Employees were informed at a town hall meeting at Marvel’s Midtown Manhattan office that the publishing unit would move to Burbank, home to Marvel Studios and parent Walt Disney’s entertainment operations, according to the source, who spoke anonymously, because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The move comes alongside a leadership shake-up at the comics division. Stephen Wacker, a longtime Marvel editor and producer, has been named editor-in-chief, replacing C.B. Cebulski, who has led the division since 2017.

New York was home to many of Marvel’s most influential creators, including Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and served as the setting for several of its best-known characters and teams, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers.

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans unite for Marvel’s ‘Doomsday’

Marvel is now seeking to have all of the New York-based employees of the comics and franchise group, just over 100 people, relocate to California by July next year, according to the source.

The relocation reflects Marvel’s push to more closely align its comics division, the source of many of its characters and storylines, with its film, television and animation businesses.

The changes come as Marvel is betting on a year-end release of “Avengers: Doomsday” to revive momentum in its film franchise after several recent releases failed to match the box-office success of the studio’s earlier blockbuster run.

The 24-year-old business and economics graduate will compete in the international pageant, scheduled to take place from August 9 to September 5 in Vietnam, marking the first time Pakistan will officially participate in the Miss World competition.

Meraj, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in auditing and accounting, said her long-term ambition is to become a state-authorised public accountant while advocating for children’s rights and girls’ education in Pakistan.

The crowning ceremony was held at Lahore’s Faletti’s Hotel, where Meraj received the title from Dr Shafaq Akhtar, Miss Pakistan Universal 2022, and Attaullah Gujjar, Mr Pakistan World.

According to the Miss World Organisation, Meraj’s participation represents a milestone for Pakistan on the global pageant stage.

She has previously represented the country in several international beauty competitions, including Miss Earth, Miss Global, Miss Cosmo, Miss Eco International and Miss Aura International.

Pakistan has expanded its presence in international beauty pageants in recent years through participation in Miss Universe.

However, Meraj’s appearance in Vietnam will mark the country’s first-ever representation at the Miss World pageant.

The film, which stars Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, will premiere in competition at the Sala Grande on the ​Lido.

The 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival ​will run from September 2 to 12, with the ⁠line-up to be announced later in July.

“Ink” is directed by ​Boyle, whose credits include “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Trainspotting” and “28 Years Later,” and is ​written by British playwright and screenwriter James Graham, known for “Dear England,” “Sherwood” and “Brexit.”

According to a synopsis released by La Biennale di Venezia, the film ​tells the story of Murdoch’s purchase of The Sun in ​1969 and his decision to entrust the paper to editor Larry Lamb, ‌a ⁠move that transformed it into Britain’s best-selling tabloid and reshaped the country’s media landscape.

“I’ve been to the Biennale many times, but this is my baptism at the film festival,” Boyle ​said in a ​statement. “It’s a ⁠huge honour to be in a city of such extraordinary art and opening this great ​festival with my new film Ink.”

‘Heartstopper Forever’ cast bids ‘bittersweet’ farewell to Netflix franchise

Venice Film Festival director ​Alberto ⁠Barbera said Graham had adapted the screenplay from his own play of the same name and praised the performances of O’Connell, ⁠Pearce ​and Foy.

The Venice Film Festival is the ​world’s oldest and is widely regarded as a key launchpad for awards-season ​contenders.

The number 10 shirt, ⁠worn by the then 17-year-old as ​Brazil beat hosts Sweden 5-2 in ​Stockholm to win their first world title, attracted 10 bids from more than five bidders, ​the auction house said.

The sale made ​it the second-most expensive football shirt sold at ‌auction, ⁠behind the $9.3 million paid in 2022 for the shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his “Hand of ​God” goal ​for Argentina ⁠against England at the 1986 World Cup.

Pele briefly back in ICU but now ‘stable’, says hospital

Pele, who died ​in 2022 aged 82, scored ​twice ⁠in the 1958 showpiece and remains the youngest player to score in a ⁠World ​Cup final.

The shirt had ​previously sold at auction in 2004 for 70,505 ​pounds ($105,600), according to Sotheby’s.

The British actor, who rose to fame with the first ‌season of the “Heartstopper” television series, joined co-stars Kit Connor and Yasmin Finney at Tuesday’s London world premiere of “Heartstopper Forever”, the feature film concluding the franchise.

“They’re young adults, and it would be remiss ​of us to not show that in their own way,” Locke told ​Reuters. “If we were to show these kids not having sex, then ⁠that would be unrealistic, because teenagers have sex.”

Locke and Connor became breakout names after ​the first season’s 2022 debut, which grappled with the theme of homophobia. The show ​became an instant hit and expanded across two more seasons.

Creator Alice Oseman said she had never expected the series, which began as a comic, to achieve such success.

“I was really just doing ​this on the side as a fun side project, and now it’s so ​important to so many people and I really don’t take that lightly,” she told Reuters.

Two years ‌on from ⁠season three, “Heartstopper Forever” centres on Charlie, played by Locke, and Nick, played by Connor, contemplating living apart as decisions over university choices and gap years loom over them.

As Nick worries about the toll of distance on a fragile Charlie, he slips ​into alcohol use; Charlie, ​meanwhile, struggles with ⁠mounting jealousy.

Connor said the fandom’s response to the series and the personal stories he has heard about its impact, have made ​being part of the franchise “a really amazing thing.”

Will Ferrell reunites with longtime collaborators for Netflix golf comedy ‘The Hawk’

“As an actor, ​you can ⁠frankly not expect any of the jobs that you do to have the kind of impact that this show and this film hopefully will have,” he said, adding, “I feel ⁠very lucky ​for it every day.”

Though “Heartstopper Forever” is set to ​conclude the franchise for now, Oseman said she would “never say never” to developing a spin-off.

“Heartstopper Forever” is set ​to be released on Netflix on Friday.

The “Step Brothers” actor recalled many shared laughs that went ‌beyond the humor of the series.

“Some of the more fun parts were just sitting around the monitor, and Molly [Shannon] and Chris Parnell and I reading “SNL” (‘Saturday Night Live’) stories,” Ferrell said.

The “Anchorman” actor added ​that there was a unique energy and rapport on set compared with other ​projects because the series was created alongside longtime friends.

“The Hawk” was ⁠created by Ferrell, who also stars as the lead character, Lonnie Hawkins, alongside his ​real-life close friends: former “SNL” writer Harper Steele and “The Other Guys” director Chris Henchy.

The cast ​also includes Molly Shannon as Lonnie’s estranged wife, Stacy; Jimmy Tatro as Lonnie’s resentful son and fellow golfer, Lance; and Fortune Feimster as Sam, Lonnie’s caddie.

Pakistan holds talks with Netflix, other streamers to expand local creator opportunities

The show follows Lonnie, a golfer whose career ​peaked in 2004, as he attempts to recapture his former success later in ​life. Despite tensions within his family, he is determined to make a comeback.

Shannon, who has collaborated with ‌Ferrell ⁠for decades, dating back to their time as “SNL” cast members in 1995, said it was difficult to scream at him while playing Stacy.

“It was hard because I’m so close to Will,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tatro said he was amused while portraying a character ​who harbors resentment toward ​his father, whom ⁠Ferrell portrays.

“It was funny to hate someone so much in a show that I admire so much in real life,” he said.

Ferrell, ​who has starred in many sports comedies, said he was ​drawn to ⁠creating a series centered on people whose lives revolve around golf.

“I’ve always been fascinated with the world of golf,” he said.

“It’s like such a tortured existence for these men and ⁠women ​who just stand over a ball six hours a ​day taking shots and have to be perfect. And I thought, ‘Oh, that must drive you crazy,’” he ​added.

“The Hawk” begins streaming on Netflix on Thursday.

A month ago, the government imposed a blanket ban on social media for users under the age of 16 and placed restrictions on gaming and live-streaming platforms.  

Here are some more details on the investigation:

Ofcom will look into whether the platform has measures to assess if a particular user is a child and adequate systems and processes to prevent children from viewing harmful content.

In May, the regulator said TikTok had failed to set out meaningful steps to protect British children from harmful online content.

The opening of an investigation does not mean that Ofcom has reached any conclusion about whether the provider has breached its duties, the regulator said.

US tech groups back TikTok in challenge to Montana state ban

TikTok denied any breaches: “We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

“We are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this.”  ‑Reuters

The year was 1979, the month, June, when I took on the all-important task of creating the first children’s library in Pakistan. Of course, months of careful planning had been invested to make this happen. I had been seen and chosen from the Punjab Road Transport Corporation’s yard where double decker buses not considered road-worthy, stood quietly. But before I could have children racing up and down my decks, looking for just the right book, I needed a safety check. Was I strong enough to remain in one place and support all that excitement? The engineers who examined me declared me 100% library fit and then began a flurry of activity. Out with the seats, in with the shelves, carpets, books, murals, colour, excitement… children.

Fortunately, I tickled the imagination of adults as well. While children happily lost themselves in the world of fantasy and fiction, adults came to explore what it was that made an “old double decker bus so enticing.” Granted, I was the first children’s library in Pakistan but even in the early 1980s some schools did have libraries. Why were the children not equally drawn to those? Was it the friendly air, the welcoming environs, the sense of trust that set the Book Bus apart, they wondered? The seed for transforming libraries into joyful living spaces was germinating!

On a lovely afternoon in April 1983, a young boy from the neighbourhood brought a small television and his family’s newly-acquired video cassette recorder to the upper deck and invited other friends to watch a beautiful children’s film with him. What a delightful sense of community! I was enthralled.

The year 1986 marked another milestone. In recognition of the work a small double-decker bus was doing to bring children closer to books and reading, the Government of the Punjab first declared that “children’s libraries modelled on the Alif Laila Book Bus should be dotted all over Pakistan” (unfortunately, that has not happened yet). It then constructed and gifted a circular building in the park where I stood, which became the Alif Laila Reference Library and Audio-Visual Centre. The idea that libraries should evolve into vibrant community centres was beginning to take root.

The Story Teller Bus or ‘Dastangou’ came in to do what I could not. 1997 saw the birth of this library on wheels that started visiting children in their schools, taking to them books they never knew existed. During one of Dastangou’s visits to a rural school on the outskirts of Sheikhupura, a girl gleefully looked through a storybook and remarked; “Books contain lovely stories and pictures too. I always thought they only contained texts to be learnt in school.”

What gives me immense pleasure is that more and more people started viewing me as a model on the ground, something they would like to adapt for their own communities so even though the ‘Charge of the Book Bus Brigade’ did not happen, libraries and community centres started mushrooming all over the country, and, more often than not, the colour and general excitement of Alif Laila was replicated.

In 2005 a massive earthquake struck Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The cities of Bagh and Muzaffarabad were razed to the ground. Thousands of school-going children were buried under the debris of collapsed buildings. Those who survived were traumatized and hopeless. Concerned individuals wondered how to make the children smile again.

The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Foundation came forward with a grant to set up a children’s library in Bagh. This library was conceived keeping the rainbow in mind and took its name ‘Dhanak’ from the rainbow. Another agency supported the setting up of Play Buses called ‘Khushi.’ These mobile book and toy libraries scattered joy wherever they went and many a child looked to them for smiles and laughter.

Scheherazade’s Khazana (treasure trove) were 42 libraries of 1001 books that went out to 42 different locations in four provinces of Pakistan: Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Like Scheherazade, these libraries carried the tales of different peoples and climes to children who became wrapped up in their fascination.

The place which has been home to me for over 47 years is a small park in Main Market Gulberg, Lahore. Just opposite the park is a large mosque which also houses a madrassa, a school where young boys are trained to read and learn the Holy Quran. Some of these boys have been frequent visitors over time and stories have held a special enchantment for them. What a moment of joy it was when five madrassas in Lahore agreed it was good for their students to peep into the world of stories and said that they would welcome small libraries for their students. With sponsorship from the IBBY Yamada Fund, these became a reality.

Word spread and I become a hub of activities related to books and children. One of the memories I hold dearest is the intense buzz of books coming in all day to be sorted out and distributed to 140 school libraries I helped set up in Southern Punjab.

Just five short years after massive earthquakes jolted Pakistan, the country was left reeling again. Floods, the like of which had never been seen before, washed whole communities away and made thousands of children homeless. When schools became operative again after this disaster, they needed succor for those who bore the scars of displacement and loss. The Books Build Bridges libraries, supported by IBBY friends from all over the world, found their way into a few hundred schools of the worse hit areas. These were simple, low-cost libraries that brought to children a range of stories and fables…books they read and enjoyed, books they discussed with their friends and books they held onto for dreams and hope.

When Malala Yousufzai was attacked for her commitment to education, I spoke up. I couldn’t visit her school in Swat, but I sent in whatever support I could - parcels full of books so the students could move through their shock and terror, to find laughter, escape, and proof the world can be a better and happier place.

Believing as firmly as I do, in books as a lifeline, I knew it was important to reach children in their native tongues, in words that are as familiar as their parents’ voices. Translations expand our world, but there is a deep comfort in reading stories told in words you have known as long as you have known life. I was thrilled when Hoopoe Books reached out to me to help distribute the stories of Idries Shah across Pakistan. I love these stories for they contain invaluable wisdom from our Sufi traditions, but what made the books extra special is that they are bilingual. Told in Urdu and English, or Urdu and Sindhi, Urdu and Daree, and Urdu and Balochi, these stories will truly land in the hearts of those for whom they are intended.

In 2011, the neighbouring town of Sheikhupura was inspired to set up a library shared among a cluster of nearby government schools. A small van went around to communities sharing the joy of books with delighted children, and rickshaws, the three-wheeled small vehicles that whizz in and out of traffic, and so common in our part of the world became mobile libraries too! They proudly took boxes of books along dirt roads and out of the way places.

I had always loved the metaphor of books as vehicles, and started thinking about how we could combine books with other forms of transport. We already had libraries in buses and rickshaws, but we added two book bikes, and - very excitingly - camel libraries! Our first book camel library, Roshan in Mand, Balochistan, was so hugely popular that many community-based organizations reached out to start these libraries in their areas. We now have eight camels - Raunaq, Aman, Khushi, Mashal, Chirag, Umeed, and Estaal - the latest addition having been sponsored by the IBBY Yamada Fund). Each of these camels traverse their own paths in individual regions across Sindh and Balochistan. Though separated by space, they are caravan in spirit, journeying towards a brighter, more literate future.

Mine has been an eventful life and while the wisdom of the East remains with me, let me say what I have found worthwhile. Much as I have loved having children run to and from me with treasures they have found and stories they can build memories upon, I have reveled in the knowledge that I have been an idea, a harbinger of change.

Fortunately, the Book Bus has become a symbol in Pakistan for the rich colour and excitement books bring to the barren landscape some of our children inhabit. Libraries and reading programmes are now being developed all over the country, debates and discussions are taking place on how books transform thought and lives. Today, that vision lives on through Alif Laila’s growing network of mobile libraries, camel libraries, and Kutub Khana community libraries, initiatives that continue to promote a culture of reading and provide access to books, especially in underserved communities across Pakistan.

To celebrate 65 years of IBBY, I sent out a call for books, and so many people responded. Children, schools, publishers and friends brought in enough books that we were able to assemble 650 box libraries, each containing 100 books, for schools and organizations across Pakistan, in places where reading material for children was greatly needed. This project continues to date, and the change it brought about in attitudes is still being spoken about.

The Book Bus became successful because it believed in children. Operating consistently on a shoe-string budget, it was a risk-taker, opening its doors to children, and trusting them all, irrespective of where they came from… glorious mansions or hovels in slums. No more looking at books as the faraway creatures that remained on shelves gathering dust and mould. They were alive and belonged in the hands of children!

This trust we placed in children not only minimised book loss, it saw us through financially hard times with children donating their entire book collections to the library. The mutual affection between the bus and its visitors extended to a collaboration between the children themselves, as they often read to and with each other. Children understood the power books wield and became active in rallies for reading, creating posters, carrying messages and demonstrating to all and sundry that books are vital.

Can I now rest on my laurels and call it a day? Not yet. Not until every child in Pakistan is reading!

The 93-year-old, who has starred in over 150 films, said she was “so honoured” by the decision to award her the Golden Lion.

“Wow! I not only get to travel to one of my top most favorite cities in the whole world. I get to return home carrying a Golden Lion in my arms!” she was quoted by the festival as saying.

This year’s edition will run between September 2 and 12 and the jury will be led by US actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Burstyn was elevated to global stardom by the success of William Friedkin’s 1973 film “The Exorcist”, in which she played the mother of a pre-teen girl possessed by demonic forces.

She went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress for Martin Scorsese’s 1974 “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, and her 60-year acting career has since seen her win accolades for performances on film, stage and television.

The Venice Festival’s Artistic Director Alberto Barbera said Burstyn was “an actress of rare intensity and truth”.

She has brought “depth and complexity to unforgettable female characters embodying the contradictions and transformations in the contemporary woman,” he said.

“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free,” a statement posted on Neill’s Instagram page said.

Neill died in Sydney, with the family paying tribute to a private hospital in the city for their care.

The Jurassic Park actor announced in April he was cancer-free after undergoing treatment for stage-three blood cancer.

Stars pay tribute to ‘Total Eclipse’ singer Bonnie Tyler, who has died at 75

“Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a social media post.

“He will be much mourned and long remembered. May he rest in peace.”

Mamdani told reporters that the billionaire pop singer covered the bill for this month’s star-studded extravaganza, when asked if Swift would pay back the city for police overtime related to the ceremony.

“Taylor Swift has paid already the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over $160,000 for that event and for the response to that event,” Mamdani said.

Taylor Swift defeats Florida poet’s plagiarism lawsuit

Swift’s wedding, which took place over two days in Manhattan, drew hundreds of celebrities and involved a large deployment of police officers who shut down streets surrounding the huge indoor arena.

The total cost of the event is unknown, but Forbes magazine estimated that it exceeded $20 million. The couple also donated $26 million to several charities before tying the knot.

“Bracken Road” features on his upcoming “Life is a Dream” album, a collection of orchestral works written over six decades, “revealing a composer whose music shares the same emotional depth and storytelling that define his screen career”, label Decca Classics said.

The 88-year-old Welsh-born actor, who won Academy Awards for his performances in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Father”, learned to play the piano at the age of four and went on to compose music for local plays as a teenager in the 1950s.

“Music was my first desire, my first wish,” Hopkins said in a statement. “I’ve been composing music all my life. Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them.”

“Life is a Dream”, which is released on August 21, features works Hopkins wrote during different periods of his life that were inspired by his childhood, loved ones and his native south Wales.

It is performed by Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Mick Jagger says Rolling Stones hope to tour new album ‘Foreign Tongues’

“It has been a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra and the virtuoso soloists, cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo,” Hopkins said.

“My deepest gratitude and respect go to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry is an integral part of this musical journey. With the graceful precision of his baton, he transformed each note with profound and indelible meaning, creating a pictorial landscape that invites the listener to feel and imagine something uniquely personal.”

Inspired by the landscape around his childhood home, Hopkins composed “Bracken Road” in 1963 when he was a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse theatre, improvising on a piano before rehearsals. Another track “My Fatherland”, also pays tribute to Wales, while other pieces draw on loved ones and “the cinema that first caught his imagination”, Decca Classics said.

With her distinctive husky voice, tousled mane of blonde hair and black eyeliner, Tyler was instantly recognisable as the queen of the 1980s power ballad.

Tyler’s family said on Facebook they were “heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for”.

Downing Street said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was “saddened” to hear of Tyler’s death, calling her “one of Britain’s greatest recording artists”, whose music “continues to touch lives”.

Stars from music and film also paid tribute to Tyler.

Husky-voiced British rock star Rod Stewart wrote on Instagram that he and Tyler “shared similar styles of vocalising”, calling her “a good pal, a true soul stirrer”.

Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is also Welsh, wrote on Instagram that Tyler, who sang at her wedding, was “an extraordinary woman with vocals to match”.

British pop singer Cliff Richard recalled that Tyler’s “infectious zest for life entertained so many around the world”, while Canadian singer Bryan Adams wrote on X that Tyler “had such a great voice” and thanked her for her “beautiful” version of a song he co-wrote.

Singer Bonnie Tyler out of coma

And classical singer Katherine Jenkins hailed “a true Welsh legend whose unmistakable voice inspired generations and put Wales on the world stage with such power, passion and authenticity”.

Born Gaynor Hopkins in the Welsh town of Neath in 1951 where she grew up with five siblings, Tyler little imagined the success she would have after leaving school at 16.

“The best thing I did was ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. How can you ever possibly imagine it would still be so big today and people who weren’t even born then would be singing it at karaoke?” she told the Daily Telegraph in 2025.

She came from a humble background. Her father worked in the coal mines, while her mother was a housewife.

Ballad queen

Initially, Tyler worked in a grocery shop and began singing in her spare time, changing her name to Sherene Davis to avoid any confusion with another Welsh singer Mary Hopkin.

In 1975, she was spotted by talent scout Roger Bell singing in a Swansea nightclub, and was signed a few months later by RCA records, changing her name again, this time to Bonnie Tyler.

Shortly afterwards she had to have surgery to remove nodules on her vocal cords, and after not resting her voice enough following the operation developed her signature sultry sound.

Tyler’s first major smash hit was “It’s a Heartache” in 1978, and entering the 1980s she turned more towards rock music.

But it was “Total Eclipse”, written by American composer Jim Steinman, which rocketed her to international fame.

It’s one of rock music’s most famous ballads and in 2026 – 43 years after it was first released – it hit more than a billion listens on streaming website Spotify.

It has sold over six million records, and the stirring video has been viewed more than a billion times on YouTube.

At the peak of her fame in 1984, Tyler released “Holding Out for a Hero” from the hit film “Footloose”.

‘Audience sings with me’

She released 17 studio albums and was nominated for three Grammy Awards during her career.

In 2013 she carried UK hopes in the Eurovision song contest with “Believe In Me” only to finish 19th.

A fan of Tina Turner and French rocker Johnny Hallyday, Tyler was known for her down?to?earth nature and for keeping her Welsh accent.

Since the 1970s, she and her husband, former judo athlete Robert Sullivan, divided their time between Wales and the Algarve in Portugal.

She was also awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

“I live a very normal life and don’t go around with bodyguards; I’m not Mariah Carey, darling. I’m always happy to take a selfie in front of the salad counter,” she told The Times in 2025.

“People ask me if I get tired singing the old songs, but why wouldn’t I love singing something like ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’? As soon as I start one of those numbers, the whole audience sings it back to me – it’s magic.”

“Foreign Tongues” is set for release on Friday and follows the Grammy Award-winning 2023 record “Hackney Diamonds,” which the group supported with a North American tour in 2024. It marks the Stones’ second studio album since the 2021 death ​of drummer Charlie Watts and 25th since the group first formed in London in 1962

“We hope we go on tour, Ronnie and I are really into that, so we hope we see everyone on the road,” Jagger, 82, told Reuters as he and guitarist Ronnie Wood, 79, arrived at the album’s launch party.

The 14-track album features guest contributions from Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers among others. Jagger said a lot of the collaborations on “Foreign Tongues” were accidental.

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“People come and visit you in studios and (say) ‘can I come down and listen’?” he said. “Robert Smith came just to listen, and I said, ‘Robert, you can’t just listen, you’ve got to sing’, so he went and sang and played some guitar.”

The upcoming album release was celebrated with a dazzling lights drone display over the River Thames, which lit up the night sky with shapes including the band’s famed lips-and-tongue logo.

It follows another launch event in New York in May attended by Jagger and Wood and fellow guitarist Keith Richards.

“We’ve had (the album) ready for a while, so we’re very excited that it’s coming out this Friday,” Jagger said.

Bieber will join ​previously announced performers Madonna, Shakira and BTS ​at the 11-minute ​show, the first halftime ‌musical ⁠performance at the World Cup, a statement from the ​soccer ​federation ⁠said.

Paramount will not close its Warner Bros deal before July 22 amid Oregon probe

The World Cup final will ​take place ​in ⁠East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside ⁠of ​New York ​City.

HBO Max topped all networks with 122 nominations this year, followed by Netflix with 111.

“The Pitt” has a chance to repeat as best drama winner at the television industry’s highest honors, as does star Noah Wyle, who claimed the drama actor prize last year for his role as Dr. “Robby” Robinavitch, a veteran physician at a Pittsburgh trauma center. In total,

“The ​Pitt” earned 13 acting nominations including four of the seven slots for supporting drama actress.

“Hacks” will compete for best comedy, a trophy it has ​claimed once in its four previous seasons. Jean Smart, who plays septuagenarian comedian Deborah Vance in the show about a ⁠comedy generation gap, has won best comedy actress for the role four times and could make it a sweep after her fifth nomination.

Her “Hacks” co-stars Hannah Einbinder ​and Meg Stalter were named in the supporting actress field and Paul W. Downs, the show’s co-creator, in supporting actor.

“What can I say? Being recognized by my ​peers in this way is the cherry on top of the most creatively fulfilling experience of my life,” Einbinder said in a written statement.

Emmy winners will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony in Los Angeles and broadcast live on NBC and stream on Peacock on September 14.

A night of cheers, a future of questions

The show will give Hollywood a night to ​celebrate at a time when media companies are cutting back on the number of shows they produce, and anxiety is swirling about the rise of artificial ​intelligence and the pending Paramount Skydance acquisition of HBO owner Warner Bros Discovery.

Other dramas nominated alongside “The Pitt” included “Game of Thrones” prequel “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” spy thriller “Slow Horses” and “Pluribus,” ‌a post-apocalyptic ⁠sci-fi series.

In the best comedy race, “Hacks” will compete with previous winner “The Bear” as well as “Abbott Elementary,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “Shrinking,” among others.

Sign of the times: Harry Styles sets record with 12-night Wembley run

Up against Wyle for drama actor are Sterling K. Brown for “Paradise” and Gary Oldman for “Slow Horses.” Other acting nominees included Harrison Ford for his supporting role as a gruff psychotherapist on “Shrinking,” one of six acting nominations for the Apple TV show.

“I’m so pleased to share this with so many of my cast members,” Ford said in a written statement “It ​makes the experience that much more significant.”

Jason ​Bateman landed four Emmy nominations, ⁠two for acting and producing “DTF St. Louis” and two more for acting and directing limited series “Black Rabbit.”

Taylor Swift also showed up on the nominations list. “The Eras Tour: The Final Show,” which ran on Disney+, received five nods including best pre-recorded variety ​special.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which was pulled off the air for six days last year after the host joked about reaction ​to the assassination ⁠of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, received its 15th straight nomination for best variety series. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the long-running series that was canceled by CBS, also was nominated.

Among the notable snubs, voters left out two-time comedy actor winner Jeremy Allen White, who plays a stressed-out chef running a Chicago restaurant on “The Bear.” The final season of ⁠Netflix’s global ​hit “Stranger Things” failed to make the best drama field.

“Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay will host ​the Emmys show and also was a nominee. Her documentary “My Mom Jayne” about her mother, the actress Jayne Mansfield, received three nominations including best documentary. Mansfield died in a car accident when Hargitay ​was three years old.

“I’m profoundly grateful to have this moment with her,” Hargitay said of the nominations.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s office asked a court in Multnomah County on Wednesday to order the company to hand over records and delay the deal by 60 days so the state can review them. Paramount had previously told Oregon that it would not close the deal before July 16, Rayfield’s office said.

At a preliminary hearing on the state’s request on Wednesday, the company amended that timeline, his office said.

Paramount offers remedies for Warner deal, making EU approval likely

Separately, Paramount has offered remedies to address EU competition concerns in a move that could help the media giant gain European Commission approval for the deal, including ditching its film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures, sources told Reuters last week.

The Commission then extended its deadline for its decision to July 22 from July 7 to give it time to assess the remedy.

He “has broken the record for longest residency by a musician at Wembley Stadium… with his shows at the iconic UK venue,” the Guinness World Records said on Monday.

Styles, who shot to fame with the band One Direction, began his London tour on June 12 to mark the release of his fourth solo album “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.”

Guinness adjudicator Will Munford said the “record-breaking 12-date run is a testament to the scale, ambition and cultural impact of his live performances, as well as the incredible connection he has with his fans”.

The Wembley dates ended on an emotional note for the “Watermelon Sugar” singer on Saturday when he paid tribute to his former One Direction band members – Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and the late Liam Payne.

The London run has flooded social networks with videos of Styles dancing and singing - opting to wear a range of colourful, tailored shorts as a UK heatwave hit last month.

His mother, Anne Twist, praised his “sunshine personality, and his beautiful soul” in a post on Instagram in Monday.

Read More: Matt Damon calls ‘The Odyssey’ the most challenging film of his career

“How could I have possibly known… that he would break records doing exactly what he was put in this world to do, that he would grow up being the kind of man the world needs right now.”

Styles, who launched his solo career with the hit song “Sign of the Times” in 2017, also brought his older sister, Gemma, onto the stage on the last night.

Praising the “incredible community” he had formed around him, she told him she was “proud of who you are and the impact you have made on so many”.

She said in a post later on Instagram that speaking onstage to 80,000 people “my legs were like jelly and I had to keep pausing to breathe.”

Styles’s “Together, Together” tour launched in Amsterdam in May, and now heads for Sao Paulo and Mexico City.

He will play 30 nights from August 21 to October 31 at New York’s Madison Square Gardens – where his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift was married at the weekend.

The tour will end in Australia on December 13.

Director Christopher Nolan insisted on practical effects and real-world scale over digital shortcuts for his telling of “The Odyssey,” which will debut in theaters on July 17. The nearly three-hour movie from Universal Pictures, the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, adapts one of the oldest surviving stories in human history.

“This is how a movie would have been made 80 years ago,” Damon said. “Everything’s in-camera. You know, if you see a thousand people, then there are a thousand people there. The ships, those are real ships in the background.”

Nolan’s “Odyssey” was shot in six countries, including Morocco, Greece and Iceland. Damon and fellow cast members worked through extreme weather conditions with high winds and pounding rain that battered them on ships out in the open ocean.

“It was without question the hardest film, the most challenging, that I’ve ever done,” he said.

“The Odyssey,” the epic poem, dates back in written form to around the seventh or eighth century BC and is widely believed to have been sung before that in oral tradition. The story centers on Odysseus as he tries to get home after devising the strategy that won the Greeks the Trojan War.

On his voyage across the seas, Odysseus encounters witches, monsters and gods before finally getting back to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland).

“What’s so cool about the text is how relevant it is, you know, and the lessons that we can all learn from this piece of material,” Holland said. “That is the importance of love and loyalty, perseverance, failure, facing your consequences, understanding right and wrong, and all that sort of stuff. I think that it’s super topical.”

The movie, Nolan’s follow-up to the 2023 blockbuster and best picture winner “Oppenheimer,” cost $250 million to make. Fans began snapping up “Odyssey” tickets a year ago when seats at select IMAX theaters were put on sale. Box office forecasters expect its opening weekend will haul in between $80 million and $100 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices.

Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena, said she felt “speechless” after seeing Nolan’s take on the classic story.

“It is such a visceral emotional experience and you feel very much that you are on this odyssey with Odysseus the whole time,” she said. “You are with him, you know, from the beginning to the end. It’s unrelenting.”

The show portrays a family in the 19th-century American ‌West that goes through ups and downs but ultimately holds on to its love for one another — a theme Bracey believes is timeless.

“It’s no mistake, and it is no accident, that the story and ​the family are so loved by so many people for so long,” said ​Bracey, who plays Charles Ingalls, the father of central character Laura Ingalls.

Both ⁠the “Little House on the Prairie” series and books are based on the real-life ​experiences of Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, who drew inspiration from her own childhood in a ​pioneer family. The series of books was published in the 1930s and 1940s.

The story has also been adapted before, most notably in a 1970s television series that ran on NBC until 1983.

Netflix’s “Little House on the ​Prairie” follows the Ingalls family as they navigate frontier life while engaging with settler-colonial ​and Indigenous narratives.

Alongside Bracey as Charles Ingalls, the Ingalls family includes Laura, portrayed by Alice Halsey; Crosby ‌Fitzgerald ⁠as Laura’s mother, Caroline; and Skywalker Hughes as Mary, Laura’s older sister.

While the show highlights many heartfelt themes, Halsey reflected on the challenges Laura faced growing up as a girl in the 1800s.

“I think boys had more privileges,” she said.

“Girls didn’t have the ​same opportunities that boys ​had back then. Girls ⁠didn’t get to learn as much as boys did,” she added, noting that if she had lived in Laura’s time, she ​wouldn’t have been able to pursue many of the things she ​loves today.

The ⁠story of the pioneering family’s struggles and successes is led by creator and showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine and has already been renewed for a second season ahead of its Season 1 premiere.

“We ⁠got ​to make so many amazing and just perfect memories ​last season, and now we get the chance to go back and make more,” Hughes said.

The eight-episode series ​arrives on Netflix on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said the plaintiff Kimberly Marasco failed to show that her poems constituted protectable expression, or ​that Swift had seen the poems and an average ​person would deem her songs substantially similar.

Marasco represented herself. ⁠Reached by email, she said she disagreed with the decision ​and will appeal.

Lawyers for Swift and the other defendants, including Republic ​Records and Universal Music Group, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Swift, 36, was accused of copying details from Marasco’s poetry books for ​songs including “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It with a Broken ​Heart,” both from Swift’s 2024 album “The Tortured Poets Department.”

But the judge said ‌any ⁠commonality between Marasco’s poems and Swift’s songs consisted only of “unprotectable ideas, themes, metaphors, and isolated words.”

Cannon gave many illustrations, including confronting adversity, being “gaslighted” and being “submerged” under water.

The judge dismissed an earlier ​version of Marasco’s ​lawsuit last September.

She ⁠said that where Marasco made new allegations, “the works are not even substantially similar – a point ​plaintiff effectively concedes by characterizing the alleged copying ​as ‘paraphrase[s],’ ‘rephrase[s],’ and ⁠copying with ‘minor word substitutions.’”

Monday’s dismissal was with prejudice, meaning Marasco cannot amend her complaint. Cannon’s chambers are in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Swift married ⁠Travis Kelce, ​also 36, the star tight end ​for football’s Kansas City Chiefs, at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on July ​3.

In an interview with Reuters, Nolan discussed ‌how he approached the sweeping story and discovered a way to adapt it from text to screen. Below are excerpts edited for length and clarity.

Madonna releases 15th studio album ‘Confessions II’

Q: I don’t think many people understand how much of a Herculean task making this film must have been. Why did you want to do this?

Nolan: “I enjoy adaptation very much. I enjoyed adapting the ​screenplay for ‘Oppenheimer’ from a 700-page, very academic book into a movie.

With Homer, “It’s challenging.”

“Once I sort of figured out that, for me, when ​you look at the text of the poem, it (has) really incredible payoffs. But the set-ups that a movie requires ⁠aren’t there in an epic poem because his audience is familiar with the elements. So when Odysseus encounters Argos near the end of the ​poem, you know, his faithful hunting dog … his audience knows it’s coming. For us, we have to set that up. Once I sort of started ​to figure out that, okay, you have to take some liberties with it, you’ve got to move some things around in order to try and get across the impression that you had from experiencing the poem, you know, that’s when things started to gain momentum.”

Q: Do you hope to sort of educate people by making this film?

Nolan: “I think ​educate is a very scary word for somebody putting a giant film out there. We want to entertain people.

“For me, we’re making the film ​for people who know nothing about Homer and this epic poem, and we make it for people who are very interested in that world and love it. You ‌have to ⁠make it work for everybody.

“But I’m no stranger to that sort of thing. When we did ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy, you know, we’re making a film for people very passionate about the character, very knowledgeable about the comics, and we were also making it for people who would never open a comic book in their lives. It’s not entirely dissimilar.”

Q: Most people, when they read “The Odyssey,” or they see “The Odyssey,” it sort of lives rent-free in ​your head. How do you feel about ​the fact that your version ⁠is going to be in people’s heads who haven’t experienced it?

Nolan: “You try to be true to the spirit of it, and you’re trying to add something to it as well. You’re trying to add a little something to ​the conversation about what ‘The Odyssey’ represents. That cultural conversation has been going on for 3,000 years. So ​you’re hoping to add ⁠something to it the same way that with the character of Batman, for example. … It was 75 years of history at the time, comic book history. And we tried to add a little something to the character and build on what had come before and hopefully be remembered afterwards.”

Q: How are you relaxing ⁠after this?

Nolan: “A ​bit of a holiday I think is in order. Maybe not on a boat, I ​would say. I’ve done enough boats for a while.

“I’m actually excited to get the film out to the audience. For me, a film is not finished until the audience tells you ​what it is. I’m so nervous but excited to open the film, and then we’ll take a breath.”

The songs are not random. Hundreds — more than 750, in fact, according ​to soccer governing body FIFA — are chosen in advance. FIFA has a “Stadium Entertainment Team” that works with the participating national associations to create playlists ‌that mix stadium classics with country-specific favourites.

Each team has a “signature” song played when the line-up is announced, a warm-up song, and a track that is played if they score a goal. And one set of fans after each game gets to sing along to the post-match winning-team tune.

The playlists give an interesting cultural snapshot of the World Cup, in which 48 teams participated for the first time in ​2026.

Some tracks — such as The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and, yes, 1990s Eurodance hit “Freed from Desire” by Gala, which has been doing the rounds of ​sports stadiums for at least a decade — have global reach, appearing on more than one list.

Songs like this that become popular have ⁠certain things in common. They need to be catchy, fun, and recognizable, said Andrew Lawn, British author of “We Lose Every Week: The History of Football Chanting.”

The context is also ​key, he added.

“They become associated with a moment if that moment is successful,” he said. “Then they stick because that kind of emotion gets kind of attached to the song.”

Neil Diamond’s “Sweet ​Caroline” is an example of that, he said. Long popular with different sets of sporting fans, it caught on with England supporters in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the lyrics about “touchin’ hands, reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ you” took on a particular resonance after months of isolation and lockdowns.

Mariachi to men at work

Other songs are country specific.

Argentina, for instance, have chosen Los Fabulosos Cadillacs’ “El Matador” (literally, “the ​killer”) as their warm-up and goal song. The track, with its chorus of “Matador! Matador!” may sound like it’s celebrating the deadly goal skills of Lionel Messi.

But the reggae-influenced song ​is really much darker — it’s about the Latin American dictatorships and state violence of the 1970s.

DopeNation’s irresistible 2025 dance track “Kakalika” is both the signature and goal tune for Ghana. The Ghanaian duo ‌behind it ⁠have described it as a blend of national and global music styles and languages that is intended to embrace diversity and encourage listeners to enjoy themselves.

A Minute With: Christopher Nolan on telling the epic ‘Odyssey’ story on the big screen

Mexico have chosen three different tracks by Mariachi Vargas, a mariachi folk band that was founded in 1897, has passed through several generations, and is still going strong today, and South Korea opted for a selection of K-Pop tracks by the likes of Blackpink and BTS.

When Kylian Mbappe gets a goal for France — again — supporters can sing along to French electronic duo Daft Punk’s lyrically appropriate “One ​More Time”. Australia’s signature tune is Men ​At Work’s classic “Down Under,” while Belgium’s warm-up ⁠is techno anthem “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic.

Sometimes the choice of song evolves over the tournament in response to fan reactions. Oasis’ “Wonderwall” has become a regular fixture after its success following England’s first World Cup 2026 match — a 4-2 victory over Croatia — when supporters ​sang along.

It was one of his favourite ever moments in an England shirt, connecting the team with the fans, captain Harry Kane ​told in-house show Lions’ ⁠Den.

“We have that connection right now, but that moment, singing ‘Wonderwall’ in the stadium — everyone knew the words — was really special,” he said.

Similarly, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” has quickly become a favourite for a U.S. supporters’ base that had faced criticism online for their somewhat unimaginative “USA! USA!” chant.

The lack of a distinctive chant is a reflection of a more commercial and ⁠dispersed sporting ​culture and for now the adoption of the Denver song — as enjoyable as it is — perhaps feels a ​bit artificial, said Lawn.

“All of kind of American soccer culture feels a bit forced at the moment” because it’s still relatively new, he said.

“(But) if it sticks around it will be a lovely example and in ​30 years’ time if it’s still being sung then you’ll really have the kind of feeling that it’s authentic.”

Several cars were beached in the gravel at the first corner, with Williams driver Carlos ​Sainz one of them and hitching a ride with ​McLaren’s world champion Lando Norris.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of ⁠the governing FIA, also joined the 22 drivers in ​the good-natured fun with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso – who qualified ​for the later grand prix in last place – first across the line.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who had suggested on Thursday he would miss the ​parade, took part as did Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who ​had criticised the stunt earlier by saying it risked making drivers look ‌like kids ⁠and clowns.

The cars were each made of more than 28,000 bricks and capable of reaching speeds of up to 25 kph (16 mph) on standard go-kart wheels. They carried the teams’ ​2026 liveries ​and driver numbers.

Swift and Kelce marry as global stars swarm ‘royal wedding’

A ⁠team of 20 designers, engineers and Lego builders at a factory in Kladno in the ​Czech Republic took more than 6,400 hours ​to create ⁠the cars.

Last July, the top three finishers at the British Grand Prix were rewarded for their efforts with trophies made ⁠of Lego. ​Also last year, the drivers lapped ​Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium before the race in 10 life-size two-seater electric cars ​made of Lego.

Excitement has swirled around America’s “royal wedding,” which is happening on the United States’ 250th birthday weekend amid a record-breaking heat wave, a near-total news blackout and a security lockdown of the kind typically reserved for heads of state.

The anticipation was even greater as Swift and Kelce made no public announcements about their wedding plans at storied Madison Square Garden – and reportedly insisted guests sign non-disclosure agreements.

But the singer’s longstanding publicist Tree Paine broke the silence late Friday as she detailed a luxurious and intimate ceremony – without saying exactly when the pair wed.

“Taylor and Travis did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, her brother Austin Swift served as Taylor’s Man of Honor and Jason Kelce was Travis’s Best Man,” she said in a statement.

“The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler,” Paine added.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce married ahead of NY celebration, report says

She said the couple’s wedding looks were created by Christian Dior Haute Couture, while their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin. Swift wore Cartier jewelry.

Shortly before the announcement, a giant screen outside the Garden showed the message “JUST&T MARRIED!” – T&T for Taylor and Travis.

Star-studded

Ahead of Friday’s bumper event, a crowd of Swifties – as the megastar’s fans are known – cheered and sang her songs outside the arena as a line of black SUVs dropped off guests.

“I grew up with her music and I’m really excited to get to be in New York today for her wedding day,” Mayan Menahem, 31, told AFP in Manhattan.

Some 1,000 guests, reportedly banned from carrying phones, were expected to attend the secretive wedding.

Stars heading to the venue included model Gigi Hadid, actors Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper and Dakota Johnson, and pop figures Benson Boone and Camila Cabello.

Frenzied reporting has included unidentified sources telling New York Post gossip column Page Six that the billionaire artist and three-time Super Bowl champion had already tied the knot in front of “a tiny group of loved ones.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding fascinates, flummoxes media

The Empire State Building said it would have a “light blue sparkle” to celebrate the wedding.

All night party

The main event came after an initial rehearsal dinner late Thursday for 100 invitees at Madison Square Garden.

Entertainment outlets said Swift and Kelce gave guests black velvet boxes etched with the couple’s initials, apparently containing a champagne flute adorned with diamonds.

Friday’s party reportedly kicked off with mid-afternoon cocktails, before a reception going late into the night.

Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw were to perform, while Ed Sheeran was also rumored to be among those taking the stage, according to Page Six.

By midday, police had closed off streets surrounding the Garden, where journalists have been sniffing out clues – such as the arrival of trucks with deliveries of donuts and lobster.

‘Royal wedding’

Meanwhile, Swifties have flocked to Big Apple locations mentioned in their idol’s lyrics, including the Bus Stop Cafe in the West Village.

“She is the biggest thing in America – like, she is our royalty, she is our queen, she is everything,” said Alyssa Heinen, 24, from Manhattan. “It feels like a royal wedding to us.”

America’s royal couple, Taylor and Travis, may wed this week

Ahead of the big day, Swift’s spokesperson said the couple were donating $26 million to various US charities, including in New York and Kansas City.

Swift’s marriage to Kelce comes after a string of high-profile failed relationships – including with British actor Joe Alwyn, and singers John Mayer and Harry Styles – which became fodder for her songs.

She revealed her engagement to the hulking, bearded Kelce last August in an Instagram post announcing that “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

The 14-time Grammy winner is coming off a banner year with the success of her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a new song on the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack.

Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has signed on for a 14th season in the National Football League. He is also a co-host of the popular “New Heights” podcast alongside his brother Jason.

The singer has reunited with Stuart Price, the co-producer and co-writer on its predecessor, for the 16-track dance-pop album.

Martin Garrix, Cirkut and Andrew Watt also worked on “Confessions II”, which features guest appearances by Sabrina Carpenter, Stromae and Madonna’s daughter Lola Leon.

The album is accompanied by a 10-minute musical film “Confessions II - The Film”, directed by TORSO.

Madonna stuns fans with New York pop-up concert

“Confessions II” marks Madonna’s first studio album since “Madame X” in 2019, as well as her return to Warner Records.

Rolling Stone, Variety and the Guardian newspaper all called it her best album in two decades.

Madonna, 67, shot to fame in the early 1980s with hits including “Holiday” and “Like a Virgin”.  Known for pushing boundaries and her provocative imagery, Madonna’s work has influenced scores of artists.

Dressed in a blue trouser suit, the 44-year-old wife of heir to the throne ‌Prince William watched Arthur Fery, one of the last Britons remaining in the draw, in his early games against Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen on Court 18. The 23-year-old wildcard went on to win 5-7 7-6(3) 6-3 ​6-3.

In a courtside interview, a delighted Fery said he might have felt more nervous ​had he realised royalty was in the house.

“I didn’t know she was ⁠here. I probably would have been a bit more tight if I did,” the French-born Fery ​said.

“There is lots of support at home in the U.K. so it’s fantastic to play in front of ​them. It’s great to do it for the U.K. Selfishly I am doing it for myself first - but I’m always behind the other players and wishing them success.”

The princess later switched to Court One, accompanied by double ​Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, where Katie Swan was battling 26th seed Madison Keys of the United ​States.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce married ahead of NY celebration, report says

But the 27-year-old Swan, also a wildcard after slipping low in the rankings following a back problem that ‌threatened ⁠her career, could not capitalise on the royal support and went down 6-1 6-4.

Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion and a quarter-finalist twice at Wimbledon, arrived fresh from taking the Eastbourne grasscourt title and was just too powerful for Swan.

The princess, who is an enthusiastic tennis fan and ​patron of the All ​England Club, earlier talked ⁠to people who had been queuing since the early hours to enter the grounds and chatted to workers in the ticket office.

Only four British ​players reached round two of the singles after 15 of the ​19 in the ⁠main draws lost in the opening round – the highest number since 1988.

Fery is now flying the flag solo after defeats later in the day for Jacob Fearnley and Jan Choinski.

Fearnley lost to Spain’s Jaume ⁠Munar ​6-4 7-6(3) 6-4 while Choinski briefly looked capable of keep ​Fery company in the third round but went down 4-6 6-2 7-5 6-2 to American 17th seed Frances Tiafoe.

The couple, both 36, exchanged vows in front of a “tiny group of loved ones,” the media outlet said. It did not say when or where the nuptials took ‌place, though it noted Swift’s private jet recently spent time in Nashville, the city where she lived early in her career.

Swift’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Reuters could not confirm the Page Six report.

As workers scrambled to prepare Madison Square Garden earlier Thursday for what was expected to be a lavish celebration for the superstars, the pair showed some support for New York: The singer’s publicity team said on Thursday that Kelce and Swift had ​donated $26 million to several charities in the city and elsewhere this week.

Neither has commented publicly on their plans, but several media outlets reported that Swift and Kelce held a 100-person event ​at the sports arena on Thursday that will be followed by a larger celebration in front of 1,000 people on Friday.

Police set up barriers around ⁠the venue, closing streets and blocking pedestrian walkways. Several sport utility vehicles, with tinted windows to conceal the occupants, drove into the venue. Celebrities including actors Bradley Cooper and Lena Dunham, sportscaster Erin ​Andrews and music producer Jack Antonoff were photographed at or near the site in sequined dresses or other fancy attire.

A sign posted at an entrance advised that anyone entering from June 29 through ​July 3 for “an event” could have their photo taken. By entering, people were agreeing to maintain strict confidentiality, including not discussing its hosts or attendees, the sign said, according to an image captured by a Reuters journalist.

Foliage and lobster

This week, workers hauled in food and decor to make the whole place shimmer. News cameras captured foliage, a box marked “garden party” and another labeled lobster meat. The venue’s public calendar shows no events scheduled until Tuesday — ​a rare six-day stretch in a summer otherwise packed with concerts, with just the occasional night unbooked.

New York City already was abuzz with major happenings over the U.S. Independence Day weekend. Tall ​ships will sail into New York Harbor to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, and a World Cup soccer match is set for Sunday in nearby New Jersey.

The big events coincided ‌with high ⁠temperatures that prompted city officials to declare a heat emergency. When asked about a potential Swift wedding, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the moment to urge people to stay indoors to protect themselves from the extreme weather.

“If you happen to be getting married at MSG, you will be staying inside and staying cool, and I think it’s a good example to set for the city at large,” he told reporters earlier this week.

Reuters confirmed that an event planning company had applied for a permit to close the streets around the arena from Thursday through midday Saturday. Fencing was erected around Madison ​Square Garden entrances this week.

The venue sits above ​a major commuter hub, and some locals and ⁠tourists said the preparations and street closures were a hassle for people trying to get around New York.

That was not the case for Swift fan and Utah resident Tara Rosales, who said she felt “1,000% excitement” for the event.

“She’s never an inconvenience. Taylor can do whatever she wants,” Rosales said.

‘America’s ​royal wedding’

The union of the “Love Story” singer and a Kansas City Chiefs tight end, dubbed “America’s royal wedding,” is one of the most anticipated ​celebrity weddings of the century.

Speculation ⁠has intensified since the couple announced their engagement in August following a public courtship that enchanted fans. Cameras caught Swift cheering on Kelce at Chiefs games and followed him as he jetted around the world to her concerts.

A star-studded crowd is expected, given Swift’s roster of celebrity friends, including Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Emma Stone and Gigi Hadid. In one TV interview, Swift joked that she would invite “anyone that ⁠I’ve ever ​talked to.”

Irish television host Graham Norton, who appeared in Swift’s “Opalite” music video, was pictured arriving at New York’s JFK airport.

Swift ​was a guest on Norton’s BBC chat show last year, and when he asked her when the wedding would take place, the singer said: “Oh, you’ll know … I was going to invite you to it.”

The couple have made no public statements about their plans and Reuters has not been able to confirm the timing or location of the wedding, which is expected as soon as this week.

“We’re getting little bits of information that again, could be decoys for ​all we know,” said Elana Fishman, style and shopping director for the New York Post’s Page Six. “But it really is, I mean, it ​is Pentagon-level impressive, the security and secrecy around this event.”

Even before Swift and Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram, ⁠under the caption “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” fans had been ruminating about the most appropriate venue for the pop-culture equivalent ​of a royal wedding.

Celebrity site TMZ reported that the invitations arrived – watermarked to prevent leaks – with the time and location kept deliberately vague. The New York ​Post’s Page Six reported that a wedding planner known for organizing lavish affairs won the gig, at least in part, because of his discretion.

Spokespeople for the couple did not respond to requests for comment. TMZ didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Internet sleuths on the case

The couple’s vacation to Lake Como, Italy, in May 2024, sparked speculation the couple ​was inspecting potential wedding venues, such as the Villa d’Este. The wedding platform Wedding Chicks shared an Instagram post suggesting that the wedding would be ​held at Swift’s oceanfront mansion in Rhode Island, where she has hosted star-studded July 4th parties.

Five New York Times reporters shared a byline on a story reporting that Madison ‌Square Garden ⁠would host a multi-day event, beginning with an intimate gathering on July 2, followed by a splashier affair the next day, with some 1,000 guests.

The Times declined to discuss its coverage plans for the celebration.

Internet sleuths have scoured schedules for potential guests. They found actress Mariska Hargitay, recently spotted with Swift at a New York Knicks game, has canceled this Friday’s performances of her Broadway play “Every Brilliant Thing,” and country singer Kenny Chesney called off his Friday and ​Saturday concerts in Las Vegas.

Billboard’s co-editor-in-chief, Jason ​Lipshutz, remains skeptical, saying it ⁠could all be an elaborate ruse.

“She likes up-ending expectations, and this certainly plays into that,” said Lipshutz.

Who sings for the singer?

Variety’s executive music editor, Jem Aswad, said the trade publication typically devoted to the business of Hollywood plans to ​cover the wedding, adding, “We don’t usually do things like that.”

Reader interest in all things Swift-related warrants extraordinary coverage, ​he said.

“I can say ⁠from first-hand experience, nothing gets clicks like Taylor,” said Aswad. “Absolutely nothing.”

Rolling Stone has prepared a number of articles in anticipation of the big day, including a history of the biggest celebrity weddings and a list of Swift’s greatest love songs, said Shirley Halperin, co-editor-in-chief.

Halperin also speculated that the custom blue T-shirt Swift wore during ⁠Game 4 of ​the NBA Finals, emblazoned with “Stevie Knicks” in orange letters, may hint at some role for ​the former Fleetwood Mac band member, Stevie Nicks, during the ceremony.

“It’ll be interesting to see who has a role of being the entertainment at the entertainer’s wedding – and who will officiate,” said ​Halperin. “Is it going to be a major musician?”

Participation is not limited to countries ​in geographic Europe but instead applies to all members of the European Broadcasting Union, an ​alliance open to others outside the continent and which Canada joined last week. Australia ⁠is an associate member.

The usually good-natured pop competition, which attracted a global audience of 130 million ​this year, its 70th, was plunged into crisis in 2026 due to a boycott by heavyweights Spain, ​the Netherlands and Ireland, as well as Iceland and Slovenia, over Israel’s participation.

Those countries had called for Israel’s expulsion due to its military offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Russia has been excluded ​from Eurovision since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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CBC/Radio Canada will share ​details on how the country’s entry will be selected later this year, the EBU stated. The contest next year ‌will ⁠be hosted in Bulgaria after it won the contest for the first time in May.

Canada ranked in the top three countries in Eurovision’s “Rest of the World” vote - which permits viewers outside the participating countries to help choose the winner, the EBU said. Canadians were also among the largest ticket-buyers outside of Europe, it ​added.

“Our participation in the ​Eurovision Song Contest, starting ⁠next year in Bulgaria, will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world,” said Marie-Philippe Bouchard, ​president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, in a statement.

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“It will also allow fans in ​Canada to ⁠continue watching and voting in the Song Contest, as they have done for years - with the added thrill of seeing their own country represented on the Eurovision stage.”

Canada’s participation was a further sign that, while born ⁠in ​Europe, the Contest was opening up to the world, said ​Martin Green CBE, ESC director at the EBU. He pointed to previous Canadian artists who have participated in the competition, including Céline ​Dion who won in 1988 for Switzerland.