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‘He’s a jump-off-the-cliff kind of guy’: inside Francis Ford Coppola’s chaotic Megalopolis shoot

‘He’s a jump-off-the-cliff kind of guy’: inside Francis Ford Coppola’s chaotic Megalopolis shoot

Mike Figgis’s documentary takes us on to the set of the director’s passion project to give as raw and intimate a portrait of an auteur at work as we’ve had for some time ‘Do you know why I’m doing this movie? What do I get out of it?” an exasperated Francis Ford Coppola asks Shia LaBeouf on the set of Megalopolis . “I don’t get money. I don’t get fame; I already have fame. I don’t get Oscars, I already have Oscars. What do I get that I want?” LaBeouf eventually gives up. “Fun!” Coppola says. “I wanna have fun!” Making Megalopolis doesn’t look like most people’s idea of fun as Coppola attempts to corral actors, crew, costumes, locations, lavish sets and special effects all in service of a sprawling sci-fi-meets-ancient-Rome story that no one fully understands. Throw in the fact that the film-maker spent $120m of his own money on the passion project by selling off part of his winemaking business to raise funds, having spent nearly 50 years trying to get it made, and that the production was beset with delays, technical headaches and bust-ups, and you feel this is more than most 83-year-olds should have to go through. Continue reading...

Potassium-rich diet may cut risk of heart failure by 24%, study suggests

Potassium-rich diet may cut risk of heart failure by 24%, study suggests

Eating foods such as avocados, bananas and spinach linked to lower risk of heart conditions, hospitalisation or death Eating foods rich in potassium, such as avocados, bananas and spinach, could reduce your risk of heart conditions, hospitalisation and death by 24%, a study suggests. Previous research has shown that cutting out salt from meals can slash your risk of heart problems. Reducing the number of meals to which you add salt or ditching it altogether can make a huge difference to your heart health. Continue reading...

5 Major Challenges Facing Keir Starmer As MPs Return From Their Summer Holidays

5 Major Challenges Facing Keir Starmer As MPs Return From Their Summer Holidays

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set for a tricky return to parliament. Keir Starmer does not have his troubles to seek as MPs return to parliament on Monday after their summer break. The prime minister faces a series of challenges on a number of different fronts this autumn as he tries to arrest the dramatic slide in the government’s – and his own – popularity. A YouGov poll earlier this week put Labour on just 20%, their lowest point since 2019, while Starmer’s own approval ratings are at minus 41. And while the PM’s supporters point out that the next election is not due until 2029, there are growing rumblings among Labour MPs that he may not survive in No.10 long enough to lead the party into it. Here, HuffPost UK looks at the five main challenges facing Starmer as he gears up for what could be a defining few weeks for his premiership. 1) Immigration The soaring number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats, and protests outside the hotels housing them, has been the story of the summer, and the government has been on the back foot throughout. While Nigel Farage has been making fanciful pledges about deporting 600,000 illegal immigrants and renegotiating the Good Friday Agreement, Labour have barely been on the pitch. One of the main problems Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, has is that voters simply don’t believe his get-tough posts on X pledging to detain and arrest every immigrant who enters the UK illegally. Piecemeal changes like removing judges from the asylum appeals process in order to remove immigrants from the country more quickly may well bear fruit in time, but are not enough to satisfy voters who want results now. Labour MPs, especially those in the Red Wall, know that their seats are on the line at the next election unless the government gets to grips with the issue, and soon. Protesters wave a Union Flag during a demonstration in Orpington near London, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025 2) Reshuffle Starmer is expected to carry out a shake-up of his frontbench team as soon as parliament returns on Monday. While the bulk of the changes will involve those in the junior ranks, some cabinet members could also find themselves moved or sacked as the PM tries to reassert his authority and refresh his misfiring government. But history shows us that reshuffles are rarely straightforward, and can often create more problems than they solve, not least because they can create a bank of unhappy backbenchers who have either been sacked or passed over. HuffPost UK also revealed on Thursday that speculation is rife in Whitehall that the PM could make a number of changes to the personnel in Downing Street personnel as well as to his ministerial ranks. Frustrated with the slow pace of change, the prime minister has, according to a senior No.10 source, “decided to take more direct oversight of delivery” at the top of government. A new delivery unit has been set up in Downing Street and will be headed up by Nin Pandit, who is being moved from her role as Starmer’s principal private secretary. The prime minister is also appointing a new economic adviser in No.10, with other changes thought to be under discussion. It remains to be seen whether the changes give the government a much-needed boot up the backside or are akin to shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic. Keir Starmer with his cabinet last July. 3) Donald Trump’s state visit Starmer could barely contain his excitement last February when he presented the US president with a letter from King Charles inviting him to the UK for an unprecedented second state visit. Sitting in the Oval Office, the prime minister beamed as Trump read the note aloud and eagerly accepted the honour. Despite their obvious political differences, it makes perfect sense for the PM to want to have as close a relationship as possible with the leader of the free world, and the pair do seem to have established a personal rapport. Nevertheless, such is Trump’s unpredictable nature, next month’s visit does have the potential for mishap. The PM will hope to finally tie up the loose ends on the US-UK trade deal, with the promise of zero tariffs on British steel exports to America yet to materialise. Trump’s so-far-unsuccessful attempts to end the war in Ukraine will be discussed, as will Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza . Widespread anti-Trump protests are also expected, although Starmer will be relieved that the visit coincides with party conference season will preclude the president from addressing parliament. President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer exit Air Force One as they arrive at Royal Air Force Lossiemouth en route to Aberdeen, Scotland Monday, July 28, 2025. 4) Labour conference The Labour clan will gather in Liverpool once again at the end of September for Starmer’s second conference as prime minister. With Labour struggling in the polls – and next May’s local council, Scottish and Welsh elections a dark cloud on the horizon – the pressure is on the PM to rally the troops. Starmer’s keynote speech will strike an optimistic tone, telling his troops that the tough (some might say disastrous) decisions his government has taken so far will eventually bear fruit in time for the next general election. But the clear and present danger presented by the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, alongside the potential threat of Jeremy Corbyn’s new party, will occupy the thoughts of those present. Activists will also use the opportunity to put pressure on the Labour leadership to scrap the two-child benefit cap and take a more muscular approach towards Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza gets worse with every passing day. Starmer’s challenge will be to use the conference as a positive springboard to take on the many challenges he faces in the year ahead. But that is easier said than done. Ex-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn 5) The Budget Last year’s Budget was presented as a parliament- defining event which would set the political weather for the five years ahead. This year’s one – which HuffPost UK understands has been pencilled in for November 26 – is set to be no less significant. Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised taxes by £40 billion last time around as she sought to fill the fabled “black hole” which Labour claimed had been left by the Tories. Despite foolishly claiming there would be no repeat, there is an acceptance in Downing Street that taxes will once again have to go up this time around as Reeves faces a shortfall of anything up to £50 billion in her spending plans. No.10 insiders have repeatedly insisted Labour will not ditch its pre-election pledge not to hike VAT, income tax or National Insurance on employees, a decision which Reeves must now regret given how much it limits her room for maneouvre. Government insiders concede that the country’s economic problems stem from Labour’s inability thus far to make good on its pledge to increase economic growth. And while they argue Britain’s productivity problem is a result of 14 years of Conservative cuts, voters are unlikely to cut them any slack if it hits them in the pocket. Chancellor Rachel Reeves with her Budget last year. The next few months are set to be as challenging for Starmer as any he is likely to face as PM. Buckle up, everyone. Related... Exclusive: Keir Starmer Launches Fresh No.10 Shake-Up Amid Polling Slump Keir Starmer Dismisses Nigel Farage's Mass Deportation Plan With A Simple 2-Word Slapdown Exclusive: Keir Starmer To Launch Autumn Fightback Against Farage's Claim 'Britain Is Broken'