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National Museum - Tepapa I enjoyed Disney’s 2016 film Moana. My relatives and I attended the Reo Maori release here in Aotearoa, in a packed theatre of Maori language supporters. Watching the film in our own language was emotional and powerful. Moana is a seagoing adventure portraying the courage of its Pacific characters. I see many aspects of Maori communities represented in the film: our elders, our voyaging history, our language and culture, our ability to adapt, our sense of spirituality and our hope. I see the characters in my own whanau (extended family). My nephew is similar to the character of Maui, the demigod voiced by Dwayne Johnson. He’s a likeable “big-boned” fulla with a quick wit – an overly confident rascal who draws others to him with a playfulness that gets him into (and out of) trouble. At the same time, movies like Moana – in which non-Indigenous creators try to tell Indigenous stories – raise sensitive questions about authenticity, cultural appropriation and veiled forms of continuing colonisation. Disney’s bottom line is to develop characters and storylines that suit a global market and will ultimately be financially viable. Perhaps this is why it missed so many key characteristics of Maui as he is known to the Polynesian people. Maui returns to the big screen in Disney’s Moana 2. Disney In Moana, there is a mystique around Maui’s demigod status; he sits in the space between the gods and humanity. Like the Maui of Polynesia, he can shapeshift, wields a magic hook and is courageous. Yet this Hollywood Maui would have no chance against the Maui of Polynesia , who is not a god to be worshipped, but a spirit – a set of characteristics identified through the actions of a person. Maui’s spirit lives today and can be activated by his descendants to do extraordinary things. Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia make up the Pacific islands. Wikimedia , CC BY-SA A Maori view of Maui Maui’s biggest muscles were in his head and stomach (where Maori believe the core being of a person is located). However, there is no record of him having an appearance that made him stand out in the community. When Maui decided to rejoin his birth family as a young man, he lined up with his brothers, and his mother was unable to see a difference between the siblings’ physical builds. This is in contrast with his unusually large build in Moana. He also wasn’t the playful, reckless larrikin depicted in Moana. He saw the world through clear eyes and calculated his way forward, courageously approaching challenges as opportunities to demonstrate his mastery. He was innovative, intelligent, confident and resourceful – and most of what he did would benefit the whole community. That said, he could also be devious, cruel and jealous as he pushed to achieve his goals. One of his names is “Maui-potiki”, or “Maui the youngest sibling”, which signals the characteristics of someone who challenged the status quo – a free thinker and a clever trickster. Supernatural power leads to supernatural deeds Maui faced a series of challenges . Some were forced on him, such as surviving his infancy. At birth he was presumed dead (or near death) and was abandoned to the sea. His grandfather rescued and raised him, teaching him skills, knowledge and karakia – the spiritual means to bend the laws of the universe in his favour. In Maori lore, Maui is said to have used his fish hook to pull up the pacific islands, including New Zealand. Wilhelm Dittmer/Wikimedia He faced many challenges in his world, and his responses conveyed important social and life lessons. For instance, the days were too short and people were unable to complete their work before nightfall. So Maui’s answer was to slow the Sun’s journey across the sky. He convinced his sceptical brothers to help him and they went to the pit where the Sun rose each day. Armed with plaited ropes, infused with spiritual power to hold the Sun, as well as the sacred jawbone of his ancestor (which he also used as a hook), they stationed themselves around the pit and waited. As the Sun rose into the morning sky, the brothers pulled their ropes to form a tight net, trapping the Sun. Maui quickly climbed onto the Sun and began to beat him (the Sun is personified and thought to be masculine in Maori belief) with his ancestor’s jawbone. Dazed and battered, the Sun asked Maui the reason for the attack, who then gave him an ultimatum: “Slow your movement across the sky (or I’ll be back)!” The Sun, from fear and injury, slowed down, providing a useful length of daylight for the people. While violence may not be a justifiable approach to change, there’s still much to learn from this incident. When you need to get something done, you should have a plan, build a team, make use of the resources available to you, be courageous and go for it. Stories spread across the seas Maui is credited with many other exploits . He hauled islands up across the Pacific. He spoke with the gods and creatures of the Earth. He even brought fire to the world from the goddess Mahuika and came close to conquering death. Maui and the fire goddess, 1952, Wellington, by E Mervyn Taylor. Purchased 2004. Te Papa (2004-0026-1). Museum of New Zealand/Te Papa Tongarewa , CC BY-SA Each story contains layers of knowledge, explaining important aspects of the world and human behaviour. This information was so significant that these stories have been passed down through generations for hundreds of years – spread with our voyaging ancestors across the Pacific, the largest continent in the world. As such, Maui pops up in stories all across Polynesia, reaching into Melanesia and Micronesia. While the tales about the character, attitude, aptitude and mana (the spiritual lifeforce) are similar, variations exist across Polynesia. Moana aims to entertain and speak to us and our children. Perhaps the sequel will now reawaken Maui-based discussions on marae (Maori communal spaces) and other Pacific forums. Or perhaps the spirit of Maui will see this “harmless rascal” persona as a launch pad to galvanise his descendants into addressing the ills that face them today. Kia ara ake ano te kawa a Maui – let the spirit of Maui arise. And enjoy the movie. Mike Ross receives funding from Victoria University of Wellington, The Waitangi Tribunal,Kuwait, India hold official talks; ink pacts
As U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher looked ahead to the next Women's World Cup in 2027, she calculated what that would look like at her age. Now 36, she already has a World Cup title and won an Olympic gold medal this year in France. She considered the mental, physical and emotional toll of a new cycle and decided it was time to step away . “Honestly, I think I’ve been somebody that has given everything I’ve had to this team. I don’t do anything halfway. It’s kind of, if you can give 100% to it, then keep going," she said. “With that in mind, I kind of just felt like this was the right time coming off of the Olympics, having the year that we had, entering into a new cycle, a new stage for this team.” Naeher is the latest veteran to announce she's stepping down from the national team as the next generation takes over under coach Emma Hayes. Among those who have wrapped up their soccer careers in the past couple of years include World Cup winners Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O'Hara and Ali Krieger. Naeher will be with the team for two more matches in the coming week. The Americans play England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and then the Netherlands in The Hague on Tuesday. Naeher said she's excited about the next generation of goalkeepers. In addition to Naeher, Mandy Haught of the Utah Royals and Phallon Tullis-Joyce of Manchester United are on the roster for the upcoming matches. Other goalkeepers who have been on recent rosters include Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell. “I think the beauty of goalkeeping is that it’s not really a one-size-fits-all kind of position," she said. "The more that you can understand — that's going to be the challenge any young goalkeeper coming up, is really taking the time to understand what your strengths are and make them really, really elite and separate yourself.” Naeher spoke on Wednesday from London after announcing her retirement on social media Monday . Naeher made her senior debut with the national team in 2014 and was a backup to Hope Solo at the 2015 World Cup, which the United States won. She became the team’s regular starter following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was on the squad that repeated as World Cup winners in 2019. Naeher won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 before the U.S. earned gold this year in Paris. She made a key one-handed save in stoppage time to preserve the Americans’ 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final. For her career, Naeher has appeared 113 games with 110 starts, 88 wins and 68 shutouts. She had four shutouts over the course of the Olympic tournament in France. While she's leaving the national team, she'll play one more year for her club team, the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League. “I hope that I can be remembered as a good teammate, as a competitor, as somebody that was looked on as someone that could be relied upon on the field and supported those players around me,” she said. “I think it’s just been a really special team to be a part of. And I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the years.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerHome for the holidays? Show relatives you care with some tech support
Customers Bancorp, Inc. Stockholder Notice: Shareholder Rights Law Firm Robbins LLP Reminds Investors of the Class Action Against CUBI
With Christmas just days away, the last-minute Christmas shopping struggle - especially with kids in tow - is real. But one celebrity parent had a novel way of fitting it all in. Countdown star Rachel Riley took to Instagram to share a video of her three-year-old daughter Noa asleep in a shopping trolley as she stocked up on festive food, like 65p brussel sprouts and bottles of wine, slotting the items in around her as she dozed through all the chaos. Captioning the funny clip, which was filmed as she dashed around a supermarket on Saturday, 38-year-old Rachel said: "4 more sleeps until it's Christmas . Our mistake was not specifying when and when," followed by laughing face emojis. She added: "If only we could do this as adults," as Leona Lewis' Christmas hit One More Sleep played over the top of it. One fan joked underneath: "That's crazy because in the States, we can't buy children in stores." Another said: "She looks so comfy." A third commented: "Oh my word, this is so cute." A fourth said: "Oh to be able to sleep like this again...!" A fifth added: "Is this the meaning of 'Shop til you drop', so cute," as a sixth added: "I thought it was an actual doll!!" As well as Noa, Rachel has an older daughter Maven, who has just turned five, with her 44-year-old husband Pasha Kovalev. She met the Russian ballroom dancer when she appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2013. They were partnered together, though at the time Rachel was married to Jamie Gilbert, who she met while they were both studying at Oxford University. Their marriage last just over a year before Rachel and Jamie split in November 2013. Not long afterwards, Rachel went public with her new romance with Pasha in what some dubbed a case of the 'Strictly curse'. But their love was clearly for keeps as they got married in Las Vegas in June 2019. Their first child Maven arrived in December that year, followed by Noa in November 2021. But the couple say four is the magic number. Rachel recently told HELLO! magazine: "We're happy where we are. If I had all the help in the world and all the staff in the world to keep having babies...but I think we're happy with two." Revealing what a typical morning in their household looks like, Rachel shared: "The big one [Maven] comes in with me with the little one [Noa] and says, 'Hello' and it's cuddles, cuddles, cuddles. And then it's generally 'Can we go to the park, can we go to soft play, can we go to the beach?' "And then it's, 'I want noodles. I want toast.' It just feels like it's constantly tidying up, feeding, and taking them to the park. I have two children and I took four vehicles to the park with me the other day to make sure they were happy! I had a pushchair, a scooter, a push bike and a cycling bike. And it's just like one person with two kids – two toddlers – and I'm just bag lady. Honestly, a 10-minute walk takes about an hour. So by the time you've got there, you have to turn around and keep feeding them again." And oldest daughter Maven already appears to have inherited her mum's gift for maths. Rachel said she is "literally asking for maths videos for kids on YouTube." We wonder if Noa has her dad's dancing skills and could follow in his footsteps as she gets older... Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Javon Small scored five of his 31 points in overtime and Tucker DeVries added key free throws late in regulation and finished with 16 points as West Virginia beat No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. Small's layup with under 2 minutes left in OT gave West Virginia a 79-75 lead. After a Gonzaga miss, Sencire Harris hit two free throws to make it a six-point lead. With 27.1 seconds left, Harris made a steal and scored on a dunk for an eight-point lead, putting the game out of reach. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National Championship
House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minors
Russia has a stock of powerful new missiles "ready to be used", President Vladimir Putin has said, a day after his country fired a new ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. In an unscheduled TV address, the Russian leader said the Oreshnik missile could not be intercepted and promised to carry out more tests, including in "combat conditions". Russia's use of the Oreshnik capped a week of escalation in the war that also saw Ukraine fire US and British missiles into Russia for the first time. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for world leaders to give a "serious response" so that Putin "feels the real consequences of his actions". His country was asking Western partners for updated air defence systems, he added. According to news agency Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv is seeking to obtain the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), or to upgrade its Patriot anti-ballistic missile defence systems. In Friday's address Putin said the Oreshnik hypersonic missiles flew at 10 times the speed of sound and ordered them to be put into production. He had earlier said that use of the missile was a response to Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow and Atacms missiles. Thursday's strike on Dnipro was described as unusual by eyewitnesses and triggered explosions which went on for three hours. The attack included a strike by a missile so powerful that in the aftermath Ukrainian officials said it resembled an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Justin Crump, CEO and founder of the risk advisory company Sibylline, told the BBC that Moscow likely used the strike as a warning, noting that the missile - which is faster and more advanced that others in its arsenal - has the capacity to seriously challenge Ukraine's air defences. This week's escalation has also prompted several warnings from other world leaders about the direction of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the war was entering a decisive stage - with a real risk of global conflict. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meanwhile said the West should take Vladimir Putin's warnings "at face value" because Russia "bases its policies primarily on military power". And North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un warned "never before" had the threat of a nuclear war been greater and accused the US of having an "aggressive and hostile" policy towards Pyongyang. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to fight on Russia's side and Ukrainian forces have reported clashes with them in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are occupying some territory. US President Biden has said he gave Ukraine permission to use longer-range Atacms missiles against targets inside Russia as a response to Moscow's use of North Korean troops. Both Russia and Ukraine are trying to secure a battlefield advantage before Donald Trump becomes US president in January. Trump has vowed to end the war within hours but has not provided details as to how. In his nightly address, Zelensky also criticised China for its response to Moscow's new missile after China's foreign ministry said all parties should "remain calm and exercise restraint". "From Russia, this is a mockery of the position of states such as China, states of the Global South, some leaders who call for restraint every time," he said. He also criticised the Ukrainian parliament for postponing a session on Friday over security concerns following the attack on Dnipro. In a post on Telegram, he said unless an air raid signal sounded everyone should work as normal - and not take Russian threats as "permission to have a day off". "The siren sounds - we go to shelter. When there is no siren - we work and serve. There is no other way in war," he said.Joe Burrow latest US sports star to cop a home break-inA graffiti attack has been condemned as the latest hate crime designed to strike fear into Jewish communities, as leaders worry about how the attacks could escalate. Login or signup to continue reading The overnight incident in Sydney's eastern suburbs is an "abhorrent anti-Semitic hate crime" following similar incidents across the country, the prime minister says. Graffiti including 'Kill Israiel' (sic) was sprayed on buildings and footpaths in Woollahra, a suburb known for its Jewish community, in the early hours of Wednesday. A car, believed to be stolen, which the perpetrators drove to the scene was set on fire on Magney Street, NSW police said. Resources have been increased as officers follow all leads, Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters. "What happened last night is disgusting, and there's no place for hate of this nature in Sydney or anywhere in Australia," she said. Premier Chris Minns said it was a hate crime. "A violent act of destruction, clearly anti-Semitic, designed to strike fear into the community that lives in this part of Sydney," he told reporters. The perpetrators, believed to be two males of slim build, aged between 15 and 20, wore face coverings and dark clothing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was an "anti-Semitic attack". "This isn't an attack on a government, this is an attack on people because they happen to be Jewish," he told ABC radio. "This is a hate crime, it's as simple as that." Mr Albanese said the perpetrators committed "abhorrent criminal behaviour". "This does not change anything that is occurring on the ground in the Middle East," he said. "This is an attack against their fellow Australians." Foreign Minister Penny Wong said acts of hate had no place in Australia and anti-Semitism was condemned wherever it occurred. "Australian Jewish communities have a right to be and feel safe," she said on social media. The attack comes after the Adass Israel Synagogue at Ripponlea in Melbourne's southeast was set alight in a pre-dawn attack on Friday while a number of people were inside. Australian Federal Police have set up a special operation in response to the "likely" act of terrorism, which will investigate threats, violence and hatred towards the Jewish community and parliamentarians. It will also investigate Wednesday's attack, the second recent incident in Woollahra after buildings and vehicles were targeted in November. A ute was set on fire, and multiple cars, a restaurant and other buildings were graffitied with anti-Israel messages. Two men are in custody, charged over that attack. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said it was designed to terrorise Jewish Australians. "The Jewish community again wakes to scenes of terror and devastation," he said. "How long will this continue and with what horrors will it end?" 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Staff Report Three weeks into the girls basketball season, Brandon Hanna has stepped down as Jefferson’s varsity girls basketball coach. “He resigned due to personal reasons,” Jefferson Superintendent John Montanaro said. The Falcons are 0-2 on the young season. TJ Furman, who coached Jefferson before Hanna took over this season, is the interim head coach for the rest of the year. “We’re lucky to have TJ come back and take over,” Montanaro said. Mel Hanna will continue to be the JV coach, according to Montanaro. Tuesday’s game against Madison was postponed. The Falcons are scheduled to host Edgewood Friday. In early November, Hanna resigned as Jefferson’s football coach, after four years in the position.The man who ended Nadal's career helps the Netherlands beat Germany to reach the Davis Cup final