THEY are gangster-film icons who have joined forces for The Irishman, in what the critics are calling "the ultimate mobster movie". Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, with a combined age of 231, make up the Hollywood holy trinity in the Netflix film — directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It is a film of epic proportions: 12 years in the making and a bum-numbing three-and-a-half hours long. And at £110million, so big that most studios refused to make it. It was down to streaming service Netflix to fork out for the story about real-life mobster assassin Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. Last night De Niro, 76, Pacino, 79, and director Scorsese, 76, were on the red carpet at The Irishman’s London premiere. The film is based on 2003 book, I Heard You Paint Houses, written by Sheeran’s lawyer Charles Brandt.Among other murderous tales, it recounts Sheeran’s role in the suspected killing of corrupt US union boss Jimmy Hoffa, played by Pacino. … [Read more...] about The Irishman is out in cinemas today and it may be the mob’s greatest HIT after £112m splurge and 12 years in the making
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Capital murder defendant wants declaration of innocence
WACO, Texas (AP) — During his 26 years in prison, Richard Bryan Kussmaul heard scraps of news from the world he left behind: the death of his brother from cancer, followed by the deaths of his parents and the incarceration of his son. Meanwhile, he sewed prison clothes and found a faith that would sustain him through the battle of his life: proving he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and double murder. When he was released on bond this spring after winning a new trial based on DNA evidence, he walked into an unfamiliar world of smartphones and new fast-food joints, owning nothing more than a shirt and a pair of pants. Now he has found a job, moved in with his disabled sister in Moody and rekindled his relationship with his son’s mother. But his battle continues as he tries to remove the last lingering doubts about his innocence, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. The McLennan County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the capital murder charge against … [Read more...] about Capital murder defendant wants declaration of innocence
New Delhi fire leaves at least 43 dead as raging inferno sweeps through crowded factory while helpless workers sleep
AT least 43 people have died in a devastating fire at a factory in New Delhi where workers were sleeping. Helpless victims were trapped as the inferno quickly spread through the six-storey building in the Indian capital on Sunday morning. The factory was making handbags and was packed with highly flammable raw materials that helped the deadly blaze spread with ferocious speed, local media reported. But no details were immediately available on the cause of the fire - which erupted in a densely populated residential area at around 5:30am local time. The blaze was tackled by hero firefighters who rushed in 25 trucks to the scene. Rescuers scoured through the smoldering wreckage in the hunt for more survivors.'EXTREMELY HORRIFIC' Emergency services said at least 50 people were rescued - with 16 people rushed to hospital suffering burns and smoke inhalation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the fire as "extremely horrific." He tweeted: "My thoughts are with those who lost their loved … [Read more...] about New Delhi fire leaves at least 43 dead as raging inferno sweeps through crowded factory while helpless workers sleep
DW employees from Africa, Asia offer Germans tips for heat
Germany is just coming out of this summer's latest heat wave. For two consecutive days, the country recorded all-time temperature records, reaching 42.6 degrees Celsius (108.7 F) in Lower Saxony. This resulted in train air-conditioning systems malfunctioning, tracks being bent out of shape and delayed travel. A nuclear power plant had to be taken offline after the coolant system got too hot. DW journalists from around the world shared their experiences growing up in warmer climates to help Germans prepare for the next heat wave. Li Shitao, of DW's China desk, said humidity made living in Shanghai difficult. He said June and August were the worst months in the Chinese coastal metropolis. "During the summer holidays,” he said, "I basically had a shower every hour." As a child, he lived in a little apartment with his family. Its wall faced west, meaning that the sun heated their home intensely during the afternoon and evening. "It was like living in an oven," he said. He remembers … [Read more...] about DW employees from Africa, Asia offer Germans tips for heat
Metro Man wants to change how we shop
'The best way to make an impact in this market is by focusing on three things: Unmet customer need, unarticulated customer need, and emerging customer need,' Metro's Arvind Mediratta tells Sangeeta Tanwar and Alokananda Chakraborty.Rediff.com When we go back and listen to the recording of our conversation with Arvind Mediratta, we can hear ourselves launching into loud guffaws every now and then; quite often we are trying to stop the laugh short because we are not sure if an episode he has just narrated is entirely true or if he is just pulling a fast one. Take his response to this question about whether he believes an average Indian can intellectually corner the American or the European in a flash. He says when he landed up in the US during an earlier assignment -- and that would be barely five years ago -- one of the questions he was often asked by colleagues was how many elephants do Indians keep in their homes. We laugh and then stop and wonder if he is really serious. The MD & … [Read more...] about Metro Man wants to change how we shop