Mohammadi has lost consciousness twice and suffered a severe cardiac crisis, her foundation has announced.
By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press
Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026
Iranian human rights activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been transferred from prison to a hospital due to a sharp decline in her health.
Mohammadi had two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis, her foundation announced on Friday.
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“This transfer was done as an unavoidable necessity after prison doctors determined her condition could not be managed on-site, despite standing medical recommendations that she be treated by her specialized team in Tehran,” the Narges Mohammadi Foundation said.
Earlier on Friday, Mohammadi had fainted twice in prison in Zanjan in northwestern Iran, according to the foundation.
She was believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March, according to her lawyers, who visited her a few days after the incident. At the time, she appeared pale, underweight and needed a nurse to help her walk.
In February, she was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Her lawyer said six years of that sentence was for the accusation of “gathering and collusion to commit crimes”.
Her family said in February that her health was worsening in prison, in part because of an alleged beating she had endured during her arrest in December. They said multiple men hit and kicked her in her side, head and neck.
The Nobel committee condemned the “ongoing life-threatening mistreatment” of Mohammadi in a statement in February.
The Iranian government has not commented on the alleged attack.
Prior to her arrest in December, Mohammadi had already been serving a sentence of 13 years and nine months on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran’s government, but had been released on furlough since late 2024 due to medical concerns.
US President Donald Trump has said that all state permits for the 2026 recreational red snapper fishing season have been approved, a move he says will expand access for anglers across southeastern coastal states.
In a post shared on Truth Social on Friday, Trump described the decision as a “huge win” for fishermen in states including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
“For years, our Great Fishermen have been punished with VERY short Federal fishing seasons despite RECORD HIGH fish populations and the States begging to oversee these permits,” he added.
The policy centres on coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which regulates fisheries and sets quotas and seasons in federal waters.
Recreational red snapper fishing
For years, recreational red snapper fishing has been tightly controlled at the federal level, often limited to brief seasonal openings that critics say restrict access.
At its lowest point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the red snapper spawning stock fell to about 11 percent of its historical level, prompting strict conservation measures under a long-term rebuilding plan set to run through 2044.
Several southeastern states have since pushed for more flexibility, seeking a greater role in setting fishing seasons and expanding the number of days anglers can fish.
Catch limits and size requirements would still apply, with anglers typically limited to one fish per day in the South Atlantic.
Supporters argue the changes better reflect what they describe as a recovering red snapper population and would improve access for recreational fishermen.
“State management and expansion of Gulf snapper season have been a major boon for our Gulf of America communities, allowing so many Floridians and visitors to enjoy the Red Snapper our waters have to offer,” said Governor Ron DeSantis in a release of November 2025.
“I was proud to announce that Florida anglers will soon be able to enjoy more Atlantic Red Snapper fishing as well. The Trump Administration has taken action to rein in the bureaucracy and return this power to the states, where it belongs,” he added.
A similar approach has already been rolled out in the Gulf of Mexico, where states have taken on a larger role in managing recreational red snapper seasons.
But Ocean Conservancy, a US-based ocean conservation nonprofit, says there are growing warning signs under that system, including what it describes as a decline in the average size of fish and reports from anglers who say they must travel farther to catch a keeper.
The group also notes that recent Gulf Council meetings have included public testimony from fishermen raising concerns about a downturn in the stock.
The group says the Gulf population is about 10 times larger, meaning management approaches that appear sustainable there may not translate to smaller, more vulnerable stocks.
Concerns over overfishing risks
Marine scientists and conservation groups warn that loosening federal oversight could increase the risk of overfishing, particularly if monitoring and enforcement vary across states.
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, regulators must set annual catch limits to prevent overfishing, but critics say longer fishing seasons could undermine those safeguards.
“These exempted fishing permits are an end run around sustainable management,” said Meredith Moore of Ocean Conservancy in a release shared with Al Jazeera.
“Just last year, NOAA’s own analysis showed a two-day season was needed to prevent overfishing. There is no doubt that allowing months-long seasons will lead to overfishing, while unproven data collection means we may not realise the damage until it is done.”
Others warn the impact could be felt beyond stock levels, affecting the long-term future of the fishery.
“Overfishing means sacrificing the chance to teach the next generation to fish in order to fill coolers this season,” added JP Brooker, the group’s Florida conservation director.
“Red snapper is a favourite of Floridians and out-of-state anglers. No one likes short fishing seasons, but if we don’t follow the science and let these fish recover, we could soon lose this cherished fishing season for good,” he added.
Ocean Conservancy estimates highlight the scale of concern. Federal regulators have set the South Atlantic recreational catch limit at 22,797 fish, yet a recent two-day season in Florida alone landed 24,885 fish.
The group estimates that catches could reach 485,000 fish over a 39-day season, more than 20 times the annual limit and potentially in breach of federal law.
Jimmy Kimmel has suggest President Donald Trump should be unemployed amid low ratings and called him a “hypocrite” after the President’s repeated insistence that he be fired
23:12, 01 May 2026Updated 23:14, 01 May 2026
Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live(Image: Jimmy Kimmel Live/Youtube)
Jimmy Kimmel has responded to Donald Trump’s repeated calls for him to be fired from his late night show with a fiery suggestion that if he has to go, so should the President.
Trump has called for Kimmel and his show Jimmy Kimmel Live to be sacked from his ABC late night slot multiple times. The President’s latest demand came after Kimmel made jokes about him and his wife during a sketch about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
He wrote on Truth Social: ““When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
In response, Kimmel used his opening monologue during Thursday’s (30 April) show to hit back. He argued: “If incompetently presiding over not just one of, but the lowest rating in history, is the reason I should be fired we should both be out of a job, because you’re not doing too good either.”
Kimmel also praised Republican politicians Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and James Comer for not following in Trump’s footsteps. “Every one of these guys, I’ve made fun of repeatedly and viciously on this show and you know what not one of them has done? Pressured ABC to fire me.”
He then turned his attention to things Trump has said in the past about “muzzling people you don’t agree with”. After playing a clip of Trump from his presidential campaign, where the future president denounced censorship, Kimmel said: “I’m starting to think Donald Trump might be a hypocrite.”
Kimmel also joked that Trump’s feud with him was “getting crazy” and that they should “come up with a ceasefire”, referencing the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. “I get to keep my job, you get to end your 11th war,” Kimmel said. “What do you say to that? We can help each other.”
Last week, Kimmel hosted an “alternative White House Correspondents’ Dinner” and joked that Melania Trump had the “glow of an expectant widow”. Days later, a gunman tried to storm the event. Following his jokes, the First Lady branded him a “coward” on X. She wrote: “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy – his words are corrosive and deepen the political sickness within America.”
Kimmel responded to her words on 27 April, saying he was sorry that the President and those at the dinner had to experience something so traumatic. He added that his sketch was light roast and not a “call to assassination”.
“I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject,” Kimmel said. “I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.”
Kimmel was previously in hot water after making remarks about the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, an ally of Mr Trump. He was taken off air.
He returned five days later after his removal sparked criticism from the public, famous faces of the screen and political figures who said it was an infringement of their freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.
May 1 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday said that his administration had made a “final” bailout offer to Spirit Airlines as reports suggest it is on the verge of shutting down.
Although Trump said his administration is still discussing a $500 million bailout for the beleaguered airline, its investors have not agreed to the government’s proposal and Spirit could shut down as soon as Saturday, The Wall Street Journal and CBS News reported.
Trump has for the past two weeks said the government would try to get involved to save the airline and its 7,500 employees, unveiling last weekend a plan to loan Spirit $500 million under the Defense Production Act and become its main debtor.
The price of jet fuel has doubled since Feb. 28 because of the war in Iran, raising costs for all airlines globally, but Spirit has been working to emerge from bankruptcy for the second time in a year and its financial plan has been completely upended.
“We’re looking at it,” Trump told reporters on Friday, hours after reports of the airline’s demise started to spread.
“If we could do it, we’d do it, but only if it’s a good deal,” he said. “No institution has been able to do it. I said I’d like to save the jobs but we’ll have an announcement sometime today … We gave them a final proposal.”
Spirit told a bankruptcy court on April 23 that its cash was “not going to last for very much longer” and that, without some sort of bailout, it would likely have to cease operations within a matter of days.
The Trump administration’s bailout plan — of which some Republicans and members of Trump’s administration have been critical — would give Spirit the loan it needs in exchange for the government becoming its largest debtor and potentially owning 90% of the airline.
The Fort Lauderdale-based airline told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that it is “operating as usual,” and travelers at its main hub at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport said that their flights had not been canceled.
Officials at Miami-International Airport also told the Sentinel that they had not been notified by Spirit that it was shutting down.
Spirit is said to have revolutionized air travel as one of the first of several value airlines that has managed to offer flights at rock-bottom prices, but it also has struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company flew less than half the number of flights in April than it had two years ago — it dropped from roughly 25,000 to 12,000 — and has not turned an annual profit since 2019, The New York Times reported.
Having renegotiated contracts with its employees, shook off engine defects that doomed parts of its fleet and charted a path forward, Spirit was expected to emerge from bankruptcy in better shape sometime this summer.
After the war in Iran launched, affecting oil and gas prices worldwide, the cost of jet fuel doubled and tanked the company’s financial plan.
In the event that Spirit does shut down, United Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways all have said they are preparing to assist the airline’s customers and employees, which includes helping customers to travel in places where they operate routes similar to Spirit, CNBC reported.
We should start by clarifying that it wasn’t entirely a shutdown. Reports still appeared on the website and on our social media pages regularly in April, but we were not working. They were produced in March and scheduled for April.
In December last year, HumAngle announced an anti-burnout policy that allows the newsroom to go on a total break in April, August, and December. While journalists would still receive their complete pay, they would not be working during those months. It was an unprecedented and radical move that we felt was necessary to preserve the mental and physical health of the journalists who work unimaginably hard every day to bring hard truths about conflict to the fore.
The truth is that the work we do as journalists is life-saving. Information must go out. People must know what is happening around them if they are to live safely and make informed decisions about their lives and futures. Information can quite literally be the distance between life and death, especially in an increasingly violent country. The news cycle does not stop because the human experience is a continuum. It can’t be boxed into Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Things just… happen. And this is where the complication lies.
Living like that has such a searing mental health toll, and because it is not physical, it often goes unnoticed and therefore untreated. Stressors are seen as ‘just part of the job’. The chaos is necessary to sustain the profession.
We realised that flipping that script on its head would make all the difference. Well-being is necessary to sustain the profession. It is necessary not just for the people who do the work, but even for the work itself. This idea is based on the simple assumption that humans are more likely to perform at their best when they feel their best. And yet, the news cycle demands that you keep working, even when deep down you know you have very little left to give.
And so one of the questions we needed to ask ourselves as the policy came together was this: What would we do if a major conflict news demanded coverage during one of these rest months? The answer that we arrived at was simple yet profound: Nothing. The first lesson we learned this April, as we tried to put that answer into practice for the first time since the policy was announced, was that ‘nothing’ can sometimes be a very difficult thing to do.
Reader, all hell seemed to break loose in April. Nearly all, if not all, states in Nigeria experienced some form of major insecurity event. Multiple airstrikes killed hundreds of people in Borno and Yobe. There were violent attacks in places like Erena in Niger State, as well as many abductions in Sokoto, Plateau, Cross River, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, and Benue.
At some point, inaction began to feel more difficult than the action we were trying to take a break from.
What did reporters spend their rest month doing?
Two journalists said one of their best accomplishments was reading more. One said they read three books to completion and were on their fourth. The other said they read seven poetry books, three novels, and one non-fiction book.
Someone else took a culinary class and learned to make new cuisines. They also went clubbing for the first time.
Another said they went off the grid for a whole week and did not have to worry about missing any major news. Others travelled, explored their interests and passions, and engaged in other money-making activities. One person shared that they spent an entire night helping an older woman in their neighbourhood to smoke and fry some fish for sale. They worked from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. With the following morning being a Monday, they would not have done so if not for the break. The experience made them realise that the smoked fish business was exhausting. “I no go dey price fish anyhow again,” they joked.
Another person said they enjoyed stepping out of their home to the salon or gym without worrying about taking their laptop in case a work thing came up.
Someone else said they authored two articles for a peer-reviewed journal, to which another person responded: “You are too serious about life.”
Someone else said they spent days indoors just watching movies, only taking breaks to eat. Another person tried to enter the real estate market and was swindled for their efforts (but not before successfully selling a plot of land).
Someone else went into a goat-rearing and selling business. “Imagine on a Monday morning, when you’re supposed to be having an editorial meeting (where the managing editor is saying, “can you please use the pitching template I sent in the group?”) but you’re cruising from one remote village in Gwagwalada, buying goats to resell them for some pennies. If not for [the] anti-burnout policy, I no fit try am,” they joked.
The larger picture
Studies have shown that journalism is one of the professions characterised by poor work-life balance, and these responses from our journalists have driven that point home more than anything else. Many of the things they spent time doing are ordinary daily activities that make life worth living, or sometimes even enjoyable. Yet, they were not entirely possible during the work season. It puts things in perspective. Burnout exists among journalists because there is no clear start and stop point in the profession, which can make personal and enjoyable activities difficult to accomplish.
As the newsroom fully resumes next week, we will continue to do what we do best: tell important stories while still prioritising our wellbeing. In the next few weeks, you can expect to read deep dives about the conflicts that happened last month. We might be late to the gathering, but it was for a good reason.
There was chaos in The Neighbourhood as one family didn’t hold back on how they felt.
Tensions were at an all-time high on Friday’s episode of The Neighbourhood (Image: ITV)
Tensions were at an all-time high on Keep Your Enemies Close.
On Friday night (May 1), ITV viewers tuned in to watch more drama unfold in The Neighbourhood as clear alliances were formed.
During the reality competition so far, Jordan from the Lozman-Sturrocks family has been ruffling feathers with the other houses with how he wants to play the game.
However, it resulted in the other houses in the competition not wanting to interact with them as much. While everyone was at a BBQ, Jordan decided to say something as he noticed his family were sitting by themselves while everyone else was having a good time.
Calling attention to everyone, he said: “What’s happened so far in this neighbourhood, I think we can all agree we’ve had a pretty good experience. But, equally, I think there’s been a lot of nasty things happening from other people.
“Mainly you guys (The Bradons), icing them out, not even bothering to speak to them-“
However, Alicia was quick to dismiss his accusation that her family hadn’t been welcoming as she shared they didn’t agree with his behaviour and tactics in the game.
Jordan reiterated: “I’d rather protect my family than get in bed with a bunch of snakes,” which didn’t go down well with the group.
His speech comes after he had made Wendy from The Pescuds cry earlier on in the show when she greeted everyone in the square.
Jordan had ignored her, which didn’t go unnoticed as she remarked: “Are you really not going to talk to me? We’re not at school, Jordan, come on, mate, grow up.” He hit back: “No, we’re so maybe you want to stop trying to be a teacher!”
As she entered another house, Wendy was overcome with emotion at the interaction as she started to cry as she confessed she didn’t want to get upset over it.
However, when he was later told that she had cried over what happened, he did apologise to Wendy for his behaviour.
Sadly, Jordan’s antics on the programme resulted in his family being sent home in the next episode on ITVX, which will be shown on ITV on May 7 at 9pm.
When it was time to vote out which family would be leaving, the Lozman-Sturrocks met the end of their time on the programme, having received the majority of votes.
Giving his parting words, Jordan said: “It’s been a pleasure with everyone. You all deserve to win the money for your own individual reasons, and we wish you all the best of luck, and may the best family win.”
Piracy concerns are rising off the coast of Somalia with the government unable to patrol the vast coastline. Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Hamza says desperate fishermen are taking advantage of the opening to head out and try to make a different kind of catch.
Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg separatists continue their attacks against Mali’s military government.
By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies
Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026
Al-Qaeda-linked rebel fighters have reportedly set up checkpoints around Mali’s capital, Bamako, and seized the town of Tessalit in the north.
Reuters reported on Friday that Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has called on Malians to rise up to “bring down the junta”, and adopt Islamic law.
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The latest developments come days after a series of attacks by JNIM and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) resulted in the killing of the country’s defence minister, Sadio Camara.
Videos shared on social media by local accounts on Friday show armed fighters inside the Amachach base in Tessalit, with several military vehicles seen driving around.
Video verified by Reuters shows fighters driving through the town and raising the FLA flag.
Media outlets close to the Azawad armed movement, which seeks the independence of northern Mali, said the scenes show fighters in control of the base following the withdrawal of elements of the army and Russia’s African Corps, according to their description.
Russia is the principal foreign backer of Mali’s military-run government.
JNIM said on Thursday that it had captured the base of Hombori in central Mali and taken over two checkpoints near Bamako, after earlier threatening to completely besiege the city.
Russia’s African Corps said in a statement that the JNIM statement about the abandonment of the Hombori base was “not true”.
It said that its helicopters delivered ammunition and other items to Malian military personnel at a base in Hombori on Thursday, “after which soldiers of the Malian Armed Forces injured in battles with terrorists were evacuated”.
It noted that JNIM and AFL “continue to regroup, conduct reconnaissance of the bases of the units of the African Corps of the Russian Armed Forces and the Malian Army, and propaganda work is actively underway aimed at reducing the morale of the Malian Army”.
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar in Senegal, reports that the absence of a response from the Malian military to the rebel advances is surprising, and that four major military camps in the north of the country are now in the hands of armed groups.
“That’s a big development,” Haque said. “It seems that Malian forces are not even putting up a fight up north.”
Mali’s military leaders seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, with a brief period of civilian rule in between. Official authorities are yet to issue a statement on the latest reports at the time of writing.
HARRY STYLES’ love life is heading in just One Direction after The Sun told this week how he and Zoe Kravitz have confirmed he popped the question – and she said YES.
While he is engaged for the first time, she hopes it will be third time lucky for her — after wedding plans with two previous fiancés crashed and burned.
Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz stroll hand-in-hand near his London home last monthCredit: ErotemeZoe shows off a huge ring on her wedding finger in New YorkCredit: BackGrid
But some cheeky pals are joking US actress Zoe could turn out to be the proverbial runaway bride.
A source tells us: “There is a bit of an in-joke in Hollywood about how Zoe has been trading ‘internet boyfriends’ — a term used by Gen Z for celebrities of the moment — and how she’s becoming like Julia Roberts’ character in the hit Nineties film, who leaves all her fiancés.
“While Harry and Zoe have an impressive roster of very attractive and famous exes, neither has the best track record with long-term romances. Of course, people are asking if this will last and questioning if they will even marry.”
One Direction star turned solo hitmaker Harry, 32, is not new to wooing American beauties — he dated Taylor Swift between 2012 and 2013, then actress Olivia Wilde from 2021 until 2022.
‘Deeply in love’
Batman actress Zoe, 37, daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz, was wed to US actor Karl Glusman from 2019 to 2021. She then dated Hollywood A-lister Channing Tatum, who proposed in 2023 only for the pair to split the following year.
But what people at first assumed was no more than a summer romance for Harry and Zoe, after they began dating last August, now seems far more serious.
They shared news of their engagement just days after we revealed shots of Zoe with a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger, while out in London with Harry.
She looked chic in a beige trench coat and baseball cap emblazoned with the word Kiss — merchandise from Harry’s new collection for his latest No1 album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
Earlier last month, the pair had been pictured strolling hand-in-hand near to Harry’s home in Hampstead, North West London, as she stepped out in her trusty trench coat and he kept a low profile in navy slacks, coat and cap.
Harry is said to have popped the question with a ring worth up to £500,000 and it is thought Zoe could make her first official appearance with the bling, and her fiancé, at the star-studded Met Gala ball in New York on Monday.
We previously told how Harry first sparked engagement rumours when he and Zoe flew to the Bahamas just after Christmas to stay in her dad’s home there.
A source said at the time: “If it wasn’t an engagement, then it was something that shows they are very much committed to each other.”
Harry is said to have popped the question with a ring worth up to £500,000, as Zoe could make her first official appearance with the bling at the Met ball on MondayCredit: GettyHarry plants a kiss on Zoe as she gets into a car in London last monthCredit: Eroteme
Speculation mounted when Zoe was spotted wearing a ring on her left hand from jewellery designer Jessica McCormack — but it turned out she was an ambassador for the brand. Then Zoe later revealed her bling from Harry.
It might seem like a whirlwind romance but pals report the lovebirds are already seriously thinking about the wedding day — and even starting a family.
Zoe certainly has history with finding The One, or hoping she has.
She was engaged to Channing Tatum the year before she met Harry and fans have not been able to resist pointing out how similar her ring from Harry is to the one given to her by Channing.
Zoe with Channing Tatum, who proposed in 2023 but the pair split the following yearCredit: BackGridThe engagement ring Channing bought her, which is similar to her new oneCredit: BackGrid
Before her romantic misfire with the actor, Zoe had been wed to Karl Glusman after they said “I do” at her dad’s home in Paris in June 2019 — but she filed for divorce just 18 months later.
Now, we are sure that what she has with Harry is very different and that Zoe is determined not only to make it down the aisle, but also make the relationship last.
A source close to Zoe says: “She is incredibly excited about Harry asking her to marry him.
“She had a strong feeling for weeks that something was coming and now that it’s happened she truly believes he is the love of her life — her soulmate.
“Over the past few weeks, she’s been the happiest she’s been in a long time. She feels deeply in love and grateful to be with someone she sees as the perfect partner — the best companion in every sense.
‘Wedding outfits’
“There’s a real sense of relief for her, too. In past relationships, especially engagements that didn’t work out, she carried doubts and fears.
“But Harry has reassured her. He’s made it clear he wants to build a life with her and make her his wife as soon as possible.
“After past heartbreaks, and relationships that didn’t meet her expectations, she now feels like everything has fallen into place
Zoe with Karl Glusman at an Oscars bash in 2019 before they split two years laterCredit: GettyTaylor Swift and Harry snapped in New York’s Central Park in 2012Credit: Getty
“She’s always believed in love, partnership and building a life with someone, but she never fully felt that connection until Harry.
“To her, their relationship feels like destiny — the beginning of the rest of their lives together.”
Indeed, Zoe has never been shy of commitment. After her first marriage ended, she told GQ mag in 2022: “You meet someone who’s amazing and wants to marry you, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I
“If there’s nothing wrong, then why wouldn’t you do it? You love them and that’s what you do.”
Harry, meanwhile, has always been quite open to the idea of marriage — and in 2020, when asked in conversation with US broadcaster Howard Stern if he could ever picture being “married and devoted to one person”, he reckoned he would welcome that.
Harry said: “It’s definitely what I would like to do. I’d like to think I would want that at some point.” In 2018, asked about starting a family, he said: “I can’t wait for a time when that’s a thing for me. I look forward to that in my life.”
Becoming a mother might not have been on Zoe’s agenda in the past, but an insider tell us: “She has even begun thinking about having children — something she wasn’t particularly excited about in the past.
“Now, Zoe feels ready for the next steps — marriage, building a peaceful home together and starting a family.”
Meanwhile, Harry has not attended the annual haute-couture Met Gala since 2019, but Zoe is part of the host committee this year, so for them to make a grand display of their love seems very possible.
We are told a wedding may take place in the South of France — or Italy, as it is special for Harry and Zoe after they spent time together in Rome last summer.
Our source says: “Zoe is already thinking about the wedding. She wants something unique and has started discussing ideas for outfits, themes and designs.
“She’s torn between a very intimate ceremony — possibly even eloping — and a larger celebration with all their loved ones, though a bigger wedding may ultimately win out. She’s particularly drawn to the idea of a summer wedding in Europe — possibly France.
“She talks about it all the time — beautiful locations like Paris or the French Riviera, lots of flowers, stunning outfits, and a celebration that lasts all day and night, surrounded by love.”
Zoe grew up in the limelight thanks to her rocker dad, now 61, and US actress mum Lisa Bonet, 58, who starred in US sitcom The Cosby Show. She was born in LA and, after her parents split when she was 11, moved to Miami to live with Lenny.
Harry’s start in life was very different — he was a regular kid growing up in the Cheshire village of Holmes Chapel before he tried out for The X Factor at 16 and his life changed overnight.
Our source close to Zoe adds: “Harry feels like a dream come true for her, and marrying him would be the perfect culmination of everything she’s wanted.
“She envisions walking down the aisle and sharing the most meaningful day of her life with him. She often says her heart belongs entirely to Harry.”
Cuban electrical and petroleum workers have marched in Havana to celebrate International Workers’ Day, or May Day, as the government pledges to stand firm against growing US pressure which is further straining the economy.
Ninety-four-year-old former leader Raul Castro and President Miguel Diaz-Canel took part in the celebrations in the capital on Friday, while the administration of US President Donald Trump announced further sanctions.
A White House statement said the sanctions would target those involved in the security services, along with “material supporters of the Cuban government”. The statement added, without evidence, that the Caribbean island serves as a “safe haven for transnational terrorist groups” such as the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
A US energy blockade has already battered the country’s struggling economy and contributed to widespread energy blackouts.
“We are living through difficult times,” said Yunier Merino Reyes, an accountant with the Electric Union who joined Friday’s march to celebrate his colleagues. “We are carrying out a very tough, arduous and relentless effort — day and night — to provide electricity to the people who need it,” he told the Associated Press.
The Trump administration has frequently threatened Cuba with military attacks in addition to greater economic pressure.
“Today Cuba demonstrated once again that this people does not give up, and that we will defend our homeland tooth and nail, even though we want peace,” Milagros Morales, a 34-year-old Havana resident who took part in the march, told Reuters.
“Implementing the U.S. blockade is not without risk, and itself is hostilities. Given the fragility of the ceasefire and President Trump’s own messaging about resuming strikes on Iran, there is a risk that they may need to use force, and they have been and remain in hostilities,” she continued.
Lewis Capaldi had to halt one of his shows in the US due to a technical difficultyCredit: InstagramHe kept the crowd entertained during the error, then decided to sing the song without any backing music insteadCredit: Instagram
But during his gig at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre he encountered a major technical issue, leaving him unable to sing.
Lewis giggled next to the mic, sharing with the crowd: “Something has happened. Usually I’d be singing by now.
“Something technological has gone wrong. I’m not sure what the f***s happened.”
He then joked: “This feels like… erectile dysfunction in a way,” before checking in with his team to see if the error had been fixed.
Fans adored the acoustic performance, saying they were glad to be part of the “technical difficulties”Credit: GettyLewis is currently on his Survive tour after taking a hiatus from musicCredit: Getty
After learning it hadn’t, Lewis continued to entertain the crowd, saying: “Right, we’re not back. Hi.”
Fans of the musician found the moment hilarious and loved the way he chose to handle it – both with humour and then by deciding to go ahead with an acoustic performance while the tech issue was fixed.
One user on Instagram said: “Who needs all the technology with a voice like that?!?”
A second shared: “It was a once in a lifetime experience and we were very excited to be part of the “technical issue”.
A third added: “Well no one can claim he can’t sing live.”
Lewis’ tour shares the same name as his latest EP release which came out last year.
The new music followed him taking a two-year hiatus from the industry, after his anxiety and Tourette’s syndrome symptoms increased.
After Lewis finishes up his shows in America, he’s due to perform in Vancouver before heading over to the UK.
His first UK tour date is on June 19, taking place at the Isle Of Wight Festival.
Latest warning comes as Iranian state media reports Tehran has presented new peace proposal to US.
Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026
The United States has warned that any shippers paying tolls or other fees to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz risk being sanctioned.
The warning on Friday comes as a US naval blockade of the strait continued for its third week, amid stalled US-Iran ceasefire talks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called the ongoing siege on the country’s ports “intolerable”.
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Iran’s influence over, and ability to effectively close, the Strait of Hormuz emerged as a key point of leverage shortly after the US and Israel began launching attacks on Iran on February 28.
About one-fifth of the global crude oil and liquefied natural gas maritime shipments pass through the arterial waterway.
In its past proposals to end the war, Iran has proposed charging fees or tolls for vessels seeking to pass through the state. Washington has repeatedly rejected the prospect.
The advisory from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said Iran may offer shippers fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments.
It said those also included payments framed as charitable donations, including to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts.
“OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage,” it said.
“These risks exist regardless of payment method,” it said.
Both the government of Iran and the International Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) remain under US sanctions.
The advisory on Friday came as Iranian state media reported that Tehran had sent a new proposal for a lasting ceasefire to the Trump administration.
A White House spokesperson said it does not “detail private diplomatic conversations”, declining to confirm receipt of the proposal.
The spokesperson, Anna Kelly, added that “Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and negotiations continue to ensure the short- and long-term national security of the United States”.
Both sides have largely halted attacks since reaching a tentative agreement to pause fighting on April 7. Trump has repeatedly threatened to resume attacks amid the stalled negotiations.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran remains open to diplomacy with the US if Washington alters its “expansionist approach” and “threatening rhetoric”.
Poll finds that Americans are concerned about impact of the war on the cost of living and sceptical of success thus far.
Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026
A new poll has found that a large majority of people in the United States believe that the decision to take military action against Iran was a mistake, as the war roils the global economy and fuels cost-of-living concerns in the US.
A Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll released on Friday shows that 61 percent of respondents believe the use of military force against Iran was a mistake, with just 36 percent saying it was the right decision.
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The poll is the latest to find low levels of support for the war launched against Iran by the US and Israel in late February, which has killed thousands of people across the Middle East and sent global energy prices surging.
Asked if they had changed their behaviour due to higher gas prices, 44 percent of respondents said they had cut back on driving, and 42 percent said they had done the same for household expenses. Those figures increased to 56 percent and 59 percent for respondents making less than $50,000 per year.
Those concerns come at a time when President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have dropped to new lows, with voters expressing frustration over economic issues and the cost of living.
The war has also been depicted as a contrast with Trump’s promise to keep the country out of unnecessary foreign wars, and 46 percent of respondents said the decision to attack Iran was inconsistent with the position Trump took during his presidential campaign.
Despite relatively low casualty figures among US forces, the poll found that the war on Iran is as unpopular as the Iraq War was during a period of heightened violence in 2006 and the Vietnam War was in the early 1970s.
Asked whether US military actions against Iran have been successful thus far, 39 percent said they had been unsuccessful, while 19 percent said they had been successful. A plurality of 41 percent said it was too soon to tell.
Support for the war remains robust among members of Trump’s Republican Party, however. Nearly 80 percent of Republicans said that the decision to attack Iran was the correct one, even as they were split evenly between rating operations as successful or stating that it was too soon to tell.
SHE’S been branded arrogant, entitled and irritating by people who’ve watched her growing up on The Kardashians.
And as I braced myself to listen to North West’s debut EP N0rth4evr, I was expecting to absolutely hate it. But in all honesty, I love it.
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North West has released her debut EP N0rth4evr – and it is surprisingly goodCredit: SplashThe 12-year-old daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian does actually have talentCredit: Getty
The six-track record proves that the 12-year-old daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian does actually have talent.
She mixes heavy-metal guitar riffs with rage-rap and a flavour of the Japanese culture she loves so much.
Critics will argue that having two of the most famous people on the planet as parents would mean she couldn’t produce something that’s utterly rubbish.
But I’d argue North has a flair of originality and authenticity on all the tracks.
Kanye West’s daughter North has a flair of originality and authenticity on all the tracksCredit: PAShe samples Mumford & Sons’ 2009 track Little Lion Man on punchy and pacy Th!s t!meCredit: Getty Images – Getty
She samples Mumford & Sons’ 2009 track Little Lion Man on punchy and pacy Th!s t!me, and the final 28 seconds of W0ah crunching has an electric guitar solo.
For a child who has grown up knowing only fame and privilege, North carries the expectations on her shoulders in her lyrics.
No doubt she’s had a big helping hand, working with American rock siblings Meg and Dia Frampton, but it opens your eyes to what life might really be like as a kid everyone thinks they know.
On How I Feel, North sings: “In the back of the Lamb’, it get lonely, they be all up in my comments like they know me.
“If they approach me no phones please, lot of eyes on me that I don’t need.”
While on Th!s t!me, she raps: “They hear the name, they don’t hear what I’m sayin’.
“They want the fame, but you know I ain’t playin’.”
North4evr links to Kanye’s 2018 track Violent Crimes, where he rapped about protecting daughter North from danger.
On it, she sings: “So much people ’round me, but I know they all fake, so much goin’ in my head that I can’t say.
“Know my minds in a place that is not safe.”
She balances the pitfalls with plenty of not-so- humble brags though, and on D!e boasts about her influence on fashion and culture.
The track, which contains some influences of Post Malone, has her rapping: “How am I younger than you, but I’m who you look up to?
“Once they on trend, I’m already off it.
“I’m a rock star, you could tell by my closet. Once they on trend, I’m already off it.”
The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, clearly.
Beyonce has dropped yet another hint that her new rock-inspired album is comingCredit: She posted a video of Destiny’s Child hanging out with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks in 2001Credit: X
BEYONCE’s next era is just around the corner – and she’s dropped yet another hint that her new rock-inspired album is waiting.
The singer removed all the country- inspired Cowboy Carter merchandise from her website last night as she prepares to start promoting the record.
Bey also dropped another big clue about the direction she is heading by posting a video on her website of Destiny‘s Child hanging out with Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks on the set of their Bootylicious video from 2001.
As I told you last week, Beyonce is planning to reveal all about her new record around the Met Gala in New York on Monday.
The album, believed to be called Betty Black, is the third in a trilogy of records following on from 2022’s Renaissance and Cowboy Carter in 2024.
We first revealed in July that Beyonce was working on a rock-themed album.
She hinted the record could be called Betty Black in a reclaiming of the African-American work song Black Betty which was remade in 1977 by rock group Ram Jam.
He has also rescheduled the Manchester AO Arena gig to May 24.
His concert at London’s O2 Arena is still planned to take place on May 23.
Zayn said he was recovering and wanted to come back “stronger”.
Roses taxman tussle
The Stone Roses have been stuck in a secret battle with HMRC over their former touring firmCredit: Getty
THE STONE ROSES have been locked in a secret 13-year battle with the taxman involving their failed touring company.
HMRC has been fighting the indie rockers – who made £26million from two huge reunion tours – over an unpaid £127,000 corporation tax bill from BMSW Ltd.
Over the years, the figure has risen to £158,000. The touring firm collapsed and went into liquidation.
Documents filed at Companies House reveal the Roses tried to close down BMSW Ltd in July 2013 after the end of the first tour, with £10million being distributed to the band after paying a £3.1million tax bill.
But there was a change in HMRC policy, which meant liquidators asked the group – late bassist Gary Mounfield, singer Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire and drummer Alan Wren – for £32,000 each.
That was received badly by the lads, below, who felt “extremely aggrieved” after signing an indemnity protecting them from such a liability.
It meant the firm moved from a member’s voluntary liquidation into a creditor’s voluntary liquidation in 2022 . . . and the battle is still going on.
Graham: Traitors turn-off
Graham Norton says he is not interested in taking part in Celebrity Traitors for one clear reasonCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
A new biopic revisits Michael Jackson – but what’s left out of his story, and who decides his legacy?
A new estate-backed film, Michael, tells the story of Michael Jackson’s rise from Gary, Indiana to global fame, highlighting hits like Thriller and his record-breaking success. But it ends before major scandals, and it leaves out the US musician’s race and politics, including his solidarity with Palestine. What story is being told, and what is being erased?
In this episode:
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by David Enders and Sarí el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Tamara Khandaker.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday sharply criticized The New York Times and CNN over their coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran, describing CNN as “stupid” and claiming the newspaper’s reporting was “seditious,” Anadolu reports.
Trump said he had “militarily decapitated” Iran, speaking to reporters at an Oval Office event where he signed an executive order aimed at expanding workers’ access to retirement savings, while also criticizing Democratic efforts to limit his war powers.
“And every day, I read about how well they’re doing militarily,” he said. “They’ve got nothing left, they’re done. And yet I read in The New York Times, I see on stupid CNN — which I only watch because you have to watch a little bit of the enemy.”
Trump also said coverage by the two outlets implied that Iran is “winning the war,” criticizing their reporting on the war.
“If you read The New York Times — it’s actually seditious, in my opinion,” he said. “You read some of these columnists, but it all starts with the top. It’s a terrible thing.”
He said he did not “care, and everybody knows the facts. We are decimating the country.”
Earlier, the New York Times editorial board suggested that the US military is “losing its edge” in the Iran war, arguing that tactical gains have not translated into overall victory and may weaken Washington’s position.
A League of Their Own is going on tour – we take a look at three iconic moments from the beloved show including Jamie Redknapp, Jill Scott and Tony Bellew
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(Image: Sky UK)
A League of Their Own fans have had reason to celebrate this week with the hilarious TV show now doing a live tour across the country. The show, which has been enjoyed by millions since it started in March 2010 concluded at the end of last year after 20 series but now fans can enjoy a little bit more with the show now on the road.
The Jamie Redknapp-fronted show is returning as a live production for the first time this September, with a UK arena tour planned. The run includes seven dates in major cities such as London, Newcastle and Manchester, as well as a headline night at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Redknapp will be joined on stage by team captains Jill Scott and Tony Bellew, alongside familiar faces Tom Davis, Patrice Evra and Maisie Adam. More guests are expected to be confirmed in the coming months, and audiences can expect the same loud, chaotic challenges that made the show a hit on TV.
Over the 26 years, there have been many hilarious moments and gags on the show, whether that is from the studio or on the road, that many enjoy looking back on. Here are three iconic moments from the series.
Buy A League Of Their Own tickets from Live Nation
A League Of Their Own tickets are out now from major ticketing retailer Live Nation.
1. ‘You text Gary Neville haven’t ya?’
On a road trip with Freddie Flintoff, Romesh Ranganathan and Alan Carr, Jamie Redknapp was always going to be in trouble with a cricketer famous for his quips on the cricket pitch and two comedians.
Somehow, Romesh managed to get Jamie’s phone and text one of his fellow broadcasters Gary Neville in a tongue-in-cheek message that clearly got to Redknapp. Playing dumb Romesh pretended nothing happened and he had nothing to do with it.
Even when the former Liverpool midfielder reminds him they work together, highlighting the awkwardness, Flintoff did not hesitate to say “I’ve never seen him [Neville] at Fulham!”
The text sent read: “I know you were only here five minutes but what’s the best restaurant in Valencia?”
The hilarious moment would have put Redknapp in a sticky situation with Neville who had a torrid time in his one and only managerial job which included a match where he was thrashed and humiliated by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.
Still, the Man United legend sent his recommendations over to his Sky Sports colleague.
2. ‘It’s typical Kopites once again, glory hunting’
It is a sensitive topic in the world of football caused by a very simple question: who do you support and why? For many, it is a simple question, for others it might fairly layered but then there are some that ignite the glory-hunting debate when someone supports a club miles away with zero affiliation other than they win.
But it always comes with a good laugh in these sorts of things as passionate Evertonian Tony Bellew laid into Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp on who they support – with neither supporting their local team. Well kind of, which makes this moment even funnier when it started with Redknapp saying he’s a Red.
Tony Bellew said: “No you’re not, you’re not from Liverpool.” When Jamie jokingly hit back that Tony couldn’t tell him “who I support and who I don’t”, Tony upped the ante. He added: “It’s typical Kopites once again, glory hunting b*******. They’re not from the city. He’s just come in on a f******…if you shut the airports and shut everywhere else on matchday, f****** Anfield will be empty.”
He added: “He’s not a scouser – big Liverpool fan.”
3. ‘He’s one of them two-team w******’
Bellew did not just settle with Redknapp’s choice of who he supports and pressed Micah Richards, the opposition captain on the show. The Birmingham-born defender revealed he was a Man City supporter in front of the cameras but an Arsenal fan behind-the-scenes – which makes sense giving his long-time admiration of Thierry Henry!
And just when the heat was going off Jamie, Bellew threw in a grenade that would cause many football fans to cringe with the added notion that he supports more than one club. This just egged Bellew further and kept that hilarious rant going.
TB: “Jesus Christ! What’s up with you people!? You’re not from there! Support where you are from. Support your own.”
JR: “I support Bournemouth as well.”
TB: “That’s even worse. Because he’s one of them two team w******. That’s the worst person in the world.”
It did not just stop there as the 43-year-old former world champion was asked why he chose Everton. When Big Meeks pressed Bellew on why he supports his beloved Everton and why his family do, he responded in the only way a proper football fan who supports his local team does.
Bellew responded: “I was chosen. I didn’t choose, I was chosen. Special kind to support my club mate. All my children are Evertonians as well. I’ve f****** told them it’s character building.”
How to buy A League Of Their Own presale tickets
A League Of Their Own tickets are on sale right now and can be purchased through Live Nation.
Once fans have registered, they will receive an access email, and tickets can then be purchased. Here’s the link:
Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro (C), son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, celebrates with members of Congress a vote that could reduce the sentences for coup attempts imposed on his father and others, in Brasilia, Brazil, on Thursday. Photo by Andre Borges/EPA
May 1 (UPI) — Brazil’s Congress approved legislation that could significantly reduce prison sentences for former President Jair Bolsonaro and several supporters convicted over the 2023 attempted coup.
Both chambers of Congress voted Thursday by wide margins to overturn a veto by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, allowing changes to how sentences are served for crimes linked to coup attempts.
Local media described the vote as further evidence of tensions between Lula’s government and a Congress dominated by conservative factions.
Newspapers, including Estadão and Folha de S.Paulo, said lawmakers dealt a “double blow” to Lula in less than 24 hours after the Senate also rejected, for the first time in 130 years, a presidential nominee for Brazil’s Supreme Court.
The legislation would directly benefit Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for leading the alleged coup plot, as well as dozens of former officials and hundreds of demonstrators linked to the Jan. 8, 2023, assault on government institutions in Brasília.
After the congressional vote, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and a presidential candidate, wrote on X that the decision “is the first step toward full justice for the political persecution victims of Jan. 8.”
“The defeat of the Workers’ Party is the victory of Brazil,” he added.
The measure focuses on changes to sentencing rules. By overturning Lula’s veto, lawmakers established that convicts would no longer serve cumulative sentences for each individual offense, such as criminal association or damage to public property.
Instead, courts would apply only the sentence tied to the most serious crime, sharply reducing total prison time.
In Bolsonaro’s case, the change would cut his sentence from 27 years to a maximum of 12 years. Under Brazilian law, inmates may qualify for legal benefits after serving part of their sentence, potentially allowing the former president to seek parole or the end of his house arrest within an estimated two to four years.
The law is expected to face challenges before the Supreme Federal Court on grounds that Congress may have overstepped judicial authority and violated constitutional principles by altering sentences tied to crimes against the state.
While the court reviews the measure’s constitutionality, judges could suspend its implementation, preventing any immediate reduction of Bolsonaro’s sentence until a final ruling is issued.
Bolsonaro, who has been under temporary humanitarian house arrest since March 27 after suffering bilateral pneumonia, was admitted Friday to DF Star Hospital in Brasília after authorization from Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, according to local outlet G1 Globo.
The 71-year-old former president is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and related injuries.
The judicial developments come amid early campaigning ahead of Brazil’s October presidential election, where Flávio Bolsonaro is emerging as Lula’s main challenger. Several polls show the two tied in a potential runoff election.
Turkish authorities violently crackdown on May Day demonstrations at Istanbul’s Taksim Square, firing tear gas from riot-control vehicles into the crowd. A Turkish legal organisation says at least 370 people were arrested on Friday.
The 61st Venice Biennale — the world’s most celebrated international exhibition of contemporary art — made headlines Thursday when its awards jury resigned amid a growing controversy over its April 23 decision to exclude countries charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
In the current moment, this specifically meant Israel and Russia, and an uproar ensued — particularly with regard to Israel. The Israel Foreign Ministry blasted the decision on social media, writing in an April 26 post that the boycott “is a contamination of the art world. The political jury has transformed the Biennale from an open artistic space of free, boundless ideas into a spectacle of false, anti-Israeli political indoctrination.”
The jury posted its brief statement of resignation online four days later “in acknowledgment” of its original decree, in which it wrote, “At this edition of the Biennale, we wish to set out our intention — to express our commitment to the defense of human rights,” before explaining it would not consider certain countries for awards.
The Biennale moved swiftly to reverse course after the jury’s resignation, issuing a news release that noted, “All National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition … are eligible … following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment among all participants. This is consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship. La Biennale seeks to be — and must remain — a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom.”
To that end, the awards ceremony originally scheduled to take place on May 9 has been pushed to November 22 — the last day the exhibition is open to the public. There is precedent for “exceptional circumstances” delays, and the last one took place in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Without precedent, however, are the newly established awards, created to replace the coveted Golden Lion awards that the jury traditionally hands out to two winners each year. This year, instead of the Golden Lion for best national participation at the Biennale; and the Golden Lion for best participant in the Biennale’s central exhibition, the Biennale has established two Visitors’ Lions to be awarded in the same categories.
Instead of a jury deciding the winners this year, the honor will be left — as the new award name specifies — to the exhibition visitors.
“Visitors eligible to vote for the Visitors’ Lions are ticket holders who have visited both Exhibition venues,” the release reads.
“Visits to both venues will be verified through the ticketing system’s tracking. Each ticket holder may cast one vote for each of the two awards, in one single session.”
Whether Visitors’ Lions will become a Biennale mainstay remains to be seen — but I can imagine the democratic idea might keep its place when the Golden Lions make their return next year.
I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt doing my best to tread water in difficult times. This is your arts and culture news for the week.
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY
Quentin Lee and Justin Lin on the set of their debut feature, “Shopping for Fangs.”
(Margin Films)
Celebrating 30 Years of Margin Films Award-winning filmmaker Quentin Lee and his production company mark three decades in the business with a weeklong screening series. Lee’s breakout 1997 debut “Shopping for Fangs,” co-directed by Justin Lin, is the opening film. Also screening: “Ethan Mao,” Saturday; “The People I’ve Slept With,” Sunday; “The Unbidden,” Monday; “Rez Comedy,” Tuesday; “Last Summer of Nathan Lee,” Wednesday; and a sneak peak of three episodes of the Canadian TV series “Comedy InvAsian III,” Thursday. Selected screening includes a Q&A. Lee is also releasing a book, “Cinemasianamerica,” commemorating the occasion. Each film screens one day, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., through Thursday. Laemmle Royal, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A. laemmle.com
Dvořák and Korngold Conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Los Angeles Philharmonic pay tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas, who died April 22, with his composition “Agnegram,” and perform Korngold’s “Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra” with violinist María Dueñas. The evening concludes with “Symphony No. 7 in D minor” by Dvořák. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Anna Van Valin, from left, Elias Scoufaras and Bruce Nozick in “Warsaw” at International City Theatre.
(Jordan Gohara)
Warsaw The world premiere of British playwright and “Selma” screenwriter Paul Webb’s drama about the fate of a woman whose life links two monumental historic moments, World War II and Sept. 11. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 17. International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. ictlongbeach.org
SATURDAY
The Kronos Quartet, from left: Gabriela Díaz, David Harrington, Ayane Kozasa and Paul Wiancko.
(Danica Taylor)
Kronos Quartet The West Coast premiere of the group’s latest large-scale multimedia project, “Three Bones,” which combines live performance, video, visual art, recordings and environmental sound to explore the histories of Indigenous, Gullah Geechee and Chinese American communities in the United States. 6 p.m. UC Santa Barbara campus, Campbell Hall. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu
Michael Caine, from left, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman in the “The Prestige,” screening Saturday at the Aero.
(Francois Duhamel / Touchstone & Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Prestige Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale square off as rival magicians in a 20th anniversary 35mm screening of Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller. 7:30 p.m. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com
The cast of “Carlota: Alhajero de Secretos,” opening Saturday at LATC.
(Teatro Alebrijes)
Carlota: Alhajero de Secretos Writer-directors Rodrigo García and Ugho Badú reimagine Federico García Lorca’s tragedy “The House of Bernarda Alba.” The co-production between San José-based LGBTQ+ ensemble Teatro Alebrijes and L.A.’s Latino Theater Company is in Spanish with English supertitles. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 24. Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street, downtown L.A. latinotheaterco.org
SUNDAY
Henri Lubatti in “Exit the King” at A Noise Within.
(Daniel Reichert)
Exit the King Eugène Ionesco’s classic absurdist comedy about a desperate monarch who refuses to admit his time has come, translated by Donald Watson and directed by Michael Michetti. Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and May 8; opening night, 7:30 p.m. May 9; runs through May 31. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. anoisewithin.org
Organist Anna Lapwood performs at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday.
(Gerald Matzka / Getty Images)
Anna Lapwood The popular organist performs work from “The Da Vinci Code,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” “Flight” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” as well as Olivia Belli’s organ solo “Limina Luminis,” in this recital. 7:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
TUESDAY
Willie Birch, “Uptown Memories (A Day in the Life of the Magnolia Project),” 1995. Painted papier-mâché and mixed media, 82 × 62 × 60 in. New Orleans Museum of Art.
(Roman Alokhin)
Willie Birch: Stories to Tell This career retrospective details Birch’s exploration of the Black American experience since the 1960s, posing difficult questions along the way in his work as an artist, community organizer and “cultural provocateur.” 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 21. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org
Lucía performs Tuesday at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach.
(Shervin Lainez)
Jazz in Long Beach Two jazz-influenced acts come to the Carpenter Center next week. Lucía brings her signature mix of traditional American jazz and Latin folk in a Spotlight Sessions concert on the Cabaret Stage. She’ll also be performing songs from her forthcoming album. “The Magic of Manhattan Starring Benny Benack III” is a tribute to the Big Apple and the songs and singers most associated with it, including Blossom Dearie, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel. Lucía, 8 p.m. Tuesday; Benny Benack III, 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Carpenter Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. carpenterarts.org
Smith, Cabezas & Childs Molly Turner conducts the LA Phil New Music Group, with multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Gabriella Smith, cellist Gabriel Cabezas and jazz pianist Billy Childs in a program of eco-friendly music curated by Smith, including compositions by Smith, Childs, Michael Gordon, John Cage and Esa-Pekka Salonen. 8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
WEDNESDAY Andrés Jaramillo: A Journey of Immigrants, Part II The Colombian American pianist follows up on his January 2025 program with a celebration of the global cultural exchange created by immigrants, placing Latin American composers within the Romantic tradition. Featuring works by Chopin, Calvo, Mejía, Barber, Lecuona, Friedhoff-Calvo and Pinzón-Arroyo. Presented by Piano Spheres. 8 p.m. Wednesday. Thayer Hall at Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. pianospheres.org
Morgan Freeman, left, and Brad Pitt star in David Fincher’s 1995 film “Seven.”
(Robert Isenberg / New Line Cinema)
Seven A 4k screening of David Fincher’s 1995 thriller about two cops on the trail of a serial killer. Appearances by production designer Arthur Max and set decorator Clay Griffith. 7:30 p.m. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org
THURSDAY
“Dancing with Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage” at the Wallis, May 7 to 9.
(The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)
Dancing With Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage This kinetic retrospective captures the cross-disciplinary collaborations between vanguard artist Robert Rauschenberg and choreographers Trisha Brown (“Set and Reset,” with an electronic score by Laurie Anderson) and Merce Cunningham (“Travelogue,” created with John Cage). 7:30 p.m. Thursday and May 8; 2 p.m. May 9. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
The Physicists Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton are residents of an insane asylum beset by murder, mayhem, espionage and questions about the morality and ethics of science in this 1962 German satire by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Directed by Brent Hinkley. 8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 20. The Actors’ Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com
Arts anywhere
New and recent releases of arts-related media.
The Adding Machine Currently running at the Theater at St. Clement’s in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, through May 17, this New Group production with a revised script by Thomas Bradshaw receives a one-time livestream next week. “[Elmer] Rice’s expressionist drama is known for being a tale of man vs. machine in an age of merciless efficiency, but inhumanity in a broader sense is its true core subject,” wrote Laura Collins-Hughes in a recent New York Times review. “The happy news about Scott Elliott’s handsome yet under-realized revival … is what a delight Daphne Rubin-Vega is to watch as Mr. Zero.” The cast also features Sarita Choudhury, Michael Cyril Creighton and Jennifer Tilly. The League of Live Stream Theater: 4 p.m. Tuesday. $40, includes 24-hour replay.
Art Work Photographer and writer Sally Mann weighs in on the creative process with stories, advice and life lessons, all illustrated with photos, journal entries and letters, making for a compelling, often surprising journey. Abrams Books: 272 pages, $35
“Insomnia & Seven Steps to Grace” by Joy Harjo.
(Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)
Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace The new album by Joy Harjo, the first Native American to be named United States Poet Laureate, serving from 2019 to 2022, combines jazz, funk, rock and Native music sounds with her signature “vibration of love” as she boldly confronts injustice and draws inspiration from ancestral memory and the political turmoil of the moment. The double LP’s packaging features original art by Harjo and the poet’s extensive liner notes. Five-time Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding produced as well as contributed vocals and played bass on the project. Smithsonian Folkways: Double vinyl LP ($33), CD ($17), hi-res digital download ($13), digital download ($10).
— Kevin Crust
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Michael Tilson Thomas in 2018.
(Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
Times classical music critic Mark Swed wrote a lovely appreciation of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, who died last week at the age of 81. Tilson Thomas, Swed wrote, “made music matter by making hope matter. He was, moreover, one of us. He achieved greatness though an epic amplification of a uniquely L.A. positivity in which grumpy became wistful.”
LA Opera music director James Conlon is preparing to step down after a record 20 seasons with the company, and in a recent story, Swed cataloged his impressive numbers: “More than 500 performances of 70 different operas at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and occasional neighboring venues, such as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.” Swed attended a recent farewell gala and noted some highlights, including excerpts from “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Times theater critic Charles McNulty spent a recent trip to New York almost entirely in various Broadway theaters, catching up on what he says is a “strange season by all accounts.” McNulty notes that Broadway is still the place acting powerhouses like Adrien Brody, John Lithgow and Laurie Metcalf go in search of the kind of depthy material increasingly unavailable onscreen. He looks at four such shows — and their epic leading actors — including “Death of a Salesman,” “Giant,” “The Fear of 13” and “Dog Day Afternoon.”
David Henry Hwang (book adapter, “Flower Drum Song”) and Alexandra Silber (book adapter, “Brigadoon”) at the James Irvine Japanese Garden in Little Tokyo.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Malia Mendez wrote a great piece about a trio of classic musicals running concurrently in L.A. She takes a closer look at “Flower Drum Song,” adapted for East West Players by David Henry Hwang; “Brigadoon,” adapted for Pasadena Playhouse by Alexandra Silber; and “The Sound of Music” at the Hollywood Pantages. All three were originally written by two of the 20th century’s most dynamic and celebrated writing duos: Rodgers and Hammerstein (“Flower Drum Song” and “The Sound of Music”) and Lerner and Loewe (“Brigadoon”). And all still resonate in modern times.
Mendez also wrote about a special event taking place this weekend called Night at the Library — held as part of the downtown Central Library’s centennial celebration. “The four-hour extravaganza Saturday will feature more than 200 artists and 25 to 30 activations peppered throughout the library campus, plus DJ sets and local food truck fare. Highlighted performers include Bob Baker Marionette Theater and Los Angeles Master Chorale,” Mendez writes.
Doug Chiang, Podrace Crash, production art for “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” 1995-99.
(Lucas Museum of Narrative Art)
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art unveiled its inaugural exhibitions this week — noting that all 20 were curated by George Lucas himself. The $1-billion museum will open to the public on the first day of fall and the exhibits will be shown in more than 30 galleries spread over 100,000 square feet of exhibition space. And, yes, “Star Wars” memorabilia will be part of the “cinema” exhibit with large-scale vehicle installations, production designs, props and costumes.
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Lincoln Clauss, center, as the Emcee in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s “Cabaret,” at the Old Globe.
(Courtesy of Cliff Roles)
The board of directors of San Diego’s Old Globe named Trish Santini as the theater’s new managing director. Santini joins Artistic Director Barry Edelstein as a co-chief executive, and enters her new role on July 1. Among other arts leadership posts, Santini was the inaugural executive director of Little Island in New York City, and led the launch of the $250-million public park and performance venue.
The military government in Myanmar announced former leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, seen here in 2019, has been moved from prison to house arrest. File Photo by How Hwee Young/EPA
May 1 (UPI) — The military government in Myanmar announced former leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in 2021, has been moved from prison to house arrest.
Military leader Min Aung Hlaing released a statement to state media saying 80-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison after the military coup, will serve the remainder of her sentence on house arrest at an undisclosed location.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s party came to power in 2015. She had previously spent decades as a pro-democracy activist, leading to her spending more than 15 years under house arrest. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in 1991.
Her whereabouts since being convicted on charges including corruption and election fraud in 2021 have not been confirmed, but it is believed that she was being held at a military prison in Nay Pyi Taw, the nation’s capital.
The former leader’s son, Kim Aris, said he is skeptical of the announcement. He said a photo of his mother recently released by the military is “meaningless” as it was taken in 2022.
“I hope this is true. I still haven’t seen any real evidence to show that she has been moved,” Kim Aris told the BBC. “So, until I’m allowed communication with her, or somebody can independently verify her condition and her whereabouts, then I won’t believe anything.”
