’s Supreme Court fining of social media companies such as X, saying the temporary blocking last year amounted to “SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders.” Trump said he is launching an investigation as a result under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which applies to companies with trade practices that are deemed unfair to U.S. companies.
Unmentioned in the letter was that X is owned by Elon Musk, Trump’s multibillionaire backer in the 2024 election whose time leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency recently ended and led to a public feud over the U.S. president’s deficit-increasing budget plan. Trump also owns a social media company, Truth Social.
The Brazil letter was a reminder that politics and personal relations with Trump matter just as much as any economic fundamentals. And while Trump has said the high tariff rates he’s setting are based on trade imbalances, it was unclear by his Wednesday actions how the countries being targeted would help to reindustrialize America.
The tariffs starting Aug. 1 would be a dramatic increase from the 10% rate that Trump levied on Brazil as part of his April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement. In addition to oil, Brazil sells orange juice, coffee, iron and steel to the U.S., among other products. The U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year, according to the Census Bureau.
Trump initially announced his broad tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, arguing under a 1977 law that the U.S. was at risk because of persistent trade imbalances. But that rationale becomes problematic in this particular case, as Trump is linking his tariffs to the Bolsonaro trial and the U.S. exports more to Brazil than it imports.
Trump also targeted smaller trade partners
Trump also sent letters Wednesday to the leaders of seven other nations. None of them — the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Sri Lanka — is a major industrial rival to the United States.
Most economic analyses say the tariffs will worsen inflationary pressures and subtract from economic growth, but Trump has used the taxes as a way to assert the diplomatic and financial power of the U.S. on both rivals and allies. His administration is promising that the taxes on imports will lower trade imbalances, offset some of the cost of the tax cuts he signed into law on Friday and cause factory jobs to return to the United States.
Trump, during a White House meeting with African leaders, talked up trade as a diplomatic tool. Trade, he said, “seems to be a foundation” for him to settle disputes between India and Pakistan, as well as Kosovo and Serbia.
“You guys are going to fight, we’re not going to trade,” Trump said. “And we seem to be quite successful in doing that.”
On Monday, Trump placed a 35% tariff on Serbia, one of the countries he was using as an example of how fostering trade can lead to peace.
Trump said the tariff rates in his letters were based on “common sense” and trade imbalances, even though the Brazil letter indicated otherwise. Trump suggested he had not thought of penalizing the countries whose leaders were meeting with him in the Oval Office — Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau — as “these are friends of mine now.”
Countries are not complaining about the rates outlined in his letters, he said, even though those tariffs have been generally close to the ones announced April 2 that rattled financial markets. The S&P 500 stock index rose Wednesday.
“We really haven’t had too many complaints because I’m keeping them at a very low number, very conservative as you would say,” Trump said.
Tariff uncertainty returns with Trump’s letters
Officials for the European Union, a major trade partner and source of Trump’s ire on trade, said Tuesday that they are not expecting to receive a letter from Trump listing tariff rates. The Republican president started the process of announcing tariff rates on Monday by hitting two major U.S. trading partners, Japan and South Korea, with import taxes of 25%.
According to Trump’s Wednesday letters, imports from Libya, Iraq, Algeria and Sri Lanka would be taxed at 30%, those from Moldova and Brunei at 25% and those from the Philippines at 20%. The tariffs would start Aug. 1.
The Census Bureau reported that last year that the U.S. ran a trade imbalance on goods of $1.4 billion with Algeria, $5.9 billion with Iraq, $900 million with Libya, $4.9 billion with the Philippines, $2.6 billion with Sri Lanka, $111 million with Brunei and $85 million with Moldova. The imbalance represents the difference between what the U.S. exported to those countries and what it imported.
Taken together, the trade imbalances with those seven countries are essentially a rounding error in a U.S. economy with a gross domestic product of $30 trillion.
The letters were posted on Truth Social after the expiration of a 90-day negotiating period with a baseline levy of 10%. Trump is giving countries more time to negotiate with his Aug. 1 deadline, but he has insisted there will be no extensions for the countries that receive letters.
The tariff letters are worded aggressively in Trump’s style of writing. He frames the tariffs as an invitation to “participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States,” adding that the trade imbalances are a “major threat” to America’s economy and national security.
The president threatened additional tariffs on any country that attempts to retaliate. He said he chose to send the letters because it was too complicated for U.S. officials to negotiate with their counterparts in the countries with new tariffs. It can take years to broker trade accords.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during her second round women's singles match against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
By Associated Press
Published Jul 3, 2025 07:00 am
She's also the only one of the five top-seeded women still in the bracket after No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, last year's runner-up, followed No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen on the way out.
LONDON (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka joked that she'd love it if the upsets at Wimbledon would stop, which makes sense, given that she is ranked No. 1.
She's also the only one of the five top-seeded women still in the bracket after No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, last year's runner-up, followed No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen on the way out.
Sabalenka was two points from dropping the opening set of her second-round match three times on Wednesday, July 2, before asserting herself for a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzkova.
In all, a record-tying 23 seeded players — 10 women, 13 men — were gone by the end of Day 2, equaling the most at any Grand Slam event in the past 25 years. Five more women joined them by losing Wednesday: Paolini, No. 12 Diana Shnaider, No. 21 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 22 Donna Vekic and No. 29 Leylah Fernandez.
“Of course you're going to know the overall picture,” Sabalenka said, then added with a chuckle: I hope it’s no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean.”
She is a three-time Grand Slam champion, with all of those titles coming on hard courts at the Australian Open or U.S. Open. She also was the runner-up to Gauff at the clay-court French Open last month — drawing criticism from some over her post-match comments, a flap she and Gauff set aside via social media videos last week — but hasn't been past the semifinals on the grass of the All England Club.
A year ago, Sabalenka was forced to miss Wimbledon because of an injured shoulder.
On Wednesday, the record-breaking heat of the first two days gave way to rain that delayed the start of play on smaller courts for about two hours, along with temperatures that dropped from above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) to below 68 F (20 C).
At Centre Court, the 48th-ranked Bouzkova went ahead 6-5 in the first set with the match's initial service break thanks to a double-fault by Sabalenka. Bouzkova served for that set, and was two points away from it at 30-15 in that game, again at 30-all, then once more at deuce.
But on the last such occasion, Sabalenka came through with a forehand volley winner she punctuated with a yell, followed by a down-the-line backhand winner that was accompanied by another shout.
“That was a tough moment, said Sabalenka, who will face 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu next. “Until that point, (my) return wasn’t great enough to break her serve. I'm really glad ... everything clicked together and I was able to break her back. I kind of like felt a little bit better.”
That sent them to a tiebreaker, and from 4-all there, Sabalenka took the next three points, ending the set with a powerful forehand return winner off a 67 mph second serve. In the second set, the only break arrived for a 3-2 lead for Sabalenka, and that was basically that.
Sabalenka compiled a 41-17 edge in winners while making only 18 unforced errors in a match that lasted a little more than 1 1/2 hours.
cdx-size style=font-size: 20px;>What else happened Wednesday at Wimbledon?
Raducanu defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3, and Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who is seeded sixth, beat Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2. In men's action, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 20 matches with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 733rd-ranked qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who plays for the University of San Diego, and No. 5 Taylor Fritz got past Gabriel Diallo of Canada 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3 for his second consecutive five-set win. But No. 12 Frances Tiafoe joined the parade of seeds exiting, eliminated by 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Cam Norrie 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.
cdx-size style=font-size: 20px;>Who plays Thursday at the All England Club?
Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his 24 major championships at Wimbledon, will lead off the Centre Court schedule on Day 4 against Britain's Dan Evans at 1:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET), followed by Iga Swiatek vs. Caty McNally, and No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. Aleksandar Vukic.
Bathers cool off in the water while others sunbathe on a Barcelona beach, Spain, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti,File)
Scientists say four billion people, about half the world's population, experienced at least one extra month of extreme heat because of human-caused climate change from May 2024 to May 2025.
The extreme heat caused illness, death, crop losses, and strained energy and health care systems, according to the analysis from World Weather Attribution, Climate Central, and the Red Cross.
"Although floods and cyclones often dominate headlines, heat is arguably the deadliest extreme event," the report said. Many heat-related deaths are unreported or are mislabeled by other conditions like heart disease or kidney failure.
The scientists used peer-reviewed methods to study how much climate change boosted temperatures in an extreme heat event and calculated how much more likely its occurrence was because of climate change. In almost all countries in the world, the number of extreme heat days has at least doubled compared with a world without climate change.
Caribbean islands were among the hardest hit by additional extreme heat days. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, endured 161 days of extreme heat. Without climate change, only 48 would have occurred.
"It makes it feel impossible to be outside," said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, chief director for Puerto Rico at Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit focused on social and environmental issues in Latino communities, who lives in the San Juan area and was not involved in the report.
"Even something as simple as trying to have a day outdoors with family, we weren't able to do it because the heat was too high," she said, reporting feeling dizzy and sick last summer.
When the power goes out, which happens frequently in Puerto Rico in part because of decades of neglected grid maintenance and damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017, Navarro said it is difficult to sleep. "If you are someone relatively healthy, that is uncomfortable, it's hard to sleep ... but if you are someone who has a health condition, now your life is at risk," Gossett Navarro said.
Heat waves are silent killers, said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. "People don't fall dead on the street in a heat wave ... people either die in hospitals or in poorly insulated homes and therefore are just not seen," he said.
Low-income communities and vulnerable populations, such as older adults and people with medical conditions, suffer the most from extreme heat.
The high temperatures recorded in the extreme heat events that occurred in Central Asia in March, South Sudan in February and in the Mediterranean last July would have not been possible without climate change, according to the report. At least 21 people died in Morocco after temperatures hit 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) last July. People are noticing temperatures are getting hotter but don't always know it is being driven by climate change, said Roop Singh, head of urban and attribution at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, in a World Weather Attribution statement.
"We need to quickly scale our responses to heat through better early warning systems, heat action plans, and long-term planning for heat in urban areas to meet the rising challenge," Singh said.
City-led initiatives to tackle extreme heat are becoming popular in parts of South Asia, North America, Europe and Australia to coordinate resources across governments and other agencies. One example is a tree-planting initiative launched in Marseille, France, to create more shaded areas.
The report says strategies to prepare for heat waves include monitoring and reporting systems for extreme temperatures, providing emergency health services, cooling shelters, updated building codes, enforcing heat safety rules at work, and designing cities to be more heat-resilient.
But without phasing out fossil fuels, heat waves will continue becoming more severe and frequent and protective measures against the heat will lose their effectiveness, the scientists said.
May also brings big studio releases like a live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” “Mission: Impossible 8" and a new Wes Anderson film.
The official movie posters of 2025 films to be released from May to August (AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - Ethan Hunt’s last mission? A new Superman? Happy Gilmore as a dad? Three genre-spanning Pedro Pascal movies, including a romance, a superhero movie and an A24 Ari Aster thriller? Hollywood is pulling out the stops this summer movie season, which kicks off with the release Marvel’s “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” on May 2.
May also brings big studio releases like a live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” “Mission: Impossible 8" and a new Wes Anderson film. June heats up with race cars in “F1,” adventure in “How to Train Your Dragon,” zombies in “28 Years Later” and a New York love triangle with Dakota Johnson’s matchmaker in the middle in “Materialists.
July is supercharged with “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Superman” and “Fantastic Four: The First Steps.” And August closes out the season with comedies, big (“The Naked Gun”) and dark (“The Roses”), horror (“Weapons”) and a lighthearted body-swap (“Freakier Friday”).
Here’s The Associated Press’ guide to help make sense of the many, many options in theaters and at home.
May movie releases
May 1
“Another Simple Favor” (Prime Video, streaming): Chill those martini glasses, Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reunite with their “A Simple Favor” director Paul Feig for this Italy-set sequel.
May 2
“Thunderbolts” (Disney, theaters): Marvel’s antiheroes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) kick off the summer movie season in superhero style. “It’s a group of misfit toys that have been essentially thrown away at the beginning of the movie and have to figure out if they can work together to get themselves out of that mess,” director Jake Schreier told the AP. (Read AP’s review.)
“Bonjour Tristesse” (Greenwich Entertainment, theaters): Chloë Sevigny and Claes Bang star in this new adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s lusty, stylish coming of age novel about a playboy father and his teenage daughter (Lily McInerny) on the French Riviera.
“Pavements” (Utopia, theaters): Alex Ross Perry takes an experimental approach to the traditional music biopic in his portrait of the indie rock group Pavement that’s better experienced than described.
“Rust” (Falling Forward Films, theaters and VOD): The Alec Baldwin Western “Rust” is actually coming out after years in limbo and litigation. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set in October 2021 and director Joel Souza was wounded during a rehearsal. Souza said at the film’s premiere at a festival in Poland in November that it was Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, who wanted the film to be finished.
“The Surfer” (Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions, theaters): Tensions are high on a “locals-only beach” when Nicolas Cage and his son return to try to catch some waves.
“Magic Farm” (MUBI, theaters): Amalia Ulman directs this absurdist comedy about a documentary crew who ends up in the wrong town, starring Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff and Simon Rex.
“Words of War” (Decal, theaters): Maxine Peake and Jason Isaacs star in this political thriller about journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya. Sean Penn produced.
“Vulcanizadora” (Oscilloscope, theaters): A black comedy following friends on a dark mission deep in the woods of Michigan.
May 9
“Friendship” (A24, theaters): Paul Rudd and “I Think You Should Leave” comedian Tim Robinson star in this absurd, comedic film about male camaraderie.
“Shadow Force” (Lionsgate, theaters): Kerry Washington and Omar Sy star in this Joe Carnahan-directed action thriller about a couple of ex-assassins running from their old boss (and trying to protect their young son).
“Nonnas” (Netflix, streaming): Vince Vaughn stars in this Stephen Chbosky-movie based on a true story of a Brooklyn guy who hires Italian grandmothers to be the chefs at a restaurant after the loss of his own mother. Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Linda Cardellini also star.
“Fight or Flight” (Vertical, theaters): Josh Hartnett, sporting bleached blonde hair, is a mercenary on a flight full of assassins in this bloody action-comedy at 30,000 feet.
“Caught by the Tides” (Janus Films): Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke takes footage spanning 22 years to tell a story of love and longing that had Cannes critics raving last year. Zhao Tao stars.
“Juliet & Romeo” (Briarcliff Entertainment, theaters): Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers get the (pop) music treatment in this colorful take starring Clara Rugaard and Jamie Ward.
“Clown in a Cornfield” (RLJ Entertainment): This slasher from director Eli Craig (“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”) features a killer named Frendo.
“Lilly” (Blue Harbor Entertainment, theaters): Patricia Clarkson plays equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter in this biographical drama.
May 16
“Final Destination: Bloodlines” (Warner Bros., theaters): It’s been 25 years since the “Final Destination” franchise kicked off and they’re still finding new horrifying ways to kill off their characters.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” (Lionsgate, theaters): The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) plays a fictionalized version of himself in this psychological thriller about an insomniac musician from Trey Edward Shults, co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
“Love” (Strand Releasing): This Norwegian film about two health care workers discussing relationship philosophies closes out Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex, Dreams, Love” trilogy.
“Sister Midnight” (Magnet Releasing, theaters): This black comedy about an unhappy arranged marriage and a series of chaotic events was a Cannes selection in 2024.
“The Ruse” (Seismic Releasing, theaters): This thriller centers on a caregiver and the mysterious patient she’s caring for in a remote home on the sea.
May 23
“Lilo & Stitch” (Disney, theaters): This live-action reimagining of the 2002 classic about orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unknowingly adopt an alien was directed by “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp. Sydney Agudong, who plays older sister Nani, said, “The beauty of this movie is that it highlights the idea of Aloha and Ohana and the family dynamics that happen here along with the aliens and the Hawaiian roller coaster ride.”
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount, theaters): Nothing ever really ends in the land of franchise filmmaking, but the “final” in the title suggests this could actually be Tom Cruise’s last ride as Ethan Hunt. Even if it isn’t, audiences can trust it’ll be full of death-defying spectacles worthy of the big screen.
“Fountain of Youth” (Apple TV+, streaming): Natalie Portman and John Krasinski play siblings on a dangerous quest for the fountain of youth in this globe-trotting adventure from Guy Ritchie.
“Pee-Wee As Himself” (Max, streaming): This riveting two-part documentary about the life of Paul Reubens was crafted from some 40 hours of interviews and thousands of hours of archival footage.
“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): A Parisian bookseller gets invited to the Jane Austen writers’ residency in this contemporary Austen-inspired romantic comedy written and directed by Laura Piani.
“Fear Street: Prom Queen” (Netflix, streaming): Prom queen candidates begin to vanish in this latest “Fear Street” installment, set in 1988.
“The Last Rodeo” (Angel Studios, theaters): Neal McDonough plays a retired cowboy who decides to return to the ring in a bid to pay his son’s medical bills.
May 30
“Karate Kid: Legends” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio unite for the newest “Karate Kid” film, set three years after “Cobra Kai” and focusing on a new kid, Li, played by Ben Wang. “It kind of harkens back to the previous entries in the franchise,” Wang said. “It’s a kid who is a fish out of water who comes to a new city and has to face down bullies.”
“Bring Her Back” (A24, theaters): “Talk to Me” filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou return with this creepy new movie about death, resurrection and the arrival of an adopted kid who is not quite right. Sally Hawkins plays the mother.
“The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus Features, theaters): Benicio del Toro stars as one of the richest men in Europe, and father to nine sons and one daughter (Mia Threapleton), in Wes Anderson’s newest film, featuring a typically starry ensemble including Tom Hanks, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed and Benedict Cumberbatch.
“The Kingdom” (Metrograph, theaters): This Cannes breakout is about a teenage girl who goes on the run with her estranged mob boss father one summer in Corsica.
“Ghost Trail” (Music Box Films, theaters): Jonathan Millet directed this revenge thriller about a Syrian man in France who is in pursuit of the man who tortured him at an infamous military prison.
“Tornado” (IFC Films, theaters): Kōki, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira and Tim Roth star in this revenge thriller set in 1790s Britain.
June movie releases
June 6
“Ballerina,” (Lionsgate, theaters): Ana de Armas leads this “John Wick” spinoff about a deadly (and classically trained) assassin.
“The Life of Chuck” (Neon, theaters): This is not your typical Stephen King adaptation. Mike Flanagan directs the sentimental and supernatural story about the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in three chapters. Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Benjamin Pajak and Karen Gillan are among the large ensemble cast.
“The Ritual” (XYZ Films, theaters): Al Pacino and Dan Stevens as men of the church performing exorcisms? Sure, why not.
“Dangerous Animals” (IFC Films, theaters): Jai Courtney plays a serial killer who feeds his victims to sharks in this bonkers-sounding movie.
“I Don’t Understand You” (Vertical, theaters): Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells are a couple vacationing in Italy in this dark comedy with an escalating body count.
“Straw” (Netflix, streaming): Taraji P. Henson leads this Tyler Perry drama about a single mother.
“Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye” (GKIDS, theaters): More adventures of Momo and Okarun in this series based on the popular manga by Yukinobu Tatsu.
June 12
“Deep Cover” (Prime Video, streaming): Bryce Dallas Howard plays an improv comedy teacher recruited by an undercover cop (Sean Bean) for a mission for which she enlists two of her students (Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed).
June 13
“How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal, theaters): Unlike most live adaptations of animated movies, filmmaker Dean DeBlois is behind both. DeBlois said their goal was to make the film “really immersive,” to dial up the sense of urgency and peril and “to just pull the audience in and make them feel like these dragons are real, that you could own one, you could fly on the back of one.” Mason Thames plays Hiccup and Nico Parker takes on the role of Astrid in this epic fantasy sure to enchant a new generation (and the one who grew up on the original).
“Materialists” (A24, theaters): Dakota Johnson plays a matchmaker torn between two prospects (played by Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal) in love story from “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song. “It’s a modern love story that’s set in New York City and it’s inspired by the brief time that I worked as a professional matchmaker,” Song said. “I really tried in this film to be really honest about the marketplace of dating, as the people actually experience it and live it today.”
“Echo Valley” (AppleTV+, streaming): Claire (Sydney Sweeney) shows up on her mother’s (Julianne Moore) doorstep covered in someone else’s blood in this thriller from Brad Ingelsby.
“The Unholy Trinity” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson lead this Western, set in 1870s Montana.
“Prime Minister” (Magnolia, theaters): This documentary follows Jacinda Ardern through her tenure as prime minister of New Zealand.
June 17
“Sally” (NatGeo/Disney+, streaming): Blue Origin who? Sally Ride, the first American woman to go to space, is the focus of this new documentary that chronicles her professional accomplishments and her lesser-known personal life.
June 20
“28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures, theaters): The original team behind “28 Days Later,” including director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, return with a new entry featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes.
“Elio” (Disney/Pixar, theaters): This intergalactic adventure centers on an 11-year-old earthling (Yonas Kibreab) who is abducted by aliens and assumed to be a world leader. Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña is part of the voice cast.
“Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” (Kino Lorber, theaters): Marlee Matlin gives an unflinchingly honest account of her experiences as a deaf actor in this funny and revelatory documentary, directed by Shoshannah Stern, who also is deaf. The film is closed captioned and includes verbal translations for hearing audiences.
“Sovereign” (Briarcliff, theaters): Dennis Quaid, Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay lead this crime thriller about anti-government extremists and a police standoff.
“ Bride Hard” (Magenta Light Studios, theaters): Rebel Wilson is a secret agent whose skills come in handy at her friend’s wedding when a hostage situation emerges in this Simon West-directed comedy.
“Everything’s Going to Be Great” (Lionsgate, theaters): Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney are lifelong actors in regional theater trying to raise their very different sons.
“Alma and the Wolf” (Republic Pictures, theaters): Ethan Embry and “Sinners” breakout Li Jun Li star in this psychological horror about a mysterious wolf attack and a police officer’s missing son.
“KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix, streaming): An animated action comedy about K-pop superstars who also hunt demons on the side.
June 27
“F1” (Warner Bros./Apple, theaters): Brad Pitt plays “the best that never was,” F1 driver Sonny Hayes, who’s recruited to mentor a young up-and-comer (Damson Idris) in this high-octane film from “Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski. Real racing cars were used, driver Lewis Hamilton consulted and a new camera system was developed to give audiences an immersive experience. “It’s a story about a last-place team, a group of underdogs, and Sonny Hayes in his later years having one more chance to try to do something he was never able to do, which is win a race in F1,” Kosinski said.
“M3GAN 2.0” (Universal, theaters): The creepy, dancing doll is back — as is an even more dangerous version on a killing spree whom she has to stop. Any questions?
“Sorry, Baby” (A24, theaters): One of the big breakouts from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the debut feature of writer-director-star Eva Victor follows Agnes, a grad student, in the aftermath of a sexual assault. “I wanted to make a film that was about feeling stuck when everyone around you keeps moving,” Victor said. “I really think the thing it’s about is trying to heal and the slow pace at which healing comes and how it’s really not linear and how there are joys to be found in the everyday and especially in very affirming friendships and sometimes, like, a sandwich depending on the day.”
“Hot Milk” (IFC Films, theaters): Things heat up on the Spanish coast, where Sofia (Emma Mackey) and her mother (Fiona Shaw) have gone in hopes of helping her mysterious illness. There Sofia meets a beguiling stranger (Vicky Krieps). This Berlin selection is based on a novella by Deborah Levy.
July movie releases
July 2
“Jurassic World Rebirth” (Universal, theaters): Filmmaker Gareth Edwards (a “Jurassic Park” superfan and the director of “The Creator”) is ushering in a new era of “Jurassic” movies and harkening back to the Steven Spielberg originals in this film with Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Much about the film is being kept top secret, but Edwards said David Koepp’s script read like a love letter to Spielberg’s early work. “It’s basically a mission story where these military types go to this island to get this DNA, then there’s a twist,” Edwards said. “This family ends up involved and it becomes a story of survival. It’s like one giant roller coaster ride and once it gets going, it sort of doesn’t stop.”
“The Old Guard 2” (Netflix, streaming): Charlize Theron is back with her immortal team for a new mission. KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli also reprise their roles.
“Heads of State” (Prime Video, streaming): Heads of state get a glow up in this action comedy, in which Idris Elba plays the British prime minister and John Cena is the U.S. president who are forced to work together (along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ MI6 agent) to defeat a foreign adversary.
“40 Acres” (Magnolia, theaters): Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes lead this post-apocalyptic thriller about a plague that has caused worldwide famine.
July 10
“Brick” (Netflix, streaming): In this German horror, a couple wakes up to find they’re trapped in their apartment.
July 11
“Superman” (Warner Bros., theaters): James Gunn is ushering in a new era of Superman, with a fresh face in David Corenswet and the promise that he’s a different Superman than what audiences have seen before. Gunn told the AP that this is “a Superman that’s both more grounded in his own personality and his relationship, which is much more complex than has been in the past. And then also the big magic world of Superman being in the world of the DCU with flying dogs and robots and giant monsters.” There’s romance with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, and a “pretty scary” Lex Luthor in Nicholas Hoult. “He’s actually going to kill (Superman),” Gunn said. “And that’s cool to see.”
“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight ” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Actor Embeth Davidtz directs and stars in this critically acclaimed adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s bestselling memoir of growing up on a farm in the former Rhodesia before and after the 1980 election, as the colonial system crumbles. The story is told through the eyes of 8-year-old Bobo (Lexi Venter).
“Tyler Perry’s Destination Wedding” (Netflix, streaming): Madea goes to the Bahamas.
“Skillhouse” (Fathom, theaters): 50 Cent stars in this horror about influencers who are lured into a “content house” and forced to compete in deadly challenges.
July 18
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles from the 1997 slasher in this new installment featuring an eerily similar situation and a cast of pretty young up-and-comers including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King and Tyriq Withers.
“Smurfs” (Paramount, theaters): Rihanna produced and stars as Smurfette in this new musical adventure. “There’s a purity to the Smurfs mythos,” said Nick Offerman, who voices Papa Smurf’s brother Ken. “That, I think, is what makes their appeal so timeless. They’re a benevolent group of wee blue villagers who, you know, want to love one another and lead productive lives while fending off the world’s forces of evil, usually represented by the machinations of some wizards out for ill gotten gains.”
“Eddington” (A24, theaters): Ari Aster re-teams with Joaquin Phoenix for this film about a standoff between a small-town sheriff and a mayor in the early months of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler also star.
“Unicorns” (Cohen Media Group, theaters): A young, single father from Essex (Ben Hardy) is disarmed when he falls for a drag queen.
July 25
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” (Disney, theaters): Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach unite to play “Marvel’s first family” in this retro-futuristic world set in 1960s New York. Director Matt Shakman (“WandaVision,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) said they are the only superheroes in their world and are the leading lights of their age. While the scale and world building were on another level, Shakman said, “it’s also no different from all of the great comedies and dramas that I’ve done — in the end, it comes down to character, to relationships and to heart and humor.”
“Happy Gilmore 2” (Netflix, streaming): Adam Sandler returns to the green (and one of his most beloved roles) after almost 30 years, along with Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), Hal (Ben Stiller), Virginia (Julie Bowen) and Doug (Dennis Dugan) and an army of newcomers, including some Gilmore offspring. “The first one is so iconic, we all kind of knew the world that we were stepping into,” said Conor Sherry, who plays one of his sons. “We were like the newest additions to a long, long, long family.”
“Oh, Hi!” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman lead this dark romantic comedy about a married couple’s first romantic weekend getaway.
“Diciannove” (Oscilloscope, theaters): Luca Guadagnino produced this coming-of-age film about a 19-year-old’s journey of self-discovery.
July 30
“Together” (Neon, theaters): Real life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie play a frighteningly codependent couple in this inventive body horror that had Sundance crowds raving.
August movie releases
Aug. 1
“The Bad Guys 2” (Universal, theaters): Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos return for another animated heist, but this time they’re teaming up with a new squad called the Bad Girls (voiced by Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova and Natasha Lyonne).
“The Naked Gun” (Paramount, theaters): Liam Neeson flexes his particular set of comedy skills as Frank Drebin Jr. in this irreverent new entry from Lonely Island veteran Akiva Schaffer, featuring Paul Walter Hauser and Pamela Anderson.
Aug. 6
“Sketch” (Angel Studios, theaters): This horror comedy about a girl’s drawings that come to life stars Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden.
Aug. 8
“Weapons” (Warner Bros., theaters): Children are disappearing in filmmaker Zach Cregger’s eerie follow-up to “Barbarian,” starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich.
“Freakier Friday” (Disney, theaters): Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo.
“My Mother’s Wedding” (Vertical, theaters): Kristin Scott Thomas directs and stars in this drama about a woman getting married for the third time, which is an occasion for her three daughters (Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham) to come home.
Aug. 13
“Fixed” (Netflix, streaming): An adult animated comedy from Genndy Tartakovsky about a dog’s quest for one last adventure before being neutered.
Aug. 15
“Nobody 2” (Universal Pictures, theaters): Bob Odenkirk’s former assassin Hutch Mansell can’t catch a break. This time, Keanu Reeves joins the bloody fun.
“Clika” (Sony Pictures, theaters): A small-town musician (Jay Dee) goes viral in this drama set in the world of Mexican American music. It’s the debut feature of Rancho Humilde CEO Jimmy Humilde’s production company.
“East of Wall” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Kate Beecroft’s debut film about a young horse trainer grappling with financial insecurity and grief in the South Dakota Badlands won the audience award in the NEXT section at the Sundance Film Festival.
“Eli Roth Presents: Jimmy and Stiggs” (Iconic Events, theaters): A low budget “splatter fest” for horror devotees, Joe Begos wrote, directed and stars.
“Witchboard” (Atlas, theaters): “Stranger Things’” Jamie Campbell Bower stars in this supernatural horror set in New Orleans (a remake of a 1986 cult classic).
Aug. 22
“Lurker” (MUBI, theaters): Another Sundance gem, this paranoid thriller is the feature debut of “The Bear” and “Beef” writer Alex Russell, about celebrity, fandom and being very online, featuring a buzzy young cast led by Théodore Pellerin and Archie Madekwe.
“HONEY DON’T!” (Focus Features, theaters): Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner and Chris Evans star in this dark comedy from Ethan Coen about a small-town private investigator and a string of mysterious deaths.
“Americana” (Lionsgate, theaters): This Sydney Sweeney-led crime thriller, a revisionist Western set in South Dakota, debuted at South by Southwest in 2023 and concerns the theft of a valuable artifact.
“Eden” (Vertical, theaters): Ron Howard directs Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby and Sydney Sweeney in this survival thriller set in the Galapagos after the first World War.
“Relay” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Riz Ahmed plays a corporate fixer in this contemporary riff on the paranoid thriller from “Hell or High Water” filmmaker David Mackenzie.
“Grand Prix of Europe” (Viva Pictures, theaters): “F1” for the preschool set? This animated film is also set in the world of car racing.
Aug. 28
“The Thursday Murder Club” (Netflix, streaming): Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie play retirees who spend their time solving cold cases in this adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestseller, directed by Chris Columbus.
Aug. 29
“Caught Stealing” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s film is written by and based on the Charlie Huston books about an ex-baseball player (Austin Butler) who gets tangled up in New York’s criminal underworld in the 1990s. Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Matt Smith and Bad Bunny also star.
“The Roses” (Searchlight Pictures, theaters): The modern reimagining of “The War of the Roses” stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as the feuding couple. It was written by Tony McNamara, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Poor Things” and creator of “The Great,” and directed by Jay Roach.
“The Toxic Avenger” (Cineverse and Iconic Events Releasing, theaters): Peter Dinklage stars as the titular superhero in this supremely gory and graphic film, which sat on the shelf for a few years in search of a distributor. Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Kevin Bacon and Taylour Paige also star.
The 17-year-old German became the first player born in 2008 to win a match on the ATP Tour and celebrated the feat with a unique celebration.
MUNICH (AP) — Diego Dedura-Palomero made his mark on tennis in more than one way Tuesday, April 15.
Germany's Dedura-Palomero plays Canada's Denis Shapovalov during the first round of the Munich tennis tournament, in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April, 15. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
The 17-year-old German became the first player born in 2008 to win a match on the ATP Tour and celebrated the feat with a unique celebration.
After his opponent Denis Shapovalov retired when trailing 7-6 (2), 3-0 in their first-round match at the BMW Open in Munich, Dedura-Palomero used his feet to scrape out a cross on the Munich clay before lying down on top of it.
Dedura-Palomero said he was “quite religious” and the celebration was “a gesture of gratitude,” in comments reported by German news agency dpa.
Only four players younger than Dedura-Palomero — including a 16-year-old Boris Becker in 1984 — have ever won at the storied Munich tournament, the ATP said. The most recent was Romanian Dinu Pescariu, who had just turned 17 when he upset John McEnroe in 1991.
Dedura-Palomero wasn’t even meant to be playing Tuesday. The teenager from Berlin had lost in qualifying to Alexander Bublik but got a place in the main draw when Gael Monfils withdrew. After his win against the eighth-seeded Shapovalov, Dedura-Palomero goes on to play Zizou Bergs in the second round.
Also Tuesday in Munich, Mariano Navone upset third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), fourth-seeded Ugo Humbert beat Nicolas Jarry 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and fifth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo won 6-0, 6-2 against Jan-Lennard Struff. There was another upset as German wild card Yannick Hanfmann ousted sixth-seeded Jakub Mensik 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3.
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