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‘Pushes the nostalgia buttons’: why Enchanted is my feelgood movie

The latest in our series of writers picking their go-to comfort films is a tribute to Amy Adams and what might be her greatest performance

Much is often made of Amy Adams’ “always the bridesmaid” Oscar record, as she’s yet to claim a win from six nominations. While this is egregious for an actor of her calibre, the bigger snub is that she wasn’t even nominated for her best performance yet. Enchanted’s Giselle introduced Adams to a mainstream audience and was possibly considered too frivolous for Academy tastes, but her pitch-perfect take on a real-life Disney princess is a masterclass in full-bore commitment, and the gravitational force around which this winningly charming Disney film revolves.

I was instantly won over by Enchanted on its 2007 release, but having since revisited it many times (including with my own kids), I’m convinced it’s close to a platonic ideal of family-friendly feelgood viewing, and there’s been nothing in this vein that’s come close to matching it since (including, sadly, 2022 Disney+ sequel Disenchanted). It’s also so much better than the Disney’s many official live-action remakes.

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The pet I’ll never forget: Jack, the sacked sniffer dog, who pulled me through the darkest days of chemo

After the failure of his police career, Jack came to live with us, caring for the whole family indiscriminately. When I was sickest, and felt unlovable, he reminded me I was loved

Jack, the cocker spaniel, was sacked by the police. His career as a detection dog was an utter failure – he was more interested in people than cannabis and made some embarrassing mistakes, including begging for treats from potential offenders rather than alerting officers about drugs.

A colleague told me about a police dog that needed a home and so Jack arrived – via police van – at our house. He was lithe, glossy black and animated. He ricocheted around the house, knocking over children and pot plants. He chased rabbits and pheasants over the fields. He ate off the children’s plates and collected shoes. He loved us all indiscriminately and liked to have us where he could see us. If anyone left the room, he’d sigh deeply and follow, remaining close until the pack was back together.

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‘Embarrassed’ v ‘force to be reckoned with’: Americans on Trump’s foreign interventions

From capturing Maduro to proposing a take over of Greenland – people respond to the president’s rhetoric

As Donald Trump continues to call for the US to take control of Greenland, not long after the US captured the deposed president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, we asked people in the US what they thought about Trump’s foreign intervention and rhetoric. Here are some of their responses.

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‘Waterfalls saved me’: how photographing nature can heal the soul

John Arnison lives with anxiety and ADHD and finds busy cities unsettling, but loves taking pictures of nature at night

When he first ventured out into the darkness of the Yorkshire Dales 25 years ago, John Arnison’s only goal was to find a photographic style that people would immediately know was his.

Driving for nearly 40 miles from his home in Leeds to Malham, North Yorkshire in the dead of night, John didn’t realise that he was starting a project that would continue for another quarter of a century, and shape the rest of his life.

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Ryanair says it could use Starlink in future despite Elon Musk feud

Airline raises forecasts for profits and passenger numbers, after boss said spat with Tesla CEO boosted bookings

Ryanair would be open to using Elon Musk’s Starlink wifi on its planes in the future, its finance chief has suggested, amid a feud between the boss of the Irish airline and the world’s richest person.

The airline would look at “whoever is the best, when the tech and price is right” for in-flight wifi, the Ryanair chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, said.

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Wel.nl

Minder lezen, Meer weten.

Trump had geen kritiek op militairen Nederland, zegt ambassadeur

DEN HAAG (ANP) - Donald Trump doelde met zijn uitspraken over niet-Amerikaanse NAVO-militairen die zouden zijn weggebleven van de frontlinie tijdens de oorlog in Afghanistan niet op Nederlandse militairen. Dat zei de Amerikaanse ambassadeur Joseph Popolo maandag op X.

"Ik heb geen indicatie gezien dat de uitspraken van president Trump gericht waren op Nederland. De Verenigde Staten erkennen en eren de Nederlandse helden die hun levens gaven terwijl ze schouder aan schouder vochten met Amerikanen in Afghanistan", aldus Popolo.

De Amerikaanse president deed zijn uitspraken in een interview met Fox News tijdens het World Economic Forum in het Zwitserse Davos. Na de uitspraken kreeg Trump veel kritiek van NAVO-bondgenoten.

Nederland sloot zich bij de coalitie in Afghanistan aan nadat de VS een beroep hadden gedaan op artikel 5 van het NAVO-verdrag na de terroristische aanslagen op 11 september 2001.


Bloomberg: OPEC+ houdt vast aan pauze bij productieverhogingen

WENEN (ANP) - Oliekartel OPEC+ houdt de olieproductie bij de komende vergadering naar verwachting opnieuw ongewijzigd. Dat melden bronnen bij OPEC+ aan persbureau Bloomberg. De organisatie, met Saudi-Arabië en Rusland als belangrijkste leden, vergadert op zondag 1 februari via videoverbinding over de productie.

De vergadering vindt plaats temidden van toegenomen geopolitieke spanningen. Volgens een anonieme afgevaardigde van het kartel zijn tot nu toe echter geen aanwijzingen dat gereageerd moet worden op de turbulente gebeurtenissen van deze maand in de OPEC-lidstaten Venezuela en Iran. Niettemin zou een aanzienlijke verstoring van de aanvoer OPEC+ en haar partners ertoe kunnen aanzetten de productie alsnog te verhogen, aldus een andere bron.

OPEC+ besloot in november al de oliekraan voorlopig niet verder open te draaien om de olieprijs te ondersteunen. Eerder in 2025 werd de productie juist opgevoerd om marktaandeel te winnen van andere olieproducenten, vooral in de Verenigde Staten.


Like Any Rose It's Not Itself

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Like Any Rose It's Not Itself

And All Your Friends and Family Think You Are Lucky

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

And All Your Friends and Family Think You Are Lucky

Rijnmond - Nieuws

Het laatste nieuws van vandaag over Rotterdam, Feyenoord, het verkeer en het weer in de regio Rijnmond

Floki was dagenlang vermist en werd met een bijzonder trucje teruggevonden

Toen kat Floki onlangs de benen nam in Dordrecht, was baasje Davina in alle staten. Nederland was bedekt met een dik pak sneeuw en de hoop om het huisdier leven terug te vinden, werd elke dag kleiner. Tot Davina met een nieuwe 'opsporingsmethode' op de proppen kwam.